After Ino returned home, even the exquisite treats her mother had prepared tasted like nothing.
She sat by the window, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes as the scene after school played over and over in her mind.
What exactly did that guy Mizuki want with Naruto?
She clearly remembered her father mentioning that former Ninja Academy teacher at the dinner table.
Mizuki had long since been stripped of his right to teach students.
Apparently, during a mission, he had killed an injured teammate with his own hands to complete their objective.
That violation of the shinobi way had left his reputation in the village in tatters.
(Hatake Sakumo: Please enter text)
When Naruto had arrived at the training ground and she had told him about it, he had only smiled.
He was always like that, ridiculously kind to the people in the village.
"Only someone as good-tempered as Naruto would still call him his teacher."
Ino murmured to herself, picturing Naruto politely addressing him as "Teacher Mizuki."
That blond boy was always like that, always treating people with respect.
At that thought, Ino abruptly stood up.
She hurried toward the study, deciding to tell her father about this.
Someone like Mizuki suddenly approaching Naruto could not possibly be a good thing.
When she reached the study door, the conversation inside made Ino freeze on the spot.
"Lord Inoichi, Naruto Uzumaki has fled toward the eastern forest with the Scroll of Seals. Lord Hokage orders you to pursue and capture him immediately."
How could that be?
Ino covered her mouth and took half a step back in disbelief.
How could Naruto possibly do something like that?
Inside the study, Inoichi Yamanaka looked equally grave.
Naruto suddenly stealing the Scroll of Seals was suspicious enough, and the Third specifically sending an ANBU to deliver the order clearly meant he wanted to see where the Yamanaka Clan stood.
After all, Ino had grown far too close to Naruto over the years.
This could very well be a test, but why would the Third be testing him?
"Naruto isn't that kind of person! That bastard Mizuki must have tricked him!"
Ino shoved the study door open, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.
She stood in the doorway with both hands clenched into fists, her eyes full of determination.
"Enough, Ino. This is none of your business!"
Inoichi Yamanaka immediately rose and rebuked her, but his gaze remained fixed on the ANBU wearing a dog mask.
As the head of his clan, he had to make the safest possible choice amid this sudden upheaval.
"Understood."
Inoichi answered in a low voice, discreetly giving his daughter a meaningful look. "I'll leave immediately and capture him alive to hand over to Lord Third!"
He placed a little extra emphasis on "capture him alive," both to make his position clear to the ANBU and to reassure his anxious daughter.
Walking to the study door, Inoichi Yamanaka gently took his daughter's hand and bowed respectfully to the ANBU.
"I've spoiled my daughter. I hope you won't take offense."
The ANBU waved a hand casually, the voice beneath the mask betraying no emotion. "I'm only a messenger. I came here tonight solely to see Lord Inoichi and deliver Lord Hokage's orders. Please make haste, Lord Inoichi!"
"Of course!"
Inoichi Yamanaka took Ino's hand and hurried out of the house.
The night breeze was cool, and the moonlight stretched the father and daughter's shadows long.
As they rounded the first street corner, Inoichi suddenly lowered his voice and told his daughter, "Ino, hurry to the Nara Clan and find your Uncle Shikaku. Tell him exactly what just happened. I'll go stop Naruto first and tell him the truth about how he's been tricked."
With tears still brimming in her eyes, Ino looked up and saw the familiar calm and dependability on her father's face.
Inoichi gave his daughter a reassuring smile and gently patted her shoulder.
"Okay, I understand."
Ino nodded firmly and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
At the next fork in the road, father and daughter split up without another word.
Inoichi vanished among the rooftops in a few bounds, racing toward the forest outside the village, while Ino turned and ran toward the Nara Clan.
Whenever a major decision arose, the three Ino-Shika-Cho clans' "external brain" was always their most reliable guide.
The Hyuga Clan.
Hyuga Hiashi sat upright in the tea room and nodded calmly after hearing the orders delivered by the ANBU.
"Please tell Lord Third to rest assured. That boy will never escape the Byakugan's tracking.
I will bring both him and the sealing scroll back and hand them over to Lord Third."
"Please make haste, Lord Hiashi!"
The ANBU gave a slight nod, then vanished into the night with a flicker.
Hiding outside the sliding door, Hanabi clamped her hands over her mouth, terrified of making even the slightest sound.
She could hardly believe what she had just heard.
Big Brother Naruto had stolen something important from the village and left?
That meant...
He had gone rogue?
How could this happen?
How could Big Brother Naruto, who always wore such a warm smile, practiced shuriken throwing and sparred with her, and sometimes even performed amusing little tricks, suddenly do something like this?
Hanabi's heart abruptly began to race.
Right, my sister!
My sister was closest to Big Brother Naruto. She had to know something!
Lifting the hem of her clothes, she slipped quietly through the corridor and ran toward Hinata's room.
Meanwhile, Naruto, who was leafing through the Scroll of Seals in the forest, had no idea that his anticipated "cast" had quietly changed.
Iruka, who was supposed to make an appearance, had now been replaced by Inoichi and Hiashi, who would soon arrive.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage onto the unfurled scroll, revealing one startling technique name after another: Four Symbols Seal, Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, Impure World Reincarnation, Flying Thunder God Technique, Eight Gates Released Formation, Bringer-of-Darkness Technique...
"There's quite a lot in this Scroll of Seals!"
Naruto exclaimed softly.
When he saw the Eight Gates Released Formation, he could not help smiling knowingly.
He had already learned that technique from Teacher Guy and could now open up to the Gate of Limit.
But every one of the other forbidden jutsu was a move with either incredibly powerful mechanics or raw numbers.
"Everything in here is good stuff!"
He muttered to himself, his gaze lingering on "Impure World Reincarnation" for a moment.
He remembered some old Naruto fanfiction he had read in his previous life, where the protagonist deliberately killed himself to take advantage of Impure World Reincarnation's properties.
Now that he was seeing the complete version of the technique firsthand, he realized it was far more intricate and complex than he had imagined.
"As expected of Konoha's collection of forbidden jutsu..."
Naruto took a deep breath and began rapidly committing these precious techniques to memory.
After all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Who knew when he would next get access to the Scroll of Seals?
At the forest's edge, Inoichi Yamanaka locked onto Naruto's chakra with his masterful sensory ninjutsu, and an exceedingly "friendly" smile curled his lips-one with a distinctly explosive edge.
Brat, I finally have a chance to give you a proper "lesson."
He had already worked out the entire script in his head.
First, he would control this little blond brat with the Mind Body Disturbance Technique, make him walk over on his own, then give him a thorough dose of "tough love."
Once he had beaten some sense into the boy, he would question him carefully about why he had stolen the Scroll of Seals.
Over the years, Ino had mentioned the name "Naruto" at home more and more often, going from an occasional remark to barely managing three sentences without bringing up that blond brat.
Whenever he saw his daughter's eyes light up as she talked about Naruto, Inoichi Yamanaka felt a sour pang in his heart.
The tender little cabbage he had raised kept sidling up to a pig, and as her father, he was deeply unhappy about it.
Inoichi rubbed his hands together eagerly, sensing Naruto's chakra drawing ever closer as the smile on his face grew increasingly "kind."
He had wanted to give that little blond brat a beating for ages!