Chapter 3 Naruto's ChangeAlthough Mizuki was caught off guard and got covered in mud, his years of experience as a Chunin meant his reaction was quick enough to barely block Naruto's punch.
However, Naruto's attack seemed pre-planned, a barrage of kicks and punches raining down on Mizuki.
"Combo!"
Mizuki's vision was finally obstructed, and he was caught off guard, losing a back tooth to Naruto's kick. He staggered, but Mizuki managed to grab Naruto's ankle.
"No way?" Naruto was shocked, cold sweat instantly pouring down his face. He tried to break free, but his strength was no match for Naruto's.
"Cough, brat, I'm going to kill you. Don't worry, I won't let you die so easily."
Mizuki coughed up blood, his voice hoarse.
His plan was about to succeed perfectly, but unexpectedly, this turned out to be a disaster. He'd been knocked out of a tooth by a brat he'd always looked down on. Mizuki felt his anger reaching its peak. He was determined to teach this brat a lesson later.
"Heh, you should worry about yourself, Mizuki."
But at that moment, Iruka appeared behind Mizuki.
Mizuki felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing that voice. What was happening? Hadn't he already hit Iruka?
He tried to turn around in terror, but Iruka didn't give him a chance, his fists slamming into the back of Mizuki's neck.
Taking advantage of Naruto's trust to steal the Scroll of Seals, and even trying to kill Naruto—it was unforgivable. The blow was so powerful that Mizuki immediately passed out. KO!
"Iruka-sensei, well done!"
Naruto jumped up excitedly, waving his little fists.
Naruto had already witnessed Iruka getting injured protecting him once; how could he let it happen again?
Before stealing the Scroll of Seals, he had secretly left a note for Iruka, explaining everything Mizuki had said, stating that he suspected it was a conspiracy, and warning Iruka to be careful of Mizuki's sneak attacks.
By the time Iruka found the note, Naruto had already left the village with the Scroll of Seals. This led to the scene that unfolded next. As for Iruka being riddled with arrows, that was simply a substitution jutsu.
"Naruto, you're a good boy, and also an excellent ninja. I have something to give you."
Iruka smiled and took out an ornament from his waist—the Konoha ninja headband that Naruto had always dreamed of—and personally placed it on Naruto's head.
"Congratulations, Naruto, you've successfully graduated."
The next day, the graduating genin took their graduation photos.
This time, Naruto didn't act silly. After all, those strange makeup looks were too embarrassing for him now.
Facing the camera, Naruto sat upright, his eyes filled with fighting spirit, and he flashed a sunny, confident smile.
A group of girls, led by Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno, surrounded their teacher, chattering excitedly about the boys' graduation photos.
The most handsome boy in their eyes is definitely Sasuke. Although Sasuke always seems aloof, his image as a "strongman" is deeply ingrained in their minds. His aloofness actually makes him seem very cool to a group of young girls. As for the second place, it's surprisingly Naruto...
Compared to Shikamaru's carefree attitude, Choji's goofiness, Kiba's assertiveness, and Shino's... well, you wouldn't guess it, but Naruto's sunny and confident demeanor in the photo is truly captivating.
"Huh? No way, is that really Naruto?"
"You're kidding, right? When did Naruto, with his signature swerve, become so cool?"
"Naruto-kun, he really does look kind of handsome like this."
The girls gasped and questioned, while simultaneously taking a few more glances at Naruto's photo.
Naruto was standing in an inconspicuous corner, enjoying Sakura's surprised expression, secretly amused.
"Hehehe, it really worked! So girls like sunny and confident guys, hee hee..."
Just as Naruto was thinking about how to greet Sakura, she happened to look over. Seeing Naruto's furtive and sleazy appearance, a stark contrast to his graduation photo, she looked at the photo, then at Naruto, then at the photo again, then at Naruto again.
"What? He hasn't changed at all."
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was very pleased with Naruto's graduation photo. Young Naruto hadn't given up on himself; instead, he had become strong and cheerful. This was a satisfactory outcome for Minato.
"Hmm, it looks pretty good. This is what a ninja should look like."
Naruto hesitated for a moment, then said, "Um, Hokage-sama, there's something I still need to explain."
Now that he was a ninja, Naruto decided to hold himself to the highest ninja standards, so his address to the Third Hokage naturally had to be formal.
The Third Hokage took a drag of his cigarette, gesturing for Naruto to continue.
"That Scroll of Sealing, I've already read it."
"Oh, you mean that? I already know. It's not your fault. Don't let this affect your training."
The Third Hokage was somewhat dismissive. He had already seen what happened using his telescope technique and knew all along that Naruto had secretly read the forbidden book.
Book Club Membership
Naruto: "Um, I also memorized some of the ninjutsu on it."
"Oh, which ones did you memorize?"
The Third Hokage didn't take Naruto's words to heart. Although the Scroll of Seals contained forbidden techniques, Naruto was still Minato's son, someone he wanted to focus on developing. Some things had to be taught to him sooner or later. More importantly, Naruto's aptitude was dull; how many could he possibly remember after just looking at them? However, he was still curious about which ninjutsu Naruto had memorized.
"Um, all of them." Naruto scratched his head somewhat sheepishly.
"What?!"
The Third Hokage was so surprised he almost dropped his pipe, but quickly regained his composure.
"Oh, I see. You may leave. Also, don't tell anyone about this."
"Okay."
"Hahahaha~"
After Naruto left, the Third Hokage finally couldn't hold back anymore, laughing through his tears. He didn't believe a word Naruto had said.
The Book of Seals contains hundreds of forbidden techniques, some of which are extremely complex. Even if he wanted to memorize them all in a short time, it would be very difficult, let alone Naruto who only studied it for half an hour.
Naruto, that kid, actually boasted so much just to show off. That's not a good habit. Looks like he hasn't really grown up yet. But as long as it makes his life easier, these little things don't matter.
Stumbling out of the office, Naruto was filled with confusion.
Wasn't the Scroll of Seals supposed to be important? Why is the Hokage still so indifferent even though he memorized all the contents? Could the ninjutsu in it not be real?
Perhaps because he left so quickly, Naruto didn't encounter Konohamaru who came to cause trouble.
Back home, Naruto couldn't wait to start training, beginning with the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
In just half an hour, Naruto actually mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Dozens of Narutos were crowded into one room, making a lot of noise.
His current strength isn't enough to control the Nine-Tails, so the fastest way to improve is to train in ninjutsu. However, Naruto discovers that while these shadow clones can run and fight, they can't perform delicate tasks like studying or training. The reason is likely due to his insufficient control over chakra.
What method can he use to solve this?
Suddenly, Naruto has a flash of inspiration. The manga *Naruto* reappears in his palm; perhaps the answer lies in the manga.