"Sorry, Iruka-sensei, it seems we've caused you some trouble."
Hearing this and seeing the smile on Natsuro's face, the initially furious Iruka checked the condition of the students lying on the ground. Finding that they were only in temporary pain, he asked, "What exactly happened here? Why did this conflict break out?"
"I'm not entirely sure about the details. It probably started because they were bullying Naruto. We just came over to help out," Natsuro replied, waving Naruto over. "Naruto, tell us what happened."
Naruto didn't hold back and quickly recounted the series of events.
"So you didn't even bump into them, and you even apologized?" Iruka frowned after hearing the story.
"Yes," Naruto nodded, glancing nervously at Iruka, unsure if he would believe him.
"Don't worry, Naruto. Iruka-sensei and I are on your side, right? Iruka-sensei?" Natsuro said, looking up at Iruka.
"Ah, yes," Iruka nodded as well. He wasn't frowning because he didn't believe Naruto, but rather because he found it hard to believe that even children had been so deeply affected by the village's rumors.
"Iruka-sensei..." Naruto looked up at Iruka, unsure of what to say.
Iruka looked at Naruto, feeling a mix of emotions, but in the end, he reached out to ruffle Naruto's bright blond hair and then straightened his slightly dirty and disheveled clothes. "Don't worry, Naruto. You did nothing wrong. Sensei will always be on your side."
"Iruka-sensei! And everyone..." Naruto looked at Iruka, then at Natsuro, who was smiling, and then glanced around.
There was Kiba, who despite his bruises, was laughing with a big grin; Shikamaru, muttering to himself about how unlucky he was after being punched in the face due to his momentary distraction; Choji, who had resumed eating snacks at some point; Sasuke, who was trying to maintain his cool demeanor but was intensely staring at Natsuro; Shino, who was still mysterious as ever, wearing his sunglasses; and Hinata, who turned her blushing face away when she saw Naruto looking at her...
Naruto, who hadn't cried even when he was beaten and mocked, couldn't hold back his tears anymore. They started flowing down uncontrollably.
"Alright, alright, no more crying," Iruka comforted him, smiling as he saw this. Although he couldn't fully understand Naruto's feelings, he had a pretty good idea.
"Hahaha! Crying like a baby, even though you're already so grown up!" Kiba laughed heartily, completely carefree.
"I... I'm not!" Naruto glared at Kiba, trying to wipe away the tears, but no matter how much he wiped, they wouldn't stop.
As for Natsuro, he also smiled as he watched this scene. Although there were many things he couldn't change, at this moment, seeing this scene made him quite happy. He never sought to change anything forcefully, but if his actions could bring about something good, then he would certainly welcome it.
"Hoho... not bad, not bad," up on a rooftop, the Third Hokage puffed on his pipe as he watched the scene below, his expression softening.
He had arrived just recently after being notified by an ANBU ninja, and then witnessed Naruto breaking down in tears. The Third knew Naruto's stubborn nature very well—he wouldn't cry even when beaten.
Seeing how Naruto seemed to have found his own bonds in the village, the Third Hokage was pleased. He had initially felt a headache upon hearing about the fight, but after seeing this, his mood greatly improved.
The ANBU ninja beside him reported the course of events to the Third Hokage. They hadn't planned to notify the Third Hokage at first.
After all, Naruto being beaten wasn't something new, and if they reported every incident, the Third Hokage would be overwhelmed. However, the development this time had made them uncertain.
This time, someone had actually come to Naruto's aid. Not only that, but the people who helped were all children from various clans in the village. These kids couldn't be allowed to get hurt, so they reported it to the Third Hokage.
"So you're saying it was basically Natsuro alone who beat up these fourth-year students like this?" The Third Hokage was a bit surprised as he listened.
"Yes." The ANBU member was also astonished as he reported this, thinking that this was another exceptional talent. But the Third Hokage knew the kid's name? It seemed that Natsuro had already been noticed!
The ANBU made a mental note of his name. Although it was unlikely they would come into contact, who knew what might happen in the future?
"Oh, very impressive~" The Third Hokage chuckled and nodded with satisfaction. He had heard from Iruka about this talented kid before, and now it seemed that Iruka was right. Even though these fourth-year students were among the lower ranks in their class, the fact that he could easily defeat them despite the age and development difference was a clear indication of his excellence.
The Third Hokage also knew from Iruka that Natsuro had already fully mastered the basic ninjutsu techniques. In past wartime periods, someone like him could have already applied for graduation. Looking at it that way, he might even be more outstanding than Kakashi had been at that age.
Having such an exceptional next generation filled the Third Hokage with great satisfaction, and a certain idea in his mind resurfaced.
However, it wasn't appropriate for them to reveal themselves directly right now. It was better to wait for the formal report. The matter was already settled, and the official report would soon reach him. It wouldn't hurt to wait until then.
"Keep watching over them. Notify me if anything else happens," said the Third Hokage, and with that, his figure vanished in a puff of white smoke. It had only been a shadow clone.
"Yes!"
The ANBU ninja responded, then disappeared from the rooftop, resuming his duties.
...
"Iruka, as a teacher, how could you lay hands on students? Do you have any sense of professional ethics?!"
Meanwhile, the fourth-year chunin instructor, a middle-aged man, finally arrived, only to see his students sprawled out on the ground, deliberately arranged in a heap. His face turned dark as he glared at Iruka, speaking in a cold voice.
"Huh?" Iruka was taken aback. When had he laid hands on anyone? Then he realized that the other instructor had misunderstood and quickly began to explain.
As he explained, Iruka suddenly felt a bit shocked. Earlier, he had been focused on other things, so he hadn't given it much thought. But now, thinking about it, not only did Natsuro have talent in training, but his aptitude in actual combat was also outstanding!
But Iruka didn't blame himself for not realizing this sooner. He had become accustomed to being surprised by Natsuro, so when he saw what had happened, he felt it was only natural for Natsuro to accomplish something like this.
"Don't try to shirk responsibility. A little first-year kid did this? Do you believe that yourself?" The chunin instructor didn't ease up after hearing Iruka's explanation but instead questioned him more harshly.
"I wouldn't believe it from anyone else, but this is Natsuro we're talking about, so yes, I believe it," Iruka said, after giving it some thought, speaking earnestly.
The chunin instructor's face darkened upon hearing this. He didn't believe it and didn't want to believe it. After all, if it were true, wouldn't that mean his students weren't even a match for a first-year kid?!
At this moment, he calmly stepped forward, looking directly into the chunin instructor's fierce eyes without a hint of retreat in his gaze.
"Natsuro..."
Naruto clenched his fists, his expression complicated. It seemed he had caused everyone trouble. He would have preferred to get beaten up rather than trouble others...