Naruto — Chapter 2

KONOHAGAKURE VILLAGE- "THE VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE LEAVES"...

...WHERE TODAY, ONE YOUNG MAN BEGINS HIS QUEST TO BECOME A FULL-FLEDGED NINJA.

NUMBER 2: KONOHAMARU!!

YOU... WANT ME TO TAKE THE PICTURE WITH YOU LOOKING LIKE THAT?

KLIK WHRRRR

JEEZ...

YEAH! GO FOR IT!

OKAY, NOW SAY, "CHEESE!"

YOU'LL BE SORRY.

IT TOOK ME THREE HOURS TO GET THAT SHOT!

WHADDAYA THINK? IT WAS HARD GETTING JUST THE RIGHT EXPRESSION!

AFTER ALL, IT'S NOT LIKE SOMETHING ORDINARY WOULD DO...

DO IT OVER! ...BUT WITH MY ARTISTIC VISION~!

WHAT CONCERNS ME MORE IS WHY YOU CHOSE NOT TO WEAR YOUR HITAI-ATE— THE HEADBAND THAT MARKS YOU AS AN ADULT SHINOBI OF OUR VILLAGE... I DIDN'T WANT TO DAMAGE IT. I'LL START WEARING IT AFTER THE CEREMONY TOMORROW.

...IN ANY CASE, THE SECRET DOSSIERS IN THIS YEARBOOK ARE AN ESSENTIAL INTELLIGENCE RESOURCE FOR KONOHAGAKURE VILLAGE. SO, TO PRESENT YOURSELF WITH SUCH A FACE...

KREAK

BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THAT STUFF!

ON GUARD, OL' MAN! RIGHT?!

IF IT'S NOT ONE THING, IT'S ANOTHER...

HMF!

WHAT'S HE GOT INTO THIS TIME?

AHA!

AND, FOR THE RECORD, THERE ARE NO TRAPS HERE!!

A...ARE YOU ALL RIGHT, HONORED GRAND- SON?!

I GET IT! IT'S A TRAP? RIGHT ?!!?

MASTER EBISU TUTOR TO KONOHAMARU

THE SO-CALLED HUMAN FORM OF THE NINE-TAILED DEMON FOX!

YOU!? DON'T TELL ME IT'S...

WHAT'S GOING ON? WHO'S THE KID?

UNHAND HIM, NARUTO! THAT BOY HAPPENS TO BE THE GRANDSON OF OUR REVERED LORD, THE THIRD HOGAKE!

AHA, SO YOU TRIPPED ME! IT WAS YOU! RIGHT?!!!

YOU FELL OVER YOUR OWN FEET!!

THEY ALWAYS DO THIS, ONCE THEY KNOW I'M THE HOKAGE'S GRAND- SON...

LIKE I CARE, STUPID!

SO? TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT! I DARE YOU!

TOO AFRAID OF ME? JUST LIKE MASTER FOUR EYES THERE, AND EVERYONE ELSE IN TOWN ...HAH!

I CAN SEE YOU RIGHT THERE!

QUIT FOLLOWING ME, STUPID.

TEACH ME YOUR SKILLS. I'LL BECOME YOUR DISCIPLE.

SO, YOU MANAGED TO PENETRATE MY DISGUISE!! RIGHT?!!! THE RUMORS OF YOUR PROWESS DON'T LIE!

Y E A H !

OKAY, CHIEF?!

YOU'VE GOTTA TEACH ME THAT NINJA CENTERFOLD ILLUSION YOU USED ON MY GRANDPA.

CH-CHIEF --?!

BLAST IT! WHERE IS HE THIS TIME...?

THESE CEASELESS ATTEMPTS AT SURPRISE ATTACKS ARE A PERSECUTION TO US ALL...

NARUTO? THAT'S AWFUL! SIGH...THAT CHILD IS BEING RUINED BY OVER- INDULGENCE...

IT WOULD APPEAR THAT HE FOLLOWED NARUTO.

BUT, THIS TIME KONOHAMARU MAY HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN HE CAN CHEW.

NARUTO WILL UNDOUBTEDLY DRAG HIM INTO SOME HAREBRAINED SCHEME...

READY... STEADY...

OKAY, CHIEF!!!

NO

GO...!!!!

I WILL CRUSH ANY INSECT THAT DARES CLING TO MY STUDENT!

I AM PART OF THE ELITE, ONE IN A LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS LINE OF TUTORS WHO HAVE PREPARED COUNTLESS CANDIDATES FOR A POSSIBLE FUTURE AS NEXT LORD HOKAGE.

TOTALLY WRONG!! TALLER! THINNER!

