Naruto Uzumaki!
In the morning, the boy known as Adachihara Ijei woke up the same way he always had. The alarm set for exactly 8:00 was 3 minutes from going off, and his window was ajar ever so slightly as to allow the breeze to blow his curtains enough in such a way that allows just the smallest bit of natural light to brighten the rest of the room. As Ijei opened his eyes, he stared at the clock as it counted down the seconds. So it was every morning, he waited with the slightest hint of anxiety for the clock to strike the very second before the hour turned to strike the top of it, preventing the alarm from going off, and starting another 24 cycles that never reaches their climax. The swift movement of his arm caused the blanket to flutter off of him, the cold air hitting his skin causing him to jolt slightly. This was one of the many carefully calculated steps he performed every morning to slowly build up an assurance to get out of bed. Otherwise, he would surely remain motionless and rot away.
Stretching, he got up and slowly, sitting upright at the edge of his mattress for another 4 minutes and thirty seconds, pretending to plan out his day. In reality, he accounted for very few differences and was merely fantasizing about some nonsensical occurrence in which the day might irreparably change his life, none of which he actually had any expectations of happening. Then, with a slow and sluggish movement, he got up and trudged into his apartment’s bathroom. He relieved himself, washed his hands, and then his face, before brushing his teeth, and hacking up whatever mucous was caught in his throat into the sink. Then, he washed his face again. As he did, stared into the mirror, eyes locked onto themselves, hurling insults to the opponent he saw before him. He cupped his right eye with his hand as he did so, unruly locks of hair falling right in front. As he breathed in sharply, he slapped his face twice with both hands, before exhaling through his teeth. The contempt he had for the man facing him was palpable, and if one were to forget that the other was merely a reflection, they would surely scramble to get as far away as they could, as one was sure to strike the other down at any moment.
Ijei reached for one of the many loose hair ties dotting his bathroom counter and tied his hair loosely up, carefully allowing for two long bangs to fall around his face in such a way to cast an illusion of nonchalance, hoping others would look at it and presume the wearer could not be bothered to tame such unruly hair in any meaningful way, while also presenting in a stylish and attractive-enough manner as to not offend the eyes. Many of the young boy’s endeavors in his routine were like this. For example, the way he dressed was humble and fashionable. Something that would suit him, but also, frankly, anybody. Something that would stand out when looking at him individually, but blend in easily with his peers as to not draw any notice compared to an orange tracksuit or bright pink blouse. Looking himself in the mirror once again, making sure to avoid eye contact, he approved of his choice of attire- baggy black pants balanced by the tight grey shirt that meets at his waist, a dark grey high-collar jacket, closer to a desert poncho in design, and two matching compression sleeves running from his palm up to his should blades. Double-checking all of his pockets and pouches, he does one last look around his apartment to make sure he isn’t forgetting anything- which he knows to be a futile endeavor, as he always does.
The moment he stepped into the sunlight, one might assume they were looking at an entirely different point in his life, rather than mere seconds having passed. His contempt-ridden expression was immediately replaced with the joyous, cocky smirk of an overconfident underachiever, the kind who would stop answering questions on a test after getting 80% of the way there, because they knew they had gotten all the previous questions right. This is, of course, what he did, and this is the image he had carefully built for himself. None of his neighbors would ever guess that just 20 seconds prior, morose laugh lines thickened in disgust were violating the youthful handsomeness that they saw in front of them.
Ijei made his way through town slowly and leisurely as usual. The market stalls that came to recognize him greeted him while they stocked, and mothers taking their children too young for school shopping with them wished him luck on his way. A group of Jonin passing by, lost in the lively, shallow conversation of colleagues acknowledged him with a nod and a pat on the shoulder. Konoha was, at the very least, warm and inviting to those it embraced, fitting of its placement in the Land of Fire.
Taking the long, winding route of quiet alleyways and back streets, away from the crowds that populated the majority of the village, he swore he could see his own footprints for the next quarter mile ahead of him. Hands in his pockets, he trod the same ground until, after the last right turn, he arrived at the academy’s front entrance. A few other students passed by him as he slowly made his way to the building. He recognized them; they were in his class. The heavier set one, Akimichi Choji, absent-mindedly held the door with his foot while talking with his mouth full to his best friend, Nara Shikamaru. Not wanting to raise any attention, Ijei sped up slightly to reach the door before holding it became a conscious effort for Choji. Following this, the two left without any more than the briefest exchange of “Thank you, you’re welcome”. The two were soon out of sight, and Ijei resumed his previous pace- after all, he still had five minutes until class. He stopped by the restroom for a calculated 3 minutes, picked up the pace, and returned to outside the door at exactly 8:58:32. At that, Ijei slid open the classroom doors, and took his seat, leaning back with his arms behind his head.
The first thing he did was take mental notes of his classmates that he personally found interesting.
-First to catch his eye from across the room from the desk beside his was Shikamaru. In his time sharing a class with him, Ijei noted he was gifted, easily a top percentile scorer, and shared a work ethic. He always believed he could be good friends, if it weren’t for the fact that cynical slackers either always hate each other, or become an obnoxious vortex that pisses off everyone around them. Either of which he would hope to avoid. If the two were to have a game of Shogi, Shikamaru would most certainly win. If the two were to be opposing generals or Daimyos in a war, it might go either way. And if the two were opposing politicians, Ijei would be a shoe-in to cast one’s lot in with. As of present, Shikamaru was doing exactly as he usually did- hold his head up by his palm and try not to drift asleep in class, not to pay attention, but because being yelled at for it just wasn’t worth the hassle. Total conversations shared: 18.
