After leaving the dark little room, Yu floated into the air.
Levitation was one of the Ōtsutsuki's innate gifts. Yu had mastered it long ago; he simply hadn't shown it.
Finding flight too slow, Yu used Divine Movement Step: Second Stage, flashing repeatedly through the air!
He was utterly brazen!
Well... Konoha was already under curfew at this hour, and its patrol ninjas, along with the Anbu Ninja, were watching the Uchiha compound almost around the clock!
So there would hardly be anyone on the streets!
Unfortunately, just as Yu passed over an alley, a passing chunin happened to spot him!
Their eyes met. It was awkward beyond belief!
"Y-you, you... the Hyuga who ate lama [ramen] with the Demon Fox that day..."
The chunin had drunk quite a lot and was slurring his words, but he recognized Yu!
Bzz!
One of Yu's Byakugan eyes changed into a Sharingan, and he cast a hypnotic spell!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A few flashes, and he was gone!
In the alley, another drunken chunin approached, pulling up her trousers after relieving herself!
She was the squad captain. The two had once dueled over Xiaomei [see the ramen shop incident], but they had already made up.
Seeing her companion staring at the sky, she asked, "Hic~ What are you looking at?"
The chunin said, "Nothing. A seagull just flew past!"
The squad captain laughed. "A seagull? Why not a storm petrel? Hic~ Haha, let's go for another round!"
The chunin said, "Is that all right? Isn't Xiaomei still waiting for you at home?"
The squad captain said, "Don't bring up Xiaomei. Only after that night did I realize who I really loved!"
The chunin said, "Captain..."
The squad captain said, "Don't call me captain anymore. Our three-person squad... can never go back to the way it was!"
"Then... Liufeng."
"Hic~ Setsuna!"
"You're drunk..."
"So are you."
"Let's go to my place..."
Outside a small grove beneath the moonlight!
"This is what you wanted, right, Mizuki-sensei?"
Naruto propped the Scroll of Seals beside him and shouted at Mizuki ahead of him, "Take it, and let Yu and Sakura go, believe it!"
Mizuki asked cautiously, "No one spotted you, did they?"
Naruto said, "I don't know, but I didn't see anyone following me. Let them go already!"
Mizuki thought, Such an important place, and no one was guarding it? Would Konoha really make such a basic mistake? Tch, if I'd known, I'd have done it myself and saved myself the trouble of cleaning up afterward!
Konoha was locked in a standoff with the Uchiha, and all its available forces were on standby to respond to any sudden developments!
But to avoid causing panic, only the Konoha High Command and certain jonin knew about this. Someone at Mizuki's level had no access to such secrets!
"Forget it. As long as I get what I came for..."
Putting his doubts aside, Mizuki said in a low voice, "Naruto, leave it there. You, come forward!"
Worried about Yu and Sakura's safety, Naruto had no choice but to obey!
"Yes, that's right. Just like that. Come here, be good, and don't make any sudden moves..."
Speaking sinisterly, Mizuki unfastened the Fūma Shuriken on his back. Once Naruto entered his effective range, he suddenly gathered his strength!
"You damned Demon Fox! I don't know what sorcery you used to make me have those dreams every other night, but I won't be satisfied until I've killed you!"
Whoosh!!
The Fūma Shuriken flew toward Naruto with a fierce rush of wind!
Whoosh...!
At the critical instant, a figure shielded Naruto, taking the lethal blow with his spine!
Crack!!!
Bone broke, and blood poured out!
Before Naruto was Iruka's pain-stricken face. "Sorry I'm late, Naruto..."
Naruto called out in a trembling voice, "Iruka... sensei!!!"
Having already opened their hearts to each other, the two needed no more emotional words!
"Naruto, hurry, run! I'll hold him off!!!!"
"No! I can't leave you behind, Iruka-sensei!!!"
Mizuki said coldly, "Iruka, how did you end up here..."
