Please enjoy the bonus scene I've added at the end of the chapter! 😊 

"We will now start the final exam. When your name is called, proceed into the testing room. The final test will be on the Clone Jutsu."

Almost like an automatic response, I look over and up at Naruto, who looks very tense. Two months ago, I began my first official class with the other students, along with my one-on-one sessions every other day with Iruka-sensei. The days in between were spent practicing his teachings when I got home. And, I was spent. Two months of nonstop training and practice left very little time for resting or enjoying my time in my new home. For a while, I barely saw Naruto. Sometimes he would visit me, and I would make something simple for us to eat together while we studied. He'd been having so much trouble with the Clone Jutsu, which is understandable. I only feel bad that I managed to pull it off within the two-month goal I'd set.

One thing I'd quickly learned about Naruto—he is a good procrastinator. There were times where all he wanted to do was goof around. I couldn't do that. I needed to reach my goal. I've learned a lot over the past two months. With these new skills and abilities under my belt, I have great confidence in myself over today's Genin Exam.

So far, studying Ninjutsu methods and techniques were my favourite. All the different types that work in harmony alongside the proper chakra output and the proper focus are incredible. Iruka-sensei only introduced to me a couple, such as the Transformation Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu, and even how to safely move around quickly using chakra to enhance ourselves. Jokingly, I'd also asked him if he could teach me the Sexy Jutsu. I-It was a risky joke, of course; I'd ended up having to do laps around the village again, but, oh, his reaction... I think Makara-sensei and Naruto would be proud of me.

I'd also learned that if you utilized it properly, chakra can make you run really fast! At the time, I'd thought about it long and hard. I got here by running through the trees in the forest, so I guess I'd already been using my chakra subconsciously.

Genjutsu is a very interesting concept. Just like the other students, I'd only been taught the ways to recognize a Genjutsu and how to break out of one, but never how to actually cast one...

"Hinata Hyūga!" is the first to be called. I glance up at her when she is about to walk past my desk, and I give her an encouraging smile before she can head into the examination room.

I'd met Hinata several weeks ago when Iruka-sensei had placed me in a group with her and two of the other students. She is incredibly shy, but also incredibly kind, which is why I'd taken such a liking to her. She helped me lots. I'd heard she came from a Noble Clan, but up until that point, I had no idea what a Noble Clan was.

She disappears through the testing room door.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" I sit up in my seat and watch as my friend pushes himself up from his own and starts walking confidently down the stairs and confidently into the testing room. Having looked over his shoulder just before entering and flashing me an equally confident smile and a thumbs' up, I can only pray that he does well.

The relationship that Naruto and I have formed over the past two months since we'd met has only grown stronger. All the nights that he and I and Iruka-sensei would go out for ramen had been filled with great fun and hilarious conversations, mostly ending in Naruto's relentless begging of Iruka-sensei to try on his headband. And every time, I'd laugh, because it'd only get funnier each time he did.

When the name "Ino Yamanaka" is called, I lift my head from my arms and watch the blonde girl skip into the testing room from the back-middle row.

My borderline dislike and irritation toward Ino hadn't budged a bit since the first day I'd seen her, which had been my first official day in the Academy. And whenever she and the other girls in the class fawned over Sasuke, for some reason, I'd only disliked her more. I could never understand why she and the others do what they do. Can't they see it makes him feel uncomfortable? Just watching makes me cringe; I couldn't possibly imagine that kind of attention on me.

"Kiba Inuzuka!"

"Let's do this, Akamaru!" Kiba cheers. In response, Akamaru yips from inside his sweater.

I'd met Kiba during lunch on my first day. Besides Naruto and Ichiraku Ramen, Akamaru just might've been one of my favourite things since I'd started coming here. I'd asked Kiba if it was okay in the beginning, so ever since I first met the two of them, I would bring Akamaru a treat. I think I may have conditioned him, because the one day I had run out and ended up coming to class without anything, Akamaru was sad the whole time. But Akamaru had been the first dog I'd ever seen. Of course, it was much too cold back in the mountains for many pets to live there...

"Sakura Haruno!"

Looking up again, I see the pink-haired girl stand, and momentarily glance down at Sasuke, her left-hand side desk partner.

So far, I have nothing against or for Sakura. She's a lot like most of the other girls in the class, except for the fact that she's the only one who gets to sit beside Sasuke. She definitely talks about that a lot... at least every day since I've arrived, I think. She's a little loud and somewhat aggressive... but she's very smart. I've found myself going to her for help for our practical schoolwork. If I pass today, it'll most definitely be because of Sakura.