-Next, beside him, was Haruno Sakura. Sakura, Ijei thought, was not nearly as gifted in raw thinking ability as he or Shikamaru, but was still gifted in book smarts. A consistent high scorer in both written and practical exams, she would likely never become someone particularly famous, but had the potential to become a perfectly above-par Jonin. She was also putting in the most effort when it comes to learning the provided classroom Jutsu, which certainly would make her an asset to have as some kind of project partner- if it weren’t for the fact that her infatuation with who sat to her right meant she would spend the majority of your time working together grumbling about how she got you rather than him. In fact, her complete focus on this one person resulted in Ijei finding her rather boring, and so he often doesn’t think much of her, even when she’s in his direct eyesight. Even still, something about her seemed kind of unhinged, to him. Something slightly familiar, yet entirely alien. Total conversations shared: 23.
-Final person at that desk… Uchiha Sasuke. Ijei did his best to avoid Uchiha Sasuke, which was a lucky break for both of them, as it seemed this student preferred not to be bothered. This did not stop both Sakura and her rival in one-sided love from pestering him constantly. The only times he and Ijei have ever spoken was when they were paired up to work together in class assignments. Despite this, it was very clear that Sasuke is in emotional turmoil that his fellow students either seem oblivious to, or completely apathetic, which kids of this age are want to be. His groupies tend to somewhat understand this, but find this trait more attractive than having any actual concern for his wellbeing. Ijei believes it is best if he keeps his distance. He doesn’t think he can do anything for him, nor does he believe he should try when his own mental state is as petulant as it is. He can’t deny, though, from an objective looks factor, he can understand all of the attention from the opposite sex. It is a simple matter that girls this age are attracted to pretty boys with angst. At least, that’s what Ijei thinks. Currently, he sits doing the usual- hands folded, elbows on desk, brooding and probably monologuing about this class being a “farce” or something. It would be nice to get that stick out of his ass, but honestly that might be too far. Considering he might just be the last surviving Uchiha proper… In all honesty, despite his harshness, Ijei considers Sasuke to be one of the higher-tiered candidates of possible squad selection. He has a clear drive, and even clearer talent. Total conversations: 3
-On the next desk over is Sasuke’s other attempting-and-failing suitor, Yamanaka Ino. In all honesty, Ijei believes her to be a little vapid, which is a shame, as her potential is as obvious as Sakura’s. She falls a little behind in raw Jutsu talent and book smarts, but she exceeds her in ninja tool use and stealth. If he had to choose one of the two to partner with on an intel gathering mission, Ino would be the much safer bet. Sakura would play things by the book, which would, inevitably, get her caught by someone who has read said book cover to back- which is, of course, essentially anyone worthy of note in the shinobi world. However, she’s a bit meaner than Sakura is, causing Ijei to largely avoid her. Despite this, there is clear compassion to be found, especially for her friends. It’s just that to those she doesn’t consider inside her clique, she’s standoffish and picky, although she wasn’t always like that. Another weakness of hers is that she’s a slight gossip, which is good for Ijei’s information gather… but bad for her, as she even has spilled the ins and outs of her kekkei genkai before. Not exactly the smartest move, but she often makes brash, emotionally driven decisions, so this is largely in character. The biggest shame, perhaps, is he just can’t stop comparing her to Sakura, simply because she can’t stop comparing herself. It seems her entire self-esteem is built upon being better than her. Currently, she was arguing with Sakura in a vane attempt to impress Sasuke. Total conversations: 15.
-At the table in front of him sat Aburame Shino. In all honesty, he doesn’t know much about Shino, which of course, was very interesting. He’s quiet, skilled, always does his assignments, and usually just goes home after school. What he does know is that, if the room is quiet, and you get really close, he always sounds faintly of buzzing- which is both freaky and very intriguing. Also, he might just be the most fashionable student in the entire class. Currently, he sat not really doing much of anything. Which was normal. He didn’t really speak unless spoken to. Total conversations: 5.
