Chapter 8: The Monsters We Choose
The sudden, decisive ring of deflected kunai hung in the air. Iruka, pain etched deep into his face, stared at the back of the boy who had just moved faster than he'd ever seen him move. The wounded teacher's mind, fogged with agony and adrenaline, struggled to process the scene. "Naruto... you..."
Naruto half-turned his head, the moonlight catching the curve of his smile. It wasn't the wide, sun-bright grin of his public facade, but something softer, more profound, touched with gratitude and a quiet, fierce resolve. "I'm alright, Iruka-sensei. Thank you." He paused, his gaze flicking back to the snarling Mizuki. "Even monsters can have precious people to protect."
Mizuki's sneer returned, masking a sliver of unease at the boy's changed bearing. "Sentimental drivel! Multiple Shadow Clones? A parlor trick! Do you think a few copies will save you?"
Naruto didn't answer with words. His hands flashed through a rapid, abbreviated sequence—Ram, Boar, Tiger, Dog—a focused, lesser version of the full technique. Poof! Poof! Poof! Around him, two dozen solid clones materialized.
"On!" Naruto commanded.
The clones surged forward in a coordinated wave. Mizuki, a seasoned chunin, met them with contemptuous efficiency. His movements were a blur of strikes and kicks, each one dispersing a clone into a puff of white smoke. Bam! Poof! Thud! Poof! In seconds, the clearing was half-empty again, littered with fading smoke.
"Hahaha!" Mizuki laughed, chest heaving slightly but triumph in his eyes. "Is that all, Uzumaki Naruto? A forbidden technique in the hands of a schoolboy is just a more impressive firework! You cannot defeat a real ninja!"
"Naruto, run!" Iruka gasped, using the last of his strength to wrench the giant shuriken from his own back with a sickening wet sound. He brandished it, blood streaming down his arm. "I'll hold him! I will never forgive anyone who uses my student like this!"
"Fool! You can barely stand!" Mizuki batted the wobbly shuriken strike aside with his kunai, sending the weapon clattering into the brush. He raised his hand for a finishing blow.
"Mr. Iruka." Naruto's voice was calm, final. He stepped in front of the teacher once more, his back a firm, unyielding wall. "This is my fight. I will defeat him."
He brought his hands together. Not the abbreviated seal. The full, forbidden sequence he had memorized from the scroll. Ram, Boar, Tiger, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram again. He focused, not on the vast ocean behind the seal, but on the immense lake of his own chakra, drawing it forth in a torrent.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The sound was not a series of pops, but a continuous, rolling thunderclap of displacement. POOFOOFOOFOOF— The forest clearing, the surrounding trees, every inch of space was suddenly, impossibly, filled with orange and blond. Not dozens. Not hundreds. Thousands of Naruto Uzumaki stood shoulder-to-shoulder, perched on branches, lining the treetops, a sea of identical, determined faces all focused on one man. The sheer pressure of their collective presence was palpable, a silent, overwhelming wave.
Naruto's main body, at the center, felt a massive drain, a significant portion of his chakra siphoned away, but the foundation he'd built held. He grinned, a sharp, defiant expression. "How about this number? Is it enough for you, sensei?"
Mizuki's bravado evaporated. His eyes darted wildly, terror dawning as he was completely surrounded by an army. "Impossible! This chakra… you really are a monster!!"
In his panic, he failed to notice the single clone that had never joined the initial attack, the one that had melted into the shadows at the very beginning. It moved now, silent as a breath, appearing directly behind him. Its arms snaked around, one hand clamping over Mizuki's mouth, the other locking his weapon arm in a tight grapple.
"Wha—?!" Mizuki's muffled cry was cut off.
It was the signal. The sea of clones converged.
