Ⅰ
I should think twice about fighting against a Chunin. The chances of winning were slim.
But, I didn't. Was I confident? No.
I was determined to protect Naruto from people like Mizuki-sensei. My grip on my blade was tight as I kept delivering attack after attack. I pressed on, trying to keep up.
However, a sudden strike to the abdomen sent a shock through my body. A momentary stun made me vulnerable, finding myself on the ground, face-down.
Struggling to get up, another blow thwarted meーthis time, a kick right into my chin. Three precise hits and the fight was over. Mizuki-sensei then proceeded to strangle my throat as he mounted on top of me.
Gasping for air, I tried to remove his hands. But they were bigーhard and strong. Watching me struggle, he jeered with a malicious grin.
"How does it feel? To have your breath slowly slipping away? You'll be as still as a log in a few seconds!"
His sadistic grin grew wider as he applied more pressure. Savoring the time to finish me off, he began to spit on my face.
"I've always despised your clanーborn into power with the luxury of getting whatever you want in life. While we struggled to get an opportunity, you and the others just sat back and mocked us for even trying. Your grandfather had the nerve to lecture me about ambition as if I needed his advice! What's wrong with having one?!" His eyes were burning with fury as his face got close to mine. "I'll make him regret ever crossing me by starting with you. Once I kill that fox brat and take the scroll, I will be unstoppable!"
My consciousness was slipping away as death approached. I had to act fast before it was too late. In a desperate attempt, I quickly activated the hidden blade with a flick of my left wrist. With the blade extended, I drove it into his left flank.
His eyes widened, and his mouth was agape. He immediately released his grip on my throat as he stumbled back. I seized the opportunity by delivering a swift strike. Jumping into midair, I performed a move that was long buried in my subconscious —The Aerial Assassination.
He fell to the ground as the blade found its mark on his left chest. I could hear the sound of his flesh piercing through into his chest, causing him to cry in agony. He clawed at my arm, trying to remove the weapon in desperation. But I pressed on, driving it deeper. However, with his one last grasp of strength, he pulled out the blade and kicked me to the ground.
He slowly rose to his feet while he held his wound. His gaze fixated on the blade as he raised a trembling finger toward it.
"You… How…? How did you… get that weapon?" his voice shaken in disbelief.
I remained silent as I kept my gaze unwavering.
His expression twisted in frustration at my refusal to answer. He slowly drew his last shuriken from his back and spun it in his hand. As the weapon got its momentum, his sudden revelation about the hidden blade sparked my interest. "I will find out how you got that weapon… the one used by the cultists who lurked in the shadows!"
Without giving me a moment to ponder, he pulled his arm back to release the shuriken. Bracing myself for the impact, I brought both arms to cover my face. But then, a sudden force slammed into Mizuki-sensei, bringing the battle to an abrupt halt.
Ⅱ
"NARUTO?!" I exclaimed. When I saw my dearest friend standing tall in front of me, I couldn't believe he would return.
"What are you doing here?! You are gonna get killed!"
However, despite my concerned cry, Naruto's posture exuded confidence as he faced the blue-haired Chunin.
"Get your hands off my best friend, jackass. Or else I'll make you regret it!"
Mizuki-sensei looked back at my friend with his eyes narrowed. "Such big words you have…" he spat out his blood onto the ground. "Do you truly think you can take me down? I could finish you off with a single punch!"
But my friend's resolve remained unshaken. He formed a cross with his fingers, extending his left index and middle fingers horizontally while his right fingers stood vertically over them. "Then give me your best shot. I'll give it back to you a thousandfold!"
"GO AHEAD! SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO, NINE-TAILED FOX!"
The challenge was met as Naruto summoned his first iconic justu: "Shadow Clone Jutsu (影分身の術)!"
A cloud of smoke enveloped the area: it was the size of a dome. As soon as the smoke cleared away, I witnessed an army of Naruto clones covering the entire area.
Stunned by the sheer number of clones, I estimated there were at least 100—possibly more. Seeing him execute such an advanced ninjutsu, one he had learned from the scroll, brought a smile to my face.
He once told me that he wanted to be Hokage. When I asked why he aimed so high, he said that the Hokage was the strongest shinobi in Konoha. He wanted to be strong enough to stand up to any danger and protect the people he cared about.
Watching him now, I could see the possibility of him becoming Hokage someday.
"Huh…?! W-what the?! How could he?!" Mizuki-sensei looked around frantically as he fell on his back.
"What's the matter? Are you not going to fight us?" Naruto taunted. His army of clones looked eager for the fight as they stretched their bodies.
Without an answer from the Chunin, the clones all closed in as they began the fight. And when that happened, Mizuki-sensei's defeated cry echoed through the forest.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Ⅲ
As the morning sun started to rise, the battle had ended. My dear friend came out victorious while Mizuki-sensei lay defeated on the ground.
"I guess I went a little overboard, huh?" Naruto grinned.
I softly chuckled at the sight, acknowledging the intensity. "Yep. You sure did."