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke is another person who's from a clan in the village— the Uchiha Clan. From the rumours that float around here, apparently, his older brother killed all of the other members in their clan and only spared Sasuke. Of course, it'd be natural for me to feel sorry for Sasuke, because I know first-hand how it feels to lose the people you love, but at the same time... he seems like the kind of person who might not care if I bother to or not. I don't want to upset him, either— I've seen a lot of people be sad in the few months I've lived in this place. Makara-sensei never cried. I did – a lot – but seeing someone else crying for the first time made me feel strange.

My first interaction with him had been when he asked me to a sparring match... that ended a little quickly... and ever since then he's been rather monosyllabic with me. Otherwise, we don't really speak...

Pushing himself out of his chair, he heads to the testing room, shutting the door behind him.

"Shikamaru Nara!"

Shikamaru's easily the smartest male in the class. He and Sakura often rival each other with their intellect. I met him the same day as Kiba. I've noticed over time that he has a phrase he says whenever something's bothering him or complicates things for him. So far, his record in a day has been seven times. He's very smart; I think Iruka-sensei has purposely paired us together on different occasions, to help me learn, and to motivate Shikamaru.

With his hands behind his head, he stalks over to the testing room and lazily throws open the door before shutting it behind him.

"Chōji Akimichi!"

Now, I only know Chōji from my first day, and the maybe one or two times we'd been placed together— he's very touchy when someone mentions his weight. Who are they to say anything about someone else? Just by doing that they just prove how much more flawed they are. Chōji is very kind and has good judgement in food. I'd never had barbeque chips, or anything barbeque-flavoured, before meeting him— they're delicious!

Pushing himself out of his chair at the front of the class, he walks into the examination room, armed with a handful of potato chips.

"Shino Aburame!"

I hear no sound of the legs of a chair sliding across the floor, so I have to look up on my own, to see Shino silently striding toward the testing room. He is easily one of the quietest people in the class. It's a nice change of pace from the louder people in the class. I don't know much about him, aside from that he comes from a clan, too; the Aburame Clan, whose Jutsu revolves around using insects. Honestly, I think it's very cool— as long as the bugs don't come near me...

"Kari Yamada!" The chair I'd been digging my nails into the past half hour as I waited for my name to be called is now full of marks. It doesn't help that both my nervousness and my chakra have been acting up; it all just made me feel sicker.

All the other students have already completed their test and were dismissed to wait for their results. At least I don't have to worry about being watched, as I'd done to everyone else.

Taking a large breath, I stand up and walk toward the testing room, where I rest my hand on the door frame for a minute before entering.

This is it, I think, finally going in and taking my place in the center of the room. This will determine whether or not I become a Shinobi. My eyes immediately lock on to the headbands that sit in front of Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei, one of the other instructors.

I... I can do this. All this hard work will pay off, right now.

I take my previously clasped in anxiety hands and press them together in the form of the Clone seal—the index fingers of both hands crossed against each other like a cross. I take one more breath before shutting my eyes in concentration.

I can do this! "Clone Jutsu!" A strong gust of cool air circles around me, and for a brief moment, I feel like I'm flying. My body feels light and floaty; I can't feel the floor beneath me. But then I open my eyes and the sensation returns, along with the examination room and Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. And, on either side of me, stands two more of me.

"I-I did it!" I breathe. My two clones are grinning, and all at the same time, we begin cheering together, jumping into the air in unison, overjoyed. "I was telling myself that I could do, b-but I really didn't think I could!"

"Well done, Kari!" Iruka-sensei says proudly from his seat. "It looks like all of those one-on-one lessons have really paid off!"

My next cheer comes out shrill and high-pitched, almost like a scream, and it surprises both he and Mizuki-sensei. I'm just so happy! I haven't been this happy in my entire life!

"Does... does that mean I can have out?" I ask, raising a shaking finger toward the table of headbands. They glance at each other before turning to me and nodding. I scream again, but quickly clap my hands over my mouth to try and stifle it. "Sorry!"

Rushing forward, I grab one with dark grey fabric, clutching it tightly to my chest.

"Thank you so much!!"

Everyone who'd taken the Genin Graduation Exam – both the written, which I'm almost positive I'd not done especially well on, and the physical – has congregated outside the Academy, joined by their families and friends, chatting with each other and celebrating their wins, and putting their headbands on for everyone to see.

