"A ninja, standing on a 30-meter tree trunk, throws a kunai at another ninja, 5 meters away, who is 1.83 meters tall. At what angle and with what force must the kunai be thrown to achieve a fatal strike?"
Inside another modest room in the Hidden Leaf Village...
Naruto sat at a desk, clutching a box of expired milk, staring intently at the homework his teacher had assigned.
After muttering the question aloud, he took a satisfied sip of the milk, then picked up his pen and began scribbling enthusiastically.
The notebook quickly filled with crooked and shaky handwriting:
"Ninja A jumps off the tree, holding five shurikens and five kunai in both hands. They scatter them like a flower in full bloom, sealing off all escape routes. At least one will surely hit the target."
...
"I'm a genius," Naruto declared proudly, putting down his pen and reading his answer aloud with a smug grin.
After closing the notebook, he carefully replaced the cap on his pen and placed both items neatly into his bag.
"Vacation's almost here..."
Naruto leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. His lips curved into a smile, revealing small white fangs.
"New Year's is coming..."
Lost in thought, he gazed out the window, a touch of melancholy in his voice.
...
"Little Naruto, are you home?"
Just as Naruto was daydreaming, a knock at the door and a voice calling out interrupted him.
Hearing the familiar voice, Naruto froze for a moment, then broke into a joyful expression.
He jumped up and hurried to open the door.
"Grandpa Third! What brings you here?"
Looking at the elderly man standing before him, Naruto greeted him warmly.
"What? Can't Grandpa visit unless it's time to hand out subsidies?" Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled, teasing the boy who was now grinning from ear to ear.
...
"No, no, you're always welcome!"
Naruto quickly stepped aside, inviting Hiruzen in.
"The New Year's almost here, so I brought you some money to buy yourself something nice to eat," Hiruzen said, glancing at Naruto's messy room. Instead of sitting down, he pulled out an envelope and handed it to Naruto.
"Huh? That's okay, Grandpa Hokage. I still have money left from last time. It's enough for now."
Hearing this, Hiruzen paused for a moment.
...
"Alright then, how about this? Grandpa will give you a New Year's gift instead."
Seeing Naruto hesitate to accept the money, Hiruzen put the envelope away and handed Naruto a scroll.
He had never thought much of Naruto's potential as a ninja—his talent was plainly mediocre. Hiruzen had essentially left him to grow up unattended, thinking he'd done enough by simply ensuring Naruto received an education.
In his mind, Naruto's future was predictable: even if he graduated, his lack of skill might prevent him from ever becoming a proper ninja. At best, Naruto would remain in the village under close supervision, unable to take on real missions.
...
However, when Hiruzen happened to observe Sasuke at school, he noticed that Sasuke only ever talked to Naruto, remaining distant from everyone else. This sparked a newfound interest in Naruto.
After all, no matter how one looked at it, Naruto was the son of Minato Namikaze.
Over the years, the situation had improved somewhat. With Danzo's influence weakened, Hiruzen had fewer constraints to worry about.
Of course, with age creeping up on him and his eventual death looming, certain truths would inevitably come to light...
For now, though, Hiruzen wanted to make amends while he still had the chance.
He had noticed how poorly the ANBU treated Naruto and how his life had become even more difficult. Though Hiruzen didn't directly address these issues, he continued the tradition of personally delivering monthly subsidies to Naruto.
Even if Naruto's talents meant he might lead an uneventful life, never discovering the truth about his origins, Hiruzen wanted to ease his own conscience.
...
After Minato's death and his own return to power as Hokage, Hiruzen had once considered restoring Naruto's reputation and improving his life.
But such things were far from easy. Once events were set in motion, they were like a raging torrent—there was no turning back.
Even Hiruzen, caught in the current, risked being destroyed if he resisted.
"A wise man avoids dangerous situations," Hiruzen told himself, choosing not to take any extreme actions.
He had tried many times but ultimately compromised under various pressures and constraints.
"What's this?" Naruto asked curiously, staring at the scroll in his hands.
--
Naruto didn't notice the complex emotions in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. Instead, he eagerly stared at the scroll in Hiruzen's hands.
...
"Grandpa knows your Clone Jutsu isn't great, so I found a few Clone Jutsu techniques for you to learn."
Hiruzen Sarutobi snapped out of his thoughts and replied to Naruto with a hint of wistfulness.
"Huh? Thank you, Grandpa Hokage!"
Hearing Hiruzen's words, Naruto, who had poor talent for clones, was overjoyed.
"Don't thank me just yet. If you bite off more than you can chew, you'll get nowhere. You can only pick one jutsu to learn."
Naruto's excitement faltered slightly at Hiruzen's words.
"Oh… I see…"
Hiruzen shook his head and opened the scroll, spreading it out on Naruto's desk.
The scroll contained the Water Clone, Earth Clone, Shadow Clone, and Multi-Shadow Clone techniques.
The Water Clone and Earth Clone techniques were fairly low-tier and didn't involve any chakra nature transformation.
As for the Shadow Clone and Multi-Shadow Clone techniques, they were the real gems.
...