-Onto the desk next to Shino is… Uzumaki Naruto. This one is a real troublemaker. It isn’t hard to see why, shunned by the village the way he is. Ijei took special care to not end up like that, himself. Even still, his antics don’t help his popularity at all. In fact, just yesterday, he ditched class to graffiti the Hokage Stone Faces, so when Iruka-Sensei dragged him back to class, he made everyone review the transformation Jutsu to everyone’s chagrin. Then, when it was his turn, instead of following instructions and turning into Iruka-Sensei, he transformed into some hot naked lady, instead. Still, Ijei never really minded him all that much. He’s more interested in why all the adults fear him so much. It doesn’t make sense- why put so much animosity on one child? Eavesdropping didn’t help much, every time someone was about to spill the beans, somebody else would shush them. What that does prove, however, is that there’s more to him than meets the eye. Regardless, from a practical standpoint, he really isn’t anything worth mentioning- aside from the impressive nature of creating his own Jutsu, simple though it may be. He’s terrible at most Jutsu, he has awful chakra control, he’s just kind of ok at Taijutsu and use of ninja tools- meaning he can throw a punch or a kunai about as well as any novice, he’s isn’t very smart… scratch that, he’s actually just plain old stupid, he doesn’t study, and he has absolutely no filter what-so-ever. However, his willpower is impeccable, seeing as he still claims he’s going to become Hokage in spite of these weaknesses, his several failed attempts at graduation, and his treatment from the others of the village. It is, with full transparency, a little inspiring. He’s pretty fun to hang around, too. Out of all the possible candidates for being put on the same team with, Naruto is the least desired tactically, but the most personally. However, the idea of others associating their hatred of Naruto with anyone he teams with is very off-putting, which is likely another reason he has no friends to speak of. Currently, he sits with his head in his hands, likely in dread of today’s exam. Total conversations: 27
-Then, on the table next to Naruto is Hyuuga Hinata. By far and away the meekest person in the class, the polar opposite to Naruto’s boldness. This may very well explain, then, her infatuation with him. No one else seems to have noticed this, likely due to their hatred for Naruto blinding them to the possibility that someone may harbor some kind of romantic feelings for him, but every time she is left unfocused on a task, or simply not given one, she can be found staring at the boy longingly. Despite being from one of the major clans, she doesn’t showcase much potential. Her ninjutsu demonstrated in class is fine, but nothing too notable in either direction. He Taijutsu is above average, likely due to extensive training from her clan, and her use of ninja tools is below average. Even still, a legendary kekkei genkai like that is worth keeping on eye on. Her quiet nature and general status amongst her peers make her one of the few safe bets for Ijei to speak to without drawing attention from others onto himself. Currently, she sits with her hands in her lap, casting her eyes downward. Total conversations: 36
-At the desk front and center of the class is Choji. There isn’t much to be said of Choji, as he himself is a simple man. He enjoys eating, he doesn’t enjoy hard work, he’s overall kind-hearted, and he is above average in ninjutsu and Taijutsu. It would be unwise to allow his weight to provide a false image of sluggishness or lack of agility, Choji is actually one of the most athletic students in the academy, despite overall low stamina. Aside from food and his friends, there really isn’t a whole lot in this world that interests Choji, and Ijei has always found that an amusing trait. Currently, he is eating potato chips without really paying much attention to his surroundings. If forced to guess, Ijei would say the flavor was likely to be Choji’s favorite- Seafood, in order to provide good like. Total conversations: 22
-Finally, at the desk front-most to Ijei, was Inuzuka Kiba. Brash, crude, arrogant, and much meaner than Ino, Kiba was never on Ijei’s most desirable list of any kind. That being said, he isn’t insufferable or hate able at all. He has a lot of talent, and his clan’s bond with Ninken is particularly intriguing. However, it is a regular occurrence for Kiba to allow these things to get to his head and put himself in situations he underperforms in, expecting to breeze through it. He isn’t lazy, all things in mind. He works hard, trains every day, and practices with Akamaru every chance he gets. He just simply isn’t as good as he believes. He wouldn’t be awful to be teamed with, but honestly, there are others Ijei would prefer over him, anyway- such as Ino, Sakura, Hinata, or even Naruto. Currently, he sits in a very similar position as Ijei, although there is a much more discernable edge that Ijei spent time ensuring his body language did not give off. Total conversations: 15
Concluding that, Ijei looked at the clock in the top corner of the room. Half a minute until class starts.
“These next few seconds are absolutely precious. Now, the way of going about how to decide how to use them is just as important,” Ijei thought to himself, “But what’s most important is-“
Iruka-Sensei walked into the classroom. Time’s up.
After the usual morning procedures and a short congratulatory speech, Iruka-Sensei walked back center-front of the classroom.
“We will now start the final exam,” he began, “When your name is called proceed to the testing room. The final test will be on… the Clone Jutsu.”
‘Easy enough,’ thought Ijei, ‘a simple Jutsu that only requires a vey basic amount of chakra control. I guess we won’t have many failures this year.’
The moment the thought formulated, across from him, Naruto clenched his head in dismay.
“Ah.”
“Something the matter, Adachihara-San?” Asked Iruka-Sensei.
“Hm? Aha, no, sir. I just can’t remember if I turned off the light when I left home today, ahaha!” He replied, casually waving his hand in front of him.
“I see. Nothing for it now, it’s too late to go home.” The teacher said, scratching his head without even looking up from the paper he was holding.
Soon enough, the testing began, and students were called to participate one by one. As soon as Iruka left the room, the class began murmuring amongst themselves, as one might expect of students at this age.
“What a drag… at least it isn’t anything too complicated. That’d be a real pain…” Shikamaru mused aloud.
“Yeah, you’re tellin’ me. At least it mean I don’t have’ta regret staying up all night.” Ijei replied.
“Oh yeah? Is that why your eyebags are worse than mine?”
“Hey, now, I wouldn’t go that far! Ahahaha!”
The meaningless banter was cut short when Iruka-Sensei returned, called Shikamaru’s name, and left with him.
And, soon enough, it was Ijei’s turn. Upon entering the test room, he took note of the other proctor who sat besides Iruka-Sensei, and how fake his smile was. He also noticed that the amount of headbands still totaled the number of students in the class. Since it is unlikely nobody has passed by now, Ijei deduced they must simply restock them between test-takers, as to further the anonymity of those who have passed and failed until the exam concludes.
“Alright, begin whenever you’re ready.” Iruka-Sensei said.
