Shiki cursed under his breath. He should've stuck to his original plan and stayed out of this whole mess.
Even dumping Yuuma Akimoto back at the orphanage would've been better than this.
Sure, he had zero interest in the Scroll of Seals, but just being here made him look damn suspicious!
Damn it!
What was he supposed to do now?
One thing was clear—if he hadn't acted like an idiot, none of this would've happened.
Shiki knew the longer he stayed silent, the more suspicion he'd draw.
He needed to say something. Now.
He hated how his mouth dropped open in shock automatically.
If he didn't speak up soon, he could already picture Kakashi dragging him to someone from the Yamanaka clan for a peek into his thoughts—or worse.
Then again, he wasn't even sure if the Yamanaka could make heads or tails of the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
A cold sweat ran down Shiki's neck. He was an adult—how come he couldn't handle a situation like this?
Suddenly, inspiration struck.
Right! At least for now, he was still a kid. Even though kids his age might already be trained as spies by various villages, acting like a child still felt believable enough.
With that thought, Shiki patted his chest and exhaled in relief. "Oh, it's you, Kakashi-senpai! You really scared me!"
"You really got that scared? You looked pretty startled," Kakashi replied.
Shiki shrugged. "Senpai, don't you think getting caught sneaking around is strange to begin with?"
"Are you saying you were spying on Naruto?" Kakashi stroked his chin. "I suppose I should mention your preferences to Tenten then."
Perhaps because Kakashi already held a favorable impression of Shiki, the suspicion in his eyes noticeably lessened.
Still, Shiki shot back playfully, "Come on, Kakashi-sensei! Don't jump to conclusions like that. Besides, why do you always assume things are about sexual orientation? Could it be because you and Master Guy have something more than just friendship?"
Shiki cleverly turned the tables.
The two continued whispering from their perch high on a thick, leafy branch, hidden from sight.
Meanwhile, not far away in an open clearing, multiple Narutos stood gathered.
Yet none of them noticed the anomaly hidden among the tree leaves.
Iruka asked, "So then, Shiki, why were you spying on Naruto?"
It was the big question—the real reason behind Shiki's actions.
"Well… how should I put it? Today when I saw him fail his third graduation exam yet again, looking so dejected, I got worried. Then later tonight, I saw him acting suspiciously, so I followed him here."
"I see," Kakashi nodded slowly, accepting Shiki's explanation.
Shiki then asked curiously, "Kakashi-senpai, then why are you here?"
"Me?" Kakashi scratched his head. "Did you notice that large scroll in Naruto's hands?"
"Yeah, what exactly is that?"
"That," Kakashi said, lowering his voice slightly, "is the Scroll of Seals. It contains many forbidden techniques from Konoha."
Shiki wore an expression of great surprise. "Then isn't it dangerous if Naruto gets hold of it?"
"Not really," Kakashi explained. "Actually, the reason Shiki was allowed to obtain the Scroll of Seals was originally on The Third's orders."
"The Third Hokage?"
"Yes. Since Naruto has already been assigned to my team by The Third, but he failed the Graduation Exam, the best course of action is letting him learn the most suitable Ninjutsu."
Shiki frowned slightly. "But if we're talking about simply letting Naruto pass the exam, couldn't The Third have given special permission directly?"
A complicated look appeared on Kakashi's face—one Shiki found hard to describe—somewhere between nostalgia and compassion.
"The Third still wants Naruto to pass the Graduation Exam through his own efforts. On the other hand, isn't the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu also perfectly suited for Naruto?"
"I see." Shiki nodded slightly. "Still, are you sure everything will be fine this way?"
"Well, if everything goes as planned, I'll have to bring Naruto back. After all, this wasn't something officially authorized by The Third; rather, Naruto was led to take it. Although, personally, I suspect there might be some small complications along the way."
A faint flicker of disdain passed through Kakashi's eyes.
Shiki caught on at once. He turned his gaze toward Naruto and found Iruka already standing there.
But from Kakashi's expression, Shiki knew it wasn't just Iruka involved.
Mizuki must be nearby too.
Chapter 80: Team
As for what would happen next, Shiki already knew. But watching alongside Kakashi from this angle gave him a strange feeling.
In Naruto's life, this was the first time he learned the truth—that he himself was the Nine-Tails Fox demon. He now understood why people hated him.
There wasn't a spectacular fight scene. Only when a massive shuriken flew toward Naruto like a scythe harvesting lives did Iruka stand protectively in front of him.
Nothing could possibly convey more meaning than this act.
Naruto now knew that not everyone wished him gone forever. Not everyone ignored his existence.
Someone would protect him.
Someone would bear the pain meant for him.
That alone was enough.
"This ending came out of nowhere," Kakashi said with evident emotion.
Shiki knew he wasn't referring to the moment when Naruto pummeled Qing Mu with a thousand shadow clones.
Rather, it was the fact that even after discovering why he'd been ostracized all his life, Naruto could still feel moved by Iruka's words.
"I guess that's the power of Talk-no-jutsu," Shiki muttered, impressed.
Moonlight bathed them again—not brilliant, but soft and warm.
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