"Yes. After all, I'm a ninja too. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to be interested in ninjutsu?" Naruto admitted openly. "I heard the ninjutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals are very interesting. Hmm?"
Just as he said that, Naruto suddenly noticed that Teacher Iruka had stopped beside the desk in the last row where he was sitting, with a report card in hand.
It was recess. He slowly looked around. Aside from Shikamaru, who seemed to be asleep with his head on the desk, only Sasuke and he remained in the classroom.
"Teacher Iruka, is there something wrong with my grades?"
"No! There isn't." Iruka's expression was complicated. After letting out a soft breath, he handed the report card to Naruto. "I came to apologize to you."
"Apologize?" A trace of puzzlement flashed through Naruto's eyes.
"Yes!" After laying everything out, Iruka's gaze gradually turned sincere. "I shouldn't have looked at you through the lens of prejudice."
Naruto was somewhat surprised. Judging from his expression, Iruka was not putting on an act. He smiled faintly. "Teacher Iruka, you really are a good person."
"Uh... thank you."
The moment Iruka heard that, his expression became a little awkward. For some reason, Naruto's words just sounded strange to him.
Seeing Naruto staring at him, Iruka forced out a smile. "You're an excellent student too. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can come find me anytime."
Naruto said nothing, merely nodding with an unchanged smile.
It seemed Lord Hokage had been right. Naruto himself did not reject people who took the initiative to approach him. Thinking that, Iruka felt relieved and turned to walk back toward the teacher's desk.
At the same time, in a conference room within the Hokage Office Building, the Third Hokage and the three advisors sat around a tea table in a meeting.
"Public opinion has been very strong lately. They are protesting the Police Department's overly harsh enforcement. These are all complaint letters from them."
Utatane Koharu was the first to speak. After finishing, she pushed a thick stack of letters toward the Third Hokage.
"Indeed." Mitokado Homura added grimly, "The villagers' suspicion toward the force is growing by the day."
"Hiruzen, it's time to make a decision. The Uchiha are clearly flaunting their military strength."
Danzo narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly.
"This is all fallout from the Nine-Tails incident several years ago."
The Third Hokage spoke slowly, expressionless.
Mitokado Homura immediately said, "But the Uchiha Clan was not harmed at the time."
Utatane Koharu, seated across from him, promptly continued, "That is precisely the source of the suspicion."
The Third Hokage looked grave. After a moment of silence, he said, "The order during the Nine-Tails incident to keep the Uchiha away from the Nine-Tails had already planted the seeds of distrust."
Danzo's face darkened. He opened his eyes slightly and said, "The policy of isolating the Uchiha has been a fundamental Konoha policy carried on since the Second Hokage's time!"
The Third Hokage's expression turned stern as well. Looking directly at Danzo, he said, "The Second Hokage's intention was not isolation. He wanted the major clans in the village to maintain a balance. The arrangements concerning the Uchiha Clan still require careful consideration. After all, the current situation is not the same."
"Lord Hokage! Kakashi has arrived, and the Barrier Team has made an important discovery!"
An Anbu outside the door suddenly spoke, interrupting the Third Hokage.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura rose at the same time, knowing it was time for them to leave. Under the Third Hokage's gaze, Danzo finally stood as well. Without saying anything, he followed them out.
A moment later, Kakashi and members of the Barrier Team entered together, each carrying a stack of reports. After quickly reading both reports, the Third Hokage's expression became exceedingly grim.
"Kakashi, tell me what you think."
"Lord Hokage, we found no trace whatsoever of the intruder. But whoever the intruder is, the current intelligence is insufficient to determine their purpose. The only thing I can think of is to coordinate with the Barrier Team and use sheer numbers to deal with it."
"But that area is the Uchiha Clan Compound. The Barrier Team cannot enter, so the Police Department under the Uchiha can only increase its own manpower. It's just that the Uchiha..."
Kakashi hesitated at that point.
"Just what?"
After recalling the previous discussion with the advisors, the Third Hokage's expression grew even graver.
"Nothing." After carefully recalling his visit to the Uchiha Clan Compound, Kakashi responded, "It's just that the atmosphere throughout the Uchiha Clan Compound felt very different from before. They seem extremely hostile toward non-Uchiha Clan members entering it."
"I see." The Third Hokage picked up the Barrier Team's report again and said as he read, "I will discuss the Police Department matter with the higher-ups. Your mission ends here."
~~~~~~~~
The evening breeze blew as night fell.
Sitting on the second floor, Naruto was studying other forms of Chakra shape transformation with Minato Namikaze in the Mirrored World. Pale blue Chakra wrapped around Naruto's hands as he attempted to manifest different shapes.