With that, Ijei placed his hands together and weaved the signs of Ram, Snake, and then Tiger. His chakra flowed, and in an instant 4 perfect clones of himself appeared, who played rock paper scissors with each other, the losers of which were clobbered by a winner, the final of which stood on each side of the real Ijei, got on one knee, and waved their hands in a showfolk manner. Ijei stood there without changing his smirk as the other proctor chuckled to himself. Iruka-Sensei just marked down some things on his clipboard before leaning in and showing it to his colleague, who just read it over and nodded.
“Didn’t I warn you about these kinds of theatrics? It’s always something with you, isn’t it?”
“Ahaha, sorry Iruka-Sensei, but I couldn’t graduate with clowning one last time for you.”
“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter much,” he sighed. “You pass. Congratulations. It was a pleasure teaching you all these years.” Iruka added, smiling at the young man before him.
“Thanks, Sensei. You were always my favorite teacher.”
“Heh, I was your only teacher. Now get a move on, we still have plenty of other students to test. If you still feel like getting sappy, come find me after you become a Jonin and treat me to a bowl of ramen.” He said, picking up a headband and handing it to Ijei, who in turn tied it around his forehead.
“Will do, Iruka-Sensei! See ya!” And with that, Ijei walked out of the room, and went into the waiting area with the rest of the students who finished their exam. Looking around, amongst the successful students were all of those he considered interesting, aside from Naruto and Choji, who had yet to take their exams yet. Soon enough, those two also entered the room. However, Naruto looked particularly dejected, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why. He was the only one in the entire room- likely the entire class, to not receive their head band… meaning he didn’t graduate. Out of everyone, he was easily the most determined to become a ninja, but every time, he failed his exams. When the day was over, Iruka-Sensei gave one last send off speech, and it was time for the students to meet their parents and family members just outside the door. Everyone, except for three students. Sasuke Uchiha didn’t even bother waiting around. The moment the doors opened, he walked right past the crowd, passing by Ijei who leaned against the wall. Naruto, who had twice the reason to be dejected, sat on the swing just across from the academy’s front gate. In that moment, the two who stayed shared an equal measure in common:
They had no one here to console them.
And the only reason they remained there is to watch those who did.
Of course, that changed rather soon, as Naruto quickly became the target of the villagers around him, yet again.
“There, you see him?” Ijei overheard a mother ask her friend.
“It’s that boy, the one who failed.” She replied, as Ijei nodded his head in self-satisfaction at his correct deduction, despite it not being a difficult one to make.
“Hmph. Well it serves him right.” The coldness of the statement snapped Ijei out of his unwarranted smugness. He had, for a moment, forgotten again how unfair Konoha was to those it rejected.
“Just imagine what would happen if he became a ninja! I mean, he’s the boy who-“
“Shhh! We’re not allowed to talk about that!”
Damnit, so close. But before Ijei could continue griping about it, his thoughts were cut short when the other examiner approached Naruto. They spoke briefly, but Ijei couldn’t hear them over the crowd. He considered moving a little closer to hear them, but they were already gone. Feeling that he’s had enough of the families around him, he decided he might as well follow them. He had nothing better to do, and he didn’t like the look of that Jonin, anyway. Before he left, he overheard very briefly the Hokage telling Iruka-Sensei he would like to speak to him later. This, however, likely didn’t concern him at all, so he paid it no mind.
Ijei followed the pair for some time, acting as casual as he could to avoid suspicion, but they soon entered a building that would look too obvious if he were to follow them in there. Right when he was about to call it quits, he saw the two of them walk onto a balcony up top and sit. They were too far up to hear, but they only talked for a moment before Naruto’s expression picked up. Soon enough, he was darting past Ijei in the streets too fast to notice he was there. This immediately aroused Ijei’s attention, as the only thing that was known to cheer him up after a crushing blow was Ichiraku Ramen, but that was in the entirely opposite direction. Which could only mean that Naruto was told something to offset the defeat entirely. Maybe even a second chance. However, Ijei knew very well such a thing is not permitted under the rules of graduation at the academy. Ijei looked back up at the Jonin, and although it was hard to see from where he was, his expression was seeping venom. It seemed to Ijei that, in all likelihood, Naruto had been tricked.
Tailing him, he saw Naruto leaving after dark and heading straight for the Academy. But as it was closed after dark, Ijei quickly guessed that Naruto’s real goal was the Hokage’s residence. Under the cover of night, Ijei followed him all the way, and watched as Naruto snuck in. No more than 15 minutes later, he left again with an oversized scroll on his back. Ijei’s suspicions were confirmed when he saw the proctor from earlier watching Naruto from the shadows. The moment Naruto left, the man did as well in the other direction. Realizing the greater threat, Ijei followed him as Naruto darted off toward the forest outside of the city walls.
Mizuki, arriving at someone’s house, began pounding on their door.
“Iruka-Sensei, wake up!” Mizuki shouted.
“What? What is it?” Iruka asked, stepping outside.
“You need to come to Lord Hokage’s right away!” He replied, putting on the most dramatic voice he could. “It’s Naruto! He stole the sacred scroll!”
“You mean the scroll of sealing!? No!”
Ijei watched from the shadows, thankful that the two were so focused on something so important. Otherwise, he figured, it was a guarantee Jonin like this would spot him from how close he was or otherwise hear his breathing. He was curious, however, about why Mizuki specifically had Naruto steal a scroll with some kind of sealing Jutsu tied to it. Ijei speculated that, perhaps, it had something to do with the disdain the townsfolk had shown towards Naruto. Maybe this would give Iruka an extra layer of alibi, Naruto an extra seeming motive, and at the worst-case scenario, plausible deniability.
