The Scroll of Seals

Feng Yao arrived at a corner and watched Mizuki, who was sitting with Naruto on the rooftop and playing the part of a good teacher. 

Taking advantage of Naruto's desire to graduate, Mizuki had smoothly told him the secret of the Scroll of Seals. However, he'd only said that learning the contents of the Scroll of Seals would let Naruto graduate. He hadn't explained what the Scroll of Seals actually was.

Naruto was overjoyed when he heard the news. At that moment, he felt that Mizuki was the only teacher who truly cared about him.

But Naruto's first move wasn't to steal the Scroll of Seals. Instead, he took a winding route to a street and stopped in front of a house. Feng Yao, who had been following him from behind, fell silent. This was his home.

He could roughly guess why Naruto had come. Naruto had learned about a ninjutsu that would let him graduate if he mastered it, and he wanted to bring Feng Yao along, since Feng Yao hadn't graduated.

"Excuse me, is Feng Yao home?"

"Who is it... Oh, it's you, child. He's not home. You should stop looking for him so often, too. He didn't graduate this time because he's always playing with you instead of training."

Feng Yao's mother answered the door. When she saw Naruto, she instinctively furrowed her brow. She had reminded her son several times not to spend too much time with Naruto.

Unfortunately, Feng Yao never listened. She warned Naruto now because she knew Feng Yao was upset about failing the graduation exam.

Naruto's eyes visibly dimmed when he heard that. Then he forced himself to perk up.

"Then I won't bother you, ma'am. Could you please tell Feng Yao when he gets home that I have something very important to tell him?"

He bowed, turned around, and left. Feng Yao silently glanced at his mother, then continued following Naruto.

Night soon fell. Naruto was sneaking toward the Third Hokage's residence. Feng Yao deliberately kept his distance, because he knew Mizuki was following Naruto, too. If he got too close, Mizuki might notice him.

Sure enough, when Naruto climbed in through the window, Mizuki appeared on a rooftop less than two houses away, silently watching the building across from him. When he heard a Sexy Technique, Feng Yao knew the invincible Third Hokage had been taken down.

After waiting for the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Naruto climbed back out through the window with the Scroll of Seals and disappeared into the night. Mizuki, standing nearby, flashed the sinister grin of a villain. Then he went ahead to prepare to inform Iruka.

Feng Yao continued after Naruto as soon as Mizuki left. He intended to seize this chance to get the Scroll of Seals. Naruto reached the forest and stopped, then opened the scroll to study the ninjutsu inside. It was here that Naruto learned his first powerful technique, Multi Shadow Clone.

Feng Yao hid in a tree and got ready. He took out a handful of silver needles, then pulled a small tube of clear liquid from another pocket. He dipped the needles into the tube in batches. Of course, it wasn't poison.

It was a powerful anesthetic that could temporarily rob someone of their ability to move. Feng Yao didn't want to hurt Naruto, so he used silver needles that wouldn't cause too much harm. Then he put on a mask to hide his identity. He'd bought the same one Kakashi wore.

Naruto was already practicing the technique. Feng Yao waited for his chance, until Naruto had practiced several times and was so tired that he slumped to the ground. Feng Yao knew his opportunity had arrived.

He gripped the needles in both hands and hurled them at Naruto's back with all his strength. After using a low-grade potion, his accuracy and the force behind his needles had both improved considerably. Naruto noticed them at once.

He slapped his hands against the ground, sprang up, and rolled several times. Most of the needles missed, but two pierced him—one in the shoulder and one in the waist. The powerful anesthetic made him stagger.

"Who are you? Why are you..."

Naruto shouted at the masked figure before him. He didn't realize it was his best friend. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and his mind began to grow hazy.

Feng Yao slowly approached him. Not knowing what the other person intended, Naruto grew frightened and fell to the ground. The anesthetic gradually left him unable to move. Instinctively, he tried to escape, dragging himself along the ground with both hands, but after only a few steps, he passed out. In his fading consciousness, he heard one last sentence.

"Sorry, Naruto."

Feng Yao dragged Naruto over to a tree and propped him against it before taking the Scroll of Seals. It contained forbidden techniques coveted by the other hidden villages.

