"Yagyu… why are you here?"
Only after Mizuki struggled but failed to stand up did Uzumaki Naruto react, looking at Yagyu with uncertainty.
Then his face turned pale.
"Or… just like this guy said, are you here to kill—"
Thump.
A fist of moderate strength landed directly on Naruto's head, knocking him down onto the ground with stars spinning in his eyes.
"Hiss! That hurts… Yagyu, what are you doing?"
Holding his head while rolling on the ground in pain, Naruto seemed to recover his energy as he loudly complained.
"Damn it! You bastard, I'm going to punch you flying later!"
Yagyu glanced at Naruto rolling around on the ground with a speechless expression.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I came to knock some sense into you. Idiot, do you even realize how important the Hokage Tower is? Even messing around has its limits. Naruto, the Nine-Tailed Fox is the Nine-Tailed Fox, you are you. You are Uzumaki Naruto, a future shinobi of Konoha. Remember that well."
Turning around.
With his back facing Naruto, Yagyu walked toward Mizuki.
"Did a piece of trash like him make you forget your dream of becoming Hokage? Naruto, if that's the case, then you're truly disappointing."
After hearing Yagyu's words.
Naruto, who had been rolling on the ground earlier, stopped.
He lay on the ground and stared up at the night sky in silence.
Ignoring Naruto who had fallen into deep thought.
Yagyu slowly approached Mizuki, and as he got closer, Mizuki began to panic.
"Don't come any closer!"
Struggling backward while crawling, Mizuki clutched his chest and shouted in terror.
"Don't come over here!"
Looking at the terrified Mizuki with disdain, Yagyu did not lower his guard.
But his words were filled with arrogance.
"You really are weak. That kick just now probably broke at least four of your ribs, and they were definitely shattered. Even someone as weak as you was still entrusted by the village with the sacred profession of teaching and inheriting the Will of Fire."
While Yagyu was still speaking.
Mizuki's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light.
"Die!"
With a roar, Mizuki threw a massive Fuma Shuriken directly toward Yagyu's neck.
If it hit, Yagyu would die instantly.
Whoosh.
However, since Yagyu had been secretly on guard the entire time, how could he possibly be caught off guard?
He simply raised his hand like lightning and casually grabbed the blade of the Fuma Shuriken, instantly stopping it midair.
"I truly don't understand."
Completely ignoring Mizuki's sneak attack, Yagyu spoke calmly.
"Why betray the village, why betray your comrades? And the most unforgivable thing is that you dared to attack my companion. Naruto might be a bit stupid, but he's not someone you're allowed to touch."
Thud.
Yagyu suddenly flung the Fuma Shuriken forward, piercing through Mizuki's shoulder and pinning him firmly to the ground.
Clang.
Immediately after, with several flashes of blade light, the tendons in Mizuki's arms and legs were severed in an instant.
Yagyu calmly sheathed his blade.
Then he grabbed Mizuki, who now looked like a dead dog, and turned his gaze toward Naruto who was still lying there.
"Still haven't figured it out?"
Seeing Naruto's blank and conflicted expression, Yagyu felt a headache coming on.
Damn it.
Talk-no-Jutsu was really not his specialty.
If Iruka or the Third Hokage were here, they could restore Naruto's confidence in minutes.
But Yagyu could not do that.
"Yagyu… are we friends? Are we comrades?"
Naruto suddenly sat up from the ground and looked at Yagyu with a silly grin.
"Is it really okay for me?"
Clack.
Hoisting the unconscious Mizuki onto his shoulder, Yagyu calmly walked toward the village.
"Bring the Scroll of Seals and come with me to the Hokage Tower. You went too far tonight, so prepare yourself to be punished."
Hearing Yagyu's words.
Naruto stood up from the ground and followed behind him while carrying the Scroll of Seals.
"What kind of punishment will it be?"
Yagyu shook his head.
"It shouldn't be light, but it won't be too heavy either. Don't worry."
This entire incident itself was just a staged performance.
Naruto would not actually be punished, and he would even receive his ninja forehead protector and graduate from the academy.
But Yagyu had no intention of participating further.
Tonight.
His performance was already finished.
Those words he said to Mizuki earlier should have already passed this invisible test.
After all, Yagyu knew very well about the Third Hokage's Telescope Technique.
…
Inside the Hokage's office.
Seeing that the matter had ended, the Third Hokage took a satisfied puff of smoke.
"Alright, this matter ends here. Neither Sosuke nor Naruto disappointed me."
After saying that.
The Third Hokage looked toward the corner of the office.
"Go and take Mizuki away. Also have Sosuke return home to rest, and tell Naruto to come here alone to admit his mistake."
Whoosh.
An ANBU figure stepped out from the shadows in the corner.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
After speaking, the ANBU quickly left.
After giving the order, the Third Hokage turned to look at Kakashi and the others who were still present.
"Thank you for your trouble tonight."
Kakashi and the others nodded without saying much.
Then they left one after another.
As for why the Third Hokage had summoned these elite shinobi in the middle of the night.
It was obviously not simply to watch a show.
The Third Hokage.
Had deeper intentions.
…
The next morning.
Yagyu woke up early, organized his equipment, and went downstairs.
His mother had prepared breakfast as usual.
When she saw Yagyu wearing combat gear with the Chakra Blade strapped to his back, she paused in surprise.
Walking up to her son, tears seemed to shimmer faintly in her eyes.
"You look just like him. You really do. Sosuke, you and your father look exactly the same, it's like you were molded from the same mold."
Hearing that.
Yagyu showed a confident smile.
"Hahaha… I think so too."
Although he had no idea whether he really resembled his father, in this household his mother was the authority.
Yagyu had no choice but to go along with her words.
Pat pat.
His mother gently patted Yagyu's shoulder.
"You're about to become a real shinobi. When you carry out missions, you must be careful. Do you understand?"
This time Yagyu did not respond jokingly.
Instead he answered seriously.
"I will. Mom, don't worry."
She nodded.
His mother did not say anything more. After Yagyu finished eating breakfast, she watched him leave the house with worry written all over her face.
No matter how strong her son might become.
For a mother.
Her child's safety would always come first.
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