It was the perfect plan. Rue the demon into stealing the scroll for him, and take it off of him after finally disposing of him. He'd not only be considered a hero by some for putting an end to that menace, but also be rewarded by Orochimaru-sama himself!
With that in mind, Mizuki walked towards Naruto, who seemed to have been lost in thought as he was heading home, approaching him from behind, and startling the hell out of him when he gently kept his hand on his shoulder and called out to him.
"Hello Naruto-kun", he started, smiling. But any trained Ninja could see the scowl that was plainly hidden behind it, and fortunately for him, Naruto was not.
"Mizuki-sensei! You scared me there." Naruto gasped out, clearly unsettled from having been interrupted from his thoughts out of the blue.
"You're an aspiring Ninja, aren't you Naruto-kun? You should be more aware of your surroundings." Truthfully it was better off having him believe the contrary, but for this part of the plan, he was supposed to earn Naruto's trust. While it made him sick to even think of showing any kind of kindness to the demon, deception was necessary here. It was also one of his specialities as a ninja afterall.
He wouldn't have survived doing what he had been doing otherwise.
"I'm sorry sensei, I'll try to next time." Said an embarrassed Naruto, rubbing the back of his head as he usually did when realizing he did something sheepishly like that.
"It's alright. Say Naruto-kun... you wouldn't happen to feel bad about your failure during the Genin Exam today, would you?" Mizuki asked knowingly, 'It's clear to anyone that the demon is seemingly upset about his failure to have acquired the headband for the second time in a row, because of the same jutsu nonetheless.'
"Of course not! I'll just have to wait one more year to show everyone what an awesome ninja the Future Hokage is gonna be!" He exclaimed confidently. The confidence to succeed was always there in him, but this time it was a little different. His eyes had a more stronger, firmer look to them that they had the last time. It made Mizuki frown internally, 'What is this thing I'm feeling...looking at him?'.
Mizuki had ignored it however, he didn't want to believe in something so obviously stupid like that. He was bound to succeed and get the power he desired.
"Maybe you'd actually be qualified to go through the next phase then." Mizuki smiled, just a little more goading, and he'll have Naruto right where he wanted him.
"Next phase? What are you talking about, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked, bewildered. Seriously, what was he talking about? He hadn't heard of anything like that. Failing meant you failed, end of story, right? Despite wishing for the contrary, he knew hoping against hope would only cause him hurt.
But that never stopped him now, did it? He was stronger than that.
"Say Naruto-kun, have you heard about the special test given to those who've been unable to pass the first test?" Mizuki asked him, amusement tickling in his voice at seeing the demon's hopeful gaze at him.
"A special test? Does that mean that there's a chance that I can still pass, Mizuki-sensei?!" Naruto asked excitedly. He could hardly believe it. Even though he'd never heard about this special test before, it did seem somewhat suspicious, even to him. Why would he approach him about it now, so late at night and not in the Academy itself?
But now that he thought about it, didn't he just promise himself that he'd go through anything to pass? Especially when it meant he'd have to listen to his teachers?
And with that thought in his mind, Naruto made his decision. He'd ace this special test, whatever it was.
Not for the first time did naruto doubted what he was doing was right. But what other choice did he have? There must've been some reason to this 'mission' that mizuki had given him, and he fully intended to find out. If that included him learning a Jutsu that he hadn't learned before, it was a good bonus, as far as he was concerned.
Making his way through the canopy of trees in the highest speed he could muster up, Naruto made his way to the spot that Mizuki had designated him to go to. Landing on the ground with barely a sound, something that only he his age could do, despite not knowing about that little fact, clad in his black shorts and orange T-shirt with a large scroll that had 'Forbidden' imprinted on it tightened around his back, he looked around to see a somewhat large clearing infront of a small wooden house.
This was where the second phase of the test started. Not only was he to steal the scroll from the library, but he was also required to learn atleast one jutsu from it, to compensate his inability to do the Bunshin no jutsu. Naruto could see why this was labeled as a Special test, for it was much more practical and 'ninja-like' than the original genin test. Even though others would've found this test much more difficult than the original, there was no doubt about its suitability to naruto's much more… practical way of learning.
