Chapter 139 - Shut Up! This Isn’t Naruto’s Fault!
This scene...
Was far too strange!
No matter how one looked at it, it didn't make sense!
All of Konoha had been thrown into panic by the Nine-Tails' rampage. The villagers had rushed to evacuate, the shinobi had been prepared to sacrifice their lives to stop it—
And yet...
The Nine-Tails...
Had suddenly stopped, just like that.
Jiraiya pressed a hand against his shoulder, where he had been burned by the chakra's energy. He finally let out a breath of relief.
But Naruto Uzumaki...
The boy looked lost, as if something had been taken from him. Even though he was surrounded by a crowd, he seemed completely alone, his expression filled with emptiness.
But...
The Konoha shinobi no longer cared about Naruto's expression.
Instead, their faces darkened with frustration and anger.
That brat...
That brat's Nine-Tails...
Had once again caused massive trouble for the village!
Even though the Nine-Tails' rampage had inexplicably ended, it had scared the entire village out of their minds.
This wasn't some harmless prank like painting graffiti on the Hokage Rock!
If things had gone just a little differently...
The village could have suffered immense casualties!
No one wanted to relive the nightmare from twelve years ago!
The Konoha shinobi didn't dare to openly question Naruto, fearing that the Nine-Tails might erupt again at any moment. But their expressions made their feelings clear—they were furious but too afraid to speak.
That child...
Was he really a curse upon the village?
But...
The shinobi weren't the only ones who had been watching this chaos unfold.
When the Nine-Tails' chakra suddenly disappeared, Kabuto Yakushi, who had been observing from a distance, let out a disappointed sigh.
"It ended just like that?"
"Your plan failed," Iruka said, finally relaxing, not even caring that his life was still in his enemy's hands. Stopping the Nine-Tails' rampage was far more important than his own safety.
"Did it?"
Kabuto's lips curled into another smirk. Whatever disappointment he had felt vanished in an instant. He casually lifted the mask in his hand.
"But it doesn't matter."
"Sure, it's a shame we didn't get to kill the Third Hokage and the Legendary Sannin, but in the end... we obtained the greatest treasure the Uzumaki Clan left in Konoha."
"You—!"
Iruka's eyes filled with worry as he looked at the mask in Kabuto's hand.
That mask...
What exactly was it?!
"Just wait and see..."
"Wait for Lord Orochimaru's next move."
"Your luck ends here."
Kabuto's voice echoed as his figure vanished into the night, leaving behind a chilling declaration:
"When Lord Orochimaru returns to his homeland, we will bring with us the remains of the previous Hokage and rule over Konoha!"
"Rule over Konoha..."
Iruka's expression twisted into a deep frown.
But...
He was just a Chūnin instructor.
This was something he could only report to the Third Hokage.
No—
That wasn't right.
He was a teacher.
Iruka suddenly remembered his duty. He thought of his student, Naruto, and what kind of backlash the boy would face after this incident.
Ignoring the pain in his injured leg, Iruka sprinted toward Naruto, desperately hoping to explain the truth to everyone!
And...
The village had always kept the truth about the Nine-Tails a secret from Naruto, but now, after tonight, that child would undoubtedly know everything.
That child...
That child who had always been misunderstood...
Would he continue to be treated this way forever?
Thankfully.
The distance wasn't too far.
And Kabuto had been observing from nearby.
When Iruka arrived, the Konoha shinobi were still gathered, loudly arguing about what had just happened with the Nine-Tails.
Coincidentally.
An Edo Tensei guest in Konoha was currently chatting with Hiruzen Sarutobi, delaying the Third Hokage from stepping in.
Truly...
That person's status was too high!
Even as Hokage, Hiruzen couldn't interfere with his decisions.
In the middle of the crowd, Naruto stood with a dejected expression.
All around him, the villagers and shinobi whispered and shouted, pointing fingers, their voices filled with condemnation. His eyes were clouded with sadness and confusion.
"That brat is a disaster!"
"He should've been killed long ago!"
"We can't let something this dangerous happen again!"
"He shouldn't be a ninja—take his headband and lock him up! He shouldn't be allowed to roam the village!"
"The Nine-Tailed Fox will always be the Nine-Tailed Fox..."
"He's a demon, not a human. He'll make the same mistake again one day..."
Gossip. Accusations. Insults.
Naruto had endured them for twelve years.
He had long grown used to it.
At one point, he had even hated his father for turning him into a Jinchūriki.
But...
When the Nine-Tails had nearly driven him to madness...
When he had nearly ripped the seal from the cage in his mind...
He had met his father—Minato Namikaze.
Or rather...
The chakra Minato had left behind.
Even though Naruto had been furious at his father for giving him such a painful life, even though he had wanted to lash out in anger...
Minato's words had comforted him.
Naruto had chosen to accept it.
He had promised Minato that he would face all the hardships of his life with courage and work hard to become Hokage, to gain the village's true recognition.
In the end...
Wasn't that a good thing?
On the day he graduated from the academy, he had finally met his father.
He had finally learned what kind of ninja his father had been.
He had finally learned that he had been loved by his parents.
But...
This path was so, so difficult.
As the insults around him grew harsher, Naruto's eyes turned red.
Tears welled up and began to fall.
This life...
Was too cruel.
The moment he had just found peace...
This pain was even worse than before.
"That brat..."
Tsunade noticed Naruto's state.
"This is something he has to go through."
Jiraiya's voice was heavy.
He had always known about Konoha's prejudice against Naruto.
But he had always believed this was something Naruto had to endure.
This was...
The path of a Jinchūriki.
No matter which village, Jinchūriki were always shunned.
But they had to learn to face it.
They had to find their own way to break through the hatred...
And earn the people's acknowledgment.
As a teacher, Jiraiya understood his role.
His job was to train Naruto to grow stronger, to teach him how to face this world, and to guide him on the path to overcoming the burden of being a Jinchūriki.
"A ninja..."
Jiraiya watched Naruto from afar, speaking seriously to Tsunade.
"Must endure what ordinary people cannot."
"..."
Tsunade's expression darkened.
But before the Konoha shinobi could continue their bickering—
Iruka pushed his way through the crowd, his face filled with fury.
His loud voice rang out over the noise!
"Shut up!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
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"Naruto is not the Nine-Tails!"
"What happened today was never his fault!"
"..."
The entire crowd fell silent.
Because...
Someone had just broken the unspoken rule.
Was this man insane?
Had he forgotten what had just happened?
"Iruka... Sensei?"
Naruto stared at Iruka in shock, momentarily forgetting to wipe his tears.
"Iruka..."
Jiraiya furrowed his brows but then sighed, understanding Iruka's intentions.
But...
This wouldn't change anything.
Because human prejudice against Jinchūriki couldn't be erased with a few words.
No matter how much Iruka tried to argue...
The people of Konoha would not change their minds.
This...
Was something only Naruto could overcome.
"Naruto..."
But Iruka didn't care.
He crouched down and gently wiped the tears from Naruto's face, smiling softly.
"Don't cry, Naruto. None of this is your fault."
"All this time..."
Iruka's eyes reddened as he placed a hand on Naruto's forehead, his own tears falling.
"All this time, the ones who were wrong... were us."
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