Chapter 15
"I have a Uchiha friend."
Naruto stated that he has a friend from the Uchiha Clan.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. It's getting late, after all. Good night to you…"
After Naruto finished speaking, he turned and walked away with a very arrogant gait.
"Hmph… Hmph…"
The Mask Shop Owner, his chest heaving and his eyes red with anger, could no longer hold back.
Overwhelmed by fury, he even forgot the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's prohibition.
"Demon Fox! Monster!"
He began to utter the words that all the villagers dared not say to Naruto's face.
However, Naruto remained silent, as if he hadn't heard anything at all, or perhaps didn't feel the words applied to him.
Naruto, who had his back to the owner, even raised his right hand to scratch the back of his head.
"You stop right there!"
He stepped forward, reaching out to grab Naruto.
However, Naruto's speed suddenly increased, causing him to miss.
The exasperated Mask Shop Owner didn't realize how Ninja-like Naruto's evasive reaction had just been.
And until this moment, Naruto seemingly didn't want to bother with him.
—He didn't even want to cause trouble.
"…"
The Nine-Tailed was also silent.
Looking at the increasingly dark and distorted sealing space, the Nine-Tailed knew… a certain end was approaching.
Everything was set to explode, just waiting for the last straw to break the camel's back.
However, Uzumaki Naruto was not the camel; the other party was.
As the ancients said: courting death.
"…Stop right there! You monster! I told you to listen to me—!"
The Mask Shop Owner didn't finish his sentence.
Because a streak, like a venomous snake, suddenly bit at his face.
Such speed, let alone for an ordinary person like him.
Even a Genin, or even a Chunin, might be completely unable to react.
Pfft!!
The venomous snake-like streak instantly pierced his skull.
Entering through the forehead and exiting through the back of the head.
Under the dim yellow light.
Naruto's shadow grew devil-like horns.
The shadow, whose size suddenly twisted and expanded by a circle, looked like a demon.
Especially, a "venomous snake" tail grew out from the shadow's back.
It was this tail that impaled the owner's head.
"~~~~."
The man, whose brain instantly suffered a fatal injury, began to convulse uncontrollably.
Not only was he unable to make a sound, but his eyes also began to roll wildly.
Thump.
The next second.
The injured man fell to the ground, then became a corpse within a few short seconds.
"…"
Naruto's shadow turned around, looking expressionlessly at the fallen man.
A Kunai was stuck in the deceased's forehead.
The Kunai pierced through the skull, making a full skewer.
The grotesque demon figure wriggled, its size returned to normal, the "demon horns" disappeared, and the tail also vanished.
Fumbling in his pocket, Naruto pulled out a match and looked at the shop, most of which was constructed from wood… Soon, a raging fire consumed everything.
Someone would surely discover the fire later.
But by the time the Uchiha Police Force personnel on night duty arrived.
Everything would have been burned to ashes.
The so-called 'dead men tell no tales'.
"…"
The Nine-Tailed watched all this in silence.
His first kill, so sharp and ruthless, a combination of strategy and strength in such a sequence that even it didn't know what to say.
While the man certainly brought it upon himself, Uzumaki Naruto's enticement… the Nine-Taileddidn't know that this move was called 'fishing'.
Soon, Naruto turned and slowly left the scene of the fire.
Not long after, the raging fire woke up other sleeping people. While putting out the fire, residents immediately contacted the night-shift Uchiha Police Force… Chapter Thirteen. Who is the murderer? In any case, it's not me, Uzumaki Naruto.
The late-night fire woke up many people.
Uchiha Fugaku, who had just fallen asleep, was roused by his subordinates.
He had no choice but to go to the Shopping Street.
In previous years, although fires occasionally occurred at night during winter, this case was clearly different.
It wasn't due to improper use of fire by residents, but very likely… arson!
"Dad…"
Sako, who was sleeping soundly next door, was woken up by her father's movements.
However, Sako was at an age where children grow quickly, so she soon fell back asleep.
Meanwhile, Itachi in another room quickly got up and went outside to the courtyard to investigate the situation.
The Clan members who rushed over had solemn expressions.
His father was talking to them about something, and then he was about to hurry outside.
Itachi thought for a moment; it had been many years since such a situation had occurred, as he recalled.
So, he quickly put on his jacket and followed his father out of the house.
"Itachi…"
Seeing Itachi follow her husband, Mikoto, who was standing at the doorway, blinked.
Itachi was currently a Genin.
Normally, one could only join the Police Force after becoming a Chunin.
Therefore, Itachi was currently not qualified to act with everyone else.
"Mother, just consider it early training…"
Itachi casually made an excuse.
The truth was that he was very concerned about the relationship between the Clan and the Village.
He had become increasingly perceptive, even somewhat sensitive, and began to pay attention to all sorts of matters.
No matter what, he hoped the Uchiha Clan would not go down an extreme path.
"Oh, and call Shisui as well…"
…A dozen minutes later.
The group, who had been moving quickly, arrived at the crime scene.
The Clan members on night duty stood with his father, and Itachi immediately looked at his close friend beside him.
"The situation looks very serious…"
Shisui gazed at the shop that was being put out.
A raging fire was burning.
The Ninja around, helping out, tried to extinguish the fire with Water Release Ninjutsu and nearby water sources.
Itachi stood to the side; without the authority of a Police Force enforcer, he could only observe for now.
And Shisui, due to the strong demands of other Ninja in the Village and popular sentiment, had not joined the Police Force.
So… it could also be said that Shisui was the only Uchiha Ninja, after the sacrificed Uchiha Obito, who "had been promoted to Chunin but had not joined the Police Force."
Shisui, who had excellent rapport, could serve as a bridge between the Clan and the Village, alleviating the negative reputation of the Uchiha Clan in the eyes of others.
Over the years, Shisui had worked hard to get along well with other companions in the Villageand had achieved excellent results.
Itachi calling Shisui along was also for this reason.
As good friends, both were very concerned about the Clan's position and situation in the Village.
And they vowed… to restore the Uchiha Clan's reputation to its rightful place.
"Everyone, please do not approach! The fire is very dangerous…!"
Shisui saw some onlookers still wanting to move forward and immediately spoke to stop them.
The crowded people were mostly there to watch the commotion.
After all, this is human nature.
The residents, being dispersed, could only spread out backward.
"…"
And among all the onlookers, Naruto's figure was naturally present.
Naruto watched this scene, expressionless.
Nine-Tailed, you ask me how I see it?
Of course, I see it while wearing a mask.
Naruto, who kills and strikes at the heart, wore the mask he had obtained from the Mask Shop Ownerearlier in the day on his cheek.
The raging fire illuminated the white mask, coloring it with a dazzling orange-red hue.
"Heh heh… Uzumaki Naruto, you truly are a demon!"
The Nine-Tailed's words at this moment carried a hint of injustice.
Logically, as a Tailed Beast that once wreaked havoc in Konoha and hated this Village, it should only be gloating over tonight's events.