Disclaimer in Chapter 1: Prologue

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Enter: Naruto Uzumaki Part 2

"Did I pass?" Naruto asked innocently enough that Maiko was shocked. She was so shocked she remained hidden, waiting for Naruto to explain further. She was shocked even more so when she saw the scroll from where she was hiding.

'This explains how he got the scroll so easily.' Maiko thought noticing the sacred scroll of seals that was supposed to be locked away in the Fourth's mansion. 'Tread lightly Iruka, for Naruto can release the Kyuubi accidently if he gets angered too much.'

"What are you talking about?" Iruka questioned. Maiko sighed exasperatedly remembering how blunt men can be. That's when she felt another chakra presence, looking diagonally to one of the trees she saw Mizuki throwing his kunai towards Naruto and Iruka.

"Nice job in finding our little hiding place." Mizuki commented, Maiko seeing how all of the kunai in his hands were not directed to be deadly decided to stay put to see how it goes down. What she couldn't help was the killer intent that was most likely rolling off of her in waves. She tried to keep it minimal though so he couldn't guess where she was hiding in the bushes.

"Mizuki told me that if I retrieved this scroll and learn something from it I can get extra credit and get a higher grade than Sasuke-teme!" Naruto explained further. Maiko felt her blood drain away from her face. She couldn't believe she didn't realize what Mizuki's plan was the moment he came to the clearing. She can tell that Iruka felt the same way by the way Iruka rounded on Mizuki. Maiko felt worse for Naruto as he watched the two fight.

To her horror Mizuki began to talk about that night twelve years ago. If it could get any worse it just did. Maiko didn't want Naruto to find out about his prisoner at this age, especially in this manner. What destruction it could do to Naruto emotionally, mentally, and physically could be disastrous. So she finally stepped out of her hiding place when Mizuki started to talk about the nine-tailed fox.

"That is enough Mizuki. It is forbidden to tell Naruto this." She stated in a cool and deadly tone. Her vision was turning from a faded pink to a bloodier red as the seconds passed from Mizuki's astonishment of her being there.

"Maiko-chan! H-ow l-l-long have yo-u be-en hiding?" Naruto asked, trembling a bit from nervousness. She could tell how frightened and confused he was right now and she had to suppress the urge to kill Mizuki at the moment. Instead she turned to Naruto and silently she went over to him and asked for his protector.

"You will get it back after this is done and we have a little talk about your actions here tonight." Maiko explained further and he realized this as a punishment. She hoped this would take more precedence in his mind than wondering what Mizuki was talking about. Unfortunately, Mizuki did not help her case by continuing on about not trusting her or Iruka.

"Naruto, don't listen to her or Iruka. They both hate you and would kill you in a heartbeat if they could! See twelve years ago-"

"I SAID ENOUGH!" Maiko screamed and began to attack him but anger and grief clouded her mind and made it harder to hit Mizuki. She was not in control of her body and was slower and clumsier from inner emotional turmoil. He kept dodging and told the story about that night twelve years ago, clearly enjoying the look on Naruto's face darken and how Maiko made more and more boneheaded moves as she grew more distracted. She knew attacking Mizuki was not going over well, especially how it was probably sending Naruto the wrong message. Maiko stopped her onslaught and tried to explain to Naruto everything and regain control of herself.

"What he says is true, my team and Iruka's family was killed that night... and the Kyuubi is inside of you..."

"Now that is enough for you Maiko. Naruto doesn't need to know all of this, only that everyone in this village hates him and that he is going to die tonight." Mizuki reached for his massive shuriken and flung it towards the boy. Both Maiko and Iruka went to shield him, Iruka moving the slowest ended on top. But with her lightning fast reflexes, Maiko took Naruto's forehead protector and used it to cover the spot the shuriken was going to hit on Iruka's back.

It split the headband into two but stopped the massive shuriken from hitting any of Iruka's organs. Iruka, ignoring his wound and how deadly the situation was, began to tell Naruto his own story. As the tears ran from his face onto both Maiko and Naruto, Mizuki just chuckled and planted even more doubt inside the young boy's head. It was effective as Iruka, Maiko, and Mizuki watched Naruto run off with the scroll.

"I will finish you two off after I get the scroll and kill Naruto Uzumaki." Mizuki stated before following Naruto. Maiko gently lifted Iruka off of her, but not as gently as she thought by the way Iruka groaned.

"Go on ahead of me. I will just slow you down." Iruka moaned and Maiko would have agreed with him if she didn't see how much blood he was losing from all of his wounds.

"We are going to do this together because if I leave you here you will bleed out and possibly die. I have a plan but we need to trust each other. I have fully forgiven you for the past year now and I need to know if you trust me." She said fiercely. He nodded his head and allowed her to transform him into a replica of the scroll and herself into Naruto. She once more gently picked him up and dashed through the trees trying to catch up to Mizuki and hoped that he hasn't found Naruto yet.