After a long while, Naruto clenched his left hand into a fist. The Chakra around it instantly swelled and changed dramatically, quickly forming a circular Light Screen before him.
"Father, is this Chakra shield from Sunagakure also a shape transformation?"
"Chakra nature transformation needs to be explored gradually. Naruto, only after you thoroughly understand Chakra shape transformation will you have a chance of figuring out how to add a nature transformation to the Rasengan."
"Besides, training in the Mirrored World is actually different from what you experience in the real world. Strictly speaking, we have always been in the theoretical stage."
Naruto knew that as well, but the time had not yet come. He had to escape surveillance before he could train without worry.
"Naruto, the number of people watching you outside suddenly doubled. Something seems strange."
"Hmm?"
Naruto immediately brought Minato Namikaze out of the Mirrored World. The moment he activated his senses, he realized something was wrong. Konoha seemed far too quiet tonight.
Not only had the number of people surveilling his small building doubled, but most of the ninjas throughout Konoha seemed to have no intention of sleeping tonight. Their Chakra was unusually active.
More importantly, he found that he could no longer sense the Uchiha Clan Compound. The entire compound had been completely sealed off by a barrier, and a large number of ninjas had gathered around it. The Third Hokage's Chakra was clearly located not far outside the Uchiha Clan Compound.
"Could this be...?"
Thinking of this, Naruto took two steps to the window and looked up. A bright full moon hung overhead!
And there was no one in the Hokage Office Building.
After quietly closing the window, Naruto took out a black robe and mask.
"Father, the time has come."
"What do you mean?"
Minato Namikaze was somewhat confused. Just as he was about to ask for clarification, he saw Naruto create a clone while his original body swiftly finished changing clothes.
Whoosh!
Naruto instantly appeared in the Hokage's Office. He swept his eyes over the room's furnishings: two large bookcases and one desk.
Then it was time to see the legendary Scroll of Seals.
But after dozens of breaths, Naruto had searched through both bookcases, leaving only the Third Hokage's desk untouched, yet he did not find even a shadow of the Scroll of Seals.
"Naruto, what are you looking for? The Crystal Ball is in the Hokage's desk drawer."
"Father, where is the Scroll of Seals?"
"Of course it's in Konoha's Forbidden Jutsu Vault." Minato Namikaze's expression shifted. "Naruto, don't tell me you thought the Scroll of Seals would be in the Hokage's Office?"
"The Forbidden Jutsu Vault?" Hearing that, Naruto's face beneath the mask instantly darkened.
"So that's why you left a mark here back then—to come here and find the Scroll of Seals."
"That's right! It seems I took it for granted." Once he confirmed that the Scroll of Seals was not here, Naruto adjusted his mood and pulled open the Third Hokage's desk drawer.
A clear, gleaming Crystal Ball lay quietly inside the drawer.
"Father, are you certain the Third Hokage cannot make a second Crystal Ball?"
"I'm certain. This kind of Crystal Ball cannot be made casually. The Second Hokage used up a special material collected by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to create this treasured tool."
Naruto stared silently at the Crystal Ball.
According to the story he knew, aside from the Old Toad of Mount Myōboku, who also had such a Crystal Ball, he had indeed never seen anyone else use one.
After several thoughts flashed through his mind, Naruto placed both hands on the Crystal Ball. Just as he was about to circulate Chakra and shatter it, he heard a notification from the Mirrored World.
'Collecting data.'
'Updating. Data collection complete! Synchronization Function activated! Update details as follows.'
'Current data completeness: 20%. Permissions updated! Uzumaki Naruto: Level Three World Lord!'
"Heh, I didn't expect an unexpected gain."
Naruto had been somewhat unwilling to accept not finding the Scroll of Seals, but he had not expected this Crystal Ball he intended to destroy to provide the Mirrored World with a full 10% of data at once.
Naruto smiled faintly as pale blue Chakra instantly enveloped his palm.
Crack! Crack!
The Crystal Ball had been shattered into fragments by his Chakra.
Poof!
Naruto formed another Hand Seal and created a Shadow Clone.
"I'll leave Kage Rock to you."
The Shadow Clone immediately activated Flying Thunder God and vanished.
After seeing Naruto's arrangement, Minato Namikaze stood there in a daze. "Naruto, a lot of people will die because of this."
Naruto nodded. "I know. But you must also understand that if I only destroy the Crystal Ball the Third Hokage uses to watch me, without blowing up Kage Rock and completely burying this area, the village will only need a simple process of elimination to suspect me."
"I'm merely removing the obstacles others placed in my path."
Before you continue