Naruto:Dark Return

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A dozen kunai sliced through the air, whistling toward Naruto. The sound was sharp, and the force behind them was undeniable.

Naruto, alerted by Ichiro's voice in his mind, twisted his body to dodge—but the kunai were too close.

"Who's attacking me!?" Naruto shouted, both frightened and angry.

He turned to look behind him and saw Mizuki standing on a tree branch, a sneer plastered across his face.

"Teacher Mizuki?!" Naruto gasped.

"How... how can this be? Didn't I tell you I'd steal the scroll later?"

Mizuki's sneer deepened. Naruto's words only fueled his rage, making his face contort in anger.

"You dare talk about your little lie?" Mizuki growled. "You're nothing but a brat who thinks he's clever!"

His pride as a Chūnin was wounded—he had been outsmarted by a would-be Genin.

"Damn little fox! Do you think I didn't see through your pathetic trick?" Mizuki spat.

He jumped down from the branch, landing with a thud. His eyes were full of hatred, and his murderous intent radiated like a heavy fog.

"Hand over the Scroll of Seals," he snarled, his voice deceptively calm. "Maybe I'll let you go if you do."

But his eyes betrayed his intent. Mizuki didn't plan to let Naruto go—he wanted to toy with him, break him, and then kill him.

Naruto, however, was prepared. Ichiro had warned him long ago about Mizuki's true nature.

"Ha!" Naruto smirked, sticking out his tongue. "This scroll belongs to the village! There's no way I'm handing it over to a traitor like you!"

Naruto pulled a face and bolted, clutching the scroll tightly to his chest.

Mizuki's laugh echoed behind him, cold and full of venom.

"Hah! You useless little beast! You're nothing but an unwanted fox demon!" Mizuki roared, his voice dripping with malice.

Reaching behind his back, Mizuki grabbed his oversized shuriken and hurled it with deadly precision.

The whirring weapon spun through the air, its edges cutting through the night with a sharp, menacing whistle.

But Naruto, as though expecting the attack, sidestepped at the last moment.

Within the Subconscious

Inside Naruto's mind, Ichiro's eyes glinted with a fierce light as he watched Mizuki's movements through Naruto's senses.

"Let me take over," Ichiro said firmly. "You're no match for him."

Naruto didn't stop running but responded quickly, his voice filled with defiance. "No need! I've been chased plenty of times—I know how to avoid getting caught!"

Naruto's trust and dependence on Ichiro were at 33%, but it wasn't enough for him to relinquish control of his body. Deep down, Naruto was still afraid Ichiro might go too far—maybe even kill Mizuki.

---

"Besides," Naruto added, "if I can't beat him, you can't either! Once I lose him and learn the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, I'll be fine!"

Ichiro sighed but didn't argue further.

Back in the real world, Mizuki closed the gap between them. His speed was superior to Naruto's, and it didn't take long for him to catch up.

"Stupid fox demon, I'll take your left hand with this strike!" Mizuki roared, lunging forward with a kunai aimed at Naruto's arm.

Naruto, instead of running, suddenly stopped and grabbed onto a nearby tree trunk. Using the momentum of Mizuki's lunge against him, Naruto stayed rooted while Mizuki stumbled forward, thrown off balance.

"Hah! What an idiot!" Naruto laughed, clutching his sides. "You're so slow—it usually takes a whole group of Chūnin to catch me!"

Mizuki's face turned red with fury.

"Disgusting little fox demon!" Mizuki snarled.

Naruto, emboldened by the taunt, stuck out his tongue and ran off again. "Yeah, yeah! Keep talking, Mizuki-sensei! Maybe you're just getting old!"

But this time, Mizuki didn't react with rage. Instead, a sinister smile crept across his face.

"Do you even know why everyone calls you a fox demon, Naruto?" Mizuki asked, his voice low and venomous.

Naruto froze mid-step.

A wave of unease gripped his chest, and his hands trembled.

[Blackening Value +2]

[Blackening Value +2...]

"Is it starting?" Ichiro said within the subconscious, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Mizuki's smile widened as he stepped closer, his tone dripping with mock sympathy.

"Twelve years ago, the Nine-Tails attacked this village," Mizuki began. "Countless people died... and you're the reason why."

"What... what are you talking about?" Naruto stammered, his voice trembling.

Mizuki's words hit Naruto like a thunderclap. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, staring at Mizuki in disbelief.

[Blackening Value +20]

[Blackening Value +30...]

"Think about it," Mizuki sneered. "Why do you think everyone in the village hates you? Why do you think no one will tell you about your parents? Why do you think they look at you with those eyes?"

Naruto's hands instinctively touched his face, feeling the whisker-like marks on his cheeks.

"No... that's impossible..." Naruto whispered, his voice cracking. "I'm not the Nine-Tails... I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Mizuki, seeing Naruto's collapse, grinned triumphantly. He closed the distance and grabbed Naruto by the neck, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.

The Scroll of Seals slipped from Naruto's grasp, and Mizuki caught it with his free hand.

"The village raised you, fed you, only because the Hokage ordered it," Mizuki spat. "Even Iruka, the one who pretends to care about you—his parents were killed by the Nine-Tails. Don't you think he secretly hates you too?"

Naruto's eyes were wide and empty, his spirit shattered by Mizuki's words.

[Blackening Value +50...]

"Everyone wants you dead," Mizuki sneered, raising a kunai high above his head. "So why don't you fulfill their wishes? Go to hell!"

The kunai descended rapidly, aimed directly at Naruto's forehead.

[Current Blackening Value: 3,920]

"System," Ichiro commanded coldly. "Switch personalities."

[The main personality's emotions have completely collapsed. Personality switch successful.]

Before the kunai could make contact, a small hand shot up, grabbing Mizuki's wrist like a vice.

"Oh?" a cold, unfamiliar voice echoed. "Who were you planning to kill?

End of Chapter