Chapter 153
...That night.
Naruto swaggered into the 'Hokage's Residence'.
That year, I, Uzumaki Naruto, with my hands in my pockets, knew no rivals.
"Naruto."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had gotten up to urinate, was stunned to see Naruto suddenly appear in his home.
"In the middle of the night, what are you doing here?"
Naruto, discovered by Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, merely snorted coldly.
"Stinky Old Man, none of your business."
With that, Naruto continued to stroll through the Hokage Building with an arrogant, splay-footed gait.
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
Naruto, treating the Sandaime Old Man completely like an NPC, swaggered past.
Soon, Naruto found the forbidden scroll in the room Teacher Mizuki had mentioned.
He opened it, glanced at it, and confirmed it was genuine.
Naruto took the scroll and climbed out a window on one side of the corridor.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi discovered the forbidden scroll was missing, he immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.
Theoretically, Naruto, who had never been here before, couldn't possibly know about the forbidden scroll.
Indeed... that Mizuki fellow... Hiruzen Sarutobi, guessing the inside story, immediately gathered everyone in the dead of night, preparing to launch a pursuit.
When Iruka arrived, he understood the great trouble he had caused.
Because he hadn't let Naruto pass the graduation exam, the boy had taken a desperate gamble.
And when Nara Shikaku and others heard this news, they found it utterly absurd.
After Iruka and the others went out to search for Naruto, only core personnel like Nara Shikakuremained in the Hokage Office.
"It's Mizuki."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke the name.
"That Ninja Academy teacher?"
Nara Shikaku thought for a moment, then turned to the others and said,
"Everyone, Mizuki seems to have been in contact with Orochimaru recently..."
Hearing the name Orochimaru, everyone was startled.
Now that the Fourth Hokage was dead...
Who else... could stand against him?
Hokage-sama is old now... Hiruzen Sarutobi, with his white hair, looked around at everyone, then smiled softly: "Fugaku, Shikaku, Inoichi... please look after Naruto."
Uchiha Fugaku, also present, immediately realized an opportunity had arrived.
If he could defeat Orochimaru.
Then, the Uchiha Clan's situation would see a reversal.
"I understand, Hokage-sama."
With that, the murderous Uchiha Fugakuimmediately left the scene... Konoha's back mountains.
Mizuki, with a cruel expression, revealed a sinister grin, his plan having succeeded.
"First, let everyone know about this, then get rid of Naruto. Then, just make it look like Naruto, who stole the scroll, disappeared without a trace..."
Soon.
Mizuki landed at Naruto's location.
However, he found that Iruka had already run over first.
"Teacher Iruka~, Teacher Mizuki said that as long as I learn the Ninjutsu inside, I can graduate."
Naruto said, pointing to the scroll beside him.
"I've finished learning it now, here you go."
Saying this, Naruto threw the scroll to Iruka.
This made Mizuki, who had originally intended to attack Naruto, immediately change direction, because his target was that scroll.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of Kunai cutting through the air echoed.
"!"
Iruka immediately dodged, avoiding Mizuki's throw.
"Mizuki?!"
He looked in disbelief at his fully armed Ninja Academy colleague standing on a tree branch.
"Iruka... give me the forbidden scroll." Mizuki said coldly.
"So that's it... Mizuki, you used Naruto, didn't you?!"
Iruka, clutching the scroll tightly, immediately realized that Mizuki was after this dangerous scroll sealed by the First Hokage.
That's why he took advantage of Naruto taking the graduation exam to trick Naruto into getting this item.
"Ah, yes, and what about it?"
Mizuki grinned, his smile becoming increasingly sinister.
"Iruka, give it to me... otherwise... I'll just have to kill you!"
"Mizuki..."
Looking at the unfamiliar Mizuki, Iruka's face was filled with disbelief.
He and Mizuki had grown up together.
They had studied together at the Ninja Academy.
They had become Genin together... Mizuki in his memories had always been very gentle.
But now, his smile was incredibly wicked.
"Mizuki, tell me, why are you doing this?" Irukaquestioned loudly.
"Hmph... Since you've asked so sincerely... then I'll mercifully tell you..."
Naruto, standing to the side, watched with interest as Mizuki instantly turned into Kojiro.
Speaking of which.
Mizuki and Kojiro even shared the same voice actor!
Fight, fight.
Knock each other's brains out.
Naruto, who had shifted the conflict with just a few words, now stood idly by, watching the scene unfold like a melodrama.
"Lord Orochimaru said... as long as I give him this scroll, he will give me power..."
"O-Orochimaru~?!"
Iruka's expression became incredibly dramatic.
Mentioning Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, was enough to strike fear into countless people as a veteran Ninja.
On the battlefield, Orochimaru had killed countless enemies.
Ninja from other countries would be extremely afraid upon hearing Orochimaru's name.
"Mizuki, wake up! You've been swayed by that Orochimaru!"
"Hmph! What do you know, Iruka! You don't understand my pain at all!"
Their conflict quickly escalated.
"Mizuki!!!"
"Iruka!!!"
After shouting each other's names, the two began to scuffle.
Seeing this déja vu scene, Naruto scratched his head, feeling the will of the Great Universe.
"In just a few words, this Mizuki was provoked..."
Those involved are confused, while bystanders see clearly.
As a bystander, Nine-Tailed saw this matter very clearly.
Clearly, Uzumaki Naruto easily shifted the conflict... also known as... using a borrowed knife to kill.
So, who would win the dispute between Iruka and Mizuki?
That no longer mattered.
Because... Uzumaki Naruto had already learned his mother Kushina's Jutsu... Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Nine-Tailed thought back to the past, feeling as if it were fate's arrangement.
The mother and son, surprisingly, knew the exact same Ninjutsu... Chapter 98. Orochi-hime: Naruto, you are too dangerous!
"Tonight's moon is so big."
"Tonight's air is very cool..."
"I'm a little sleepy..."
After Naruto switched between standing, lying down, reclining, and sprawling positions...
Iruka and Mizuki's duel finally came to an end.
It should be said, as expected of the person with the strongest potential in the official Naruto Ninjaguidebook.
Iruka successfully defeated Mizuki.
In the original story, Iruka was injured protecting himself.
But in this world... he was not severely wounded.
Therefore, defeating that Mizuki fellow was only natural.
"Naruto, are you alright...?"
Iruka, panting, turned around.
As the victor of this pathetic brawl, Iruka did not forget to care for his student.
And just as Iruka, with tears in his eyes, was about to take his friend to Hokage-sama for judgment, and also to get justice for Naruto... an anomaly occurred.