But as Feng Yao held it in his hands, he felt nothing. Instead, he worried about what to do next. For one thing, the system made it impossible for him to train in these techniques. The scroll was less useful to him than a brick.

For another, after what he'd done today, he couldn't stay in Konoha. Even setting aside the fact that he couldn't face Naruto as if nothing had happened, the main issue was that everything happening here was under the Third Hokage's surveillance. The Third Hokage would never tolerate what he'd done.

When Feng Yao opened the Scroll of Seals, he saw four powerful techniques recorded inside:

Multi Shadow Clone

Impure World Reincarnation

Eight Inner Gates

Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags. These techniques either required enormous amounts of chakra or forced the user to pay a terrible price. That was why they'd been sealed away. It was worth noting that most of them had been invented by the Second Hokage.

"Congratulations, host. You have completed the mission: Steal the Scroll of Seals. You have been rewarded with ten times your usual chakra. Please keep up the good work."

Feng Yao felt a surge of chakra well up inside him. The sensation lifted his spirits. His chakra reserves still couldn't compare to Naruto's or Kisame's.

But they were now far greater than those of an ordinary Chunin. If he were compared with Kakashi, he'd even have more chakra than an elite Jonin.

He looked at Naruto, then at the Scroll of Seals. Suddenly, he sat down on the spot and began reading it.

"Host, are you so happy that you've lost your memory? Even if you learn these techniques, you won't be able to use them, unless the system randomly draws one of them."

"I know. Don't ask me about it. By the way, I've completed the mission. Is it okay to leave the Scroll of Seals here?"

Feng Yao asked as he rapidly flipped through the scroll. He'd completed the mission, so he wasn't interested in keeping it. Besides, even if he took it, he wasn't sure he could escape the village.

Naruto and his parents could also end up in serious trouble in the village. Some people might even seize the chance to target Naruto. People weren't heartless. If he could spare them trouble, Feng Yao would rather leave the Scroll of Seals behind.

"The host may do as he pleases."

"Mm. Then... I'll leave it."

He looked deeply at Naruto, who was fast asleep. Feng Yao had already memorized half the Scroll of Seals. The potion's effects were incredible. Before, he could never have memorized so many complex techniques in such a short time.

But the potion had improved his ability to learn and remember. It was as if he'd gone from being a hopeless student to a top scholar. Another half cup of tea passed.

"Naruto, where are you? Answer me!"

That was Iruka's voice. Feng Yao quickly cleaned up the scene and pulled out the needles. Naruto actually groaned. He was already close to waking up after such a short time, despite the powerful anesthetic. Was it the Nine-Tails' power?

Feng Yao wondered, then rolled up the Scroll of Seals and tucked it against Naruto's chest before hiding in a nearby tree.

When Iruka arrived, he spotted Naruto sitting beneath a tree. He walked over, shouting,

"You brat! I've finally found you!"

When he got closer, he saw that Naruto had passed out. He hurried over to check on him. Though Iruka was angry at what Naruto had done, he'd still be worried if Naruto were in danger.

Only after making sure Naruto had merely fainted did he breathe a sigh of relief. Then he furrowed his brow, wondering who had attacked him and why. There were no obvious wounds, and the Scroll of Seals hadn't been taken.

Just as Iruka was about to wake Naruto, several objects cut through the air. They were too fast for Iruka to dodge, so he turned his back to shield Naruto. Thwack, thwack! Several kunai plunged into his back.

Blood instantly stained his flak jacket. He grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and dripping onto Naruto's face. Naruto began to stir.

Iruka struggled to turn his head. He saw Mizuki, who had just ambushed him and was carrying a giant shuriken shaped like a cross. Iruka's eyes filled with shock. Mizuki dropped his act and revealed his true face.

"I never thought you'd be able to find this place, Iruka."

"W-why... is it you? What are you trying to do?"

"What else? I'm going to get the Scroll of Seals!"

Mizuki scoffed at Iruka's question. He looked at Iruka with utter disgust, as if he couldn't even be bothered to talk to him.

When he turned his gaze to Naruto, he saw that Naruto had passed out. That puzzled him. Had Naruto fainted while practicing ninjutsu? It didn't matter, as long as he could get the Scroll of Seals.

"So you were the one who knocked Naruto out, and you were the one who told him to steal the Scroll of Seals?"