He didn’t have long to think, however. Soon enough, Mizuki and Iruka-Sensei had rendezvoused with the other Jonin of the village, all rabbling about Naruto’s theft.
“Lord Hokage, this is not just a prank; this is a serious crime!” One exclaimed.
“That scroll contains secrets that were sealed by the first Hokage, secrets known only to our village!” Continued another.
“If it falls into the wrong hands, it could destroy our entire way of life!” Said a third, as Ijei tensed up a little. More and more Jonin continued to cry out towards The Hokage as if to convince him to give the order they were waiting for.
“…Alright,” He spoke up, after a long silence. “Bring Naruto here at once!”
“Sir!” They all replied, and with a wave of The Hokage’s hand, the crowd of Jonin had all dispersed. Ijei thought himself lucky there were stairs close enough to the crowd to eavesdrop on while hiding under, otherwise he would have surely been spotted. As soon as Lord Third turned his back, Ijei dashed off himself in the direction he saw Naruto go, unaware that Lord Hokage’s eyes followed him all the way.
Darting through the streets, he ducked into an alleyway as he heard someone coming. Mizuki passes by, running in the exact same direction as Ijei was, too absorbed in his thoughts to notice the Genin just a few feet away. Ijei saw he look on his face, and felt a little drained seeing how comically maniacal his expression was.
“How did someone like that trick the staff into letting him proctor an exam?” He mused. “Even I’ve done a better job at it than him.” Ijei didn’t wait for long, however. As soon as Mizuki was out of ear shot, Ijei sped through the back alleys to find a quicker way to get to him. The unfortunate truth was he knew he had no hope of matching a Jonin’s speed. That doesn’t mean it has to be a foot race, however. If he can just find a quick enough route to Naruto, he can warn him before Mizuki does whatever he’s planning to do.
“Why am I doing this? Shouldn’t I just be going home and letting the adults handle this?” He thought to himself, legs going on autopilot through the backstreets he was so used to. “Is it because I just don’t want to see Naruto get blamed for something that isn’t his fault? Maybe. I don’t trust myself to be so altruistic. But it doesn’t sit right with me…” Despite all of his introspection, Ijei was never good at piecing out the obvious- no, that wasn’t true. Ijei likely knew. It was simply a habit of his to drag out the thinking process and come to a more dramatic conclusion. Maybe it was escapism. Maybe it was because the line of thought had already bored him, and he was putting that on autopilot, too. Whatever the case, whenever it came time to think on this, he never bothered finishing it. Soon enough, he arrived at the woods. Looking around, he didn’t see Mizuki, nor any of the other Jonin. Meaning he either got here first, or far too late.
Speeding through the forest as quietly as possible, Ijei finally came to an old cabin in the woods, and Naruto sitting right beside it, reading the scroll. Stopping at a tree to survey the area, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard footsteps, only to see it was Iruka-Sensei calmly walking up to Naruto from another direction. Ijei breathed a sigh of relief. If Iruka found him first, it should be signed. Still, he decided to stick around and watch to see if it was a trick, like the Transformation Jutsu, or something. In fact, it came to Ijei’s mind that to steal something like this, Mizuki would have to be incompetent to work alone, trusting Naruto to not mess up whatever he had planned, so he might need to stay in case Iruka became badly outnumbered, or led on by a red herring.
“It’s all over, hehe.” Iruka-Sensei huffed.
Naruto, however, only chuckled in return, seemingly unaware of both the trouble and danger he was in, causing Iruka to recoil in confusion.
“Got me already,” Naruto said, standing up. “Not bad. You’re quick, Sensei! I only had time to learn one technique!”
Ijei widened his eyes a little. For Naruto of all people to have actually learned a technique from a scroll of that caliber with no real guidance was very impressive to say the least. Covered in dirt, and sweating so badly Ijei could smell him from his hiding spot, it was obvious at a glance how hard Naruto had been working. He wondered what the technique may be, although if it were in something called the Sealing Scroll, he believed he could probably guess.
“Listen, Iruka-Sensei!” Naruto raised his arms, a proud smile across his face. “I’m gonna show you this amazing Jutsu, and you’re gonna let me graduate, and everything’ll be OK! That’s the way it works, right? Anyone who learns a Jutsu from this scroll passes!”
“Huh? Where’d you get that idea?” Iruka asked.
“Mizuki-Sensei told me about it, believe it! He told me where to find the scrolls and this place!”
Ijei felt a little satisfied with himself for another correct deduction, but quickly shook himself out of it, realizing this was not the time, nor place. Iruka, on the other hand, felt a chill go down his spine as he started to realize exactly what was happening here.
“Look out!” Shouted Iruka, pushing Naruto away as kunai rained from the forest, one landing on the tree directly beside Ijei’s. Iruka, on the other hand, was pelted by them, now pinned against the cabin walls.
“I see you found our little hideaway, huh,” Mizuki called down from the treetops.
“So that’s the way it is…” Iruka responded, clutching his leg. “Should have known!”
“Yes, you really should have…” Thought Ijei, debating on whether to stay or to try and grab the attention of another Jonin. The problem was if he could make it back in time. If Iruka was already dead by the time he returned, that got rid of his only trusted witness, and the others would surely trust whatever half-spun lie he had concocted about Naruto.
