"Sure!"
Naruto smiled warmly at Mizuki, watching as the man reached out to grab his arm.
And then, without a sound, a kunai appeared from behind Mizuki's back, plunging straight into his heart!
"Mizuki-sensei, you"
"Naruto… I'm not sure how much you know, but showing up here was a fatal mistake."
"This is the shinobi world, not a child's game. Consider this your final lesson from your teacher."
"Sayonara… Naruto!"
Mizuki's expression twisted into something ugly. He twisted the kunai in Naruto's chest, making sure to finish him off.
Just like that, Naruto was dead?
Puff!
A cloud of white smoke burst into the air. The corpse in Mizuki's hands vanished without a trace.
"A clone?"
Mizuki's eyes darted around in alarm.
Didn't this brat fail his graduation exam?
How could he use the Clone Technique?
Was he pretending to be incompetent all along?
The cool night wind rustled the leaves. From a nearby tree, Naruto stepped into view.
"That was quick work, Mizuki-sensei. Such a caring teacher you are."
Hmph. Even if the story had deviated from the original, Mizuki was still the same vicious bastard.
Kunai in hand, Mizuki eyed Naruto warily. His unexpected appearance and bizarre composure set every instinct on edge.
He had planned this heist for too long; he couldn't afford to get taken down by this kid.
"Naruto, I have to admit, you're full of surprises. How did you know I'd be here?"
"Mizuki-sensei… you didn't think your plan to steal the Scroll of Seals was a secret, did you?"
Naruto smirked, throwing out a bluff.
"It's not just me who knows. My dad's here too."
"Minato Uzumaki"
Mizuki's heart skipped. If the Yellow Flash was involved, he was as good as dead.
He darted his gaze around nervously, the kunai in his grip trembling slightly.
Naruto could hardly believe how easy it was to spook him. Was it his father's terrifying reputation, or was Mizuki just this much of a coward?
"Mizuki-sensei, how about we make a deal? Give me the Scroll of Seals, and my dad will let you go free."
"You're sure? You're not lying to me?"
"Of course! I swear on my gender."
Naruto grinned. With Orochimaru in the world, even gender wasn't exactly a permanent thing.
Mizuki hesitated, battling himself internally. Finally, he made up his mind.
"Fine! I'll give it to you, just let me go!"
"Wise choice!"
Naruto nodded approvingly.
Mizuki took the scroll from his back and tossed it toward Naruto.
So easy. This would save him a lot of trouble.
Naruto caught the heavy scroll with a smile
But didn't notice the two shuriken hidden behind it.
Thunk, thunk!
Pain exploded in his abdomen as the shuriken sank deep.
Damn this sneaky snake!
"Hahaha! I never dismissed class, kid!"
Mizuki lunged in with a gleam of cold steel. The kunai slashed straight for Naruto's throat.
Puff!
Another cloud of white smoke.
"Another clone? How can you have this much chakra?"
Mizuki's alarm was turning into dread. The Naruto he knew was a dead-last loser. This one was nothing like him.
The son of the Yellow Flash… was he a genius after all?
Naruto: Say that again, I dare you.
"You're so sure my dad isn't here, Mizuki-sensei?"
Naruto appeared on a different tree branch, tilting his head.
"Don't be stupid! If Minato were here, I'd already be dead. Why waste time talking to you?"
Naruto's mouth twitched. Wow… Is Dad's that OP now?
"Hmph, Naruto, I think you came here alone. Even your father doesn't know about this, does he? Which means… you're after the Scroll yourself."
Naruto stayed silent. Mizuki wasn't completely brainless; it'd be hard to scare him any further.
"Let's make another deal. Which forbidden jutsu do you want to learn? I'll let you take a look, and then you let me go. How about that?"
Naruto chuckled coldly.
"You think I'm stupid? You're desperate to escape. Why would you waste time teaching me jutsu? If I believed that, I wouldn't even know how I died."
Mizuki stared in surprise.
"A smart kid with plenty of chakra… why'd you fail the exam on purpose?"
Naruto was at a loss for words. What am I supposed to say that I was baiting you?
Besides, from how things were going, Mizuki had never planned to use him to steal the scroll in the first place.
"Because"
Before he could finish, a shuriken whistled toward him.
Treacherous to the end!
Naruto twisted just in time. The shuriken tore through his clothes, grazing past. One second slower and he'd have been gutted.
Relief was short-lived. He glanced up, and Mizuki's silhouette was gone.
"Not good!"
Naruto tensed, ready to leap away.
"Die!"
Mizuki dropped from above, stabbing his kunai down toward Naruto's skull!
Puff!
More white smoke.
"Another clone?! Impossible! No one has that much chakra!"
Fury and disbelief twisted Mizuki's face. This failure of a student was dragging him into a nightmare.
If this kept up, the other jōnin would catch up to them. He needed to escape, now.
But just as he turned to run
"Mizuki-sensei… I'm everywhere."
Naruto's voice echoed through the woods.
From every branch, countless Naruto emerged, some crouching, some standing, armed with kunai or shuriken, all smiling cheerfully as they surrounded him.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique… that's impossible!!"
Mizuki's composure was shattered. This jutsu required insane amounts of chakra, and this kid had summoned dozens.
The gap between genius and mediocrity was this wide?
Why were they born with bloodline limits and clan secrets… while he had nothing but average talent and years of grinding?
Why… after all his effort, could he still not catch up?
"We're all human, why is fate so unfair?! I hate you, Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto's eyes hardened. Time to end this.
All the Naruto charged at once, burying Mizuki beneath a wave of fists, steel, and vengeance.