The choice was obvious.
The "Path of Order" was safe, but safe didn't level you up quickly. Safe didn't give you the strongest grinding tool in the ninja world.
I chose [Option A] in my mind.
[PATH CHOSEN: CHAOS]
[OBJECTIVE: RETRIEVE THE SCROLL OF SEALS]
I looked up at Mizuki and let a slow, sharp grin spread across my face.
"I don't want to be just a Genin," I said, my voice steady. "I want to be a legend."
Mizuki's eyes lit up with triumph. "Good. Tonight, after the changing of the guard. The Hokage's residence. You know what to do."
"I won't let you down, Mizuki-sensei." I saluted.
He patted my shoulder and walked away, practically skipping with glee.
As soon as he rounded the corner, my smile vanished.
"Dunderhead ass ninja," I muttered.
I didn't go home to prep.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: DASH]
WHOOSH.
I vanished from the academy grounds, blurring through the village streets. I headed towards the Hokage Tower, but I didn't head for the front door. I scaled the side wall, channeling chakra to my feet to sprint vertically, until I reached Hiruzen's private office.
I tapped on the glass.
Hiruzen was doing paperwork. He looked up, surprised, and opened the window.
"Naruto? What is the meaning of this?"
I hopped inside, landing silently on the wooden floor.
"Yea, there's a problem," I said, cutting straight to the chase. "Mizuki told me to steal the Scroll of Seals for a 'secret graduation test.' Said if I brought it to the shack in the woods, I'd become a legend."
Hiruzen's face darkened instantly.
He reached for his pipe, his eyes narrowing. "So he intends to frame you and steal the village's secrets."
"Most likely," I said calmly. "So, you gonna let your ANBU handle it? Or do you want to catch him red-handed holding the goods?"
Hiruzen looked at me, surprised by my tactical awareness. He took a long drag of his pipe.
"If we arrest him now, it'll be his word against yours," Hiruzen mused. "But if he's caught accepting the stolen scroll..."
He looked me in the eye. "Play along, Naruto. Take the scroll and go to the meeting point. I will have ANBU shadow you. When Mizuki reveals himself, we will apprehend him."
I nodded. "Ight, cool."
[NOTICE: LOOPHOLE DETECTED]: Although permission was granted, the act of removing the artifact counts as "theft" for the quest parameters.
Hmm, so even if I find ways to get around some system objectives, the system will just adapt around them, I mused as a smirk stretched across my face. Interesting.
The Woods - 10 PM
The heist was embarrassingly easy. I grabbed the massive green scroll and bolted.
I reached the clearing near the old shack ten minutes ahead of schedule. The moon was high and full.
[QUEST COMPLETE: THE PATH OF CHAOS]
[REWARDS]:
Shadow Clone Jutsu (Active Skill).
[LEARN NOW?]: Y/N
Shadow Clones?! Hell yea!
"Yes."
The information quickly flooded into my system.
[SKILL LEARNED: SHADOW CLONE JUTSU]:
Rank: B
Effect: Create Physical Duplicates of Self.
Cost: 20 CP Per Clone Summoned.
"Nice," I whispered, setting the heavy scroll down. "Now show me the money."
I unrolled it. The first technique was staring right at me.
[FORBIDDEN JUTSU DETECTED: MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU]
[NOTICE: SKILL UPGRADE AVAILABLE (SHADOW CLONE → MULTI-SHADOW CLONE)]
[UPGRADE & LEARN NOW?]: Y/N
"Give it to me!"
The knowledge slammed into my brain. It wasn't just hand signs; it was the feeling of splitting myself into a hundred pieces and holding them together with sheer will. My high [INT] and [WIS] stats absorbed the information instantly and efficiently.
[SKILL LEARNED: MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU]
Rank: A
Effect: Creates Solid Replicas Of The User That Split Chakra Evenly. Experiences Return To The User Upon Dispersal.
Cost: 50 CP Per 3 Clones Summoned.
"System, scan the ones that'll benefit me the most."
[SCANNING...]
Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu (Incomplete Data - Requires Higher INT)
Four Symbols Seal Jutsu (Incomplete Data - Requires Higher INT)
Bringer of Darkness Jutsu (Incomplete Data - Requires Higher INT)
Flying Thunder God Jutsu (Incomplete Data - Requires Higher INT)
Impure World Reincarnation (Incomplete Data - Requires Higher INT)
"Incomplete data?! What's the point of showing it to me if I can't have it?!" I questioned. "Can you save them for me for later, at least? And notify me when I'm at the required [INT] amount to learn them."
[INITIALIZING…]
[REQUEST GRANTED]
I nodded and rolled the scroll back up just as a twig snapped.
I stood up, adjusting the scroll on my back.
Mizuki landed in the clearing. He had two giant shuriken strapped to his back and a look of manic glee on his face.
"Naruto! You did it!" he called out. "Now, hand it over!"
I stood still, looking at him. "So, I'm a legend now, right?"