“Naruto,” Mizuki called down. “Give me the scroll, now!”
“Wait a minute,” Naruto replied. “W-what’s going on here?”
“Naruto!” Iruka shouted, pulling out the Kunai in his legs. “Don’t let Mizuki get the scroll! It contains forbidden Jutsu that can put this village in grave danger! Mizuki used you to get the scroll for himself; for his own power!”
“Called it…” Ijei mused in his head, still unsure of his next course of action. He knew, however, that every second he delayed, the lower the chance of him returning with a Jonin in time. However, if he stayed and tried to stop him, then at the worst case scenario, there would be three bodies, and Mizuki would have no way of explaining why Ijei was here. At least, that was the optimistic way of looking at it. If Mitsuki could convince them Naruto also killed Ijei, or if he could successfully hide or destroy his body in time… Ijei shook himself out of another long trail of thought, needing to stay focused. For now, he’d continue watching, knowing he’d need to be ready if he were to jump in.
“Naruto,” Continued Mizuki. “Iruka’s just trying to scare you because he doesn’t want YOU to have the scroll!”
“Huh? Wha?” Naruto looked around as if he wasn’t sure who to trust. Ijei, on the other hand, felt a little irritation rising, as it was very clear, to him, who the less trustworthy one was.
“Stop lying, Mizuki!” Iruka shouted in response. “Don’t let him trick you, Naruto!”
“Hahahaha! Oh, I’ll tell you who’s really lying!”
“No, Mizuki!”
Ijei’s ears perked up. Could he finally be getting an answer…?
“They’ve been lying to you your whole life, Naruto.” Mizuki chortled. “Since the decree twelve years ago!”
“What… decree?” Naruto asked.
“Everyone knows except you! Iruka’s trying to hide it from you, even now! He’d do anything to shut me up!”
“What is this decree? Why does everyone else know about it?”
“Don’t tell him, it’s forbidden!” Iruka interjected.
“The decree is,” Mizuki continued, ignoring Iruka. “That no one can tell you the Nine-Tailed Fox is inside you!”
Naruto gasped; his eyes wide in shock. Ijei felt his air catch in his throat, desperately trying not to give away his cover from surprise.
“So that’s it,” he thought. “The divine beast that nearly destroyed the village twelve years ago… From what I’ve read, its tails crushed mountains, and it caused tidal waves to crash into the shore. The ninja of the Land of Fire gathered to defeat it, the Fourth Hokage dealing the final blow, but that’s all I know. Most everything about it outside of that was restricted, and now I know why…”
“The Fox Spirit that killed Iruka’s parents and destroyed our village,” Mizuki continued, “Has taken over your body. You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!”
“Stop it!” Iruka shouted.
“They’ve all been sneaking around, hiding this from you your whole life! Didn’t you think it’s strange how they treated you?” Mizuki continued to spit his venom while Naruto took everything in, too shocked to move. “Like dirt! Like they hated you for just being alive!”
“No! No, no, no, no!” Naruto shouted, his chakra flowing around him uncontrollably as his emotions boiled to the surface.
“Naruto…!” Iruka called to him, disparaged.
“That’s why you will never be accepted in this village!” Mizuki spat, attempting to break Naruto’s spirit as much as he could. “Even your beloved Sensei hates your guts!”
Iruka looked like he was about to respond, but doubled over, instead clutching his leg in pain.
“Die, Naruto!” Mizuki spun his giant Shuriken, and launched himself at his target. Ijei prepared himself to move in to try and stop it, but he was too late.
“Naruto, get down!” Iruka shouted, and just before it pierced its mark’s skull, Iruka-Sensei put himself between the weapon and Naruto, stabbing into his back, instead.
“N-ngh…!” Blood dripped from Iruka’s mouth onto Naruto’s cheek as Mizuki was taken aback by Iruka’s quick movements. Ijei thought of making his move now, but it was still too of a chance of succeeding. He needed another opening.
“W-why? Naruto asked his teacher.
“Because we’re the same…” He responded. “When I lost my parents, no one seemed to care… They didn’t have time for me. They just forgot I was there… My grades dropped; I became the class clown! I just wanted them to see me, and to know my name! My schoolwork wasn’t good enough to get their attention, so I did crazy things… and then I had to pay for it. It was hard. I know that’s how you feel, Naruto.” Tears began to flow from Iruka’s eyes, dropping onto Naruto, and washing away the blood. “You feel lonely and it hurts inside. And I could have been there for you more… you, and Sasuke, and Ijei…” The sudden mention of his name, the realization that Iruka saw himself in him and thought so much of him, caused Ijei to well up in shame and self-disgust that he didn’t through himself in to protect Iruka, and even more since his feet still remained planted. Even though his rationalization was fair, his reasoning true, his hatred for himself grew.
“I let you down…” Iruka continued, sniffling, “I’m sorry… No one should have to suffer that much. No one should be alone like that.” Mizuki chuckled to himself, listening to Iruka pour his heart out to Naruto and, unknowingly, Ijei.
“Don’t make me laugh!” He shouted from his tree branch. “Iruka always hated you! He was orphaned because the nine tailed fox killed his parents! And that beast is now inside you! He’d say anything to get the scroll from you.”
