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Seeing both of his daughters shielding Naruto, Hiashi's eyes widened in disbelief.
Huh? Uzumaki Naruto, damn you to hell!
Ahem, ahem…
Naruto coughed twice, rubbing his aching chest as he stood up. The old man really hadn't held back with that Vacuum Palm!
"Naruto-kun, are you alright?" Hinata quickly turned to support him, her eyes full of worry, the veins of her Byakugan still pulsing at her temples.
"I'm fine," Naruto gave a wry, reassuring smile. "It's all a misunderstanding; I was under the Third Lord's orders to arrest the traitor, Mizuki."
"Oh my, so it was just a mix-up!" Inoichi's face fell in visible disappointment. He sullenly relaxed his fingers, letting his half-formed Mind Body Disturbance seal dissolve. He hadn't even had a chance to "teach" the kid a lesson before the boy spilled the truth. Now, there was absolutely no excuse to strike.
"But why didn't you say so earlier, Naruto!" Inoichi deliberately raised his voice, shooting a pointed sidelong glance at Hiashi. "Blame the Clan Head for jumping the gun—he didn't give the youngster a single chance to explain."
Hiashi's face turned livid. Watching his two daughters still guarding Naruto, he felt his chest tighten even more. When he'd first arrived, he'd run into Inoichi, who'd been observing Naruto from the trees. The man hadn't said any of this! At the time, Inoichi had sworn he'd long been irritated by this blond brat and wanted to use the mission as an excuse to beat him up for fun. Now, he was wiping his hands clean of the whole thing.
"Dad!" Ino and Shikaku arrived at that moment. Ino took one look at the scene and immediately ran to her father's side, eyeing Hiashi with suspicion.
"Oh, Clan Head Hiashi is here too," Shikaku remarked, scratching his head and acting as if he'd only just noticed. A sly glint flickered in his eyes.
"Shikaku," Hiashi managed a stiff nod. He shot Inoichi a fierce glare, wordlessly demanding: With senses that sharp, why didn't you tell me my daughters were coming? Inoichi casually looked away, pretending to study the moon.
Naruto, observing the exchange, finally caught on. So this was another test from the Third. But he knew how to play this hand.
"Uncles, I'll take the Scroll of Seals and Mizuki to see Lord Third now."
Hearing Naruto refrain from exposing the specifics of the "play" in front of the children, both Hiashi and Inoichi breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Shikaku smoothly mediated: "In that case, I'll escort Naruto back to the Hokage Building. You two should take your daughters home; it's getting late."
On the way to the Hokage Building, Shikaku pondered a moment, then remarked as if off-hand: "Our Shikamaru's been in your care all these years at the Academy."
Naruto smiled. The dim streetlights gilded his blond hair. "Not at all. Honestly, they're the ones who've looked after me—they're some of the few friends I have."
That clean, warm smile made Shikaku momentarily lose himself. Through the boy's face, he seemed to see another golden-haired figure with an equally radiant grin.
"Shikamaru used to be terribly lazy," Shikaku's tone softened. "But after meeting you, he actually asked me to teach him our clan's secret arts—something I never expected. I figure you're the one who changed him."
What he didn't say aloud was how the Ino–Shika–Chō kids had stirred up trouble countless times defending Naruto. It wasn't just Kiba setting dogs on people—Shikaku, Chōza, and Inoichi had all been summoned to school because their children had punched classmates who mocked Naruto.
As for the victims, they never tried calling Naruto's parents. Everyone in the village knew the score. To summon Naruto's parents, you'd need Edo Tensei or a trip to the Pure Land.
Naruto was surprised. He'd assumed the families started teaching clan secrets automatically. He never thought Shikamaru had asked for it himself. That lazy cloud-watcher actually requested training? Naruto looked up at the stars, treasuring the weight of that bond.
At the Hokage Office, Shikaku tossed the half-dead Mizuki to the floor with a thud.
"Well done, Naruto." The Sandaime took a puff of his pipe. Though he'd watched through his crystal ball, seeing the boy safe eased his heart. "Your performance with the basic techniques still leaves much to be desired, but you've more than earned the rank of Genin."
The Sandaime smiled kindly, handing Naruto a forehead protector. "Go home and wait for your team assignment!"
"Thank you, Grandpa Third!" Naruto beamed, hopping with joy.
No one mentioned Naruto's peek at the scroll. It had become the Hokage's tacit approval. From now on, any forbidden jutsu Naruto used—like the Multiple Shadow Clone—could simply be chalked up to this night.
As Naruto bowed and stepped out, his gaze briefly swept the Hokage's wrinkled face. He knew the original story: it wouldn't be long before Orochimaru launched the Konoha Crush. The Sandaime, who had towered over the Ninja World for decades, would soon take his final bow.
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