Because of what had happened with Aburame Torune, none of them dared to lower their guard completely.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura followed Kakashi at a cautious distance, eyes alert, bodies tense, every step measured. Even though Kakashi introduced himself as their team leader, trust was not something that could be rebuilt in a single sentence—not after a man wearing a teacher's face had nearly dragged them into Root's hands.
Kakashi noticed.
He did not comment, did not mock their wariness, nor did he attempt to reassure them with hollow words. Instead, he deliberately chose wide streets and public routes, places where villagers passed by, shinobi patrols could be seen in the distance, and the atmosphere of Konoha's daily life remained intact.
Only then did the three finally relax—just a little.
By the time they returned to the Ninja Academy, the sun had already begun to dip, casting long shadows across the familiar grounds.
Iruka was waiting.
The moment he saw them walk through the gates unharmed, the tension in his shoulders visibly drained away. He exhaled slowly, relief written plainly across his face.
After Kakashi explained the situation—briefly, selectively—the three students were questioned, checked for injuries, and finally dismissed from further scrutiny. Iruka's gaze lingered on Naruto longer than usual, but in the end, he said nothing more than a quiet reminder to be careful.
Only after all of that did Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura reluctantly accept Kakashi's claim.
He really was their team leader.
"Just because you've accepted me," Kakashi said lazily, reopening Young Naruto and flipping a page, "doesn't mean I've accepted you."
His tone was light, almost casual, but the words carried weight.
"You did well earlier," he continued, eyes still on the book, "not following a fake instructor into an unknown area. That judgment alone kept you alive."
He closed the book with a soft thump.
"But if you want to be led by me—and if you want to become real shinobi—you'll still need to pass my test."
Sakura frowned. "A test?"
She turned instinctively to Naruto and Sasuke, hoping to find the same confusion on their faces.
Sasuke, however, was staring at the floor, expression distant, clearly lost in his own thoughts.
Naruto was worse.
He stood there in silence, eyes unfocused, posture slack, as if his mind were somewhere far away. Every so often, regret flickered across his face, subtle but unmistakable.
The image of blood on the forest floor had not left him.
Left with no other choice, Sakura asked, "We already passed the graduation exam. Doesn't that mean we're officially Genin?"
Kakashi looked at her approvingly.
"That was the Academy's exam," he replied. "What I'm talking about is the real Genin test."
He raised a finger.
"If you fail, you go back. Same classroom. Same lessons. Same year."
A hint of mischief crept into his eye.
"And here's a free piece of information. Out of the twenty-seven graduates this year, only nine will actually be recognized as Genin."
Seventy percent.
The number landed heavily.
This time, even Naruto snapped back to attention, eyes widening slightly.
No one wanted to repeat the Academy.
"Tomorrow," Kakashi went on, "we'll conduct a mission called the Wilderness Survival Exercise."
He smiled beneath his mask.
"Your opponent will be me."
He paused, waiting for a reaction.
When none came, Kakashi clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"Looks like that incident earlier really left its mark."
He waved a hand. "We'll skip introductions. You already know each other well enough."
Turning away, he added one final instruction.
"Dismissed. Training ground tomorrow morning."
Then, as if remembering something important, he glanced back.
"Oh, and don't eat breakfast."
His eye curved slightly.
"Unless you enjoy vomiting."
With that, he vanished in a blur.
Naruto left immediately.
No shouting. No complaints. No boasting.
Just silence.
"Naruto…" Sakura called softly, but he didn't stop.
She watched him go, worry settling in her chest. Then she turned to Sasuke.
"Something's wrong with him," she said. "He's not acting like himself at all."
Sasuke had noticed too.
But unlike Sakura, he had a pretty good idea why.
His lips parted, as if he might explain—but then he stopped himself.
Instead, he said flatly, "Naruto is stronger than you think."
Sakura blinked.
"And instead of worrying about him," Sasuke continued, voice cold, "you should worry about yourself."
He glanced at her once, eyes sharp.
"At the level you've shown so far, you'd better think about how not to get eliminated."
The words cut deep.
Sasuke turned away without another glance, hands in his pockets, and leapt onto the roof opposite the Academy, disappearing into the distance.
Sakura stood there in silence.
Truth, when spoken plainly, hurts far more than lies.
She swallowed, forced down the sting in her eyes, and walked home alone.
Naruto returned to an empty apartment.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thoughts churning. The room felt larger than usual—too quiet, too still.
After a while, irritation drove him up again. He opened the window, letting the cool night air spill in.
Moonlight poured across the desk, illuminating the thick manuscript stacked neatly there.
The novel.
The proof that everything over the past few days had really happened.
Lock.
The name surfaced naturally in his mind.
Ever since Lock had appeared, Naruto's life had changed.
Someone to talk to.
Someone who helped him earn money, who guided him, who stepped forward every time danger appeared—without hesitation, without fear.
Lock had protected him.
Helped him.
Even helped him get closer to Sakura.
And today, Naruto had cursed him. Screamed at him. Told him he hated him.
Naruto clenched his fists.
"I'm awful…" he muttered.
He really had been ungrateful.
But then the image returned—Torune's body, broken and lifeless on the forest floor.
The way Lock hadn't hesitated.
The way he hadn't listened.
That twisting feeling returned, tight and unpleasant. It wasn't exactly anger. It wasn't fear either.
It was something closer to panic.
Discomfort.
The feeling of losing control.
"Should I apologize…?" Naruto whispered.
Lock felt like an older brother—strong, overbearing, sometimes scary, but always there.
"But he killed someone," Naruto argued with himself. "And he did it after I told him not to."
What if next time…?
What if one day, someone he cared about stood where Torune had stood?
The thought made his chest tighten.
"If anyone should apologize," Naruto muttered, voice wavering, "it's him…"
He buried his face in his hands.
"And he hasn't said anything since. Not a word."
The silence hurt more than the argument.
[Trust and dependency shifted once more.]
Deep within Naruto's consciousness, Lock observed quietly.
He did not speak.
He did not explain.
That silence was deliberate.
Naruto had grown used to his presence—to guidance, protection, certainty. Taking that away, even briefly, created an absence that Naruto could not ignore.
The discomfort was doing its work.
Lock could feel the emotional currents clearly now: guilt, confusion, attachment, fear.
Not hatred.
Control was the real issue.
Naruto had panicked not because someone died, but because Lock had acted beyond his command.
Time passed.
The moon sank lower.
Finally, Naruto straightened.
He took a breath, steadying himself.
"Lock," he said quietly, sincerely. "I'm sorry."
He bowed his head slightly, even though no one could see him.
"I was wrong this afternoon. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I shouldn't have cursed you."
He paused, then continued.
"I'll work harder. I'll learn more jutsu. I'll get strong enough that you won't have to come out and fight for me all the time."
His voice softened.
"But… I won't shut you out either."
"I'll let you come out more. Talk more. Get some air."
The room remained silent.
But for the first time since the forest, Naruto felt a little less alone.
---
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