NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Uzumaki Naruto’s Light – His Savior
Naruto stared at the sky veil in confusion. Why was it showing his story? Why reveal the things he least wanted to remember—his lonely past?
"My savior… who could that be?" Naruto mumbled to himself. The word "savior" was new to him. He wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Idiot, what are you afraid of? Just say it," Jiraiya said with a grin, though his eyes carried a trace of guilt.
He could see that Naruto wanted to speak, but Jiraiya also felt ashamed. All these years, he had been searching for the Child of Prophecy and had neglected Minato and Kushina's son.
Naruto's mind wandered back to his childhood. He remembered being rejected by the villagers and isolated by the entire village. He didn't know why he was hated or what he had done wrong.
To be noticed, he pulled pranks, painted graffiti—anything to make people look at him.
It was foolish, but it was all he could do to push away the crushing loneliness.
"I just wanted people to remember me. To know that Uzumaki Naruto existed," he whispered.
[The veil shifted to another memory.]
It was a dark night, and a younger Naruto was hiding behind a tree, clutching the Scroll of Seals tightly.
"He's not the Nine-Tails anymore. He's Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf Village!"
That was what Iruka-sensei had said. Those words echoed in Naruto's mind.
For the first time in his life, someone acknowledged him. Someone needed him.
Hiding behind the tree that night, Naruto had cried tears of relief.
"IRUKA-SENSEI!" Naruto shouted suddenly.
At that moment, the sky veil went dark for a brief second.
[Text appeared.]
"Correct Answer: Uzumaki Naruto's savior is…"
[An image lit up on the veil: a young man with a cross-shaped scar on his nose—Iruka-sensei.]
The ninja world erupted into chatter as they watched.
"That's Naruto's savior? He looks so… ordinary."
"I thought it would be some super strong, heroic figure. Not just a teacher."
In the Hidden Leaf Academy's office, Iruka stared at the screen, tears streaming down his face. His hands trembled as he whispered, "I'm Naruto's savior?"
"No… maybe it's the other way around. Maybe he's my savior…"
Iruka couldn't hold back his emotions. His tears of joy and gratitude reflected his overwhelming feelings.
The students who had graduated alongside Naruto were equally shocked.
"Of course, it's Iruka-sensei," one of them muttered. "Who else could it be?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, smiled softly as he watched. "Iruka… Well done."
[Suddenly, the veil shifted again.]
A scene from Naruto's academy days appeared.
"Clone Jutsu!" young Naruto yelled, summoning a puff of white smoke.
A pitiful, nearly lifeless clone lay on the floor, barely holding its form.
Naruto: "…"
Iruka: "…"
The ninja world: "…"
And then—
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Is that supposed to be a clone? What a joke!"
"Clone Jutsu is one of the easiest techniques. How does he mess it up?"
"I heard he's a dropout. Failed the graduation exam multiple times. Is that true?"
"How can a Jinchūriki be a failure? Isn't that kind of… contradictory?"
Naruto's face darkened with embarrassment as laughter echoed throughout the ninja world.
Back in the Hidden Leaf, Sakura and the others couldn't help but giggle. Because the exams had been conducted individually to prevent cheating, they hadn't seen Naruto's attempt.
But now, it was clear for everyone to see.
"It's the Nine-Tails' fault," Jiraiya murmured, his sharp eyes catching the issue immediately. "Naruto can't regulate his chakra properly because of it."
[The scene shifted.]
Outside the academy, students were celebrating their graduation, gathering with their families.
"Great job, son! You're on your way now!"
"Now I can handle missions on my own!"
In the distance, under the shade of a tree, Naruto sat alone on a swing.
Dappled sunlight fell on his face, but it only highlighted his loneliness. The happy voices around him were like daggers to his heart.
Pulling his goggles down over his eyes, Naruto ran off, hiding his pain.
The next scene showed Mizuki approaching him.
"That Mizuki guy again? What's he up to now?"
"He doesn't look trustworthy. What does he want from Naruto?"
[The veil revealed Mizuki speaking to Naruto.]
Mizuki told Naruto that if he wanted to graduate, he had to steal the Scroll of Seals from the Hokage's office.
"See? I knew it! Mizuki is scum!"
"How could he manipulate Naruto like that? He's just a kid!"
"Poor Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered from her hospital bed, her eyes full of worry.
"That idiot," Kiba grumbled. "How could Naruto believe such an obvious lie?"
"Knowing Naruto, I'm not surprised," Shino said calmly. "He's always been… impulsive."
"Stealing the Scroll of Seals is impossible. It's heavily guarded. He won't succeed," someone commented confidently.
"If Naruto actually steals it, I'll eat dirt!" another person declared boldly.
[The veil showed Naruto sneaking into the Hokage's office.]
Under the cover of night, Naruto crept inside and, after some searching, managed to find the Scroll of Seals.
"Bad news! The Scroll of Seals has been stolen!"
The ninja world fell silent.
"You've got to be kidding me. He actually stole it?"
"Where were the guards? This is the Hokage's office! Not even a single Anbu member?!"
"Not even a janitor?"
"Hey, who was the idiot who said they'd eat dirt? Show yourself!"
"Is the Hidden Leaf trying to make us laugh? How could they let a kid walk in and steal something so important?"