Chapter 388: Chapter 387 : Cunning Old and Young!!
"Grandpa Hokage, you’ve finally arrived!"
Uzumaki Naruto’s eyes lit up with surprise when he saw the visitor, and Sarutobi Hiruzen’s calm gaze reflected a hint of joy.
Anyone watching Naruto at that moment would think he deeply respected Sarutobi Hiruzen!
"Hmph, causing trouble and still calling me Grandpa. We’ll settle your score later!" Sarutobi Hiruzen scolded Naruto, then turned his attention back to Mizuki.
"Mizuki, you say your transformation was caused by Orochimaru? Have you seen Orochimaru?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes were filled with suspicion.
Recently, Orochimaru had been stirring up trouble now and then, but Hiruzen had found no trace of him, which made him uneasy.
After all, years ago he had pinned Orochimaru to the shame pillar of Konoha for experimenting on civilians, forcing Orochimaru to flee the village.
Failing to keep Orochimaru back then was his biggest mistake as Hokage.
Orochimaru was powerful, and his cunning and ruthlessness rivaled Hiruzen’s own. Even now, Hiruzen stayed alert for Orochimaru’s revenge.
Heh, with Orochimaru’s nature, revenge was certain.
That’s why he had been searching for Orochimaru’s hideout all these years, but to no avail—until now, when Mizuki brought news of Orochimaru.
It seemed Orochimaru could no longer hold back and wanted to make a move against him.
If that was the case, then Hiruzen had to strike first.
"I saw him six months ago."
From the moment Mizuki saw Sarutobi Hiruzen, he accepted his fate and could only nod.
Now he deeply regretted trying to kill Naruto after obtaining the Scroll of Seals. If he had chosen to run, even Sarutobi wouldn’t have caught him.
It was all Naruto’s fault, and Iruka’s!
Sarutobi paid no mind to Mizuki’s thoughts and continued questioning, "Where did you see him? Do you know where he’s hiding?"
"I don’t know. I met him while on a mission outside. He implanted a cursed seal and gave me a potion to make me stronger. He also assigned me the task of stealing the Scroll of Seals." Mizuki spoke with despair.
"I didn’t expect the potion to change me into this. No... I have to find Orochimaru. He’s the only one who can change me back!"
But as he spoke, his voice began to grow hoarse.
If given another chance, he wouldn’t want the Scroll of Seals or take part in Orochimaru’s plan.
"Heh, you don’t know Orochimaru’s hideout? Looks like you’re just a disposable pawn to him."
While Mizuki rambled on, Sarutobi Asuma arrived with some members of the Sarutobi Police Force.
When he looked at Mizuki, a cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and his lips curled in mockery, as if laughing at Mizuki’s ignorance for trusting Orochimaru so easily.
"Just in time. Take Mizuki back and interrogate him thoroughly!" Since he didn’t know Orochimaru’s hiding place, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn’t interested in wasting words with Mizuki anymore.
He signaled Asuma Sarutobi to take Mizuki for questioning.
"Grandfather Hokage, please take Iruka-sensei to the hospital as well!" Naruto Uzumaki said to Hiruzen Sarutobi, but halfway through, he seemed to remember something.
"By the way, earlier, some masked ninjas blocked Mizuki-sensei to help Iruka-sensei and me escape. I wonder how they’re doing!"
"Is anyone else hurt?" Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, then gestured for Asuma to go check.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen picked up the Scroll of Seals lying nearby, then turned to Naruto. "You’re coming with me."
"Oh~" Naruto obediently nodded, not daring to say more, and followed right behind Hiruzen.
Like that, the old and the young silently returned to the Hokage’s office, leaving the rest of the matters to Asuma Sarutobi.
"Interesting. The cunning Naruto and the cunning Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
From a tree, Genya watched Naruto and Hiruzen leave, a smile curling on his lips. Tonight’s performance was quite good.
But judging from Naruto’s behavior tonight, it seemed unlikely that anyone could make him risk everything for Konoha or for Hiruzen Sarutobi in the future.
And between these two cunning ones, the old and the young, who was truly scheming whom?
Hokage’s Office.
"Speak. Why did you steal the Scroll of Seals?" Alone with Mizuki, Hiruzen lit his pipe and took a puff, appearing relaxed.
"Mizuki-sensei said the Scroll of Seals contained ninjutsu that could make me stronger. That’s why." Naruto didn’t hesitate and repeated everything Mizuki had told him, though only roughly.
He also explained the connection between the Tailed Beasts and the Jinchūriki.
"Sigh... Naruto, you’re not a kid anymore. There are some things you need to know!" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he listened to Naruto’s complaints, then said,
"Your father sealed the Nine-Tails inside you so that one day, you could control its power and protect the village."
"Don’t blame your grandfather for hiding your identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. I wanted you to have as normal a childhood as possible!"
"Don’t blame those who have distanced themselves from you either. As a Jinchuriki, you will have chakra that others can’t match, but it also makes people afraid of you."
"Everything I did back then was for your own good."
"I hope you can understand that."
At the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a few more deep drags from his pipe, looking troubled and guilty, but he felt he had no choice but to do what he did.
To outsiders, it seemed he was filled with deep regret towards Naruto.
"Grandpa Hokage, I understand your difficulties. Iruka-sensei already told me!" Naruto quickly replied with sincerity.
Then Naruto genuinely apologized to Hiruzen Sarutobi, admitting his own mistakes.
This made Hiruzen feel moved.
Mizuki telling Naruto the truth wasn’t a bad thing after all—it actually made Naruto trust him more.
Hiruzen did not punish Naruto for stealing the Scroll of Seals. Instead, he told Naruto to go home and rest well.
"Grandpa Hokage, I’ll be leaving now!" Naruto wiped the moisture from the corner of his eyes and reluctantly left the Hokage’s office building.
But as Naruto turned away, his face suddenly darkened.
He thought to himself with a bitter smile—Hiruzen Sarutobi was only fooling him. That ’for your own good’ was just an excuse to push him away.
Hiding his identity as the Jinchuriki while almost everyone in the village now knew he was the Nine-Tails was completely contradictory.
If Hiruzen really wanted to keep his identity secret, he wouldn’t have allowed everyone to openly call him the Nine-Tails. It was laughable.
If he believed Hiruzen’s fake kindness again, he would truly be a fool.
After Naruto left, Sarutobi Asuma came in.
"How are the ANBU ninjas? What happened to them?" Hiruzen asked in a low voice.
He wanted to know what had happened during the time Naruto was missing.
Although he trusted Naruto not to lie, cautious Hiruzen couldn’t fully believe him yet.
Sarutobi Asuma replied, "They were badly injured by Mizuki, but they are all now in the hospital."
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