ALL NOVEL Chapter 20: Chapter 20
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At this moment, Naruto had already learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Mizuki found him and was attempting to convince him to hand over the forbidden scroll. Since Iruka had been briefly delayed when he ran into Ikeno, Mizuki had already revealed Naruto's true heritage. When Ikeno and Iruka finally arrived, Mizuki was grinning, taking out a large shuriken.
"Go to hell, Naruto!"
The shuriken flew toward Naruto, who, in panic, turned and tried to run.
"Naruto, get down!" Iruka shouted.
Just as Iruka was about to jump in to block the shuriken, Ikeno, who had moved faster, leaped ahead and shielded Naruto with his body.
Ikeno took the shuriken for Iruka!
Fortunately, this minor shift in the plot didn't change the overall story.
Mizuki was taken aback by Ikeno's sudden appearance, never having anticipated it.
Ikeno's instinct had led him to protect Naruto, even though he knew that in the original plot, Iruka was supposed to save him. But in that critical moment, his mind blanked out, and he even forgot about using the Earth-Style Wall jutsu he had learned earlier!
Looking at Naruto, his friend for so many days, Ikeno had acted without hesitation.
The sharp pain hit him as he lay on the ground, but at that moment, he realized, "So the bone armor really only activates during life-threatening injuries..."
Later, this heroic act became known to the Third Hokage, further boosting Ikeno Jun's reputation.
This, of course, earned him more trust from the Third Hokage—trust +100!
Naruto, who had seen Ikeno take the shuriken for him, was left speechless in shock.
With teary eyes, he stammered, "Why? Why would you..."
Ikeno Jun, enduring the pain in his back, forced a smile, "Because... you're my guy!"
At that, even Ikeno almost made himself cringe.
Naruto, overwhelmed with gratitude, hugged him and cried. But soon his joy turned into sorrow, as he remembered Mizuki's revelation—he was the vessel for the Nine-Tails, the creature responsible for his parents' deaths and the village's hatred toward him.
The usually cheerful and optimistic Naruto was now filled with deep sadness and despair.
"So, that's why I have these whisker marks on my face..."
"That's why the adults always treated me with disdain."
Naruto was utterly devastated.
Iruka stood by silently, unable to find the right words to comfort him.
However, Ikeno, knowing the full story from the anime, stepped in to encourage Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto! Why are you crying? Those things were done by the Nine-Tails, not by you!"
"But... it's inside me..." Naruto sobbed.
"So what? That's just a seal! You're still you!" Ikeno continued to speak passionately, trying to lift Naruto's spirits.
But Naruto remained slouched, dejected.
Finally, Ikeno shouted, "Uzumaki Naruto! Don't forget—you're going to be the future Hokage!"
That shout snapped Naruto back to reality.
"Naruto, don't bother with what the villagers think. Those people are just like keyboard warriors—always talking but doing nothing! Remember, you've still got me, Sasuke, Iruka-sensei, and the rest of us from the Zhatian Gang!"
Hearing that, Naruto perked up and nodded, "Yeah! And there's always Ichiraku Ramen!"
Ikeno couldn't help but laugh at Naruto's shift in mood.
Seeing this, Iruka also smiled approvingly, while the Third Hokage, watching from his crystal ball in the Hokage office, nodded in satisfaction.
"It seems I was right about these two boys. Especially Ikeno—he thinks clearly in critical moments and doesn't hesitate to act."
Meanwhile, Mizuki had overheard everything about Ikeno's reputation, but still couldn't believe it. He even speculated that Ikeno must have some secret connection with the Third Hokage or someone influential in the village.
"No matter what, I need that scroll today!"
Ikeno scoffed.
"With me here, your plan will never succeed!"
Mizuki, now armed with a kunai, glared at Ikeno.
"You nosy brat! I'll teach you a lesson today!"
"You think you can? You're just a lackey for Orochimaru!" Ikeno mocked.
But despite his confidence, Ikeno had underestimated Mizuki.
Suddenly, a kunai flew past, grazing Ikeno's forehead and leaving a bleeding cut.
"Damn, my face!" Ikeno cursed, now visibly angry. He hadn't expected Mizuki, who was easily beaten by Naruto in the original anime, to be this strong in real life.
"Ikeno!" Iruka yelled, charging toward Mizuki. "You two, run away!"
"Run? It's not that easy!" Mizuki snarled, throwing several shurikens toward them.
This time, Ikeno dodged easily, but suddenly—
Another Mizuki clone burst out from the ground, while the one near Iruka vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Haha, you thought I was finished?!" Mizuki grinned, sensing victory.
But Ikeno's expression darkened. His mission wasn't just to hurt Mizuki—it was also to boost Naruto's confidence.
As Naruto stepped forward, determined, Mizuki laughed, dismissing him as no threat.
But then, Naruto shouted in anger, "I won't let you hurt my friends!"
At that moment, Naruto executed his newly-learned jutsu.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, the forest was filled with Naruto clones, surrounding Mizuki.
Mizuki's expression changed drastically, realizing he had underestimated Naruto's abilities. The forest echoed with the sound of Naruto's fists landing on Mizuki.
Ikeno, taking advantage of the confusion, used the Body Replacement Technique to sneak close to Mizuki.
He performed the "Thousand Years of Death" technique, poking Mizuki painfully, which left him howling in agony, adding to the onslaught from Naruto's clones.
In the end, Mizuki lay on the ground, bruised and battered.
The system message popped up:
Ding! Congratulations to Host for boosting Naruto's morale! Keep up the good work!
Ikeno couldn't help but laugh.
"Looks like 'Thousand Years of Death' really does hit harder than I thought..."
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