Chapter 7: 7
The Familiar's Fury
The tension in the Forest of Death grew intense, as Mizuki launched himself at Naruto, his demon wind shuriken cutting through the air. Naruto sidestepped, his movements smooth and taunting.
"Is dodging all you're good for, brat?" Mizuki spat, his anger boiling over.
Naruto smirked, twirling his umbrella lazily. "I'm just warming up. Besides, this fight feels... unbalanced. Let's fix that."
In the depths of Naruto's mind, Kurama growled impatiently. "Enough of this nonsense. Let me deal with him, Naruto. I'll tear him apart!"
Naruto chuckled. "Alright, furball. But keep it low-key, no chakra. We don't need every ninja in the village showing up."
Kurama grumbled but agreed. A pulse of energy coursed through Naruto as he summoned his familiar. A puff of smoke appeared beside him, revealing Kurama in his small, compact form, just the size of a large wolf.
The miniature Nine-Tails still exuded a terrifying aura. His crimson eyes glinted with malice, his sharp fangs bared in a snarl.
Mizuki froze mid-step, his expression shifting to horror. "The Nine-Tails…" he murmured, his voice quaking. "How… How is that even possible?!"
Kurama snarled, his tails flicking behind him. "Finally got it through your thick skull that me and the boy aren't one in the same"
Mizuki steadied himself, forcing a smirk. "So, you're a lapdog now, huh? Reduced to following orders from this brat? Pathetic!"
Kurama chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with malice. "A lapdog? No, I'm his partner. But don't worry, you'll get a firsthand lesson in what that means."
Naruto leaned casually against a tree, munching on some popcorn. "Try not to disappoint me, Mizuki-sensei. Kurama's been itching for some fun."
Mizuki sneered, forming a hand seal. An earthen wall erupted between him and Kurama as he dove underground. Moments later, his arm shot out from the earth, aiming to grab Kurama by the legs.
Kurama scoffed. "Childish tricks."
With a single leap, Kurama avoided the attack, landing gracefully. As Mizuki emerged from the ground, Kurama's claws lashed out, tearing into his shoulder and sending him crashing back against a tree.
"You're already outmatched," Kurama growled. "Give up while you still can."
Mizuki wiped the blood from his lips, glaring at Kurama. "Not a chance."
He unsealed a second demon wind shuriken and hurled it at Kurama with blinding speed. Kurama's tails flicked, deflecting the weapon midair as he charged Mizuki.
The two clashed viciously, Kurama's claws slashing and Mizuki countering with a kunai. The forest echoed with the sound of metal meeting flesh.
Naruto yawned dramatically. "Kurama, stop playing with him. He's boring me."
Kurama growled in response. "Fine. Let's end this."
Mizuki gritted his teeth, activating his cursed seal. His muscles bulged grotesquely as his body transformed, tiger-like stripes spreading across his skin. His eyes gleamed with feral intensity.
"Let's see how you handle this, you filthy fox!" Mizuki roared, his voice guttural and animalistic.
Kurama tilted his head, unimpressed. "You think that's enough to scare me? Adorable."
Mizuki lunged with newfound speed, claws aimed for Kurama's throat. The fox sidestepped with ease, retaliating with a swipe that tore through Mizuki's defenses. Blood sprayed across the forest floor, but Mizuki pushed forward, his movements growing wilder.
Kurama darted in and out of Mizuki's attacks, his smaller size making him far more agile. "This is the best you've got?" Kurama sneered. "Pathetic."
Mizuki roared in frustration, his swings becoming more desperate. "You'll die here, fox!"
Kurama chuckled darkly. "No, Mizuki. You will."
With a burst of speed, Kurama leaped onto Mizuki's chest, sinking his fangs into the man's throat. Mizuki's roar turned into a gurgle as blood poured from the wound.
Naruto walked over, hands in his pockets, as Mizuki's body crumpled to the ground. "Well, that escalated quickly. Guess we don't have to worry about him anymore."
Kurama licked the blood from his muzzle, his eyes glowing ominously. "Weaklings like him don't deserve mercy."
Naruto grinned, patted Kurama on the head. "Fair enough."
---
A Gift for the Hokage
Naruto stood over Mizuki's lifeless body. A smirk tugged at his lips as he muttered, "Such a shame. You could've been a decent player in this game, Mizuki-sensei."
Kurama growled softly from within Naruto's mind. "What now? Are you going to leave him for the wildlife?"
Naruto shook his head, still smirking. "Nah, we need to tie up loose ends properly. Go on, furball. You've done your part."
With a faint shimmer, Kurama faded back into the seal, his presence receding.
Naruto clapped his hands together and counted aloud in German, his voice calm and measured: "Eins… Zwei… Drei…"
A dark, swirling portal formed beside him, expanding into a box large enough to house Mizuki's body. The box was black, adorned with glowing red runes that pulsed faintly.
"Perfect fit," Naruto mused as he hefted Mizuki's corpse and dropped it unceremoniously into the box.
Sitting cross-legged next to the box, he began writing:
Dear Lord Third,
When he finished, Naruto signed it with a flourish:
Yours chaotically, Mephisto Pheles.
Naruto smirked at the pseudonym. "That should keep the old man guessing for a while."
Rolling up the letter, he secured it with a red wax seal. He attached it to the box, ensuring it was prominently visible, then stood and stretched.
"Well, time to deliver the package."
Naruto placed his hand on the box, teleporting it to the Hokage's office.
---
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, pouring over reports with a tired expression.Suddenly, as if by magic, a large box appeared near his desk.
The sound startled him, and the ANBU stationed nearby materialized instantly, their weapons drawn.
"What is this?" one of them asked, eyeing the box suspiciously.
Another ANBU stepped forward cautiously, retrieving the letter attached to the top. "It's addressed to you, Lord Hokage," they said, handing it to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen's brow furrowed as he took the letter and broke the seal. His eyes scanned the neatly written words, and his expression darkened as he read:
Dear Lord Third,
It has come to my attention that one of your trusted instructors, Mizuki, had planned to frame a certain demon brat for the theft of the forbidden Scroll of Seals. Mizuki intended to escape while leaving the blame on the boy. Fortunately, his scheme has been dealt with, and he will trouble you no more.
To save you the trouble of hunting him down, I've included his corpse in the box before you.
Yours chaotically, Mephisto Pheles.
Hiruzen's hand tightened around the letter as he read the name. "Mephisto Pheles…"
The name triggered a memory, Jiraiya had recently mentioned it in a report. According to Jiraiya, Mephisto was a rogue element causing chaos across the world.
Hiruzen's gaze shifted to the box. "Open it," he ordered.
The ANBU hesitated but obeyed. One of them unsealed the box, revealing Mizuki's lifeless body inside. The sight of the mutilated corpse drew a grimace from even the seasoned operatives.
Hiruzen sighed heavily, his mind racing. "So, this Mephisto has come to Konoha…"
One of the ANBU spoke up. "Lord Hokage, what should we do?"
Hiruzen's face hardened with resolve. "Increase patrols and tighten the village's security. Whoever this Mephisto is, we cannot allow him to bring chaos to Konoha."
The ANBU nodded and vanished to carry out the orders, leaving Hiruzen alone with his thoughts.
He stared at Mizuki's corpse, then at the letter. "What are you planning, Mephisto? And why involve yourself with us?"
The old Hokage leaned back in his chair, the weight of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders.