Chapter 43: The Scroll of Seals Is Obtained
"Let's go. The Scroll of Seals isn't kept here,"
said the Third Hokage as he stood up and led Sakura out.
As they approached the chamber where the Scroll of Seals was stored, a knowing look flashed in Sakura's eyes.
Just as I thought.
In the original timeline, Naruto getting the Scroll of Seals couldn't have been a coincidence. It had to be orchestrated by the Third Hokage. In fact, Sakura suspected the scroll Naruto got was a fake.
After all, outside this very room, Sakura could sense the presence of dozens of chakra signatures—clearly elite shinobi stationed around the perimeter to guard it. With such tight security, how could Naruto, who had just graduated from the Academy and couldn't even properly perform the basic Clone Jutsu, possibly steal the scroll unless someone had let him?
Not to mention, only the Hokage and the guards knew where the Scroll was kept. How could Mizuki, a mere Chūnin instructor at the Academy, possibly know its location?
More suspicious was how, in the original story, the first technique Naruto saw when opening the Scroll just happened to be the Shadow Clone Jutsu—a technique perfectly suited for someone with a massive chakra reserve like him.
Sakura didn't believe for a second that a top-secret item like the Scroll of Seals wouldn't be protected by countless security measures. Even Danzo carried a Reverse Four Symbols Sealing technique on his body as a last resort—how could something as important as the Scroll of Seals be unguarded?
At the chamber's entrance, the Third Hokage formed several hand signs and slapped his palm onto the center of the door. Tadpole-like sealing runes rippled out from his hand and spread across the door. Only once they fully vanished did he finally push the door open.
"This is the Scroll of Seals."
They stepped inside. The room was completely bare—except for a single massive scroll resting on a wooden pedestal in the center.
"That many sealing techniques… just for one scroll?"
Sakura twitched slightly at the corners of her mouth.
The walls, ceiling, and floor were covered in intricate sealing runes that looked like little tadpoles. She could sense faint pulses of energy radiating from them. Though they seemed scattered at first glance, they actually formed a highly complex and interlinked array. Triggering just one rune would activate the entire network.
Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen if it were set off.
"This isn't just any scroll,"
explained the Third Hokage with a warm smile.
"It's the Scroll of Seals originally created by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. It contains almost all of Konoha's jutsu—secret techniques, forbidden arts, sealing methods... everything.
In principle, no one but the Hokage is allowed to read it.
If not for the fact that you resolved the crisis with the Hidden Cloud, you wouldn't even be allowed in this room."
As he spoke, he began performing an increasingly complex series of hand seals—so rapid and elaborate that Sakura gave up trying to follow and simply turned away.
Even with the Third's expert-level speed, the sealing process took over ten seconds. When he finally placed his hand on the scroll's wooden pedestal, all the runes in the room began to stir and contract. In moments, they receded into the pedestal and disappeared.
"This Bookshelf was specially crafted by Lord Hashirama using Wood Release,"
the Hokage explained.
"It's specifically designed to hold the Scroll of Seals.
Unless the seal is released with the correct hand signs, any intruder who comes near it will instantly trigger the traps and be killed on the spot."
Sakura nodded in realization.
That explains it.
This pedestal must've been custom-made by Hashirama using Wood Release, and the sealing array—judging by its complexity—was likely created by either Tobirama or Uzumaki Mito, Hashirama's wife.
"Alright, you can read it now—but only here.
You're not allowed to take it out."
Naturally, something as sensitive as the Scroll of Seals could never be removed from this chamber.
This further confirmed Sakura's suspicion:
The one Naruto got in the original story must have been a fake.
Sakura stepped forward. With a thought, she controlled the Scroll of Seals to unroll on its own.
The scroll was enormous—larger than her entire body.
As it opened, Sakura scanned the contents at lightning speed, reading ten lines at a glance.
She wasn't trying to comprehend the techniques right now; most of them were far too advanced anyway.
Her goal was simple: memorize everything for later study.
Hours passed as she flipped through the entire scroll.
By the time she gently placed the Scroll of Seals back on its pedestal, her temples were aching.
Absorbing so much information in such a short time left her mind feeling swollen and strained.
If it weren't for the Soul Gem constantly nourishing her spirit, there was no way she could've pulled off this photographic memory feat.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
asked the Third Hokage.
"It's all up here,"
Sakura replied, tapping her temple.
"Now, I'd like to borrow three people—if that's alright with you."
"Who?"
The Third raised an eyebrow.
"Uncle Kakashi and the others,"
Sakura replied with a smile.
"Uncle Kakashi is known as the Copy Ninja—he's incredibly knowledgeable about ninjutsu.
Uncle Guy might be a little eccentric, but his taijutsu is second to none in the village.
And then there's Brother Shisui. His genjutsu is top-tier.
With the three of them, no matter what Naruto and the others want to specialize in, they'll have expert guidance."
The Third Hokage nodded thoughtfully.
"Very well. Kakashi and Guy are currently recovering and aren't fit for missions anyway.
Let them handle training for now. As for Shisui, you can talk to him yourself."
He was quite supportive of Sakura's idea to have Naruto and the others train together.
The more bonds Naruto formed within Konoha, the more grounded and loyal he'd become—something the Third valued greatly.
Having Kakashi take on a mentoring role was even better.
Kakashi, being the subordinate of his own student, Minato, and a loyal member of the Hokage faction, was already someone the Third considered as a potential candidate for the Fifth Hokage.
This setup aligned perfectly with that goal.
After all, kids like Ino, Shikamaru, and the rest were all future heirs of their respective clans.
If Kakashi mentored them now, it would form a deep bond—similar to that of master and student—making it far easier for him to gain their support when the time came to assume leadership.
"However,"
the Third warned,
"some of the forbidden techniques in the Scroll of Seals must never be passed on recklessly."
He was particularly referring to techniques like Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu), which was strictly banned in Konoha.
If something like that were leaked, the consequences would be dire.
"Don't worry, Grandpa Third,"
Sakura assured him.
"I understand completely."
Even without the warning, Sakura had no intention of misusing what she'd learned.
She had memorized the Scroll of Seals for one purpose only—to find techniques that suited Naruto and the others.
Every ninja had a different style; randomly learning jutsu that didn't align with one's strengths would never lead to mastery.
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