[The Third Grandpa acted strangely yesterday…]
Chu Ran's series of hints echoed in Naruto Uzumaki's mind.
Naruto's expression grew dazed. He hadn't expected that there might truly be a monster inside him.
He was no longer the naive, clueless underachiever from the original Naruto story.
Months of studying had given him a solid understanding of the ninja world.
The Nine-Tails, a war weapon, was undeniably crucial to any ninja village.
Six years ago, the village's upheaval was caused by the demon fox—the Nine-Tails' rampage.
That meant the Nine-Tails' chaos coincided with his birth. It couldn't be a coincidence.
And he'd always been called a demon fox, a monster, despised by the villagers.
This couldn't all be coincidental. There was only one explanation.
He was the Hidden Leaf's most fearsome war weapon: the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
Thud!
The book slipped from Naruto's hands.
His face showed disbelief, or rather, an unwillingness to accept it.
"So I really am a monster…"
"No, that's impossible…"
Naruto shook his head, his pupils trembling wildly, his mind blank.
Slumping to the floor, he stared at the book, muttering to himself.
[Whether I am or not, I've done nothing wrong.]
[There's no proof yet that I'm the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.]
Chu Ran knew things couldn't escalate too quickly. Revealing Naruto's Jinchuriki identity now was premature.
But Chu Ran needed Naruto to start suspecting.
Only by glimpsing part of the truth would Naruto's eventual confirmation of it spark greater anger and despair.
"Could the Fourth Hokage really be my father?"
Naruto took a deep breath, a flicker of longing on his face.
At this moment, that possibility offered a sliver of hope.
His father might be a powerful hero, revered by the village.
But it was just a guess—a psychological crutch.
"Forget it. I'll go train with Mizuki-sensei."
Naruto closed the book. Time was short today.
He'd arranged for Mizuki to train him today, and he couldn't let Sasuke Uchiha widen the gap.
He had to close that distance quickly.
With that, Naruto left the library and headed toward the Ninja Academy.
As a teacher, Mizuki sometimes stayed at the academy to work, even during the holiday.
Today, he was there specifically to meet Naruto.
"Mizuki, what's up? You're not on duty today."
Iruka Umino pushed open the faculty office door, surprised to see Mizuki.
He didn't smile for Naruto, but for his childhood friend, he wore a warm grin.
"Yeah, I've got some business. Meeting someone here."
Mizuki smiled, keeping it vague and not mentioning Naruto.
Just a casual dodge.
"You've been getting close to Naruto Uzumaki lately."
"Don't play favorites too much. Other parents might complain."
Even without Mizuki's clarification, Iruka guessed who he was meeting.
He frowned, pointedly addressing Mizuki.
"It's just that Naruto's a serious kid."
"Reminds me of you back in the day, Iruka. Don't be so biased against him."
Mizuki smiled, shrugging naturally.
But the word "biased" made Iruka's hands freeze.
"I'm not biased against any student."
Iruka's tone shifted. He turned away, avoiding Mizuki's gaze.
He knew he was guilty—deep down, he was prejudiced against Naruto.
"Don't lie. Naruto is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"You know that. I know your parents died because of the Nine-Tails."
"But Naruto's not at fault."
Mizuki, playing the righteous friend, began to counsel Iruka.
But mentioning his parents' deaths struck a nerve, like touching Iruka's deepest wound. He slammed the desk.
"Shut up! Your parents weren't killed by the Nine-Tails!"
"What gives you the right to say that so casually?!"
Iruka's face twisted with anger as he grabbed Mizuki's collar, shouting.
Seeing Iruka teetering on the edge of rage, Mizuki didn't get mad.
Instead, he felt a thrill, relishing Iruka's outburst.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, okay?"
Mizuki offered an apologetic smile and a wave. Iruka released his grip.
Iruka stormed toward the door, but when he opened it, he froze.
"Naruto…"
"When did you get here?"
Iruka's pupils shrank as he saw Naruto, his voice tinged with guilt.
Panicking over what Naruto might have overheard, he hurried out without waiting for a reply.
Mizuki, seeing Naruto rooted to the spot, clearly having heard something, felt a flicker of concern.
Naruto's Jinchuriki status was a village secret. If he confronted the Third Hokage about it, both Mizuki and Iruka could face punishment.
"Naruto, don't mind that. Iruka-sensei didn't mean it."
"Let's go train, right?"
Mizuki patted Naruto's shoulder, steering clear of the conversation.
To his surprise, Naruto didn't press about what he'd heard.
He simply followed Mizuki to the training field.
Naruto had pieced together most of the truth, but now wasn't the time to fully confront it.
Or perhaps, after years of being called a demon fox and monster, he'd grown numb.
Even if the Third Hokage confirmed he was the demon fox, Naruto wouldn't give up.
He'd still strive to earn everyone's acknowledgment.
"Mizuki-sensei, I want to learn the kind of ninjutsu Sasuke used."
"Can you teach me Fire Release? Or Lightning Release, Earth Release—anything's fine."
"As long as it's stronger than the Great Fireball Technique."
Naruto looked at Mizuki, stating the purpose of today's training.
(End of the Chapter)
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