His coy manner gave Chiba goosebumps.
"If you've got something to say, spit it out! Quit putting on an act!"
Chiba was blunt.
He really couldn't take this kind of behavior.
"Could you help me practice the Clone Technique?"
Chiba froze at those words.
Why had he suddenly come to me?
This wasn't how the story was supposed to go, was it?
"Hold it, hold it!"
Chiba held up a palm, signaling Naruto not to come so close. He wasn't interested in men.
"You want me to teach you ninjutsu?"
Naruto's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly.
Chiba stroked his chin, putting on a very mature air.
There seemed to be plenty of room to work with this!
Looking at Naruto's eager expression, he already had a plan in mind.
"Teaching you ninjutsu isn't out of the question."
Chiba kept him in suspense.
"Promise you'll help me with something in the future!"
Naruto Uzumaki nodded over and over, looking utterly guileless.
Such an innocent kid really filled Chiba with guilt.
But he quickly pushed that guilt aside.
The two went to a secluded corner of the school playground with plenty of open space.
Chiba surveyed their surroundings, then began his lesson.
His mastery of the three basic techniques had given him his own insights into techniques like the Clone Technique.
Teaching Naruto at his current level was a piece of cake for Chiba.
Half a day passed, and he had taught Naruto everything he needed to.
The rest was up to Naruto himself.
At the same time, Chiba sensed an extremely volatile and evil chakra inside Naruto.
Presumably, that was Kurama, the Nine-Tails.
"Practice on your own for now. I've got something to take care of."
With that, Chiba left.
Naruto continued practicing doggedly.
What he didn't notice was a figure approaching him.
Meanwhile, Chiba crouched on a branch nearby, watching Mizuki, who had suddenly appeared.
"I hope this works."
Night deepened!
The vast sky was filled with stars.
A crescent moon hung overhead, casting a faintly chilly glow.
A short figure sprinted along, excitement written all over his face.
His actions had also alerted Konoha's ninja.
Besides the Anbu observing from the shadows, there were many other ninja.
Naruto had no idea just how much his actions would affect Konoha.
All he knew was that if he wanted to get stronger, he had to learn the ninjutsu written on it.
Dashing into the woods, Naruto hid beneath a large tree, panting.
He set the Scroll of Seals on his back down on the ground and unrolled it completely.
The dizzying array of forbidden techniques on it nearly blinded him.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, Flying Thunder God Technique, Impure World Reincarnation..."
Before he could read much more, Iruka's voice came from behind him.
"Naruto!"
His shout interrupted Naruto's reading.
Naruto quickly rolled up the Scroll of Seals and tried to escape.
But Mizuki's sudden appearance blocked his path.
"Hand over the Scroll of Seals, Naruto!"
Quite a show was about to begin.
Chiba crouched on a branch not far away, munching on melon seeds as he watched with keen interest.
"Fight!"
Since arriving in the world of Naruto, he hadn't seen any of these so-called ninja fights.
This was an excellent opportunity.
Chiba wasn't worried about anyone discovering him.
A close look would reveal the golden-red markings around his eyes.
In Sage Mode, Chiba's sensory range far exceeded what anyone would normally consider possible.
At that moment, two Anbu crouched ahead and to Naruto's left, at his ten o'clock.
Three Anbu were positioned to Mizuki's right.
Their chakra fluctuations were extremely faint; they had maxed out their stealth skills.
The fight erupted!
Yet the battle wasn't going well at all. It was completely one-sided.
Whether in combat experience or sheer strength, Mizuki utterly outclassed Naruto Uzumaki.
Chiba assessed the situation and murmured:
"It's about time."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he sprang from his hiding place and charged straight toward the center of their fight.
"Naruto, get out of the way!"
His voice rang with profound urgency.
The anxiety on Chiba's face and the faint trickle of sweat conveyed his concern to perfection!
Naruto Uzumaki stared blankly at Chiba as he suddenly rushed out, shaken to his core.
Mizuki couldn't make sense of what was happening for a moment, but the Shuriken in his hand didn't hesitate.
Whoosh!
Thud!
The giant Shuriken plunged straight into Chiba's shoulder.
Bright red blood sprayed into the air.
Chiba had taken that fatal attack for Naruto Uzumaki!
"B-big brother Chiba..."
Naruto Uzumaki's voice trembled slightly. The sight before him had shaken him deeply.
He had never imagined that someone he barely knew would sacrifice so much for him!
Before you continue