On the other side, Naruto, forever energetic like a little monkey, quickly ran back to the apartment building.
It was an older apartment building located in Konoha's civilian district. Though not luxurious, it was clean and tidy, and the rent was cheap.
Naruto fished his keys from his pocket, humming as he climbed the stairs.
Key in the lock, turn.
Click.
The door opened.
Naruto was about to step inside when he sensed something and whirled around.
On the railing behind him, a figure had appeared without a sound.
The person crouched on the railing, posture as light as a cat. Moonlight shone from behind, casting his face in shadow, but Naruto still recognized the greenish medium-length hair and teacher's uniform at a glance.
"Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Mizuki jumped down from the railing, landing silently.
A gentle smile was on his face… the 'good teacher' smile Naruto was used to seeing at school.
"I came to see you, Naruto," Mizuki walked up to Naruto, his voice lowered as if sharing a secret. "I have something important to tell you."
"Something important?" Naruto was even more puzzled.
Mizuki nodded, his expression turning serious. "Every year's top graduates participate in an additional exam. Those who pass receive special rewards, and might even be directly recommended to powerful Jonin Instructor."
"Top graduate... additional exam..."
Naruto's eyes instantly lit up.
These words were like a cat seeing a fish, a dog seeing a bone.
He had always craved recognition, longed to prove himself.
"I... I'm a top graduate too?" Naruto asked, hardly daring to believe it.
"Of course," Mizuki's smile grew warmer. "Your graduation exam results were quite good, and your application of the Three Basic Techniques is already at a high level. So, you qualify for this exam."
Naruto's breathing quickened.
He suddenly thought of something and asked eagerly, "Then... what about Menma-nii? Did he take it too?"
The smile on Mizuki's face didn't waver in the slightest. "Everyone's exam content and timing are different. Iruka-sensei was assigned to notify Menma about his exam."
The lie was clever, and combined with Mizuki's 'teacher' identity, Naruto fell for it.
He thought Menma had also received a similar exam notification, just that the content was different and handled by a different teacher.
"Then I'll take it too!" Naruto shouted without hesitation, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Mizuki's smile deepened.
He pulled out a scroll from his robe and handed it to Naruto. "This is your exam mission. Read it carefully, memorize the contents, then destroy it."
Naruto took the scroll, opening it eagerly.
The scroll wasn't large. It had a simple sketch of Konoha Village with several key locations marked.
Most prominent was the position of the Hokage Building.
Next to it, text noted: [Mission Objective: Hokage Building, Third Floor, Confidential Archives Room. Mission Item: Scroll of Seals. Mission Requirement: Bring the Scroll of Seals to the designated location east of Training Ground Seven, east side of the village, before midnight.]
Below was a line of smaller text: [During the exam, Anbu will act as 'pursuers'. If caught, the exam fails. Please utilize all Ninjutsu and tactics you have learned to complete the mission.]
After reading the scroll, Naruto trembled with excitement.
'Infiltrating the Hokage Building!'
'Stealing the Scroll of Seals!'
'Evading Anbu pursuit!'
'It sounded like a legendary mission from a Ninja Story!'
"Mizuki-sensei!" Naruto looked up, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit like fire. "I'll definitely complete the mission!"
Mizuki patted his shoulder, his voice filled with encouragement. "I believe in you, Naruto. Remember, the exam starts the moment you leave your home. The Anbu 'pursuers' could appear anywhere. Be careful."
"Yes!" Naruto nodded vigorously.
Mizuki gave a few more instructions, then vanished into the night with a flicker.
Naruto stood there, clutching the scroll tightly, his heart pounding.
He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
Then he quickly returned to his room, memorized the scroll's contents several times over, confirmed every detail was etched in his mind, then went to the kitchen and burned the scroll to ashes over the stove flame.
After doing this, Naruto checked the kunai, shuriken, and smoke bombs in his ninja tool pouch.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror. His still somewhat childish face was now filled with determination and excitement.
"Just you wait, Menma-nii... Once I pass this exam, I'll definitely amaze you!"
...
Midnight. Konoha Village was enveloped in a sleep-like silence.
The Hokage Building, as the village's administrative center, had Anbu on rotating guard duty even at night.
But tonight seemed unusual.
"Hey... is that..."
On the third-floor corridor of the building, an Anbu wearing a dog mask suddenly halted, staring suspiciously ahead.
