Naruto, You're Taking the Blame for This

"That's it?"

Son Goten curled his lip, the terrifying brutality on his face vanishing without a trace.

He was once again the harmless-looking little boy next door.

"I didn't even need to transform. How boring."

He dusted nonexistent dirt off his clothes and turned to look behind him.

Naruto Uzumaki stood with his mouth wide open, his eyes as round as saucers.

"G-Goten?"

Naruto stammered his name.

Everything that had just happened was beyond his understanding.

Goten, who usually did nothing but steal his instant noodles and laze around, had actually taken out their Chunin teacher with a single punch?

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Son Goten walked up to Naruto and waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

Naruto instinctively shook his head.

"Good."

Son Goten bent down and picked up the enormous Scroll of Seals from the ground.

It felt heavy in his hands.

"This thing looks pretty sturdy. If only I could trade it for chashu."

He tossed the scroll up and down a couple of times, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

"I wonder if it's edible. If there's some spiced beef tucked inside, I'll forgive that guy with no eyebrows for interrupting my late-night snack."

Naruto swallowed.

"Um... Goten, Mizuki-sensei..."

"Shh."

Son Goten suddenly raised his index finger to his lips.

His ears twitched slightly.

Several extremely faint sounds of movement through the air were rapidly approaching.

"The cleanup crew's here."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Four dark figures dropped from the treetops, surrounding the two boys protectively.

They were Anbu Ninja wearing animal masks.

Then an old man in the Hokage's ceremonial robes slowly walked out.

Hiruzen Sarutobi.

With a pipe between his lips, he first swept his gaze over the unscathed Naruto and Goten, then fixed his eyes on the distant rock.

Even the Third Hokage, who had weathered countless storms, couldn't stop the corner of his eye from twitching twice.

This was far too gruesome.

Several Anbu quickly stepped forward to check Mizuki's condition.

"Lord Hokage."

An Anbu returned with the Body Flicker Technique, his voice somewhat strained.

"All his ribs are broken, multiple internal organs have ruptured, and his spine is damaged... He's still breathing, but I'm afraid he'll be bedridden for the rest of his life."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep pull on his pipe and exhaled a murky smoke ring.

Pure physical strength.

No residual chakra.

A single lethal strike.

He turned to Son Goten, who was fiddling with the Scroll of Seals with an innocent expression.

His gaze was appraising, with a sharp gleam he couldn't quite conceal.

"Goten."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tried his best to sound kind and gentle.

"What happened here?"

Son Goten blinked his big eyes and pointed at Naruto beside him, looking utterly bewildered.

"Grandpa Hokage, Naruto did all of this!"

"Huh?!"

Naruto nearly jumped.

"Goten, what nonsense are you-"

A small, pale, tender hand quietly reached behind Naruto and viciously pinched the soft flesh at his waist.

"Hiss-!"

Naruto sucked in a breath from the pain, tears springing to his eyes as he forcibly swallowed the rest of his words.

Son Goten spoke with an air of complete righteousness.

"That bad teacher was about to kill Naruto. Naruto got scared, and then, boom, he unleashed his power and sent that teacher flying! I was just a passerby watching the show. I don't know anything."

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the two little brats' clumsy performance.

He didn't expose them.

He had seen everything clearly through the crystal ball, yet this little brat was still pretending.

Still, since the boy wanted to hide his abilities, he might as well play along.

As long as his heart was with Konoha, the stronger he was, the better.

"So that's what happened."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with a smile.

"It seems Naruto unlocked his potential in a moment of crisis."

The faces beneath the surrounding Anbu's masks twitched.

Lord Hokage, are you serious?

That dead last could beat a Chunin into this state?

"Since everything's all right, come back with Grandpa."

Hiruzen Sarutobi reached out, intending to pat Goten's head as a gesture of affection.

Son Goten stepped back, dodging the heavily callused hand.

"Grandpa Hokage, I was traumatized."

Son Goten clutched his chest, looking weak and helpless.

"That bad teacher was so scary. My poor little heart is still pounding, and my stomach's growling with hunger."

He held out a hand, palm up.

"I want compensation for emotional distress."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand froze in midair.

This boy really did know how to take advantage of an opening.

"Ahem."

Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed twice to hide his embarrassment.

"What do you want, then?"

"Not much."

Son Goten held up five fingers.

"Five hundred free vouchers for Ichiraku Ramen's supreme deluxe ramen."

"Five hundred?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nearly bit through his pipe.

One bowl of Ichiraku Ramen's supreme deluxe ramen cost a thousand ryo. Five hundred vouchers meant five hundred thousand ryo!

Was that the kind of appetite a newly graduated Genin should have?

"No, no. That's too much."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hands repeatedly.

"The village's budget is tight, too..."

"Then four hundred and ninety-nine."

Son Goten wore an expression that said, "I've already made a huge concession."

"This is hush money, you know. Otherwise, I'll go around telling everyone that Konoha's teachers bully their students and even try to kill them to silence them."

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on.

Was this really that innocent child?

Why did he seem even harder to deal with than those old foxes?

"All right, all right."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly and took an envelope from inside his robes.

"This is a special authorization. From now on, when you eat at Ichiraku, charge the bill to the Hokage's office... But you're limited to thirty bowls a month!"

"Deal!"

Son Goten snatched the envelope, his fragile expression turning into a brilliant smile.

His expression changed so quickly that even the Anbu beside him stared in astonishment.

Just then, Iruka arrived at the scene, panting.

Seeing that Naruto was unharmed, the earnest man slumped straight to the ground, gasping for breath.

"All right, Iruka. Take them back."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a hand, signaling the Anbu to carry away the half-dead Mizuki.

He gave Son Goten a long look, then turned and left.

The power within this child had to be properly guided.

Quiet soon returned to the forest.

Iruka was lecturing Naruto off to the side, weeping bitterly as they played out a scene of deep affection between teacher and student.

Son Goten tucked the envelope inside his clothes, in an excellent mood.

Now Ayame won't have to worry about my stomach anymore.

He turned around but didn't follow Iruka. Instead, he raised his head toward an empty spot in the night sky.

That spot was precisely in the blind spot of the crystal ball's surveillance from the Hokage's office.

Son Goten grinned at the empty air, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"Hmph, old man. Next time you peek, I'll make you pay even more for your ticket."

With that, he clasped his hands behind his head and swaggered toward the village, whistling.

"Naruto! Stop crying! I'm treating you to ramen! I've got vouchers!"

"Really, Goten?! I want three extra eggs!"

"In your dreams. The eggs are mine. You get the broth."