Evening came fast.
By the time the sun dipped behind the roofs of Konoha, the chatter of the Academy yard had faded into a quieter buzz. The swing where Naruto had been sulking earlier now sat empty, swaying slightly in the breeze.
Behind the Academy, near the tall chain-link fence and a cluster of trees, Naruto paced in circles.
The ghostly number hovered in front of his eyes as always, faint but clear if he focused on it.
10000
It had been tiny and scary after the exam, barely glowing. But hours of sulking, walking and doing absolutely nothing ninja-like had slowly made it crawl back up. He'd noticed it creeping higher whenever he just… sat there.
He still didn't really get it, but he'd decided something simple:
Big number = good. Small number = bad.
He kicked a rock and grumbled. "Stupid exam… stupid clones… stupid ghost number…"
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Naruto spun around.
Mizuki stood there, half in the shadows, hands in his pockets, smile calm and gentle. The last of the sunlight put a faint edge on his hair.
Naruto tried to straighten up and look cool.
"I wasn't waiting!" he lied. "I was just… uh… training my patience!"
"Is that so?" Mizuki chuckled. "Well, you'll need some patience for what I'm about to tell you."
Naruto's annoyance melted into eager curiosity. "So it's true, right? About another chance?"
Mizuki's eyes softened. "Yes. There's a special test. But it's… not official. It has to stay a secret. Can you handle that?"
Naruto puffed his chest out. "Heh. I'm great at secrets."
He very pointedly did not think about the world-freeze thing or the number floating in front of his eyes.
Mizuki nodded, as if approving.
"Listen carefully, Naruto," he said. "There's a scroll locked away in the Hokage's residence. A very important scroll. It's called the Scroll of Seals. It contains forbidden jutsu."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Forbidden jutsu…?"
Mizuki's voice dropped lower. "Normally, no one is allowed to touch it. But there is a special rule: if a student can steal the scroll, learn at least one jutsu from it, and bring it to a designated place… they can be considered for graduation, even if they failed the exam."
Naruto's heart slammed against his ribs.
"W-wait. So if I get this scroll thingy and learn a jutsu, I can become a genin?" he asked, almost tripping over the words.
Mizuki nodded. "That's right."
"Then why didn't Iruka-sensei tell me?!" Naruto demanded. "If there's a secret extra test—"
"Iruka is… very by-the-book," Mizuki said smoothly, shaking his head. "He doesn't agree with this method. He thinks students should pass 'the proper way.' But I can't ignore your potential. You just need… a different chance."
Naruto stared at him.
Someone believing in his "potential" made a small, stubborn warmth light up in his chest. It was the same place that hurt every time someone called him a failure.
He clenched his fists.
"What do I have to do?" he asked.
Mizuki smiled.
"Tonight, after dark, you will sneak into the Hokage's residence," he said. "Find the room with the Scroll of Seals. Take it. Then go to an old shed in the forest, just outside the village walls to the north. I'll be waiting there. Learn at least one jutsu from the scroll before I arrive. If you do all that… you'll have proven yourself."
Naruto gulped.
Steal from the Hokage. Steal a forbidden scroll.
It sounded insane.
It also sounded like something only a super cool ninja could do.
The number floating in front of him seemed to glow a little more when his excitement spiked.
10000
He nodded so fast his headbandless forehead blurred. "I'll do it!"
Mizuki's smile sharpened for a second, then smoothed out again.
"Remember," he said. "This is a secret. Don't tell anyone. Not even the Hokage or Iruka."
Naruto thumped a fist on his chest. "You can count on me!"
Mizuki nodded once more and vanished into the growing dark.
Naruto stood there for a moment, the wind tugging at his jacket. He glanced at the number hanging in the air.
Still 10000.
He grinned.
"Forbidden scroll, secret test, super jutsu…" he muttered. "Hehe… just you watch, old man. I'm gonna blow you away."
He had no idea that, at that exact moment, the "old man" Hokage was sitting in his office, worrying about him.
---
Night settled over Konoha.
Lanterns lit the streets with warm pools of light. The Hokage's residence stood taller than the surrounding buildings, its windows glowing softly.
Naruto crouched behind a low wall across from the compound, peeking over the edge.
Guards patrolled the grounds, walking steady lines. Their shadows crossed back and forth across doorways and paths.
Naruto swallowed.
"This is… kinda more serious than painting faces…" he muttered.
The ghost number hovered in front of him, stubborn and bright.
10000
He hadn't used any jutsu since the exam. He'd eaten, sulked, walked, and stared at the ceiling of his room. Slowly, the number had climbed back to its max.
He watched the nearest guard. The man walked past a side door, turned, and started retracing his route. There was a tiny gap where his back was turned and no one else was near.
