Confrontation

The atmosphere on the field plummeted to freezing point in an instant.

Uzumaki Naruto frowned and asked, "Why?"

"Because you are special." Owl, who had previously received instructions via a summoning creature, stepped forward again. "Iruka Umino should have told you that the Nine-Tails is sealed within you. Therefore, you do not belong only to yourself; you are a precious strategic weapon of Konoha."

"Thus, in a situation where we cannot determine if a spy has done anything to you, we must do this as a precaution... This is also to protect you."

[Kill him!!]

As soon as Owl finished speaking, the Nine-Tails roared in Uzumaki Naruto's heart:

[Kill this bastard for me, brat!]

"The Jinchuriki's chakra is fluctuating!"

Three-Eyes, who had been silently sensing while forming hand seals, immediately sounded the alarm. Simultaneously, he and Falcon shifted their positions; they were not fleeing, but moving to either side of Uzumaki Naruto, forming a triangular formation with Owl at the front to surround him.

"What is the matter, Uzumaki Naruto?" Beneath his mask, Owl's gaze grew cold. "This is a direct order from the Hokage Advisory Council... Are you intending to defy it?"

The orders transmitted by the summoning creature appeared clearly in Owl's mind: ...As a precaution, seal the Jinchuriki... Verify the Jinchuriki's obedience... Escort him to Anbu the moment he returns to the village, record his testimony regarding today's events, and conduct a thorough investigation to see if any intelligence has been concealed...

"Heh."

Looking at the three Anbu surrounding him as if facing a great enemy, Uzumaki Naruto couldn't help but sneer.

So that's how it is, isn't it?

Konoha.

After he eliminated an enemy, the first thing they looked at him with was suspicion and vigilance, wasn't it?

He would never agree to such a demand.

He would never entrust his life to the hands of others.

He only believed in himself.

Uzumaki Naruto's eyes sank instantly, like the deathly still surface of the sea before a storm, with raging waves brewing beneath the calm.

"What if I don't agree?" Uzumaki Naruto asked slowly.

"Then we will use force against you."

Owl was not the least bit surprised by Uzumaki Naruto's answer; in fact, it was he who had reported the tendency of the Jinchuriki to slip out of control.

"I advise you not to resist." Owl stepped closer. "Attacking comrades from your own village... is not the same level of crime as leaving the village without authorization."

[...Go for it, brat.]

The Nine-Tails grinned in Uzumaki Naruto's heart, its voice filled with a long-absent ferocity.

Having spent this time with Uzumaki Naruto, it had almost forgotten the feeling of being called a "demon fox" and being treated as an "object" or a "weapon."

This long-forgotten sense of humiliation... instantly ignited its suppressed rage.

[I will help you... As long as you have my chakra, you are the strongest.] The Nine-Tails' tone was filled with irrepressible malice. [Even with the seal blocking us, they are still nothing but ants.]

"The chakra fluctuations in the Jinchuriki are becoming more violent!" Three-Eyes warned, his voice tinged with nervousness as he vaguely sensed a deep, malicious intent.

"Do not make a mistake." Without waiting for a reply, Owl stopped stalling and reached out, preparing to tear open a scroll.

At the same moment, Uzumaki Naruto lowered his center of gravity. Although he had previously anticipated that he might come into conflict with the village, he hadn't expected it to come so quickly and catch him so off guard. But if he backed down now, when they were already riding roughshod over him, he would truly be spineless.

If the break must come today... then let it be today!

Snap!

Suddenly, a hand clad in a black glove, like a cold iron pincer, slammed onto Owl's wrist.

Owl's movements froze instantly; the strength of the grip was so great that the muscles in his face twitched.

"What are you trying to do to my student?"

Kakashi's expression had never been so gloomy. His left eye glowed with a scarlet light, and three black tomoe slowly rotated, locking onto every vital point on Owl's body.

"Don't go too far."

At the same time, Might Guy appeared silently behind Three-Eyes as if by teleportation. He wrapped his arms around Three-Eyes from behind and easily pried apart the hands that had been forming seals.

"Naruto is my student, too." On Might Guy's usually optimistic and passionate face, there remained only a rock-like determination. "We are even co-authors of a paper... So, what are you trying to do to our Konoha's Blue-Gold Beast?"

"Owl! Three-Eyes!"

Falcon's expression changed drastically; he hadn't even seen Kakashi and Might Guy move!

However, at that moment, a palm gently pressed against his back.

"Sorry."

Hyuga Shinichi's tone was hesitant, but he still said:

"For now... you cannot move."

"Hyuga...!" Falcon caught a glimpse of the Caged Bird seal on Hyuga Shinichi's forehead that had not been covered. "Are you defying the Anbu directly under the Hokage?! Aren't you afraid that when we return, we will report this and have you punished by the main family?"

Seemingly triggered by something Falcon said, the hesitation in Hyuga Shinichi's eyes vanished, replaced by firm resolve. Veins bulged around his pale eyes, and his chakra surged.

