Naruto: Troublesome Ninja Haruta

Chapter 6: Senpai, Are You Questioning Lord Hokage?

Konoha-ryu Kenjutsu, at its core, was still a branch of Taijutsu.

Haruta's system had an interesting feature—whenever he mastered or received a reward related to a certain skill category, he could instantly integrate it and perform at the highest level he had reached within that category.

Just like with his Suiton and Doton techniques, once his level increased, any new jutsu he learned would automatically be as powerful as his current tier allowed.

In theory, this ability made him absurdly strong. But the problem was…

Free Points were hard to come by.

They were entirely tied to mission difficulty, meaning his progress depended solely on his own efforts. If he wasn't careful, he could end up dead in an instant.

He was the very definition of "starting from nothing and building up, with every rise and fall relying entirely on himself."

"Still, the skills I got this time are pretty interesting…"

His mission reward had come through Uzuki Yuugao, meaning he had also acquired some of her abilities.

"Crescent Moon Dance, Hazy Night, and Konoha-ryu Continuous Slash?"

The first two were understandable, but the last one left him a bit confused. Wasn't that the name of some move from a gacha game?

Oh well, it didn't really matter. What was important was that these new abilities would significantly boost his combat power.

And if Sarutobi Hiruzen actually followed through on the rewards he had promised, wouldn't that be an even bigger power-up?

---

As they walked through the streets of Konoha, Yuugao—now dressed in casual clothes—noticed Haruta seemed distracted. She looked at him with some concern and asked softly,

"What's on your mind? You seem a bit out of it."

"It's nothing," Haruta quickly shook his head and sighed. "Just thinking about our injured and fallen teammates."

His words made Yuugao pause. After a moment of contemplation, she responded seriously,

"This is the fate of the Anbu. We accepted this reality the moment we joined. We are the ones who stand at the very front, protecting Konoha."

"I understand, Senpai."

Haruta nodded immediately—he had no intention of getting dragged into some emotional conversation. So, he quickly echoed her words with righteous enthusiasm.

"We walk in the shadows and serve the light. That is the duty of the Anbu!"

"Serve the light… that is the Anbu…"

Yuugao was visibly moved by his words.

Such a simple phrase, yet it perfectly encapsulated the essence of their existence.

For a moment, she found herself reflecting—this boy had only just joined Anbu, yet he seemed to understand its purpose better than she did.

She and her senior, Gekko Hayate, had been part of Anbu for two years now. So why did it feel like this new recruit already surpassed her in dedication?

Yuugao fell silent, lost in thought.

Thankfully, Haruta wasn't the type to let a conversation die. As they chatted, they quickly found common ground, and the atmosphere became much livelier.

Haruta also used this opportunity to learn more about his Senpai—her love for flower viewing, her passion for Kenjutsu, and even her opinions on their fellow shinobi.

Yuugao spoke seriously, while Haruta listened with great interest.

"If I get the chance, I'd love to learn some sword techniques from you, Senpai. I hope you'll be willing to teach me."

"Of course, no problem! And just call me Yuugao. But in the field, use codenames."

As they continued talking and laughing, Yuugao was especially delighted to learn that Haruta shared her interest in swordsmanship.

Before long, they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.

Since it was already past peak hours, the place wasn't very crowded. But Haruta was surprised to see a small blond-haired boy standing under the eaves nearby.

The kid clutched his empty stomach while glancing longingly toward the ramen stand.

"That little brat…"

Yuugao frowned slightly when she saw him. Clearly, she didn't know much about Naruto.

Like many in the village, she harbored a subconscious sense of disdain toward him.

"What's up with that kid?"

Haruta, knowing exactly what was going on, intentionally blinked innocently as he asked the question.

"Haven't you heard the rumors?"

Now it was Yuugao's turn to look at him in confusion. Lowering her voice, she explained,

"According to the stories, that kid is the embodiment of the Nine-Tailed Fox—the one responsible for the disaster five years ago!"

Five years ago, the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, bringing devastation. The Fourth Hokage and his wife perished, and many shinobi and civilians lost their lives.

Truly, Obito had an interesting way of "repaying kindness with kindness."

"But if he really is the Nine-Tails incarnate… then why was he allowed to stay in Konoha?"

Haruta blinked again, feigning curiosity.

Yuugao hesitated for a moment before answering with firm conviction,

"That… that's because Lord Hokage is merciful. He didn't want to waste time dealing with this brat."

"Is that so?"

Haruta tilted his head in confusion. Then he asked with apparent sincerity,

"But even if Lord Hokage is merciful, shouldn't he still prioritize the safety of the villagers? What if this 'threat' suddenly loses control one day?"

"This—"

Yuugao was stunned into silence.

For a moment, she had no idea how to respond.

She wanted to say that the Anbu, the elite shinobi of Konoha, and the Third Hokage were all there to handle it.

But the words died in her throat.

Because she had witnessed the destruction caused by the Nine-Tails firsthand. She had attended the Fourth Hokage's funeral.

She knew exactly how terrifying the beast was.

So… why had the Hokage chosen to let him stay?

Seeing Yuugao's reaction, Haruta understood immediately—her rank in Anbu wasn't high enough to know the truth about Jinchuriki.

In fact, his rank wasn't either.

Danzo had never given him access to any classified information regarding Jinchuriki.

But Haruta had the advantage of being a reincarnator.

And as an experienced workplace veteran, he knew—if even he wasn't privy to this information, then what was there to worry about?

He wasn't some lunatic from the Uchiha clan, after all.

He was a loyal, dedicated, and humble public servant of Konoha.

If anything, Danzo would probably be thrilled if he got close to Naruto.

"So, Senpai, don't doubt Lord Hokage's wisdom."

Haruta casually patted Yuugao's shoulder and grinned.

"Rumors are just rumors. As Anbu, our duty is to trust in the Hokage. You wouldn't suspect Lord Hokage of endangering Konoha, would you?"

"This… of course not… Also, just call me Yuugao…"

Yuugao seemed uncertain—whether it was because of Haruta's overly familiar attitude or because his words had given her something to think about.

She realized she had no real rebuttal.

Because if she argued against him, wouldn't that mean she was questioning the Hokage?

And that was absolutely the wrong stance for an Anbu member to take.

Still, years of ingrained rumors made her feel uneasy.

But Haruta didn't care about any of that. He had already grabbed Yuugao's hand and was heading straight for Naruto.

At that moment, Naruto was still oblivious to their approach. He was too busy counting the measly coins in his tiny frog wallet.

And then, suddenly—

"Huh? That's barely enough for one bowl of ramen…"

A young boy's voice rang out beside him.