Naruto, still panting heavily, kept his gaze locked on the three people who had just entered the library. His stomach twisted as he recognized two of them—two people he hadn't expected to show up.
He cursed under his breath.
Just my damn luck.
Minato Namikaze and his uncle, Kaito, walked in alongside an elder from the Senju clan.
Naruto clenched his jaw, eyes flickering between the three. He wasn't sure if this was incredibly lucky or dangerously unlucky. On one hand, there was no way they'd find any trace of him; the Mirror Dimension kept him completely hidden. On the other... if either Kaito or Minato suspected foul play, things could get complicated fast.
The Senju clan elder, a wiry man with thinning gray hair and a sharp gaze, sighed as he gestured around the room.
"As you gentlemen can see, there's nothing amiss," the elder said with a dismissive tut. "The guards found no traces of intruders, and no alarms were triggered. So I see no reason to be alarmed."
Kaito stepped forward, his sharp golden eyes scanning every corner of the library with a meticulous intensity. His posture was rigid, the tension in his shoulders obvious even to Naruto, who watched silently from the safety of his dimension.
Finally, Kaito turned to face Minato and the elder.
"We can never be too careful," Kaito said, his tone firm. "The Hokage has closed the matter on the break-in at the Uzukaze compound—"
"Then I see no need to be paranoid," the elder cut in smoothly. "If Lord Third has found nothing, then who are we to question his judgment?"
Kaito's gaze darkened. His golden eyes hardened into something colder, sharper.
"I question his judgment because there's an unknown individual who broke into the most secure building in our clan and disappeared without a trace," Kaito said, his voice calm but carrying an underlying edge of frustration.
He reached for a random scroll resting on the desk, inspecting it with a scrutinizing glare before tossing it back onto the pile.
"And yet," Kaito continued, "he doesn't even seem concerned that the assailant got away. I find that suspect."
Minato's eyes widened slightly. "You believe that one of the ANBU under the Hokage broke into the clan's library?"
Naruto nearly rolled his eyes. He scoffed under his breath, resisting the urge to punch his uncle for even suggesting something so ridiculous.
The old man's a lot of things, but a damn thief isn't one of them.
Kaito merely shrugged. "Maybe."
His uncle turned, striding toward the library doors with a confidence that made Naruto snicker.
"There's no proof," Kaito admitted, "but I don't like mysteries, and I will find the culprit."
Yeah, good luck with that, Naruto thought, smirking as he followed after them.
Even though the Mirror Dimension still gave him the creeps sometimes, he couldn't deny its benefits. Moving unseen like a ghost, watching others oblivious to his presence—it was an advantage he'd never take for granted.
The elder stepped out after Minato, pausing just long enough to lock the library doors behind him.
"Well, Mr. Uzumaki," the elder said, turning to Kaito with a patient smile, "as you can see, your suspicions were unfounded. We do, however, appreciate your dedication to protecting our clan's secrets."
Kaito said nothing. Instead, he simply turned and stalked off, his frustration evident in his stiff posture. Minato trailed after him, though his expression was far more thoughtful than irritated.
The elder sighed, shaking his head before heading toward the main house.
The courtyard was silent, the moon casting long shadows over the tiled roofs and stone pathways.
Naruto, taking that as his cue to leave, turned and made his way back toward the Uzukaze compound.
He couldn't stop grinning.
Another job well done.
✨🟣🔵🟢🟡🔴🟠✨
Naruto hissed as he rubbed the throbbing bump on his head, shooting a glare at Namori, who sat across from him at the breakfast table. She held a wooden ladle in her hand like a battle-hardened warrior, her grip tightening as she met his glare with an equally fierce one.
For several tense seconds, neither of them blinked, their silent standoff growing more intense by the second.
Finally, Namori exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing.
"Eat your vegetables, young man, before I give you another bump on your head," she warned, slamming the ladle onto the table with a loud thunk before picking up her bowl of rice. "You're not leaving this table until that plate is clean."
Naruto pouted dramatically, his lower lip trembling as he conjured up his best anime protagonist's about-to-cry face.
"But I don't wanna," he whined, slumping in his chair like a defeated soldier. "I hate broccoli!" He turned his nose up in exaggerated defiance, crossing his arms over his chest.
Namori, unimpressed, huffed and shook her head.
"You're not a baby anymore, Naruto. You're starting school this morning, and you need energy to get through your coursework," she said firmly.
"She's right, Naruto," Vision chimed in, his voice as calm and logical as ever. "A growing child requires essential vitamins and minerals for proper development. Otherwise, you'll stunt your growth and remain short—"
"I'M NOT SHORT!" Naruto mentally shrieked, stabbing his fork into the offending green vegetable with far more force than necessary. With a dramatic sigh of suffering, he shoved the broccoli into his mouth, chewing with all the enthusiasm of a prisoner eating his last meal.
"I hate you," he muttered under his breath.
Namori stood from her seat, walked around the table, and without warning, pressed a soft kiss to the exact spot where she had smacked him earlier.
