Naruto tore through the valley, sobbing uncontrollably. Stupid! Stupid!
It had been an unmitigated disaster. They were probably all laughing at him. He'd never be a ninja now. His life was over. It was hopeless.
No longer running at full speed, Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes and looked around. His feet had taken him down one of the main paths that radiated outwards from the Hokage monument, and he was currently in front of the ramen shop. He usually stopped by there when he was feeling depressed, but today not even his namesake ramen could cheer him up. He picked up speed and started jogging again. Eventually he picked a tree at random and sat down against it, feeling miserable for himself.
"Hey."
Naruto's head jerked up as a shadow fell over him.
"Mizuki-sensei! What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.
"Iruka was worried about you, so he had me check and make sure you were okay. What happened back there?"
Tears started burning Naruto's eyes and blurring his vision as he remembered the recent incident.
"I DON'T KNOW!" he sobbed, before bawling at the top of his lungs. Mizuki just stood there, waiting.
Eventually, Naruto calmed down enough to get words out. "I don't know," he repeated. "I've never been able to perform any jutsu. Every time, every single time, I fail. I do the signs perfectly, I know it! I watch everybody else, I pay attention in class, so WHY CAN'T I DO THIS?"
"It sounds like you have a congenital chakra defect," Mizuki said. "Tell me: when we perform the meditation exercises to draw out your chakra, do you ever feel anything?"
Naruto shook his head glumly.
"I thought so. Well, normally there is no hope for a ninja who can't perform ninjutsu. However, I know something that could help you. It's very rare, and you would need to keep it a secret, but I should be able to fix your problem."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. This what what he wanted, more than anything else. To be able to perform jutsu, to be a full-fledged ninja in his own right. "How?"
"How much do you know about your parents?"
"Um, not much. They were killed in the Uchiha Lab gas explosion, right?"
Mizuki smiled. "Yes. I've made several expeditions to the abandoned lab, but I can't get very far inside. I suspect it's protected by some sort of seal. Your parents worked there. Since the same blood runs through your veins, you should be able to get us in. If you come with me, I will definitely be able to use the information and tools in the Uchiha Lab to fix your ki center. You'll be a proper ninja, Naruto."
"Really?" Naruto asked hopefully.
Mizuki smiled. "Would I lie to you?"
