5 Chapter 5
After bidding farewell to Iruka, Naruto returned to the ninja school.
And luck was on his side.
He coincidentally encountered Mizuki, who was wandering around the school, asking other teachers about something.
"Oh! Naruto, right? I know you, the mischievous troublemaker in Iruka's class."
"Did you come here looking for me?"
Naruto confronted Mizuki, who smiled but had various thoughts in his eyes.
"Teacher Mizuki, can you tell me about the sealed book?"
As soon as Naruto finished speaking, Mizuki's expression changed.
The smile on the corner of his mouth vanished, and he stared at Naruto sullenly.
Had his plan been exposed?
Seeing Mizuki's expression, Naruto felt a little scared.
He recalled what Kaze had taught him and tried to defuse the situation.
"Teacher, please don't be angry. I overheard you talking about it when you were chatting with others."
"You mentioned that the book contains powerful ninjutsu. I just wanted to learn it so I can graduate from school."
Upon hearing Naruto's explanation, Mizuki realized his reaction had been too strong and quickly put on a smile again.
Observing Naruto, who had failed to graduate twice before him, an idea suddenly sparked in Mizuki's mind.
"I apologize, I was overly aggressive just now. After all, the sealed book is a treasure of our village."
"However, if you learn the ninjutsu written in it, it will be much easier for you to graduate from school..."
Mizuki disclosed the location he had investigated while implanting the idea in Naruto's mind that learning the ninjutsu would guarantee his graduation.
Naruto followed Kaze's plan and revealed to Mizuki his intention to steal the book if he failed the exam the next day.
This made Mizuki's smile broaden, and he spoke in a more familiar tone.
He intended to kill Naruto and steal the sealed book.
Once Naruto was gone, Mizuki might be able to release the demon fox that had been sealed away twelve years ago.
At that point, no one would have time to focus on him.
He could escape safely with the sealed book!
Just as Naruto and Mizuki were together, inside the Hokage office in Konoha Center...
Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a cigarette in hand, stared intently at the crystal ball on the table.
The Telescope Art!
This technique allowed him to perform long-distance viewing by focusing on a person's chakra.
However, its range was limited to the size of the entire Konoha Village.
"Surprisingly, Naruto noticed Mizuki's petty actions. Mizuki truly is incompetent."
Hiruzen was well aware of Mizuki's recent inquiries about the sealed book.
But it didn't concern him much.
Mizuki was just an ordinary Chunin who couldn't make a significant impact.
No matter how troublesome the situation might become, it wouldn't escalate.
However, this was an opportunity for Hiruzen to test Naruto and introduce him to the ninjutsu Kushina excelled in.
After all, Naruto was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, a formidable weapon.
Having taught and raised him for so long, Hiruzen couldn't let him go to waste.
And as the grandfather who loved Naruto the most, he believed it necessary to discipline him afterwards, allowing Naruto to truly understand his "love."
In the darkness behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, an Anbu operative was hiding.
Seeing Hiruzen's stern expression as he looked into the crystal ball, the Anbu operative emerged and spoke in a low voice, "Master Hokage, should we 'eliminate' him?"
Konoha was like a grand tree, and if there was a problem with one of its branches, it needed to be "cut off."
Sarutobi Hiruzen removed the cigarette from his mouth and shook his head.
"No, just have the Anbu keep an eye on him."
"By the way, find someone to fetch me a blank scroll."
He planned to create a fake sealed book, with The Shadow Clone Jutsu, imitating its contents.
With Naruto's Uzumaki Clan heritage, he would be able to learn from it effortlessly, just like his mother.
Upon receiving the order, the Anbu operative replied affirmatively and disappeared in an instant.
...
Naruto, having separated from Mizuki, swiftly moved across the rooftops, his footsteps resonating with a booming sound.
Amidst his journey, he couldn't help but let out gleeful laughter.
This, however, provoked curses from the villagers residing in the houses below.
