JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/FrancisMW
Five chapters every two days on Patreon.
One chapter everyday on webnovel.
Danzo stood in silence for a moment, glancing coldly at the pile of sawdust strewn across the wooden floor of the Root safehouse. Then he turned sharply and snapped at the man before him.
"Egawa, do you know what that senile fool Sarutobi did after returning from the Hokage office?! The entire village is whispering about it!"
Shimura Egawa's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean Lord Third again ignored your warnings?"
Danzo's face twisted into a snarl, the veins on his forehead throbbing.
"That bastard Sarutobi insisted on letting that Nine-Tails brat—Uzumaki Naruto—read the Scroll of Seals tonight!"
"What?!"
Egawa's pupils shrank.
"Did the Third really approve that?"
"Would I lie about something this absurd?" Danzo's voice was icy, seething with fury. "Every time I requested access to the Scroll of Seals, Sarutobi rejected me, claiming the contents were too dangerous… But now, he's letting a twelve-year-old jinchūriki read it?"
He clenched his fist tightly.
"What if that beast loses control again?! What if Naruto actually manages to learn one of those forbidden techniques?! And Sarutobi had the nerve to say, 'I believe in him.' Believe? In that ticking time bomb? He's completely lost his mind!"
A heavy silence fell across the room, broken only when Elder Jiang Chuan's eyes glinted with a calculating light.
"Danzo," Jiang Chuan murmured, "if the Scroll of Seals is really being handed over to that demon fox boy tonight… doesn't that mean we might have a chance to intercept it?"
He hadn't even finished his sentence before Danzo's gaze sharpened with realization.
"You're suggesting we move tonight as well—send someone to seize the scroll amidst the chaos?"
Jiang Chuan nodded slowly. "The night will be full of distractions. Between Naruto and that academy teacher Mizuki—who's clearly manipulating him—there will be just enough confusion. Whether they get the scroll or not doesn't matter. The real opportunity is ours."
Danzo's excitement surged, but then his expression darkened.
"Sarutobi's ANBU will definitely intervene. If Root was still fully operational, I could have gone head-to-head with them. But ever since he forced its disbandment…"
His words trailed off, eyes shadowed with frustration.
"I can support you."
Jiang Chuan stepped forward decisively.
"These past years, I've used my wealth to quietly recruit and train loyal shinobi under my command. For tonight, I'll lend them all to you. Seize that scroll!"
Danzo's eyes gleamed like a starving wolf catching scent of prey.
"Elder Jiang Chuan… If I get the Scroll of Seals, not only will I regain leverage over Sarutobi, but I'll have the power to challenge him directly for the Hokage seat. With that, the Shimura clan's rise will be unstoppable!"
"Hahaha, not so fast, Patriarch Danzo," Jiang Chuan chuckled darkly. "I will lend you my manpower, yes—but I ask something in return."
Danzo's smile faltered. "Name it."
"There is a man I want eliminated tonight."
Jiang Chuan's eyes burned with long-held hatred. "Cutting off my resources… he might as well have murdered my family. This debt must be paid."
"Who is it?" Danzo asked, intrigued.
"He is the current captain of the Second ANBU Assassination Division—code name: Shadow Feather. His true name… is Tian Yu."
Danzo's eyes narrowed sharply at the name.
---
Late Night – Forest Perimeter
A bright moon hung overhead, casting ghostly light over the silent woods. A single figure dashed between the trees—short, messy blond hair and bright orange clothes standing out in the shadows.
It was Naruto Uzumaki.
Strapped to his back was a massive scroll—the legendary Scroll of Seals, which he had stolen just minutes ago.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage office—
"Lord Third! Bad news! The Scroll of Seals has been stolen by Naruto Uzumaki!"
A Chūnin burst into the room, breathless from running.
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't look surprised. Instead, he calmly picked up his pipe and took a slow puff before glancing at the crystal ball beside him.
The orb glowed faintly, displaying Naruto dashing through the forest.
Sarutobi sighed.
"As I feared… Mizuki finally made his move."
"Lord Hokage, please let us dispatch pursuit teams immediately!" the Chūnin urged. "This is no longer a prank. This level of offense falls under theft of forbidden knowledge—almost bordering on treason!"
Sarutobi waved a hand gently.
"Send twenty Chūnin and ten Genin. Retrieve Naruto and recover the scroll—but do not harm the boy."
The Chūnin's eyes widened. "Why not? Lord Hokage, surely this demands punishment!"
Sarutobi's gaze was firm.
"I have my reasons. Dismissed."
"Yes, Lord Third."
The Chūnin left swiftly to organize the search teams. Among those summoned were Iruka Umino and Mizuki.
Left alone, Sarutobi turned back to the crystal ball, his eyes softening.
He watched Naruto slow down and settle under a large tree, unrolling the Scroll of Seals. The boy's eyes sparkled with curiosity and determination.
"I'm sorry, Minato," Sarutobi whispered to himself. "This is the best I can do for your son… I only hope he can learn the Multi Shadow Clone Technique. I'm gambling everything on that."
What the Third Hokage failed to realize was…
Naruto had already glanced over the Shadow Clone Technique—and skipped it without hesitation.
"Hmph," Naruto muttered. "Shadow Clone? That's beginner level! Big Brother Tian Yu already taught me this stuff ages ago!"
He flipped through the scroll faster, eyes scanning for something truly worthwhile.
"Darkness Technique? Illusions? Eh, Brother Tian Yu has tools better than these illusions… and I hate genjutsu anyway. Next!"
"Flying Thunder God Technique? Hmm? This is the one Brother Tian Yu mentioned before! He said he was studying it! Alright! I'll memorize this one for him!"
Determined, Naruto began absorbing every detail of the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
Normally, memorization was Naruto's weakness—but if it was something Tian Yu cared about, he would give it everything he had.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/FrancisMW
Five chapters every two days on Patreon.
One chapter everyday on webnovel.