Three days had passed since the alley attack. That night, the masked ninja had left those words behind before vanishing: "Your place will soon cease to exist." Those words kept spinning endlessly in Naruto's head. Morning in the Hidden Leaf Village. The sky was clear, and the Hokage Monument was bathed in orange light from the rising sun. An ordinary morning. Except it wasn't ordinary at all. Uzumaki Naruto walked down the corridor of the Hokage residence alongside Koharu. They were heading to report to Tsunade. Koharu moved quietly, her white bob-cut hair swaying gently. Her mismatched eyes—gold on the left, blue on the right—gazed steadily down the hallway. The small silver earring on her right ear caught the light streaming through the window. Compared to three days ago, the distance between the two of them as they walked had narrowed slightly. Neither had done it consciously. It had simply happened. Naruto knocked on the door to Tsunade's office. "[serious]Come in" Inside, Tsunade sat at her desk. Her long golden hair was tied in two bunches, her arms crossed. The wrinkles between her brows were deep. Naruto told her everything about that night three days ago. That there had been three masked ninja. That they'd been targeting Koharu. That he'd been called a "jinchuriki." And his conviction that someone was lurking inside the village. Tsunade listened in silence. When he finished, she opened her heavy mouth. "[serious]…I ordered the ANBU to investigate. The results came in just now" "What did you find?" "[serious]We couldn't identify the masked ninja. We traced the residual chakra, but it disappeared midway. There's no sign they fled outside the village" In other words, they were still inside. "[serious]We have no evidence. We don't know who's moving, or how many there are. At this stage, we can't act" "[angry]Can't act? Even though there are people targeting Koharu?" "[serious]If you move on emotion, you'll play right into their hands" Tsunade's eyes looked directly at Naruto. Not angry. But serious. Naruto clenched his fists and fell silent. It was frustrating. It wasn't enough. But he also knew Tsunade was right. Koharu said nothing beside him. She only pressed her lips together slightly. After the report ended, Naruto and Koharu stepped back into the hallway. The corridor outside was bright with morning light. The sounds of the village drifted from a distance. The rumble of carts, children's voices, a rooster crowing somewhere. "Did you find anything out?" Koharu asked. "[sad]Nothing yet. We're stuck" Koharu paused thoughtfully for a moment, then began walking silently beside Naruto. She said nothing. She was simply there. (This girl is really strange) Naruto thought that as they walked together down the corridor. Instead of words, she communicated through action—"I'm here with you." Right now, that was somehow comforting. --- As they stepped out of the Hokage residence's entrance, a voice called out. "[gentle]Uzumaki Naruto-sama, Koharu-sama. We've been waiting for you" Naruto turned around. A woman stood there. Deep purple hair parted down the center and tied back. Tall—at least 175 centimeters. Black combat clothing. But what caught the eye most was the deep scar running down her left cheek. Yet her mouth curved in a soft smile. "[gentle]I am Tsubaki. I was formerly stationed in the ANBU. By order of Tsunade-sama, I've been assigned to serve as your escort" There was another person beside her. A man with short black hair streaked with red. His pale gray eyes were quiet, like windows that reflected no emotion. He was tall, his body lean and disciplined. A tattoo of some kind marked the back of his left hand. "[cold]Kodachi. I handle support" Brief. He stated only his name and role, then fell silent again. Naruto's brows furrowed immediately. "[serious]Is that really Grandma Tsunade's order? We just went to report this morning" "[gentle]Please, look at this" Tsubaki withdrew a document from her pocket and offered it politely. Naruto took it and looked—it was an official order bearing the Hokage's seal. The handwriting looked like Tsunade's. The words "escort mission," "Uzumaki Naruto and associated persons," and "urgent" were written in a line. (Did Grandma Tsunade really issue an order like this at this morning's meeting?) It seemed a bit odd, but the evidence was right in front of him. Koharu was staring intently at the document beside him. Her gold and blue eyes quietly traced the characters. "[gentle]There's something I'd like to show you" Tsubaki turned to face Naruto directly. Her smile remained, but her tone dropped slightly. "[serious]When the Nine-Tails' chakra begins to run wild—when the seal's heat rises—you can raise the threshold by changing your breathing. Would you like to try?" Naruto nodded, though cautiously. Tsubaki taught him a simple breathing technique. Inhale through the nose for four seconds, hold for seven, exhale for eight. Repeat while focusing awareness on the seal in his abdomen. He tried it. He was shocked. The heat deep in his belly—just slightly, just a little—calmed down. The Nine-Tails' chakra seemed to quiet. It wasn't perfect, but it definitely worked. "[surprised]It actually works…!" The words escaped him involuntarily. Koharu's expression softened slightly too. Her face showed a small surprise, as if she wanted to say, "That's surprisingly practical." Seeing this, Tsubaki nodded slowly. "[gentle]It's good to let your body become familiar with it so you can use it anytime" Meanwhile, Kodachi turned to Koharu. "[cold]I have one request. I'd like to proceed with investigating your background. Could you let me take a rubbing of the jade magatama crest? If I cross-reference it with my sensory ability, we might find a lead" Koharu stopped for just a moment. (…Should I trust these people?) She was hesitating. It was visible in her eyes. Naruto looked between Kodachi and Tsubaki alternately, then