9: Chapter 9 Guidance! Amazing FactsHe turned around, his face bearing the familiar, reassuring kindness of Iruka, but deep in his eyes lay an undeniable gravity.
"Iruka," the Third Hokage's voice was deep and gentle, like aged tea, "about Naruto… I know it's difficult for you."
In my memory, Iruka seemed to have lowered his head slightly at that moment, and his fingers unconsciously curled up.
The three generations are telling the truth.
Every time Iruka sees Naruto, especially his signature mischievous smile, his heart feels like it's being squeezed by an invisible hand—
Behind that smile lay the blazing fire of the night the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village, the rubble and debris, and the last touch of the parents' cold, lifeless hands…
The monster that took his parents is now sealed inside this blond, blue-eyed child.
Just then, there was a rapid knocking on the door.
The door opened, revealing Iruka's puzzled face: "Mizuki?What happened so late?"
Mizuki felt the menacing gaze of the ANBU members in the distance behind him, and could only steel himself and speak in as heavy a tone as possible:
"Iruka!Something terrible has happened!Naruto.he stole the Scroll of Seals!"
"What?"
Iruka was instantly wide awake, his face turning deathly pale as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer."Naruto.how could he be?"
"It's absolutely true!" Mizuki spoke rapidly, "The Hokage has summoned everyone to search!We need to hurry."
Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of the shadowy figures behind him and they had already disappeared, seemingly confirming that the message had been delivered.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Mizuki immediately said, "Iruka!Go to the Hokage Building to assemble!I'll look for another place!"
After saying that, without waiting for Iruka to react, he turned around and hurriedly walked towards the training ground, almost fleeing in panic, praying in his heart that the Anbu would not follow him.
Fortunately, this time the Dark Division seemed to genuinely believe the mission was complete and did not pursue them.
Shui Mu breathed a slight sigh of relief, but dared not relax in the slightest.
Iruka knows Naruto too well; he might actually be able to find him!
Damn it, I never intended to notify him!
He immediately accelerated again, his figure transforming into a black shadow as he rushed towards the giant forest in the darkness!
Watching Mizuki's hasty disappearance, Iruka was extremely anxious!
He couldn't wait to get to the assembly point!He had to find Naruto immediately!Before things became completely irreversible, perhaps he could still plead for the poor child!
"Naruto.you idiot.where are you."
Iruka rushed out of the house anxiously and ran aimlessly through the quiet streets in search of something.
Just as he passed a secluded alleyway, the moonlight illuminated several crooked scratches on the wall, as if they had been carved out of stone:
"I am Naruto, and I am hiding in the Giant Wood Forest of Eye Number 3."
(I am Naruto Uzumaki, and I'll be waiting for you in the Giant Tree Forest of Training Ground 3.)
The handwriting was distorted like a ghost's scribbles, full of misspellings, and the strokes were of varying depths, full of a clumsy and reckless feel, but the meaning could still be barely discerned.
The ninja hiding in the shadows of the nearby rooftop looked at his "masterpiece" and nodded smugly behind his mask:
'This is absolutely flawless!It perfectly imitates that idiot's handwriting!'
However, Iruka, looking at the words below, blurted out, ".Naruto?He.he can write coded language?"
His face was filled with confusion and disbelief.
Anbu: "."
The smile beneath the mask froze instantly.
But Iruka hesitated for only a moment before a more anxious look appeared on his face:
"No!Now is not the time to dwell on this!Regardless of whether he wrote it or not, the Giant Forest at Training Ground No.3.I have to go and see!"
His concern for Naruto's safety overwhelmed all doubts.Without further hesitation, he turned and ran at full speed towards the training ground!
On the rooftop, the ANBU ninja watched Iruka's departing figure, a helpless sigh escaping from beneath his mask:
'.Never mind, results-oriented, task accomplished.'
————————
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Hiruzen Sarutobi's quiet courtyard was completely different from the previous solitude.
The moonlight was cut by several silent figures falling.
Several special Jonin who received emergency summons—Gekko Hayate, Yamashiro Aoba, Namiya Raido, Shiranui Genma, and others…
Standing before the Chunin, like javelins poised in the courtyard, their expressions solemn, they awaited the Hokage's command of a crucial mission concerning the safety of Konoha.
They wondered: Was the border in crisis?Or had they discovered Orochimaru's lair?
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with his back to them on the veranda, the embers of his pipe flickering in the darkness, creating a heavy atmosphere of impending storm.
He slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over these core members of Konoha beneath his Hokage hat, his voice low and serious:
"Ladies and gentlemen, a very serious incident has occurred tonight."
He paused, letting the heavy atmosphere build to its peak.
"The Book of Seals." Hiruzen's voice was tinged with grief, ".was stolen by Naruto Uzumaki."
"."
The air seemed to freeze for half a second.
The expressions of all the ninjas present instantly changed from solemn to extremely.fascinating.
Moonlight Gale covered his mouth and let out a suppressed, violent cough, as if an old wound had reopened.
Yamashiro Aoba pushed up his sunglasses, the moonlight reflected off the lenses obscuring the twitching corner of his eye.
Namiashi Raido and Shiranui Genma exchanged a knowing glance, both frantically trying to suppress their laughter.
There wasn't a single fool present.
The Book of Seals?
It was stolen by Naruto, that prankster loser?
Did they even manage to bring out the heavily guarded Hokage Building?
This is simply the biggest joke of the year.no, the biggest joke since the village was founded!
If it weren't for the Hokage's scheme, they would have killed him on the spot.I've eaten the late-night snack at home!
But on the surface, the act still had to be convincing.
"Wh.what?Naruto actually dares to."
Moonlight Gale was the first to react.After his cough subsided slightly, he immediately put on an incredulous "shocked" expression, his tone perfectly balanced—three parts anger and seven parts heartache at how insensible the child was.
"This is outrageous!" Yamashiro Aoba echoed in a deep voice, his tone filled with righteous indignation."We must retrieve it immediately!"
"Lord Hokage, please give the order!" Namiashi Raido and Shiranui Genma bowed simultaneously, their voices booming with eagerness to "volunteer for battle."
In a shadowy corner, Kakashi, leaning against a tree trunk with his arms crossed and a rare serious expression on his face, heard the name "Naruto Uzumaki".
The exposed dead fish eye instantly lost focus, and the lazy yet sharp aura emanating from the person vanished in an instant.
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