As he spoke, Iruka pulled the kunai out of his back. Blood spurted from the wounds. He was trying to stall for time and wait for reinforcements from the other Konoha ninja. He was injured, and Naruto was unconscious. There was no way he could defeat Mizuki in this state.

"Don't bother trying to stall, Iruka. Let me finish you off quickly."

He took the giant cross-shaped shuriken from his back, ready to deliver Iruka a fatal blow. He gripped it in his right hand and swung it rapidly to build momentum. Its spinning blades made the surrounding leaves rustle. Then he aimed at Iruka's heart and threw it.

This time, Iruka was ready. He picked Naruto up and dodged to the right. He avoided a fatal wound, but the shuriken still cut his left leg, and he fell to the ground again. This time, though, he knocked Naruto awake.

"Huh? What's going on? Where's the masked man? Whoa! Iruka-sensei, you're bleeding so much!"

Feng Yao watched Naruto wake up and felt reassured. If Naruto had truly been in mortal danger, Feng Yao would have stepped in to help. Not because he cared deeply about Naruto, but because he wanted a clear conscience.

If they crossed blades in the future, he'd have repaid his debt to Konoha. He wouldn't need to hold back.

Seeing that Naruto was awake, Feng Yao prepared to leave. Everything here was being watched by the Third Hokage. If he stayed too long, he might not be able to get away. He'd attacked the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and read the Scroll of Seals. Nothing good would come of staying.

"Host has triggered a mission: Defeat Mizuki. Reward: a chance to enter the sacred land of Shikkotsu Forest, as well as its location. Slogan: The first step toward becoming stronger has begun. Hurry up and seize this opportunity!"

The chance to enter Shikkotsu Forest... Feng Yao was very tempted. It was the most mysterious of the Three Great Sage Lands. To use Senjutsu, he'd have to enter one of the Three Great Sage Lands, train there, and learn to control Natural Energy.

Feng Yao had been worried about how to get into one of the Three Great Sage Lands to train. It was like being handed a pillow just as he was getting sleepy. However, defeating Mizuki wouldn't be easy. Feng Yao couldn't use ninjutsu to fight back. He could only rely on the various ninja tools in his bag.

Besides, Mizuki was a Chunin. Given Feng Yao's current condition, defeating him would be difficult. And there was one thing Feng Yao was absolutely no match for: Mizuki knew how to plan his tactics.

"Naruto, take the Scroll of Seals and run! Mizuki used you. Go!"

Naruto was stunned and stayed where he was, unsure what to do. Mizuki calmly started running his mouth, revealing that Naruto was the Nine-Tails Fox. The news hit Naruto hard, and he finally understood why the people of the village hated him.

While Naruto was stunned, Mizuki threw the second giant shuriken. Iruka pulled Naruto out of his daze, and they barely managed to dodge it.

Seeing that Mizuki had thrown both of his giant shuriken, Feng Yao stopped hesitating. Time was precious for him, too. He mixed the rest of his silver needles in with some shuriken, took aim at Mizuki, and threw them.

But Mizuki seemed to have anticipated it. He sprang off the tree trunk with both legs and dodged every attack, landing on the ground.

"When Iruka said Naruto had been knocked out, I knew someone else had to be here. You look pretty young. Who are you?"

Mizuki spoke to Feng Yao, who was standing in the tree, with a playful look. He seemed to be making conversation, but his hand was moving toward the kunai in his pocket. Feng Yao noticed and immediately threw a kunai to stop him.

Then Feng Yao charged at Mizuki. Seeing the kunai fly toward him, Mizuki prepared to dodge sideways and counterattack. But then he saw an Explosive Tag tied to it and hurriedly leaped backward.

The kunai stuck into the ground but didn't explode. Only then did Mizuki realize it was a fake Explosive Tag. By then, Feng Yao had taken the chance to close the distance between them.

"You bastard! How dare you try to fool me with a fake!"

Mizuki was furious, but Feng Yao didn't reply. His voice was easy for Iruka and Naruto to recognize. Mizuki drew his kunai and prepared to fight. Feng Yao moved in close, gripped his kunai, and crouched low to attack Mizuki's leg.

The boy was already short. Once he crouched, Mizuki had to lower his stance to fight him. For a time, Mizuki was at a disadvantage. But after several exchanges, he found his opponent's weakness.

