*Cough!* Naruto, the Scroll of Seals is a forbidden Ninjutsu. It contains Ninjutsu that can cause great harm or even death to the user. You must not look at it, much less learn it."
Hiruzen Sarutobi lifted his chin, reducing the shadows that shrouded his face, instantly making him less stern and cold.
"Hokage-sama."
Naruto knew his limits. He flashed a brilliant smile at Hiruzen Sarutobi, slowly rolled up the Scroll of Seals, and put it back into the bookshelf.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded silently and said, "I heard you played another prank today."
A prank?
Naruto was startled.
He had only transmigrated today and had been well-behaved and proper. When did he play a prank?
Wait, does the zero-dollar purchase count!?
"I wanted to pay, but they all had mouths and didn't speak. They didn't want it themselves, what could I do?" Naruto replied with a normal expression, his eyes darting around the bookshelf.
Aside from the Scroll of Seals, various other scrolls were piled up like mountains.
Among them were high-level Ninjutsu passed down through generations of prestigious clans.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi hasn't been Hokage for nothing all these years; he has quite the collection," Naruto mused inwardly.
"There's a misunderstanding here."
"What misunderstanding?"
Naruto interrupted Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Is it a misunderstanding that I'm treated as a demon fox?"
"Is it a misunderstanding that adults look at me with cold eyes?"
"Is it a misunderstanding that children throw stones at me?"
"Is my isolated childhood a misunderstanding?"
"Because of these misunderstandings, an orphan with no father or mother has suffered scorn, been cursed and blamed by others, and has no family, no friends, and no complete childhood!"
Naruto's childish, round face remained calm, showing no excitement, no anger, no resentment. His tone held only deep disappointment and merciless mockery, which shook Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, making his expression complex as he fell silent.
"In that case, there are quite a few misunderstandings in the Village."
Naruto finished speaking in one breath, then stood on his tiptoes and pulled out several Ninjutsu scrolls from a high shelf, laughing boisterously, "Hokage-sama, if there are misunderstandings, you should go and resolve them. Don't always focus on me, the victim. Hmm, I'll take these scrolls home to read."
"Starting today, I won't play pranks anymore. I will study hard and train diligently."
"Hmm?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned.
What's going on?
Did the sun rise from the Land of Earth?
Did Minato's spirit in heaven make this troublemaker finally see the light?
No, why is he taking my Ninjutsu scrolls!
Naruto walked out swaggering, hugging the scrolls. No need for many words, no need to explain at all.
As long as it's not murder or arson, what's the big deal about taking a few Ninjutsu scrolls to read?
Before leaving, Naruto turned back, revealing a mouthful of bright white teeth, smiling brightly. He thought, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, you owe me."
In the shadows, an Anbu Ninja half-crouched, half-knelt, and asked with a bowed head, "Hokage-sama, do we need to retrieve those scrolls?"
"…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out a pipe and put it in his mouth, answering in a deep voice, "Let him be. Naruto… is right."
A pale purple mist billowed from the pipe, blurring the vision of this long-reigning Hokage-sama.
Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled Minato and his wife's dying wish—that the Konoha Villagers would regard Naruto as the Village's hero.
Had he achieved that?
…
Leaving the Hokage's house and standing on the street, Naruto felt his heart race, and unknowingly, he broke out in a sweat.
"Whew, that was close."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi truly lives up to his reputation as a Kage-level expert. The pressure he exerts is immense. On the surface, he just looks like a thin, old man, but in reality, he's like a towering, fierce Monkey King."
"Perhaps it's because my mental attribute is relatively high, which has strengthened my perception…"
"But at least the gains are huge!"
Naruto took a deep breath, calming his emotions. He looked down at the Ninjutsu scrolls in his arms, and his face instantly lit up with joy.
He wasn't lacking Ninjutsu now.
He could easily transition to creating the Rasengan.
Upon returning home, Naruto immediately closed the doors and windows and headed straight into the training room.
He summoned the [item bar].
With a thought, Naruto directly took out the Beginner Skill Experience Scroll.
As his gaze fell on the scroll in his hand, a pop-up window appeared automatically:
[Do you want to use it?]
"Yes."
[Please select the skill to gain experience.]
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Instantly.
The Beginner Skill Experience Scroll shattered with a *bang*, turning into specks of hazy light that merged into Naruto's body.
In his mind, the understanding and experience of Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu deepened and became more proficient naturally, as if Naruto had cultivated it himself in a dark room, not forcibly inserted by others.
Within two or three breaths.
Naruto opened his eyes, checked his status bar, and found that the proficiency of Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu had successfully increased from Novice to Proficient.
Hand signs!
Naruto brought his index and middle fingers together, crossed his hands, refined a considerable amount of Chakra, guided it through a specific pathway in his body with the Ram hand sign, and then released it.
With a "poof."
As white mist rose and dispersed, three Shadow Clones, identical to Naruto, stood to his left and right.
"It worked?"
"I truly am a genius!"
"Hahaha, it looks like I'm destined to be Hokage!"
The three Shadow Clones cheered lively and excitedly.
This was also an external manifestation of Naruto's inner joy.
"I'll summon three first to get used to it. After all, when the Shadow Clones disperse, the memories and experiences flow back, which is quite a shock to the brain and spirit."
"It wouldn't do to go too hard and make myself stupid."
Naruto left one Shadow Clone in the training room to study the Ninjutsu scrolls.
The remaining two Shadow Clones went with him to the Underground City in the Goblin Slayer World to grind for experience and level up.
Before that…
Naruto loaded all the Ninja tools he had acquired from his zero-dollar purchase in the morning—shuriken, kunai, senbon, etc.—into the system space.
When viewed through the [item bar], they were neatly categorized tools, making them very convenient and quick to access.
"And food and water."
"Using military rations to fill up is a bit luxurious."
Naruto cleared out all the expired milk from the refrigerator, leaving only the good milk and instant noodles. He also took pots, bowls, and utensils, storing them in the system space.
The originally not-so-large system space was already about seventy to eighty percent full.
The [item bar] was even more cluttered with all sorts of things.
With the preparations complete, Naruto flipped his palm, took out the bronze key, and then inserted it into the void.
The Underground City, opened!
"Swish!"
A dark green swirl gradually opened and expanded.
"Let's go."
Naruto, with a confident smile on his face, strode forward, leading the two Shadow Clones into the Underground City with practiced ease.
Compared to his cautious first time, his second time was clearly much more spirited!
…
The forest outside Iron Water Village.
Three Narutos appeared in the clearing.
The next moment.
The two Shadow Clones guarding Naruto's main body turned into afterimages and "whooshed" away, disappearing into the depths of the forest to hunt Goblins on their own.
Naruto's expression was normal as he looked down at the spot where he had originally killed the Goblin scout.
The body was gone…
Naruto frowned slightly. Seeing that it was already late, with the horizon stained blood-red, his expression became somewhat serious.
"I need to get back to the Village quickly and tell the old Village Chief about the possibility of a Goblin night raid."