I still haven't decided where I should put mine. I considered putting it on proper, as a headband, but my hair is a little finnicky for that, even if I put it in a ponytail. Putting it loose around my neck just seems silly, same with on top of my head...

"Oh, I know!" I place the plate behind me so I can tie the knot proper in front of me first. Pulling it tight, I twist it back around so the place rests around my waist. I instantly swell with pride.

I see Ino and Sakura amongst the crowd, loudly arguing with each other over who will become the most talented kunoichi between them. Somehow, I just know that Sasuke will be brought into the conversation, but by the looks of things, he's already long gone. Hinata stands nearby, watching them nervously.

Kiba is talking to Shino, who is speaking so quietly that I can't make out what he says. But then, Kiba laughs, holding his stomach. Akamaru barks from by his feet before pawing at his leg to go back up to him. Shikamaru is leaning against the wall of the Academy with his eyes closed, undoubtedly sleeping standing up. I frown, looking around worriedly, because the one person I'd been looking for, Naruto, hasn't made an appearance yet.

Everywhere I turn, I can't find a single sign of him— his spiky blond hair, his bright blue eyes, his green googles, or his orange jumpsuit.

"There, you see him?" Not meaning to eavesdrop, I turn around instinctively in case someone was talking to me. It'd come from one of the other graduates' mothers, talking to another mother. "It's that boy. I heard he's the only one who failed." The other mother scoffs.

"Well, it serves him right," she says, glaring over in direction of the other trees, where I finally find Naruto, sitting on a swing.

"Just imagine what would happen if he became a Ninja. I mean, he's the boy who—""Shh! We're not allowed to talk about that."

My arms crossed, I enter their conversation.

"Talk about what?" I ask, glaring up at them. Jumping, undoubtedly because they realized they'd been overheard, they turn around and direct their bitter expressions at me.

"It's none of your business, kid," the first mother says.

"When you're talking about my best friend, it is my business." I uncross my arms. "'Serves him right'?" I repeat. "If this is what parents are supposed to be like, I'm kind of glad I don't have any!"

Scoffing, somehow offended, they walk away. I'm shaking my head, disbelieving. How can adults say that about a kid? How can a mother be like that? But what did they mean? 'He's the boy who' what?

When I look back to the trees, ready to run to him, Naruto is already gone.

I spend the whole afternoon and evening searching for Naruto after the exam, and eventually, it turns into night. By the time I get my hands on the time, I learn it is nearly midnight. I haven't eaten lunch or dinner, either, but my anxiety has filled my gut up enough that I'm not even hungry. I'd only returned home for some water and a jacket, as it had gotten cold.

I've checked absolutely everywhere, but this village is so huge and full of thousands of people, I fear I won't be able to find him.

Oh, Naruto... where are you?

I stop in the middle of the street and bend over, trying to catch my breath. I'm so exhausted— partly from the search, partly from the mental strength I had to conjure up in order to finish that written exam earlier. I've always been terrible at things like math and studying. On top of this, we had to perform the Clone Jutsu for our physical, and all the anxiety I'd accumulated up until then completely wiped me out.

But I won't stop looking for Naruto.

In the same moment, several shadows pass over me. When I look up, I see that they belong to several men in green vests, two of which I recognize as Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. Curious, I start after them, making sure to keep a safe enough distance until they reach their destination, which turns out to be the Hokage Mansion rooftop, so they don't notice me running behind them.

As silently as possible, I scale the side of it at an angle, using the cracks in the building as footholds and boosters.

"... is not just a prank, Lord Hokage!" I hear someone yell. "This is a serious crime!" Carefully, I set myself on the edge of the building, silent as a mouse, to listen in, just slightly peering over the roof guard. At least thirteen people are there, including the Hokage, himself.

"That scroll contains secrets that were sealed by the First Hokage, secrets known only to our village!" yells another.

"If it falls into the wrong hands, they can destroy our entire way of life," a third points out.

"Alright," Lord Hokage takes a puff from his gourd. "Bring Naruto here at once!"

"Sir!" And they all disappear in the blink of an eye. I watch in awe as the dust clouds that formed at their feet linger for several moments, as does the Lord Hokage. When his eyes sweep across the rooftop, they momentarily stop right where I'm kneeling, before he begins to look around again.

"Kari, you can come up now."

The anxious sweat that'd been forming in my palms has me lose my grip, and I almost slip off the edge of the roof. How the heck does he know I'm here?!