Setting the scroll on the ground, still aflamed with the determination he'd gathered prior to this event, Naruto opened the scroll fully intent on learning whatever he could.
The first Jutsu he saw was a variant of the technique he was the worst at. 'That doesn't matter, I have to do this!' Naruto though, already intending to just try out the justu by aligning his two of his fingers from each hand in a 'cross', not even bothering to read the description and text that accompanied the Jutu's handseal, he remembered something important. Something he should'nt have ever forgotten, especially now.
Wasn't he supposed to take stuff a little more seriously now? Not too seriously, obviously. That way it wouldn't be fun. But the way he was before...not thinking about what he was doing as much as he should've, not knowing as much as he should've even though he could, there was a better way to do this. One that'd make his dream all the more achievable by making this somewhat easier and more effective for him.
In his brashness he'd forgotten to read the description like he should've. What if it had carried some more information that he may have not known and one that could prove to be very much useful for him? 'There had to be a reason for all that text to be there right?' he thought, and felt a little ashamed of it. He'd just promised to do things in a different way, and yet he was a second away from acting like a child again.
What kind of a Hokage would he be, if were so prone to not knowing as much as he could about what he does. Besides, despite not being the strategical type of person, Naruto was a very good person at thinking on the fly. Which meant that his brain actually operated at quite high speed when he really wanted to. So reading through the description was done quickly enough.
By the time was over, three hours had passed, and it was just about an hour away from sunset. It was a good thing the days were shorter because of the winter, as it meant he'd have more time to finish his 'special test', for Mizuki had said that he would come back to evaluate him and his performance any minute now, id est, an hour or so before sunrise.
Boy was his sensei going to be surprised. He thought with a happy smirk. He was definitely going to ace this test, Dattebayo!
Mizuki wouldn't know what hit him. Literally. Now he just had to fit in a little more practice while waiting for him.
He wanted to practice as much as he could, afterall. Especially something as important as this. He wouldn't fail.
Reaching the clearing he'd told Naruto to come in after 'obtaining' the scroll from the Hokage's building, Mizuki could barely hold the excitement for his plan finally clicking into place. 'Just a few more steps to go!' he thought, wickedly, already dreaming of leaving the wretched village and almost feeling the taste of the power that'll be granted to him.
Looking around for the blond boy, he found him leaning on a tree just next to the small hut that accompanied them in the clearing. He looked pretty tired, panting and leaning on the tree with his right arm for support. Maybe he'd actually been able to learn something from the scroll, despite it being implausible. No matter. It's not like it mattered anyway. He was going to rid of him in a few minutes afterall.
Making his presence known to Naruto, by putting an end to his stealthy walk towards him, he called out to the blond not knowing that his presence was already known to the aspiring Ninja.
"Hey Naruto! looks like you passed with flying colours, afterall. Well done." Mizuki said, smirking darkly while walking toward Naruto in a slow pace, one of his hands already moving to take out a Kunai. Naruto seemed exhausted, and because of his ignorance to Mizuki's plan, right now was the perfect time to take him down. The Anbu would surely be on his way now. Despite making it a little easier for Naruto to get into the Hokage's mansion and out, they were bound to find out what had happened. He'd give credit to the demon for sneaking in and stealing the scroll perfectly though, and with the noticeable damage to the clearing in the for of various burn marks here and there, he may have managed to learn some sort of Jutsu too, from the scroll as he'd been instructed to.
It was a shame that the Demon that he wouldn't live to see the fruits of his efforts though. Though Mizuki doubted a demon was deserving of any such sympathy for it was and what it had done.
"Of course I did Mizuki Sensei! ...but wasn't I supposed to show you the Jutsu I learned first?" Naruto asked suspiciously, for some reason utterly unknown to him, he was having a very, very bad feeling about this.
"I'm sorry Naruto-kun... but the Anbu are going to be here any minute, so I'll take my leave now, with your life!" Mizuki screamed out vehemently, slashing the kunai toward the small blond in a horizontal intended to cut off his neck.
