Chapter 4
Chapter 4: The Prank and the Betrayal (Final Part)
Arriving home, Sakura gently tucked Naruto into bed. Brimming with boundless energy like a little sun, the boy protested as usual.
"I'm a big boy now, Onee-chan! I don't need to be tucked in!" he insisted, pouting.
Sakura chuckled softly but noticed his expression shift. He grew quiet and wistful. "Do you think my mom would have read me bedtime stories if she were still here?" he asked softly.
"Definitely," she replied with a warm smile. "Goodnight, brat." Turning off the light, she gently closed the door behind her and headed to her room.
As she lay in bed, her thoughts drifted to tomorrow—the day she would finally begin teaching Naruto some real ninja skills. For the past three years, she had focused on correcting his handwriting, improving his nutrition, and helping him recover from the malnourished state he had been in. It seemed as though the academy had deliberately given him false information and subpar materials. Sakura had corrected most of their mistakes, and she ensured Naruto’s Taijutsu was at least decent.
Being kicked out of the orphanage at an early age and always being given poor-quality food made Naruto extremely distrustful of anything that wasn’t ramen. It had taken considerable effort to convince him to try other foods.
Turning over, she glanced at a framed photo on her nightstand—a picture of her as a four-year-old, smiling alongside Minato and Kushina. A soft smile danced on her lips at the memory.
That's when she felt it—a sudden spike in Naruto’s chakra. She sensed him sneaking out of his room and leaving the house. Groaning, she wondered if he was planning yet another prank. Without bothering to tie up her hair or change into ninja attire, she slipped out of bed and quietly followed him, shaking her head. Kushina would be proud of him, she thought with a sigh.
She watched from the shadows as Naruto made his way to the Hokage Tower. Silently, she trailed him, curious about what he was up to this time.
Suddenly, she heard him shout, "HAREM NO JUTSU!"
There was an audible gasp followed by a heavy thud. Sakura sensed Fugaku and his ANBU guards fainting on the spot. Facepalming, she sighed. She had forgotten just how devastating Naruto’s Sexy no Jutsu and Harem no Jutsu could be, even against seasoned shinobi. But she had expected the Uchiha Patriarch—and certainly the Hokage himself—to withstand that one. He’s married, after all, she thought wryly.
With a weary shake of her head, Sakura made a mental note to talk to Naruto about his "creative" jutsu choices... but maybe tomorrow. For now, she couldn’t help but chuckle at the chaos he had caused.
However, her amusement turned to shock when she saw Naruto sprinting away with a large scroll strapped to his back. He vanished into a secluded area. Alarm bells rang in her mind. The Sacred Sealing Scroll of the Hokages?!
Panic rose within her. The scroll Naruto had stolen contained deadly jutsus and secrets of Konohagakure. It was a sacred relic where each Hokage inscribed their most powerful and dangerous techniques. In the hands of an enemy village, the knowledge it held could lead to disaster. It was fortunate she had decided to follow him tonight.
After a while, she tracked him to an abandoned house, grateful for her sensor skills. Peeking from the shadows, she watched as Naruto sat down and began unfurling the scroll, making small "Hmph" and "Nooo, this is too hard" sounds as he skimmed through it. Finally, he seemed to settle on one particular jutsu.
Wait... was Naruto stealing the scroll just to learn a new jutsu? She rubbed her forehead in disbelief, confused but also a bit amused. At that moment, she couldn’t help but remember the story Kushina had once told her about how she and Minato, during their Genin days, had stolen the very same scroll to learn a few forbidden techniques.
Naruto is like his parents, Sakura thought with a fond smile. The moon above them shone a pale white. After a while, she sensed another chakra signature approaching.
"Naruto, how could you steal the Sacred Scroll of Sealing?!" came a familiar voice, panting as it reached the clearing.
"Eh? Iruka-sensei? I was just doing what Mizuki-sensei told me to do to get promoted to Chunin!" Naruto exclaimed, holding the huge scroll in his hands. "Plus, I managed to master one jutsu from the Sacred Scroll! If I do, I’ll be promoted to Chunin, right? That’s a secret test only a few know about, right?!"
Both Iruka and Sakura, who was still hidden in the shadows, came to a sudden realization.
Mizuki had tricked poor Naruto!
"Wow, I can't believe you fell for it," Mizuki sneered as he stepped into the clearing. His light blue hair glinted in the moonlight as he continued, "Thanks for doing the heavy lifting, fox demon!"
