When Naruto finally came back to his senses, the council room was empty—save for the Hokage and his accompanying Jōnin. The heavy silence pressed down on him, making the air feel thick, and suffocating. He kept his gaze fixed on the polished wooden floor, unwilling to let them see the tears clinging to his lashes.
He sniffed sharply and wiped his face with the sleeve of his worn-out jacket. The lingering sting of his uncle's words echoed in his mind, but he shoved them down, burying them under the usual wall of indifference.
Suddenly, the scent of tobacco and fresh mint filled his nose, signaling the presence of the old man before Naruto even heard the soft thud of a chair being placed in front of him. A shadow cast over him, and despite the fear twisting in his gut, he remained still.
The Hokage groaned slightly as he lowered himself into the chair, the weight of his years evident in the movement.
"Naruto."
The warmth of a wrinkled hand settled gently on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry your uncle spoke to you that way." Hiruzen's voice was steady, but Naruto could hear the regret laced in it. "I had no idea the clan's animosity toward you had reached this point. Are you alright, young man?"
Naruto clenched his fists in his lap, willing his emotions into submission. He shook his head, pushing aside the intrusive thoughts, before meeting the old man's eyes.
"It's fine," Naruto said, forcing his voice to sound even. "This is nothing new. But..." He hesitated for a second. "It's the first time he's said those things to my face." A hollow chuckle escaped him. "Doesn't matter, though. I'm used to it."
He forced a grin, one he'd spent years perfecting. It was the same bright, carefree smile he always wore when pretending nothing could touch him. But he wasn't fooling anyone in the room.
Might Guy, usually a beacon of enthusiasm, wore an uncharacteristically somber expression. Kakashi, however, was as unreadable as ever—his single visible eye locked on the pages of his perverted book.
I swear, a woman could walk past him butt-naked, and he wouldn't even flinch, Naruto thought dryly.
Still, the warmth of the Hokage's hand lingered, grounding him.
"It's not fair to you, being treated this way for nothing," the old man said, giving Naruto's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Every person in this world has talent, no matter how small. Looking down on others for the sake of reputation speaks volumes about a person's character. Do not take your uncle's words to heart, Naruto."
The Hokage's gaze softened, his voice filled with quiet conviction.
"I have faith that when you enter the Academy, you will grow into a strong shinobi."
Naruto's chest tightened at the words. A younger, more naïve version of himself would have clung to them like a lifeline. But he wasn't that kid anymore. He wasn't stupid, no matter how many people thought otherwise.
And now, with the Mind Stone augmenting his intelligence, he could see it—see the old man's words for what they were. Encouragement, yes. But did the Hokage truly believe what he was saying?
Naruto doubted it.
He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "So," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "What did you want to talk about, Jiji?"
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair as well. His eyes, however, remained sharp and unreadable.
"Recently, we came across something... unusual. A scene that has left us baffled."
Naruto's brows furrowed slightly, but he stayed silent, waiting for the old man to continue.
"Last night, a severed arm was found in a clearing."
The words sent a shiver down Naruto's spine, but he didn't react outwardly. He kept his expression neutral, though his mind was already racing.
"The same clearing," the Hokage added, reaching into his robes, "where you left this behind."
From within his sleeve, he pulled out a familiar item—green goggles, scratched and worn from years of use.
Naruto's breath hitched.
Shit.
"Naruto, you need to play it off and find a plausible excuse for why you were there," Vision implored. "Don't deny you were there, but twist the truth. They can't know about the Infinity Stones until you've mastered them enough to protect yourself. Otherwise, they might experiment on you or try to forcibly remove them. The stones may have weakened, but if their power were to be fully unleashed, the entire village could be wiped out."
Outwardly, Naruto kept his expression neutral, but inside, he was freaking out. He didn't want that to happen. He didn't want to be locked away and dissected like some lab rat. He needed to act quickly.
He reached over and took the goggles from the Hokage's outstretched hand. "Oh... yeah, those are mine. I was training at Training Ground 9, and when I finished, I rushed to the river to wash up real quick. Must've taken my goggles off and left them there. Heh... guess I need to be more careful, huh?" He forced a sheepish chuckle, scratching the back of his neck as if embarrassed.
The Hokage's sharp eyes studied him, scrutinizing his every move. Naruto resisted the urge to fidget, instead fiddling absently with the goggles, playing the part of the oblivious, careless child they probably thought he was.
