20 Chapter 20

"Are you asking me to forgive him?"

Kaze furrowed his brow as the original plot flashed through his mind, where Naruto repeatedly forgave and empathized with his enemies.

Unexplainably, he began to feel a slight queasiness.

Sensing the suppressed anger in Kaze's tone Naruto swiftly responded, "No, no, it's just that I don't believe he deserves to die; receiving the punishment he deserves should be sufficient."

"Moreover, he isn't the true culprit; he's merely a ninja following orders."

"He gave his all, even sacrificing his life, to fulfill his mission. Despite being subjected to torture, he never betrayed anyone. That's pretty cool!"

"I also don't want you to become a cold-blooded killer, so let the village handle him."

As he spoke, Naruto brought up Kaze's previous promise once again.

"And you also promised not to use my body to kill people!"

"Hand him over to the village?" Kaze laughed angrily.

He could already envision what would happen.

Once handed over, Danzo, the second in command, would take him away at any cost, to avoid getting exploited by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Do you not understand his affiliation?" Kaze questioned. "He's a ninja from Konoha. Do you genuinely expect the village to punish him?"

Naruto nodded. "I have faith in the village. I trust the Third Hokage."

"Am I supposed to believe you?" Kaze, seething with anger, ceased his pointless tirade.

The reddened foxtail pointed directly at Torune's throat.

Danzo would inevitably become an enemy in the future, and Kaze had no intention of letting a tiger return to the mountain.

"You bastard, stop!" Naruto shouted.

"Stop!"

As Kaze made his move, a roar echoed from the Forest of Death.

Simultaneously, a barrage of kunai and shurikens were unleashed, accompanied by a peculiar surge of spiritual energy.

Unfortunately, it was all in vain.

The projectiles were blocked by the tailed beast cloak formed by the Nine-Tails' chakra, and the mental energy was easily evaded as Kaze tilted his head.

However, Torune's throat was successfully pierced.

Within moments, his lifeless eyes lost their vitality, and his limbs hung weakly.

Naruto, recovering from the shock of the scuffle, screamed in his mind.

"Kaze, you killed him! You murdered him!"

"You're a killer! I refuse to give you my body! I hate you!"

"Get out and return my body to me!"

[Major personality trust dependency value: 10%]

Suddenly, an immense suction force arose, causing Kaze's consciousness to waver.

Struggling to resist, he reluctantly turned his head and left a final remark.

"Enjoying the show huh...? Unfortunately, my time is up."

Upon uttering those words, the Nine-Tails' chakra disappeared without a trace.

Torune previously suspended mid-air, crashed to the ground.

Only Naruto remained, standing there with a mixture of sorrow and regret etched on his face.

Grief-stricken, he appeared lifeless.

Regret consumed him for not gaining control of his body sooner.

"Tsk tsk tsk, so you discovered me long ago?"

"As expected of someone who has mastered the power of the Nine-Tails, truly remarkable!"

The white-haired figure with a mask covering his dead-fish eyes descended from a tree, blocking Naruto's path.

In his hand, he held a book titled "Young Ah Ming."

Even as he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the book's contents.

"Hatake Kakashi!"

Another set of individuals also appeared within the Forest of Death.

Among them was Danzo's trusted subordinate, Fu Yamanaka.

He was accompanied by a group of masked root ninjas.

"Today's business concludes here. Take the corpse with you," Kakashi commanded, closing the book in his hand. He gazed at the small group before him, warning evident in his eyes. "Or else, I won't hesitate to deal with all of you."

Aware of Kakashi's formidable strength, Fu Yamanaka refrained from speaking harshly.

He signaled for his subordinates to retrieve Torune's lifeless body, then turned and departed.

Meanwhile, Sakura and Sasuke stepped forward, joining Naruto. The three of them exchanged hushed words before casting wary glances at Kakashi.

"What a troublesome situation," Kakashi sighed, his dead-fish eyes filled with a sense of helplessness.

Who would have anticipated that Danzo's actions would be swift and audacious?

