"All right, but Naruto, with your current ninjutsu skills, passing the exam will be very difficult."
Mizuki gave Naruto a concerned look, his voice carrying just the right amount of worry.
Damn it, a demon fox really is a demon fox. What normal kid grows this tall?
A twelve-year-old is already almost as tall as I am.
Mizuki watched Naruto's reaction closely and continued coaxing him. "A ninja can't focus only on Taijutsu. Ninjutsu is the foundation of being a ninja.
"Think about it. If your teammates ran into danger on a mission, but you couldn't help because you didn't know ninjutsu..."
"But... I'm not good at ninjutsu..."
Naruto lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly. He looked dejected, but he was actually struggling to keep the corners of his mouth from curling up.
Inside the seal, the Nine-Tails lay on the ground with his chin propped on one hand, holding back his laughter.
That Naruto was putting on an act again.
"That's all right."
A gleam flashed in Mizuki's eyes. He thought Naruto had taken the bait.
"A thoughtful child like you wouldn't want to barely scrape through graduation only to hold your teammates back on missions, would you?"
He lowered his voice with an air of mystery. "I have a way to help you."
Naruto abruptly raised his head, a perfectly measured look of delighted surprise blooming on his face. "Really? Mr. Mizuki!"
"Of course. How could I bear to lie to you?"
Mizuki fought back the laughter threatening to spill out.
He screamed inwardly.
No!
I can't laugh yet... I have to hold it in!
Once I trick this demon fox brat into stealing the Scroll of Seals, it'll be mine.
He's just a demon fox brat who only knows Taijutsu after studying under that bushy-browed guy with the bowl cut. How could he possibly be a match for me?
No, I still can't laugh...
The corners of Naruto's mouth seemed to tremble with excitement, but he was actually on the verge of bursting out laughing.
With such a great opportunity right in front of me, I've got to use Mizuki to get my hands on the Scroll of Seals.
The Multiple Shadow Clone technique in the Scroll of Seals is my legitimate cheat. All these years, I've only been able to use five Shadow Clones at once. Any more than that is impossible.
But the Multiple Shadow Clone technique will let me make more clones, and there might be other ninjutsu in the Scroll of Seals, too.
Every ninjutsu Kurama gets to see is another win for me.
"The thing that can give you the talent to become a ninja is-the Scroll of Seals."
Mizuki lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "It's a scroll kept by successive Hokage, and it contains powerful ninjutsu. Legend has it that whoever obtains the Scroll of Seals can obtain everything the deceased Hokage left behind.
"If you get it, Naruto, you might even become Hokage!"
Of course, Mizuki was making all of this up.
He watched Naruto's expression intently, afraid of missing even the slightest sign of wavering.
Sure enough, Naruto "believed him," his eyes shining. A moment later, however, hesitation appeared on his face. "But Mr. Mizuki, isn't that something really important to the village?"
"Naturally, the village's things are meant for the people of the village to use."
Suppressing his disgust, Mizuki continued tempting him in a gentle voice.
"If someone like you, Naruto, who wants to become Hokage and is wholeheartedly devoted to the village, can't use the Scroll of Seals, then I really can't think of anyone who deserves to use it."
Every insincere compliment made Mizuki sick to his stomach, but he had to endure it.
A ninja must endure what ordinary people cannot. Endurance means being able to hold out!
As long as this demon fox brat took the bait, he could get the Scroll of Seals he had always dreamed of and pin all the blame on Naruto.
Unexpectedly, Naruto's next words made Mizuki freeze. "Then can I ask the Lord Third for permission to read it?"
"You can't do that!"
Mizuki shouted in his panic. When he saw Naruto frown in confusion, he hurriedly forced a smile and tried to recover.
"I mean... the Lord Third has countless duties to attend to. We shouldn't disturb him."
He leaned closer to Naruto and lowered his voice. "If you borrow it first and prove your abilities, Lord Hokage will definitely see you in a new light."
Mizuki cursed inwardly. Why isn't this kid following the script? Looks like I'll have to try harder.
"I see. You're right, Mr. Mizuki. But where is the Scroll of Seals?"
He finally fell for it!
A demon fox is a demon fox. Just a mindless beast.
Inside the Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly lowered his pipe, his gaze settling on the blond boy before him through the curling smoke.
Standing before the desk, Naruto had just finished explaining how Mizuki had urged him to steal the Scroll of Seals.
"You're saying Mizuki urged you to steal the Scroll of Seals?"
The Lord Third's voice remained steady, but his fingers tightened slightly around his pipe.
He had already learned of this through the ANBU.
When the ANBU had come to report it, the old man, weathered by countless trials, had indeed hesitated.
But after careful consideration, he had decided to make this Naruto's final test.
Twelve years had passed.
Ever since that bloodstained night, he had quietly watched this child grow, witnessing how he stayed true to himself amid prejudice and loneliness.
Naruto had come first every time in the Ninja Academy's Will of Fire classes.
And now, it was time to confirm whether this young sapling had truly grown into what he had hoped.
"I understand."
The Lord Third nodded gently, a ripple of gratification passing through his eyes.
The boy had lived up to his expectations. Not only had he seen through the plot, but he had also chosen the most upright approach and taken the initiative to expose it.
His loyalty to the village had already earned him a perfect score.
He rose and walked to the window, looking down at Konoha in the twilight.
Next, it would be their turn to finish this little play.
"I'll give you the real Scroll of Seals, Naruto. I hope you won't disappoint me!"
Naruto's expression turned solemn.
"Konoha is my home. I will never tolerate anyone doing anything that harms it. Please rest assured, Lord Third!"
Hearing Naruto address him as Lord Third, something he rarely did, the Lord Third understood his resolve.
"Good! Grandpa believes in you."
Night fell. With an enormous scroll on his back, a nimble figure silently leaped out of a window in the Hokage Building. A few bounds carried him out of sight among the rooftops as he raced toward the forest outside the village.
At the window of the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a smoke ring. As he watched that golden streak recede into the distance, pleased smile lines gathered at the corners of his eyes.
He murmured inwardly, Minato, can you see this from the Pure Land?
Your son is just as outstanding as you were...
"Notify Inoichi Yamanaka and Hyuga Hiashi."
The Lord Third turned and gave the order into the shadows, an almost imperceptible trace of amusement in his voice.
"Tell them Naruto has run off with the Scroll of Seals."
After the ANBU departed with his orders, the old Hokage looked out into the deep night again, the pipe between his fingers glowing and dimming.
This carefully arranged "accident" was both a test of Naruto's ability to adapt on the spot and an excellent opportunity to observe the attitudes of the major clans.
More importantly-
"Naruto..."
He murmured to himself, a mischievous gleam flashing in the elder's eyes.
"Let Grandpa Third help you see which of those two families' daughters would be your best match."
Far away in the forest, Naruto suddenly shivered and instinctively glanced back at the brightly lit Hokage Building.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the script for tonight's performance was a little more complicated than he had imagined.