As Iruka continued to leap from platform to platform in the dense forest of the backhills, his mind wandered back to the recent conversation he had with Suzume, a fellow teacher, in the lounge earlier that day. The memory played out vividly in his thoughts.

"Iruka-sensei," Suzume's calm voice had called out to him, interrupting his preparations for the day's coursework. Iruka turned towards her, a slight confusion etched on his face. "Hm?" he responded, waiting for her to continue.

Suzume adjusted her glasses, her long dark curly hair cascading around her shoulders as she leaned in slightly. "Tell me, did you hear the news?" she inquired, her tone composed yet carrying a hint of urgency.

"What news?" Iruka asked, his curiosity piqued. He had a feeling that whatever she was about to share would be significant.

Suzume took a moment before responding, her gaze focused. "Apparently, there was a battle last night in the forest of the backhills," she revealed, her words hanging in the air.

Iruka's eyes widened slightly, a mix of surprise and concern washing over him. "And what happened?" he pressed, his mind racing to grasp the implications of such an event.

Suzume adjusted her glasses once more, her expression remaining steady. "Well... the rumor is that enemy spies were discovered out there," she explained, her voice carrying a sense of gravity. "A patrol unit managed to kill one of them and bring the body back here."

Iruka's thoughts raced as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. The presence of enemy spies so close to the village was a dangerous threat, one that needed to be taken seriously. He realized the urgency of the situation and the need to ensure the safety of the academy's students.

"If that's the case..." Iruka began, his voice reflecting a mix of concern and determination. "We should warn the students to stay away from the backhills today. There might be more spies lurking out there."

Suzume nodded in agreement, recognizing the importance of Iruka's suggestion. "That's a good idea," she acknowledged, her composed demeanor mirroring his resolve. "We must prioritize the safety of our students and remain vigilant."

The flashback faded, and Iruka found himself still navigating through the forest, his heart heavy with worry for Naruto. The news of enemy spies and the potential danger lurking in the backhills only heightened his concern for his troublesome student.

"I hope that nothing bad happens," Iruka whispered to himself, determination shining in his eyes as he continued his search, determined to find his wayward student and bring him back to the safety of the academy.

Though he was still conflicted about his feelings, Iruka nonetheless pressed on.

Iruka, after an arduous search, finally located Naruto in the depths of the backhills forest. With a swift leap, he descended from the branch he had been observing Naruto from and landed near his wayward student. Calling out Naruto's name as his feet touched the ground, Iruka hoped to assert his authority.

"Naruto!" he called out, his voice firm and commanding. Startled, Naruto turned to face his sensei, a mixture of surprise and confusion crossing his face. "Sensei?" he responded, trying to process Iruka's sudden appearance.

Without wasting any time, Iruka pressed on, urging Naruto to return to the academy. "Come on! You have to get back to the academy, now!" he urged, his voice carrying the weight of concern. However, Naruto, true to his stubborn nature, immediately pushed back.

"No! I don't want to go back to the academy anymore!" Naruto exclaimed defiantly, his determination evident in his words. Iruka persisted, emphasizing the potential danger that still lurked in the area. But Naruto, unyielding, shook his head and took a few steps back.

"I won't go back even if you beg me to do it!" Naruto retorted, waving his hand wildly in dismissal. Iruka, frustrated but determined, tried to remind Naruto of his role as his homeroom teacher.

"Just do as I say, Naruto! I am your homeroom teacher," Iruka asserted, hoping to appeal to Naruto's sense of respect and responsibility. However, to Iruka's surprise, Naruto's response was tinged with bitterness.

"Oh, shut up! You only act like a teacher when it's convenient for you!" Naruto's words struck a chord, and Iruka found himself visibly shaken by the accusation. The weight of Naruto's frustration and disappointment weighed heavily on him.

"You don't get it... You don't know what I go through every day... and none of that is going to change just because I go back to school," Naruto spoke with a despondent tone, his voice tinged with the weight of painful memories. As he spoke, flashes of loneliness and isolation played through his mind.

"That's not true, Naruto," Iruka responded, his voice filled with empathy. "You have classmates who care about you, and Homura is there too." He tried to highlight the support Naruto had around him, hoping it would sway his troubled student.

"Homura!? That jerk thinks I'm an idiot and is always treating me like a little kid, explaining everything to me with a smug look on his face!" Naruto retorted, a hint of a comedic expression gracing his features as he recalled Homura's smug demeanor whenever Naruto admitted his mistakes.

"Besides... he's... smart and always busy… He wants to be a medical ninja in the future, so he’s working hard to do that... he would be better off without me around," Naruto added with a sad expression, his words laced with self-doubt. A flashback surged into Naruto's mind, recalling a scene from the previous school year.