UNDER MY TUTELAGE, YOUR FUTURE AS LORD HOKAGE IS ASSURED.

THAT IS THE SHORTEST PATH, HONORED GRANDSON!!

THERE!!!

WHAT'S YOUR BEEF WITH THE OLD MAN?

BY THE WAY....

...MY NAME- KONOHAMARU... MY GRANDFATHER NAMED ME.

LIKE THE VILLAGE, RIGHT? HE SAID IT WOULD BRING ME LUCK...

BUT EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE IN THE VILLAGE KNOWS THAT THAT'S WHAT I AM CALLED...

NO ONE EVER CALLS ME THAT!

IT'S ALWAYS JUST "HONORED GRANDSON."

NO ONE EVER SEES ME FOR WHO I AM...

JUST WHO I'M RELATED TO. AND I HATE IT!

BUT IT'LL BE DIFFERENT WHEN I BECOME LORD HOKAGE, AND THAT'S GONNA BE REAL SOON!!

IT'S TOO BIG A NAME FOR SUCH A LITTLE GUY!

NO WAY! WHO'D RESPECT A HOKAGE LIKE YOU?

HUNH?

WHAT!?

YOU DON'T GET IT JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT IT! IF YOU WANT TO BECOME HOKAGE THAT BADLY ...

YOU IDIOT! IT WON'T BE EASY TO WIN THE HOKAGE NAME!......

WELL ? WHAT ?!

YOU'LL HAVE TO GET PAST ME FIRST!

DID NARUTO SUBMIT HIS NINJA REGISTRA- TION?

HELLO, IRUKA.

LORD HOKAGE! I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU.

YESTERDAY I TREATED HIM TO A STERN LECTURE OVER A BOWL OF RAMEN. HE'S BEEN ON CLOUD NINE SINCE HE PASSED THE TEST. HE INTENDS TO BECOME A FULL-FLEDGED SHINOBI AND EARN THE RESPECT OF EVERYONE IN TOWN.

THAT MAY BE A DIFFICULT DREAM FOR HIM TO REALIZE.

WHAT?

ONLY WE WHO WERE ADULTS AT THE TIME OF THE GREAT BATTLE KNOW THE TRUTH... THAT THE BOY NARUTO IS THE HUMAN FORM OF THE NINE-TAILED FOX SPIRIT THAT TORMENTED OUR PEOPLE UNTIL ITS DEFEAT A DOZEN YEARS AGO.

DISCLOSURE OF THAT SECRET IS MOST STRICTLY FORBIDDEN...

...UNDER PAIN OF THE SEVEREST PENALTY OUR LAW CAN INFLICT.

...IT WAS THE FONDEST WISH OF THE FOURTH LORD HOKAGE THAT OUR PEOPLE COME TO REGARD NARUTO AS THEIR SAVIOR AND HERO. HE MADE THAT WISH FOR HIM, SEALED THE CHILD'S FATE... AND DIED.

AS A RESULT, THE CHILDREN OF OUR VILLAGE KNOW NOTHING OF THE TRUTH!

A HERO?

AMONG HIS PEERS, AT LEAST, NARUTO'S SECRET IS SECURE.

NARUTO WAS SACRIFICED, FOR THE SAFETY OF US ALL, TO BECOME A LIVING VESSEL FOR THE IMPRISONMENT OF THE FOX.

HE SELECTED A NEWBORN CHILD, THE UMBILICAL CORD FRESHLY CUT, AND BOUND UP ALL NINE TAILS OF THE FOX WITHIN THE INFANT'S NAVEL.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE WAY THE ADULTS WHO KNOW CHOSE TO SEE IT..

INSTEAD, THEIR TREATMENT OF THE BOY IS SO CONTEMP- TUOUS AND HOSTILE--

-- IT HAS BEEN PICKED UP ON BY CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO IDEA OF THE TRUTH... PICKED UP ON AND PERPETUATED!

HOW IT MUST FEEL... SO MUCH HATRED AND HOSTILITY... TO BE TREATED WITH AN ANIMOSITY SO INTENSE AS TO BE ANNIHILATING... TO HAVE AROUND YOU MANY WHO WOULD DENY YOU EVEN...

IRUKA... CAN YOU IMAGINE...?

...THE RIGHT TO EXIST..

IMAGINE WHAT?

THERE YOU ARE!

THAT LOOK! THAT SAME UGLY LOOK, FROM YET ANOTHER PERSON! DAMNED FOX... NARUTO!

FEH...

THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE!

AND NOW, HONORED GRANDSON, IT'S TIME TO RETURN HOME.