Before Mizuki could finish, Naruto made a run for it deeper into the forest, leaving the injured Iruka to call after him.
“Hehehe… You know, once he makes up his mind, nothing can change it.” Mizuki teased as he dropped down to the forest floor. “He’s going to use the scroll to take revenge on the village. You saw that look in his eye, didn’t you? Those are they eyes of a beast.”
Seeing the two preoccupied, Ijei made the decision to follow Naruto. He quickly thought of a plan and did his best to stay undetected as he passed by, going deeper into the forest. He was sure he could get ahead of Naruto, and that’s all he needed…
“No…” Iruka exclaimed as he pulled the Shuriken from his back, struggling to get up. “Naruto… isn’t like… that!” With that, Iruka threw the Shuriken right back at his aggressor, but in his weakened state, Mizuki was able to lightly sidestep it.
“Heh, You’re a joke.” He said. “As soon as I eliminate Naruto and get the scroll, I’ll be back for you.” Mizuki shot through the forest, far too fast for the fledgling children and the injured Jonin.
Naruto leaped from to treetop on all fours. He had to get as far away as he could. He didn’t want to think about what was happening behind him, but he knew he couldn’t let the scroll fall into the wrong hands.
“Naruto!” A voice called from behind him. Iruka-Sensei appeared from the trees, tailing him closely. “Everything Mizuki said was a lie! Gimme the scroll, hurry! He’s coming after you to take it away!” Iruka landed on a branch right in front of Naruto who, instead of stopping, slammed his, admittedly infamously, hard head into Iruka’s stomach, sending the two tumbling to the hard ground. Iruka lands on his back, while Naruto manages to catch his fall and land on his feet. Meanwhile, from the trees, another ‘Naruto’ watches on.
“So that’s what’s going on, huh…” the second ‘Naruto’ exclaimed to himself, seemingly figuring something out from a glance.
Naruto, across from Iruka, pants in heavy, labored gulps of air.
“It can’t be…” Iruka says, on the ground.
Naruto, exhausted, takes the scroll off of his back and slumps against the tree.
“How did you know?” Iruka asks, struggling to his feet. “Naruto… how did you know…” Mizuki asks, dropping his Transformation Jutsu of Iruka. “That it was me and not Iruka?”
Naruto smirks and glares back, before dissipating in a puff of smoke, revealing the chuckling real Iruka-Sensei.
“Because I’m Iruka.” He says.
Watching from the bushes, the second ‘Naruto’ pans the forest to look for the true Uzumaki. Spotting him behind a tree a little ahead of him, he decides to lie low until he’s needed.
“You’re a fool.” Mizuki exclaims, standing to his feet. “Why are you protecting that freak? He’s the one who wiped out your family.”
“I don’t care what you say,” Iruka states bluntly. “You’re not getting your hands on that scroll.”
“As if you could stop me. Don’t you get it? Naruto is just like me!”
“How’s that?”
“He wants the scroll for his own power and his own vengeance. That’s how beasts are! He’ll pour all his rage into the scroll and destroy everything!”
“You’re right…”
The real Naruto gasps upon hearing his sensei’s response.
“So it’s true…” He mumbles into the scroll in his hands. “Iruka-Sensei never believed in me… He thinks I’m some beast! Some kind of freak!”
“That is how beasts are.” Iruka continues. “But that’s not who Naruto is! He’s nothing like that! Naruto’s one of a kind; works hard, puts his whole heart into it! Sure he messes up sometimes, and everyone jumps on him, but his suffering only makes him stronger. That’s what separates him from being a beast! So you’re wrong, he’s nothing like the Nine-Tailed Fox, he’s Naruto Uzumaki, of the Village Hidden in The Leaves!”
Naruto sat in hiding, tears streaming down his face, while ‘Naruto’ watched, deadpan.
“Heh, you really believe that drivel?” Mizuki scoffs. “Iruka, I was gonna save you for later, but I’ve changed my mind. You’re finished!” Mizuki shouts, going in for the kill.
Before ‘Naruto’ has the chance to jump in, the real Naruto joins the fray, catching Mizuki off guard and kicking him square in the jaw, sending his last Shuriken flying into the woods. Both Iruka and ‘Naruto’ look in awe at the clean connection and damage Naruto was able to inflict.
“If you ever lay a hand on my sensei,” Naruto explains grimly, “I’ll kill you!”
“Such big words!” Mizuki responds. “I could completely destroy you with a single move!”
“Take your best shot, fool!” Naruto says, holding a hand sign none of the other three present have ever seen before. “I’ll give it back to you a thousandfold!”
“Let’s see you try! Show me what you can do, Nine-Tailed Fox!”
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” And with that cry from Naruto, everyone who witnessed was utterly aghast. Surrounding them were hundreds upon hundreds of Narutos- clones! But as one of the “Narutos” picked up the ‘Naruto’ hiding in the bushes, he realized they were more than normal clones, these were solid! Absolutely perfect, solid copies!
“How’d you get in there?” The shadow clone joked, brushing him off, before turning back to face Mizuki.
“Looks like they think I’m one of them.” ‘Naruto’ realized before sliding back into the shadows again. Meanwhile, the army of shadow clones taunts Iruka, hurling insults and provocations.
“Wha- Huh!? Ngh-“ The Jonin grits his teeth, eyes bulging as he stares down the cursed child a thousandfold. He’s completely surrounded and outmatched. If it were one on one, he could take him easily.