...It was interrupted, however, by a Kunai that was blocked by the very target it was aimed for. Naruto held on and pushed back the Kunai with all his might until they were at a standstill, Naruto's shocked gaze looking straight at Mizuki's hateful gaze. And from this distance, being exposed to this much hatred when he was unable to see it prior to this very moment, was almost too much to bear for Naruto.
But He couldn't give up now. Not now, not ever. He had a dream to fulfill, and godamnit he will!
"So you're one of them too, huh? You hate me too." Naruto said, bitterly, tinged with sadness. 'So all that kindness was an act, afterall. I should've known.' He thought sadly.
"You're stupid enough to still ask me that, Demon?" He asked, laughing all the while. "It doesn't matter anyhow. I don't have any time to waste with you." He said, quickly gripping Naruto's unprotected neck, and lifting the little blond with his strength. 'All that's needed now is a little twist, and it's over for him' He thought with a smirk on his face, saying "It's time for you to die now, little fox." And just as he was about to put the necessary pressure to do the deed, Naruto smirked as well. This brought a frown on Mizuki's face.
"I don't think so, Sensei." Came a voice from behind him, as another identical blond walked away from a tree.
'Impossible! I didn't even sense him, why?!' Mizuki screamed in his mind, shocked out of his very wits. he had been outsmarted by a mere Academy student. 'He's going to pay for this!' he thought in absolute rage. From the outside though, he forced himself to calm down. "That's a neat trick there, but do you really think just this would save you?" Mizuki asked, calming down with every word. 'He just fooled me once, now. That doesn't change the fact that I'm still a Chunin and he a mere academy student.' He thought with confidence. "Your end is written here, in this clearing anyway, by me." Mizuki said, with a grin.
Naruto matched it with his own. And it was extremely more effective.
"You're wrong. This is where my story begins, Mizuki-sensei." Naruto said, with a look that made every nerve in Mizuki's body instinctively tell him to run to the other side of the Earth.
"- And where yours ends." The clone Naruto finished, with the same expression as the original. He pulled onto the hand that was grabbing it's neck and said the last words Mizuki would ever hear. "Bunshin Daibakuha." For the millisecond it took for the Jutsu to take the effect, Mizuki's eyes grew till they could grow no more, for it was perhaps the biggest, and most probably last shock he'd have in his life.
Despite not getting much practice with this particular Jutsu, Naruto aimed for the biggest explosion he could handle. He couldn't afford to pull any stops, afterall. And the result was absolutely devastating. The tree surrounding the pair were blown away with the force of the explosion and wind was sent hurtling out at startling speeds, after the resulting shockwave from the blast.
The Bunshin Daibakuha, another variant of the clone jutsu. A jutsu where the Kage Bunshin wouldhave the ability to be deployed into the target's territory and explode, resulting in an effectively devastating explosion. What an incredible jutsu, it was.
As he turned back to cover himself from the explosion, and the blood that would undoubtedly accompany it, Naruto thought about how lucky he was to get out of that alive. The clone was meant to be there as a a demonstration to his newfound mastery of the Kage Bunshin. It was an attempt at showing off his new skills to guarantee his pass.
To think an attempt at showing off saved his life. He was incredibly fortunate.
Even then, that doesn't mean all of this was an entire fluke. If it weren't for his skills at hiding and playing out an act, as he had numerous experiences of, being the resident prankmaster afterall, and also having the two Jutsu to have completed the task, all of this would've been impossible.
No doubt that the entire weight of the situation would come into mind in a bit, but Naruto basked on his accomplishment for the little while he knew he could. His consciousness started giving away, though, just as he felt several four dark figures surround him, wearing masks, he barely noticed.
It had a long night, for him. It was the time to sleep. Naruto fell to the ground, and closed his eyes. And smiled a small smile, 'It's done. I passed." And with that last coherent thought, he let darkness overcome him, just as the sun started to rise.
'A long night, indeed.' Thought an old man too, watching the events play out through a peculiar crystal ball. "I think you're ready now, Naruto-kun. You've done well..." He smiled under a hat with a symbol for 'Fire' imprinted at the front.
The coming days promised to be interesting, that was for sure.