Mizuki realized that although Feng Yao seemed clever and decisive, he never dared to aim his kunai at any vital spots. He seemed nervous. Mizuki thought it over and understood why. Judging by his appearance, his opponent was just a child. He'd never been in a fight to the death.

That was right. Though Feng Yao had lived two lives, both had been in peaceful eras. He'd never even killed a chicken. He could throw shuriken from a distance and practice with a kunai, but when it came to a real fight, he couldn't match ninja who'd been to battle and killed people.

That was where he fell short of Mizuki. He couldn't fight to the death or summon the courage to disregard both his enemy's life and his own. Even his hand trembled as he gripped the kunai. To keep it from shaking, Feng Yao had to keep tightening his grip.

Mizuki flashed a cunning grin. Suddenly, he changed his moves and went all out, attacking Feng Yao's left arm while abandoning his defense. At that moment, Feng Yao could have driven his kunai half a meter forward and stabbed Mizuki in the heart. But he hesitated, and Mizuki cut open his arm and kicked him away.

Blood spilled from Feng Yao's mouth and ran down the black mask. He curled up on the ground, his muscles trembling all over from the pain. The injury to his shoulder made it difficult for him to hold his kunai steady.

"Heh heh. You've never killed anyone, have you, kid? People as indecisive as you can't be ninja. Pay for your stupidity!"

He charged forward, ready to finish Feng Yao off. Suddenly, he felt something pierce his foot. A sharp pain shot through the sole. Mizuki hopped backward as he pulled the object from his foot.

"Ah! Damn it, caltrops! When did you...?"

Feng Yao got to his feet, spitting blood. A Chunin like Mizuki was still very difficult to deal with. Even if Feng Yao could use ninjutsu and had the courage to kill, he doubted he'd be a match for him.

He'd scattered the caltrops across the ground when Mizuki kicked him away. Feng Yao drew several more kunai and shuriken and threw them at Mizuki. Mizuki backed away to dodge. Though the caltrops in his foot slowed him down, Feng Yao had been badly hurt by that kick. His aim and the force behind his kunai had both suffered.

"You're dead, kid. How dare you do this to me!"

He used the Substitution Technique and switched places with a tree he'd prepared beforehand. Feng Yao's kunai pierced its roots. Mizuki leaped into the air and closed in on Feng Yao from above, attacking him from midair. Feng Yao swung his kunai to fend him off as best he could, retreating all the while.

After several exchanges, Mizuki seized another opening and sent Feng Yao flying with a kick. Feng Yao struggled several times but couldn't get up. Mizuki turned toward Iruka.

"I'll kill that kid first. Then it'll be your turn."

Naruto stood in front of Iruka to protect him. He recognized the masked boy as the one who'd attacked him earlier, so he didn't go to help. Right now, he only wanted to protect Iruka-sensei.

Mizuki gripped his kunai and slowly walked toward Feng Yao. Suddenly, he felt dizzy. He couldn't even keep his balance, so he quickly shook his head to clear it.

"How can this be? This is... anesthesia... How did you...?"

Feng Yao looked at Mizuki, who was swaying unsteadily. He pulled open his shirt to reveal several tiny silver needles. They were the last few he had. He'd pinned them to his clothes with their points facing out, so they'd pierce Mizuki when he fought Feng Yao at close quarters.

The first kick hadn't hit the needles, but Mizuki's second kick, the one that had sent Feng Yao flying, had struck the anesthetic needles.

"You... really are... a bastard!"

Mizuki was decisive. He stabbed his kunai straight into his thigh, using the pain to keep himself alert. He no longer wanted to kill Feng Yao. Instead, he turned and glared at Naruto.

"Naruto, hand over the Scroll of Seals right now, or I'll kill Iruka."

"Sorry... cough, cough... If I can't... defeat you... I'll be... at a disadvantage."

Feng Yao got to his feet again. He deliberately lowered his voice as he spoke. His hoarse words barely concealed how much pain he was in. To be honest, if Mizuki had been able, he would have torn Feng Yao limb from limb.

But Mizuki's leg was injured, too, and he needed pain to keep his mind clear as the anesthetic took hold. All he wanted now was to grab the Scroll of Seals and run. He hadn't expected Feng Yao to keep doggedly going after him. He had no idea what the boy wanted.