Hiruzen wouldn't mention to Naruto that the Water Clone and Earth Clone required specific chakra natures and were essentially inferior techniques.
The Shadow Clone and Multi-Shadow Clone techniques, on the other hand, were what Hiruzen had carefully chosen for Naruto.
Even though Hiruzen didn't have high expectations for Naruto's future, he believed in doing things perfectly when he committed to them.
If Naruto became strong one day and looked back on this moment, realizing the value of what was given to him, it would only enhance the impact.
Whether Naruto remembered this event would depend on his future choices.
If Naruto picked the flashy but impractical Water Clone or Earth Clone techniques, Hiruzen planned to subtly guide him toward the Shadow Clone technique.
That was the real gift he intended for Naruto.
As for the forbidden Multi-Shadow Clone technique, Hiruzen wasn't keen on teaching it.
Its inclusion on the scroll was mostly for show, to make the offering seem more impressive.
This was a calculated move, a hidden card.
Whether Naruto ended up being mediocre and bragging about knowing the technique, or grew strong enough to grasp its power, it would elevate Hiruzen's image in Naruto's mind.
...
"Wow! The Water Clone technique creates clones from water—how cool! And the Earth Clone technique looks amazing too!"
"Wait, the Shadow Clone technique can create physical clones that act independently of the user, with their own consciousness and the ability to fight? That's so powerful!"
Even though Hiruzen kept the description of the Shadow Clone technique brief, Naruto's eyes lit up as he memorized the seals.
Naruto hadn't expected Hiruzen to openly display everything. The names, descriptions, and hand seals were all right there. This was too good to pass up.
Naruto had no intention of limiting himself to just one technique.
At this point, Naruto wasn't the naive, impulsive kid Hiruzen thought he was.
Hiruzen's previous neglect had plunged Naruto into a dark place for a time.
Unlike in the original story, where Hiruzen and Iruka were beacons of light guiding Naruto, this version of him understood self-reliance all too well.
So, given the chance to grow stronger, Naruto wasn't about to obediently learn just one technique.
His willingness to act cunningly showed that the influence of Asura's will on Naruto had completely faded—or had become negligible.
...
Naruto's reaction made Hiruzen frown slightly. This kid... he seemed a bit too clever.
This wasn't how a child should think.
Shouldn't a kid go for the flashiest, coolest option?
Like the Water or Earth Clone techniques?
Did this boy have strange taste or something?
"Wow, the Multi-Shadow Clone technique is so cool too!"
...
Naruto's excitement tightened the knot in Hiruzen's chest. This brat was unpredictable, throwing off all of Hiruzen's plans.
Hiruzen had underestimated Naruto, assuming he'd struggle to learn techniques without proper instruction.
That was why he had seemingly carelessly included all the details on a single scroll.
Creating separate scrolls for each technique with specific instructions was too much trouble and wasted time.
Writing them on four different scrolls would be even worse—a waste of materials.
Besides, Hiruzen's conscience had softened a bit.
He was, after all, a contradictory man whose actions were often shrouded in subtlety.
...
"Grandpa Hokage, I want to learn the Water Clone technique!"
Naruto's words snapped Hiruzen out of his thoughts.
"Naruto, that technique is forbidden—wait, the Water Clone?"
Hiruzen instinctively tried to dissuade Naruto before realizing Naruto had chosen the Water Clone technique instead of the forbidden Multi-Shadow Clone technique.
He sighed in relief. It seemed Naruto was still just a kid.
"Naruto, don't be fooled by appearances. I've thought it over, and the technique most suitable for you is the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
...
"Really? Okay, then I'll learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Naruto didn't argue with Hiruzen. He just wanted Hiruzen to leave so he could copy all the techniques down in peace.
Naruto had a poor memory, so he had to write everything down.
Fortunately, the Shadow Clone and Multi-Shadow Clone techniques only required one hand seal, making them easy to memorize.
If not for the flashy appearance of the Water and Earth Clone techniques, he wouldn't have bothered with them.
If Hiruzen knew Naruto's thoughts, he'd probably feel frustrated.
This kid's approach was completely offbeat.
...
Still, even if Hiruzen realized Naruto had slipped out of his control, he wouldn't care too much.
If Naruto mastered these life-saving techniques, it would be an unexpected benefit.
Hiruzen genuinely wanted Naruto to grow stronger.
Part of this was because Naruto was the only person Sasuke didn't dislike.
As for the future, Hiruzen would deal with it as it came.
His other plans were just the instinctive strategies of a man who loved playing chess.
If they didn't succeed, so be it.
...
After half an hour of explaining the techniques and their nuances, Hiruzen left.
He had spent too much time with Naruto today.
...
Once Hiruzen was gone, Naruto drank some milk, then clutched his stomach and dashed to the bathroom—carrying his backpack with him.
In the privacy of the bathroom, he took out a notebook and pen and began jotting down the hand seals.
He planned to study them here when he had free time.
He felt uneasy practicing in his room, as if someone was watching him.
He had even dreamed of two people sneaking into his room while he was asleep.
One of them had an intimidating voice and aura, as if they wanted to kill him.
Thankfully, the other, a gentle and kind voice, had saved him.
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