"Y... Yes, sir," I say, and I pull myself up and over the guard, groaning when my body hits the ground with a thud. Lord Hokage chuckles at me, and when I look up at him, he sighs.

"It looks like you've learned much since you've arrived here," he says, sounding almost happy. He joins me where I'd just gotten up from. "Although, your stealth skills could use some work."

"I won't argue on either of those points, sir," I reply, leaning against the wall with him. "Iruka-sensei is a wonderful teacher."

"That, he is."

I'm... not sure whether or not I should ask him about what's going on. It seems like an important matter, but if Naruto really did steal this scroll, maybe I can talk to him about it. Before I can find the right words to say, Lord Hokage speaks again.

"Are you worried about Naruto?" he asks me. I touch the silver of my headband and nod.

"He's my first friend I made since I came to this village... my best friend. Naruto, he... I don't think he graduated today," I say quietly, unable to bring my voice back up above a whisper. "I couldn't talk to him about it, either."

"And why not?" he inquires.

"There were these moms at the Academy that were talking bad about him... I don't know if he heard them, but he left before I could go to him because I told them off, instead. I... I lost him. I've looked for him all day, sir." I'd expected him to say something, but when he doesn't immediately do so, I look up at him. His hat has cast a dark shadow on his face, so I can see the expression he might be making. "... Lord Hokage?"

"... Kari, I want you to go with them." I stare at him, my lips parted.

"W-Why?" I ask, confused as to why he'd send me, a fresh-cut piece of meat from the butchers, out like this.

"He's your best friend, isn't he?" he reminds me. I nod. "You should be the one to find him."

Still stunned, the look Lord Hokage gives me spooks me down to my sandals, giving me the juice needed to get me moving. Not sure I ever want to be on the receiving end of that look ever again, I take a running jump over the edge of the Hokage Mansion and land far down below on the next closest building roof, holding my breath until my feet touch down. I gasp.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to doing that."

The footsteps belonging to Iruka-sensei and the other men seem to lead in different directions. But they're not like physical footsteps— they actually seem to glow? Somehow... I can differentiate who's whose. And so, I follow Iruka-sensei's— he knows Naruto the best. They lead into the forest that lines the village, where the moon's light can no longer guide. I have to rely on the light of Iruka-sensei's footsteps if I want to find them.

Why... why was the Lord Hokage so adamant on me going after them? The fact that I'm barely not a student anymore should really mean a lot more for him to send me off on such an important mission. Is something else going on...?

As I run deeper into the forest, pushing off each branch with such force that the skinnier ones start snapping beneath me, I begin to hear voices from somewhere nearby.

"... believe it!" I gasp. Naruto!!

"He told me where to find the scroll and this... place..." There is a loud gasp that echoes through the trees toward me, followed by an even louder "Look out!" from Iruka-sensei. I pick up my pace, running as fast as I can to reach them. But it's getting so dark, and even the footprints are beginning to disappear, which leaves me with the only option of following their voices.

"I see you've found our little hideaway," says a voice. I run faster.

"So that's the way it is, huh?" Iruka-sensei says through his teeth, as if... in pain? "I should have known!" And faster. And that's when I come across a small house, where Iruka-sensei leans up against the one wall of it, clutching his arm. I duck behind a tree and clap a sweaty hand over my mouth to mask my heavy breathing. Naruto, who's only a few feet away from him, stares up into the trees in horror, where... where...

"M-Mizuki-sensei?" I whisper aloud.

I-It's difficult to make sense of what's happening. Why is this strange house here? Why are there kunai sticking out of Iruka-sensei? And why does Mizuki-sensei suddenly look so mean? What's happening?!

"Naruto!" Mizuki-sensei shouts down to him. "Give me the scroll, now!"

"W-Wait a minute!" he stammers back, looking between the two. "W-What's goin' on here?!" Iruka-sensei, panting heavily and struggling to stand, glances over at him.

"Naruto! Don't let Mizuki get the scroll! It contains forbidden Jutsu that could put this village in grave danger! Mizuki used you to get the scroll for himself, for his own power!"

Mizuki – no longer Mizuki-sensei in my eyes – chuckles at Naruto, who'd taken a wary stance.

What... what do I do? I have to help. I have to help, b-but I'm frozen. Ever since that night, I... I-I can't—

"Naruto, Iruka's just trying to scare you because he doesn't want you to have the scroll!" Naruto gasps and turns back to Iruka-sensei, who continues to glare at Mizuki.

