Namiko and Naruto sneak through the village, making good time towards the Hokage Tower. "Is stealing the Scrolls okay?" asks Namiko, nervously. She is very worried that they will get into deep trouble.
"Stealing is always wrong, Namiko," says Naruto, frowning. "So we need to make sure we don't get caught. We should make fake scrolls and check that Iruka-nii is not in the Hokage Tower, or we'll be caught, 'tebayo."
"But where are we going to get fake scrolls from?" asks Namiko sceptically.
"We will make them, of course," says Naruto, pulling out two scrolls from somewhere. One is the same shade of red as Joe's Scroll, and the other is the same shade of green as Dave's Scroll. "These scrolls are about the same size as the Sacred Scrolls." He hands them to Namiko and pulls out some quick-drying paints. He takes back the green scroll and paints the Uchiha and Senju symbols on either end of the dowel. He hands the scroll back to Namiko and takes the red one. Then he paints the visible parts of the red scroll's dowel grey, so that it looks metal on first glance. "That'll work," Naruto says. "We just need to keep them off our tails for a while, 'tebayo. Now to check if Iruka-nii is at the Hokage tower."
"What does my Dad have to do with it?" Namiko asks, frowning. Her Dad seems rather weak and teacherly, and too kind to be a problem in their quest.
"When Iruka-nii is mad, he is more terrifying than an angry dragon," says Naruto. "And if he catches us, we'll get in so much trouble, 'tebayo." Naruto shudders.
Namiko frowns. It is impossible for her to imagine her Dad as anything but nice and calm. Why is Naruto scared by the thought of Namiko's Dad being angry?
"Don't drop those scrolls," says Naruto, "and stay close to me." Naruto leads Namiko across the Konoha rooftops towards the Konoha Academy. Namiko has not actually been inside the Academy, and she doesn't know what it is like. When they arrive at the academy, Naruto leads Namiko onto the roof and guides her across it to a spot above a particular classroom window.
Namiko stops at the edge of the roof, unwilling to follow Naruto into the tree he is climbing into. Naruto waves for Namiko to join him. Namiko climbs into the tree cautiously and looks down into the classroom below Naruto and her. In the classroom, a group of eight -year-olds, including Kimiko, are listening to Namiko's Dad talk about something. Namiko leans forward to see the blackboard. The words 'History of the Elemental Nations' are written on the board, above a map of the elemental nations. Namiko cannot hear what her Dad is saying, but after a few seconds, he turns and starts drawing and writing on the map, talking all the while. While Namiko is watching, she sees her Dad glance in her direction out of the corner of his eyes, and smile ever so slightly.
"He knows we're here," Naruto whispers. "He probably thinks you wanted to see him at work, 'tebayo."
"But I did…" whispers Namiko, before trailing off in fear of being heard.
"Iruka-nii is always right, 'tebayo," Naruto whispers. "Now let's go before the class notices us." Naruto climbs back onto the roof, pulling Namiko after him. They run across the roof together, back on their path to the Hokage Tower.
In just a few short minutes they reach the Hokage tower. Naruto climbs up a tree beside the Hokage Tower, gesturing for Namiko to follow him. Namiko climbs up after Naruto, stretching to reach branches that are almost too high for her. Naruto stops to help Namiko when she cannot reach a branch, and soon the two of them are on the ledge that runs around the tower.
"This way, 'tebayo," whispers Naruto, sneaking around to the left.
Growing increasingly nervous that they will get caught, Namiko sneaks after Naruto. This is nothing like pulling a prank in her own village, where she can get away with a lot because her mother is the Mizukage. In this village Namiko is a guest from a foreign village. If they catch her, she'll probably get sent home. Namiko does not want to go home yet. She is having too much fun. Naruto will be fine since he lives here.
Naruto stops suddenly, breaking Namiko out of her thoughts. He flattens himself against the wall, reaching back to push Namiko up against the wall as he does so.
"Did you hear something outside?" says a voice from inside the room they are sneaking past.
"Probably just an ANBU heading up to make a report," replies another voice. "Let's go for our lunch break, I'm starving." The sounds of footsteps and a door opening and closing signals that the two people have left the room.
Naruto and Namiko crouch down and sneak past the window. Once they have passed the window, Naruto whispers, "We're nearly there: the scrolls are in the next room, 'tebayo."
Namiko nods and gulps. Nearly there. "But what if Lord Hokage is there?" she whispers.
"Then we wait until he leaves," whispers Naruto. "Unless he notices us, then we just say we really want to help, 'tebayo."
Namiko is not sure about that idea. "But won't he get mad?"