In the memory, Naruto was rushing through the academy, trying to retrieve something he had forgotten in class. He stumbled upon his former homeroom teacher and Homura engaged in a conversation in the hallway. Eager to listen, Naruto hid behind a wall, overhearing their exchange.

"Listen, Homura, your grades have been slipping lately," the teacher had stated, a hint of concern in his voice. Homura, with his usual aloof demeanor, had simply responded, "Is that so?" He wasn't surprised, fully aware that his focus had shifted away from his studies.

"Sigh even basic ninjutsu that you had already learned, you failed to perform them in most tests we had. I wouldn't have said anything, but it has been a month already," the teacher continued, his words punctuated with a mix of disappointment and genuine worry.

"I see," Homura replied, his tone detached. The truth was, he had been preoccupied with other matters, honing his skills and juggling his part-time job outside the academy. The teacher, aware of Homura's diligence in other areas, acknowledged this, saying, "I haven't said much to you lately because most of your grades are still quite high, and because you're also working on the side."

Homura's composure wavered for a moment as the mention of his job caught him off guard. He hadn't realized that the school, let alone his homeroom teacher, was aware of his activities outside the academy. He felt a tinge of worry, fearing that his teacher might ask him to quit, which was something he couldn't afford.

"It's not that, I swear! I only mostly work on the weekends now," Homura hastily defended himself, a slight trace of unease in his voice. The teacher's gaze softened, understanding the challenges Homura faced.

"Then is it him? Is it Naruto?" the teacher probed, catching both Homura and Naruto off guard. Homura, taken aback, quickly denied the accusation. "N-no, it's not! Naruto has nothing to with this!" he replied with a touch of urgency.

The teacher, maintaining his composed demeanor, continued, "Homura, I know it is difficult, but sometimes one must cut off unnecessary distractions from one's life." These words struck a chord within Homura, for he had already distanced himself from most of his friends and relationships, believing it was necessary for his personal growth.

"We at the academy have great hopes for you, especially since you are such a promising student with talent rarely seen. We want you to live up to your potential, do you understand? As your teacher, I don’t want to see Naruto’s bad behavior rub off on you, think what your parents would want for you if they were alive today. " the teacher concluded, his hand resting on Homura's shoulder. Homura remained silent, his mind grappling with conflicting emotions.

The memory faded away, and Naruto, overwhelmed with emotions, spoke again. "You don't understand. I'm always alone... I'm always left out. Don't you see that nobody wants me around? Nobody cares!" Naruto's words cut deep, leaving Iruka at a loss for a response. He stuttered, trying to form words but finding none that could assuage Naruto's pain.

"But don't you see, this time it will be different! If I bring something back from here, then I'll finally have friends who accept me! I won't be alone anymore! I won't feel like an outsider anymore! That's why I'm going to stay out here until I find something good to bring back!" Naruto's voice resonated with determination and a desperate longing for acceptance.

"...Please listen, Naruto. I know you have your reasons, but as your teacher, I cannot allow you to stay in such a dangerous area," Iruka pleaded, reflecting on Naruto's words and the genuine pain he felt. However, before Iruka could fully process Naruto's next move, he was taken aback.

"You can't even understand my feelings... Sexy Jutsu!" Naruto suddenly performed a hand seal, and in a flash, transformed into an older, naked version of himself. Iruka's shock was quickly followed by a nosebleed gushing out at an alarming rate, causing him to almost lose consciousness.

"Hehehe!" Naruto laughed mischievously, taking advantage of the situation to make his escape as he undid the transformation. Iruka weakly called out for Naruto to wait, his voice growing faint as he struggled with the sudden blood loss.

Unbeknownst to Naruto, Iruka lay almost unconscious on the forest floor, his concern for his troublesome student still evident, even in his weakened state.

However, his troublemaker of a student ran away laughing it off.

“Hehehe! Too easy! Grown-ups are so easy to trick! With this jutsu, I will be invincible!“ Naruto said as he ran away at full speed, getting further away from his teacher at an alarming pace, but little did he know that he would soon be faced with an incredible danger that he will not be able to avoid.

However, unknown to the young cadet, as he continued heading deeper into the forest he would soon attract the attention of dangerous individuals. Who managed to detect the young cadet quite easily due to his lack of care as he moved.

It wasn’t long before three shadowy figures soon took notice of him and start following him around; without the latter being none the wiser.

Chapter end

Hey guys...I know that it has been a long time...longer than I a said it would be but got sick, had to go to the hospital. Even found out that I had a broken tooth that I was unaware of...So there's another problem to take care of... Still, it is nothing really surprising. I was told that I  could get sick since everyone was getting sick in around my place, and I got it... bad too. Not going to share the details but yep. I am still recovering even now and also late on my work, won't be able to make as many frequent updates as early this month. Sorry about that, but I will try my best to not fall too far behind if I can help it, but it probably will have to wait until mid next month for more frequent updates.