Genin: How Dare a Mere Genin Stand in My Way!

"Teacher Mizuki, everyone else can make at least three clones."

"But Naruto only has one."

"And one that's so clumsy... I absolutely cannot let him graduate."

As Iruka's words fell.

Naruto's hopes were utterly shattered.

He glared at Iruka with fury written across his face.

In the end, Mizuki could only shake his head helplessly.

"Get out. There are still other students to test."

Naruto said nothing, just lowered his head and left.

He trudged to his familiar spot.

That swing, which belonged only to him, and him alone.

Listening and watching as his other classmates successfully passed the graduation exam.

"Hey, that kid."

"That's him."

"Looks like he's the only one who failed."

"Serves him right!"

"If someone like that became a ninja, it'd be a disaster."

"After all, that kid..."

"Enough, don't say any more!"

Naruto silently put on his goggles.

Turning back, he realized Teacher Mizuki had somehow appeared beside him.

On the roof of the Ninja Academy.

"Cangwu, I need to speak with you in a moment."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked down at the two below, his voice deep.

Cangwu glanced at Naruto, who was leaving with Mizuki.

He knew what this old man was about to tell him.

Still, he replied patiently and respectfully, "I understand."

Time passed quickly.

A week ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi had summoned Cangwu and informed him that he would become the Jonin Instructor of Team 7.

For that week, aside from class time, Cangwu had mostly trained outside the village.

What he practiced was, naturally, related to seals.

But... most of the time, it involved performing sealing rituals with scrolls.

Or rather, scrolls to suppress the Four Symbols Seal.

"Then, I entrust Naruto to you."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

Cangwu turned and left.

He waited quietly at home.

Night fell.

Knock knock knock--

After a flurry of urgent knocking.

Cangwu pushed the door open to check.

There stood Mizuki, panic written all over his face.

"Teacher Cangwu!"

"What's wrong?"

"Hurry and gather at the Hokage-sama's location!" Mizuki said hastily.

"It seems Naruto... has taken the Scroll of Seals!"

Cangwu: "..."

Watching Mizuki, who clearly thought his acting was flawless, Cangwu still played along with his own performance.

"What?!"

"The Scroll of Seals?!"

"Right! You go gather, I still need to notify the others!" With that, Mizuki left directly.

Cangwu went to assemble in front of the Hokage Building.

"The Scroll of Seals—it's a dangerous item sealed away by the First Hokage-sama!"

"If not used properly... and if it's taken out of the village, the consequences would be unthinkable!"

"..."

When Cangwu arrived, he found the ninjas gathered there included not only teachers from the Ninja Academy but also some rarely seen Genin and Chunin.

Beyond that, one person caught Cangwu's attention.

It was Choji Akimichi.

That head of red hair was far too conspicuous.

As expected...

Cangwu shook his head inwardly.

Still, having this many people putting on an act together made it fairly convincing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, pipe in mouth, noticed Cangwu's arrival and said in a deep voice:

"Mm, go bring Naruto back quickly."

"Yes, sir—!!!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, and everyone dispersed.

He glanced at Cangwu.

Cangwu gave a slight nod.

Then, slowing his pace, he followed behind Mizuki.

But soon he realized that tailing Mizuki would probably take a while before finding Naruto.

So he changed direction.

Before long.

Cangwu arrived behind a disheveled figure.

"Naruto."

"Huh?!"

Naruto jumped in surprise and quickly turned around.

Seeing that it was Cangwu, he let out a sigh of relief.

"You found me~" Naruto rubbed the back of his head, grinning awkwardly.

"Sorry, Cangwu-sensei... but I already learned a really awesome jutsu!"

"As long as I show it to Mizuki-sensei, I can graduate~!"

Looking at Naruto's innocent face.

Cangwu patted his head.

His gaze fell on the sealed scroll strapped to Naruto's back.

It was covered in seals.

Just opening it would require considerable sealing skill.

And to read its contents.

One would also need mastery of Illusion Techniques.

As things stood, probably the only part of the Scroll of Seals that could be read was the first page—the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

Of course, it was also possible that the scroll on Naruto's back contained only that single forbidden technique.

Shuriken shuriken shuriken—!!!

Just then.

A barrage of shuriken suddenly appeared behind Naruto.

Bam—

"Ah~!" Naruto cried out in pain.

He was about to demand why Cangwu had pushed him.

But then he saw Cangwu's body riddled with shuriken.

In an instant, Naruto's pupils shrank to their limit.

The six whisker marks on his cheeks bristled.

"I didn't expect you to find this place."

Mizuki's figure appeared on a large tree.

The giant shuriken was strapped to his back.

"Naruto, hand over the scroll."

Bam—

With a dull thud, Cangwu vanished in a puff of white smoke.

All that remained was a wooden stump bristling with shuriken.

Mizuki froze, his face a mask of disbelief.

He looked down to find a kunai pressed against his own neck, appearing there who knows when.

"Naruto, Mizuki used you to get the Scroll of Seals you're carrying."

"Hahaha~!"

Mizuki suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"Naruto, Cangwu and Iruka are the same!"

"Have you forgotten how these people look at you?!"

"Cangwu is afraid you'll get your hands on that thing!"

"Come on, hand that Scroll of Seals over to me~"

Seeing Naruto rooted to the spot, not immediately handing over the Scroll of Seals, Mizuki's face instantly darkened.

A mere Genin, and he thinks he can threaten me?!

Taking advantage of Cangwu's momentary distraction, Mizuki grabbed the kunai in Cangwu's hands with both hands while kicking Cangwu flying with one foot.

Then he turned to Naruto and spilled the truth about Naruto being the Fox Demon.

"So, the one who killed Cangwu and Iruka's parents, and destroyed the village, was the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox~!"

"You've been deceived by the villagers all along."

"Don't you think something's off?!"

"..."

Cangwu watched quietly from a distance.

Naruto was getting worked up by Mizuki's words.

The Chakra inside him erupted.

Feeling the amount of Chakra within Naruto, Cangwu couldn't help but nod.

That really is a massive amount of Chakra.

Compared to himself, his own Chakra amount was pitifully small.

Even though he'd trained in the advanced Chakra refinement technique Hiruzen Sarutobi had given him, Right now, he was probably only a bit stronger than that guy Kakashi.

Counted as... one Kakashi?

Of course, that was at peak output.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—

Seeing Naruto's defenses shattered by his words, Mizuki immediately hurled the giant shuriken from his back.

Just as the defenseless Naruto was about to be struck, A vicious grin spread across Mizuki's face.

Bam—

But the next second, Mizuki couldn't smile anymore.

Because Cangwu had appeared in front of Naruto without warning.

And blocked the giant shuriken for him.

"Go on, Naruto. Leave this to your teacher."

Cangwu gave a gentle smile.

Naruto stood frozen for several seconds, then shot Cangwu a deep look before bolting away on his heels.

Once he felt that strange Chakra vanish, Cangwu took a deep breath.

That old man's Live Broadcast Artifact sure was a pain at times like this.

Mizuki snorted coldly.

"A mere Genin, and you dare to stand in my way?!"