Mizuki, standing on the tree trunk, seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world, his loud, unrestrained laughter, the shuriken that quickly appeared in Mizuki's palm, and his murderous words, the terrifying smile that grew increasingly crazed and even somewhat twisted—in that moment, Mizuki made no effort to conceal the murderous intent in his eyes.
Metal glinted with a cold sheen.
A chilling aura spread through the air.
It made the moonlit night feel all the more ominous.
Mizuki's murderous intent was utterly undisguised, openly laid bare. Iruka met his gaze—and the blood-red glint in his eyes.
Iruka's heart turned colder still. His former friend was gone.
All that remained before him was a traitor to the village—Mizuki!!!
And his duty was to purge the rogue ninja right here! That was an obligation he had to fulfill as a Konoha Ninja!
That was not all.
The second half of Mizuki's words also put Iruka somewhat at ease.
It seemed Naruto had merely been deceived by Mizuki, not become his accomplice, and he hadn't chosen to leave the village out of resentment or anything like that.
That had been Iruka's suspicion from the beginning.
Now Mizuki had indirectly confirmed it. That alone was enough to reassure Iruka. Besides, from the look of things, Mizuki hadn't met up with Naruto yet. The situation hadn't reached its worst point,
so all Iruka had to do was take Mizuki down here, find Naruto, bring back the Scroll of Sealing, explain everything to Lord Hokage, and make Naruto apologize. Then the problem should be resolved perfectly.
That was what Iruka thought.
After all, the naive Iruka could never have imagined
that everything happening here was within the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen's—expectations. Most importantly, the legendary Copy Ninja was rushing over at that very moment—or perhaps already waiting nearby.
Of course,
Mizuki, who fancied himself a genius but was really just a fool, had no idea that every move he made was entirely under Konoha's control—and the Third Hokage's.
Right now, he was still happily dreaming of killing Iruka, finding Naruto, then killing Naruto and taking the Scroll of Sealing.
"Iruka! Go to hell!"
"Boom!"
A surge of power erupted.
A figure shot forward at incredible speed.
"Whoosh!"
He lunged ahead in a flash.
With a cold shout, Mizuki rushed straight at Iruka, his arm swinging in the same motion.
"Shing, shing, shing, shing, shing!"
The shuriken in his palm flew out in a rapid volley,
aimed straight at Iruka's vital points.
"Clang!"
A flash of cold light.
Iruka narrowed his eyes, quickly tracing the shuriken's paths. He flipped aside in a swift turn, dodging several, while rapidly swinging his Kunai to deflect the rest.
The next second,
before Iruka could even catch his breath,
Mizuki was already right in front of him. He grinned at Iruka, a savage smile spreading across his face, and a terrifying red gleam appeared in his eyes. With a reverse flick of his hand, a Kunai appeared in his palm.
A chilling aura.
Their figures crossed.
Mizuki charged in for the attack.
A cold metallic glint flashed in Iruka's eyes.
Iruka's pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively spun around and swung his arm up.
"Clang!"
In the darkness,
the two Kunai collided fiercely.
Sparks burst out in a sudden shower.
At first glance, they seemed evenly matched.
But a closer look told a different story.
Iruka's trembling arm made it clear that Mizuki was overpowering him head-on with sheer strength.
The heavy impact and the sliver of cold light flashing from the Kunai even sent a prickling chill through Iruka.
Was Mizuki really this strong?
Iruka struggled to withstand Mizuki's powerful assault, a flicker of shock appearing in his eyes.
As if he could read the meaning in Iruka's gaze, Mizuki licked his lips, his smile turning even more terrifying and vicious.
He leaned forward with all his weight, pouring more strength into the clash,
driving his Kunai ever closer to Iruka's cheek.
"Iruka! I'm not like you, you complacent failure. A peaceful life and those childish games at the Ninja Academy have made you completely useless, haven't they? You don't deserve to be called a ninja! Die right here!"
As soon as he finished speaking,
a fierce look crossed Mizuki's face. He twisted quickly to the side, turning his body with force, and swept his left leg at Iruka's lower body. After forcing Iruka back with his Kunai, he swung it in an arc, driving it straight toward Iruka's chest.
"Clang!"
A head-on assault.
A desperate response.
Iruka managed to block Mizuki's Kunai once more at the last possible instant,
but he couldn't stop the attack from the side.
At a lower angle,
Mizuki's left foot slammed into Iruka's abdomen.
In an instant,
Iruka felt the full force of the blow.
Pain seared through him.
Before he could react,
his body was sent flying backward.
"Thud!"
He crashed hard into the tree behind him. A muffled impact rang out, followed by a sharp pain in his back and a burning sensation in his abdomen.
Iruka grunted. His throat tightened, and he couldn't hold back the blood that sprayed from his mouth. The drops of crimson falling to the ground made him look even more battered.
"Haha! Feel the difference in our strength, Iruka? A Chunin? You're a joke! With skills like yours, you're not even as good as a Genin!"
Looking at the battered Iruka before him,
the mockery on Mizuki's face grew even more pronounced. He treated Iruka like a cat playing with a mouse and wasn't in the least bit impatient. Glancing down at the Kunai in his hand, he noticed a small notch in its edge and frowned. Then he flicked it aside with his right hand. With another turn of his wrist, a new Kunai appeared in his palm.
"Iruka-sensei!"
The battle between the two had unfolded in the blink of an eye.
Barely a few seconds had passed.
Naruto had already crept to a spot relatively close to them. He had intended to wait for an opportunity, but when he saw Mizuki completely overpowering Iruka and leaving him in such a sorry state, Naruto couldn't help feeling anxious.
Even so,
Naruto forced himself to stay calm and not act recklessly.
He edged a little closer,
hoping to find an opening.
A ninja, after all, was someone who lived on the edge of life and death. They concealed their presence and made themselves difficult to notice. In the darkness, they struck to kill with a single blow—and never wasted a second move. That was what it truly meant to be a ninja.