"Stop lying!" he demands. "Don't let him trick you, Naruto!" Mizuki laughs again.

"Oh, I'll tell you who's really lying," he jeers.

"No, Mizuki!"

"They've been lying to you your whole life, Naruto," he continues, ignoring Iruka-sensei, "since the decree twelve years ago."

"What... decree?" he asks nervously, vocalizing my own curiousity.

"Everyone knows except you. Iruka's trying to hide it from you; even now, he'll do anything to shut me up."

"What is this decree? Why does everyone else know about it?" My palms begin to sweat again, as Mizuki's face twists into a conniving and triumphant sneer. Why won't he just say it? Why doesn't he just tell us this decree, already?!

"Don't tell him! It's forbidden!"

"The decree is... no one can tell you the Nine-Tailed Fox is inside you!"

By the looks on both Naruto's and Iruka-sensei's faces, this... Nine-Tailed Fox must be quite the big deal. But I don't understand the significance of the name. Just what is the Nine-Tailed Fox?

"The Fox Spirit that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your body. You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

My friend appears absolutely traumatized by this news, and Iruka-sensei looks beyond panicked.

"Stop it!" Iruka-sensei cries.

"They've all been sneaking around, hiding things from you your whole life," Mizuki growls. "Didn't you think it was strange how they treated you? Like dirt? Like they hated you for just being alive?"

"No..." The single tear I catch slip from the corner of Naruto's eyes has my entire body shaking with rage. This man, I think, grasping so hard at the tree I tear off a large piece of its bark. How... How dare he!!

"No," Naruto whimpers. "No... no, no, no!"

"That's why you will never be accepted in this village!" Mizuki shouts. "Even your beloved Sensei hates your guts!" Pulling a large Fūma shuriken off his back, he flings it down below. "Die, Naruto!"

Naruto!!

"Naruto, get down!" My body goes stiff at the thought of Naruto getting hurt, leaving me absolutely useless to move to help, but at the last second, Iruka-sensei is able to pull himself free from being pinned against the house and... and...

... jumps right over Naruto, shielding him from the Fūma shuriken with his own body.

I am too stunned to even speak, let alone act. Iruka-sensei, he... he saved him.

"But... But why?" are the only words that Naruto could even begin to say. His eyes, no longer a bright and shining blue, are dark and full of pain. I drop to my knees, my body aching from the amount of adrenaline pulsing through it.

"Because...we're the same," Iruka-sensei answers, after letting out a string of coughs and chokes. "When I lost my parents, no one seemed to care. They didn't have time for me. They just forgot I was there. My grades dropped; I became the class clown-I just wanted them to see me, and to know my name! My schoolwork wasn't good enough gain their attention, so I did crazy things, and then I... I had to pay for it.

"It was hard. I know that's how you feel, Naruto. You feel lonely, and it hurts inside. I... I could've been there for you more. I let you down. I'm sorry. No one should have to suffer that much. No one should be alone like that."

"Don't make me laugh!" Mizuki spits. He's scared— I can tell in his voice. He's worried that Naruto won't give him the scroll. "Iruka's always hated you! He was orphaned because the Nine-Tailed Fox killed his parents, and that beast is now inside you. He'd say anything to get the scroll from you!"

"Naruto!" I'm finally able to call. Still beneath our Sensei, he looks my way, his eyes full of tears. I wave him toward me urgently. He crawls out from under Iruka-sensei and takes off running toward me, the scroll tucked under his arm. When he reaches me, I take his hand, holding it tightly, and begin pulling him along, back toward the village—hopefully. I have no idea if this is the right way, actually.

I don't say a word yet. What could I possibly say that might comfort him? The Nine-Tailed Fox sounds a little scary. And if it's inside Naruto, he must be terrified. I have to focus on getting Naruto and the scroll away from Mizuki. I have to try and keep him safe.

Me, I... I have no parents, but I still had Makara-sensei to look after me, to a point. Before I found out she was my family, she'd been my only family. And because of this Nine-Tailed Fox, this spirit that supposedly ruined everyone's live... Iruka-sensei and Naruto had been forced to live their lives in loneliness and despair... and no one should have to live a life like that.

Especially good people like them.

I can feel some kind of heat on my back and learn that it comes from Naruto. This and those glowing footprints— is this chakra?

Is this why Lord Hokage wanted me to go with them? For Naruto's sake? Did he know that all of this might happen? Had he known what Mizuki's plan was? But... no, he wouldn't do that to Naruto...

... would he?

