At noon, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke sat under a tree, eating their lunch.
Sakura, pitifully, was tied to a wooden stump.
She had been bound for so long that her body grew uncomfortable, squirming from side to side.
Naruto's fingers itched just watching her. The Bell Test felt incomplete without unleashing the secret technique—One Thousand Years of Death. It was like something essential was missing.
By the afternoon, Team 7 dispersed, each returning home.
Finally freed, Sakura rubbed her sore backside and went home to bathe.
The next day, Team 7 gathered again.
For once, Kakashi had gotten up quickly and was only ten minutes late.
He led the three into their first D-Rank mission.
The mission: helping Lady Ohnokawa weed her garden.
It was worth noting that Lady Ohnokawa's husband had already sacrificed his life on the battlefield years ago.
When the four arrived, a beautiful woman in a loose, deep-V kimono was already waiting for them.
Her pale skin and crimson lips, combined with the kimono wrapped around her voluptuous figure, matched her name perfectly.
Kakashi hid his face, and Lady Ohnokawa paid him no attention.
But when she saw Naruto and Sasuke—two handsome boys with very different styles—her eyes lit up.
Covering her lips with a laugh, she swayed her hips as she came forward.
With a swing of her shapely hips, she knocked the obstructive Sakura aside.
Her gaze clung to Naruto and Sasuke, her smile trembling with flirtation.
"Two handsome boys, how should I address you? Come inside, have a seat. Big Sister has some refreshing drinks ready just for you."
Sakura rolled her eyes so hard she nearly fainted. [That hateful old hag! Just because she's a little older doesn't mean she can steal the spotlight!]
Kakashi coughed twice, reminding her, "Lady, there's no need for drinks. We'd better start pulling the weeds right away."
The woman pouted coquettishly. "Fine, then you and this girl can weed outside. As for the two handsome boys, you'll follow me inside. I've got plenty of weeds in there too~"
Sakura and Sasuke didn't pick up on her meaning.
But Kakashi—who had read Icha Icha Paradise cover to cover—and Naruto, who had been shaped by the internet, understood instantly. Both were embarrassed.
In the end, Lady Ohnokawa didn't get her wish. After all, such "services" weren't part of a D-Rank mission.
Once the courtyard was cleared of weeds, she could only watch Naruto and Sasuke leave with regret.
Seeing the youthful energy radiating from them, she longed to give each boy a display of "motherly love."
Such improper missions were rare.
Most following missions were mundane, dull chores.
Finding lost cats, babysitting children, even trash collection.
After three days of this, Naruto completely lost interest. He simply sent out Shadow Clones to take care of them.
Naruto's mastery of the Shadow Clone Jutsu had reached an exceptional level.
These weren't the fragile clones of the original story, bursting with a tap and packing only 2.5 attack power.
Even Kakashi, without activating the Sharingan, couldn't tell that the Naruto trailing him was just a clone.
Meanwhile, Naruto's real body was diving into secret and forbidden techniques.
With his tremendous mental strength, and the support of Multiple Shadow Clones, his training advanced at terrifying speed.
In less than a month, he had practically maxed out all of them.
Even sealing arts and the Uzumaki's secret technique Adamantine Sealing Chains were mastered to their peak.
He also picked up several useful elemental ninjutsu.
"System, open the attribute panel."
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Age: 12
Physique: 46 → 48 (average human = 1)
Chakra: 106.6 → 112.4 units
BloodlineLimit: Advanced Uzumaki Sage Body
Abilities: Breath of Wind, Transparent World, Absolute Chakra Control, Sage Mode, Adamantine Sealing Chains, Kagura's Mind Eye
Ninjutsu: Three Body Technique, Illusionary Transformation, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, Flying Thunder God, Impure World Reincarnation , Sealing Arts, Spirit Transformation Technique, Wind Release…
Both physique and chakra steadily grew stronger, while his abilities and ninjutsu expanded rapidly.
And every single one was hand-picked by Naruto for practicality.
***
Over the next ten days, Konoha was suddenly rocked by a string of murders.
In every case, the victims' bodies bore long, deep claw marks.
At first glance, they looked like the work of a wild beast.
Rumors spread like wildfire, and soon the entire village was in panic.
The biggest rumor of all: the Nine-Tails had begun killing again.
Every victim, they whispered, was murdered by Uzumaki Naruto transforming into the Nine-Tails at night.
Team 7 was forced to suspend missions.
The Third Hokage, upon hearing the news, immediately worked to suppress the rumors.
But things had already spiraled beyond expectation. The whispers spread like wildfire, impossible to contain.
Naruto's position in Konoha plummeted to the lowest point yet.
Whenever he stepped outside, countless eyes stabbed into him—filled with either fear or hatred.
Once, while out buying food, a middle-aged man who had lost his daughter charged him with a cleaver.
An Anbu intercepted the blow from the shadows.
They didn't step in out of concern for Naruto's life, but because they feared what would happen if Naruto retaliated.
The next morning, three more civilians were found dead, their bodies ripped apart, shredded into bloody pieces.
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the table with a trembling voice.
"Danzo…"
Danzo had left Konoha a month earlier, traveling to the Land of Fire.
But Hiruzen wasn't senile yet. He knew almost immediately that this was Danzo's order before leaving.
The goal was easy enough to guess.
And the method—it was the same as the infamous "White Fang Incident."
Exploiting the villagers' hatred to justify interference with the Jinchuriki!
That night, Naruto sat on his sofa at home.
His gaze flickered as Transparent World remained active.
Five on the trees. Three on the rooftops. Seven across the street. Four below.
The Anbu watching him had multiplied.
From the original three, their number had swelled to nearly thirty—a tenfold increase.
"They've really gone all-in."
Naruto's resentment toward Konoha deepened, and the desire to break free of it only grew.
"So, everyone says it's me who's killing, huh?" Naruto muttered with a smirk.
Bang, bang, bang.
The knocking at his door broke his thoughts.
When he looked, he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi in his Hokage robes.
The old man had visited many times before, but usually in casual clothes. Today, he came dressed in full regalia.
When he entered, his cloudy eyes carried a complex look.
With so many Anbu stationed around, of course he knew Naruto wasn't responsible for the murders.
"Naruto, I'm sure you know by now. The village is filled with false rumors.
Don't let it weigh on you. I know these events have nothing to do with you. As your grandfather, I'll find the truth and clear your name.
But before then, come with me to a safe place. There, no one will disturb you."