"What are you trying to do? You're badly hurt, too. Do you really dare to kill me?"

"I don't dare... to do it myself, so all I can do is..."

Before Mizuki could hear the rest, Feng Yao threw a shuriken at him. Mizuki had slowed down considerably. The anesthetic and his injured leg made even moving take immense effort. But Feng Yao's aim was worse. The kunai only barely landed by Mizuki's feet.

Mizuki chuckled and was about to mock him when he saw the Explosive Tag at the end of the shuriken. The burning sound confirmed this one was real. He understood. Feng Yao had known from the start that he didn't dare kill anyone himself.

In their earlier fight, he'd first used a fake Explosive Tag to test Mizuki's speed. Then he'd used the anesthetic and caltrops to severely limit Mizuki's mobility. He'd waited until Mizuki had used his Substitution Technique before delivering his final blow. Now Mizuki had no way to get out of range of the Explosive Tag.

"Bas—"

With a tremendous boom, Mizuki's body vanished into the explosion. The force of an Explosive Tag was comparable to a high-level Fire Release Ninjutsu, and they were extremely expensive. That one tag had cost six hundred ryo, half the money he'd spent on all his other ninja tools.

Fortunately, Feng Yao had succeeded. Mizuki lay on the ground, burned to a crisp. Feng Yao couldn't tell if he was dead. Although Feng Yao had done it himself, the sight still made him uncomfortable. But he had to get used to it. There would be many battles ahead.

Dragging his injured body, Feng Yao took one last look at Naruto and Konoha, then headed deeper into the forest. The masked boy's eyes seemed to make Naruto realize something. He was just about to call out and stop him.

"Forget it, Naruto. Don't chase him. We'll wait here for reinforcements and report everything to Lord Hokage. Besides, that masked boy uses extremely underhanded methods. Don't do anything rash."

"Uh... okay, Iruka-sensei."

Naruto helped Iruka along. On the way back, they ran into other Konoha ninja and told them about Mizuki's scheme. When everyone saw that the Scroll of Seals was still there, their expressions eased. Later, they reported the whole situation to the Third Hokage.

"Since the Scroll of Seals is safe, no one is to mention this matter again."

"But, Lord Hokage, Iruka said that the masked—"

The Third Hokage stopped him with a look. After dismissing everyone, he let Naruto go back and rest, then kept Iruka behind. He took a puff from his pipe and said meaningfully, "The masked person who attacked Naruto and defeated Mizuki was your student, Feng Yao."

"What... How... How is that possible? That boy isn't like that."

"I don't know what he was after. Most likely, he's a spy planted by another village who deliberately got close to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to steal information. But the truth would be too cruel for Naruto. After all, this boy is Naruto's only friend. Don't tell him. List Feng Yao as missing."

"I understand. I'll go tell Feng Yao's parents..."

Iruka seemed to have lost all his strength. The friend he trusted had tried to steal the Scroll of Seals, and the student he'd been proud of had turned out to be a spy from another village who'd deliberately approached Naruto. He walked out in a daze.

The Third Hokage sighed in silence, then took out a file he'd already prepared. It contained Feng Yao's personal information. Feng Yao had read the Scroll of Seals and spent so much time with Naruto. He must have had an ulterior motive. As the Hokage responsible for protecting the village, the threat Feng Yao posed could no longer be ignored.

Name: Feng Yao

Date of birth: April 21

Place of birth: Konoha Ninja Village

Nationality: Land of Fire

Occupation: D-rank missing-nin

Weight: 45 kg Height: 1.58 m

Personality: Determined, decisive, calm, cunning as a rabbit

Ninjutsu: Suspected of being unable to use ninjutsu

Weapons used: Silver needles, kunai, caltrops, shuriken

Note: Suspected of being an undercover spy from another country; secretly investigating the secrets of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki; has read the Scroll of Seals.

The brief file listed Feng Yao's physical measurements and the ninjutsu and tools he specialized in. Then a person appeared from the shadow behind the Third Hokage, wearing a white animal-faced mask. He wore a black top and white protective clothing, and a ninja sword was strapped to his back.

"Bring this person back. If he resists, you may deal with him discreetly. Be careful of people from other villages."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."