"Whoosh."
"Whoosh."
Leaping through the dense undergrowth, Naruto arrived at the spot he and Mizuki had agreed upon.
At this moment, two figures were already waiting there. Seeing them, Naruto's eyes narrowed and he silently melted into the shade of the trees, using the night to mask his presence.
The two before him were neither particularly strong nor sensory-type shinobi; even with Naruto's still-incomplete skill, it was easy to remain undiscovered.
Still, Naruto felt a bit surprised. One of the figures had arrived earlier than he'd expected.
The night was deep. The full moon had slipped free of a bank of clouds and poured cold light across the earth, thinning the darkness. Bathed in moonlight, the two figures came into view: the two instructors from the Academy—Mizuki and Iruka.
Mizuki arriving a little early didn't shock Naruto; that made sense given Mizuki's plan to eliminate Naruto and use the Scroll of Seals as a token to defect to Orochimaru. But Iruka being here too—also early—was unexpected. Naruto's plan had been to take out Mizuki before Iruka arrived, then play his prepared lines so Iruka would finish things off. Instead, Mizuki (early) and Iruka (also early) had both showed up—catching Naruto off guard.
Naruto stilled, watching the situation. Both men's expressions were clear from where he hid. Even if Mizuki's strength seemed unimpressive compared to the original timeline's depiction, he was still a Konoha chunin. With Iruka drawing Mizuki's attention, Naruto had no need to reveal himself yet. He crept closer, looking for the best moment to strike for a one-hit kill. That was the true way of a shinobi. Big flashy fights violated the essence of ninja work. The real ninja hid in the dark and executed a single decisive strike.
Focused mind.
Light-footed steps.
Naruto moved slowly, closing the distance to the clearing. As he expected, neither Iruka nor Mizuki noticed his approach. The two stared at each other, their faces carved with distinct emotion.
Mizuki perched on a trunk in a fighting stance, looking down on Iruka with a scornful sneer—there was none of the warm, familiar kindness Iruka usually saw. He looked at Iruka like a hunter watching prey. Iruka, meanwhile, was full of anger and disappointment; his pupils carried a tint of sorrow. Mizuki's actions were clearly traitorous. Where was the once-gentle, sunlit expression Iruka knew?
Iruka had always considered Mizuki a friend. Now that friend was betraying the village and had tried to kill him. The sudden turn of events stung Iruka in a way few could understand.
"Why!? Why are you doing this, Mizuki!? Why betray the village?!"
He knew the question was futile, even foolish, but Iruka couldn't help himself. Emotions—anger, grief, disbelief—warred in his voice, echoing through the otherwise silent forest.
"Why? Heh—Iruka, you're still so childish and stupid. No wonder you can only be a teacher at the academy. A chunin? Iruka, you've always been a pitiful, pathetic man."
Iruka's heartfelt words didn't move Mizuki at all. Mizuki's look carried thinly veiled derision and mockery. Friend? Village? Peace? Don't be ridiculous. In Mizuki's eyes, only strength mattered. Everything else was worthless. The so-called friend was a laughable illusion. To pursue ultimate power, Mizuki would ruthlessly annihilate whatever stood in his way. He'd never considered Iruka a friend—Konoha itself was trivial.
Iruka's words, then, stirred no reaction.
Strength.
Only strength.
Mizuki's plan was simple: kill Iruka, find Naruto, seize the Scroll of Seals, and take it to Orochimaru to gain the power he craved—nothing else mattered.
"Childish and stupid, huh? Is that so? I see…"
Iruka stared at Mizuki, stunned. The friend he'd known was gone—replaced by a face of endless cruelty and bitter sarcasm, a visage seemingly carved from hellish malice. At that moment, Iruka truly understood who stood before him: the man's every behavior now revealed his true nature; all that came before had been a mask.
If that was the case, then Iruka had a duty to carry out.
"Then I'll punish you here! Traitor—Mizuki!"
Sometimes people have to choose. Especially in a world this bloody and brutal—where light and peace are rare. This was a world dominated by darkness and unceasing slaughters. Even if he didn't want to, one must still make decisions when the time came. As a Konoha shinobi, Iruka's duty was to hunt down a traitor.
Resolute, his eyes hardened. With a flick of his right hand, a sharp kunai appeared in his palm. He lowered his stance and radiated fierce killing intent—after all, Iruka had been recognized as a chunin by Konoha.
"Hahaha—punish me? What a laughable joke. Iruka, there's still time to play. I'll toy with you for a bit. After I kill you, I'll go take that idiot Naruto's Scroll of Seals. We can't let his graduation exam get in the way of my plans!"