Well… It Cost Him His Life!**
"Naruto, that area is off limits. We should go around."
"Off limits?"
"Yeah. I'm not sure about the details, but we can't go near it. Just avoid it."
Shikamaru wasn't certain either, but he had a guess.
It was probably the prison.
And if Naruto knew that… he'd definitely get curious, go peeking around—and then make a mess out of things.
Back at the Academy, Naruto had always gotten along well with Shikamaru. Later, during their brief team swap, he'd learned very clearly just how smart Shikamaru was.
Since Shikamaru said so… then it must be true.
"Alright, we'll go around it."
"Speaking of which, why aren't you hanging out with your own Team 7? Why're you always sticking to us?"
Shikamaru couldn't help complaining.
Naruto drooped. "Sakura-chan just… keeps following Sasuke around. I feel like extra baggage. So… I'd rather come play with you guys."
"…"
Ino clenched her fists but forced herself to smile sweetly after several calming breaths.
"Naruto, you're such an idiot. As long as you're still there, you still have a chance! Leaving on your own is basically giving up!"
"Huh?"
Naruto blinked in confusion.
Ino's words… kind of made sense?
"Ino, stop messing with him. Naruto, women are troublesome creatures. Staying away from them is the smartest decision you can make. Once you take your eyes off them, you'll realize the world is actually beautiful."
Shikamaru said, uncharacteristically serious.
Naruto thought for a moment, glanced at Shikamaru, then at Ino.
"Shikamaru."
"Yeah?"
"If you were in Team 7, saying that… you'd get punched."
Naruto said with perfect sincerity.
"Tch. Women—"
WHAM!
Ino's fist slammed onto his head. "Don't 'women' this and 'trouble' that! You forget your own team has a woman in it?!"
Shikamaru winced, about to retort—
"AAAHHH!"
A scream split through the air.
"Huh?"
Shikamaru's expression froze. He immediately looked toward the direction of the sound.
"Crap—it's coming from the prison side!"
"PRISON?!!"
Choji and Naruto yelped in shock.
So that "off-limits area" really was the prison.
They exchanged glances.
"We should check it out! Maybe we can help—"
"No. We're too weak to help there. We should go back and warn the village—"
"He's already coming!"
Ino shut her eyes briefly, sensing—
Her face went pale.
"He detected us! He's heading straight this way! What do we do?!"
"Run and set traps as we go. Don't break formation!"
Shikamaru barked.
He quickly laid a paper bomb trap, then pulled the others as they retreated at full speed.
But—
"Uzumaki Naruto! Iruka! It's your turn now! Don't run—I'll kill you!"
A furious voice echoed from behind.
"So fast!"
Ino gasped.
Naruto froze. That voice—
"That's… that's the bastard teacher who tricked me!"
"The teacher who tricked you?"
Shikamaru blinked.
He vaguely knew the story—Naruto had been deceived by Mizuki once, which eventually led to him graduating and becoming a genin.
So the attacker was Mizuki?
Impossible.
Mizuki was just a regular chunin. There was no way he should have this level of power.
No time to think.
Thank goodness Yagyū Souma and the clan elders had pushed them so hard in training—otherwise Mizuki would've caught them already.
As for Naruto… his taijutsu has been abnormally strong lately.
Maybe Kakashi was planning to make him a taijutsu specialist?
Shikamaru's brain analyzed automatically, but he quickly snapped back.
No time for that.
Mizuki was too fast—he would catch up soon!
"Shikamaru! There are ANBU chasing him too!"
"Good. Then in a bit, I'll pin him down and—wait! His mental state's wrong. Don't use your clan's jutsu—I'm afraid it might backfire!"
Shikamaru had planned to use the classic Ino–Shika–Cho combo to trap Mizuki until ANBU arrived.
But—
BOOM!
Mizuki charged straight through the trap. The explosion burned half of him black.
He didn't even notice.
He just kept sprinting.
Was he insane?!
Shikamaru remembered Souma's warning—
Mind-transfer techniques don't work on someone emotionally unstable or mentally fixated. They might even backlash on the user.
"I'll stop him! Run!"
Choji shoved handfuls of snacks into his mouth.
Naruto yelled, furious, "What are you talking about?! We're teammates! We're not leaving you behind! We'll beat him together. Just give me an opening!"
"Even if I don't acknowledge Choji sometimes… you…"
Shikamaru frowned.
Did Naruto have a trump card?
"Trust me!"