Naruto licked his lips.
"I could try to just run," he muttered. "But if I get caught… no more chance…"
His fingers twitched against the wall.
He thought of the alley. The classroom. The way everything had gone silent and still. The way the number had plummeted until it broke and left him feeling like a wrung-out rag.
He grimaced.
"This is… important, though," he told himself. "I gotta pass. I gotta."
He sucked in a breath.
"Stop," he whispered.
The world went heavy.
Sound vanished. The rustle of the trees cut off. The guard's step froze mid-stride.
The ghost number flashed bright enough to make him blink.
10000
His body lurched into motion. He vaulted the wall, legs burning as he sprinted across the open ground.
The number jerked downward in one harsh jump.
5000
(–5000 chakra)
Naruto almost tripped at the sudden wave of exhaustion. His muscles screamed like he'd already run laps around the village.
"Ugh… that was half of… whatever you are…" he panted at the number, sweating.
He didn't know how many seconds he'd stolen. He only knew he felt like he'd burned a lot.
He grabbed the side door handle, shoved it open, and slipped into the dim hallway. The frozen murmur of voices hung in the air around the corner, unmoving.
His head throbbed. His chest burned.
"That's… enough… for now…" he muttered.
The number flickered — and then shattered, vanishing from his sight.
Sound slammed back into his ears. Voices resumed mid-word. The building creaked. The distant patrol footsteps resumed.
Naruto sagged against the wall for a heartbeat, then pushed himself upright and crept down the hall, now relying on sneaking instead of freezing.
Luck, nosiness, and the sense for trouble that came with being Naruto guided him. A few corners later, he found a bigger, fancier door at the end of a short hall.
"That's gotta be it," he whispered.
Inside, the room smelled faintly of old paper and ink. Scrolls lined the walls. In the center, on a stand, lay a single large scroll, carefully tied.
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"There you are…"
He staggered over, grabbed the scroll, and hugged it to his chest, grinning like a maniac.
"Hehehe… I did it…" he whispered. "I actually did it…"
He slipped back out, this time ducking behind furniture and around corners whenever footsteps neared. By the time alarms started ringing through the village, he was already gone, dashing into the trees with the scroll strapped to his back.
---
Deep in the forest, under the pale light of the moon, a broken-down shed waited.
Naruto crashed through the door, panting, and let the massive scroll thump down onto the floor.
He wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
"Man… this thing's so heavy… what are they feeding this scroll…" he groaned.
He flopped down, legs spread.
The ghost number flickered back into his sight, dimmer than before but still readable.
5000
"Half…" he muttered. "I used… half just on that…?"
He sat there, catching his breath. The forest murmured outside.
After a little while, the number twitched.
5100
Naruto blinked.
"…Huh?"
He watched it.
5200
It crept up, slow and lazy. Like it was refilling itself whenever he just lay there like a lump.
He thought back: the test, the freeze, the clones, Iruka's lectures.
"They always say jutsu uses chakra," he mumbled. "Chakra goes down when you use it… up when you rest…"
He jabbed a finger through the number. His hand passed right through it.
"So when I do the stop thing, you go down," he said. "When I did jutsu in class, you went down. When I sit here, you go up. That's… kinda obvious…"
He squinted at it.
"…You're my chakra, aren't you?"
It didn't answer. But it didn't need to. His gut told him he was right.
Naruto grinned.
"Heh. I knew it. See? I'm not dumb," he said proudly. "You're my chakra number. When you're big, I'm good. When you're small, I'm screwed. Easy."
The number kept climbing as he sat still.
5300
5400
"Fine, fine, you're my chakra. Ghost chakra number," he said, feeling more satisfied. "Okay, chakra, let's learn a super cool jutsu."
He shoved himself to his feet, grabbed the scroll, and untied it.
The paper rolled out across the dirty floor, revealing line after line of writing, seals, and sketches. Some sections were marked with bold warnings.
Naruto's eyes skimmed over the words, but half of them made his brain hurt.
"Multi… sealing… technique… nope… too many squiggles…"
He dragged his finger down until a certain phrase hooked his attention.
"Shadow… Clone… Jutsu…" he read aloud slowly.
The description below it made his head itch.
"Eh? Real clones… solid copies…" He squinted. "A super hard version of the stupid academy Clone Jutsu…?"
He kept reading, lips moving silently. The scroll mentioned something about how the chakra gets split between the user and the clones.
"Chakra split…" he muttered. "If I make one clone… we both get half…?"
He glanced at the number.
6000
Naruto grinned.
"Heh. Then that means I can make super strong clones 'cause I got way more chakra than normal, right?" he said. "This is perfect for me!"
He formed the hand seals shown in the scroll, copying the little drawings.