After the morning argument, they swiftly took action to apprehend their targets.

However, witnessing Naruto's alter ego in action, Kakashi believed it was all worth it.

As expected, just as the intelligence had indicated, would rise to the occasion when faced with danger.

Although his methods were ruthless, his nature remained unconventional.

It could only be said that he truly inherited Minato-sensei's exceptional qualities, setting him apart from ordinary individuals.

As for whether this alter ego was truly the consciousness of the Nine-Tails, Kakashi had peered into it briefly with his Sharingan, confirming that the Kyuubi remained securely sealed within Naruto.

It even cast him a disapproving glare for his intrusion.

"Don't give me that look. I am your team leader, Hatake Kakashi," he remarked, acknowledging her doubt. "I understand your skepticism, but for now, follow me. I'll take you to see Iruka."

Considering past lessons learned, Kakashi understood that while he claimed to be their team's teacher, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke couldn't fully trust him.

Kakashi, too, comprehended this reality, leading the trio along a crowded path.

They swiftly returned to the ninja academy.

Iruka, anxiously awaiting their arrival, let out a long sigh of relief upon seeing them safe and sound.

After explaining the situation to the three of them, Iruka vouched for Kakashi.

"Even though you're under me you haven't passed yet." Kakashi stated, reopening the pages of the "Boy Ah Ming" book, and flipping through its contents. "While you handled the previous situation well, not falling prey to the impostor teacher, if you wish to grow into capable ninjas under my guidance, you must undergo certain assessments."

"Assessments?" Sakura's face betrayed her confusion and bewilderment.

She turned to Naruto and Sasuke beside her, hoping to find the same doubts mirrored in their expressions.

Regrettably, Sasuke kept his head lowered, lost in his thoughts, while Naruto gazed absentmindedly at the sky, occasionally displaying signs of remorse.

Evidently, the incident involving Torune's influence had not entirely dissipated from their minds.

Thus, Sakura mustered the courage to inquire, "We've already successfully graduated, doesn't that serve as our passage?"

Kakashi nodded approvingly at Sakura's response, and continued, "That was merely the school's graduation assessment. I'm referring to your assessment as ninjas."

"In short, if you fail, you'll be sent back home to continue your studies at the academy."

Kakashi's face momentarily displayed a hint of malice, relishing the thought of their potential failure.

"By the way," Kakashi added, a mischievous glint in his eye, "Let me gently remind you that out of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be recognized as Genin. The elimination rate stands at a staggering 70%."

Even Sasuke and Naruto, who had been paying little attention, were now filled with a sense of trepidation. All eyes turned towards Kakashi, awaiting further explanation.

"To be more precise, tomorrow you will embark on a mission known as the Ninja Survival Exercise," Kakashi declared, his voice laced with seriousness. "And in this exercise, your opponent will be me."

He paused momentarily, allowing the weight of his words to sink in.

However, to his disappointment, the three young ninjas didn't show as much reaction as he had hoped.

It seemed the recent ordeal with the impostor teacher had left a profound impact on them.

"In that case, let's forget about the introductions. I assume you've already become quite acquainted," Kakashi remarked, closing the "Boy Ah Ming" book.

"Now, disband for now, and I'll see you at the training grounds tomorrow morning."

With that, Kakashi prepared to leave.

But before he disappeared, a thought crossed his mind, prompting him to turn back and address the trio once more.

"Oh, one last thing. Don't eat breakfast tomorrow, unless you want me to make you regret it."

"Until then, goodbye, everyone."

After providing the necessary information, Kakashi vanished in a flash of movement.

"I should head back as well. See you tomorrow," Naruto murmured, his expression filled with gloom, before he turned and walked away.

"Naruto..." Sakura voiced her concern, her face etched with worry. She glanced at Sasuke, hoping to find a similar sense of unease.

Sasuke, however, had already noticed Naruto's distress and seemed to have an inkling of what might be troubling him.

***

(T/N)-

100 power stones :D

I'll post another tonight!

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