Naruto has always been called stupid, he could be called a child left behind to some. His foundation is skewed never having anyone give him true one on one teaching for reading, writing how to memorize how to study. He is truly a mostly self-taught ninja. It didn't matter from academy to genin sensei. They never focused on helping him with his issues. He seemed slow because he can never be sure of the information, he's often wrong because he lacked constant help reinforcing the proper knowledge. Yet Naruto could be said to have talent different from genius. After all, genius is just a word made by humans to call someone fit for a classification. That fighter is a genius, that high IQ guy is a genius. Low talent simply means his physical or maybe mental abilities are ill suited for the same tasks as a genius. Runners, weapons, IQ simple examples but people have an astounding ability to learn after all. People shouldn't be ignored for a genius because if a genius is lazy after all they are no different. Working hard can overcome the original difference. Time is the only indicator of when that gap would be closed. Talent and genius are simple words used by mankind to raise or lower value. After all just because a wolf is faster or stronger or smarter than other wolves, it's not called a genius or talented. It's a wolf, one with special characteristics but that's it a wolf will always be a wolf. Naruto has talent that no one reinforced, so except for Naruto no one knew about this talent. It's not his amazing chakra reserves that would make him a monster beyond any genius for using chakra if someone taught him diligently. It's not his endless stamina that given actual training could actually help him beyond keeping him from losing in a fight super fast. Wasted potential is how best described Naruto, not by himself without even a proper guidance for his different level of development how could he help himself. It's like everyone is on a path, some small, some large, some short, some long, and Naruto is on a tiny trail out in a forest it ends and starts abruptly in places and has no clear actual path. All he can do is follow what seems to be the path. But his gift hidden behind all his faults is that he has an eidetic memory. The night of him stealing the scroll it was true he was only able to learn one jutsu but the rest were trapped inside his head amongst the clutter and random thoughts. That was until after losing Sasuke. Injured and confused learning he could get training from a sannin was great but his pride hurt, not because of losing but because the person taking him was like so many people he was a side note never a true focus in their eyes. He was a tag along, he could be trained but it seemed it would be few and far in between other than his regular practice. Feeling if he could prove himself somehow beyond what his current abilities maybe he could be taken a little more seriously. Going out to the woods he thought and a sliver of thought a memory from that fateful night appeared in his mind. A jutsu with dark connotations even if he failed being able to get close would be better than he was now…
He remembered it needed something like blood to summon someone. He remembered an interesting document that Jiji had shown him as a kid. The bloody thumbprint was used from an important official, not feeling it was important he was able to scrap a tiny tiny bit one of the times he went to see Baa-chan. Having everything. He went over what was needed. Thinking he could fail at first he summoned four clones. And had one of them start what happened next was beyond his dreams all four clones went down and large coffins seemed to rise from the ground encasing the three clones. Naruto rushed to the coffins banging one of the lids, this wasn't supposed to happen only one clone was supposed to be encased. and in their place the person whose the blood belonged to. Why had it gone wrong? Unbeknownst to Naruto that special document was special because it was the thumbprint of not one person but four all with their blood over the same spot to show unity. To begin with, using his clones was supposed to be a substitute for a live person, they had chakra and mass so wouldn't they work? And they can be popped whenever so couldn't he stop the jutsu that way incase something went wrong. Naruto felt pain from his abdomen. His chakra was decreasing extremely fast. A form of the shinigami appeared above him dark dead eyes chuckling, fate was cruel and humorous. Out of it mouth came 2 spheres floating into the coffins from behind it came two more for always near the shinigami is the gateway to death and falsehood beyond.. Naruto woozily stood up. Not sure what would happen. Four lids fell in unison showing faces of powerful individuals. Two were old that their bodies were gaunt but their baring seemed to negate their age. The two in the center were well known for good or bad; the first and second hokage had been summoned again. Naruto was excited even though it went wrong getting four people instead of one. He quickly shouted out don't move and ran to grab his scrolls, he wanted to get some cool information or something that he could actively use to get stronger.
this is as far as i got.