Naruto: The new beginning

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"Ah? No!" Konohamaru rubbed his head, stood up, and replied, "I didn't skip class! Today's a school holiday."

"That's true. Now that Grandpa, the Third Hokage, is the school's dean, he wouldn't condone you skipping classes."

Since the Third Hokage recovered, he has devoted himself to educating the younger generation, even choosing to live at the school.

This has greatly inspired the enthusiasm of young teachers, especially Iruka.

The children, however, find it challenging especially since someone more long-winded than Iruka is now part of their routine.

Whenever the Third Hokage speaks, the children's admiration for the Fourth Hokage grows even stronger.

They appreciate that he's young, handsome, powerful, and, most importantly, not one for lengthy speeches like the Third Hokage.

In this way, the Third Hokage has made significant contributions to children's education, in more ways than one.

Konohamaru's expression grew sombre when he thought of his grandfather, but he quickly brightened up. "Big Brother Naruto, let me introduce you. This is Udon, and this is Moegi. Together, we are…"

"The Konohamaru Corps!" they shouted in unison.

"Oh."

As if a cold wind had blown through, the air became tense with awkward silence.

"Oh? That's it? Your reaction is too cold, Big Brother Naruto!" Konohamaru exclaimed in frustration.

Naruto thought for a moment and sensed the child's need for support. Smiling, he said, "Your stance is good, but the lines could use some work. Let me teach you a new set…"

And with that, Naruto left, his three admirers practising their new lines:

"Why does war rage?"

"Why do autumn leaves fall?"

"Nature cannot be taken away!"

Moegi suddenly shouted, "Oh no! We forgot to tell Big Brother Naruto that important thing!"

Udon echoed, "Yeah, the lines were so cool I completely forgot! What do we do, Konohamaru?"

Konohamaru clenched his fist. "Of course, we chase after him!"

---

The Nine-Tails suddenly interjected, "Hey kid, let the old fox borrow a shadow clone."

Naruto was instantly on guard. "Why? I haven't even enjoyed my last mission reward yet!"

The Nine-Tails scoffed, "Do you think all I care about is eating?"

"Oh? You have other interests?" Naruto asked, pretending to be shocked but still cooperating by creating a shadow clone.

The Nine-Tails continued, "Did you save the coordinates from near the ruins last time? Send the shadow clone there."

"Alright, let it fly over on its own, and then you can take control." Naruto didn't ask any further, guessing that the Nine-Tails might want to talk to Shukaku.

It seemed like Gaara had already spoken with Shukaku.

The clone disappeared, and the Nine-Tails fell silent, concentrating on controlling it.

Just then, Konohamaru's voice rang out behind Naruto. "Big Brother Naruto!"

Naruto turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Anything else?"

The three kids panted, catching their breath, before Konohamaru replied, "There's… something really important!"

Naruto was intrigued. "Alright, tell me."

Konohamaru leaned in mysteriously, cupping his hand around his mouth as he signalled Naruto to bend down.

Naruto obliged, and Konohamaru whispered, "We heard that someone has escaped from prison!"

"Escaped?" Naruto was sceptical. Surely the guards would have handled this. "How do you know?"

"We overheard it while playing ninja near the garrison."

"Do you know who it is?"

"It's someone named Mizuki, along with four of Orochimaru's subordinates."

"Huh?" Naruto eyed the trio suspiciously. "Were you planning on catching them yourselves?"

The three burst into mischievous giggles.

Naruto sighed, giving each of them a gentle tap on the head. "Listen, I'll go check it out. You three find somewhere safe to play, or better yet, head home."

"Yes!" they chorused, momentarily stunned by his response.

Naruto opened his sensory map, pinpointing the location of the Sound Four.

He recognized their chakra signatures he'd encountered them before. Still, something didn't sit right.

Their curse marks were sealed, and they weren't particularly strong. Even if Mizuki was serious, he wouldn't stand a chance against someone like Iruka.

So, how did they manage to escape? There hadn't been any commotion in Konoha that would suggest a lapse in security. Could it be that Mizuki was pulling off something more elaborate?

Tracking the group, Naruto noticed several other chakra signals following them, and one felt familiar. "Is that… Izumi?"

He quickened his pace, soon spotting her and calling out. "Sister Izumi!"

She turned, surprised. "Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"I heard from Konohamaru that some prisoners broke out, so I thought I'd take a look."

Izumi looked taken aback. "How did that get out?"

Naruto reassured her. "Don't worry; the kids just overheard it by accident. They're pretty responsible they won't spread it around."

The other three members of Izumi's squad exchanged glances, quietly questioning why Naruto was even there.

Although he was Hokage's son, he wasn't technically part of the tracking unit. However, he was skilled, and having him along could be useful.

Naruto continued, "I know the Konoha garrison is thorough, so this kind of slip-up feels unusual. Is there more to this situation?"

The squad members warmed to him. His respectful tone and confidence in their abilities softened their initial annoyance, and they appreciated his perception.

Izumi, while continuing to track, explained, "It's alright to tell you. We let them escape on purpose. The Sound Four have always believed Orochimaru is alive and have clung to the hope that he'd come for them."

"Despite all our efforts, neither Ibiki nor Inoichi have been able to extract any new intel from them. So today, during the shift change, we intentionally showed a few security gaps, hoping to see what they'd do. But we didn't expect Mizuki to seek them out."

Naruto nodded, understanding the tactic. "I get it this is bait. You're watching to see if they'll lead you to something valuable. In that case, let me help. My sensory abilities will make tracking them a lot easier."

Izumi accepted his offer gratefully. "Thank you, Naruto."

The rest of the team had no objections. Although they had their tracking techniques, Naruto's sensory ninjutsu would make it even more reliable, helping to prevent any possibility of losing the targets.

Naruto focused, pointing in a specific direction. "They're heading toward the back mountain."

---

Meanwhile, with the escapees:

"Hey, Mizuki, where are you taking us?" Sakon demanded.

Mizuki smirked, his eyes glinting with cunning. "Relax. I told you, there's something Orochimaru left behind in the mountains. Once we get it, we'll be able to leave Konoha for good."

Tayuya scoffed, her tone threatening. "If you're messing with us, I swear I'll make you regret it."

The usually mild-mannered Jirobo interjected, "Tayuya, maybe tone down the language a bit."

"Shut it, Jirobo. I'll talk however I want," Tayuya snapped back.

Kidomaru, fiddling with his kunai, rolled his eyes. "Enough bickering. If it weren't for the curse mark's weakening, this wouldn't be so much trouble."

Mizuki kept a steady pace ahead of them, ignoring their complaints, while thoughts of escape and vengeance filled his mind.

He couldn't help but believe that whatever lay hidden in these mountains could be the key to their freedom.

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