Chapter 14: The Forbidden Scrolls

After the long day of graduation tests, everyone returned to their home, the sun had descended beyond the horizon. Satsuki, feeling refreshed after a relaxing bath, emerged from her room clad in her elegant kimono, prepared to attend the clan meeting. To her surprise, she spotted Naruto leaning back on the couch in the living room, exhausted, with a cold beverage placed on the table in front of him. The exhaustion in his eyes was concealed beneath one of his arms.

They parted right after the test ended because Satsuki was going shopping with Ino. And he wasn't there when she returned home. Satsuki walked around the couch where he rested "What's wrong? You look tired" She asked.

He removed the arm that covered his face, greeting her with a tired look. After a short pause, he finally answered, "Well... Kiba keeps bugging me to fight him... so we kinda have a spar. It took a while, but I decided to whoop his ass."

"So that's why you smell like dirt and blood".

In their academy days, Kiba had won consistently against Naruto, but on the other hand, the dog lover had never managed to defeat Satsuki. And after witnessing Naruto's recent triumph over her, That must be the reason he pestered Naruto for a rematch. Satsuki couldn't help but chuckle, realizing that she had stirred up trouble and left Naruto to deal with it on his own.

"Huh? Are you going to the clan meeting?" his eyes perked up, looking at Satsuki who was already dressed. "Let me get ready."

"Nuh-uh" she smiled, her hand holding her shoulder stopping him from standing up "Don't worry I can go there by myself." she couldn't bring herself to force him to accompany her when she noticed how rugged he was.

"But…" Usually, Naruto would always make sure to accompany her whenever she had to attend a clan meeting, it was a routine for him, and it would really bother him if he ever missed one.

"It's fine, I was told there will be more meetings for the next few days, we can go together tomorrow. You look tired, go take a bath first, the bath is still warm" she smiled, giving Naruto's shoulder a light massage.

He really wanted to go but after some more consideration he decided to drop it, "...If you say so"

Turning her heels, she started to walk away "Alright then, I'll be going now"

He waved "Take care-"

"Oh by the way, No need to wait for me at the usual place, and um, can we stay at your place tonight?" she said, turning her head for the last time.

Naruto nodded "Sure, I'll head back after taking a bath".

"Alright, don't forget to turn off the light" She chimed, and with light steps, she left.

Turn off the lights. Check.

Close the windows and curtain. Check.

Make sure the stove and other stuff are turned off. Check.

As Naruto scanned over the apartment one more time, ensuring that everything was perfectly in order, he gently pulled the door closed and securely locked it. With each step he took, descending the staircase with quiet steps, he strolled through the dimly lit back alley, retracing his path towards his own apartment.

The sky, clear of any clouds, presents a radiant moon and her stars, illuminating the night with its soft glow. With hands casually tucked into his pockets, enjoying the silence as he walked along the way.

His pleasant strolls abruptly stopped when someone blocked him in his path, a person whom he made an effort to avoid.

"Good evening Naruto-kun" that person greeted with a smile.

"Mizuki-Sensei... Good evening" Naruto bowed, trying to greet him back politely.

The man in front of him smiled and tried to produce a fake sigh, "Haa, I Finally found you. I was looking for you everywhere"

"Did you need something from me?" Naruto asked, trying to play dumb.

"Actually I am, Well this is kind of a secret, but there was something I need to tell you" Mizuki walks closer. "You see, your test result is kinda in the gray. that's why I was looking for you" he lowered his voice just above whisper level.

"Gray?" Naruto left puzzled. What does he mean by gray, it's a very uncommon way to use if one mentions a score. "Isn't it supposed to be announced the day after tomorrow?"

"T-True, but as I said, your score is in the gray and the academy is having doubts about whether to let you graduate or not."

Naruto squints his eyes "But shouldn't I have enough scores from practical tests to cover my written test?"

"That's uh... it's still not enough, and I'm afraid you won't be able to graduate this year" Mizuki claimed.

"What?" Naruto tried to make a surprised expression "Then, Mizuki-sensei why are you telling me this? isn't it forbidden for teachers to leak this kind of information?"

"I know. That's why please keep it a secret. You know, Iruka-sensei is the only one vouching for you. I can vouch for you, but of course, you need to complete a test to show me that you are capable. It's fair right?"

"Is that Necessary?"

"Well, I could just ignore it and move on, but after witnessing your last performance against Satsuki Uchiha, I couldn't help but recognize your talent. As an experienced teacher, I cannot let that potential go to waste, can I? I'm genuinely willing to offer you my help".

Naruto was speechless, lost for word of what was being said. That blatant lie is almost laughable, not to mention how he delivers those sentences. He didn't even need to rely on his abilities, He could figure it out from Mizuki's suspicious over-friendly attitude.

