Naruto was momentarily stunned by Mizuki's question. He looked at Mizuki and blinked, "Mizuki-sensei, what do you mean?"
Mizuki's mental state was a bit strange, giving people an indescribable sinister vibe. It was as if he were under the influence of some hallucinogen, making him appear particularly evil.
To be honest, even though Naruto was mentally prepared, he was still shocked the moment Mizuki's face appeared.
"Tomorrow is the Academy Graduation Exam, right?" Mizuki asked.
"Yeah." Naruto nodded.
"Then Naruto, are you sure you can pass the exam?" Mizuki asked, his eyes narrowing slightly, scrutinizing Naruto with a half-smiling gaze.
"Well, you know me, Mizuki-sensei." Naruto scratched his head, pretending to be embarrassed, "I'll probably have to delay the graduation again this year."
"Then, do you want to become stronger, Naruto? I happen to know a secret that will definitely help you pass the Graduation Exam."
Hearing this, Naruto's eyelids twitched slightly.
If Mizuki knew that Naruto had gotten a perfect score on the Transformation Technique test this afternoon, he wouldn't be saying this to Naruto now.
However, Naruto had not seen Mizuki at the Academy today, so it was normal for him not to know about this, which meant that Mizuki had not looked for Iruka, but had come directly to him.
Mizuki must be in a hurry due to some sudden change, pushing him to trick Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals.
But the problem was that the Scroll of Seals was a conspiracy of the village's higher-ups.
Naruto was also extremely speechless about this.
'Are you guys worried about the mental state of the Kyubi's Jinchuriki? Are you afraid that the Jinchuriki will develop hatred towards the village?'
'Now you are going to so much trouble to brainwash me with the idea of comrades' recognition? What were you doing before?'
Speaking of which, this village is also strange. The brain circuits of the higher-ups seemed to be in the gutter.
If their purpose was to protect the information about the Jinchūriki and keep people from knowing Naruto is the Yondaime Hokage's son, then what the hell was the point of leaking the news about Kyubi?
They tried their best to block the news that Naruto was the son of the Yondaime Hokage, but allowed the rumor that Naruto was a demon fox circulating? This is really double standards, blatantly adding insult to injury.
Not even capitalists act this way. They refused to pay compensation and then mentally manipulated him. They let villagers target him, yet brainwash him to protect the village. How hypocritical!
The stage is set, actors are in place, and a brainwashing drama targeting the Kyubi's Jinchuriki is about to begin.
As long as Naruto nodded in agreement, Mizuki would immediately notify Iruka that Naruto stole the Scroll of Seals. And Naruto could really easily steal it.
It is unknown what had gone wrong with Mizuki's brain, as he genuinely believed a child, who hadn't even graduated, could steal something as important as the Scroll of Seals, which rivaled Kyubi in importance.
But Mizuki's eyes indeed showed unwavering belief.
Naruto didn't want to agree. He had no interest in the Scroll of Seals. After all, with such a short time, he could only learn the Shadow Clone Technique, which wasn't very significant for someone with the system's support like him.
Moreover, he didn't want to get caught up in the tear-jerking situation and pretend to be moved, which would feel worse than death.
Given how the village treated him, he could accept protecting those who treated him equally in the future, but it is really hard for him to believe that he can be asked to protect the village.
'Why should I repay hatred with kindness?'
'No way!'
Just as Naruto was about to refuse, the system interface popped up again.
[Option 1: Refuse Mizuki's invitation and tell him to get lost. Reward: Full level Fishing Mastery.]
[Option 2: Accept Mizuki's invitation and steal the Scroll of Seals. Reward: Impure World Reincarnation (Incomplete)]
After a quick glance, Naruto immediately made a choice in his heart.
Although stealing the Scroll of Seals could grant him the A-rank jutsu, Shadow Clone Technique, and an incomplete version of the Impure World Reincarnation, but what's the use of the incomplete version of Impure World Reincarnation? Using this move requires a living sacrifice! It was a tasteless, unworthy endeavor at present, especially since Naruto had no particular person he wanted to resurrect.
Although the Shadow Clone Technique was very tempting to him, getting involved in such a troublesome matter would make him stood in passive position in the future.
"Mizuki-sensei, I'm sorry but I must refuse." Naruto said calmly.
"What?" Mizuki was a bit surprised.
It seemed that he didn't expect Naruto to reject him. After all, in his impression, Naruto was always a simple-minded, impulsive dead-last.
"Why? Naruto, this is a precious opportunity. If you give it up, you'll definitely regret it in the future!"
"Mizuki-sensei, you don't need to waste your breath." Naruto glanced at him, "I have made up my mind. Saying more won't change anything."
"Naruto, don't you want to become stronger and be recognized by the people in the village?" Mizuki made a last-ditch effort.
"Ah, no need, that sounds like a hassle." Naruto said nonchalantly, "Since I was a child, the people in the village have always disliked me."
"If I continue to act like this, it'll only make them hate me more."
Hearing this, Mizuki was speechless for a moment.
After a while, Mizuki's voice sounded again, tinged with a trace of temptation, "Naruto, don't you want to know why everyone in the village treats you like that?"
"You mean to say it's because I'm the demon fox, right?" Naruto said emotionlessly, holding the fishing rod in his hand. Then, he said lazily, "The nine-tailed demon fox that destroyed the village and killed the villagers?"
"You! How do you know?" Mizuki took a few steps back and said in shock.
"Come on, I'm twelve, not three." Naruto turned to look at Mizuki, "Mizuki-sensei, I have ears."
"I grew up in the village, and from the moment I can remember, I wasn't liked. I had few friends. Shopkeepers always looked disgusted when they saw me, and so did the villagers."
"I want to buy fresh vegetables too, and live like a normal person in the sunlight. But I'm destined to hide in the shadows, watching my peers go home for dinner after school."
"Mizuki-sensei, you've been isolated too, haven't you? You must understand. Suffering isn't a treasure; it's just unavoidable."
"No one stood up for me when I was bullied."
"But so what? I'm not the demon fox. None of it has anything to do with me. I'm just me, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Why? You know everything! Don't you feel any resentment towards this village?" Mizuki asked.
Naruto withdrew his gaze and focused on the fishing rod under the moonlight, its hook dipping into the water, creating ripples.
He didn't know whether the person who asked this question was Mizuki himself, or the person behind the scenes who controlled Mizuki.
Was he dissatisfied with the village? Of course, but he couldn't say that. At least, not now.
After a long silence, a mechanical voice echoed in Naruto's mind.
[Full-level Fishing Mastery has taken effect]
A grass carp was caught by Naruto, and his voice was heard at the same time. The sound seemed very calm as it merged with the night breeze.
"No."