Hearing a rustle from nearby, I urge Naruto to move faster and away from it. I hear another sound, this one slightly lighter. "Here," I hiss quietly, taking Naruto by the arm and hiding us behind a large tree trunk. I'm panting, my adrenaline slowly catching up with my fatigue in a really uncomfortable way.

Pulling the end of my sleeve up and over my palm, I raise it to Naruto's face to wipe away his tears, when he flinches away from me.

"Naruto," I say, unable to hide the sorrow in my voice.

"Do you feel that way, too?" he asks me in a hoarse whisper. I shake my head at him.

"You know that I could never," I whisper back. He lets me wipe the wetness on his face away. Shrugging my sleeves back into place, I hug him close to me, both of our bodies now trembling.

I hear Iruka-sensei grunt, and I jump. Peering around the tree, ensuring Naruto stays put, I see both him and Mizuki facing off in the clearing we'd just exited.

"You're a fool," Mizuki says, hands on his hips. "Why are you protecting that freak?! He's the one who wiped out your family!"

"I don't care why you say," Iruka-sensei says. "You're not getting your hands on that scroll!"

"As if you could stop me," Mizuki laughs again. "Don't you get it? Naruto's just like me." Behind the tree, I make a face.

"And how's that?" Iruka-sensei asks.

"He wants the scroll for his own power, for his own vengeance," he answers knowingly. "That's how beasts are. He'll pour all his rage into the scroll and destroy everything." Expecting Iruka-sensei to argue against him, I gasp when the words he says turn out to be the opposite.

"You're right." My heart bursts into angry flames.

"So it's true," Naruto says numbly, his voice lower than a whisper. "Iruka-sensei never believed in me. He thinks I'm some beast... some kind of freak..."

I'm shaking my head, unable to say anything. What can I say after what we heard?

"That's how beasts are," Iruka-sensei says. Naruto sits back up, his eyes wide. My lips part, hopeful. "But that's not who Naruto is. He's nothing like that. Naruto's one-of-a-kind; works hard, puts his whole heart into it! Sure, he messes up sometimes and everyone jumps on him, but his suffering only makes him stronger.

"So you're wrong! He's nothing like the Nine-Tailed Fox. He's Naruto Uzumaki, of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

By this point, Naruto is sobbing so hard that his tears start to soak into the scroll; my sleeves can't keep up with them, so I just hug him again, grateful for Iruka-sensei's true feelings.

Even though I've been in Konohagakure for just over two months, I'm finally in a real place that I can truly consider as my home. Naruto and Iruka-sensei, they've both been there for me when I've needed their help. Iruka-sensei taught me everything I need in order to become this, a more improved version of Kari Yamada! And for that, I owe him, for putting all of that time into me and believing in both Naruto and me.

"You really believe that drivel?" Mizuki asks, pulling his last Fūma shuriken off his back. "Iruka, I wanted to save you for later... but I've changed my mind." And he rushes forward, dragging it behind him. Naturally, he has no chance of touching Iruka-sensei after what had just been said, especially considering Naruto's speed in giving him a nice right hook to Mizuki's face. Right behind him, I crouch beside Iruka-sensei, smiling gently.

"Don't move anymore, Iruka-sensei," I say, proceeding to look him and his injuries over before pulling out the shuriken still stuck in both him and his vest. "I'll get these off of you in a jiffy."

"Not bad," Mizuki groans, pushing himself off the ground, "for a little punk."

"If you ever lay on our Sensei, I'll kill you," Naruto promises.

"M-Me, too!" I shout, whipping Mizuki's shuriken away.

"Such big words!" he jeers, taking a stance. "I can completely destroy you in a single move!"

After removing the last shuriken from Iruka-sensei's back – a particularly deep-embedded one that I plaster a bandage on through his sleeve; it'll need stitches for sure – I take the scroll Naruto has held out to me and clutch it under my arm, and watch him make a hand sign.

"Take your best shot, fool!" he challenges. "I'll give it back to you a thousand-fold!"

"Let's see you try! Show me what you can do, Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

N-Now, when Naruto had said he'd "give it back to him a thousand-fold", I hadn't thought he actually meant to create one thousand Shadow Clones! Mizuki staggers back, into the middle of the circle of Shadow Clones formed menacingly around him. And by the look on his face, he must know that it's over for him. He knows that he's lost. I guess he just hadn't expected this from the future Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki! And this, itself, sounds incredible. And they all start shouting at him:

"Come on!"

"Come and get me!"

"What's the matter?"