Blood trickled from Iruka's mouth, and his heart ached. "Mizuki, I noticed the malice in your eyes at the Training Ground today, but I still refused to believe my friend could do something like this!!!"
"Ha, friend...?"
Mizuki approached with a wicked grin. "You're as stubbornly stupid as ever. Aren't friends there to be betrayed? You, all of you, everything in this village-you're all stepping stones for me to climb higher. Someone like you was always doomed to die young!!!"
With a savage grin, Mizuki raised his foot and stomped hard on the shuriken embedded in Iruka's back!!
Crunch...!
The shuriken's blade sank even deeper into Iruka!!!
"Aaagh...!!!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth!!
Thud!
"Naruto... hurry, run!!!"
Before collapsing, Iruka used the last of his strength to say, "Naruto, hurry... run!!"
Naruto's eyes widened in his bloodstained face, and his bloodstained hands shook violently!
"Ptoo!!"
After spitting on Iruka, Mizuki turned a cold gaze on Naruto.
"Seven years ago, you killed Iruka's parents. Now you've killed Iruka too. Naruto, all someone like you does by living is make other people miserable. All these years I've spent getting nowhere in Konoha must have been your fault too!!!"
Planting his foot on Iruka's lower back, Mizuki forcefully pulled out the shuriken... Blood welled from the wound in Iruka's back!
"You're the source of all this misery! I'll kill you, take the Scroll of Seals, and leave this village that's brought me nothing but frustration!!!"
Mizuki raised the bloodstained Fūma Shuriken and swung it at Naruto!
Boom...!!!!
Suddenly, a storm blasted him away!!!
Mizuki gasped in shock. "What...!??"
"Iruka-sensei!!!!"
Answering Naruto's furious roar, chakra seeped from the Eight Trigrams Seal and formed a crimson Fox Mantle!
Naruto bared sharp fangs, his pupils narrowed into vertical slits, and blurry lines filled with murderous intent covered his savage little face!!!
Scrape...!
The red claws covering his hands radiated heat as he crouched on the ground!
Bubble, bubble, bubble...!!
Tails... sprouted behind him!!
One, then two!!
Boom!!!
A storm of chakra ravaged the surroundings!
Even someone as slow as Mizuki realized what was happening in the face of this terrifying display!!
Terror instantly overtook his face. "Don't tell me that brat is using the Nine-Tailed Fox's power!!!!!!"
"Raaaaaaaaargh...!!"
Naruto roared at the sky, and a third tail emerged!!
Boom...!!!
His savage killing aura was powerful enough to bend the trees... Mizuki stood frozen in terror, forgetting even to move!
Only one thought remained in his mind: It's over. I'm dead!
The Nine-Tails' wicked laughter echoed in Naruto's mind. "Yes, that's it, Naruto! Surrender to hatred, and I will grant you the power to destroy everything!!!!!!"
Scrape!!!!
For the young Naruto... three tails were enough to make him lose his mind completely!
Scrape...! Naruto raised a Demon Fox-like hand formed from chakra and, without distinguishing friend from foe, slammed it toward the dying Iruka!!!
Boom...!!!
The palm struck, leaving a terrifying fox-claw-shaped crater in the ground!
But... Iruka was gone!
Whoosh! The Demon Fox's murderous eyes turned behind him!
With Iruka on his back, Yu stood atop the Scroll of Seals, calmly watching Naruto in his Demon Fox form!
Mizuki gaped in disbelief. "How is this possible...???"
Inside Naruto, the Nine-Tails' pupils contracted slightly. "There really is something fishy about you, brat...!!"
"I didn't expect to fight you this soon, Kurama..."
With a sigh, Yu closed his eyes.
"Well, it's been four years, and I haven't had a proper fight with anyone yet. With you as my opponent, it'll at least be worth testing my skills..."
Bzz!
When his eyes opened again, they had already changed into the Mangekyō Sharingan!
Crack~! Crack~! Crack~!
Dark silver buds of chakra bone sprouted around his body!
-Susanoo!
Before you continue