"Good work, Naruto," Vision praised. "The Hokage believes you but remains skeptical. Fortunately, with my interference, he hasn't picked up on the subtle tells that indicate lying."
The old man leaned forward, his tone casual but probing. "Naruto, did you happen to see anything unusual while you were at the river?"
Naruto blinked, tilting his head slightly, feigning curiosity. "Like what?"
"Fighting? A person skulking through the forest? Perhaps an injured individual... missing an arm?"
Naruto furrowed his brows, lips pressing into a confused frown. "No... I didn't see anything like that. And even if I had, wouldn't I have called a ninja if I found an injured person?"
The Hokage chuckled at that, ruffling Naruto's spiky blond hair in an affectionate gesture. "Of course you would. I'm glad to have such a law-abiding young man in the village."
Naruto grinned at the compliment, but the warm moment was quickly interrupted by Kakashi, who finally lifted his visible eye from his book.
"Why not just wash up at home?" he asked, his tone as lazy as ever, yet there was an edge beneath it. "And why did you stay out all night? When we interviewed your babysitter—"
Naruto's grin faltered, quickly twisting into a glare at the word "babysitter."
"She told us you didn't return home until just before noon, yesterday."
Naruto let out an awkward chuckle, rubbing his arm. "I... might've fallen asleep after swimming. Woke up in the morning and realized how late it was. As for why I didn't go home..." His smile dimmed, shifting into something more self-deprecating. "I didn't want to get yelled at for tracking mud into the house and looking like a hooligan while walking into the compound. They already think I'm a disgrace to the clan. I didn't want to make things worse..."
His shoulders slumped as he lowered his head slightly, letting just the right amount of defeated resignation slip into his voice.
The Hokage sighed, patting his shoulder again. "Don't worry, my boy. We understand." Naruto nearly flinched at the warmth in the old man's voice.
"The good news is that the Hokage believes you and doesn't suspect you'd betray his trust," Vision reassured him. "The bad news is that Kakashi Hatake doesn't believe you were entirely ignorant of what happened. He finds it unlikely that you slept so close to where a severed arm was discovered and noticed nothing. However, he has no proof to say otherwise. He will likely be watching us closely from now on."
Naruto's stomach twisted. Great. The last thing he needed was a paranoid Copy Ninja breathing down his neck.
✨🟣🔵🟢🟡🔴🟠✨
Naruto collapsed onto his futon, both mentally and emotionally drained. He hadn't anticipated the Hokage's sudden visit—or the uncomfortable line of questioning about the severed arm of Thanos lying in the middle of the clearing. It was a foolish mistake on his part. He should have burned it. Buried it. Done something. But now, thanks to his negligence, the damn Cyclops was breathing down his neck.
"I screwed up."
"Don't worry, Naruto," Vision reassured him, his voice calm as always. "As long as we don't draw attention to ourselves, they have no proof that you were lying."
A golden shimmer flickered in the dimly lit room as Vision materialized before Naruto. His form rippled like a mirage before solidifying, the faint glow of the Mind Stone pulsing gently on his forehead. His synthetic features were unnervingly smooth yet carried a depth of expression that made him feel almost human. His piercing eyes held a quiet wisdom, scanning Naruto with an almost parental concern.
A deep crimson hue coated his skin, offset by intricate silver plating that ran along the sides of his face and down his neck, giving him an air of quiet authority. Despite his artificial nature, there was a warmth in his presence that Naruto found oddly comforting. He wore a simple, dark, form-fitting top that blended seamlessly into his sleek, otherworldly frame. The subtle glow from the Mind Stone cast soft, flickering reflections on the walls, making the room feel smaller, more intimate.
Naruto's breath hitched. His body reacted on instinct, scrambling backward until his back hit the headboard with a dull thump. His wide blue eyes darted over Vision's towering form.
"Whoa! Is this what you actually look like?" Naruto asked, voice hushed in awe.
Vision's lips curled into an amused smile. "Affirmative."
Just as Naruto was about to ask another question, the sliding doors to his room suddenly flew open.
Namori strode in, balancing a tray of food with the ease of routine. But the moment her gaze locked onto Naruto, she froze.
The tray trembled in her hands. Her brows furrowed. Then her voice, sharp and demanding, cut through the tense air like a kunai.
"Naruto! What's the meaning of this?"
Naruto's stomach dropped.
Shit.
*** End of Chapter 6 ***