Nine-Tails Jinchuriki

But the Mysterious Man completely ignored Kakashi's demand. A soft chuckle came from beneath the mask as the figure glanced over Team 7 and spoke slowly, deliberately baiting someone out. "Still not coming out? If you don't show yourselves, I'll just take these three brats..."

"And kill them all."

The words had barely fallen!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Six figures flashed out of the shadows in the forest like phantoms. All wore Konoha Anbu uniforms and distinctive masks, their auras razor-sharp. One glance was enough to tell they were the elite of the elite.

The moment the six landed, they formed a defensive formation without the slightest hesitation, shielding Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura firmly in the middle as they stared warily at the Mysterious Man in the treetop.

The sudden turn of events sent an uproar through the entire Shinobi World watching the sky screen!

"Are those Konoha Anbu?!"

"Six elite Anbu, all at once? They've actually been following Team 7? Were they protecting them?"

"That doesn't make sense. Why would Anbu secretly escort a bunch of Genin? Could they be protecting Sasuke Uchiha? He's the sole survivor of the Uchiha, after all!"

"No way! No matter how special Sasuke is, he wouldn't warrant six top-tier Anbu guarding him personally. That's far too much!"

"Exactly! With a detail like that, plus Kakashi, they could get away unscathed even if one of the five villages' Kage showed up!"

Discussion swept through every nation. Everyone looked bewildered, unable to make sense of it, and speculation ran wild over the Anbu squad's true purpose.

Inside Konoha's Hokage office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sprang to his feet and slammed his pipe onto the desk. His face was livid, his eyes filled with panic and despair.

What he feared most was finally about to happen!

No one but the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, whose identity was kept absolutely secret, could warrant Konoha sending an Anbu detail of this caliber to provide covert protection!

Naruto's identity would soon be impossible to conceal!

On the sky screen, the Mysterious Man's laughter rang out again, laying bare the truth and confirming Hiruzen Sarutobi's fears.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Just what I'd expect of Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Such special treatment, with so many elite Anbu providing personal protection. Impressive. Truly impressive."

Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!

Those words struck like thunder, blasting the entire Shinobi World into dead silence!

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were utterly stunned. Panicked and at a loss, they looked at the Anbu protecting them, then turned toward Kakashi, completely unable to understand what those words meant.

Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?

What was that?

What did it have to do with them?

"Lord Kakashi, take the jinchūriki and retreat to Konoha immediately! We'll hold this person off. The jinchūriki's safety takes top priority!"

The lead Anbu spoke in a low, firm voice that brooked no argument, chakra already flaring around the operative in readiness for battle.

Kakashi's expression turned grave. Fully aware of how dangerous the situation was, he nodded firmly without a moment's hesitation. "I'll leave this to you!"

With that, he immediately turned and grabbed the three still-bewildered students, saying sharply, "Move! Get out of here now!"

Sensing Kakashi's urgency, the three instinctively followed him at a sprint. Their minds were full of confusion and panic, but they knew this was no time for questions.

Seeing Kakashi about to leave with them, the Mysterious Man made no attempt to stop them. Instead, a derisive laugh rang out, followed by words dripping with contempt and cruelty. "Stop you? You six think you're worth the effort?"

"But you're all expendable pawns, utterly loyal to the Konoha High Command. Killing you will serve as a small down payment on what Konoha owes!"

Before the words had even finished, the Mysterious Man moved, diving from the treetop like a phantom. Terrifying chakra erupted as he charged straight at the six Konoha Anbu!

The view on the sky screen stayed close to Kakashi and the three fleeing students as they raced through the forest. The fierce battle behind them was clearly audible, making hearts pound with dread.

As Naruto Uzumaki ran for his life, he couldn't help looking back. Confusion and guilt filled his face as he shouted to Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei, is it really okay for us to run away like this? Those people are still fighting!"

Sakura Haruno's face had gone pale, and Sasuke was frowning too. Clearly, they shared his doubts.

Kakashi's face was taut, his eyes grave. He answered in a low voice, unable to hide his helplessness. "We can't stay."

"My chakra is almost completely depleted. I can barely protect myself. If I stayed with you three, we'd only become a burden to the Anbu. We wouldn't help at all. We'd just throw our lives away."

"Our only choice right now is to retreat as quickly as possible!"

It wasn't as though he wanted to abandon the Anbu and flee, but reality left him no choice. He had to prioritize protecting his three students.

Above all, he had to ensure the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's safety.

That was his responsibility as a teacher and a Konoha Ninja.

Besides, apart from Sakura, both of his other students were more valuable than he was.

How could he possibly let them take that risk?

The sky screen's camera stayed fixed on Team 7's desperate retreat as Kakashi guarded the three panicked youths, racing through the dense forest.

Behind them, the thunderous clash between the Anbu and the Mysterious Man grew ever more deafening. Even from far away, the violent surges of chakra made hearts tremble.

Meanwhile, the words "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki" had already thrown the entire Shinobi World into an uproar.

Everyone's eyes were glued to Team 7 on the sky screen. Discussion swept through villages and streets like a tidal wave, impossible to quell.

"Which one is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?! Look at the three Kakashi is protecting!"

"It definitely isn't Sasuke Uchiha! Even if Konoha had gone mad, they wouldn't hand an ultimate weapon like the Nine-Tails to the Uchiha's sole surviving orphan after the clan's massacre. The high command would never let an Uchiha control a tailed beast!"

"Could it be that pink-haired girl? Her name's Sakura Haruno, right? She seemed pretty brave during the Land of Waves mission earlier. Maybe it could be her?"

Ninja and villagers from every nation argued endlessly, one guess following another. Before long, however, almost everyone abruptly realized the truth, their gazes locking onto the dazzling blond figure in the group.

"You idiots! Can't you see? It's that blond kid! His name's Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Uzumaki! Isn't that surname obvious enough? The Uzumaki Clan was famous for Sealing Jutsu and for serving as hosts to tailed beasts. There's only one clan like that in the whole Shinobi World!"

"Exactly! It has to be him! The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is definitely Naruto Uzumaki!"

Cries of certainty rang throughout the Shinobi World. The Uzumaki Clan's name was too distinctive, long since etched into everyone's awareness.

With the strong connection between the Nine-Tails and the Uzumaki, there was no need for further proof. Everyone instantly confirmed Naruto's identity.

Yet once they recognized him, what followed was even more disbelief and mockery.