"Over here!"

"Let's go!"

"If you're not comin'..." "Then we're gonna come after you!"

And he screams back in response to the nine-hundred and ninety-nine Naruto Shadow Clones leaping on top of him, crushing him with all their weight combined, while the real Naruto pushes me away from the action, grinning back at me. I smile, relieved.

When the clones disappear, Mizuki is unconscious; a bleeding, battered and bruised traitor of the Hidden Leaf Village. I stare in awe at Naruto, my previous small smile wide, and his, sheepish and bashful.

"Sorry," he says, sounding unapologetic. "I kinda got carried away."

"J... Just a little," I breathe, fully assessing the damage done to Mizuki and grimacing at the fast-rising welts appearing on his face.

Naruto chuckles lightly. "... are you okay, Iruka-sensei?"

"Uh... yeah," he replies slowly. Suddenly, a small smile creeps onto his face. "Naruto... come here a minute. I've got something I want to give you." Pushing himself up off the ground, he waves me along with them.

Leading us through the thick forest, it suddenly brightens. It's morning, already? I think. I note my exhaustion. I glance over at Naruto, whose hands cover his eyes by order of our Sensei. I guess whatever he wants to give him is a surprise.

I wish I had a surprise...

Wait, no, scratch that. I wish I could've helped smack Mizuki around for tricking Naruto and hurting Iruka-sensei! Though perhaps it was good for me to not be involved. After the emotional journey I'd experience watching two people I care about be hurt, Mizuki wouldn't have gotten away with just being bruised.

Once we stop, Iruka-sensei starts untying his headband. He then takes off Naruto's goggles; Naruto lifts his eyebrows in confusion, his eyes still covered.

"Sensei, how much longer?" Naruto asks him impatiently. Iruka-sensei smiles, and quickly ties his own headband around Naruto's head. Again, his eyebrows raise, softer, this time.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now!" And he does, and almost immediately, his hand shoots up to his forehead, feeling up both the silver plate and the fabric it's sewn to. His mouth falls open, eyes wide.

"Congratulations! You graduate!" Unintentionally, I let out one of the same screams I had when I, too, graduated. Iruka-sensei laughs at my reaction. "And to celebrate, we're all going out for ramen tonight!"

I watch excitedly as Naruto's lips begin to quiver, his body quickly following.

"Iruka-sensei!" Before I knew it, Naruto launches himself onto Iruka-sensei, knocking him backwards into the tree. I laugh, as he attempts to strangle him in a death-tight hug, being either for him treating us to ramen, or for Naruto graduating. Or both!

"Ouch!" Iruka-sensei winces audibly, his injured back being dug into by the tree root. "That hurts!" But Naruto doesn't let go. And so, Iruka-sensei hugs him back, laughing. And not even a second later, where I am unable to move away, I find myself being knocked down into the pile of happiness. And I love it.

This warm feeling that is inside of me... it grows bigger and bigger each day! There are so many people I wish to share this feeling with, and not just Naruto and Iruka-sensei, but everyone I befriend in this village. I know that being here will help me achieve this wish of mine... for everyone to just be happy, in the way that I am, right now.

"You can't just go in!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not making another appointment," I say at the man barring my path. "Not for this."

"Lord Hokage is busy in a meeting right now, he can't see you!" And the vested man steps in front of me, arms spread to block my path. Shaking my head and scoff, I glare up at him.

"You probably knew, didn't you? Of course, all of you knew except for him."

"S-Sorry?"

"About the Nine-Tailed Fox." I stare at him sternly. The man's lips part, his eyebrows furrowing nervously. "You knew what happened, but you all condemned him for having no choice. You watched him be bullied and hurt and neglected and allowed it because of something that wasn't his fault." The man drops his arms. "He's... just a kid. You all... abused a kid.

"Move out of my way, please," I demand.

"I'm sorry... I can't let you through," the man insists quietly. "Please come back later." With another scoff, I spin past him, small and slippery enough for him to be unable to grab me.

"Are you going to tackle me or something? Go ahead," I dare. "I didn't get a chance to lay any hits on Mizuki-sensei when he tried killing Naruto and Iruka-sensei. If you stop me from entering this office, I'll make sure to land a few on you."

The door of the Lord Hokage's office suddenly opens, and to my surprise, it's the Lord Hokage who steps out into the hallway.

"What's with all the noise?" he demands. His gaze settles on me. "Kari, what's the matter?"