At the end of the corridor, a spiky-haired blond boy was walking boldly, holding a crumpled piece of paper, looking around while muttering to himself:
"Huh? Where's the Confidential Archives Room again... the map said it's this way..."
The Anbu froze.
'Uzumaki Naruto?'
'The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki?'
'What was he doing here in the middle of the night?'
'And by the looks of it... he seemed to be looking for something?'
A strong sense of unease rose in the Anbu's heart. He immediately signaled, alerting his hidden companions.
Soon, two more Anbu appeared silently beside him.
"Situation?" One asked in a low voice.
"Uzumaki Naruto. Not sure what he's looking for," The dog-masked Anbu replied, his voice confused. "Should we stop him?"
The three exchanged glances, hesitation evident in each other's eyes.
Naruto's identity was too special… Fourth Hokage's son, Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Without direct orders from the Hokage, none of them dared intercept him rashly.
In the few seconds they hesitated, Naruto had already reached the middle of the corridor.
He stopped before a heavy wooden door with a sign: [Confidential Archives Room. Entry Forbidden Without Authorization].
"Found it!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.
The Anbu's expressions changed drastically.
"No! We have to stop him!"
The dog-masked Anbu was about to rush out but was held back by a companion.
"Wait!" Another Anbu said gravely. "Haven't you noticed? His Chakra fluctuations... are steady. No abnormalities, no signs of the Nine-Tails going berserk. This doesn't seem malicious, more like..."
"Like he's on a mission," The third Anbu finished the thought, his brow furrowed beneath the mask.
'On a mission?'
'Who would assign a mission to a freshly graduated Genin to infiltrate the Hokage Building and steal confidential documents?'
Just then, Naruto pushed open the door and entered the archives room.
"Damn it!"
The dog-masked Anbu could wait no longer. In a flash, he appeared at the archives room door.
But when he pushed the door open, the room was empty.
Only a cabinet against the wall stood open, its contents gone.
The Scroll of Seals... was missing.
"Report to Hokage-sama immediately!" The dog-masked Anbu's voice trembled slightly with shock. "Uzumaki Naruto has stolen the Scroll of Seals!"
…
Outside the Hokage Building, in the shadows.
Mizuki hid among the branches of a large tree, observing the commotion inside the building from a distance.
He saw the Anbu's agitation, saw someone hurrying off to report to the Third Hokage, saw more Anbu being alerted and starting to search the village.
Everything was proceeding according to his plan.
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Mizuki's mouth.
'That kid Naruto was so easy to fool.'
"Top graduate additional exam," "Anbu acting as pursuers"...
All are lies he concocted.
The real goal was to use Naruto's special status as the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki to stir up Konoha's internal defense forces, buying time and creating an opportunity for his own defection.
After all, he was just a Chunin teacher with no legitimate reason to leave the village. He'd probably be caught and brought back the moment he passed the village's barrier.
But if he took advantage of the chaos when the village was thrown into disarray over the 'Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki stealing the Scroll of Seals, suspected defection'...
Mizuki glanced down at the bulging scroll pouch in his arms.
Inside were important intel he'd stolen from other confidential rooms in the Hokage Building… about Konoha's defense deployments, Ninja Roster, even detailed intel on the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
These things were enough for him to trade for generous rewards and a high status in any Ninja Village or organization.
'If that bastard Rokusho Aoi could become a Jonin in Amegakure...'
A flash of greed and ambition shone in Mizuki's eyes.
"...then I, Mizuki, definitely can too!"
He recalled the scene a few months ago when that defector Aoi had somehow contacted him through the secret channel Orochimaru had left behind.
The other party had offered tempting terms: provide Konoha's intel, especially about the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, in exchange for money, Ninjutsu, even status in Amegakure.
Mizuki had hesitated back then.
Defection meant betraying the village, becoming a Missing-Nin hunted by all.
But considering this guy had somehow gotten hold of his single-line contact with Orochimaru, it meant Orochimaru had already traded him, this pawn, to Amegakure. If he didn't do as told...
Especially after seeing Aoi transform from an ordinary Chunin into a Jonin of Amegakure, wielding the [Sword of Thunder God] and special ninja tools, the scales in Mizuki's heart tipped completely.
Why?
Why could those mediocre guys, just because they were born into Ninja Clans, get the best resources and guidance?
Why could a talented, capable Ninja like himself only be an ordinary Chunin teacher, facing those useless brats every day?
He wasn't willing.
He wanted to prove himself.
And tonight was the opportunity.
