Mixed Emotions

But beneath the surface,

Menma deliberately revealed a complicated expression, with traces of anger and confusion lingering on his face.

He was still under the Third Hokage's surveillance.

As someone who had just learned of his "true identity" and defeated Mizuki in a fit of rage, he had to control his expressions perfectly.

He could not let Sarutobi Hiruzen notice anything unusual.

Besides, Mizuki could not die.

He would still need this leading supporting character for the show to come!

"A Demon Fox? So I really am..."

Menma deliberately pressed his lips together, gave a bitter smile, and gently shook his head. After murmuring those words in a low voice, he let out a soft sigh.

He had truly considered every possible angle.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was watching from afar, naturally failed to notice anything amiss. The Third Hokage could never have imagined that a child not yet twelve years old possessed such convincing acting skills and such deep cunning.

At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen was actually worried about Menma's state of mind.

However, Menma appeared fairly stable at present. He merely seemed somewhat confused, so Sarutobi Hiruzen did not appear overly anxious.

Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was considering whether he needed to do something,

Whoosh!

A straight-backed figure darted into Sarutobi Hiruzen's view.

Beneath the moonlight,

the moment he saw Iruka's familiar face,

the slightly taut string in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart loosened a little.

With this special "guardian" he had chosen for Menma arriving, and Menma's emotions currently fairly stable, everything should still be within control.

Sarutobi Hiruzen could see it.

Menma, however, sensed Teacher Iruka's arrival even earlier.

Menma had originally been considering whether he should drag Mizuki back and turn himself in, but now that he could simply wait for Iruka to arrive, it was perfect!

Of course, Menma had not forgotten or spared a single bit of the outward performance.

He spun around!

He assumed a stiff, defensive stance.

"Menma, don't be nervous. It's me!"

When Iruka saw his wary posture and hurriedly spoke to identify himself,

Menma naturally revealed a relieved expression.

Then,

he seamlessly shifted into a look of guilt, unease, faint estrangement, and even suspicion as he looked at Iruka, who had approached into close proximity.

That complicated expression, along with the steps he instinctively took backward as though driven purely by reflex, perfectly illustrated what it meant for an adolescent young man's state of mind to waver!

Iruka did not know what had happened before this.

But he saw Menma's expression and actions clearly.

Combined with Mizuki lying off to one side and the massive Scroll of Seals,

Iruka felt as though he had guessed something.

"Don't worry, Menma. Your teacher believes in you. There must have been some accident, right? Tell your teacher everything, okay? If there really is a problem, your teacher will definitely help you handle it. And Teacher Mizuki too—tell your teacher everything, all right?"

It was obvious that Menma's mental state was not very stable at the moment.

Iruka stopped where he was and did not move closer, lest he provoke Menma further. Then, in the gentlest tone possible, he tried to calm Menma's "turbulent" emotions.

"Everything?"

Menma seemed to laugh at himself, still looking at Iruka with an indescribable expression.

"Can I really trust you, Teacher Iruka?"

That tone sounded so hollow, utterly lacking in conviction or credibility.

It made Iruka's heart tighten at once.

"Of course you can, Menma. I am..."

"Even if I am the Demon Fox that killed your parents twelve years ago, would you still believe in me? Rather than seeing me as the village's greatest calamity, like Mizuki and those ordinary villagers do?"

Before Iruka could finish speaking,

Menma suddenly raised his eyes and spoke as though in urgent haste. The wavering and suspicion on his face

were unlike his earlier confrontation with Mizuki, when nearly everything had been an act. At this moment, facing Iruka,

Menma's words, expression, and even his state of mind were not necessarily all an act. After all, their six years together, along with the bits and pieces shown in the Original Work, were enough to prove that Iruka truly cared about him!

Menma did not care about this village.

His former thoughts and plans could never waver. At most, there had only been that foolish Younger Brother whom he needed to care about to some extent, but now Iruka had to be included as well. Menma did not know what exactly he was thinking. Did he hope Iruka was a hypocrite who had been pretending all along, or did he truly hope Iruka was someone close who regarded him as a real younger brother?

Even Menma himself could not understand it!

The emotions that surfaced so directly

made Iruka freeze instantly.

"Menma, you..."

Iruka was not an exceptionally clever person, but the fact that he had earned Sarutobi Hiruzen's trust and was chosen to educate and guide Menma in the capacity of a "guardian" was enough to show his excellence in many respects.

With just that one sentence, Iruka could vaguely guess that what had happened here was likely completely different from what he had imagined.

Mizuki!

He had likely played an extremely disgraceful role in Menma's theft of the Scroll of Seals!

Important as that was,

at the moment,

Menma's mental state was the highest priority!

That was Iruka's judgment!

"No, Menma, you are not the Demon Fox. In your teacher's heart, you are a young man named Uzumaki Menma. I don't know where you learned this information, but, Menma, what your teacher needs to tell you is that you are you, and the Demon Fox is the Demon Fox. The two of you have never been one and the same. In fact, you should be considered a hero of the village. The others in the village may not understand you right now, and they may reject you, but your teacher believes that through your own efforts, you will surely earn their recognition and understanding. Menma, believe in your teacher, believe in yourself, and believe in the Hokage. Come back. Every problem can be solved!"

Iruka extended his right hand and looked earnestly at Menma in the distance, his voice gentle yet firm.

Those were his heartfelt thoughts.

At this moment, Iruka had no intention whatsoever of deceiving Menma.

He truly regarded Menma as a young man.

Just as he had said, the Demon Fox was the Demon Fox, and Menma was Menma!

Moreover, Menma, who had been made the vessel sealing the Nine-Tails Fox since infancy, should never have been hated or isolated by the people of Konoha. He should have been treated as a hero instead!

These were Iruka's most genuine feelings and views

after spending six years with Menma!