"A person must value loyalty."

"It was Naruto who first showed no fear of the main branch... so naturally, we have no intention of backing down."

"If there is to be punishment, then let it come." Hyuga Isshin said in a deep voice, "We have knelt for too long; we must try to stand up at least once and taste what it feels like to hold our heads high."

"...?"

What on earth are you talking about?

Falcon was completely unable to understand what Hyuga Shinichi was saying. He had only asked him not to oppose the Anbu, so what was all this nonsense about loyalty, kneeling, and standing?

In truth, it wasn't just the three Anbu; even Kakashi, Might Guy, and Hyuga Shinichi were looking at each other with a sense of bewilderment.

Kakashi looked at Might Guy. Since when did Naruto become your student? And what is this "co-author" business? You can write academic papers? How have I not known about this for all these years?

Might Guy glanced at Hyuga Shinichi. Isn't this guy from the same clan as Neji? Why is he addressing Naruto as Lord Naruto? This attitude is a bit too polite, isn't it? What a good kid.

Shinichi, meanwhile, was secretly astonished. Lord Naruto is actually a disciple of both Lord Might Guy and Lord Kakashi at the same time... As expected of Lord Naruto!

Just like that, the three of them were each confused in their own way, yet they didn't show a hint of it on their faces, maintaining a cold and rigid posture as they confronted the Anbu surveillance team, looking as if they had a tacit understanding that everyone was there to support Naruto.

The scene fell into a stalemate instantly. Even the surrounding Medical Corps, members of the Inuzuka Clan, and the Anbu who had arrived later stopped what they were doing, looking at each other in dismay, not knowing what to do.

The air was thick with suffocating tension.

"Kakashi."

Owl spoke up. As a veteran of the Anbu, he said earnestly:

"You weren't like this before. You should be able to understand us; a Ninja must carry out their mission."

"I am no longer the person I was before." Kakashi didn't loosen his grip in the slightest. "That Kakashi died along with many others long ago, and besides..."

"The first apology should be the last. I already apologized yesterday, so that was the final one."

"As a teacher, if I failed to do things right in the past and still can't do them right in the future, then I would truly be unworthy of my master's teachings."

Hearing this, Naruto, who was standing behind Kakashi, widened his eyes slightly.

Is he actually using the Fourth Hokage to pressure us? Owl, misunderstanding Kakashi's intent, gritted his teeth in secret. He hadn't expected Kakashi to learn how to use status to suppress others; Kakashi used to be the one who disliked political maneuvering the most.

"Since you didn't do it right before, you should learn your lesson." Owl, somewhat provoked, said fiercely, "Have you forgotten about the Three-Tails incident?"

The words had barely left his mouth before Owl instinctively felt a pang of regret—but it was already too late.

Almost simultaneously, a terrifying killing intent like a tsunami instantly engulfed Owl. It felt as if a giant beast were licking his scalp; the hair all over his body stood on end, and his blood felt as if it were freezing.

The three tomoe in Kakashi's Sharingan slowly stopped spinning, pinning Owl in place. Owl suddenly had the illusion that if he breathed even a fraction too heavily, his throat would be slit.

And... was this also an illusion?

Why did Kakashi's Sharingan... look more and more like three scythes?

"Teacher Kakashi."

Suddenly, Naruto's voice broke the near-frozen atmosphere.

Kakashi turned his head in surprise, but Naruto looked away and continued:

"Teacher Might Guy, Shinichi."

"Let's go, back to Konoha."

Having provided everyone with a way out, Naruto ignored the surveillance team entirely and walked back toward the village, treating them as if they were air.

At this moment, the surveillance team truly dared not say anything more. Whether it was Might Guy's speed or the killing intent Kakashi had just displayed, both made them deeply understand why the prefix "[Elite]" was added to Elite Jonin.

It represented an absolute crushing of the strength of any Ninja below their rank... in other words, killing them would be as easy as killing chickens.

Although they figured Kakashi and Might Guy wouldn't actually lay a hand on them, the key was that these two were not only formidable in strength but also held extremely high status in the village, enough to be called the leaders among the Jonin.

Since they had already shown their stance of protecting Naruto at all costs, it was impossible for the three Anbu alone to shake their decision.

"..."

Watching Naruto walk away, Kakashi didn't say a word. He simply released Owl's wrist and walked past, bumping his shoulder.

The two had performed missions together in the past and had some level of friendship, but it was clear that such ties had come to an end today.

Looking at the bruised wrist and recalling the various ways the Jinchuriki had looked down on him all day, Owl suddenly shouted in frustration:

"I will definitely report what happened just now to the Hokage and the Council of Elders!"

"Who's farting?"

Naruto sniffed, looking utterly disgusted by the stench, and retorted without a second thought.

"It stinks to high heaven. I thought some dog was passing gas."