Chapter 29

Iruka

Naruto really stole the scroll of sealing? Why? I know he's a prankster, but this is far beyond anything he's ever done before. I know he took not graduating hard, but this is a serious crime.

I know I shouldn't be hard on him. At first I hated him like everyone else, but Lord Hokage's right. He is just like me. He grew up with no parents and just messes around to draw attention to himself.

Still this is far beyond that. Does he even understand how serious it would be if that scroll fell into the wrong hands? I have to get to him before everyone else does.

I finally find my knuckleheaded student sitting against a building with the scroll. "It's over, Naruto."

"Hey sensei. You found me so fast. I only learned one jutsu, but I can't wait to show you!" he says excited. He learned one of the jutsu?

"Naruto, do you have any idea what that scroll is?"

"Yeah, Mizuki-sensei said that if I learned a jutsu from this scroll you'll have to let me graduate!"

"Mizuki?" I ask. Did he trick Naruto into stealing the scroll?

"Well it seems you've found our little hiding place. Naruto, give me the scroll."

"Naruto, don't give it to him. He's tricking you. He only wants the scroll for his own ends!" I say hoping Naruto will believe me over Mizuki.

"Oh please! If you want to know the truth then listen. They've all been lying to you your entire life…" Mizuki baits Naruto. Wait, he's not really going to tell Naruto…

"What do you mean?" Naruto asks.

"Shut up! You know we're not supposed to talk about that!"

"Talk about what?"

"See even now Iruka's trying to hide it from you! Twelve years ago there was a decree in the village that everyone was allowed to know but you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Enough!" I yell. That's not how it was at all. The Hokage just wanted Naruto to be treated as a normal person. Something I struggled with at first as well. I know better now.

"The truth is that the fourth Hokage never killed the fox. You are the nine-tailed fox!"

Naruto's face pales visibly as he stares at Mizuki.

"Even your precious sensei hates you! After all the fox killed his parents!"

"Then that's…" Naruto whispers.

"Now die!" Mizuki exclaims attacking Naruto.

Before I even have time to think I push him out of the way getting hit by the Kunai.

"How foolish, Iruka. Protecting the monster that killed your family."

"Shut up," I growl pulling the kunai out of my leg.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. I'm going to kill the both of you and take the scroll for myself," Mizuki says pulling one of the large shuriken he has off his back. "Now die!"

"Get down, Naruto!" Again I move to protect my student.

He stares up at me. "But why?"

"Because you and I are the same. When I lost my parents I started acting up and messing around. I just wanted people to notice me. My grades dropped. I know how you feel being alone."

"Nonsense! Iruka hates you just like everyone else! He's always hated you and he always will! He's just trying to trick you!"

Naruto looks at me for a while and I think I see something in his eyes before he glares, though it almost seems like he's glaring past me. He takes off running into the forest. "Naruto!"

"You saw that look in his eyes, didn't you? Naruto is going to use the scroll to take revenge on this village," Mizuki smirks.

"Why you…" I growl pulling the shuriken out of my back. Good thing it wasn't very deep in.

Mizuki smirks and runs into the forest after Naruto. I close my eyes using a transformation jutsu to become Naruto turning a log into the scroll. I follow after Mizuki hoping that I'll be able to catch up to him before he catches up to Naruto.

When I find Mizuki I'm glad I turned into Naruto as he turned into me to try and trick Naruto.

"Naruto, everything Mizuki told you was a lie, give me the scroll," he says.

I glare at him before hitting him.

"How did you know?" he asks dispelling the jutsu. "That I wasn't Iruka?"

"Because I'm Iruka," I say dispelling the jutsu and leaning against a tree. I don't have much energy right now. I'm not much of a fighter in general and with this wound…

"Why do you protect him anyway? He's just like me. He's a monster. He'll take the scroll and use it for whatever plan he has."

"You're right…" I say. "That is how monsters are… but that's not who Naruto is. He's Naruto Uzumaki, a citizen of Konoha!"

"You're so annoying! I was going to save you for last, but I changed my mind," he says pulling his other shuriken off his back.

I close my eyes waiting for the blow to come. After all I don't have the energy to get out of the way.

I open my eyes again when I hear a loud thud. Naruto stands in front of me in the clearing facing Mizuki. "Naruto?"

"If you ever lay a hand on my sensei again… I'll kill you," he growls at Mizuki.

"Big words for someone who couldn't even graduate!"

"Oh you only wish I couldn't graduate. It was what you wanted because if I could graduate your little plan wouldn't have worked, now would it?" I can almost hear the smirk.

"What?"

"You wanted me to think you were on my side so that I would be stupid enough to steal the scroll thinking I could make a name for myself because if someone is nothing they want to be something important. You used that to your advantage to get the scroll then you thought you could beat me easily and take the scroll, but since I stole the scroll in the first place I would get blamed. Since everyone hates me no one would care so you'd be able to go free with the scroll."

"How did you?" I ask. This isn't like the Naruto I know. What's going on here?

He looks over at me and grins. "I really can't do clones. Well not those clones at least."

"You're full of shit!" Mizuki exclaims.

"Am I? I wasn't lying when I said I learned one of the jutsu. I just never said when I learned it. Wanna see?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Watch," Naruto says putting his fingers in the sign for… wait… is that?

A countless number of clones appeared in the trees and on the ground. "Still want to fight me? Anything you can give I can give back a thousand fold!" Naruto exclaims.

Those aren't clones… those are shadow clones. They're solid. How did he manage to learn such a powerful jutsu, and at such a level?

"You alright, sensei?" I blink turning my head.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here?"

"Well I was going to help Naruto, but I think he's got this under control."

"What's going on? I thought you two didn't like each other."

"A lot of things aren't what they seem. A ninja must see through deception, right?"

"I suppose that's true."

"Naruto and I have been friends for years now. He knew something was off with Mizuki so he failed the test on purpose so that he could figure out his plan."

"But if he can't do clones…"

"I would have done shadow clones. Honestly I learned by watching someone do it a few times. After a while I just caught on," Naruto says walking up to us. He looks over his shoulder. "Maybe I went a bit too far."

"Not even a Genin and you're taking out people who wish to harm this village. I think that's some record," Sasuke laughs.

I look between the two. Clearly there's something that all of us have missed for a while. Technically Naruto didn't pass the test, but he showed great promise and he clearly knows what he's doing. There are always exceptions to rules.

"Naruto, come here and close your eyes," I say.

"Alright," Naruto says puzzled. He walks over closing his eyes. I pull off my headband and wrap it around Naruto's head.

"Congratulations. You graduate," I tell him.

He opens his eyes and hugs me. "Yay! Thank you, sensei!"

"You're welcome," I say laughing.

"You know… it might be a good idea to go to the hospital to get your wounds looked at," Sasuke says.

"Oh yeah, that's a good idea," Naruto says helping me to my feet. "And I got to bring the scroll back. I hope old man Hokage won't be too mad at me. It wouldn't have worked without the scroll."

"If you return it I'm sure he'll understand," I say. I hope he will because I'm still confused. Naruto seems a lot smarter than I've ever seen him in class. Was he just acting all these years?

If so then that's pretty incredible.

The three of us head back into the village and I watch my former students. There clearly more to both of them than we thought.

What other secrets are you two hiding?