When They Call You Crazy

Time passed quickly, and another new year arrived.

"Heh heh, Shikaku, Shikamaru's reports over the past few months on Naruto have been very encouraging. I was right about that child."

The Third Hokage sat in his chair in the Hokage's Office, flipping through the detailed report Shikamaru had compiled, his satisfaction plain to see.

Shikaku Nara, however, looked troubled. "Lately, Shikamaru has often been gathering with Choji and Naruto. Choji is one thing, but should we speak with Choza?"

"Hmm." The Third Hokage gently set down the report in his hand. After pondering for a while, he said, "Did Choza come to you?"

"Not exactly." Shikaku Nara immediately shook his head. "Besides, you read Shikamaru's report too, didn't you? He also mentioned to me that Naruto recently became less willing to seek him and Choji out."

The Third Hokage's face immediately darkened upon hearing that. "I understand."

Shikamaru's report contained speculation about why Naruto had begun acting this way.

He had just carefully reviewed Shikamaru's report, and it was written very clearly.

Whenever Naruto came to play with Shikamaru and Choji, his main purpose was sparring and training.

Although Naruto was very skilled in taijutsu, Shikamaru and Choji always used their clan's secret techniques in coordination, which had made Naruto somewhat impatient.

By the time this year ended, Naruto should be entering the Ninja Academy.

If that was the case...

"Naruto, why haven't you been going to see Shikamaru and Choji lately?"

"Father, acting is exhausting. I'm not a professional actor. Shikamaru actually suspected me a long time ago; he just had no proof. Besides, he was sent by the Third Hokage to observe me from the beginning. The longer I stay with them, the easier it is for me to expose flaws that could be used against me."

After responding to his father in the Sealed Space, Naruto walked to the second-floor windowsill. Through the glass, he saw specks of white drifting down from the sky. He pushed open the window and reached out, catching two snowflakes.

"It's snowing again."

Naruto had stayed home the entire time recently. Because of the Five Elements Seal on his body, he had not gone out except to use the Transformation Jutsu to buy daily necessities.

For some reason, ever since Shikamaru introduced Choji to him, he had never taken the initiative to introduce anyone else.

With his status as someone who did not fit into Konoha, Naruto could not possibly take the initiative to get to know others himself. Besides, he could not pretend to be like Naruto from the Original Work, running all over the village to desperately please people in search of friends.

So during this period, he had been clearing Data Puppets in the Mirrored World.

By the time the new year arrived, he had finally obtained a new Chakra nature from Choji's Data Puppet.

What made him laugh and cry, however, was that it turned out to be Yang Release Chakra.

Still, it was better than nothing.

Sensing that Gekko Hayate's position had shifted to the other side of the balcony again,

Naruto's gaze flickered. He picked up an exquisite Wooden Hammer from the small desk beneath the windowsill. The handle was engraved with the two characters Gen.

That was the carpenter's name.

He had discovered the Wooden Hammer after waking up from a week of rest in the hospital last year.

It had probably been left behind by the carpenter Konoha had sent to repair the second floor after Naruto destroyed it last year. That carpenter was truly skilled. Not only had he repaired the walls until they looked brand-new, but he had also made Naruto two chairs.

Before the new year, Naruto had used the Transformation Jutsu to take the Wooden Hammer to Konoha's craftsmen registry and ask around. But when he found the carpenter's address, no one was home. The neighbors said he had taken work outside the village with a labor crew.

Now that it was early winter in the new year, the carpenter should be home.

Naruto put on two layers of warm cotton clothing, picked up the Wooden Hammer, and quickly went downstairs. Just as he was about to close the door, he discovered that Gekko Hayate, who had previously been concealed on the second-floor balcony, was already standing in the snow not far from the little building.

After sneering inwardly, Naruto left without using the Transformation Jutsu.

After passing through the bustling commercial district while enduring the familiar pointing and whispers, Naruto soon arrived at a street full of old, dilapidated wooden houses. Not a single person could be seen on that street. Following the memory of his previous visit, he turned into a remote corner and found the Wooden Hammer's owner's home.

Naruto weighed the Wooden Hammer in his hand, then walked up to the door and knocked twice.

Someone inside answered the door. Naruto focused his eyes and saw an elderly man wearing reading glasses step out.

"You're looking for... Impossible! Y-you are...!"

But before Naruto could speak, the old man suddenly stared at him in disbelief. He stammered so badly that his eyes seemed ready to pop out.

As if he had seen a ghost.

"Hello. This is yours, isn't it?"

Naruto's gaze turned cold. He stepped back two paces and placed the Wooden Hammer on the ground as he spoke.

The old man's hands suddenly began to tremble. After shakily picking up the Wooden Hammer, he seemed to become visibly more energized.

Something seemed off.

At first, Naruto thought the man had been frightened speechless by the sight of him, and he had planned to leave after dropping off the Wooden Hammer. But after instinctively studying the man's expression, he actually saw a trace of excitement in the old man's eyes.

No, Naruto was certain now. The man was extremely excited.

