"Alright then, Third Hokage, I'm heading off! We made a deal, didn't we? Once I catch that guy, I get to borrow this thing for a while!"
At the entrance of the Hokage's office, Naruto, carrying a huge, seemingly incredibly heavy scroll on his back, grinned and waved at the Third Hokage, who was seated at his desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the scene before him, his expression complex, and nodded.
He never expected that his carefully arranged script would be completely disrupted by this brat less than ten minutes after the opening scene!
Just now, everything he saw through the crystal ball [Telescope Technique] initially went exactly as planned: the ninja guarding the secret scroll storage room 'conveniently' dozed off, and Naruto'sneaked' in'suspiciously' yet unusually smoothly, successfully obtaining the giant scroll of seals...
According to the original script, Naruto should have found a place to hide and tried to learn the Ninjutsu from it, then been found by Mizuki-sensei, who had tracked him, and finally, with Iruka's intervention, Mizuki-sensei would expose his true colors and be captured.
However, the next scene the Third Hokage saw was—Naruto carrying that huge scroll, not running to the training grounds or the Forest of Death, but... jogging straight towards the Hokage's office?!
When Naruto, panting, dropped the heavy scroll with a 'thud' onto the floor of the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage's brain almost crashed.
Immediately after, before the Third Hokage could figure out what Naruto's completely unconventional move meant, Naruto bluntly proposed a trade that left him dumbfounded.
"Third Hokage, Mizuki-sensei... oh no, I pretty much know Mizuki's true identity. How about this: if I help you completely draw him out, make him jump out and say everything he should and shouldn't say... then can I borrow this scroll of seals for a while as a reward?"
"..."
The Third Hokage remained silent for a full ten seconds, looking at Naruto's clear blue eyes, and finally could only sigh helplessly.
Well... it seems this kid saw through Mizuki-sensei's true colors long ago, and perhaps even guessed a few things about this trap I set... Minato... you truly are his child.
And so, a 'test and cleanup' drama originally orchestrated by the Third Hokage instantly turned into a 'transaction' with Naruto's active participation.
Considering that the original intention was to let Naruto access the scroll of seals and see if he could learn the Ninjutsu from it, especially the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Third Hokage ultimately nodded and agreed to this 'deal.'
Watching Naruto leave the office with the huge scroll on his back, the Third Hokage immediately shed his complex expression, regained his Hokage's solemnity, and waved a hand at an empty corner.
A ninja from the Anbu, wearing an animal mask, instantly knelt silently on one knee.
"Go immediately and bring Iruka here... Once he arrives, tell him about Mizuki-sensei, the scroll of seals, and Naruto."
------
In the forest on the outskirts of Konoha Village, Naruto sat alone on the ground, the giant scroll of seals spread open before him. He feigned pointing at the characters with his finger, deliberately muttering to himself at a volume just loud enough for the hidden observer in the distance to hear.
"Hmm... Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu... I see, it requires a massive amount of Chakra as support... If Chakra is insufficient and one forces its use, it will instantly drain the user's Chakra, and could even cause irreversible damage or even death? Indeed... it's a very dangerous forbidden Ninjutsu..."
Not far away, in the shadow of a large tree, Mizuki-sensei was crouching, hearing Naruto's 'mutterings' clearly. When he heard Naruto utter the name of the Ninjutsu and its risks, the gentle facade on his face instantly vanished, replaced by an uncontrollable, greedy, and sinister smile.
But he immediately realized his lapse, quickly composed himself, and put on his usual gentle mask again.
He jumped down from the branch, then emerged from the shadows not far behind Naruto. "Yo, Naruto, looks like you got it! How is it? Are the Ninjutsu recorded there very powerful?"
Naruto sharply turned his head, his face quickly adopting a perfectly timed expression of surprise and excitement. "Eh?! Mi-Mizuki-sensei? Why are you here...? Ah, yes, yes!"
He nodded vigorously. "The Ninjutsu in here are really amazing! I can't believe you knew about such a secret, Mizuki-sensei, that's incredible!"
Mizuki-sensei maintained his 'gentle' smile, but his heart was filled with contempt and smugness.