"…Fine! Ino, use genjutsu, kunai, and tags to distract him—no risk if it fails. Choji, frontal clash. Naruto, find your chance!"
"YES!"
The three responded.
"Don't rush. His brain isn't working right—we wait until he gets close."
Shikamaru hid behind a tree, fingers forming signs.
He analyzed the terrain and variables—
Sensei Asuma, Souma-senpai…
Please let me hold him off.
Mizuki charged forward.
A black shadow shot out—
Shadow Possession connected.
But—
A surge of monstrous chakra burst from Mizuki, twisting his body grotesquely.
This—
Shikamaru's pupils shrank.
As expected—this wasn't normal. Mizuki had used some forbidden technique or drug.
"Ino! Choji! Naruto! EXPLOSIVE TAGS!"
"Got it!"
Three kunai with paper bombs hurtled toward Mizuki.
Cold sweat dripped down Shikamaru's neck.
He couldn't hold him much longer.
What was this monster?!
"I'm losing him—!"
BOOM!!
The tags detonated.
Ino sensed. "He's not dead!"
"Someone like him won't die that easily."
Shikamaru tried to restrain him again—but his chakra was too unstable to catch a second time.
"I'll go!"
Choji roared and expanded—
Human Boulder!
Naruto charged behind him.
Mizuki sneered. He had dodged the center of the explosion earlier, and though badly burned, his insane healing was already restoring him.
He slammed a kick into Choji—
THUD!
Choji flew through several trees and fell limp.
Naruto's arms crackled with chakra—he forced all his power into them.
He punched Mizuki head–on.
CRACK.
Both felt their bones strain.
Naruto gasped in pain—then swung again with his other fist—
But Mizuki's back sprouted flesh wings that blocked it entirely.
"What the—?!"
Naruto's mind blanked.
Before he could react—
Mizuki grabbed his throat.
He tightened his grip—
Then—
BWOOOOOMMMM!
A deafening swarm-noise burst from the woods.
Mizuki froze.
A massive cloud of mutated kikaichū surged forward like living darkness.
Shikamaru gaped.
"What… what ARE those…?!"
"They look like kikaichū—but why are they like THIS?!"
Ino was speechless.
She had seen Shino's bugs before—creepy, yes, but normal.
These… were not normal.
The leading beetles were the size of bowls—one was as large as a cat, its mandibles gleaming like blades.
They swarmed Mizuki—
Lifted him clean off the ground—
And carried him away screaming.
Naruto stared blankly.
Two seconds later—
He stumbled back in terror.
"W-WHAT ARE THOSE MONSTERS?! So scary! Quick! Warn the village!"
Shikamaru and Ino exchanged a look.
"Don't panic," Shikamaru said. "Those are from the Aburame Clan. No idea why they look like that, but they're ours."
"Kikaichū?"
Naruto scratched his head.
He vaguely remembered Shino… and that he liked bugs.
Right. That made sense.
"So they're from the Aburame Clan? Then we're safe?"
Naruto relaxed slightly.
Then the real question hit him—
Mizuki… Why was he suddenly so strong?
Ino asked first.
"Why did he get so strong all of a sudden?"
"He definitely used some forbidden technique or drug," Shikamaru said heavily. "If he wasn't mentally unstable from it, we'd all be dead."
They were too weak.
He clenched his fists.
"Ino, Choji… We have to train harder. Otherwise next time… we won't survive."
"Yeah…"
Choji whispered weakly.
Ino tied his bandages, nodding. "I'll start medical training. At least I can help that way."
"I won't slack either," Shikamaru added.
Naruto groaned. "Um… can someone take me to the hospital? I think something's really wrong this time…"
"Right away!"
Ino helped him up.
Just then—
"Do you kids need assistance?"
"We were attacked by Mizuki! Two of us are injured!"
Shikamaru answered immediately.
"I'll take you to the hospital."
The ANBU operative wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio AND the Nine-Tails jinchūriki…
If anything had happened… What a disaster…
Unfortunately, the two genin assigned to deliver a prisoner earlier had been killed instantly by Mizuki's sudden breakout.
Akadō Yoroi and Tsurugi Misumi…
"Good thing Yagyū-sama's kikaichū arrived in time."
"Hopefully the Yamanaka Clan can pull some intel from Mizuki's corpse… otherwise we're all in trouble."
"How did this even happen…?"
The Aburame ANBU muttered while escorting Naruto and Choji toward the hospital.
Naruto whispered, worried—
"I… I don't have much money…"
"Don't worry. I'll cover the medical fees."
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