Chapter 16: The Forbidden Scroll
In a dramatic puff of smoke, Uzumaki Naruto vanished, replaced by the alluring, smoke-shrouded form of "Naruko." The transformed Naruto batted his eyelashes at a stunned Iruka, his voice a syrupy falsetto. "Oh, Iruka-sensei~ Won't you please let your favorite student pass?"
Pfft!
A geyser of blood erupted from Iruka's nose, splattering across his desk. He shot to his feet, his face a magnificent canvas of rage and embarrassment. "NARUTO! Stop this ridiculous, shameful jutsu at once!"
Naruto just dispelled the transformation and laughed uproariously, clutching his stomach. Even in failure, he'd managed to leave his mark.
Wiping the blood from his face, Iruka took a steadying breath. "Listen up, everyone. For those who passed the first stage, the final assessment will be in one week, personally overseen by the Third Hokage." His gaze then fell on Naruto, softening slightly. "Naruto, if you wish to take the second test, you must master the Clone Technique within that time."
Naruto's boisterous laughter died, replaced by a determined grimace. One week. He had one week.
Later that evening, Kamikawa Hiraoka was settling in for a well-deserved rest when a frantic knocking echoed through his small apartment.
"Who is it at this hour?" he grumbled, shuffling to the door.
He opened it to find Uzumaki Naruto, buzzing with nervous energy. "Hiraoka! I need your help!"
Hiraoka raised an eyebrow. "With what?"
Naruto spilled the story in a rushed whisper. "It was Mizuki-sensei! He told me... he said if I can find this thing called the Scroll of Seals and learn a jutsu from it, I'm guaranteed to pass! He even told me where it's kept!"
Hiraoka listened, his expression neutral. Right on schedule, he thought. But Naruto coming to him was a new variable. "Let me guess," Hiraoka said, his voice low. "You want me to help you steal it."
Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah! He said to go alone, but... I don't know. It feels safer with you. You're the strongest in the class!"
Hiraoka's mind raced. The Scroll of Seals, containing the forbidden techniques of the Second Hokage... and he now possessed the perfect tool to copy them: the Sharingan. The risk was immense, but the potential reward was staggering.
A slow, calculating smile spread across his face. "Alright," he agreed. "I'm curious to see what's inside that scroll myself. Let's go."
"Really? Great!" Naruto cheered, his worries momentarily forgotten.
"Move quickly and quietly," Hiraoka ordered, leading the way into the night.
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes watched from the shadows of a nearby tree. Mizuki frowned as he saw Hiraoka join Naruto. The Hiraoka boy? A complication. But then, a cruel smile twisted his lips. Perhaps it's for the best. Two birds with one stone. The demon fox and a talented upstart. A tragic accident during a foolish burglary... no one will question it.
The repository where the scroll was kept was heavily guarded. Three Anbu-level sentinels stood motionless at their posts, their presence a silent threat.
"It's time for the rotation," one guard stated, his voice a low rumble.
"Acknowledged. The perimeter is secure," his replacement replied.
From their hiding spot, Hiraoka's eyes, now sharp with the passive enhancement of the Sharingan even without activating it, tracked every movement. "Listen carefully," he whispered to Naruto, his voice barely audible. "They change guards every five minutes. During the rotation, there's a blind spot in the main corridor. We have exactly six seconds to cross it without being seen."
"Six seconds? Got it!" Naruto whispered back, his usual bravado replaced by intense focus.
They waited, the silence stretching taut. Hiraoka watched the guards, his body coiled like a spring.
"Now," he breathed.
The two guards began their precise, synchronized swap. The moment their backs were turned to the corridor, Hiraoka and Naruto moved.
They were a blur of motion, feet barely touching the polished wooden floor. Hiraoka's mind was a silent metronome.
Six... five... four...
They were halfway.
Three... two...
They reached the end of the corridor, slipping into the deep shadows just as the new guard completed his turn.
The guard paused, his head tilting slightly. "Did you hear something?" he murmured, his eyes scanning the empty corridor.
His partner followed his gaze. "It's nothing. Just the old building settling."
In the darkness, pressed against the cold stone wall, Kamikawa Hiraoka and Uzumaki Naruto let out the breaths they'd been holding. The first, most dangerous hurdle was cleared. The Scroll of Seals was now within reach.
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Imagine if Naruto had learned the flying raijin instead.
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