"Like this… and this… ow, fingers… okay…"
He took a breath. Chakra gathered, and the number dipped.
6000 → 3000
(–3000 chakra, one clone = half to each)
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Smoke exploded.
When it cleared, one solid Naruto stood in front of him.
The other Naruto blinked, then grinned.
"WHOA!" they both shouted at the same time.
Naruto felt his grin stretch until his cheeks hurt.
"I did it! First try!" he yelled.
The clone wobbled a little, then lunged forward and headbutted him.
"Ow!" they both yelped.
The real Naruto fell back, laughing.
"Hehehe! You're me!" he said.
"Of course I'm you, dattebayo!" the clone snapped. "You used half our chakra on me, idiot!"
Naruto blinked at the number.
3000
"Half…" he muttered. "Oh yeah… the scroll said… split…"
The clone puffed his cheeks. "Read properly next time! My legs feel like noodles!"
A second later, the clone's form flickered. He vanished in a poof of smoke.
Naruto sat there alone again, still grinning.
The number stayed where it was.
3000
"Okay… so half chakra for one clone," he muttered. "If I make lots… it'll split even more… wow, that's actually kinda… math…"
He made a face. "Gross."
He let himself flop backward.
He lay there, doing nothing. The forest hummed. His breathing slowed.
After a bit, the number twitched.
3100
3200
"Rest = chakra up," he said, nodding. "Got it."
He sat up again, shaking out his hands.
"Round two!" he yelled.
He pulled more chakra together. The number dipped again.
3600 → 1800
(–1800 chakra, one clone = half each)
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Smoke burst out. Another solid Naruto appeared, then promptly dropped to one knee.
"Why are you doing this so soon, you moron?" the clone wheezed. "We barely rested!"
Naruto, breathing hard, laughed anyway.
"Hehehe… 'cause it's awesome…"
The clone glared at him, then dissolved into smoke with a tired sigh.
Naruto slumped against the wall, chest heaving. His eyes drifted to the number.
1800
"Whoa… that's kinda low…" he muttered. "If it hits zero, do I, like… explode…?"
The idea made him cringe.
"Okay… no exploding," he decided. "Rest time."
He slid down until he was sitting on the floor, back against the wall, hands limp at his sides. The scroll lay open beside him.
The number crawled up as he sat still, slow but steady.
1900
2000
2100
He watched it, feeling a little smug.
"See? I totally figured you out," he told it. "You're my chakra. And I'm gonna use you to beat that exam and become Hokage."
The number didn't argue.
He was still resting there when the shed door creaked open.
Naruto jerked upright.
"I did it!" he yelled, face brightening. "Look, I learned a crazy new jutsu! Took me forever but it's super awesome! That means I—"
He stopped.
It wasn't Mizuki in the doorway.
It was Iruka.
"Naruto…" Iruka said, voice tired and rough. "You found it…"
Naruto blinked, caught between pride and panic.
"Iruka-sensei?!" he blurted. "W-what are you doing here?! This is the secret special test place! Mizuki-sensei said—"
Iruka crossed the floor in three quick strides and grabbed Naruto by the collar, shaking him lightly.
"Secret test?!" he snapped. "Naruto, do you have any idea what you've done? You stole the Scroll of Seals! They could throw you in prison for this!"
Naruto flinched, eyes wide.
"B-but Mizuki-sensei said the Hokage knew!" he shouted back. "He said if I took it and learned a jutsu, I could pass! I just… I just wanted to graduate…"
His voice cracked on the last words. The ghost chakra number hovered near the edge of his vision.
2200
Iruka's grip loosened.
He stared at Naruto, anger melting into a mix of shock and something almost like pain.
"Mizuki told you that?" he asked quietly.
Naruto nodded, breathing hard. "Y-yeah… he… he said this was the only way someone like me could pass…"
Iruka looked away for a moment, jaw tight.
"…That bastard," he muttered under his breath.
Naruto's head tilted. "Huh?"
Iruka let go of his collar and stepped back a little.
"Naruto," he said. "There is no such test. Mizuki tricked you. The Scroll of Seals is forbidden. It's too dangerous. He used you to steal it."
The words felt like being doused with cold water.
Naruto stared.
"He… lied?" he said slowly. "But he… he said he believed in me…"
His chest hurt.
Iruka's gaze softened.
"Of course you want to believe someone believes in you," he said. "But Mizuki doesn't care about you. He cares about the scroll."
Naruto's hand curled into a fist against his knee.
The number in his eyes flickered faintly.
2200
He gritted his teeth. "Then… what was all this for…"
Iruka opened his mouth to answer—
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Years of training moved him before thought did. He shoved Naruto aside, eyes snapping toward the open window space of the shed.