"I love you too," she said sweetly, before sitting back down and returning to her breakfast as if nothing had happened.
Naruto scowled, but the warmth in his chest made it impossible to stay mad.
✨🟣🔵🟢🟡🔴🟠✨
After narrowly escaping Namori's relentless mother-henning, Naruto sprinted through the forest toward his old training ground, a wide grin plastered across his face. The morning air was crisp, the scent of damp earth and fresh leaves filling his lungs as he weaved between towering trees with practiced ease.
The night before, he had set a brilliant plan into motion—summoning fifty shadow clones and ordering them to drill the Wood Style: Wood Clone Jutsu until they either mastered it or collapsed from chakra exhaustion. Fortunately for him (and his sanity), Vision, who didn't require sleep, had overseen their progress, guiding the clones through their frustrating trial and error.
By some miracle, Naruto had barely managed to get the technique down before sunrise—just enough to ensure that some unlucky wooden sucker could take his place at the Academy while he focused on more important things. There was no way in hell he was going to attend school today, not after what he had witnessed when stepping out of the clan's gates.
His younger siblings, Menma and Mito, had been walking side by side with Kushina and Minato, chatting and laughing like a picture-perfect family. Like they hadn't spent years ignoring his existence. Like they actually gave a damn.
Naruto had clenched his fists so hard his nails bit into his palms. Before he realized what he was doing, a sharp CRACK echoed through the air as he punched straight through a concrete barrier.
That moment alone had solidified his decision.
His Wood Clone could handle the Academy, complete with that atrocious orange jumpsuit to keep up appearances. He'd play the fool, act the clown, and let everyone believe he was the village idiot. Meanwhile, the real Naruto would be here, training until his body gave out.
Reaching Training Ground 9, Naruto came to a smooth stop, his chakra already thrumming with anticipation. He summoned a shadow clone and, without missing a beat, allowed Vision to take control.
The transformation was instant. The clone straightened its posture, hands clasped neatly behind its back, eyes gleaming with sharp intelligence.
"Well, Naruto," Vision began, his voice steady and authoritative, "it's time to start your physical conditioning exercises."
Naruto groaned dramatically, already dreading what fresh hell Vision had planned for him. Thus began his training.
"Now, now, Naruto," Vision wiggled a finger in his face, his tone dripping with amusement.
Naruto, never one to let an opportunity for petty revenge slide, immediately snapped his hand forward, aiming to grab the annoying digit. Unfortunately, Vision was faster. The AI easily dodged, his chuckle only making Naruto scowl deeper.
"There's no need for violence," Vision said with an air of faux innocence. "You need to train your body as well as your mind. Increasing your chakra pool is essential, but so is building your stamina, reflexes, and strength. Only then will we craft a fighting style unique to you. So, hop to it!"
Naruto groaned, but he knew there was no escaping it. No pain, no gain, right?
Rolling his shoulders, he stretched out his stiff muscles before setting off at a steady run around the training ground. Time blurred as he pushed his body to its limits, running nonstop for four hours before transitioning into a grueling strength and endurance regimen. Every muscle in his body burned, his breath came in harsh pants, but he powered through.
Another four hours of relentless training passed, leaving Naruto sprawled on the ground, clutching his chest, his limbs trembling from exhaustion.
Then, without warning—
"HEADS UP, TEME!"
Naruto barely had time to register the yell before his instincts screamed at him to move. He rolled to the side just as a pair of blue sandals slammed into the ground where his head had been a second ago, leaving a deep crack in the dirt.
"What the hell?!" Naruto shot up, glaring at his wood clone, the unfortunate bastard stuck wearing the hideous orange jumpsuit. "Why did you just try to kill me?!"
The clone glared right back. "Why the hell did I have to go to the Academy?!" he shouted, practically vibrating with outrage. "It was pure torture! I don't know if I can stand those obnoxious little bastards!"
"Language," Vision interjected, his voice prim and disapproving.
Both Narutos turned in unison, pinning the AI with identical death glares.
Vision took an instinctive step back.
"Well, you'll just have to suck it up," the original Naruto said with a smirk, folding his arms. "We need to train so we can put those same obnoxious idiots in their place."
The wood clone dropped to his knees, wailing dramatically. "I don't think I can do it!"
Naruto grabbed his clone by the shoulders and gave him a rough shake. "You have to do it! It'll benefit us in the long run. And it's not like you have to suffer all the time—I still have to show up now and then, as much as I hate it."
A dark cloud practically hovered over Naruto's head at the thought.
Months ago, he'd been so damn excited to finally attend the Academy. He'd imagined it as a place where he'd train hard, learn cool jutsu, and prove himself. But now?
Now, he knew better.
The Civilian Council had meddled too much, turning the once-prestigious Shinobi Academy into a glorified daycare for bratty clan heirs, bloating their egos instead of sharpening their skills.
It was going to be a long four years of playing dumb.
Naruto sighed heavily, already dreading the act he'd have to keep up.
But in the end... it'd all be worth it.