Especially when they saw that it was Naruto. Poking their heads out, the intensity of their scolding intensified.
Only when Naruto returned home did the echoes of those scolding voices fade away.
[Blackening Value +1]
[Blackening Value +2]
[...]
[Current Blackening Value: 320]
As he entered his home and lay down on his bed, the smile on Naruto's face disappeared instantly.
"Kaze, when should we leave tonight?"
Indeed, stealing anything the next day would be a deception aimed at Mizuki.
By doing so, Iruka would be unable to participate in the plan.
Moreover, Kaze was certain that the conversation between Naruto and Mizuki had been monitored by the Third Hokage.
Letting Naruto act that night would serve as a test to determine if he could locate the genuine sealed book.
After all, the Flying Thunder God Technique, the incomplete Reanimation Jutsu, and the Reaper Death Seal were all highly desirable.
"No rush, let's continue causing some trouble outside, then we can go steal the sealed book," Kaze responded according to the plan.
Naruto's face displayed confusion and resistance. "Huh? Didn't we just return from that?"
"I don't want to hear them scolding me again. It feels awful," he added.
Kaze understood that this opportunity to gather 200 blackening points had to be seized and wouldn't allow it to slip away easily.
Perhaps a few more incidents could accumulate 2000 points, enabling the activation of the One-Tail Chakra Mode.
Regarding the original Nine-Tails sealed within Naruto, Kaze had no intention of engaging with it.
As he was not the dominant personality, he feared that the Nine-Tails might attack his soul.
Neither Minato nor Kushina's Chakra would likely step in to protect him.
"Alright, alright, you're correct. I'll leave after I have a bowl of instant noodles," Naruto agreed.
He proceeded to boil water for his instant noodles and took out half a carton of milk from the refrigerator.
Through Naruto's eyes, Kaze could clearly see that the expiration dates on these items had long passed.
Damn, ignorant villagers!
They only directed their frustrations at innocent children!
The memories of stomach pain and diarrhea after eating expired food remained fresh in Kaze's mind.
He immediately intervened, saying, "Don't eat expired food; this body belongs to me too."
"You still have some money; go and eat at Ichiraku Ramen."
Naruto hesitated, "But I don't have much money left, and I still have half a month to go."
"And these things may not necessarily be bad. I've eaten them many times without experiencing any stomach pain..."
Before Naruto could finish his sentence, Kaze interrupted him.
"Don't worry about the money. I'll figure something out. Just go and get some Ramen now, immediately!"
Kaze was relieved when Naruto, who had always been treated kindly by the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, listened obediently.
He knew that the owner would never serve Naruto expired food.
Kaze didn't want to experience stomach cramps and diarrhea again either.
"Yeah!" Naruto nodded happily and rushed out the door.
In addition to the Third Hokage, Naruto felt that he had someone else he could rely on now.
[Trust Value of Primary Personality: 31]
After enjoying his bowl of Ramen, Naruto followed Kaze's instructions and headed to the stores where he usually bought expired food.
However, this time he didn't do anything. Instead, he brought a small chair and sat near the entrance, engaging in conversations with passers-by.
He complained about how well the store owner treated him, how the owner gave him free items and sponsorships, and so on.
He presented it as the truth, causing everyone passing by to glare at the store owner and swear never to visit again.
The store owner, naturally furious at Naruto's behavior, cursed and even attempted to hit Naruto with a nearby object.
But Naruto, possessing ninja abilities, wasn't afraid of an ordinary shopkeeper.
He dodged the attacks, simultaneously exaggerating his cries of pain and distress mockingly, fueling the anger of the onlookers.
Under the influence of various emotions, Kaze accumulated an additional 400 points of blackening value.
This experience made Kaze realize that inflicting sadness and pain wasn't the only way to increase the blackening value.
Provoking anger, resentment, and disgust could be just as effective.
*********
Advanced Chapters On Patreon!
(Plus some sexy art *wink* *wink*)
patreon.com/AlmightySkyDxddy