gripped the order document again. Tsunade's command. The breathing technique was real. It had worked. "[serious]Koharu, let's have them do it. Getting more leads on your background is a good thing, right?" Koharu looked at Naruto's face for one second. Then she nodded slightly. "[gentle]…Understood" —— The readers would know. Kodachi was taking the rubbing to leak Koharu's information to Kagenoui. --- Past midday, Kakashi came to call for Naruto. Silver hair, half his face covered by a mask, his left eye always closed. His gait seemed somehow leisurely, yet his presence was completely absent. Truly a former ANBU. "[gentle]It's time for afternoon training, Naruto. Let's work on the precision of your Rasengan at Training Ground Three" "[excited]Yeah! Let's go!" Naruto turned back to Koharu. "[serious]I'm heading to training for a while. I think it's fine with Tsubaki and the others here, but if anything happens—" "[gentle]I understand. Please go ahead" Koharu said quietly. Her expression was as calm as always. Tsubaki bowed and said, "We'll be on standby around the apartment." Kodachi nodded silently. --- Training Ground Three, southeast of the village, inside the outer wall. A deep green training area marked by three wooden posts. Naruto was practicing the Rasengan. Gathering chakra in his palm, spinning it at high speed. Forming the shape. Stabilizing it. Kakashi watched from beside him. "[serious]Your right hand's rotation is weak. Push the chakra inward, not outward" "[serious]Like this…?" "Slightly better" "Slightly?" "[sarcastic]'Slightly' is an important step" The sound of two voices and the Rasengan echoed through the forest. --- Meanwhile. Naruto's apartment was quiet. Koharu was looking at copies of old documents in her room. Still thinking about the jade magatama. The sounds of the village drifted in from outside the window. The first thing she noticed was the sound. The footsteps in the hallway—there were too many. Koharu looked up. The next moment, the door exploded. BOOM!! The hinges flew, and the door collapsed into the room. Four ninja in black garb entered silently. A fifth stood in the hallway, blocking the exit. Koharu immediately stood and ran to the next room. "Don't let her escape" Ahead in the hallway, ninjutsu detonated. BANG!! A wall of earth suddenly blocked the corridor. No escape route. "——!" Koharu quickly surveyed her surroundings. No weapons. She didn't know how to use chakra. Only her body. There—a can of red paint. Construction paint, vividly red. Koharu thought. While thinking, she kicked the can over with her foot. CLANG! Red paint spread across the floor. Footprints appeared. This would become evidence. It was her last act of resistance. Two of them grabbed her arms, and Koharu was dragged out. Outside the apartment, Kodachi was directing passersby. "Construction work in progress." "Please use another route"—his voice was matter-of-fact as he cleared the area. In the alley across from the apartment, Tsubaki stood with her back against the wall, arms crossed. The gentle smile was gone. What remained was cold focus. Calculated waiting. (Plan proceeding as scheduled) Tsubaki confirmed this quietly. There was nothing in her heart. Not emotion. This was a mission. Remove the "anomalous presence" beside the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki. That was all. Tsubaki watched from the shadows of the alley as Koharu was taken away. --- Evening. Naruto returned to the street in front of his apartment after finishing training. The old woman from the next room was just coming out of her entrance. Carrying shopping bags, she passed by saying, "Oh, welcome home." "[excited]I'm back!" He gave his usual response and climbed the stairs. He stepped into the hallway. Red footprints—were on the floor. Naruto stopped. Footprints with paint on the soles ran down the hallway. They extended from the direction of Koharu's room. He rushed over and reached for the door. The hinges were blown off, and the door hung at an angle. The room was ransacked. A chair lay overturned. The copies of documents Koharu had been reading were scattered across the floor. Her belongings were strewn about the corner of the room as if thrown aside. And on the wall—written in red paint in large characters: "Those who ally with monsters are equally guilty" The letters were smudged. Still wet. Koharu was gone. Naruto's mind went white. (I said I'd protect her) Heat slowly rose from deep in his belly. The Nine-Tails' chakra. Red-black power seeped from beneath his skin as the seal began to fray. Anger. Frustration. Fear. All of it merged into a single heat that burned through his entire body. The backs of his hands turned red. His nails began to lengthen slightly. "Naruto!" Kakashi burst into the hallway. He scanned the room in a second. The next moment, he grabbed both of Naruto's shoulders from behind. "[serious]Calm down! If you lose control now, you'll destroy yourself!" "[angry]But—Koharu—!" "[serious]I know! I know, so hold it back right now!!" Kakashi forcibly restrained him. His grip on Naruto's shoulders was strong, resisting the rampage within the boy's body. Naruto clenched his teeth. He dug his own nails into the backs of his hands. Pain to pull his mind back. Breathing. The breathing Tsubaki had taught him. Inhale through the nose, hold, exhale slowly. —— The seal's heat receded, just slightly. The chakra withdrew beneath his skin. His nails returned to normal. The redness faded. Naruto's knees trembled. A single tear ran down his cheek. "[sad]…I couldn't protect her" He said it to no one in particular. His voice was low. Kakashi didn't remove his hands from Naruto's shoulders. He said nothing. He was simply there. --- Hurried footsteps approached from outside the hallway. Tsubaki appeared. Her breathing was slightly ragged. Her face showed concern as she looked at the broken door and the destroyed room. "[