The air in the clearing felt electric, charged with the tension between Naruto Uzumaki, Iruka Umino, and Mizuki. The trees loomed like silent spectators, their leaves trembling in the wind. The night was thick with the scent of damp earth, sweat, and the faint coppery tang of Iruka's blood.
Naruto's hands clenched into tight fists. His mind still reeled from Mizuki's words—the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, the demon fox, the reason everyone in the village hated him. The world had tilted on its axis, shattering everything he thought he knew.
But then there was Iruka. Standing tall despite the gash on his shoulder, despite the pain twisting his features.
"Naruto isn't a monster. He's a shinobi of Konoha. And he's going to surpass both of us."
Those words wrapped around Naruto's heart, holding him steady as he sucked in a sharp breath.
Mizuki sneered, gripping his massive shuriken. "Touching. But words won't change what he is. He's a mistake. A beast in human form."
Naruto's jaw tightened. The confusion, the fear—it all burned away in an instant, replaced by a heat that surged through his veins. He wasn't a monster. He wasn't a failure.
He was Naruto Uzumaki.
Mizuki's grin twisted cruelly as he lifted his weapon, his eyes gleaming with malice. "It's pointless to fight me, Naruto. You're just a dumb kid who doesn't even know what he is."
Iruka tensed, his breath labored as he struggled to stay upright. "Naruto, run," he said, his voice hoarse but firm. "I'll hold him off."
Naruto shook his head fiercely. "No way. I'm done running."
Mizuki scoffed. "Then die like the monster you are!"
He lunged forward, hurling his giant shuriken straight at Naruto.
Naruto barely had time to react, his instincts screaming at him to move—but then his body acted on its own. He pushed off the ground, rolling to the side just as the shuriken embedded itself into the dirt where he had been standing a second ago.
Mizuki didn't hesitate. He was fast—too fast. Before Naruto could fully regain his footing, Mizuki was on him, swinging another blade in a deadly arc. Naruto barely managed to throw his arms up, bracing for impact—
CLANG.
The sound of metal against metal echoed through the clearing.
Naruto blinked. Iruka had moved. Despite his injuries, despite everything, he had thrown himself in front of Naruto, blocking Mizuki's attack with a kunai.
"You… will not… lay a hand on him," Iruka ground out, forcing Mizuki's blade back. His body trembled, but his resolve did not waver.
Mizuki growled in frustration. "Why are you protecting him?! He's the reason your parents are dead! He's the reason this village suffered! He should have never been born!"
Iruka's grip on his kunai tightened. "You don't know a damn thing, Mizuki."
Naruto's breath came in short, sharp bursts. His hands trembled, but it wasn't fear anymore. It was something else.
Something stronger.
Iruka turned his head slightly, his voice softer now. "Naruto… listen to me."
Naruto swallowed hard, his wide blue eyes locked onto Iruka's.
"I lost my parents that night, yes. I grew up alone. And for a long time, I was angry. I was lost. But then I became a teacher. I saw kids struggling, kids trying so hard to be something more.
"And you, Naruto—you were always trying harder than anyone else."
Naruto's vision blurred, but he refused to look away.
Iruka gave him a small, pained smile. "You remind me of myself. I see the way you fight for acknowledgment. The way you never give up, even when people treat you unfairly. You're not a monster. You never were."
Mizuki scoffed. "That's pathetic. You're seriously going to coddle this thing?"
Iruka's eyes flashed. "Naruto isn't a thing. He's my student. And I'm proud of him."
Something inside Naruto snapped. The emotions swelling in his chest turned into something powerful—something raw and unshakable.
Mizuki's words didn't matter anymore. The villagers' stares didn't matter anymore.
Naruto's hands curled into fists.
Iruka believed in him.
And that was enough.
Naruto took a deep breath, the air crackling around him as he stepped forward.
Mizuki smirked. "Oh? Finally ready to die?"
Naruto lifted his head, his lips curling into a confident grin. "No. I'm finally ready to kick your ass."
Mizuki's face twisted in anger. "You little—"
But before he could finish, Naruto formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A sudden explosion of smoke filled the clearing.
Mizuki stumbled back, his eyes widening as the smoke cleared—revealing not one, not two, but hundreds of Narutos standing in perfect formation.
Mizuki's breath hitched. "T-That's impossible! You couldn't even do a basic Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto grinned, his clones grinning with him. "Guess I just needed the right motivation."
Before Mizuki could react, the Narutos attacked.
They moved in perfect synchronization, fists flying as they swarmed Mizuki from every direction.
Mizuki screamed, trying to fend them off, but there were too many. Every time he struck one down, another took its place, landing punches, kicks, and perfectly timed jabs.
Naruto stood in the center of the chaos, watching Mizuki crumble under the sheer force of his clones. This was power—not just raw strength, but the power of belief, of knowing who he was.
Mizuki collapsed to the ground, bruised and battered, his breaths ragged.
Naruto stepped forward, looking down at him with an expression Mizuki had never seen before—absolute confidence.
"This is for calling me a monster," Naruto said.
Then, with one final punch, he knocked Mizuki out cold.
The clearing was silent except for Iruka's labored breathing. Naruto turned, his clones disappearing into smoke as he rushed over to his teacher.
"Iruka-sensei!" he cried, dropping to his knees beside him.
Iruka chuckled weakly. "Naruto… that was incredible."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning. "Yeah? Well, guess I had a good teacher."
Iruka's expression softened. "Yeah… you did."
Naruto felt something drop onto his lap. He looked down and saw Iruka's headband.
His breath caught in his throat. "Wait… does this mean—?"
Iruka nodded. "You pass."
For a moment, Naruto just stared at him, his hands trembling as he picked up the headband. Then, slowly, he tied it around his forehead, his heart swelling with something he had never felt before—true acknowledgment.
He was a ninja.
He was Naruto Uzumaki, Genin of Konoha.
As they walked back to the village, Naruto was practically bouncing with energy. "Man, I can't wait to tell Mom! She's gonna be so proud! She might even bake me a special Ramen Pizza or something!"
Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Ramen Pizza?"
Naruto grinned. "Trust me, it's a work in progress."
Iruka shook his head, smiling. "Well, whatever it is, you deserve it."
As Naruto beamed, the moonlight cast a soft glow over the village, signaling the start of a new chapter.
Tomorrow, he would return to the Academy.
And soon, he would meet his new team.
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