There was no elegant taijutsu exchange. It was a raw, overwhelming tide of bodies. A thousand fists, a thousand feet. Mizuki disappeared beneath a living, roiling mound of orange. His screams—of pain, of utter shock—were smothered by the sheer mass of his attackers, reduced to pathetic, gurgling whimpers. The sound of impacts was a sickening, rhythmic thudding that seemed to go on and on.
In the Hokage's office, the silence was profound. The crystal ball's image showed the terrifying, awe-inspiring spectacle of the clone army, then focused on the battered, unconscious form of Mizuki being bound by a handful of clones.
"What," the Third Hokage asked slowly, removing his pipe, "is your judgment now?"
The assembled ninjas exchanged glances. The initial condemnation had been replaced by awe, and now, thoughtful reassessment.
"He was manipulated, Lord Hokage," one jonin stated, his voice firm. "And he acted in defense of his teacher. His actions, while using a forbidden technique, were ultimately protective."
"The scale of that jutsu…" Kurenai Yuhi murmured, her red eyes wide. "And what he said… 'Even monsters have feelings.' He understands the weight of his existence in a way we didn't anticipate. His potential is… staggering."
"Kid's got guts and loyalty," Asuma Sarutobi added, lighting a cigarette of his own. "And he just took down a rogue chunin. I'd say he's earned his headband."
The Third allowed a genuine, tired smile to touch his eyes. The plan had worked, but the boy had written his own, more dramatic ending. "Then it is decided. Add Uzumaki Naruto to the graduation roster. He will be assigned to a genin team tomorrow."
The next morning, the classroom hummed with a nervous, excited energy. Today, they would meet their jonin sensei and become real genin teams.
Uchiha Sasuke sat in her usual front-row seat, a silent vortex of isolation. Her presence, as always, drew longing glances and hushed whispers from many of the boys, but none dared approach the icy, beautiful genius.
In a quieter corner, Hyuga Hinata fidgeted, her pale eyes constantly darting to the door. Her mind was a whirlwind of hope and worry. Naruto-kun… will he be here? He has to be…
When the familiar blond head finally appeared in the doorway, walking in with a calm, easy confidence, Hinata felt her heart leap into her throat. Pure, unadulterated joy flushed her cheeks. He was here!
"Huh? Naruto?" Shikamaru drawled from his slouched position, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing at the grouping? Did they make a mistake?"
Naruto tapped the gleaming Konoha forehead protector tied firmly across his brow. The metal plate shone under the classroom lights. "No mistake. I graduated, just like you. Took a bit of a… special exam."
Shikamaru's eyes lingered on the headband for a second before he sighed. "Troublesome. But, congratulations." He slumped back down, already anticipating the hassle of teamwork.
Naruto scanned the room. Most seats were filled. He spotted Hinata, but the seats around her were taken. The only visible empty space was the one next to the lone Uchiha in the front. Swallowing a slight sigh, he walked over and sat down.
Sasuke's eyes, which had been closed in feigned meditation, slid open a fraction. A dark, sidelong glance assessed him, taking in the forehead protector. No words were exchanged. A slight, almost imperceptible tension hummed in the space between them.
The classroom door opened again, admitting a burst of chatter. Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura walked in, their heads close together in conversation.
"Hey, look, it's Naruto," Sakura noted, her voice a stage whisper. "And he's wearing a headband? I thought he failed."
"He didn't even take the exam yesterday," Ino replied, equally puzzled. Her eyes swept the room. The only two adjacent seats left were, unfortunately, in the orbit of the intimidating Sasuke. With a shared, resigned shrug, the two girls moved to sit in the row behind Naruto and Sasuke, casting curious and slightly wary looks at the blond boy who had somehow graduated against all odds.
Iruka entered then, a thick clipboard in his hand, a proud, if tired, smile on his face. His gaze found Naruto, and he gave a small, firm nod. The classroom fell silent, every breath held.
"Alright, everyone," Iruka began, his voice ringing with official finality. "The moment has come. I will now announce the three-person genin teams. Listen carefully for your assignments. Your future starts now."