As I tried to get up from the ground, Naruto came to help me to my feet. "Are you alright, Darou?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." I nodded, rubbing my neck. "I thought you'd gone to find Iruka-sensei…"
Naruto looked into my eyes and replied, "I couldn't leave you behind. And… when you told me I have the power to make a choice, I wanted to prove to him that I'm not a monster."
"I see." I smiled warmly, "I thought I was a goner there. Thank you for saving my life, Naruto."
Naruto smiled in return and nodded happily.
"Naruto! Darou!"
A sudden call grabbed our attention, and we turned to see where it came from. We saw Iruka-sensei emerging from the woods, gently holding his arm as he approached us. "Are you two alright?"
"Yeah, we're fine," I replied.
He was relieved to see that we both were unharmed. However, he soon noticed his colleague lying unconscious behind us.
"What did I miss...?"
I glanced at my friend, gesturing to him that everything would be alright. I turned my attention to Iruka-sensei and began to recount the event. As I shared with him the details of how my friend's shadow clones had saved my life, his eyes flickered with astonishment.
"So… what are we going to do with Mizuki sensei?" Naruto asked, his eyes gazing upon the battered Chunin.
"We'll need to bring him to the Hokage Tower for questioning," Iruka-sensei replied, "And also the scroll. We need to bring it back."
Naruto looked down at the mention of the scroll. His shoulders slumped, worrying that he would face his crimes for stealing the forbidden scroll.
"Would Naruto… be punished for stealing the scroll?" I hesitantly asked.
"I'm not sure. But given that Mizuki had tricked him into stealing, I will do my best to clear his name. You two just need to wait for how it will turn out."
We understood, and we quickly carried the unconscious Mizuki-sensei over our shoulders as we departed the forest. While we were heading to the tower, a heavy silence hung in the air. I couldn't help but wonder what fate awaited my dear friend, Naruto.
Ⅳ
Outside in the corridor, Naruto was pacing back and forth, visibly nervous. I tried to calm him down, patting him on his shoulder. "Everything will be fine, Naruto."
"But, Darou," he objected, "It's already been thirty minutes. I'm scared..."
"I know. But Iruka-sensei is doing his best to clear your name." I reassured him gently with a warm smile. "Just be a bit patient."
With a reluctant nod, Naruto stopped pacing around as he stood next to me.
The tension lingered in the air as we waited to come back in.
When we arrived at the tower, a group of Chunin and Jounin were waiting for us to arrive. At first, they were going to arrest Naruto right away. But they came to pick the Mizuki-sensei from us and led us to the office. While heading to my grandpa's office along the way, Mizuki-sensei was taken to Ibiki, a Tokubetsu Jounin who specialized in interrogation.
After that, as we arrived at the room, my uncle was there to my surprise. He had a fierce yet concerned look on his face. He didn't say a word as he let the three of us approach the Hokage's deskーIruka-sensei, Naruto, and I.
Iruka-sensei then explained the whole situation to my grandpa, to the best of his knowledge. I also helped with his explanation by adding a few things—for example, the battle between Naruto and Mizuki-sensei.
After listening to what Iruka-sensei had said, my grandpa looked at me and Naruto and told us to leave the room.
And so, we had been waiting to come back into the room. As it felt like it was a long wait, the office door creaked open. Then, we saw my uncle looking at us and gesturing that we could go back in.
But before he left the corridor, I called upon him and apologized, looking down.
"I'm sorry for disobeying, uncle. I know you were… looking out for me andー"
Before I could finish, he stepped closer and placed a hand gently on my head. I looked up and saw him with a small smile on his face. "You did what you thought was right, Darou. Keep doing that, and one day, you will become a great shinobi."
He wasn't good with long speeches. But those few words were enough to fill me with pride. Feeling relieved that he wasn't mad, Naruto and I went into the office.
"I have made my decision," my grandpa said, his voice filled with authority. "After discussing your actions with Iruka, Naruto will not be punished. However," he paused, "If Naruto promises to listen, learn, and behave well… then I can see the potential in him becoming a spectacular shinobi one day."
Naruto raised his hand, looking confused upon hearing this. "But I'm still a student…" he pointed out.
Then, my grandpa gestured for Iruka-sensei to approach Naruto. As Iruka-sensei stepped forward, my heart skipped a beat as I beheld what he held in his hands. It was a Konoha Headband, gleaming under the room's gentle light.
"W-wait?! Is this...forー"
"Yes, Naruto. It's for you," Iruka-sensei replied warmly. He gently lifted the goggles from Naruto's forehead and tied the Konoha headband around his brow. Once the headband was in place, Iruka-sensei looked at him with an approving smile.
"Congratulations, Naruto. You have graduated."
His hand reached up to touch the headband to confirm it was real. And indeed it was.
Overwhelmed with the joy of receiving the headband from Iruka-sensei, he slowly looked at me and said, "I did it… I did it, Darou! I'm officially a Ninja!"
With that, he pulled me into a tight embrace, elated by his new status as a Konoha Shinobi. I hugged him back, sharing in his joy and congratulating him warmly.
