After leaving school, Anya didn't go straight home. Instead, he prepared a set of dark clothes that covered his entire body, leaving only his eyes exposed, and silently waited for midnight to arrive. There was no doubt about it—he was going back to his old ways again: stealing.
The target was clear—the Scroll of Seals, which Naruto had stolen in the original story. It contained various S-rank forbidden techniques developed by the First and Second Hokage of Konoha. Naruto had even mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu from this scroll and used it throughout the anime series—from start to finish. You can only imagine how valuable this scroll truly was.
From what he remembered, in the anime version, Naruto had stolen it with the help of a defector, and the process had been quite simple. With the skills he'd honed as a master thief in his past life, Anya believed it would be even easier.
Traditionally, the Scroll of Seals was kept under the direct protection of the Hokage. Naruto had stolen it from the Third's house. Now, due to the intense demands of war, the Third Hokage had practically turned his office into a permanent residence, constantly handling affairs and rarely returning home—this gave Anya the perfect opportunity.
Anya was a decisive person. Once he made up his mind, he didn't hesitate. After nightfall, he quietly set out.
There were no surveillance devices here; the key was to move silently and become one with the darkness. Having spent long periods alone in the dark before, he naturally navigated through it effortlessly and without detection.
Like a ghost, he silently infiltrated the room of the Third Hokage. Relying on a thief's sharp instincts, he quickly examined every inch of the place inside and out.
The interior was very simple and plain—nothing like what one would expect from the Hokage's residence. Soon, he noticed an oddity in one of the wall seams. Tapping it lightly twice, he instantly understood.
With nimble hands, he worked around the seam. Before long, the crack expanded into a sizable opening—the Scroll of Seals was indeed hidden within.
Anya's eyes lit up. After carefully checking and finding no traps, he cautiously pulled it out, slung it over his back, and restored the wall to its original state.
Anya looked over what he'd done and nodded with satisfaction. It had been years since his last job, but his skills weren't rusty at all.
Once the item was secured, Anya suppressed his sense of pride and slipped carefully through the window, diving swiftly into the nearby woods.
Just as he was about to relax slightly, a voice came down from a tall tree nearby: "What were you doing at the Hokage's house?"
Anya stiffened and looked up. Under the moonlight, a flash of yellow hair instantly caught his eye.
It was Minato Namikaze, the one he'd fought against at school earlier that afternoon. Damn it, why was he here?
Minato Namikaze leapt gracefully from the tall tree and approached Anya. The two stood facing each other.
Anya spoke first. "Have you been following me?"
Minato Namikaze honestly nodded. "Yes. I felt you weren't using your full strength during our fight this afternoon, so after class I wanted to spar with you again. But instead, I ended up witnessing this—I never expected you to sneak into the Hokage's home to steal."
Minato Namikaze clearly saw the Scroll of Seals on Anya's back and immediately understood what had happened. He shifted into a guarded stance.
As expected, he had once again underestimated this world. He never imagined that even with his reputation as a top thief from his past life, he wouldn't sense a child tailing him. However, this kid wasn't ordinary either—he was qualified to compete for the title of most gifted individual.
Fighting was certainly the worst option, and running away probably wouldn't work either. Anya quickly grasped the situation and decided honesty was the best approach. When dealing with someone like Minato, sincerity was the best weapon.
"That's right. I came here to steal it," Anya admitted straightforwardly before continuing sorrowfully, "My parents both died on the battlefield. I fear one day I may die the same way, so I have to grow stronger. Within this scroll lies the capital to strengthen myself."
Sure enough, upon hearing these words, Minato's posture relaxed slightly as he reasoned, "This is the Scroll of Seals, which records forbidden techniques. From what my teacher said, practicing these techniques forcibly could harm regular ninjas."
"Are all the things the teachers say correct?" Anya smiled cunningly. "How about we take a look together?"
Minato immediately shook his head in refusal, saying, "No thanks, you should return it to Lord Hokage soon."
Anya smiled faintly and said, "Minato, don't you remember what our teacher said in class today? Practice reveals the truth. How can we know if something works unless we try it ourselves? I've never believed that I would become an ordinary ninja in the future, and I'm sure the same goes for you, considering your dream is to become Hokage."
Upon hearing Anya's words, Minato froze, lost deeply in thought.
Seeing this reaction, Anya opened the Scroll of Seals right in front of him. Instantly, its contents unfolded before the two boys' eyes.
Unable to resist, Minato stole a glance, and his eyes lit up immediately. He was instantly hooked on one particular technique—the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Anya couldn't help but be amazed. This was the technique Minato would later become famous for! Never did he imagine it would be hidden within the Scroll of Seals, let alone that Minato would get to see it with his help. He couldn't help but lament fate's twists.
Naturally, Anya didn't interrupt him. After expressing his admiration, he turned his attention back to the scroll himself. The first jutsu was the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, which he skimmed right past. Except for that oddball Naruto, no one used this technique well anyway—it consumed way too much chakra.
The second jutsu caught Anya's gaze, making his eyes narrow sharply: none other than the legendary Impure World Reincarnation.
Well, might as well memorize it. But I'll never use it. If The Third finds out, I won't be as lucky as Orochimaru, who broke the rules and still got mercy just because he was his student.
Next.
[Bringer-of-Darkness Technique]—hmm, what kind of jutsu is this? Not familiar at all.
In just one glance, Anya became as immersed as Minato. This technique created visual illusions, depriving opponents of all light around them—essentially a genjutsu. At higher levels, it could even fabricate a pitch-black environment, sealing off the opponent's entire vision. In such darkness, only the user could clearly perceive everything and launch attacks. This ability resembled Tsukuyomi from the Mangekyo Sharingan.
It was also an S-rank Genjutsu, except its illusory space was pitch-black. Within that space, even those stronger than him would be forced to reveal their positions. That made them vulnerable to his attacks — perfect for someone who had endured darkness for so long.
For a moment, the forest was filled only with the soft breathing of the two figures and the chirping of insects.
In a hidden corner, unnoticed by either of them, an old man wearing a white hat calmly observed the two. At that moment, a man wearing a cat-shaped mask appeared behind him and handed him a file with quiet respect.
The old man opened the file and saw clearly written on it several large characters: Uchiha Anya.
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