Chapter 6 (Patreon)

With a sharp crack, Naruto’s shadow clone forced open the door to the Hokage’s office. The two guards concealed inside immediately readied themselves to strike down the intruder, but relaxed when they saw Naruto’s familiar mischievous grin.

This wasn’t the first time the boy had come to the Hokage’s office to cause trouble. He had even painted on the faces of the Hokage Rock before, so neither guard was particularly surprised to find him here. After exchanging a glance, they stepped out of hiding and blocked his path.

“Hey, brat! This isn’t a place for your pranks. Go home!”

The clone had lowered his head and tilted the barrel as though preparing to splash paint across the office. At their words, he abruptly stopped, seeming startled. Then he slowly looked up, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

“Were you talking to me?”

“You little—”

“Adamantine Sealing Chains!”

The guards tried to dodge, but golden chakra chains had already lashed around them. Bound tight, they found themselves unable to use their chakra.

“This is the Uzumaki clan’s ability!”

“You’re not Naruto! You’re an Uzumaki shinobi!”

Between them, the guards had supplied the very explanation the clone wanted. He smiled triumphantly, and with a puff of smoke, transformed into a masked, red-haired kunoichi. Even with her face concealed, she was clearly a beautiful woman.

With his [Mastered] Transformation Jutsu and the original Naruto’s experience developing the Sexy Jutsu, taking a woman’s appearance was easy. To the guards, however, it looked as though the intruder had dispelled her disguise and revealed her real appearance.

“So you really are from the Uzumaki clan!”

“Why are you here? Were you responsible for those two explosions, too?”

The clone laughed at how readily they were drawing their own conclusions. Without answering, he placed his hands on the Hokage’s desk, revealing the sealing barrier built into it.

The Scroll of Seals was hidden within that barrier. An ordinary shinobi would struggle to open it, and even trying to destroy it would get them nowhere. But Naruto’s [Uzumaki Sage Body] had reached Level 3, and his [Talent for Fūinjutsu] was at [Proficient]. He quickly worked through the seal, and a massive scroll appeared before him.

“Don’t touch that!”

“You’ll die for this!”

The guards fought to force their chakra past the restraints and break free, but the [Proficient] Adamantine Sealing Chains, sustained by the clone’s enormous chakra reserves, held firm. Tired of their shouting, the clone used the chains to gag them, then undid the second sealing barrier on the scroll itself.

Now the complete Scroll of Seals lay open before him. He read through its contents, committing them firmly to memory.

[Ding! Recorded techniques: Reanimation Jutsu, Flying Thunder God Jutsu, Bringer of Darkness Jutsu, Tandem Paper Bombs, Hashirama Senju’s Wood Release Jutsu, and Tobirama Senju’s Water Release Jutsu.]

[Current proficiency: Unlearned. Techniques added to the host’s status panel.]

‘What a haul!’ The clone could barely contain his excitement. He knocked both guards unconscious, left the scroll in the middle of the room, then ran three seemingly pointless laps around the office.

Nearby, Naruto was at his new home. The blast that had killed the dog-masked Anbu had also destroyed his old apartment. To make him easier to watch and prevent another incident, the Third Hokage had moved him close to the Hokage’s building. His new living conditions were considerably better as well.

Naruto was pretending to struggle with the Clone Jutsu while keeping track of everything happening inside the Hokage’s office. When he sensed his clone running those laps, he knew it was time to act. That was the signal they had agreed on beforehand.

“This is so frustrating! Why can’t I get the Clone Jutsu right?” he complained, scratching his head. After a moment, he muttered, “Do I really have to do what Mizuki-sensei said? I guess there’s no other way...”

He suddenly got up and ran toward the Hokage’s building. With his new home so close, it took him very little time to reach it. The Anbu following him hurriedly signaled the other Anbu in the village, silently praying that the boy was only planning another prank.

His prayers went unanswered. Naruto entered the Hokage’s office, spotted the Scroll of Seals in the middle of the room, and eagerly picked it up before heading back out.

The watching Anbu was about to reveal himself and intervene when chakra chains suddenly struck from beside him and bound him. Before he was knocked unconscious, he caught one final glimpse of red hair.

Naruto gave his clone a silent nod and hurried toward the forest in the village’s northwest before the other Anbu could arrive. Left behind, the clone looked at the two guards and the Anbu lying unconscious and smiled in satisfaction.

He hadn’t overcome three elite shinobi through sheer strength. He had caught them off guard with his [Proficient] Adamantine Sealing Chains. In a direct fight, or if they had been prepared for him, he would have been no match for them.

He had also deliberately left all three alive. He wasn’t bloodthirsty, and he wanted to shape the Third Hokage’s understanding of the mysterious attacker.

Hiruzen needed to believe this person wouldn’t kill indiscriminately and would resort to extreme measures only when pushed into a corner.

Otherwise, the Hokage’s anger might lead him to have Naruto confined in Root immediately. Killing these three would defeat the very purpose of the plan.

Several minutes later, the other Anbu discovered what had happened and quickly raised the alarm, informing the Third Hokage. By then, Naruto’s shadow clone was already gone.

After questioning the three shinobi once they regained consciousness, Hiruzen pieced together the events. Struggling to contain his anger, he sent a large force to search for Naruto and the escaped Uzumaki kunoichi while using his crystal ball to locate the boy himself.

For the moment, he left Mizuki alone. He wanted to see what the man intended to do and whether someone else was directing him.

Naruto had already reached the forest in the northwest of the village. He sat calmly outside a wooden hut, opened the Scroll of Seals, and pretended to study it. Before long, he sensed that someone was watching him, most likely through the Third Hokage’s crystal ball.

He immediately frowned and scratched his head, putting on the appearance of a boy struggling to learn the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu.