Opening

"Hokage!"

A Chunin burst nervously into Hiruzen Sarutobi's lounge. Meanwhile, the old man was enjoying a rare bit of free time, practicing his calligraphy.

"What is it?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the calligraphy before him and spoke.

"Naruto... that brat Naruto pulled another prank!"

"This time, he actually painted on Hokage Rock!"

"And he used paint!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed upon hearing this. He finished the final stroke in his hand and said:

"Go get Iruka. Have him drag that brat down."

"Yes!"

The ninja left. Hiruzen Sarutobi continued admiring the calligraphy before him, but somehow, it still felt like something was missing.

"Naruto!"

Iruka, having been notified by the ninja, was practically furious. As Naruto had grown older, he had only become more and more mischievous.

And now he actually dared to use paint to "decorate" the faces of the four Hokage on Hokage Rock?!

"Ah, heh heh... Iruka-sensei..."

Twelve-year-old Naruto looked at Iruka before him and gave a foolish grin, trying to muddle his way through it.

"You little punk!"

"Do you know what you've done?!"

"Hurry up and clean Hokage Rock!"

Seeing that he couldn't bluff his way through, Naruto could only obediently go clean the paint from Hokage Rock under Iruka's long-accumulated intimidation.

Iruka leaned against the railing beside Hokage Rock, watching Naruto hang from a rope and slowly scrub away his "masterpiece." His expression softened as well.

"Finish it quickly, and maybe you can get home earlier."

Hearing Iruka's words, Naruto curled his lip and said indifferently:

"Anyway, I'm the only one at home. It doesn't matter whether I go back or not."

Iruka froze for a moment, then put on a thoughtful expression.

"I heard Sakura is coming back to the village tomorrow."

"If Sakura finds out how naughty you've been, do you think she'll get mad?"

"Huh?!"

"Iruka-sensei, don't tell Sakura! I'll clean up this paint right away!"

Naruto's face changed dramatically. He immediately threw himself into the work.

Seeing Naruto work seriously, Iruka's expression softened.

"Keep it up, Naruto. Once you're done, we'll go eat at Ichiraku Ramen!"

"My treat!"

"Awesome!"

Naruto became even more motivated. But he moved too wildly and accidentally knocked over the bucket hanging beside him, drenching Iruka from head to toe.

"Naruto!"

"Ehehehe~"

--

The next day

Ninja Academy

Cicadas shrieked endlessly in the trees. The blond-haired youth sat alone on a swing beneath one of them.

Shadow covered his entire body. The entrance to the academy was already crowded with the students' parents, and the youth gazed ahead with dejection in his azure eyes.

The shadow beneath the sunlight seemed like a sharply defined boundary, separating him from the outside world into two entirely different worlds.

"Is that him?"

"That's right. I heard he's the only child who didn't pass..."

"Well, that's no surprise..."

"Why does the Hokage still keep him around..."

The adults' whispers ahead pierced the youth's heart like sharp needles.

The youth lowered his gaze to his feet. Sitting on the swing, he swayed gently in the wind.

"Naruto..."

A gentle, familiar voice suddenly sounded, and Naruto looked up.

It was a teacher from the academy.

Mizuki.

"Sorry, Naruto."

The man's gentle voice seemed to possess a kind of magic that soothed Naruto's heart.

"Mizuki-sensei..."

The blue-haired man looked at the youth before him, a glint flashing through his eyes.

Finally... he had found his chance...

Nightfall

The night watched the yellow figure racing through the forest at high speed.

Naruto carried a huge scroll on his back as he leaped swiftly from tree to tree.

The Scroll of Seals.

Mizuki-sensei had said that as long as Naruto mastered the ninjutsu in this scroll, he would definitely pass the graduation exam.

Then he could become a ninja like Sakura!

But the first ninjutsu in it was the Clone Technique, which Naruto was terrible at.

Naruto had wanted to keep reading, but Iruka-sensei had somehow received the news and caught up with him. Naruto had no choice but to leave first and find a safe place to continue studying the techniques below.

Whoosh!

A piercing sound tore through the air from behind him, and Naruto dodged almost instinctively.

A Shuriken nearly half his size embedded itself deeply into the tree trunk ahead!

"Ah?"

"You really made me look for you, brat."

A familiar voice rang out, making Naruto's eyes widen slightly.

That voice was...

The blue-haired man stepped out of the darkness. Moonlight fell over him, but his expression was no longer as gentle as it had been during the day. It was filled with unfamiliar coldness and madness.

"Mizuki... sensei..."

Naruto stared blankly at Mizuki, unable to understand why he had attacked him.

If a Shuriken that large hit him... he would die, right?

"Wh... why?"

"Mizuki-sensei, why would you..."

Naruto stared blankly at the approaching man as he spoke.

"Huh? What is a Demon Fox like you talking about?"

"If I kill you here, I'll be getting rid of a menace for the people, won't I?"

Mizuki looked maliciously at Blondie before him, his words filled with mockery.

Demon Fox?

Me?

"Mizuki!"

At that moment, another voice rang out.

It was Iruka, racing desperately toward them.

"Iruka? Perfect timing."

"Naruto, do you know why everyone in the village hates you?"

An amused smile curled across Mizuki's lips, as though what came next would bring him great pleasure.

"Mizuki! Shut up!"

"That's a village secret!"

Iruka rushed in front of Naruto, exposing his back to him.

"A secret?!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"Stop fooling yourself, Iruka!"

"Does something like this even count as a secret?"

"Everyone in the village knows Naruto is the Demon Fox! Even your parents, Iruka, were killed by Naruto!"

"And the Fourth Hokage! He was killed by this brat too!"

Seeing Mizuki so crazily flaunt the "secret," Iruka's expression changed drastically as he hurriedly said:

"Shut up! Don't say another word!"

"Am I not speaking the truth?"

Mizuki was unconcerned. He continued looking with malicious delight at the stunned Naruto behind Iruka.

"Perhaps even the village genius, Haruno Sakura..."

"Was deliberately arranged by someone to get close to Naruto?"

"Or perhaps she wants to obtain your power."

"After all, who would ever approach a Demon Fox hated by everyone?"

Sakura...

Had she deliberately approached me too?

Naruto's expression was lost. For the first time, for the very first time, he felt what it meant to truly be at a loss.

He instinctively wanted to flee, to run away, to get far away from this absurd world.

Why...

Why...

Why was he the Demon Fox?

Why did everyone hate him?

He no longer wanted to care about Iruka or Mizuki.

He only wanted to run.

Fake, fake, it was all fake!

Naruto fled in frantic desperation, completely ignoring Iruka's shouts behind him.

Why? Why?

Why had Sakura deliberately approached him too?

Was he really that hated?

At this moment, Naruto had no idea what to do or how to choose. Everyone in the village's attitude toward him was plain for all to see.

Why Sakura? Why did Sakura have to be the one who got close to him?

"Naruto."

A cool voice rang out in the night.

Naruto looked up instinctively. The moment he saw that person, his breath caught.

A cherry-pink ponytail fluttered in the night. The grim Anbu uniform was suffocatingly imposing. A raccoon dog mask was fastened above her cheek, revealing her face and those calm, emerald eyes like gemstones...

The girl standing with her back to the moon was so impossibly distant.

At her side stood three Anbu, all centered around her...

Captain of Anbu Seventh Division...

Haruno Sakura.

This chapter moved a little faster, but after more than thirty chapters, it was time to get to the main plot.