Chapter 8: I, Mizuki, Am Your Eternal Partner!Naruto leaned against the cold wall, closed his eyes, and began to organize his chaotic thoughts.The system... by establishing bonds, he could obtain rewards and strengthen himself.But where did this system come from? What was its purpose? And what exactly was a "high-dimensional existence"?He could only take it one step at a time.His own background...The Nine-Tailed's words needed verification. If what it said was true...Why did Konoha hide his identity?And then there was Sandaime Grandpa...Naruto recalled the extreme attitudes of the villagers toward him, which might hide underlying fear and displaced anger...This Village where he was born and raised had never given him the slightest warmth, only endless rejection and malice; the Uchiha trio was just a microcosm.Those gazes, those whispers, that cold treatment...Before, they were stings; now, they were more like dust on the icy shell over his heart—just brush them away, and they could no longer cause a stir.However, this didn't mean forgiveness or forgetting.Also, the commotion from the battle just now wasn't small... What would the reaction be? More surveillance? Restrictions? Or... other "arrangements"?Questions were like a tangled mess, but Naruto's heart was exceptionally calm.Perhaps after being stripped of a certain "filter," his perspective on the world had become more direct; perhaps the sudden gain of power brought confidence; or perhaps... deep inside, the true self that had been suppressed for too long was finally beginning to awaken.He didn't have the answers, but he had a direction.First, he needed a safe, undisturbed place to test and train his newly acquired power. The edge of the Forest of Death? Some remote training grounds outside the Village?Second, the "deal" with Kurama needed to continue.Finally... money.Buying food, necessary Ninja tools, and even potentially needed medicinal herbs or information all required money. The little bit of assets he had left had just been exhausted.He could no longer rely on the relief funds (which were meager and intermittent anyway); he had to find a way.Just as he was thinking about ways to generate income, he suddenly heard an extremely faint, but definitely unusual, "rustling" sound.It was the sound of fabric rubbing, coming from the hallway of his old apartment building.Are they here? Surveillance...Naruto maintained his posture of sitting against the wall as if he noticed nothing. He just let out a tired yawn, rubbed his stomach, then slowly stood up and began to clear the empty food boxes from the table with natural, casual movements."Knock, knock, knock—"A steady, unhurried knocking sounded.Naruto's gaze sharpened, thinking the Third Hokage had sent someone to "check on" him after the conflict during the day.He took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and pulled open the door—but was instantly stunned.Standing outside the door wasn't the expected Anbu, but the Ninja Academy's Chunin teacher, Mizuki.He was wearing a deep blue Ninja flak jacket, his brown hair was meticulously groomed, a warm smile was plastered on his face, and he was carrying a bulging grocery bag."Mizuki-sensei... What are you doing here?""Naruto, I heard about it."Mizuki's voice suddenly rose, filled with indignation. "They went too far! How could they lay a hand on a child!"He squeezed inside and naturally closed the door. "Look, I brought you Akimichi BBQ, Ichiraku Ramen's limited-edition chashu, and some three-colored dango..."As he spoke, he laid out the food on the low table, and the aroma instantly filled the small space.Naruto watched as Mizuki placed the food one by one onto his shabby little table, his expression shifting slightly.In a Village full of loathing and indifference, Mizuki was one of the very few adults who never spoke harshly to him and would occasionally smile at him...There are still good people in Konoha..."Mizuki-sensei... thank you."Naruto lowered his head and spoke in a muffled voice.Seeing Naruto look so "moved" that he was speechless, a trace of imperceptible smugness flashed in the depths of Mizuki's eyes.He patted Naruto's shoulder affectionately. "Don't be sad, child. Why don't you come out for a walk with me? The night is nice, and I... also want to talk to you about the things you've always wanted to know."He paused deliberately, his voice dropping low and full of temptation. "For example, your true identity.""Okay."Naruto agreed softly without the slightest hesitation, seemingly trusting this teacher who cared about him.Mizuki turned to walk toward the door, his shoulders shaking almost imperceptibly. With his back to Naruto, the "kind teacher" mask completely fell away, his mouth splitting into a greedy and sinister grin as he laughed silently."Hehe, the brat took the bait after all! The scroll of seals... will be mine soon! I have to hold it in, can't laugh out loud..."He didn't notice at all that after he turned around, Naruto slowly raised his head.The trace of emotion on his face had vanished without a trace, replaced by a coldness and sharpness that was completely inconsistent with his age.[Current contact: Mizuki][Favorability: -60]"Old geezer... your acting is pretty good."Naruto sneered inwardly, staring coldly at Mizuki's back as if examining a piece of trash about to be disposed of. "Let's see what 'good stuff' you can spit out first."Mizuki led Naruto to a remote training ground within the Village.The place was overgrown with weeds and littered with fallen logs, the moonlight cut into fragments by the dense canopy."Here, have a popsicle to cool off."Mizuki bought a popsicle and carefully broke off the larger half for Naruto, keeping only a small bite for himself. He crouched down to look Naruto in the eye, his smile warm enough to melt snow."Naruto,"Mizuki's voice was full of sympathy. "Do you know why the people in the Village look at you with those eyes?"Naruto took the popsicle but didn't eat it. He just held it in his hand and looked at him quietly."It's because 'that thing' is sealed inside you—the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!"Water droplets condensed on the surface of the popsicle and fell, creating dark spots on the soil.Mizuki lowered his voice. "Many years ago, it caused massive destruction in the Village, taking countless lives and loved ones... So, everyone took out that hatred on you, who are innocent."Naruto's fingers suddenly tightened. With a soft "crack," several clear finger marks were left on the wooden stick of the popsicle."But I think it's unfair!"Mizuki's tone suddenly became impassioned. He reached out to gently pat Naruto's shoulder, his eyes almost brimming with tears. "You are innocent! I've been watching you in secret, Naruto. I really want to help you!"[Current contact favorability: -62][Current contact favorability: -64]"I spent a lot of effort and finally uncovered a secret!"Mizuki leaned closer, his breath hitting Naruto's face, appearing extremely excited. "Your parents left you an important inheritance! Everything about your origins is recorded in the scroll of seals!""As long as you can get it, you'll know everything! It's right there in the Hokage Building!"Mizuki gripped Naruto's shoulders tightly, his voice full of allure. "Go get it, Naruto! I will help you decode the secrets within and help you take back everything that belongs to you! Remember, I am your most trustworthy friend and would never harm you!"
