The Fifth Chapter: Was He Cheated On?

When Naruto found his ninja way!

He started taking the initiative, ignoring the strange looks from everyone around him, and embarked on his journey into the underworld.

His targets: every shop that refused to sell him anything.

The end of Year 54.

Konoha.

In the forest, a gray rabbit sprinted away. Naruto chased after it, gripping a javelin.

He'd made quite a bit of money lately—tens of thousands of ryo, enough to live comfortably for a while.

But he just couldn't keep his hands to himself. He'd bought a set of tools specially made for carving, and his savings had vanished in an instant.

He wasn't exactly starving, but he still had to go out regularly to catch fish and hunt to make ends meet.

Most of the time, he caught fish.

Because hunting was a tall order for a little tyke who was only three years old.

Just like now, the rabbit was getting farther and farther away. It was about to disappear from sight.

Panicking, Naruto threw the javelin with all his might, not caring whether he hit it or not.

Whoosh!

A moment later, a scream came from deep in the forest, followed by an angry man's shout. "Damn it, which bastard just attacked me?"

Oh, crap. He'd hit someone.

Naruto shrank his neck and silently turned around. Just as he was about to run...

The man he'd accidentally injured had already charged over.

"Hey, kid. Was it you?"

The man wore a black mask, and a wound had opened at the Root of his thigh.

Holding the bloodied javelin, he stood in front of Naruto with a murderous look.

"Who are you?"

Naruto looked closely and noticed a little girl about his age on the man's back.

She looked familiar. If Naruto wasn't mistaken, she was Hinata Hyuga.

Naruto suddenly understood. "You Cloud Village ninjas are back in Konoha to kidnap little girls again."

First Kushina, and now Hinata. One was his mother, the other his destined wife.

Both were women close to Naruto. Damn it, did Cloud Village have a grudge against him or something?

That settled it...

If one day I become the Azure Emperor, I'll grind Cloud Village into the dirt.

Naruto silently made his vow.

The Cloud ninja was named Takayama. He was a member of the Cloud Village delegation that had come to Konoha for negotiations two days ago, and he was in the middle of a mission to kidnap a little girl.

The operation had been going smoothly.

Then disaster struck out of nowhere. A javelin came flying at him without warning, and he'd been caught off guard. It had nearly cost him his manhood.

Furious, Takayama charged over without a second thought.

Hearing Naruto identify him at a glance, Takayama grew even more vicious. He gave a sneer. "Kid, didn't your parents ever tell you it's dangerous to know too much?"

Naruto replied calmly, "My parents told me that men who kidnap little girls meet a bad end."

At that, two Anbu appeared and stood in front of Naruto.

The Anbu wearing an Ox Mask spoke in a low voice. "Moon, take Naruto away at once. I'll handle things here!"

The Anbu wearing a Dog Mask, Moon, nodded, picked Naruto up, and turned to run.

Feeling the softness against the Anbu's chest, Naruto realized she had to be a kunoichi.

And a very pretty one, too...

How did Naruto know she was pretty?

Of course he was just guessing.

Men were all like that. They liked to imagine that women whose faces they couldn't see were beautiful.

But a pretty kunoichi wasn't important right now.

What mattered was that Naruto didn't want to leave. He wanted to see a real ninja battle.

Naruto struggled. "We should stay and help."

"Hold still!"

What could a little kid like you do to help? You'd be lucky not to get in the way.

Moon kept running and tightened her arms around Naruto.

Lost in the springy softness, Naruto's head began to swim...

"The Anbu's mission is to keep you safe. We can't take even the slightest risk. Besides, our senior is powerful..."

Thud!

A figure flew through the air and crashed to the ground. It was the powerful Anbu senior.

The Anbu senior couldn't get back up. He could only remind her weakly, "Cough, cough... Moon, run! He's a Jonin."

Jonin were the elite fighting force of a ninja village, and there weren't many of them. Even Konoha couldn't afford to use a Jonin to protect Naruto.

Both Anbu were Chunin. If they couldn't beat a Jonin together, one of them alone would be as good as throwing their life away.

Takayama intercepted Moon as she fled. Looking at Naruto in her arms, he licked his lips and smiled smugly. "Looks like I've stumbled onto a big fish... Hand him over, and I'll spare your life."

Clang!

Moon's answer was to draw her sword. She set Naruto down, never taking her eyes off Takayama, and spoke to him sternly.

"Quick! Run toward the village. Don't look back. Someone will come rescue you."

"I..."

"Now!"

"...Understood."

Without any strength of his own, staying would be useless—and he'd only hold her back.

For the first time in his life, Naruto clearly understood how important strength was in the dangerous Ninja World.

Strength... I want strength, too.

As he ran, Naruto clenched his fists and thought.

"Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

A cool, clear female voice drifted faintly from behind him, followed by the clashing of metal.

A minute later, Naruto saw Takayama up ahead, in a sorry state and holding a bloodied kunai. He had no choice but to stop running.

Takayama grumbled, "Kid, who are you, anyway? Why would Konoha's Anbu risk their lives to stop me?"

Risk their lives?

Thinking of a possibility, Naruto's expression darkened.

"It doesn't matter if you won't tell me. I'll take you back and beat the answer out of you. Heh..."

As he spoke, Takayama advanced on Naruto step by step.

Naruto tried to stall. "Wait, I'll tell you."

Takayama wasn't having it. "No waiting. I've already wasted too much time. I'm taking you now. Surrender!"

You damn...

Naruto took a deep breath and backed away step by step, cursing Konoha's bunch of useless fools for taking so long to send help. Outwardly, he put on an angry face and said, "Are you Cloud Village ninjas trying to start a war?"

Huh, why did that sound so familiar...

Oh, right. That was something we Cloud ninjas often said to Konoha.

Takayama gave him a strange look. "You? Start a war?"

Naruto proudly puffed out his chest. "Of course. You know the Third Hokage, right? He calls me Grandpa."

"Kid, are you messing with me?"

"Sorry, I misspoke. I call the Third Hokage Grandpa."

"You're the Third Hokage's grandson?"

Takayama looked Naruto over: blond hair, blue eyes, and six distinctive whisker marks on his cheeks.

He thought it didn't add up. He'd met the Third Hokage, and the man didn't look like this.

Had the Third's son been cheated on? Or had the Third himself been cheated on...

"Whatever, I'll just grab them all first... Konoha's a bunch of cowards, anyway. Even if we Cloud ninjas kidnapped the Third Hokage's grandpa, Konoha would probably pretend nothing happened."

Thinking with such confidence, Takayama ignored Naruto's threats and reached out to grab him.