"I need to speak with you," I say. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Could you take her to the lounge room?" I open my mouth to insist otherwise, that it has to be now, but— "I'm nearly finished; I'll be there shortly, Kari. Unless the world is suddenly ending...?"

I huff at him. "No, sir," I say.

"Then I will see you in ten minutes."

I'm fidgety. I've never been fidgety before, not like this. I... I was crass with the Hokage. I've barely been crass with Makara-sensei, but the Lord Hokage? And I mean, I know he wouldn't, but it's like I'm asking to be thrown out of the village.

Sitting in waiting, I decide to reorient my feelings. Clearly, they've taken a majority of the reigns. I feel just overwhelming pain— every time I think about Makara-sensei, having to leave her behind, and what had happened with Naruto – I just want to cry. My breathing laboured, I inhale and exhale slowly into my cupped hands, several times, until I feel a little steadier. I'd been ready to hit somebody just a few minutes ago; I wanted to injure him if I didn't get an audience with the Lord Hokage— what is that?

Through my breathing, a small cry slips through into my palms, and I sit up, wiping my eyes, in the same moment the Lord Hokage enters the room. Forcing myself into a more presentable posture.

"S-Sir, I—" "I'm sorry," he suddenly interjects. My mouth falls open in surprise.

"You... you are?"

Lord Hokage hums at me and starts in my direction. "Yes. I don't even have to ask what's gotten you so upset. Your fervent loyalty toward people you've grown to care for... I'd like to think I've had the honour of experiencing it for myself from you."

"... you would be right to," I say quietly. My body language doesn't go with my words; I've turned slightly away from him as he joins me on the couch on my left.

"But you feel as though I've betrayed it, am I right?" I nod.

"Not just mine... but Naruto's, too." My fists have balled themselves up in my lap. I'm trying very hard to control myself right now, but I end up whirling around on him. "How could you?" I say, my tears betraying me now. "He's just a kid! Everyone treated him terribly! Like he was the Nine-Tailed Fox, himself! You didn't protect him. You're the Hokage, and you didn't protect him. I-I know you have a whole village to protect, but you couldn't protect him? That was such a hardship?"

"Kari," he says. This time, I interrupt him, turning back his way.

"I won't pretend to understand what it's like to be a part of a village. I've only been here for two months. I've seen kindness in this place. I've seen love. I've seen hope. I've experienced compassion. All of these came from Naruto. When I first met him and found out he had no parents, I remember hoping that otherwise and besides that terrible fact, he was happy. That he was as unhappy as he'd ever be. And then last night..."

"Kari," he repeats, this time more firmly. "Did you have a chance to figure out why I made you follow after Iruka and the others last night?"

I splutter at him for a lack of a proper response. "N-No, I was a little busy trying to figure out how to find Naruto."

"I wanted him to have a friend with him," he says. "Naruto has already experienced more pain than most by his age, just by losing his parents, and then by the prejudice from the villagers. I decreed it to be forbidden to speak of that night twelve years ago, or about the Nine-Tailed Fox being sealed within him, to spare him more pain. But I cannot control every single person in this village." Lord Hokage sighs. "Many lives were lost the night the Nine-Tails first appeared, and that pain has always remained fresh in the villagers' hearts. It is something I wish would've gone away over time, for Naruto's sake, but... I can't control everyone."

"Se... It was sealed in him?" I say. "Like with a Jutsu? Who would do such a thing...?"

"It was done to save the village from destruction," the Lord Hokage says, and he says it so calmly that it frustrates me. "It appeared in the village that one night, and the Fourth Hokage made the decision to seal it within Naruto."

"W-Why didn't he just seal it within himself? Why would he do that to a baby?!" I'm suddenly given a knowing look. "... oh," I say. "He couldn't."

"His final act as Hokage was made in the hopes that the village would see Naruto as a hero for helping save the village." His expression quickly becomes sorrowful. "Kari... it's difficult to explain to you just how indecent the Shinobi world can be when you were raised so far outside of it. I know you must have always thought the rest of the world must have been peaceful and fair, until the day you had to become a part of it yourself. With every fibre of my being, I wish I could tell you that it was." I sniffle. "But you've had to learn for yourself, firsthand, and in Naruto, that it isn't that simple. I'm so very sorry."

"Jeez," I choke out. I wipe at my face again, my eyes watering and my nose burning. When the Lord Hokage takes my hand, I find myself unable to stop myself from crying any longer, as I'd been doing since Naruto cried.

Updated November 28th, 2020 | 7,511 words