What was going on? This man seemed happy to see him?

Could he know him?

But that made no sense either. If he knew Naruto, he should hate and fear him as the Demon Fox, just like everyone else in the village.

How could he possibly be excited and happy?

"Thank you, little friend. You... what is your name?"

The old man across from him seemed to realize that his emotions were inappropriate. After composing himself, he smiled and examined Naruto.

Noticing that the man truly seemed to harbor no ill will toward him, Naruto turned sideways and responded blandly, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. The item has been delivered. Goodbye."

"Wait!" the old man urgently called out. Then he took a large step and moved directly in front of Naruto, taking out an exquisite fist-sized wooden carving. "Naruto, right? This is for you! Thank you for bringing my tool back!"

Naruto had not wanted to pay him any attention, but at that moment, the Mirrored World suddenly reminded him that data could be collected.

His heart stirred. Just as he was about to reach out, the old man impatiently grabbed his hand and forcibly stuffed the wooden carving into his palm.

And for a moment, he did not seem willing to let go.

*Data collection in progress.*

*Current data completeness: 10%! Authority updated! Uzumaki Naruto: Level Two World Lord!*

*Synchronization Function is about to update! Please complete the data as soon as possible!*

"Thank you."

After thanking him calmly, Naruto freed his hand from the man's grasp and casually stuffed the wooden carving into his clothes pocket. There was not a trace of extra expression on his face as he immediately stepped away. He truly needed to go home.

Gekko Hayate had already changed positions several times in the distance.

And some of the newly updated contents of the Mirrored World concerned him greatly.

What Naruto did not know was that the bespectacled old man behind him was silently shedding tears.

"Naruto, that elderly man just now seemed to have mistaken you for someone else."

Inside the Sealed Space, Minato Namikaze watched Naruto play with the wooden carving he had just obtained after returning home, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"I don't care about that. I'm more curious about the man himself."

With a shift of consciousness, Naruto arrived in the Mirrored World. The old man's Data Puppet was already there.

"He really is a ninja!"

"Now let's see who you really are, to provide the Mirrored World with 2% data."

Naruto walked up to the old man's Data Puppet and called up the pop-up window.

"Gen, a jonin from Kagero Village of the Land of Mountains. His real name is Genma. He is a top-class ninja skilled at setting traps and espionage, highly proficient in taijutsu and genjutsu, and an expert at placing Explosive Tags."

He then called up the visual records concerning this man.

After a long while, Naruto finally remembered who this Genma was.

In the Original Work, this old man had planted countless Explosive Tags throughout Konoha. Once detonated, they might not have completely destroyed Konoha, but they would certainly have dealt the village a devastating blow.

When Naruto watched the anime in his previous life, he had felt that it was not part of the main storyline, so he had only read a written plot summary.

In the end, Genma encountered Naruto, who looked extremely similar to his son, and changed his original intention of revenge. He deactivated the traps, and the Explosive Tags were never detonated.

After figuring out what had happened, scenes of Genma placing Explosive Tags flashed through Naruto's mind. His gaze upon Genma became deep and unfathomable.

There were quite a few Explosive Tags inside the Third Hokage's statue on Kage Rock.

With another thought, he arrived in the Sealed Space. His eyes were exceptionally bright as he looked at Minato Namikaze. "Father, are you absolutely certain that the Third Hokage's Crystal Ball is one of a kind?"

Minato Namikaze was stunned. "Yes. That Crystal Ball was a secret treasure researched by the Second Hokage. Back then, it took extremely precious crystal from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to create that single one."

Naruto smiled faintly. "Very good. Now all I need is to wait for the right opportunity."

"What do you mean?" Minato Namikaze did not understand.

Naruto extended his fist toward Minato Namikaze. Minato Namikaze touched his fist to Naruto's, and before long, he shuddered.

"Naruto! We must tell the Third Hokage about this immediately!"

When Minato Namikaze said those words, he was practically shouting.

"Father, I truly admire you." Naruto looked at him coldly. "Your loyalty to Konoha really lasts forever, passed down forever."

"You actually want me to report this to the Third Hokage?"

"After the Third Hokage captures Genma, how am I supposed to explain the source of my intelligence?"

"Are you trying to get me killed?"

Kurama lifted an eyelid, glanced at the father and son, then lowered it again. It did not know what was happening and had no interest in speaking.

Naruto's indifferent voice was like an icy blade of wind in the depths of winter, instantly cutting across Minato Namikaze's heart. Faced with his son's questioning, Minato Namikaze seemed to have his throat gripped and could not say another word.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I... I only..."

"Father, there's no need to apologize. Let me tell you clearly: I will personally detonate the Explosive Tags Genma planted."

"What?! Naruto, have you gone crazy?!"

Minato Namikaze was horrified when he heard that.

"You say I'm crazy?"

Naruto raised his head and looked directly into Minato Namikaze's eyes. Their gazes met in the air.

"Then that's perfect."

"Because I once heard something."

"When people start calling you crazy, success is not far away!"