It seemed like eternity for her as she ran and leapt from tree to tree. The night was growing longer and there was no sign of either Naruto or Mizuki. Maiko's worst fears of losing Naruto forever seemed more and more likely and darkened her own mood. The moon crept slowly over the horizon as the minutes turned into hours of a seamlessly endless chase. When it looked as if she would lose all hope, Maiko spotted Mizuki. Quickly she was able to outstrip him and waited for another ten minutes before appearing in front of Mizuki as the real Naruto.

Silently, Mizuki transformed himself into Iruka and caught up to them. He tried to persuade the transformed Maiko into giving him the scroll. Maiko used all of her might to keep the distraught face and not smile or crack up at how Mizuki has fallen into her trap or rip his throat out at the present moment. When he positioned himself in front of her, she shouldered him in his sternum trying to crack it and hit one of his organs. Instead it just got the wind knocked out of him and all three landed in another clearing inside the dense wood of the training ground. The moon was setting and barely illuminated them but it was just enough so that when she transformed back Iruka and herself into their normal selves Mizuki knew he was duped and caught.

"I will not allow you to lay one finger, toe, or body part of yours on Naruto or the scroll." Maiko growled at him. This time she did not turn her back to Mizuki but stepped slightly in front of Iruka just in case Mizuki tried to attack him. Noticing Iruka's pale face made Maiko feel even more urgent in killing Mizuki and then finding Naruto so she could get Iruka to a hospital before he bled out.

"Come on, we both know that Naruto at this very moment is plotting his revenge on the village and will mess with the scroll more, unleashing the beast. Then again he already is one just in human form. You saw the look in his eyes when he ran away; it was the look of a monster." Maiko was about to protest and then rip him limb from limb until she heard Iruka speak.

"You're right. That is what a monster would do."

"Iruka! Do you really see Naruto as that? How many times do I have to tell everyone he is not a monster! If he was would you really think the Sandaime would let him run around innocent people or their kids? Do you think I would have welcomed him with open arms and let him sleep under my roof?" Maiko rounded on him. Iruka gave her a look to shut up before he justified himself.

"I know Naruto is not a monster, he is just like every other kid, and I believe in him." Is what he gasped out with a more audible hiss of pain from over exerting himself by trying to sit more upright against the tree. Maiko couldn't help but beam with pride and add her own little speech to Mizuki who scoffed at them.

"I do as well. When I first met Naruto I did not see the Kyuubi, I saw a kid. That is how I have always seen him. He is my brother first, my friend second, charge third, child fourth, and so on and so forth. Even then I don't see him as a monster, just the jailer to the beast. That means I will protect him with my life if I have to." Iruka grunted with agreement.

"I can make that happen." Mizuki stated, Maiko prepared herself by lowering into her unusual fighting stance but then Naruto appeared. She cursed herself more at not noticing his chakra signature. It looks like she will have to meditate more so she will never run away with her emotions at a crucial moment like this again. She would never forgive herself for letting Naruto get hurt or killed just because she couldn't keep herself in check while fighting.

"You will not hurt my sensei or my sister OR I WILL KILL YOU!" The dirty and sweaty boy boomed. His whisker marks lengthened and became more pronounced. Maiko noticed his canines being a fraction bigger and sharper than normal and the rage in his eyes were more intense than she has ever seen. Clearly it was not the same Naruto she knows and loves. She then felt an unexpected prick where her scar is.

Is he connecting with the fox? But he still seems in control? I need to end this quickly before he unleashes the demon within. She thought and her heart raced. She tried to move but the killer intent of Naruto's rooted her to the spot.

"Bring it kid, not even your one shadow clone will save you."

"Good thing I can make more than one." Naruto retorted and made what seemed over a thousand clones in the small clearing. Not even ten minutes later he released all of his clones to reveal a severally beat up Mizuki.

"Hehe, I went a little overboard." He chuckled as he looked at the two ninja's stunned faces. Maiko was able to move again and the little boy she took in all those years ago resurfaced. The sunlight peaked through the trees revealing a tired genin. The night's events clearly took a toll on him.

"That's alright kiddo, come here." Maiko said and hugged the boy tighter than ever before. He mumbled something about not being able to breathe before letting go.

"Naruto come here and close your eyes." Iruka asked and Naruto obeyed. Maiko was about to cry watching Iruka struggle with his protector knowing what he was going to do. She just walked over quietly and helped him take it off and tie it around Naruto's head. When Naruto opened his eyes and realized this he jumped into Iruka's arms thanking him.

"How about we all go to Ichiraku's tonight?" Iruka groaned as Naruto shifted in his embrace to look at Maiko for approval.

"After we take Iruka to the hospital to get healed and checked up on." She laughed more when Naruto leapt into her arms with a squeal of delight. She thought that they could talk the next day about his actions and punishment, right now she was just happy that nobody died and that the Kyuubi wasn't released.