Chapter 378: Chapter 376 : Tricking Mizuki!!
Footsteps.
Soft steps approached slowly toward Naruto.
Under the moonlight, a head of silver-white hair stood out clearly.
"Kid, someone’s coming!" In Naruto’s mind, the Nine-Tails kept warning him, but Naruto kept his head down, staring at the Scroll of Seals, seemingly absorbed in it.
He didn’t pay any attention to the Nine-Tails’ frantic shouting inside his mind.
Step by step, Mizuki moved forward.
Finally, he stopped about five meters away from Naruto. The moonlight cast a shadow that perfectly covered Mizuki’s figure, and then... it blocked the entire Scroll of Seals in Naruto’s hands from view.
Naruto’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He frowned and raised his head, then looked toward Mizuki’s direction.
"Teacher Mizuki, why are you here?" Naruto blinked, his eyes filled with curiosity, as if he had just realized Mizuki had found him. His face still held an innocent expression.
It had to be said—
Even the Nine-Tails in his mind couldn’t help but admire this acting.
Naruto’s cunning had definitely deepened. It seemed hanging out with Genya had influenced him.
Mizuki was plotting against Naruto, but Naruto was also calculating Mizuki in return.
Now it was a game of who could outsmart whom.
The Nine-Tails didn’t want to get involved in Naruto’s affairs anymore and just wanted to watch the show, hoping Naruto wouldn’t disappoint him.
Of course, if Naruto really decided to leave Konoha, the Nine-Tails wouldn’t just stand by. He would lend Naruto his power to help him break free from the interference of others.
But if Naruto wasn’t willing to leave, then the Nine-Tails would only watch.
He had promised that brat Genya he wouldn’t let Naruto be used as a mere tailed beast weapon. He had to keep his word, or else his dignity as the Nine-Tails would be lost.
Besides, that brat Genya was too mysterious—he might even become someone like Madara one day.
Heh, he was afraid of breaking his promise and being caught again by that guy Genya.
The suffering that would follow would be much worse. Thinking of the Nine-Tails in the mental space, he shivered involuntarily.
Heh, the outside world is too dangerous. Actually, staying inside Naruto’s body isn’t so bad!
"Naruto, why are you here? Don’t you know people are looking for you?" Mizuki put on a worried expression, his eyes still showing concern as he looked at Naruto.
Naruto just smiled indifferently and said, "Teacher Mizuki, I found the Scroll of Seals you mentioned. It’s this one."
Excited, Naruto held up the scroll in his hand, as if proudly showing Mizuki his achievement.
Mizuki’s eyes never left the Scroll of Seals from the beginning.
After Naruto’s confirmation, the light in his eyes grew even brighter.
"Naruto, do you know this Scroll of Seals is a forbidden book in Konoha? What you’ve done breaks the village rules. It’s basically betraying the village!"
He deliberately made the matter sound very serious to unsettle Naruto.
Sure enough, Naruto’s face immediately showed signs of panic. He hugged the Scroll of Seals to his chest and looked at Mizuki with a troubled expression.
"Ah... but this is already done. What should I do now?"
The panic looked genuine, not an act at all.
The Nine-Tails lazily responded inside Naruto’s mind, "That guy’s greed is so strong, I can feel it even in your mental world. He’s trying hard to suppress the urge to snatch the Scroll of Seals from your hands, but soon he won’t be able to hold back anymore!"
After speaking, the Nine-Tails couldn’t help but complain, "Hmph, you ninja are truly hypocrites. What you show on the surface is one thing, but behind the scenes, it’s another. That’s why this demon fox doesn’t like you!"
The Nine-Tails never hid his hatred for the ninja. Even toward Genya, he only called him "little brat"!
This deep resentment towards humans had lasted for a long time.
Being sealed inside this dark, hopeless mental space, with no one to even talk to, brought a loneliness even Naruto could not understand!
Heh, the Nine-Tails thought, his tone carrying a sharp edge.
He was certain that if any other human or ninja was sealed in this dark mental world, they would break down and possibly act even more extreme than him.
He only wanted to be free.
However, Mizuki could not hear the Nine-Tails’ thoughts or complaints.
Instead, he put on the guise of a kind person and gently comforted Naruto Uzumaki, "Don’t panic. I’m here, and I will find a way to help you."
If anyone else said this, Naruto might have believed him easily.
But Naruto had already seen through Mizuki’s schemes and kept his head down, saying nothing.
It seemed he had no hope in Mizuki’s promises.
"Naruto, your theft of the Scroll of Seals has already been discovered by Konoha. Now, you have to find a way to deal with this," Mizuki said after a deep breath, noticing Naruto’s silence.
"You need to take the Scroll of Seals back and confess to the Hokage. But if you do that... you might face even more rejection from the people of Konoha."
"No, teacher! I don’t want to be punished. Is there any other way?" Naruto shook his head quickly, his face filled with struggle.
"I don’t want to give up the Scroll of Seals I worked so hard to get!"
The helpless expression of a young boy shone through completely.
"There is another way!" Mizuki quickly reassured him.
"You have to leave Konoha. I will take you away from here and teach you the ninjutsu written in the Scroll of Seals. When your power grows strong enough, the Hokage might forgive what you’ve done."
"But..." Hearing this, Naruto hesitated again.
"But I don’t want to leave Konoha. This is the place where I live and grow up!"
Sss...
Upon hearing Naruto’s words, Mizuki’s face darkened. But under the cover of night, it was not so obvious.
He never expected Naruto to be so ungrateful. He had given Naruto a chance, but Naruto didn’t cherish it.
Hmph.
Then he wouldn’t be polite anymore!
Fortunately, Naruto had used multiple Shadow Clones to shake off the people following him. No one had caught up yet.
It was the perfect moment to snatch the Scroll of Seals from Naruto’s hands and escape from Konoha!
"Can’t hold back anymore?" Naruto’s side glance caught Mizuki’s darkened face, and a curve formed on his lips.
Just as the Nine-Tails said, some people’s hearts are inherently dark!
Words wouldn’t persuade him. He was ready to make a move.
Mizuki decided to give Naruto one last chance.
"Naruto, there’s only one last way. Hand over the Scroll of Seals to me, and I’ll leave Konoha. After things settle down, I’ll teach you the ninjutsus inside!"
"During this time, you just need to deny everything."
That was Mizuki’s final bottom line. If Naruto didn’t agree, he would have no choice but to take it by force.
Naruto seemed hesitant, but his mind was racing. The Nine-Tails whispered beside him, "Naruto, the people watching you have arrived!"
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