"Ino, don't panic."
After hearing Ino explain what had happened, Shikaku gently pushed a teacup toward her, his voice as steady as ever.
"Naruto definitely hasn't deserted the village. He's a good kid."
Shikaku tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a gleam of wisdom flashing in his eyes.
"My guess is that after Mizuki approached him, Naruto went to see the Third first.
Didn't you say he arrived at the training ground much later than expected?
I think he used that time to report the matter to Lord Third."
Ino's eyes widened. She suddenly remembered that Naruto had indeed arrived at the training ground almost half an hour later than expected that day.
At the time, he had explained that Mizuki had kept him talking a little too long. Now that she thought about it...
"Right now, Naruto is probably using the Scroll of Seals as bait."
Shikaku gave a knowing smile, his fingertips tapping lightly on the shogi board as though he were working out how the entire game would unfold.
"But my dad..."
Still worried, Ino twisted the hem of her clothes.
"Your dad has probably figured it out too."
A mischievous gleam flashed in Shikaku's eyes.
"He's probably taking this opportunity to teach a lesson to the boy his daughter can't stop thinking about."
Ino's little face instantly flushed bright red, the blush reaching all the way to her ears.
She waved her hands frantically. "Uncle Shikaku! W-what are you talking about?"
"Hahahaha!"
Shikaku laughed heartily. Seeing the girl he had watched grow up looking so unusually embarrassed, he asked, "What? Did I hit the nail on the head?"
He deliberately leaned closer and lowered his voice to tease her. "Want your Aunt Yoshino to teach you a few tricks?"
"Uncle Shikaku!"
Ino stamped her feet in embarrassment, practically burying her entire face in her collar, but the faint upward curve of her lips betrayed her feelings.
Hinata's face went deathly pale after she heard Hanabi's words.
Without hesitation, she activated her Byakugan. Veins bulged at her temples as her vision instantly spread across the entire area.
After confirming that her father had left, she took Hanabi's hand and nimbly vaulted over the Hyuga Clan's high compound wall.
Hanabi followed close behind. This was the first time the sisters had ever climbed the wall to sneak out.
The night breeze brushed through their hair as their two small figures darted swiftly beneath the moonlight.
Naruto-kun, please be all right!
Hinata repeated the plea silently, her Byakugan filled with worry.
She knew very well how serious a crime stealing the Scroll of Seals was, and she understood even better what it meant for her father to take action himself.
She had to get there before her father found Naruto, if only to learn the truth about what had happened.
Hanabi followed closely behind her sister. Looking at Hinata's back, more resolute than she had ever seen it, she suddenly realized that her always gentle, shy sister could muster such courage for someone important to her.
"Well, well, Naruto. Looks like you managed to get the Scroll of Seals."
Mizuki slowly emerged from the shadows of the forest, his greedy gaze fixed firmly on the scroll in Naruto's hands.
To his annoyance, however, Naruto did not even look up. He remained completely absorbed in reading the scroll.
At that moment, Naruto truly had no attention to spare.
Through their mental link, he was reading alongside the Nine-Tails, using every second to memorize the precious forbidden jutsu.
Naruto might not be able to remember everything after reading it once, but the Nine-Tails could!
"Hey, I'm talking to you, Naruto!"
Mizuki's voice suddenly rose, and he could no longer conceal the greed and fury in his eyes.
Tightening his grip on his kunai, he advanced two steps.
Just then, the Nine-Tails' languid voice sounded in Naruto's mind. "All done, Naruto. I've memorized everything."
Only then did Naruto slowly raise his head. Seeing Mizuki, he broke into a brilliant, heartfelt smile.
That smile held the delight of a plan coming together.
Naruto gently closed the scroll, his voice as cheerful as though he were greeting an old friend.
"Thank you so much, Mizuki-sensei. The jutsu in here are really powerful!"
"Oh... hahaha! I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Mizuki barely managed to rein in his vicious expression and forced an awkward smile.
He stared fixedly at the scroll in Naruto's hands, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.
Then he extended his slightly trembling right hand, trying to keep his tone natural. "In that case, could you let me take a look too?"
"Of course, Mizuki-sensei."
Naruto's smile grew even brighter as he slowly held out the scroll. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even know something as amazing as the Scroll of Seals existed."
As the enormous scroll drew closer and closer, Mizuki's smile widened.
His fingertips had almost touched the edge of the scroll, and he was screaming inwardly, Finally... it's finally mine! Once I have this, I can...
In that split second, everything changed.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
A fierce blast of air tore toward him, striking Mizuki squarely in the chest. He spat blood as he was sent flying backward and slammed hard into a tree trunk.
Hyuga Hiashi and Inoichi Yamanaka emerged side by side from the shadows of the forest.
Inoichi's hands were forming hand seals. Clearly, he had already prepared the Mind Body Disturbance Technique.
"Uncle Hiashi? Uncle Inoichi?"
Holding the Scroll of Seals, Naruto looked utterly stunned.
He had been so absorbed in the Scroll of Seals that he had not sensed his surroundings at all.
This was completely different from how he had expected things to play out. Wasn't Iruka-sensei supposed to show up?
How had it ended up being these two instead?
"Kurama..."
"They don't mean you any harm... wait, now they do."
Seeing Naruto's astonished expression, Inoichi could not help chuckling. "What? Surprised?"
He glanced at Mizuki, who lay crumpled on the ground. "Leave this guy to us. As for you..."
He paused meaningfully. "We need to have a proper talk about you stealing the Scroll of Seals."
At Kurama's words, Naruto hurried to explain.
"Actually, I was acting on Lord Third's orders..."
"Inoichi, do it!"
Hiashi abruptly cut him off with a sharp shout, instantly assuming a Gentle Fist stance and charging forward.
His Byakugan gleamed coldly in the darkness, his palm strike aimed straight at Naruto.
Almost simultaneously, Inoichi's hands fluttered like butterflies. "Ninja Art: Mind Body Disturbance Technique!"
Naruto's vision blurred, and his consciousness faltered for an instant.
In that fleeting moment, Hiashi was already in front of him, landing a precise Gentle Fist strike on his chest.
Naruto let out a muffled grunt as he flew backward and slammed hard into the large tree behind him.
Inoichi was slightly startled. He had clearly sensed Naruto breaking free of the Mind Body Disturbance Technique's control before the palm strike landed.
That level of mental resistance hardly seemed possible for a twelve-year-old boy.
"Damn you, Mizuki! How dare you control Naruto!"
Hiashi shouted with righteous indignation. Turning around, he struck the unconscious Mizuki with another Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm before raising his right hand and approaching Naruto.
"Don't worry, Naruto! Your uncle will save you from this peril! Eight Trigrams..."
"Dad, stop!"
Two small figures suddenly darted out of the forest. Hinata and Hanabi spread their arms, firmly placing themselves in front of Naruto.