Naruto and Konohamaru

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, questioned Naruto. Iruka recounted everything, placing all the blame on Mizuki. At the same time, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked what Naruto had learned from the Scroll of Seals.

"Naruto, you read the Scroll of Seals, so that's how you learned the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

"Yes, Grandpa Third!" Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled. "The jutsu in it all looked too troublesome, and the hand signs were pretty complicated. So aside from the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, I also tried learning the Flying Thunder God Technique!"

Naruto's words shocked Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Did you actually learn it?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

Naruto shook his head. "No. I memorized it, but I haven't had the chance to study it yet. It feels really hard!"

"Of course it is," Hiruzen Sarutobi said. "That is a forbidden jutsu with S-rank difficulty. It's very dangerous. Naruto, you must be careful whenever you learn ninjutsu in the future."

"Yes, I understand, Grandpa Third!" Naruto replied.

After everything had been explained, Naruto and Iruka left together. They went to the newly opened Ichiraku Ramen shop, and after eating, Naruto returned home, curled up happily in his room, and slept soundly.

His subconscious, however, entered the inner space where the Nine-Tails was sealed.

Naruto said, "Kurama, it worked! I told Grandpa Third about the Flying Thunder God Technique too!"

"Mm." The Nine-Tails responded softly. After handing Naruto the recorded ninjutsu, he remained remarkably indifferent.

Naruto's burning enthusiasm was thoroughly doused by the Nine-Tails' reaction. Feeling like he had made a fool of himself, Naruto opened the recorded jutsu. They were all from the Scroll of Seals.

"The Eight Trigrams Seal! Kurama, it's the Eight Trigrams Seal." Naruto noticed this jutsu. Earlier, with everything being so urgent, he had not paid much attention to it. Only now that he had time did he notice it.

Without even raising his head, the Nine-Tails said, "That's right. It's the jutsu your father, the Fourth Hokage, used to seal me inside you. That is also the real reason why, in Awen's memories, the Third Hokage was so worried that you would learn the jutsu in the Scroll of Seals and undo the seal."

Naruto had not considered those details. His face lit up with delight. "Kurama, does that mean I can learn this jutsu and help you break the seal?"

The Nine-Tails looked at Naruto. Those large blue eyes were utterly serious, without the slightest hint of a joke. Naruto meant it.

"Hmph. We'll talk once you become stronger. Naruto, from now on, I won't interfere with your chakra anymore. Likewise, I won't help you either." The Nine-Tails refused him, lay down, and closed his eyes.

"Huh? What?" Naruto froze when he heard that.

"Did I do something wrong? Kurama, wait, are you really not planning to help me anymore?"

Naruto received no answer. The Nine-Tails directly sent him out. Back in the real world, Naruto opened his eyes, yawned, and continued sleeping.

Ninja registration forms required every student graduating from the Ninja Academy to take a photograph. As for Naruto's photo, he was no longer pulling silly faces. He wore a ninja forehead protector and a red long-tailed coat.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Naruto's photo on the ninja registration form and smiled faintly. "Has that former prankster finally matured? He looks rather handsome too."

Bang!

The door suddenly flew open. A child with an overly long scarf and a gap in his teeth burst in, Shuriken in hand, and shouted, "Grandpa, let's settle this in a duel!"

"It's him, Konohamaru!" Naruto narrowed his eyes.

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a soft sigh. "Sigh, the trouble never ends!"

Thud!

Konohamaru charged toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, only to trip on level ground. He let out a pained cry. "That hurts! Ow, it hurts so much!"

Naruto carefully recalled Awen's related memories. Tripping on flat ground was supposed to happen to cute, slightly clumsy girls, wasn't it?

"Damn it, was that a trap?" Konohamaru clutched his head and looked up, only to receive utterly speechless looks from Naruto and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Ah, something happened again!" The voice arrived before the person did. A ninja wearing sunglasses hurried over.

Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses and said, "Young master, are you all right? And by the way, there was no trap at all!"

Suddenly, Ebisu noticed Naruto. The gaze behind his sunglasses turned disgusted as he thought, The Nine-Tails brat? I hate useless trash like him the most.

Naruto noticed Ebisu's gaze as well. He was extremely sensitive to looks like that, but he had long since grown used to them and did not find them strange anymore. "Grandpa Third, bye!"

"Mm." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded lightly.

Watching Naruto's departing back, Konohamaru stood rooted to the spot. Ignoring him... that guy had actually ignored him. That person was the one from the rumors, wasn't he?

Thinking that, Konohamaru shook Ebisu off again and secretly followed Naruto.

Naruto was walking down the street. How could Konohamaru's clumsy Concealment Technique possibly fool him?

"Hey, why are you following me? Your Concealment Technique is terrible!" Naruto finally could not stand it anymore and turned around to question him.

Konohamaru grinned. "As expected of the man I acknowledge. You really are just like the rumors say! I don't mind becoming your underling, Boss Naruto! But in return, you have to teach me the Sexy Jutsu you used to defeat my grandpa, okay, Boss?"

"The Sexy Jutsu!" Naruto considered Awen's memories and muttered, "A move like that can indeed produce unimaginable results in battle sometimes. Fine, come with me. The secret to the Sexy Jutsu is curves and a cute face!"

"Yes, Boss!" With a face full of admiration, Konohamaru followed Naruto into a small grove and began practicing the Sexy Jutsu.

By the time noon had passed, Naruto and Konohamaru were sitting on a tree stump, talking.

Konohamaru said quietly, "My grandpa named me Konohamaru after the village, but in everyone's eyes, I'm only the Hokage's grandson. No one recognizes me for who I am. I want to gain the title of Hokage right away. I've had enough."

Naruto's jacket was unzipped, revealing the black shirt beneath. He carried himself like a carefree young man.

"Idiot, there are no shortcuts to becoming Hokage!" Naruto's voice was low and serious as he recalled what Itachi Uchiha had told him in Awen's memories.

"When someone gains great power but forgets others, they become arrogant and fixated on themselves. Someone like that can never become Hokage, Konohamaru. It isn't only by becoming Hokage that you gain people's recognition. Only someone recognized by the people can become Hokage."

Konohamaru stood there in a daze, looking thoughtful. As he looked at Naruto's serious profile, he felt that Naruto was so handsome, so cool.

Ebisu, who had been hiding nearby and preparing to come out and take Konohamaru back, could not help stopping when he heard Naruto's words.

"Did that troublesome little demon fox who loves pranks really say that?" The gaze behind Ebisu's sunglasses changed as well. He no longer looked at Naruto with the same disgust as before. He had always disliked people like Naruto, who loved pranks and had poor grades.

Ebisu did not step forward to stop them. He simply hid in the shadows and watched quietly. Unfortunately, Naruto never used the Harem Jutsu, so Ebisu never earned the title of Pervy Teacher.