Scroll of Seals

After watching Mizuki's figure gradually fade into the deep night and disappear completely from his senses,

a trace of ridicule flashed through Menma's Pupils, only to vanish again in less than a second.

On the surface, Menma still wore an "excited" and "thrilled" expression.

Mizuki did not know.

Did Menma really not know that Anbu were still monitoring his surroundings?

What was more, barely a few minutes after Mizuki arrived, that faint yet unmistakable feeling of being watched returned.

There was no doubt about it.

This was Sarutobi Hiruzen's surveillance of him.

Using that special Telescopic Jutsu, as long as he was within Konohagakure and could lock onto a specific Chakra signature, Sarutobi Hiruzen could observe everything.

Now was the crucial moment to play his part.

Menma could not break character.

Suppressing the urge to burst into laughter, he calmly finished reading the examination details recorded in the Exam Mission Scroll.

Then, after returning to his house, changing clothes, and equipping his ninja tools,

Menma leaped into motion.

He left his home.

He raced toward the mission location recorded in the Scroll—the residence of Sarutobi Hiruzen!

All along the way,

the Anbu following him never once stepped out to stop him.

That almost completely confirmed what he had suspected.

The tense string in Menma's heart relaxed considerably. Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly knew exactly what he was doing.

Yet he had not sent anyone to stop him.

That attitude alone explained plenty.

Then, after arriving directly outside the private residence of the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, easily vaulting over the outer wall and entering the estate,

no one came out to stop him either.

At that moment, Menma cast aside the last trace of worry buried deep in his heart. Just as in the Original Work, Sarutobi Hiruzen had deliberately allowed him to take the Scroll of Seals.

With that, Menma boldly entered the deepest part of the estate. Following what Mizuki had told him, he headed straight to Sarutobi Hiruzen's study. Logically speaking, someone like Mizuki should not have known such information.

But Menma could not be bothered to investigate how he knew it.

He "openly and honorably" infiltrated Sarutobi Hiruzen's study.

Without needing much effort or time, he easily found the massive Scroll placed in a corner.

How convenient. He just left it out for me to take.

Menma shook his head with an inward smile.

Then he slung the massive Scroll over his back.

With another leap, he left the estate and Flashed toward the place he had arranged to meet Mizuki.

Since he had already stepped onto the stage, he naturally had to keep acting.

Otherwise, things would be difficult to wrap up.

Right now, he was still under the watchful eye of the Third Hokage.

Hokage Building.

Inside the private office.

Using his special Crystal Ball, Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Menma take away the Sealing Scroll, and a faint smile appeared on his aged face.

As a Hokage who had governed the ninja village for three or four decades,

he could not claim to know every little stir within the village. But with an operation like Mizuki's, unless it remained hidden in the shadows from start to finish, once it was exposed—and especially once it involved someone with an identity as special as Menma's—

if Sarutobi Hiruzen still failed to learn of it, then he would have been Hokage for nothing.

Consider this a small compensation...

Sarutobi Hiruzen silently thought as he watched Menma race onward.

Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen had another thought hidden in his heart: this was also one final, small test for Menma.

After that,

Sarutobi Hiruzen deliberately waited a little longer, giving Menma a bit more time before issuing orders to gather a group of currently idle Chunin and Genin. Among them were several Ninja Academy teachers, including Iruka.

It was merely putting on a show of launching a search operation.

But in reality,

the Hokage's Direct Anbu arranged by Sarutobi Hiruzen had been trailing far behind Menma all along.

Every one of them was an Anbu elite personally selected by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Even the weakest among them was stronger than an ordinary Elite Chunin.

Not to mention one mere Mizuki.

Even several more of him would not be a problem.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders were for the Anbu not to intervene lightly. The Scroll of Seals was both a small compensation for Menma and a test, while Mizuki's incident was likewise an opportunity Sarutobi Hiruzen had arranged to temper and test Menma.

As an experienced shinobi,

Sarutobi Hiruzen understood all too well that true power could only be forged through bloody battles amid fire and war.

Mizuki, whose strength was merely that of an ordinary Chunin—perhaps even slightly below that—was the perfect first enemy for Menma as he formally entered the Shinobi World.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had equally high expectations for Menma.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

That title itself was synonymous with strength!!

On top of that, Menma was also Minato and Kushina's child. Naturally, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought highly of Menma's future and firmly believed that Menma would become a hero of Konohagakure just like Minato.

It could not be called entirely Sarutobi Hiruzen's wishful thinking. After all, Menma's conduct over the past twelve years had been enough to give the Third Hokage such expectations. And in the Original Work, had things not turned out exactly as Sarutobi Hiruzen had hoped!?

Unfortunately!

Menma was Menma.

He could never become the righteous and noble "Naruto Uzumaki" of the Original Work! Seek the Recognition of Konohagakure's people!? Forgive enemies who could practically be called the murderers of his parents? And even try to create a peaceful world where everyone understood one another through his own justice and hard work!?

Sorry.

That kind of hot-blooded idiot

would never be Menma's choice for his life.

He only wanted to survive.

To live freely and joyfully.

That was all!

Menma's life was destined to run completely contrary to Sarutobi Hiruzen's expectations.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen could not possibly foresee that right now. And after the Third Hokage issued his orders,

the summoned Konoha Ninja spread out in groups of two or three, their faces grave as they searched for Mizuki and Menma.

Iruka was among them as well.

Still unaware of the full story, Iruka's face was filled with anxiety.

The Scroll of Seals? Why would Menma steal the Scroll of Seals? What exactly did Mizuki say to him!?

The past six years they had spent together

had made Iruka firmly believe that Menma was merely a child who seemed cold on the outside but was warm within. Although he harbored some resentment toward certain people in the village, that was entirely understandable. Being excluded, isolated, and even hated by others—would it not be normal to feel some negativity!?

So Iruka could understand and accept all of that.

He had always believed that Menma was not bad by nature.

But now, he had actually done something so rebellious. Yes, in Iruka's eyes, it was an utterly unforgivable act.