45 Scroll of Seals (4)

"…well what's done is done, Naruto-kun. You're not entirely to blame for being tricked into stealing the Scroll of Seals, it was only natural for you to trust your sensei. In fact, I should be commending you for managing to learn the Kage Bunshin technique, an extremely advanced jutsu, in such a short period of time and being brave enough to defend your sensei when he needed help." Sarutobi Hiruzen gently stated.

Only around an hour had passed since Naruto, or rather I killed Mizuki. After I found some chuunins who were still out searching for the blonde, I reported to them what had happened in the forest. They followed me back to the secluded area where Naruto had been learning from the Scroll of Seals and that was when some ANBU agents suddenly appeared out of thin air. They recovered the scroll as well as Mizuki's body before escorting Naruto, Iruka and I to the Hokage's office.

Before we left however, I administered medical treatment to Iruka's injury. I realized that there was no longer any point in trying to hide my abilities since the entire fiasco tonight had more than revealed the fact that I had been holding back all this time. Furthermore, my medical ninjutsu was never meant to be hidden. That was the whole point of me seeking out a teacher and preparing an answer for when I would be questioned on it.

On the way to the Hokage's office, after speaking to Iruka and Naruto, I could discern that although Iruka had done his best to console Naruto and rationalize his murder in self-defence, there was still some remnant guilt and shame left plaguing the kid.

I then tried to explain to the blonde as well, that I was the one responsible for grievously injuring Mizuki thus the blame for killing him falls on me. He did nothing wrong so he couldn't blame himself for anything. Naruto just nodded mutely at my words.

Upon reaching the Hokage's office, Iruka took charge as was expected of the ranking officer on the scene and explained all that had happened while I occasionally chimed in to add to anything left out from the story. Which brings us to this point now.

Naruto looked up from his glum state, "Jiji… Mizuki, he… I think I killed him."

Before the Hokage could respond however, I clenched my fist and stepped forward, "Hokage-sama, respectfully, Naruto had nothing to do with Mizuki's death. I was the one who-"

The Sandaime cut me off by holding up a hand, "You don't have to explain. There is no blame that will fall on either of you for taking the life of a traitor. While admittedly I would have preferred if he was taken in alive, according to your sensei's report, it is apparent that you had given him multiple opportunities to surrender and thus you had no choice but to defend yourself when Mizuki went mad in his desperation."

"But Jiji, it was me who beat him to death! Even now, I can still remember the feeling of punch and kicking him from a hundred different perspectives. How can I just forget about that!?" Naruto exclaimed, tearing up.

Iruka placed a hand on his shoulder, "Naruto, remember what I told you. If you hadn't done what you did then something unimaginable might have happened otherwise."

I nodded in agreement, "That's right. Besides, I already said it, I was the one who killed him. Even if you hadn't used your jutsu, he was already losing massive amounts of blood from when I cut off his arm. He only had another minute to live, so he would have died regardless. But in that minute, if you hadn't used your jutsu, he might have hurt Iruka-sensei or you, or even worse he might have killed one of you. Instead of blaming yourself, you should instead feel proud that you managed to protect your Iruka-sensei!"

"Excellently put, Shinji-kun. They're both right, Naruto-kun. Killing is an inevitability in our line of work, no matter how distasteful it is." The Hokage remarked. "At the very least, when you have no choice but to take a life, make sure that the person is evil and thus deserved what was coming to him."

Naruto looked shaken at what we said, but still had some lingering doubts. "But still! Weren't we always taught that it is important to forgive and have mercy? What about second chances? By killing Mizuki, I made sure that there was no possibility he could ever become a good person! And what about his friends and family? Wouldn't they be sad that Mizuki died? And it would be my fault if they are!"

The Sandaime looked at Naruto sombrely, "Sometimes as a shinobi, we are left with no other choice but to kill someone who is threatening to harm our precious people. Let's say if Mizuki had managed to get away with the scroll, and then learned your Tajuu Kage Bunshin technique. What would happen if he used that technique and sought to kill innocents? How many might you be indirectly responsible for killing if you allowed a bad man to escape?"

Naruto looked back with conviction, "I wouldn't let that happen!"

Hiruzen shook his head, "But what if? You can't be everywhere all at once, it is impossible for you to stop him or anyone like him from doing something bad after you let him live. Wouldn't you have no choice but to kill him before he could hurt anyone else?"

"I don't care if it is possible or not! There is always a way! I will physically stop them if I have to. If they cut off my arms, then I will use my legs. If they cut off my legs too, then I will just shout at them to stop. Even if they cut off my tongue, I will crawl on the ground and bite their ankles! I will stop them without killing, that is my, Uzumaki Naruto's, nindo!" Naruto loudly declared, drawing a surprised expression from all those in the room.

