Chiba readily admitted defeat, set down the paint bucket in his hand, and waited for the Ninja to approach.
Seeing this, Naruto felt too embarrassed to abandon Chiba and obediently stood beside him.
As the first person willing to "do something big" with him, Chiba had earned quite a bit of Naruto's goodwill.
Or rather, Naruto was simply someone who trusted others easily.
A moment later, Iruka heard what had happened and hurried over.
He looked at the two brats before him with a mounting headache.
"Those are statues of all our past Hokage, symbols of Konoha's honor!"
Naruto Uzumaki muttered something at that, but his voice was too low to make out.
Chiba, meanwhile, pursed his lips toward the Ninjas nearby, signaling for Iruka to look at them.
Iruka instinctively looked in the direction Chiba indicated.
He found everyone staring blankly toward Hokage Rock.
His heart sank. Had these two brats written something outrageous on Hokage Rock as well?
He hurriedly turned toward Hokage Rock.
The statues of the Third and Fourth were covered in graffiti of every color, a garish jumble of paint.
Taken as a whole, it certainly looked like a childish prank.
The sight made Iruka's heart sink halfway.
But things were a little different around the First and Second.
Long passages had been written in black paint beside their statues.
"First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, God of Shinobi!"
"Lifetime achievements: ended the wars, subdued the tailed beasts, founded Konoha..."
Then he looked toward the Second.
"Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, Fastest in the Shinobi World!"
"Lifetime achievements: supported the First, safeguarded Konoha, mentored the next generation..."
Those two simple passages clearly laid out the lifetime achievements of the brothers, the First and Second.
Most importantly, the lettering was exceptionally beautiful, a pleasure to behold.
Iruka was the first to snap out of his daze.
As Naruto's teacher, he knew what his student was capable of.
At least, he knew the abilities Naruto had shown on the surface very well.
That handwriting alone was definitely beyond Naruto.
Which left only one possibility.
"Chiba, did you write this?"
Iruka asked kindly, his expression so different from before that he seemed like another person.
Seeing this, Naruto Uzumaki suddenly felt a sense of foreboding rise within him.
Chiba nodded and explained:
"Jiraiya told me plenty of stories about Konoha on the way here."
"All of this came from him!"
Jiraiya isn't here anyway. Pinning it on him is a safe bet.
As for the handwriting, that was a skill Chiba had brought over from his previous life.
Having practiced brush calligraphy for a long time, he had studied the art extensively.
"The handwriting is wonderful, but the location..."
Once Iruka took in what was written there, he no longer knew what to do.
"Uh, let's leave it to Lord Hokage!"
The people around him offered their suggestion.
Iruka nodded in wholehearted agreement.
As a devoted fan of the Third, he believed the Third could handle anything.
A little later, in the Hokage Office, Iruka stood quietly with Chiba and Naruto.
Naruto's expression, however, clearly showed his displeasure.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, his chin propped on his hands.
He had already learned exactly what had happened.
Jiraiya was also standing nearby, looking at the "evidence" on the desk.
The photographs were crystal clear, and the lettering in them was perfectly legible.
Jiraiya gave Chiba a surprised glance. He had never expected the boy to possess such a skill.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted his gaze from the photographs to Chiba and Naruto.
He was already very familiar with Naruto.
But this was his first time meeting Chiba.
Earlier, Jiraiya had even returned straight to Konoha because of this child.
That alone showed how important the boy was!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze made Naruto's scalp prickle.
He lowered his head, his eyes darting away uncontrollably.
Chiba, on the other hand, felt no fear at all.
He met Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze openly, his innocent eyes entirely clear.
After a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his gaze.
"The handwriting is good. Let it stay!"
"But since you've done something wrong, you must take responsibility."
The first part had allowed Iruka to breathe a sigh of relief.
But what followed sent his heart back into his throat.
As a proper Ninja instructor, he regarded every student as his own child.
And he held especially deep affection for Naruto.
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, then continued:
"Have Naruto clean all the graffiti off the last two statues."
"As for Chiba..."
Chiba was rather speechless.
Why can't these so-called big shots finish what they're saying in one go?
Who let them develop this habit of leaving every sentence hanging?
"Write the life stories of the last two up there as well!"
Chiba had yet to say anything in response.
"Thank you, Lord Third!"
Iruka had already accepted on his behalf.
Chiba had no complaints. It was only a matter of writing a few more words.
After the three left, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice sounded again in the Hokage Office.
"Jiraiya, is this the child you brought back from Mount Myōboku?"
Faced with his teacher's question, Jiraiya hesitated, then nodded.
He had not told him the whole truth.
It was not that he distrusted Hiruzen Sarutobi, but that he distrusted Konoha as it was now.
As a former member of Konoha's upper ranks, he had witnessed far too much darkness.
The Great Toad Sage had entrusted Chiba to him, and that meant he trusted him.
If he failed to take good care of Chiba, wouldn't he be betraying that trust?
"Chiba has real potential. I hope he can stay in Konoha."
Jiraiya looked Hiruzen Sarutobi straight in the eyes, seeking an affirmative answer.
Before you continue