The Reason

Mizuki's breathing suddenly grew heavy.

Feeling the pressure of Naruto's fingers on his neck, a mix of fear and anger surged through him as he glared at Naruto.

His eyes were bloodshot, his previous pretense completely stripped away, leaving only malice in his expression.

"You damn Demon Fox... born with monstrous power, how could you possibly understand?"

Mizuki practically roared.

Naruto's expression remained unchanged, his grip tightening slightly, his voice still steady, "It doesn't matter if I understand or not. What matters is that you explain yourself clearly."

"Hahaha... explain clearly?" Mizuki suddenly burst into laughter, his voice hoarse and desperate. "Fine! I'll tell you! In this godforsaken ninja world, how far a person can go is almost decided from the moment they're born! Talent, bloodline, family... these things are like invisible cages, locking us ordinary people down forever!"

Naruto frowned slightly, remaining silent. He recalled the Pervy Sage, his own father, and even Obito saying similar things. In this ninja world shrouded in hatred, finding peace was incredibly difficult. At the time, he hadn't understood the weight of those words.

As he spoke, Mizuki coughed violently a few times before continuing, "Just like Uchiha Sasuke in your class! Born into a prestigious clan, gifted with extraordinary talent, he naturally occupies the top spot in the class!"

"Yes, I heard you luckily beat him once yesterday, but so what? He's still a genius, still someone countless civilian ninja can't reach in their lifetime! And me? I don't have secret clan jutsu, no Kekkei Genkai, not even proper guidance! If I want to get stronger, what else can I rely on besides risking my life?!"

At this point, Mizuki's emotions completely broke loose. "Someone like me, with mediocre talent, even if I stole the Scroll of Seals, I probably wouldn't be able to learn many of the Forbidden Jutsu on it... but I can offer it to Lord Orochimaru! He will grant me new, powerful strength! Strength that can break this inherent unfairness!"

"For that, I'll pay any price! What does it matter if I eliminate troublesome teammates during a mission? As long as I can climb up, I'll do anything! I will climb step by step, to the very top!"

"I want to show those who were born superior that I, a 'civilian' in their eyes, can also trample them underfoot. This is my reason! Is that clear enough, you Demon Fox brat?"

Mizuki finished his last words almost roaring, his chest heaving violently. It was an expression of long-suppressed frustration finally exploding, mixed with jealousy, resentment, and despair.

Naruto watched Mizuki in silence, his sapphire-like eyes revealing a complex contemplation.

Mizuki's words were like a key, unlocking a lock that Naruto had repeatedly gone through in his cycles of Reincarnation without ever carefully examining.

The plight of civilian ninja, the narrow path to advancement, the natural advantages of family and bloodline... these were not things Naruto was entirely unaware of.

But they had been overlooked in his countless actions focused on how to break the cycle of Reincarnation.

Naruto felt as though he had touched upon the key to breaking the cycle of Reincarnation, but it was fleeting, vague.

Konoha, and indeed the entire ninja world, seemed to be enveloped by an invisible net woven from bloodlines and families.

It was as difficult as climbing to heaven for civilian ninja to make a name for themselves.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from behind Naruto and Mizuki.

Iruka arrived, guided by one of Naruto's Shadow Clones.

When he saw Mizuki subdued on the ground, his expression frantic, Iruka's face was filled with shock and disbelief.

"Naruto, this... what you said earlier, it was all true?"

Iruka's voice trembled slightly.

On the way, Naruto's Shadow Clone had told Iruka that he could actually use the Clone Technique.

He had merely discovered Mizuki's abnormality and intended to lure Mizuki into a trap by deliberately failing the exam to expose him. In reality, Naruto had long since mastered a high-level jutsu, the Shadow Clone.

Initially, Iruka harbored great doubt. Naruto, not yet graduated, could already use a B-rank Ninjutsu?

It was preposterous, but out of trust for Naruto, he had still come to this location.

Everything that had happened before his eyes confirmed that it was all true, leaving him no choice but to believe.

Mizuki had indeed been secretly manipulating Naruto, and Naruto had indeed mastered the Clone Technique with physical presence. His skill level was already sufficient for graduation.

Seeing Iruka's expression, Mizuki sneered, his tone full of mockery. "Iruka... you've come too? It seems I've been completely outmaneuvered by this Demon Fox brat. Quite a trick."

"Why, Mizuki?" Iruka asked, his heart aching, trying to find a trace of the familiar friend on his face. "Why did you do this?"

"Hmph, annoying, you're asking me that again? Our so-called friendship back then was just an act, are you still planning to stage a dramatic farewell scene?"

Mizuki turned his head away, unwilling to look at Iruka any longer, his voice filled with resentment.

Iruka was stunned, unable to believe it.

"Yes, your parents were heroes who sacrificed their lives protecting the village, and you suffered greatly. You have my sympathy."

"But so what? Because of your 'tragedy,' you received extra attention and care from the Third Hokage. Do you know how jealous I was back then?"

Mizuki's voice was even more agitated than before, as if he were pouring out years of pent-up dissatisfaction. "For civilian ninja like us, with no background and no talent, how difficult is it to get the attention of the Konoha higher-ups? When I approached you and comforted you, it wasn't because I genuinely considered you a friend! I just wanted to use you to attract the Hokage's attention! I just wanted to climb up, what did I do wrong?!"

"But even so, later... we were so close..." Iruka tried to argue, his voice weak.

"Don't be foolish, it was all an act!"

Mizuki interrupted him directly, coldly stating, "However, I later realized that path was completely unworkable! No matter how hard I tried, how well I performed, I could never compare to the children of those great clans!"

In his childhood, Mizuki had indeed naively believed that as long as he worked hard enough, acted friendly enough, and gained the Hokage's attention, he could rise through the ranks. But reality had slapped him in the face.

The path to promotion was difficult. Those geniuses, those clan children, firmly held the top spots.

They left no room for civilians like Mizuki to rise.

Thus, Mizuki could only set his sights on defecting to Orochimaru.

Iruka stood frozen, his face pale, as if his entire world was collapsing before his eyes.

The friendship he had believed in for years was now revealed to be entirely false?

Naruto watched it all silently. He had already obtained the information he wanted.

At the same time, he vaguely felt that he should have discovered the truth behind why he had been trapped in Reincarnation.

But he also felt like he was just one step away from the finish line.

However, on the whole, the hidden details were already known.

Before Iruka could recover from the immense shock, Naruto raised his hand and delivered a precise chop to Mizuki's neck, cutting him down cleanly.

With a muffled grunt from Mizuki, he completely lost consciousness.

The forest suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of the evening breeze rustling through the leaves.

Naruto looked at the still distraught Iruka and said, "Iruka-sensei, leave the rest to the Anbu."