"Man, that was annoying."
Haruto exhaled, brushing dust off his sleeve like he'd simply swatted a fly.
Naruto stood there, staring at his brother, still trying to process everything.What the heck… how is he this powerful?
But that thought faded quickly.
His hands were still shaking. Mizuki's words echoed in his mind like poison—The Nine-Tailed Fox… sealed inside you.You're the monster they all hate.You've been living a lie.
The truth that had haunted him his entire life… was real.
Haruto glanced at Naruto. He didn't need to ask—he could see it in his brother's eyes. The doubt. The pain. The storm rising inside.
He let out a quiet sigh, walked up to Naruto, and flicked him on the forehead.
"OW! What the hell, Haruto?!"
"You're you, idiot," Haruto said, the corner of his mouth tugging into a faint smirk. "Not some fox demon. So don't start acting all mopey about it."
Naruto blinked. The words didn't make sense at first—but somehow, they landed exactly where they needed to.
Haruto crossed his arms, his tone more serious now."You wanna prove them wrong? Then do what you've always done. Get stronger. Shove your ninja way down their throats and become Hokage."
Naruto stared at him, stunned silent.
Then… a small, shaky smile appeared on his lips.
Iruka, who had watched the whole scene unfold, smiled too—but his mind lingered on what he had just witnessed. Haruto's power… it wasn't normal. He hadn't seen anything like it, not even in Konoha's recorded history.
A bloodline ability? he wondered. I'll need to report this to the Hokage.
He stepped forward.
"...Naruto."
Naruto looked up, eyes still glassy from everything that had just happened.
"Close your eyes," Iruka said softly.
Naruto tilted his head, confused, but did as he was told.
Iruka reached into his pouch, pulled out a forehead protector, and tied it around Naruto's head with care.
Naruto's eyes snapped open."W-Wait—this is…?"
Iruka smiled."You pass, Naruto."
There was a beat. Then Naruto's face lit up like a sunrise.
"I—I—!"
Tears welled in his eyes. He couldn't stop them even if he tried. With a shout that cracked mid-sentence, he lunged forward and hugged Iruka with everything he had.
Haruto just watched them, smiling softly.
The night air felt lighter now. The tension that had hung like a weight over Naruto's heart was gone, replaced by something warmer. Something real.
Eventually, Iruka left, taking the Scroll of Seals and the unconscious Mizuki with him.
That left only the brothers, standing beneath the moonlit sky.
Naruto kept glancing up at the forehead protector on his brow, like he couldn't believe it was real. His eyes were still wet… but the smile he wore was genuine.
Then, in a quiet voice, Naruto spoke.
"Hey… you knew, didn't you?"
Haruto didn't pretend not to understand. He sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah. I knew."
Naruto looked down, the smile fading a little.
"…Why didn't you tell me?"
Haruto walked over and flicked his forehead again—but this time, it was gentle.
"Because it wasn't my place," he said calmly. "You needed to hear it from someone like Mizuki. Someone who hates you. So you'd finally understand how this village really sees you… and decide what to do with that truth."
He paused, then added quietly,"And because… no one ever told me, either."
Naruto blinked, surprised."What do you mean?"
Haruto's eyes didn't waver.
"Mizuki left something out. When the Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine-Tails… he didn't seal it all into one baby. He split it. Half went into you…"
He placed a hand over his own chest.
"…And half went into me."
Naruto's jaw dropped. He couldn't even form words.
"Yes," Haruto said. "I'm a Jinchūriki too."
He smiled lightly."But unlike you, I never saw the fox as a monster. He's a living being. One that was captured… chained… used. From his perspective, we're just as monstrous as he is. So no—I don't think he's a burden. And I hope, one day, we can be friends."
Far away, inside their respective seals, both halves of Kurama listened… and for the first time, felt something stir. Something close to surprise. And something else—like a tiny crack in the armor around their hatred.
Naruto wiped his face with his sleeve. He sniffled.
"I… I'll listen to you, Haruto."
Haruto grinned."Good. You should always listen to your elders, brat."
Naruto laughed. It was broken, tired, and slightly wheezy… but it was real laughter.
Then without warning, he stepped forward and threw his arms around Haruto in a tight hug.
"Thank you, big brother."
Haruto stiffened in surprise. Naruto had never said that before. Not seriously.
Slowly, he relaxed… and wrapped his arms around Naruto, pulling him close.
"Anytime, little brother."