NO WAY!! NOT YET! FIRST I HAVE TO KICK THE OLD MAN'S BUTT AND BECOME THE NEXT LORD HOKAGE. SO GET LOST.

THE REVERED LORD HOKAGE KNOW AND UNDERSTANDS THE EIGHT PRINCIPLES THAT ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF ALL THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SHINOBI: VIRTUE, JUSTICE, CEREMONY, WISDOM, LOYALTY, FAITHFULNESS, PRUDENCE, AND FILIAL PIETY!

HE IS MASTER OF OVER ONE THOUSAND ILLUSIONS, AND... EH?!

WHY DIDN'T IT WORK--?!

TAKE THAT! NINJA CENTER- FOLD!

WHAT A VULGAR DISPLAY!!!

WHA... WHA...

NOT FIT FOR A GENTLEMAN'S EYES!

AND I WILL NOT FALL FOR IT!

HONORED GRANDSON!! IF YOU LOWER YOURSELF TO CONSORT WITH CREATURES OF THIS SORT YOU WILL DESCEND TO HIS LEVEL!

ART OF THE DOPPEL- GANGER!!!! ONLY BY FOLLOWING MY TEACHINGS WILL YOU EVER MERIT THE NAME OF HOKAGE! NOW, LET'S GO HOME. LET GO!

IT WOULD ONLY FOOL A WEAK- MINDED IDIOT LIKE MIZUKI!

HAH! CHILD'S PLAY! NO MATCH FOR A SUPERIOR TEACHER LIKE MYSELF! THAT IS TOTALLY COOL!!!! RIGHT?!!

HUNH? ! BEHOLD!!

THE NINJA HAREM !!!!!

I CALL THIS ONE...

ONCE AGAIN, HIS FIRST RESORT IS TO THE MOST LOWBROW TRASH!... EVEN I WOULD HAVE SUCCUMBED... PROBABLY...

HE COMBINED THE ART OF THE DOPPELGANGER WITH HIS INFAMOUS NINJA CENTER- FOLD...?

BLAST IT! I FAILED TO BEAT PROFESSOR FOUR-EYES - AGAIN! RIGHT?!!!

YOU THINK WANTING IT IS ALL IT TAKES? DREAM ON! AAUGH!

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING THE NAME HOKAGE! THAT'S THE GREATEST SHINOBI IN TOWN, THE ONE EVERYONE RESPECTS!

ALL I WANT IS A NAME THAT EVERYONE WILL RESPECT! AND I WANT IT RIGHT NOW! RIGHT?!!!?

I EVEN DOUBTED MYSELF! MY WHOLE LIFE, IT'S BEEN ONE ROTTEN THING AFTER ANOTHER!

ONLY ONE PERSON TREATS ME WITH ANY KIND OF RESPECT.

AND EVEN HE...

ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A COMMITMENT?

...WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN OVER!!

......... COMMIT- MENT

EVERYBODY, AND I DO MEAN EVERY BODY, HAS THE HIGHEST RESPECT...

...FOR THE HONORED HOKAGE NAME!

DO YOU GET IT?

THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS!!

YOU'LL HAVE TO GET PAST ME FIRST! IF YOU WANT TO BECOME HOKAGE THAT BADLY ...

WHERE DO YOU GET OFF, LECTURING ME? YOU'RE NOT SO HOT! RIGHT?!!

I'M NOT GONNA BE YOUR DISCIPLE ANY MORE!

HEH- HEH- HEH!

FROM THIS DAY FOR- WARD

WE WILL BE ARCH- RIVALS!

IT'S YOUR TOUGH LUCK! FROM NOW ON, I'LL ALWAYS BE ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOU, ONE STEP CLOSER TO MY DESTINY AS THE FINEST SHINOBI!

YOU BETTER LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DAY...

BUT...HECK! ONE DAY WE'LL FIGHT OVER THE NAME HOKAGE.

... K O N O H A M A R U !

THEY HAD A LONG WAY TO GO TO BECOME TRUE SHINOBI. BUT AS LORD HOKAGE WATCHED OVER THEM AND SMILED...

...HE SAW THE DREAM, AND THE CHALLENGES, THAT LAY AHEAD FOR THE YOUNG NARUTO...

Konohagakure Basics: SHINOBI STYLE

Hitai-ate (Forehead Band) Can be worn either as a headband, or a cover for the entire head.

Makimono Pouch (Scroll Pouch) The classic Konohagakure pouch, worn on both the right and left sides of the vest. Scrolls, medicine and ninja tools are extracted from the bottom of the pouches.

Shuriken Holster Worn in a spot which allows the shuriken to be drawn quickly.