"Nah, Mr. Nice Hokage's nice," says Naruto. "Now give me the fake scrolls and wait here. I'll be back, dattbayo." Namiko gives Naruto the two fake scrolls, and Naruto sneaks along the ledge towards the next window.
Naruto vanishes through the window. Namiko waits, pressed up against the wall. She is afraid of being discovered, even though Naruto helped her with her stealth a lot in the last two months. Naruto is sure to get caught. The Scroll Team will notice the switch. Something will go wrong. Agonizing minutes pass. Finally, Naruto slips out of the window and creeps back to Namiko.
He holds up the Sacred Scrolls triumphantly. "Hide these," he whispers. "We have to get out of here before they notice the switch."
Namiko takes the scrolls and hides them in her kunai pouch, where she put the fake ones. Then she follows Naruto back to his house. They sneak across rooftops and through patches of bushes. There are so many trees and bushes in the Hidden Leaf. They take their name very seriously.
Finally, they reach Naruto's house.
"How are we going to sneak back in?" asks Namiko, afraid that her Grandma will be mad if she catches them.
"We're not," says Naruto, and walks right in the front door yelling, "We're back, dattbayo!"
Namiko nearly punches him. What is Naruto thinking?! Is he even thinking?
Naruto drags Namiko into the dining room/lounge area, where Sasuke, the two clones and Namiko's Grandma are sitting drinking tea. "Where did you go?" asks Namiko's Grandma calmly. "Would you like some tea?"
"We went to spy on Iruka-nii to make sure he wasn't at the Hokage Tower and also because Namiko wanted to see where he worked," replies Naruto, sitting down at the table next to his clone. "Then we pinched the Sacred Scrolls from the Hokage Tower." Naruto grins widely.
Namiko is sweating buckets in nervousness. Their Grandma seems calm enough now, but she's going to be mad soon. Very soon.
"We can all look at them together," Naruto continues. "Sasuke, Namiko and I all want to help decipher them, so we took matters into our own hands. Yes please, I would like some tea, 'tebayo."
Namiko stares at Naruto, her eyes wide. What is he thinking?!
"Ah," says Namiko's Grandma, putting down her tea cup and standing. "I wondered how long you would hold out. It's well past the time we predicted you would try something like this. Not to mention this is the first time you've dragged Namiko into a prank." Namiko's Grandma pours two cups of tea and sets them down on the table. "Now where are those scrolls? I want to see what all the fuss over them is about." She sits back down and continues sipping her tea.
Namiko is confused. What the crap is going on? "Why aren't you mad, Grandma?" Namiko demnands.
"Mad?" Namiko's Grandma looks genuinely surprised. "Mad about what?"
"We pulled a prank!" says Namiko, feeling desperate for answers. "Shouldn't you be mad?"
Naruto starts giggling. Sasuke snorts in amusement. The two clones laugh so hard they fall off their chairs and dispel.
"WHAT?!" shouts Namiko, thoroughly angry. "WHAT IS SO FUNNY?"
"Ah," says Namiko's Grandma, smiling. "Allow me to introduce one of the two original members of Konoha's Prankster Gang: my grandson Naruto."
"What?" Namiko's brain stops being angry to try and process this new information.
"It was just me and Hinata at first," says Naruto, taking a sip of his tea and staring into space like he's about to flashback.
"Tell her why my Dad has a mustache," says Sasuke firmly.
"That was a fun day," says Naruto, enthusiastically. "We recruited Shisui into the Gang that time…"
"STOP!" Namiko cuts in, clapping her hand over Naruto's mouth to prevent the flashback. "There is a jutsu I need to teach you."
When Fugaku arrives back at the Hokage Tower, he heads straight to the room where his team is deciphering the scrolls. Wind and Rain are staring at Joe's Scroll in astonishment, while the rest of the team stares open-mouthed over their shoulders.
"What is going on here?" Fugaku asks, heading over to the team.
"Joe's Scroll is blank!" says Rain, holding it up to Fugaku.
Fugaku sighs. "It's so obviously a fake that you should have noticed that by now."
"But who could steal the scroll from under our noses?" asks Wind, recoiling in shock.
"The same person who stole the other scroll, I am sure," says Fugaku, picking up Dave's Scroll, which is obviously a fake as well. "This is so fake I am ashamed of you all for not noticing." Fugaku put the fake scroll down and heads for the door.
"Where are you going, Lord Hokage?" asks one of the cypher team.
"To ask Naruto if he's made any progress with the Sacred Scrolls yet," replies Fugaku. It is obviously Naruto who has them.