The Scroll of Sealing Incident

"Grandfather... no, Lord Hokage." Yashui took the Konoha forehead protector from his pocket and tied it around his head. "I now request to join the mission to find Naruto in my capacity as a Konoha genin."

The Third Hokage had originally intended to reprimand Yashui, but seeing that Yashui was already conducting himself as a Konoha ninja, he smiled and said, "Go."

Yashui sprinted out, searching everywhere for Naruto's whereabouts.

Naruto should be somewhere self-studying the Shadow Clone Technique right now. Yashui wasn't certain of Naruto's exact location; the manga hadn't provided a detailed layout of Konoha or the specific spot where Naruto currently was. Yashui had no choice but to search bit by bit.

Recalling the scene from the original work, it was surrounded by trees, so it had to be a training ground. There was a small wooden hut... the purpose of the hut should have been for storing training supplies or providing a place for a short rest. If it were close to the core area of Konoha, such a hut wouldn't be necessary.

"It must be a training ground on the outskirts of Konoha!" Yashui immediately headed toward the outskirts. This information didn't guarantee he would find the right spot on the first try, but since he had a lead, he would be much faster at searching than the other ninjas.

Yashui didn't have much knowledge of Konoha's terrain, but the village's infrastructure was well-maintained. Even if he didn't know the way, he could figure it out by looking at the road signs on the ground.

Moving like a true ninja, Yashui leaped across rooftops and trees. By channeling a bit of chakra into his feet, he could jump great distances. While this method of travel was quite taxing on his stamina, it was an effective way to make good time.

He searched several training grounds but failed to find Naruto. It wasn't until he reached the fourth one that he noticed traces of blood on the ground.

Following the bloodstains, Yashui moved forward cautiously. Even though he was inside Konoha, the villain Mizuki was still out there. He couldn't afford to fall into any traps Mizuki might have set along the way.

Just as Yashui was advancing with care, a massive cloud of mist suddenly erupted directly ahead. This was clearly Naruto's Multi Shadow Clone Technique.

Yashui hurried over, only to see Naruto and Iruka already embracing and weeping.

"A step too late," Yashui regretted. He took one look at Naruto and Iruka from a distance, realizing that his appearance now would serve no purpose, so he quietly turned back.

This suspicious incident was likely orchestrated by the Third Hokage, but that was merely Yashui's conjecture. If it were true, it would be a huge loss not to take the opportunity to see the ninjutsu inside the Scroll of Sealing.

Originally, Yashui had intended to use this chance to see what other high-level ninjutsu were on the Scroll of Sealing besides the Shadow Clone Technique. But since he had arrived too late, he had no choice but to head home.

His goal of "sneaking a peek at the Scroll of Sealing and checking if Naruto's mental state had improved" had only been half-completed.

After reporting what he had seen to the Third Hokage, Yashui was finally able to return to his room to rest.

Just as he got back to his room, Yashui couldn't help but sigh: "Naruto's leadership ability is innate... he managed to make someone like me, who has known him for less than a few days, worry about him so much. I even went so far as to provoke Kiba for his sake..."

It seemed Yashui would have to keep his distance from Naruto in the future. Naruto's innate constitution was terrifying.

Perhaps because Naruto was treated differently by many adults when he was young and had no friends, it masked his natural ability to attract people. Once Naruto became a hero in the future, even if he didn't go out of his way to interact with others, many would still willingly stay by his side and fight for him.

Yashui took off his sunglasses to inspect them. His eyes remained stable today.

Looking at the date on the calendar, tomorrow was the day for genin team assignments. He wondered if his appearance would cause any changes to the groupings compared to the original story.

Filled with trepidation, Yashui drifted off into a dream.