The ever-grinning Naruto, and the seemingly gentle, even doting Examiner—
The tall and short pair stood together in perfect harmony, without the slightest hint of tension. But to the onlookers nearby, the scene felt like something out of a hallucination. One by one, they froze in place, staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed as if they'd just seen a ghost.
After a moment of silence, they all began furiously rubbing their eyes, doubting their vision. They exchanged hushed whispers, thick with disbelief.
"This... this can't be real… Am I seeing things? They actually seem… to be getting along?!"
'Don't tell me I'm under some kind of genjutsu? That guy… is he really the same Examiner who flew off the handle just a moment ago?!'
'Even if that weird Examiner suddenly flipped his personality, what about that Nine-Tails monster... Am I the only one seeing a totally normal kid here?!'
"Ow—owowow! Okay, not a dream! That actually hurts!"
"My god… what the hell is going on today… If we hadn't seen it with our own eyes, no one would ever believe this."
"That brat… is he really the same Nine-Tails monster who rampaged through the village years ago…?"
The so-called Nine-Tails monster who used to be a living disaster, one everyone feared might lash out at any moment, now looked like nothing more than a mischievous little kid. And the Examiner—who had just been barking orders and throwing punches like a lunatic—was now all soft smiles and gentle warmth. His once unstable, chilly aura had melted into something almost... approachable?
The scene completely shattered everyone's worldview. It was hard not to wonder if something miraculous had happened in the short time they'd looked away—something powerful enough to make both demons and men turn over a new leaf. Without realizing it, even the hostility in the villagers' gazes toward Naruto began to ease, just a little.
"Pfft… I get it now," someone whispered. "No wonder Naruto had the guts to mess with that Examiner. Turns out that Examiner was just Tenzo using a Transformation Jutsu to change his appearance.* Hah, and here I was, worried for nothing."
Standing off to the side, Uchiha Fugaku had been equally concerned. But upon witnessing this bizarre turn of events, he quickly sensed that something was off. Quietly activating his Sharingan, he was finally able to pierce through Tenzo's rather unpolished disguise. Shaking his head with a mixture of relief and amusement, he deactivated the Sharingan, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and turned to reassure those nearby.
"Alright, alright, no need to stress. The Examiner's that brat's—uh, I mean… his friend. There's no way he'd hurt the kid, trust me."
"F-Friend of Naruto-kun's?" someone murmured.
Perhaps it was the fact that her father was standing right beside her, or maybe because Naruto was now a bit farther away, but Hinata's blush faded a little. She didn't seem as shy or tongue-tied as she usually did. Taking Fugaku's words at face value without overthinking the clumsy phrasing, she let out a long breath and patted her chest.
"That's such a relief… I really thought the Examiner was going to throw Naruto-kun out..."
"Hmph? Throw him out? Yeah, right."
Little Fan Fan gave a dismissive snort, folded her arms confidently, and lifted her chin.
"Forget getting thrown out—if that Examiner dared try anything, he'd be the one getting thrown out instead~"
"Huh? The Examiner getting thrown out?"
Hinata blinked and turned to the boy who was always hanging around Naruto, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Why?"
"Heh, you're Hinata, right?" Little Fan Fan grinned. "That's what you don't get—Naruto is crazy strong. Someone like that Examiner? No way he's a threat to Naruto~"
Of all the people present, there were only a few who weren't nervously sweating the moment Naruto started stirring up trouble. Besides Jiraiya, who had personally witnessed Naruto decimate members of Root, and Itachi, who had once sparred with Naruto and gained insight into his hidden powers, the only other person who truly understood Naruto's strength… was Little Fan Fan.
It wasn't blind trust or baseless bravado. Sasuke had seen it firsthand—the way Naruto toyed with Orochimaru's Living Sacrifice Clone** like it was a joke. The kind of overwhelming pressure that clone gave off wasn't just for show. It was a true Kage-level threat. So compared to someone like Tenzo, who was clearly operating at a much lower level, it made sense that Little Fan Fan wasn't worried at all.
"You were just about to say... the Examiner is Naruto's subordinate, weren't you, dear?"
Meanwhile, Mikoto, who had been silently listening from the comfort of Fugaku's arms, perked up. Upon hearing this new twist, she recalled all the times Naruto had acted strangely, hiding something behind those innocent smiles. Her curiosity bloomed. Leaning in close to her husband's ear, she spoke softly, her eyes narrowing playfully—sending a chill down Fugaku's spine.
"Ack—uhh, wh-what do you mean, subordinate? I have no idea what you're talking about..."
Fugaku, caught off guard and completely forgetting that his wife was within earshot the entire time (and that his son was a terrible liar), scrambled to dodge the question. He chuckled awkwardly, trying to cover it up.
"I mean, come on, that little rascal Naruto is just a kid—how could he have a subordinate that strong? Haha… ha…"
"Mm~hmm? Still trying to hide it from me?" Mikoto's voice was syrupy sweet. "Sasuke isn't the type to lie, you know. If he says Naruto couldn't possibly be thrown out—and could even toss the Examiner instead—then clearly that kid isn't as simple as he looks… Don't tell me… could he really be the Nine-Tails in disguise?"
Feigning innocence, Mikoto gently turned her gaze toward her two sons, using Fugaku's body as cover. Neither of them showed even a hint of worry or surprise, which only confirmed her suspicions. With a dazzling smile, she slipped one hand to Fugaku's waist and gave the soft flesh there a twist—slowly, firmly—while continuing sweetly:
"Looks like everyone knew except me. You, Sasuke, Itachi… and here I am, just the clueless outsider. Don't you think… it's time you sat me down and explained, my dear~?"
"I… uh… he… mm..."
Grimacing in pain, Fugaku could only offer a sheepish grin in return. After some hesitation, he raised both hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright… I'll tell you this much. Your guess is right—Naruto's the child of some old friends of ours. As for the rest… it's better if you ask him directly when he gets back."
Fugaku knew all too well: the truth will always come out. Now that Mikoto had noticed so many clues, it was only a matter of time before she uncovered everything. Rather than letting her imagination run wild and poison her impression of Naruto, it was better to be upfront.
Besides… most importantly—
The one who'd actually have to explain everything… was Naruto, not him.
Let the kid burn some brain cells for once. Maybe it'll keep him out of trouble for a bit.
Why not? Win-win.
Prince, oh Prince… Think real hard about everything you've done...
'Karma's real, buddy. It's just a matter of time. And you, Prince of Pitfalls, are finally about to get pitfalled yourself~'