Naruto: The Shadow Lord of the Nara Clan

On a cliff somewhere in the Naka River.

Shuimu sat on a protruding boulder, his arms resting on his knees, looking down at the forest.

According to the information he gathered, the Nara Shikakage is most likely located in the forest in front of him.

Mizuki completely disbelieved the field training mentioned in the intelligence report, his face filled with disdain and contempt.

"Pretending!"

Although it's unclear what Lu Ying is planning to do in the Nanga River Forest, that doesn't stop Mizuki from framing him.

As long as Naruto successfully steals the Scroll of Seals and goes to the Nakagawa Forest to hand over the forbidden scroll to him.

He has plenty of ways to make Lu Ying a suspect.

Then we can kill Naruto and maybe frame Shikakage!

He's done this kind of thing countless times; his experience is undeniable.

As for Naruto's identity as a fox demon, Mizuki was skeptical, but since he was just an idiot, he was no match for him.

Killing Naruto was as easy as killing a chicken or a dog, a simple matter of holding him by the hand.

"Come on, Naruto, don't let me down..."

Several tens of minutes later, the corners of Shui Mu's mouth gradually turned up.

He saw a tiny figure!

……

"Ha ha……"

Running non-stop had exhausted Naruto's stamina.

After finally arriving at the place he had agreed upon with Shui Mu, he collapsed onto the rocky beach beside the river, panting heavily.

A few breaths later, a figure quietly enveloped Naruto's small body.

He whirled around, and upon seeing Mizuki's face, excitedly picked up the forbidden technique scroll:

"Mr. Mizuki, here's what you wanted, I've brought it!"

"Hurry, teach me the Three Bodies Technique!"

Mizuki did not respond to Naruto's urging, but stared intently at the huge scroll in Naruto's arms, his eyes revealing naked greed and desire.

—This is the scroll that records all forbidden techniques since the founding of Konoha—the Book of Seals!

Thinking about the contents, Shui Mu suddenly felt a little restless.

But he quickly suppressed his vile impulse.

It wasn't out of pity, but simply out of fear of forbidden techniques.

As a professionally trained ninja who graduated from the Ninja Academy, Mizuki was naturally very clear about the concept of forbidden techniques. These types of ninjutsu, while incredibly powerful, also have equally terrifying and horrifying side effects.

Mizuki only wanted practical, harmless treasures. The Book of Sealing was good, but he couldn't handle it.

Why not give it to Orochimaru as a greeting gift? Of course, he'll still have to take a look at it a few times.

With a fake smile, Mizuki ruffled Naruto's hair and praised him:

"Well done, Naruto!"

After saying that, he snatched the forbidden technique scroll from Naruto's arms.

Naruto, still brimming with excitement, failed to notice the change in Mizuki's attitude and instead pressed for an answer:

"Mitsuki-sensei, please teach me ninjutsu!"

"Don't rush, Naruto, let's take it slow."

Mizuki said softly, but took out a kunai from his hand.

Upon seeing the gleaming weapon, even the most naive Naruto sensed something was amiss.

He swallowed hard, took a few steps back, and muttered:

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Mizuki?"

"That's exactly what you mean!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a kunai flew out quickly, grazing Naruto's cheek and landing on the rocky beach.

The burning pain on his cheek sent a jolt through Naruto, who collapsed to the ground, trembling with fear.

Seeing this, Shui Mu became even more pleased, and he strode away with a sinister grin.

With a life-or-death crisis looming, Naruto, pale-faced, suddenly mustered the strength from who-knows-where and began to shout as he scrambled away.

"Help! Murder!"

Naruto's terrified screams sounded like beautiful music to Mizuki. As he chased after him, he would occasionally throw a few kunai that grazed past him, teasing the disheveled figure like a cat playing with a mouse.

"Scream louder, the louder the better."

"Once you attract the Nara Deer Shadow here, your death is nigh!"

As long as Naruto dies next to Shikakage Nara, that guy will never be able to clear his name, no matter what he does!

As for Shuimu himself, he naturally made a hasty retreat!

He had no intention of staying in Konoha any longer; as soon as he got his hands on the Scroll of Seals, he would immediately join Orochimaru.

This is why Mizuki dared to let Naruto lure Nara Shikakage.

So what if we can't win? We can always escape.

What Nara Shikakage will be left with is Naruto's corpse and a mess.

Given the attitude of Konoha's higher-ups, Nara Shikakage will be badly injured, if not killed!

A perfect plan!

……

In the stillness of the night, amidst the chirping of insects and buzzing of mosquitoes, a discordant noise arose.

Awakened by the noise, the deer lifted the tent flap and, in a flash, arrived on the treetop.

Looking out from a high vantage point, bathed in the clear moonlight, he quickly spotted Naruto fleeing through the woods.

Seeing Naruto's panicked and fearful expression, Shikakage frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled.

—What's Naruto doing here?

His doubts didn't last long, because the figure following closely behind Naruto provided the answer.

——Mizuki?

—What he holds is… the Book of Seals?

In just a short while, Lu Ying roughly figured out the ins and outs of the matter.

Although she wasn't quite sure why this had happened ahead of schedule, Lu Ying knew what she had to do.

His brow relaxed, then he smiled slightly, his eyes revealing a chilling killing intent as he looked at Shui Mu.

The reason I let this person go before wasn't because he was kind and forgiving; it was simply because it wasn't convenient to take action against him.

Now that Shuimu has actually handed him the reasons and evidence for the murder, shouldn't we give this guy a good "satisfaction"?

Lu Ying was always decisive in his actions, and once he made a decision, he immediately took action.

Without saying a word, three kunai aimed at vital points pierced through the air and struck.

At the same time, Lu Ying quickly scanned the moon's position, and after mentally calculating the appropriate angle, leaped into the air.

Mizuki, who was "chasing" Naruto, suddenly felt an itch on his forehead. Looking closely, he realized that three sharp blades were coming towards him.

Driven by instinct, he was about to dodge to the side when a dark mass suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

The darkness was like a binding rein, tightly binding Shui Mu's body, making him unable to move an inch.

Mizuki, who was being controlled, could only watch helplessly as the kunai attacked, his eyes filled with fear of death.

—Am I really going to die like this?

Perhaps it was the powerful will to survive that erupted when he was on the verge of death. After being bound for less than a second, Mizuki successfully broke free from the unknown control by relying on all his strength.

The kunai, which should have been aimed directly at the heart, missed its intended killing intent due to Mizuki's frantic struggle, and only pierced the internal organs next to the heart.

Although he barely survived, Mizuki's injuries were still extremely serious.

"What a pity, the angle wasn't right, otherwise, with the shadows, there should have been enough time."

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Shui Mu's eyes immediately turned red.

He endured the bone-chilling pain, first creating some distance, then suddenly turning around and letting out a hoarse roar:

"Nara Shikakage! You attacked me from behind!"

"What are you babbling about? This is a life-or-death battle."

As he spoke, Lu Ying followed closely behind Shui Mu, giving him no time to rest.

"Here comes the little flying stick!"

The murderous intent resurfaced, and no matter how angry Shui Mu was, he could only force himself to fight for survival.

He reached behind his back with one hand, intending to use his prized weapon—a large shuriken—to parry Lu Ying's killing move.

But as soon as his hand reached out, the familiar feeling returned.

—Damn it, why can't I move again?!