The sound of metal slicing air came a heartbeat later.
Naruto didn't think. His body moved on its own.
"Stop!" he screamed, the word tearing out of his throat.
Everything seized.
The rustling of the trees outside stopped. The crack of wood and the whistle of the incoming shuriken froze mid-sound. Dust hung motionless in the slanted moonlight.
The number in front of his eyes flared.
2200 → 1000
(–1200 chakra to hold the freeze just long enough)
Naruto staggered, chest clenching. The world felt like thick jelly around him. His muscles screamed from training and jutsu. His head throbbed.
Several shuriken hovered in the air, inches away from Iruka's back.
Naruto stared at them, gulping.
"Stupid chakra…" he muttered, teeth gritted. "You're almost empty… but just a bit… just a bit…"
He forced his legs to move. Each step felt like wading through mud. He grabbed Iruka's vest with both hands and hauled as hard as he could.
His whole body burned.
"Come… on… move…!"
He dragged Iruka just enough that his shoulder shifted out of the line of two shuriken. His arms shook so hard they almost gave out.
The number wouldn't go any lower.
1000
The hold on the world slipped from his fingers like wet soap.
Sound slammed back.
Shuriken tore through the air, biting into the wooden wall where Iruka had just been standing.
Iruka stumbled forward, eyes wide. "What the—?!"
Naruto collapsed to one knee, panting so hard his lungs hurt. The number in his vision sat at the very bottom, stubborn and dim.
1000
He barely heard the voice from outside.
"Hand over the scroll, Iruka," Mizuki called, tone sharp and mocking. "And get away from the demon brat."
Iruka spun toward the sound, moving to shield Naruto without even thinking.
Naruto's head swam. He looked up through blurred vision and saw Mizuki on a branch, that huge shuriken on his back gleaming in the moonlight.
Iruka and Mizuki argued—about the scroll, about Naruto—but the words blurred together.
Only one sentence cut through cleanly, sharp enough to hurt.
"Hey, Naruto!" Mizuki shouted. "You want to know why everyone hates you? Why no one will ever see you as anything but a monster?"
Iruka stiffened. "Mizuki, stop! Don't you dare—!"
Mizuki ignored him.
"Twelve years ago," he said, eyes gleaming, "the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked this village. You know that part, right? Everyone does. But what they don't tell you… is what happened to it."
Naruto's breath hitched.
"The Fourth Hokage couldn't kill it," Mizuki continued. "So he sealed it instead. Inside a newborn baby."
Naruto's stomach twisted.
Newborn… baby…
Mizuki's gaze locked on him like a thrown kunai.
"That baby was you, Naruto. You're the Nine-Tails. You're the monster that killed so many people."
The forest felt suddenly colder.
Naruto's hands trembled. The number in his vision blurred into light, still stuck at the bottom.
1000
"I… I'm… what…?" he croaked.
Iruka took a step forward, voice raw.
"That's not true, Naruto!" he shouted. "You're not the fox! You're Uzumaki Naruto! The fox is a separate being that was sealed inside you!"
Naruto stared at his hands.
Fox. Monster. Demon brat.
The words people tossed at him suddenly had sharp edges.
The ghost chakra number hovered low and faint, uselessly small.
He didn't even think about freezing anymore. He couldn't reach it. His head was full of Mizuki's voice.
"They hate you because they know what you really are," Mizuki pressed on. "Did you ever wonder why grown-ups look at you like that? Why no one ever told you? They were forbidden. But I'll tell you the truth no one else would: you're not one of them. You're the thing they fear."
Naruto's chest hurt so much he couldn't breathe right.
Iruka stepped in front of him again, voice shaking with anger.
"Shut up, Mizuki!" he shouted. "Naruto is my student! He's nothing like the fox! He's a loud, stupid, stubborn kid who loves ramen and dreams of being Hokage! That's who he is!"
Naruto's throat closed.
He stared at Iruka's back, seeing the way his shoulders squared, the way he stood between Naruto and danger without thinking.
Mizuki snarled. "You'll regret getting in my way."
He ripped the massive shuriken from his back and hurled it straight at Iruka.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto screamed.
He reached for the freeze again out of pure desperation.
The number in his eyes shook, trying to move up.
1000 → 1000
(0 chakra left to spend on it)
Nothing happened.
His chakra simply wouldn't respond.
Iruka leapt anyway, turning his body, putting himself between Naruto and the spinning blade.
Steel bit into flesh.
Blood sprayed.
They hit the ground hard, Naruto half trapped under Iruka's weight. The teacher's breath came in ragged gasps above him.
For a moment, everything sounded muffled, like Naruto was underwater.
"Iruka-sensei…