Mizuki took one last look at the chaotic Hokage Building and turned to leave.
He would seize the opening while the Anbu were distracted by Naruto to leave Konoha Village from another direction!
...
Sarutobi Clan's compound, Clan Head's Residence.
Late at night, Hiruzen was long asleep.
Suddenly—
"Hokage-sama! Emergency situation!"
An Anbu appeared in the courtyard, kneeling on one knee, his voice carrying unprecedented urgency and panic.
Hiruzen awoke almost instantly. Years of Ninja instinct had him sitting up from his bed immediately, his voice stern. "What happened?!"
"Report, Hokage-sama! Uzumaki Naruto... Uzumaki Naruto infiltrated the Hokage Building and stole the Scroll of Seals! He is currently fleeing toward the village outskirts! Suspected... suspected defection!"
"What?!!" Hiruzen yanked open the sliding door to his bedroom, not even bothering with a robe, still in his sleepwear, his face filled with shock and disbelief! "That's impossible! Mobilize all on-duty Anbu immediately! Bring Naruto back to me at all costs! Remember! Do not harm a hair on his head! Hurry!"
He absolutely refused to believe that pure-hearted, enthusiastic child who dreamed of becoming Hokage would defect!
There must be some conspiracy or misunderstanding behind this!
He had to stop the situation from worsening immediately!
"Yes!" The Anbu accepted the order and vanished in a flicker.
Soon, the entire Konoha's Anbu system was alerted!
Shadowy figures shot out from various hidden bases like a spreading net, heading in the direction Naruto had fled.
Iruka, who had just finished the graduation exams and was preparing to rest, was also startled by the sudden emergency summons. When he learned it was Naruto stealing the Scroll of Seals and 'defecting', he was terrified out of his wits. He rushed out of his home without a second thought, joining the search.
…
Meanwhile, Mizuki, following his own plan, arrived at the forest near Training Ground 3 on the village's west side.
Just a bit further, and he'd see the village wall. Cross that wall, and the sky would be the limit!
Suddenly, as he leaped past a massive ancient tree, his peripheral vision caught sight of a familiar figure sitting on the grass between tree roots not far below, leaning against the trunk, holding an enormous scroll, reading it carefully by moonlight.
The scroll was over a meter tall, its cover bearing three large words:
'Scroll of Seals!'
'Uzumaki Naruto.'
Mizuki's pupils constricted sharply.
In the mission instructions he gave Naruto, he had clearly marked a different location… Training Ground 7 on the east side of the village.
'This kid... why was he here?'
'Had he gotten lost?'
Mizuki's heart raced.
He looked around. The forest was quiet, only the sound of insects and wind, no other noises.
No signs of Anbu either.
It seemed the Anbu pursuing Naruto had all gone in the wrong direction.
A bold idea began to grow wildly in Mizuki's mind.
The Akatsuki's orders, passed to him through Aoi, were to gather intel on the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
If he brought that intel to the Land of Rain, he'd get a decent reward.
But what if...
What if he not only brought the intel but also brought the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki himself?
Mizuki's breathing grew ragged.
He could almost see himself gaining immense power and lofty status in Amegakure, revered by countless people.
Those who had looked down on him, those who had suppressed him… they would all grovel at his feet!
Greed completely overwhelmed reason.
Mizuki landed silently from the tree, slowly approaching Naruto.
In his hand, he already held several specially-made kunai coated with a potent paralyzing toxin he had spent a fortune to acquire. A single scratch could incapacitate a Jonin for several seconds… enough time to decide the outcome of a battle between Ninja.
One step.
Two steps.
Three...
"Huh? Mizuki-sensei?"
Naruto suddenly looked up, puzzled to see Mizuki emerging from the shadows.
He closed the Scroll of Seals, a confused expression on his face. "Is the exam... over already? But I think I got lost. I haven't delivered the Scroll of Seals to the designated spot yet..."
The gentle, 'good teacher' smile returned to Mizuki's face.
But this time, deep within the smile was a cold killing intent.
"Naruto," Mizuki's voice remained gentle, even carrying a hint of concern. "You've done very well. However... the exam content has undergone some last-minute changes."
"Changes?" Naruto tilted his head, completely unaware of the danger.
"That's right." Mizuki slowly drew closer, the kunai in his hand reflecting a faint blue light under the moonlight. "The new exam content is..."
He paused, his smile turning eerie:
"...can you survive against me?"