The Hokage recovered from his shock and gently smiled, "That is an admirable nindo, Naruto-kun. I pray that you will never be forced to stray from it…"

"That will never happen! Don't underestimate me! I am Uzumaki Naruto who will become the next Hokage, dattebayo!"

Chuckling, the Sandaime responded, "Then I will sit back and watch, waiting for the day you take my hat then, Naruto-kun."

"Just you wait, jiji!" Naruto defiantly answered which only elicited more chuckles from the old man.

I watched their exchange with some amazement. Both as how quickly Naruto came out of his slump and also at the skill of the Sandaime in completely changing Naruto's state of mind. I wasn't sure if it could attributed to the old leader's familiarity with Naruto's personality, or if it was just entirely based on the Hokage's decades worth of experience consoling traumatised shinobi, or if it might just be a result of the Sandaime's pure charisma and eloquence. Regardless, I was impressed.

"Very well, Naruto-kun. But for now I would like to ask Shinji-kun some questions if you wouldn't mind." The Sandaime turned his gaze on to me, his expression very quickly changing from gentle and filled with mirth, to a fierce and authoritative look more befitting of the leader of a thousand trained killers.

"Now, Shinji-kun. I have some questions for you. It is more of a formality than an interrogation, so you don't have to worry too much."

Formality my ass, I felt more pressure from his gaze than fighting a veteran and insane chuunin.

Ignoring the bead of sweat going down my back, I answered with, what I hoped to be, a believable amount of anxiety and nervousness of a rookie genin speaking to their village leader after just having to kill someone, "H-hai Hokage-sama. I will do my best to answer all your questions honestly."

"Very good. Firstly, what were you doing outside of the village in the middle of the night?" The Sandaime asked as the steel in his eyes seemingly pierced right through my own.

"Well, I had been training at the training ground near the Uchiha Clan compound when I lost track of time. When I noticed, night had already fallen. As I was returning home, I passed by some shinobi looking panicky and overheard them saying Naruto had stolen something important. I… well, Naruto is my friend, and though I couldn't believe he would do something this foolish, I thought that I had to get him to return what he stole before he got into even more trouble. So I decided to go looking for him before anyone else found him. I just thought that, if Naruto voluntarily returned what he stole, he might receive a lesser punishment."

"Shinji, you… I knew it, you- you're a really good friend!" Naruto cried out, touched by my cover story.

"Stop it, Naruto, you're making me embarrassed." I said, adding a slight tinge of a blush and rubbing the back of my head. "You're my friend, and I had to do something to help you right? Otherwise what kind of friend would I be?"

Naruto almost teared up but the Hokage didn't seem as convinced.

"Is that so? Hm, well I can't blame you for wanting to help a friend. Although I am… in disbelief, to hear that my shinobi had such loose lips. Also, are you not aware that the training ground near the Uchiha Clan compound is not open to the public? Why were you training there?"

"Ah, Sasuke told me that was his clan's land, and he gave me permission to use it. We occasionally train together there too… did we do something wrong?" I explained timidly.

"He did? I was just concerned you were trespassing, but if you received permission then there is no issue. Next question. From what your sensei reports, you have been hiding your true abilities in the academy, is that right?"

"That is… Yes, I'm ashamed to say that is true."

"Hoh? Might I ask why you felt the need to do such a thing, Shinji-kun?" The Sandaime asked, leaning forward just a slight tinge, yet that very miniscule motion sent waves of apprehension inside me. Whether consciously or not, the old man was exerting incredible pressure just by sitting down and calmly asking a question. As expected of a genuine Kage-level shinobi!

"I- I think one could consider my reasons for hiding my capabilities to be foolish, but to completely honest, I didn't want to leave my friends in the academy, Hokage-sama."

It seemed the Sandaime had not been expecting such an answer as he looked taken aback by my response. "Hm? What do you mean?"

I looked hesitant and slowly replied, "Well, I heard that students who showed themselves to be more talented than their peers would be forced to graduate from the academy early. But I didn't want to leave my friends. I wanted to stay with them and graduate together. So I decided to reveal just enough that I wouldn't be considered for early graduation. Please forgive this foolish one's selfishness and deception, Hokage-sama."

"I see… did you not consider that early graduation was completely voluntary, and that we would have asked if you wanted to be promoted ahead of your peers?" Hiruzen eyed me with some doubt.

"I… I did, Hokage-sama. But at the same time I didn't want my friends to look at me any differently than how they treated me before. I apologize."

