My Sign-in System in Naruto

Looking at Haru and Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya's last line of defense in his heart began to waver. However, Jiraiya did not completely give in.

"I'll only give you one chance to try, Haru," Jiraiya said after sitting on the ground for a while to calm himself before standing up again.

This also meant that someone had to tell Naruto the truth that he was the container for the sealed Nine-Tails, the Jinchūriki of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"I'll take care of it," Haru deliberately paused before responding to Jiraiya. In reality, he was indeed the best person for the task.

Due to various circumstances, Naruto had never known who his parents were, which made his relationship with Jiraiya somewhat unclear. Although in the anime Jiraiya eventually became Naruto's mentor, that was still a long way off. Moreover, Haru's reason for instigating this matter wasn't to help Naruto control the Nine-Tails but to go to Mount Myōboku to complete a check-in mission. Therefore, he had to accompany Naruto to Mount Myōboku to retrieve the key.

"Actually, there's another reason why I chose Mount Myōboku," Haru said slowly.

"What reason?" Both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya turned their attention to Haru.

"Everyone in the village knows Naruto is the Nine-Tails. After last night's rampage, their rejection and exclusion of him are undoubtedly at their peak," Haru paused briefly. "It might be better to take this opportunity to take Naruto away from the village. Besides, Mount Myōboku is also a suitable place to hide him."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze sharpened as he instantly understood the underlying meaning of Haru's words. After some investigation, Sarutobi had confirmed that Naruto's rampage in the village wasn't part of the Uchiha clan's plan. They had intended to lure him to the uninhabited outskirts of the village and release the Nine-Tails there. After all, the Uchiha clan's goal was to stage a coup, not to destroy the village.

"Jiraiya, I'll leave this matter to you," Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to Jiraiya, his tone sincere as he made the request.

Jiraiya looked at his former teacher, who was also the Third Hokage of the village, and nodded firmly, indicating that he would take Naruto and Haru to Mount Myōboku.

With Jiraiya's agreement, Haru felt a wave of relief. After all, this check-in mission was time-sensitive, with only three days to complete it.

After confirming the departure time with Jiraiya, Haru headed to the hospital where Naruto was staying, ready to tell him the truth.

However, before he could even get close to Naruto's room, Haru sensed an eerie atmosphere. Almost all the medical staff avoided this floor, and at the stairwell, ANBU ninjas stood guard. It was clear how much fear people had toward Naruto.

"This is still because these people are ninjas and medical staff. Their ability to overcome fear is much stronger than that of ordinary people. If it were the average villagers, who knows what kind of looks or treatment Naruto would receive."

Although Haru could understand their fear, he also felt sympathy for Naruto. In yesterday's Nine-Tails rampage, Naruto was also a victim. No… from the very beginning, during the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, Naruto had been the greatest victim.

Knock knock.

Haru arrived at Naruto's hospital room and knocked on the door. Though the sound wasn't loud, it was firm. However, there was no response from inside. Frowning slightly, Haru pushed the door open and entered.

By now, Naruto had recovered thanks to the Nine-Tails' chakra and had woken up. However, his eyes were emptier than ever, staring blankly at his bedsheet as if he were in a daze. The nightstand to his left was completely empty.

'No one has come to see Naruto,' Haru sighed inwardly.

This rampage had been severe, with even the eighth tail manifesting. It was unlikely that Naruto hadn't noticed anything. And judging from the people Haru had encountered earlier, the looks Naruto received after waking up must have been icy cold.

Some might think that children don't overthink things and don't understand much. But in reality, their minds can sometimes be even more meticulous than adults', especially when faced with those cold, distant stares.

"Long time no see, Naruto," Haru took a deep breath, greeting him as he walked into the room.

Hearing his name, Naruto instinctively looked up, only to find that it was Haru. For a moment, his dull eyes lit up with a spark of life. However, this didn't last long. Within a few breaths, Naruto's eyes returned to their hollow state.

At one point, Naruto had thought Haru was his best friend. But they had only spent a day together before Haru seemed to vanish, never returning to school. Naruto had searched the village for Haru but never found him.

"You didn't come…" Naruto lowered his head again, as if muttering a complaint. Though he knew he needed to stay strong, the current situation made it difficult for him to do so.

Haru observed Naruto's reaction and understood the immense pressure he was under. Slowly, Haru walked over to Naruto, extended two fingers, and pressed them against Naruto's forehead. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Sorry, Naruto, I guess I'm a bit late. But… aren't you curious about what I've been up to all this time?"

Naruto looked up, his heart racing uncontrollably. He was terrified of seeing that same cold, distant look in Haru's eyes. However, when their eyes met, Naruto realized that Haru's gaze was completely different from the others. There was no distance, no fear only warmth and brightness.

"I…" Naruto had so much he wanted to say, but the words caught in his throat. After a long pause, he finally whispered, "I'm… the demon fox…"

This was the truth he had learned yesterday why the villagers looked at him with such cold eyes, why they avoided and ostracized him. It was because he was the Nine-Tails demon fox. He was the one who had killed the Fourth Hokage. He was a murderer…

"Pfft." Haru couldn't help but chuckle, his hand moving up to ruffle Naruto's hair. At that moment, Haru felt he understood the reason behind Naruto's sudden rampage.

"I don't see any demon fox here. All I see is Uzumaki Naruto, who wants to become Hokage. Don't you think that dream is the coolest?"

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Haru. "You… you're not afraid of the demon fox?"

"Huh? Why should I be afraid?"