Naruto’s eyes widened in pain. "What, Mizuki-sensei? Why are you being so mean all of a sudden?"
Mizuki cackled venomously, his grin twisted with malice. "I’ve always hated you, fox demon. No one in this village likes you—not even Iruka. After all, you killed his parents! Every day, I messed up your grades and gave you faulty gear, hoping you'd get yourself killed. But your damn fox chakra kept healing you. I should have tried harder! I was going to take the scroll, kill you as a bonus, and join Orochimaru-sama for power!"
Iruka stepped protectively in front of the stunned Naruto. "How could you?! He’s a fellow shinobi, not the fox!"
Sakura, still hidden, clenched her fists in rage. She had suspected some teachers were cruel to Naruto, but this was beyond her worst fears. She waited for the perfect moment to strike.
"Naruto, run! You need to keep Mizuki from getting the scroll!" Iruka yelled, but Mizuki hurled a giant shuriken that struck Iruka in the side. Iruka collapsed, wincing in pain as Mizuki laughed and chased after Naruto.
Containing her fury, Sakura rushed to Iruka’s side, quickly removing the shuriken. Her hands glowed green as she healed the wound. "Chunin Iruka, let’s stop that traitor!"
"Lady Senju... since when...?" he gasped, shaking in pain.
"All this time. Now, let's teach Mizuki a lesson for speaking like that to my son!" she finished healing his wounds. The green energy on her palm faded as she helped him to his feet.
Pursuing Naruto and Mizuki, Sakura found the boy on the ground, Mizuki holding a kunai to his throat. "I can finally finish what the Fourth Hokage started! No one will miss you, fox demon."
"The Fourth Hokage was Naruto’s father! He would tear you apart if he heard what you just said to his son!" Sakura roared, grabbing Mizuki's wrist. She audibly snapped it, stopping him from hurting her precious Naruto any further as she pushed him away in anger.
Iruka gasped. "Naruto’s father was the Fourth?!" Of course, how could he have not seen the resemblance? He recalled how Naruto had looked at the Hokage's faces today at Icharaku when they ate. He was shocked.
"For a Chunin, you’re more foolish than you look," Sakura retorted. "Mizuki, what happens when a kunai is loosened from its scroll?" She answered her own question, twisting his arm further. "It goes astray. Naruto protects us all. You should be worshipping the ground he walks on!"
With a chakra-enhanced punch, she sent Mizuki flying across the clearing with her famous war cry: "SHANAROO!" His limp body crashed through several trees, splintering them. Iruka and Naruto stared, wide-eyed, at the destruction as the earth bent and quaked from her destructive force. Trees and bushes were devastated.
"How could you say no one would miss him? He’s my son!" she growled, tears pricking her eyes. "His name is Naruto Uzumaki. If anyone here is a demon, it’s me! Naruto’s just starting his ninja career—he’s never assassinated or murdered anyone like I have. If he’s a demon, then so am I!"
Naruto sobbed at her words, overwhelmed. Did Sakura-Oneechan really think of him as her son? His tears stopped as he rubbed them away, a warm feeling worming its way through his heart. He had a mom that would be there for him. He had someone he could rely on.
Behind her, Naruto and Iruka gasped as she performed hand seals. "Wood Style: Wood Cage!" Trees erupted from the ground, ensnaring the defeated Mizuki in a bird-like wooden cage fear spread on Mizuki's bloodied face, he was dead. Sakura leaped into the air and delivered a final, devastating kick, creating tremors beneath them as a giant force crater was created from her powerful chakra-enhanced kick.
"I will never ever piss off Onee-chan again!" Naruto stammered shaking his head, hugging Iruka tightly. He knew Sakura was strong, but she was in a whole other league.
"Me neither. Lady Senju is terrifying!" Iruka muttered, wincing at the sight of Mizuki’s broken form as he patted the scared Naruto. He was glad Naruto had such a powerful protector.
Turning to the two, Sakura fussed over Naruto softly spoke:"Are you hurt? Ignore that idiot’s words!"
Naruto blushed. "Am I really your son?"
"Believe it, kid! And if anyone questions it, I’ll beat them up! Cha!" she playfully punched the air as Naruto ran into her arms sobbing. Iruka looked at Mizuki’s ruined form and shuddered. He was glad Naruto had such a capable mother.