"I can understand the desire to stay with one's friends, so I won't pursue that matter. But what of the skills you showed when fighting Mizuki? Chakra flow, chakra enhancement, and admirable proficiency in kenjutsu… for one so young, you seem to be well-versed in many advanced techniques." He inquired.

"The Uchiha clan left behind their clan's jutsu depository, Hokage-sama. And Sasuke was gracious enough to allow me entrance and some freedom to peruse their collection. Everything was self-taught after reading through their scrolls and practice." I answered.

"But what of the medical ninjutsu you exhibited to treat your sensei? That is not something that can just be self-taught no matter how talented you are. How did you come upon it?"

"That is… I…" I stammered intentionally, "I… don't know?"

The Hokage raised an eyebrow, "You don't know what?"

"I… Hokage-sama, you have put me in a difficult position…"

"How so?"

I put a hand to my chin and appeared to be in thought for a moment, "Say, hypothetically… if I did have someone who taught me. Would they be in trouble for doing so?"

The Sandaime looked at me quizzically, somewhat amused at the little game I was playing. "Well hypothetically, they wouldn't be in trouble. Consider it as appeasing an old man's curiosity."

Breathing out a sigh of relief and wiping away an imaginary bead of sweat from my forehead, I answered, "Well, in that case, I did have someone who taught me, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen smiled amusedly, "And who was the one who taught you medical ninjutsu?"

"Kiba's sister. Inuzuka Hana." I was torn between telling the truth or lying, but since from day one I had decided to openly find a medical ninjutsu mentor, I knew that I would have to one day divulge her name. I just hoped that she did not get into trouble from my divulgence.

The Sandaime cocked an eyebrow, "Hoh? The Inuzuka miss? I see. To have become this proficient in medical ninjutsu, you must have been learning from her for quite awhile. I wonder why this has been kept a secret for so long."

I could feel the piercing gaze returning, and my mind trembled from the implications the grizzled war god was making. He was suggesting that I had intentionally hid the fact that I was learning medical ninjutsu from everyone for an ulterior motive. Unfortunately for him, however, I had always been open and above board with my apprenticeship.

"Yes it has been roughly a year since I began learning from Hana-sensei. I am extremely grateful for her patience with this talentless disciple." I answered furtively, as though I was ashamed of taking so long to reach my level of expertise with medical ninjutsu even though in reality the speed at which I picked it up was unheard of. "Thankfully, Hana-sensei has allowed someone as unworthy as I to help out in the Inuzuka Veterinary clinic to build practical experience."

My answer was meant to not only demonstrate my prodigious talent, but also served as a roundabout way of saying 'see, I have never hidden anything, you just never bothered to look'.

The corners of the Hokage's lips lifted faintly just for an instant, "A year you say? Hahaha you don't have to be humble. You might be more suited for the field of medicine rather than the field of espionage, wouldn't you agree?"

Once again, I sensed the craftiness and guile of a sly old fox in his words. As the leader of a hidden village, the Sandaime chose his words very carefully as even a single word misspoke might have numerous unforeseen consequences. Thus the word 'espionage' had been spoken for a purpose, and it was not simply a slip of the tongue.

Was I a more careless man, I might have recklessly disagreed and hence cemented his suspicions. Thankfully, a lifetime of trading verbal barbs with world leaders and titans of industry, all of whom possessed similarly sharp wit and keen senses gave me experience dealing with the perceptiveness of a man just waiting for a mistake to be made, ready to pounce on any blunders.

"You praise me too much, Hokage-sama. I am simply a loyal servant of Konoha, and I will fulfil any purpose my village requires of me."

I could see through the Hokage's eyes that he was deep in thought, as though weighing the pros and cons of the multiple branching decisions he could make. I took this opportunity of brief respite to use [Observe], curious what the status of a kage-level shinobi might look like.

[Sarutobi Hiruzen Lv ??]

HP: ??

CP: ??

Hiruzen is the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure. He is known as a thoughtful and benevolent ruler, deeply caring of all of Konoha's villagers and shinobi.

You can't tell what he thinks of you.

Hiruzen is stronger than you.

As expected, even with a max level [Observe], I was not able to see through a Kage-level shinobi's strength. It was not the first time I encountered ?? in place of an observed target's level. That meant the person being observed was more than 50 levels higher than me. The limit for [Observe]'s ability to analyse a target went up every time the skill levelled up. At level 1, it was capped at 10 levels higher than mine. And at level 5, the max level, it could only read the status page of people at most 50 levels above mine.

Not only could it not see the level, HP and CP of the target, all it would tell me about the target was basic information based on common knowledge. I couldn't even see through their opinions of me neither.