Next Morning – Uzumaki Household
Morning sunlight filtered gently through the curtains, casting golden patterns across the wooden floor. Haruto lay sprawled on his futon, half-covered in a blanket, his chest rising and falling with quiet breaths.
Suddenly—
SLAM!
The bedroom door burst open with the force of a charging bull.
"Harutoooo! Wake up! I'm officially a ninja!!" Naruto's voice rang out, triumphant and far too loud for this early in the day.
Haruto groaned, lifting a hand to shield his eyes. "Ugh… do you have to scream like that every morning?"
Naruto didn't reply. Instead, he ran over and shoved his head right in Haruto's face, proudly displaying his newly acquired forehead protector. "Look! LOOK! Ain't it awesome?!"
Haruto blinked at the silver plate with the leaf symbol. He let out a small, amused sigh. "Yeah, yeah, looks legit. Congrats… now let me sleep for five more minutes—"
"Nope! We've got team assignments today, remember? Come on!" Naruto was practically vibrating with excitement.
Dragging himself up, Haruto gave in with an exasperated sigh. The two shared a quick breakfast—some warm milk and slightly burnt toast, courtesy of Naruto—and headed out.
Ninja Academy – Classroom
The classroom buzzed with chatter and nervous energy. Students were still adjusting to the idea that they'd passed, and today, they'd learn who their teammates and sensei would be. For most, it was a moment of excitement.
For Haruto? Boredom.
He leaned against the back wall, arms crossed, his golden eyes scanning the room lazily while Naruto giggled beside him like he'd won the lottery. Haruto resisted the urge to slap the stupid grin off his brother's face.
Nearby, a loud voice shouted, "Hey! What's he doing here?!"
Naruto turned, confused. "Huh?"
The speaker, a random classmate, pointed in disbelief. "That's Uzumaki Naruto! But he failed, didn't he?!"
Grinning ear to ear, Naruto lifted his headband like a trophy. "Not anymore, I didn't!"
The class buzzed with gossip. Whispers about Naruto, the scroll, and Mizuki floated in the air. Haruto watched quietly from the side, not reacting. But his attention snapped back when he heard it—
A voice. Sharp. Annoying.
"Excuse me, may I pass?"
Haruto shifted his gaze lazily. Sure enough, Sakura was walking toward them with her arms crossed, trying to look fierce. Naruto had frozen like a deer in the headlights.
"Move it, Naruto. I'm trying to sit down," she said with a frown, pointing at the space next to Sasuke.
Naruto turned around, blinking. To his horror, Sasuke was already sitting on Haruto's other side, and the only open spot was between the twins.
"But… Sakura-chan, there's no space here," Naruto stammered, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "Why don't we sit somewhere else together, just the two of us, huh?"
"No way! I want to sit next to Sasuke!" she snapped.
Before Naruto could respond, an icy voice cut through the air like a kunai.
"Don't be a nuisance, you pig-headed fangirl."
Silence fell like a hammer.
Everyone turned, stunned. The insult hadn't come from Sasuke.
It came from Haruto.
His voice was calm, almost too calm, laced with a quiet threat. He didn't even look directly at her—just a cold, sideways glance. Sakura's breath caught in her throat. For a second, she swore the air around him had dropped a few degrees.
Sakura stammered, her usual fire gone. Without another word, she turned and found another seat, too shaken to protest.
Then—
"Kyaa! Haruto-kun is so cool!"
"He's way cooler than Sasuke!"
"Wait, shut up! No one's cooler than Sasuke!"
The fangirls launched into a heated whisper war. But the subject of their affection merely rolled his eyes, uninterested. Sasuke, meanwhile, glanced sideways at Haruto for a moment. His gaze lingered, thoughtful… then he turned away, scoffing.
"Tch."
Naruto, meanwhile, looked like his whole world had just crumbled.
"WHAT THE HELL, HARUTO?! You can't just talk to Sakura-chan like that!" he yelled, face red with outrage.
Smack!
Haruto bonked him lightly on the head. "Shut up, idiot. I just saved you from embarrassing yourself even more."
"Saved me?! What do you mean?!"
Before Haruto could retort, the door slid open with a sharp clack, and Iruka stepped into the room with a clipboard in hand.
"Alright, everyone. Settle down," he said with his usual firm but kind tone. "It's time to announce your squads."
The room instantly went quiet.
Haruto leaned back in his seat, arms folded. Naruto leaned forward, nearly falling off his chair. And so the next chapter of their lives was about to begin.