He truly is just a kid, so easy to fool. He naturally took a few steps forward, extending his hand towards Naruto, his tone filled with 'concern.'
"I see, I'm relieved to see you so motivated. However, Naruto, some of the Ninjutsu in here are still a bit too early for you."
"It can be very dangerous if you don't pay attention to the training methods. Come, give the scroll to me first, and I'll help you point out which ones require special attention, so you don't accidentally hurt yourself."
...This guy's acting skills are wasted on being a ninja; he should really be an actor on stage. This 'talent' is too much to waste.
Naruto ranted internally, but on his face, he displayed an expression of immense gratitude and trust. "Really? That's great! Thank you, Mizuki-sensei!"
As he spoke, he 'nimbly' re-rolled the giant scroll and then unhesitatingly handed it into Mizuki-sensei's eagerly outstretched hand.
Finally... finally, I got it!!
Mizuki-sensei gripped the heavy, giant scroll tightly in his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly from excitement, the triumphant roar in his heart almost bursting through his chest!
The plan succeeded! He no longer had to pretend to be a kind teacher, playing this disgusting game of teacher-student with this brat he considered a 'monster'!
"Hmph hmph hmph... Hahahahahahaha!!!"
The long-suppressed hypocrisy and malice could no longer be contained. Mizuki-sensei suddenly raised his head, letting out a twisted, unrestrained cackle, his carefully maintained gentle mask completely shattered, leaving only naked greed and disdain. "What a complete and utter fool!!"
He impatiently yanked the scroll of seals behind him, while simultaneously pushing off with his feet, quickly leaping several meters back, putting distance between himself and Naruto. With his other hand, he swiftly drew a giant shuriken from his back, its sharp blade pointing directly at Naruto.
"Thank you very much, Nine-Tailed Fox!"
Mizuki-sensei's voice was full of sarcasm and triumph. "You obediently delivered this 'great gift' right into my hands!"
Naruto stood still, his face appropriately showing just the right amount of confusion and disbelief, and he asked softly. "Hmm? Mizuki-sensei... why are you saying that? Are you... have you been deceiving me all this time?"
"Shut up!"
Mizuki-sensei sharply interrupted him. "You, the Nine-Tailed Fox who murdered Iruka's parents and destroyed the village! The teacher-student game I've been playing with you these past few years has been utterly sickening! How could I possibly help you out of kindness? You're just a pawn I used to get the scroll!"
He stared intently into Naruto's eyes, trying to find collapse and despair, and maliciously delivered the final blow. "Listen! No one in this village will ever acknowledge you! Even Iruka, he definitely hates you in his heart!"
After saying these words, Mizuki-sensei expected to see Naruto break down and cry, at which point he would throw the shuriken and kill Naruto.
However...
The anticipated breakdown did not occur. Not only did Naruto show no sign of pain, but he even seemed to have heard something interesting, his face displaying a thoughtful expression of "I see" and "So that's it."
"I see... the classic 'villain dies from talking too much' trope, huh? But..."
Naruto's lips curved into a relaxed smile. "It seems my mission should be considered complete, then, shouldn't it?"
This completely unexpected reaction stunned Mizuki-sensei, and a strange sense of unease instantly gripped him.
"Bastard! What... what are you mumbling to yourself there?! What's so funny?!" he demanded loudly, his voice betraying his inner fear.
Naruto then refocused his gaze on Mizuki-sensei. "Ah, that, Mizuki-sensei. I suggest you... it would be best if you opened the 'scroll of seals' in your hand now and personally confirmed its contents, okay?"
"Wh-...?!!"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Mizuki-sensei's forehead.
But Naruto's overly calm demeanor filled him with dread. He abruptly pulled the heavy scroll from behind him to the front, fumbling to untie the cords, and with a whoosh, unrolled it—
However, what greeted his eyes was not a scroll filled with countless forbidden Ninjutsu at all...
Inside the huge, blank scroll, there were only two incredibly glaring words, written in large, dense characters, filling the entire scroll—
"FOOL"
"FOOL"
"FOOL"
"FOOL"