“But no man can defeat an army on their own. If you’re outnumbered this badly, and in open sight of your opponent, completely surrounded. It doesn’t matter if you’re overwhelmingly stronger- it’s a guaranteed loss.” ‘Naruto’ mused to himself. Mizuki knew this, as well.
“If you’re not comin-“ One Naruto started.
“Then we’re gonna come after you!” Another finished for him. The idea of someone as weak as Naruto not only getting the drop on him like this, but completely annihilating his chance of what was previously an assured victory drove him past his breaking point. He collapsed onto the ground, and as he screamed, hundreds of orange jumpsuits descended upon their target in an instant, leaving Mizuki a mumbling, bruised and battered mess.
When they were done, the clones disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the original Naruto standing there, scratching his head.
“Sorry about that! I got kinda carried away, eheheheheh.” He chortled, facing his teacher. “You ok, Iruka-sensei?”
“Ah…” Iruka gasped. “Naruto, come here… I have something I want to give you.” He continued, laboring to stand up. ‘Naruto’ watched from hiding, and realizing he no longer had need of his plan, undid his transformation Jutsu, dispelling the illusion and returning back to just Ijei. Similarly to how Iruka must be feeling, he couldn’t help but be a little dumbfounded at how Naruto of all people pulled something like this off. A Jutsu of that magnitude performed thousands of times at once, should be lethal even for the Hokage, let alone someone who can’t even perform a single proper clone.
“Could it be…” Ijei mumbled to himself. “That he draws Chakra from the Nine Tails inside of him? It would certainly explain how he didn’t die right now, as well as how he seems completely fine afterward. Hell, he looks like he could run a mile. It’s also more than likely he simply pours chakra into each clone until it works… otherwise, they’d fail just like they always did in class.” He continued to mutter under his breath with his fingers cupped to his chin for some time until he heard Iruka and Naruto walk off. The moment they were out of earshot, he turned around to leave, until he realized something.
“Ah- Those lines of explosive tags I planned to lure Mizuki into are still tied onto the trees. Oh, crap, the lines of explosive tags are still tied onto the trees!” He exclaimed, scrambling North to disarm his trap before someone unwittingly walks into them. Doing so was tricky, and it took him much longer to take them down than he did up. It didn’t help that he could hear Iruka-Sensei and Naruto slowly stumbling his direction, meaning he’d have to take these down all out of their sight. Luckily, though, it seemed Naruto had his eyes closed. Looks like their teacher wanted to surprise him with something.
As he was taking down the last wire, he couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. He watched as Iruka took off his headband and wrapped it around Naruto’s forehead.
“Sensei, how much longer?” Naruto asked.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now.” He responded. Naruto did just that, opening his eyes barely adjusting to the rising sun as he saw his teacher holding his goggles. The sunlight beamed down on them, and Iruka’s smile suddenly pierced the anxiety Naruto had been crushed with since the exams.
“Congratulations,” Iruka said with a grin. “You’ve graduated!” Naruto stood there; slack-jawed as the teacher continued. “And to celebrate, you and I are going out to get ramen tonight!” The boy chewed at his lips in silence for some time, and when Iruka opened his eyes to see if something was wrong, the boy tackled his teacher.
“Iruka-Sensei!” Naruto cried out.
“Hey, that hurts!”
“Hahahaha!”
Ijei watched the two have their moment as he slowly placed the last tag in his pouch and wrapped up the wire, packing it away. Then just as he was about to leave, he was finally spotted.
“Huh? Adachihara? What are you doing here?” Iruka asked, surprised to see his student here of all places. Ijei jumped when he heard his name called, but thanked his luck it happened at the best possible time.
“Hm? Is that you Iruka-Sensei? And Naruto, too? Sorry, I woke up early this morning and decided to go for a walk. Didn’t expect to see you guys here.” Ijei responded, trying to act as casual as he could. Naruto, on the other hand, was ecstatic to see him.
“That’s great!” He yelled. “You can help Iruka-Sensei walk back to the village!”
“Oh, man, I didn’t even notice how banged up you were!” Ijei lied. “Here, let me walk you back. What happened?” He asked as he lifted Iruka’s arm over his shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll tell you on the way back. Naruto, can you handle Mizuki?” Iruka suggested, putting his weight onto his student.
“Wait Mizuki-San, from the exams? Is he injured, too?” Ijei asked innocently.
“You could certainly say that. Naruto gave him quite the beating.” The man continued, to which Ijei did his best to act shocked. “Anyway, what are you doing out so early? I thought you were the kind of guy to try and sleep in no matter what time you actually wake up.”
“Well, you know…” Ijei mumbled, moving towards the village. “Gut instinct.”
“Hm. Well, whatever the reason, you were in the right place at the right time. Those kinds of instincts are bound to serve you well as a Ninja.” Iruka said. Ijei scratched at his cheek, acting as meek to the compliment as he could.
“Oh man, thanks. Nice change of pace from you yelling at me for goofing off, huh?” He laughed.
“I’m glad you still have your sense of humor, Ijei.”
“What do you mean, Iruka-Sensei? It’s only been a day since you’ve seen me?”
“Hm? Oh, don’t worry about it. I just think… that’s probably something else, you’ll need. Try not to change too much over the years, ok, Ijei?”
Ijei just smiled without responding, helping his teacher limp as Naruto caught up, dragging the unconscious Mizuki.