Mizuki laughed. It was a cold, ugly sound.
"Oh, you're a legend alright. A legendary corpse," he said as he reached for his shuriken. "Now, Die!"
[SYSTEM ALERT!: BOSS BATTLE INITIATED!]
[BOSS: MIZUKI (TRAITOROUS CHUNIN)]:
Conditions:
Win battle.
Opponents Strength & Speed Increased.
Bonus Conditions:
Win with more than 40% HP.
Kill the Enemy.
[SYSTEM TIP]: Bonus Conditions Are Completely Optional.
Mizuki threw the first giant shuriken. It flew through the air like a buzzsaw.
I quickly drew the [Alpha's Twin Fangs].
CLANG!
Sparks flew as I parried the massive weapon. The impact shuddered through my arms. My Strength was high, but Mizuki was a Chunin—and he was buffed. I slid back a few inches, digging my heels into the dirt.
"Blocked it?" Mizuki sneered, his eyes widening slightly. "You've got some strength, Demon. But you're slow!"
He used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing on my right flank instantly, a kunai slashing toward my ribs.
I twisted my body, barely dodging the blade. It sliced through the fabric of my jacket, grazing my skin.
[-3% HP]
I countered with a slash of my silver dagger, aiming for his wrist. Mizuki batted it away with impressive force and followed up with a spinning kick to my chest.
I crossed my arms to block.
THUD.
[-15% HP]
The kick sent me skidding back ten feet. My forearms burned. But I was able to relocate behind a tree.
"Is that it?" Mizuki laughed, spinning a second giant shuriken on his finger. "All that talk about legends, and you're just a punching bag!"
He threw the second shuriken. Then, he performed hand signs.
"Earth Style: Stone Shrapnel!"
The giant shuriken flew high, while the ground exploded into razor-sharp rocks. Both heading in my direction.
Not bad. He's actually kinda boxing, I realized. But the fool allowed me to gain a great tool. I might as well put it to use.
I crossed my fingers and my chakra flowed effortlessly. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF.
A perfect copy of me appeared instantly, jumping to the left. Mizuki's eyes tracked the movement. He grinned, guiding the shuriken toward the clone.
The shuriken bisected the clone. Mizuki laughed in triumph—until the clone exploded into smoke.
"What?!" Mizuki gasped. "You learned that jutsu?! In seconds?!"
While he was staring at the smoke, the real me was already moving through the dust of his Stone Shrapnel.
"You talk too much."
[SKILL ACTIVATED: DASH]
I exploded forward.
The world blurred. Mizuki was still processing the deception as I vanished from his field of vision. I ducked under the returning shuriken and bypassed his stone trap entirely.
I was inside his guard before his brain could process the deception.
"What—?!" Mizuki gasped, stumbling back.
He drew a kunai, slashing wildly in a panic. "Die, you monster!"
I ducked the desperate swing and switched weapons. The silver daggers vanished, replaced by the white, jagged bone of the [Rat King's Fang].
I sidestepped his slash and drove the bone dagger deep into his thigh.
[EFFECT TRIGGERED: PARALYSIS]
Mizuki's leg seized up instantly. The poison flooded his system. He tried to step back, but his muscles refused to obey. He crumbled to one knee, screaming. "My leg! I can't move! What did you do?!"
I stood over him, my expression cold.
"Game over."
I didn't hesitate. I spun behind him and drove the dagger straight into the side of his neck.
[CRITICAL HIT!]
Mizuki gurgled, shock filling his eyes. He slumped forward, dead before he hit the ground.
[BOSS DEFEATED]:
Conditions 1 & 2: Complete.
Bonus Conditions 1 & 2: Complete.
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[NEW LEVEL: 56]
[RYO EARNED]:
(82% HP x 50 ryo) x 3.5 Rank Bonus = +14,350 bonus ryo
Total Ryo Accumulated: 494,350 ryo
[NEW SKILL OBTAINED: BLOODLUST (ACTIVE SKILL)]:
Effect: Emit an intimidating aura to debuff enemy stats by 25%.
Notice: Fear effect will activate for lower ranked enemies, however higher ranked enemies will brush off fear effect and gain a caution effect instead.
Cost: 100 CP Per Activation.
[SHADOW MONARCH QUEST UPDATED]:
Human Enemies Defeated: 1/10
Tremendous, I grinned.
"Naruto!"
Iruka burst into the clearing, followed by two ANBUs. Hiruzen appeared a second later with a body flicker.
They saw the body. They saw the blood on my hands. They saw me standing calmly by the Forbidden Scroll.
"You guys are late," I said indifferently. I knelt down and casually wiped the blood off the [Rat King's Fang] onto Mizuki's flak jacket before making it vanish into my inventory.
Iruka looked physically sick. All the color drained from his face as his eyes darted between the mutilated corpse of his former colleague and my completely bored expression. The two ANBU immediately tensed, their hands instinctively drifting to the hilts of their swords. They didn't see a kid; they saw a possible threat.
