Stalking and an Ambush: His First Battle Interrupted

Inside the Sealing Space.

Zeff was watching One Piece, Kurapika was watching Hunter x Hunter, and Wolffy and Kurama were still playing games, drinking cola, and eating grilled meat.

Kurama had already watched Naruto. To him, what mattered most was enjoying life while he could. After all... he had been sealed away for a hundred years.

From Hashirama Senju's wife, Mito Uzumaki, to Minato Namikaze's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, and now Naruto Uzumaki.

Of all those nearly hundred years, Kurama felt that his current life was the most comfortable and the happiest.

Even his days before being sealed away couldn't compare to the present.

So... Kurama didn't really care whether he was a manga character.

Rather than waste time thinking about all that, he would rather grind some more and buy a few more annual bundles.

Naruto didn't intend to keep disturbing them, either, so he returned his consciousness to his body.

In the classroom.

"The Chakra Refinement Technique we covered this afternoon is the foundation of being a ninja. I hope you all practice diligently once you get home. If there's anything you don't understand, be sure to ask tomorrow, and I'll explain it to you."

School was almost over, and Iruka began assigning homework.

The assignment was simple: basic chakra refinement.

When Naruto heard Iruka assigning homework, he knew it was time for school to let out.

Naruto stood up and stretched, then stuffed the pillow on his desk into his schoolbag.

"Hinata, see you tomorrow!"

"Okay! See you tomorrow, Naruto-kun."

After saying goodbye to Hinata, Naruto shouldered his bag and left.

When school let out, quite a few parents were waiting at the gates to take their children home.

Naruto also spotted Rock Lee at the school gates.

"Hey... Naruto, how was your first day at school?"

"Pretty good!"

Just as Naruto finished speaking, Zeff's voice rang out in his mind.

"Naruto, make a clone. We're continuing your training this afternoon!"

"Seriously... Teacher Zeff, you finished One Piece already?"

"I can watch that anytime. Your training is more important!"

Hearing that, Naruto had no choice but to create two clones.

He made two because he planned to have Wolffy put together a few more computers so he could bring them to school tomorrow and play with the other young rookies.

After telling Wolffy to head home on his own, Naruto and Rock Lee followed Zeff to their usual training spot.

Halfway there, Zeff suddenly stopped, then said quietly, "Someone's following us!"

Naruto only had to think for a moment to figure out what was going on.

"Teacher Zeff, it's probably Mizuki, the guy who registered me today, coming to pick a fight!"

Naruto then recounted what had happened that morning.

The moment he had sensed Mizuki's killing intent earlier that day, Naruto had known this wasn't over. That guy definitely wasn't going to let it go.

"Is that so? This Mizuki sounds like a good test subject... someone to test the results of your recent training."

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded. "That's what I was thinking, too!"

"All right! I'll take Rock Lee and leave first, giving Mizuki a chance to make his move!"

Even if Rock Lee was slow on the uptake, he could tell what Naruto and Zeff were planning.

That left Rock Lee a little worried.

"Teacher Zeff, Naruto is still just a Ninja Academy student, but all the teachers there are chunin..."

"Relax! Chunin aren't actually as strong as you think."

With that, Zeff took Rock Lee and parted ways with Naruto.

Naruto headed toward a sparsely populated forest.

Only after he had walked for over ten minutes did clear footsteps sound behind him.

Naruto looked back and saw Mizuki approaching with a vicious expression.

At the sight, Naruto switched off the Gravity Bracelet's gravity while teasing him.

"Well, well... isn't this Teacher Mizuki?"

"Did you feel your apology earlier wasn't enough? Have you come to get on your knees and apologize this time?"

Hearing Naruto's words, Mizuki gave a sinister grin. "Demon Fox brat, let's see if you still have the strength to act so cocky in a minute."

With that, Mizuki hurled several shuriken straight at Naruto. None were aimed at vital spots. Clearly, Mizuki didn't intend to kill Naruto immediately, though whether he didn't dare or wanted to torture him this way was unclear.

Just as the shuriken came within a meter of Naruto, he slammed both feet against the ground and vanished from the spot.

Mizuki was startled.

"The Body Flicker Technique?"

He began searching all around for Naruto.

Soon, he found Naruto behind him. By then, Naruto had already completed the hand seals for Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, and his chest had swelled.

Naruto wasn't in the habit of shouting a technique's name as he used it, because he thought that was stupid.

Naruto exhaled Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, and Mizuki narrowly escaped with the Substitution Technique.

Although Mizuki had dodged it, several trees around him were knocked down.

The sight gave Mizuki a shock.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough was only a C-rank ninjutsu, after all, and its power was quite limited.

But... Naruto's Great Breakthrough had displayed the power of a B-rank ninjutsu, forcing him to take this fight seriously.

Seizing the opening just after Naruto finished his technique, Mizuki spat out a Great Fireball Technique.

As he spat out the fireball, he shouted, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Using the great fireball to obscure Naruto's vision, Mizuki charged straight at him.

He intended to fight Naruto with taijutsu, at close range.

Mizuki could tell Naruto was skilled at ninjutsu, but he refused to believe a five- or six-year-old brat could be that strong at taijutsu, too.

Just as Naruto dodged the great fireball, Mizuki appeared before him.

A kunai thrust straight toward Naruto's chest.

Seeing this, Naruto's lips curled into a smile. His taijutsu was actually even stronger than his ninjutsu.

Just as Naruto was about to give Mizuki a surprise, a figure abruptly stepped between them.

Although Naruto couldn't see the newcomer's face clearly, the symbol on his back that looked like a table tennis paddle told him the man was a member of the Uchiha clan.

The newcomer grabbed Mizuki's wrist with one hand and punched him in the stomach with the other, knocking him unconscious outright.

Once that was done, the newcomer turned to Naruto with a smile. "Are you all right, kid?"

At the first glimpse of that face, Naruto recognized him.

He was the Uchiha clan's current foremost prodigy, Shisui Uchiha.

Looking at that smiling face, Naruto thought, That's Shisui Uchiha for you... he really does have a face that looks easy to fool!