Chapter 6: True Fragrance
Deep in the forest outside Konoha Village.
Three figures were moving quickly through the trees — Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki.
Iruka was badly injured, blood continuously dripping from his body and staining the ground red.
Naruto carried a massive scroll on his back, his face filled with grief and anger. He had just learned the truth about the Nine-Tails from Mizuki, along with the tragic fate of Iruka's parents.
"Hahaha! Naruto, hand over the scroll!" Mizuki laughed wildly, his heart racing with excitement at the thought of finally obtaining the Scroll of Seals.
As for Naruto? He was nothing more than a disposable pawn.
"Naruto, don't give it to him!" Iruka shouted desperately, forcing himself to run faster despite his wounds.
"Get lost!" Mizuki roared. With a wave of his hand, he hurled seven or eight kunai at Iruka, sending him flying backward.
"Hand it over!"
After knocking Iruka away, Mizuki charged straight at Naruto.
"Watch out!" Iruka cried, but his injuries left him powerless to help.
"Hahaha! The Scroll of Seals is finally mine!"
Mizuki's entire body trembled with excitement as the scroll came within reach.
But at that exact moment, a black shadow shot in from the side.
Mizuki suddenly felt his right arm being grabbed.
When he looked up, he saw a handsome young boy standing in front of him.
It was Mingyu.
"How dare you stop me? Get out of the way!"
Furious that victory was being snatched away at the last second, Mizuki grabbed the giant Fūma Shuriken from his back and hurled it at Mingyu with full force.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The massive shuriken spun through the air, cutting through the wind with terrifying momentum.
Mingyu simply smirked in disdain.
"That's it?"
In a blur of motion, he easily dodged the attack and instantly appeared behind Mizuki.
"Take this!"
A powerful side kick sent Mizuki crashing down from the sky.
"Impossible… How can your speed be this fast?!"
Mizuki was shocked. He never imagined an eleven- or twelve-year-old kid could move so quickly — not only dodging his attack, but also sneaking behind him without a sound. Even Iruka couldn't do that.
"Nothing's impossible. You're just too weak," Mingyu said, shaking his head with contempt. He loved that shocked look on people's faces.
Instead of continuing the fight, he walked over to Naruto.
Naruto's face was deathly pale.
Mingyu sighed softly and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Have you forgotten what you told me before?"
Naruto slowly looked up at him.
"You promised me you'd become Hokage. Are you really going to give up just because of this small setback? So what if you're the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki? No matter what, you're still Uzumaki Naruto — my good brother, the one I acknowledge!"
Mingyu's voice was firm and steady.
"Mingyu, I…"
"Believe in yourself. You can do it. You're Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage. Nothing can stop you!"
"Stop acting like a loser. Pick up your courage and beat the crap out of him. Show him what Uzumaki Naruto is really made of."
"…Yeah! I got it!"
Naruto's expression changed. The despair vanished, replaced by burning determination.
That's right! I'm Uzumaki Naruto — the future Hokage!
"Wait!" Mingyu called out just as Naruto was about to charge.
"What is it?"
"The Scroll of Seals is a precious treasure of the village. We can't risk damaging it. Let me hold onto it for you. Go get him!"
"Okay!"
Naruto handed the heavy scroll to Mingyu without hesitation and rushed toward Mizuki.
"What a straightforward guy…" Mingyu muttered with a smile as he watched Naruto's back.
He then sat down under a large tree and began examining the Scroll of Seals in his hands.
He knew he didn't have much time — the Anbu would arrive soon.
Without wasting a second, he opened the scroll and quickly found the section on the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"So this is how it works…"
Mingyu memorized the training method as fast as he could. He also glanced at the Shadow Clone Jutsu while he was at it.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several figures suddenly appeared. A group of Anbu wearing cat masks had arrived.
"They're fast…" Mingyu sighed and calmly closed the scroll.
By then, Naruto had already finished the fight. Mizuki had been beaten into a swollen mess.
Mingyu shook his head helplessly at the sight of the first villain of the Naruto world.
Too weak and too stupid. If you don't fail, who will?
...
A few minutes later, in the Hokage's office.
Mingyu listened to Sarutobi Hiruzen's long lecture with a tired expression.
This old man was great in every way… except for how much he loved to talk.
"Alright, you two can leave. Mingyu, you stay."
Mingyu's face stiffened.
What does this mean? Did he find out I peeked at the scroll?
He suddenly remembered the Third Hokage's crystal ball and felt a headache coming on.
Damn, I got careless!
"Brat, tell me honestly — what did you see on the scroll?" Sarutobi asked, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.
Dealing with Mingyu always gave him a headache.
"What scroll? I have no idea what you're talking about!" Mingyu shrugged, playing dumb.
Anyway, I've already learned the jutsu. Even if you kill me, it won't change anything. Plus, I was protecting the scroll, right? It's not like I stole it.
"You little…!"
Just as the Third was about to scold him, he noticed Mingyu looking at him with a sly smile.
"Calm down, Lord Third. Getting angry is bad for your health. I was only protecting the village's precious scroll. Even if I don't get any credit, I at least worked hard, right?"
"Don't try that with me. You think I'll let you off so easily? Even if the sky falls today, I won't let you get away with this!"
Sarutobi declared firmly, determined to teach the boy a lesson this time.
"Oh, is that so? That's really a shame."
"What's a shame?"
"I already made plans with five beautiful 'big sisters' for a late-night meal and was going to bring you along so you could meet them. Since you're not interested, I guess I'll just…"
"Big… sisters?"
The moment he heard the word "big," Sarutobi's eyes lit up.
"Ahem… Well, actually, this isn't such a big deal. You're quite talented. Learning a thing or two from the scroll might even be beneficial."
"Oh? So what do you mean?"
"What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
"Go where?"
"To meet those big sisters, of course! By the way, do you think I should change my clothes? Maybe get a new hairstyle too?"
"Weren't you being all righteous and iron-willed just now?"
Mingyu looked at him with a half-smile.
"Ahem… I'm just trying to understand the will of the people. Chatting with them and listening to their suggestions about the village… so I can make improvements, right?"
Sarutobi laughed awkwardly.
True fragrance!