Hiruzen stepped forward, looking at the corpse. "The plan was to apprehend him, Naruto."
"He didn't want to wait," I shrugged. "Things change, you know how it goes."
And I recall him saying his ANBU would tail me too, but I ain't sense them, I thought. What was this, a test?
Hiruzen stared at my blank expression, his eyes searching for any sign of shock, trauma, or hesitation. He found none. He sighed heavily, suddenly looking every bit of his advanced age.
"Self-defense is justified against a traitor. ANBU, clean this up. Naruto, go home. We will speak of your team placement tomorrow."
"Sure thing," I nodded. "See ya."
I turned and walked away into the forest darkness, leaving the politics to the grown folk.
The Next Morning - Ninja Academy
I sat in the classroom, ignoring the buzz of the other graduates.
System, open status, I commanded mentally.
I had gained three levels from the Mizuki fight, bringing me to Level 56. With the bonus SP from my Daily Quests I saved up over the last two weeks, I had a decent pool of points to spend.
Allocate all available points, I commanded. Bring STR, CON, DEX, INT, WIS, and CHA to equal values.
[ALLOCATING POINTS...]
[STATS BALANCED]
I flexed my hand. I didn't feel a sudden rush of power this time; instead, I felt... calibrated. My mind moved as fast as my body. My chakra felt as dense as my muscles. I was a perfectly tuned engine.
Iruka walked in, holding the clipboard that would decide our fates. The room went silent.
"Congratulations to everyone," Iruka said, looking around. His eyes lingered on me for a second longer than usual, a mix of pride and lingering horror from last night in his gaze. "You are now full-fledged ninja. Today, we'll begin assigning you to three-man squads."
I leaned back, hands behind my head. Let's get this show on the road.
Iruka rattled off the names of the cannon fodder teams. Then, he got to the main event.
"Team 7," Iruka announced. "Naruto Uzumaki."
I showed no visible reaction: I didn't cheer. I didn't jump on the desk. I just stared forward.
The class shifted uncomfortably. They were expecting noise. They were expecting the "Dead-Last" to make a scene.
"Sakura Haruno."
Sakura paused and looked at me, bracing herself for my usual obnoxious cheering. When I just sat there, staring blankly ahead with zero reaction, her brow furrowed in deep confusion. The lack of attention was actually throwing her off.
"Are you sick or something?" she blurted out, unable to handle the unnatural silence. "You haven't said a single word all morning. It's creeping me out."
I barely looked at her.
"Nah," I said evenly. "There's just nothing to cheer about."
Iruka cleared his throat. "And... Sasuke Uchiha."
Sakura's focus had shifted. "Oh, yeah! I'm with Sasuke's team!" she cheered, throwing her hands in the air.
Ino groaned loudly, slamming her head onto the desk. "Why does forehead girl get all the luck?!"
Sasuke didn't react, other than a slight tch sound. He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing. He knew that if he was the top rookie and I was the "dead-last," the team was balanced to drag him down. But after the sparring match with Daiki, along with how I'd been acting for the past week, he probably wasn't sure what to think anymore.
"Team 8," Iruka continued. "Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame."
"Team 10. Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka."
"That concludes the assignments," Iruka said, closing the folder. "Your Jonin sensei will pick you up shortly."
One by one, the Jonin arrived. Asuma took Team 10. Kurenai took Team 8. The room emptied out until only Team 7 remained.
And we waited.
An hour passed. Then two.
Sasuke sat with his arms tightly crossed over his chest, glaring at the front of the room. He wasn't fidgeting, but the rigid set of his shoulders and his clenched jaw screamed impatience.
Sakura was leaning out the open doorway, looking up and down the empty hallway before groaning and pacing back to her desk.
"He's late," Sasuke muttered, his eyes narrowing into a dark scowl.
"I know, right?!" Sakura instantly agreed, eager to take his side. "All the other teams have already met their Jonin and left. Why are we the only ones stuck waiting?!"
"He's not late," I said, standing up and stretching my arms over my head. "He's just messing with us."
Suddenly, a notification chime rang in my ear, loud and demanding.
[NOTICE: LEVEL VARIANCE DETECTED (50+)]
[DAILY QUEST UPDATED: NEW STANDARD]:
200 Push-ups
200 Sit-ups
200 Squats
20km Run
[REWARDS]:
High-Grade Loot Box
+5 SP
+ 5,000 Ryo.
[BONUS QUEST: LIMIT BREAKER]:Double The Standard.
I stared at the screen. Double the standard? That pushes my reps to 400 right?
I looked at the clock. I looked at Sasuke and Sakura, who were busy stewing in their own annoyance.
Then I stood up.
"Where are you going?" Sakura snapped as I walked toward the door. "Sensei could be here any minute!"
"He hasn't been here in two hours, he's probably not gonna be here in two minutes," I said, sliding the door open. "I'm gonna stretch my legs a bit. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."
I walked out into the hallway, leaving them behind.
I had a quest to grind.