Write down this grudge first.
That was the only thought running through Uchiha Jinzō's mind as he unrolled the Scroll of Seals.One hand gripped the edge, the other pressed flat against the center. His eyes bled red in an instant—three tomoe spinning like hungry whirlpools.
He started reading. Fast.
Mito Menyan's face twisted the moment he saw the Sharingan flare, but Jinzō ignored him completely. His crimson eyes darted across line after line, capturing every kanji, every seal formula, every hand sign. He didn't pause, didn't slow, didn't even try to memorize in the conventional sense—he just kept scanning like a machine.
Menyan relaxed a little. No ninja alive could memorize that much that quickly. And the Scroll wasn't some bedtime story—it was packed with enough material to bury anyone in information overload. Besides, only loyal Konoha shinobi were ever allowed access, so what was there to worry about?
The tragedy for Menyan was simple: Jinzō wasn't like everyone else.
He wasn't "loyal Konoha shinobi." He wasn't even reading like one. He was burning every word into his personal mental archive, courtesy of his not-so-normal Goldfinger.
Page after page flew by.
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Spirit Transformation. Oni no Meirō. Four Symbols Seal. Explosive Tag Arrays. Edo Tensei…
Jutsu Jinzō had never seen in his previous life blazed across the parchment. Each one was brutal, powerful, and cursed with terrifying drawbacks. The Scroll only recorded forbidden techniques, and the lowest-ranked ones were already A-class.
Still—where were the Eight Gates? Not listed. Too early, maybe. And half of what was here weren't even Tobirama's creations—lots of entries with names he didn't recognize.
By the time he reached the final seal, Menyan snapped, "Time's up." He snatched the scroll away as if afraid Jinzō might sprout a second Sharingan just to keep reading.
Jinzō grinned like a fox caught stealing chickens. Relax, old man. I already saved the whole thing.
"Leave with me. Now." Menyan's voice was sharp. He wasn't about to let this brat linger where Konoha's most dangerous secrets slept.
Jinzō just pouted but followed obediently, hands in pockets. They retraced their steps until sunlight spilled over them again.
"I'll return to my duties. Unless summoned, don't bother coming back," Menyan said stiffly.
His meaning was clear: from the moment Jinzō strong-armed Hiruzen into allowing this, he was no longer "one of them." Not trusted. Not welcome.
Jinzō couldn't care less. He turned on his heel and walked off without a word.
Menyan watched him go, muttering darkly, "Uchiha… never good people."
Back at home, Jinzō wasted no time. He pulled a blank scroll from storage, rolled it out, and pressed his hands to it.
"Ninjutsu—Camera Jutsu!"
Chakra rippled, colors bleeding across the parchment like paint dropped in water. The surface began to fill, replaying the memory burned into his Sharingan. Line after line of forbidden jutsu appeared, faithfully transcribed.
It was originally a jutsu meant to capture White Fang on the battlefield, but hey—why not put it to better use?
"We'll leave him clues later," Jinzō muttered. "Kindness for kindness, grudge for grudge. Always."
Soon, the entire Scroll of Seals was copied.
"Hah. And these old fossils think they're clever," Jinzō sneered, scanning through the dangerous knowledge at his leisure.
He ignored their politics completely and zeroed in on the sealing techniques. His goal was already set: while he remained in the village, he'd refine his basic Internal Strength Technique into something on an entirely new level.
Night fell.
Bang!
The Hokage's office door slammed open as Shimura Danzō stormed in, fury radiating off him.
"You let that Uchiha brat read the Scroll of Seals?!"
The room was brightly lit, but the three elders—Hiruzen and his two advisers, Koharu and Menyan—sat in heavy silence.
"Don't blame Hiruzen," Koharu said quickly. "They forced him in public."
"That boy only skimmed it anyway," Menyan added. "Didn't even stop to study."
"You fools!" Danzō roared, pointing a shaking finger at them. "Don't you realize? That boy's a genius at creating jutsu. He doesn't need to memorize—just referencing is enough for him to invent something new!"
The words stunned them.
"Impossible," Menyan scoffed. "That level of ninjutsu isn't so easily replicated."
Danzō nearly laughed in their faces. "Do you idiots forget Tobirama-sensei? He created half the Scroll without any reference at all! Ordinary jutsu were enough for him. And you hand a completed library of forbidden techniques to a Uchiha prodigy? Are you insane?"
Even Hiruzen flinched at that, though he tried to keep calm.
Koharu shook her head. "I still don't believe it. Uchiha Jinzō doesn't have that kind of ability."
"Don't believe it?!" Danzō barked, jabbing a finger at her nose. "Then what about his Internal Strength Technique? Every ninja alive knows how valuable that is! And you're telling me he can't innovate? You two are blind."
The room fell into a tense silence. Even Koharu and Menyan had no retort.
Danzō leaned forward, voice low and deadly: "Hiruzen. Kill him now. Before he grows into something we can't control."
But Hiruzen shook his head. "Extreme, as always. Jinzō is still a Konoha shinobi. His research strengthens the village. We'll increase ANBU surveillance—but killing him? Absolutely not."
Danzō's eyes narrowed. "You'll regret this."
"And I am the Hokage," Hiruzen snapped coldly.
The two men locked stares until Danzō finally slammed the door behind him, leaving the office thick with unease.