His written score is not particularly low; he was aware of that because he answered enough questions to secure a middle-ranking position in the written test. Also, despite performing at a mediocre level in practical tests such as shuriken throwing or basic jutsu like clone jutsu and transformation jutsu, In his fight against Satsuki, he excelled in the mock battle, getting a significantly high score.

"Now, Let us go and find a quieter and more secluded spot where I can provide you with the details of your missio-"

"-I'm sorry Mizuki-sensei, but I'll have to decline" Naruto shakes his head.

Mizuki, who used to wear a constant smile, finds it difficult to maintain his facade and almost reveals his true emotions. However, Naruto is perceptive enough to catch the subtle shift in Mizuki's expression. "W-Wait what? but you might not graduate!"

Naruto shrugs "If that happens then I guess I will stay at the academy..."

"You-! Ahem... Naruto-kun, this is out of my kindness, and I won't take any payment or anything. I just need you to do something simple." Mizuki tried to push forward one more time.

"Even so..."

"Look, it's only a test of gathering info! Something you will do often when you become a proper Shinobi in the future-"

"I'm sorry Sensei, even if I wanted to, I hurt my legs fighting Satsuki-chan. I don't think I can handle more tests" He lied.

"Just think it clearly, you might stay for another year!" the older male almost raised his voice.

"I don't want to, if the academy decided that I'm not fit to be a Genin yet, then I will not question their decision"

To avoid arousing suspicion, Mizuki withdraws, he is already tired of making a fake smile "Okay, if that's what you've decided, I'll step back. Just remember, if you fail to graduate this year, it's not my fault!" With a swift turn, he leaped to one of the roofs, and vanished into the enveloping darkness of the night, leaving Naruto behind.

Naruto remained rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the path Mizuki had taken. He furrowed his brow, deep in thought. After a moment, his eyes fluttered open and he let out a sigh. However, he quickly pushed aside his concerns for now. Right at this moment, his priority was to return home as quickly as possible.

Satsuki had said that she wanted to spend the night, and he needed to ensure that his apartment was neat and tidy for her.

The radiant sun ascended into the blue sky, casting its warm glow upon the land. As the day progresses, it climbs higher and higher, eventually reaching its peak at noon. Deep in the forest outside the village walls, out of prying eyes, Mizuki stands under one of the big trees.

His expression is far from calm and that of an honored teacher he usually wore.

Talking about becoming an honored teacher, before being one, he was active on the field back in the day as an on-field ninja. But his past wasn't that of an honored shinobi. He once resorts to the extreme measure of eliminating His injured comrade, believing that keeping them alive would become a hindrance to the completion of the mission. His choice has consequences, as it nearly costs him the opportunity to become an instructor at the academy. A deep resentment towards the academy committee and the entire village takes root within him.

It is essential to prioritize a mission in any situation. In this case, Should he be blamed for prioritizing the mission over his comrade?

Shinobi is a crucial tool utilized for the sole purpose of ensuring the mission's success. This principle holds true not only within his own village but also across different villages. After all, it is the Standard. However, it becomes rather confusing when his own village, instead of appreciating his dedication, chooses to look down upon him.

Mizuki can only feel unappreciated over his 'justifiable' action.

Even with all that he stayed in this damned village. However, there was one time when a senior praised him for his action, making him feel appreciated. That senior justified Mizuki's action and told him that he would do the same. Not only that, the senior was also promised to help him achieve more power in the future if Mizuki wanted to. But, that senior who once resided in the village has been ostracized due to his unethical actions and cruel experiments.

That senior's name was Orochimaru. One of the three legendary Sannin.

Mizuki wanted to meet him once again for his promise. They both hold the same grudge over the village. But he knew the great man wouldn't take him in for free. And if he is able to bring one of the prized possessions of the village then maybe he could win over the favor of Orochimaru.

He rested his back against the big tree.

What is the prized possession he thought. Well, of course, a scroll containing secret knowledge, even better, the forbidden one. Thinking of a way to steal the forbidden scroll. Mizuki's initial plan was to use Naruto as a tool to help him steal the forbidden scroll and when he got it he would use Naruto as a diversion while securing his own escape.

The villager holds a grudge against Naruto. Most shinobi who also have a grudge against him were kept from hurting him by the third Hokage's order. And if Naruto by chance does something that basically gives him a death sentence, everyone will go for his head, even going as far as making it a competition.

How he fights against Satsuki Uchiha, something that comes as a big surprise to Mizuki, but that assures him that Naruto will last longer to act as a diversion. Mizuki himself also holds a lingering hateful feeling towards Naruto.

So, killing two birds with one stone.

But that boy didn't even believe any of his lies, he tried to trick Naruto, but that kid is more than meets the eye.

"Damn it! How can I steal that forbidden scroll!" he hissed, punching the tree with his fist. If he just sets out to find Orochimaru and manages to find him, without a proper offering there is a chance he will be doubted as a spy by Orochimaru and be rejected or worse, killed.

Suddenly, he could hear the grassy green foliage behind him making a sound, Mizuki's attention moved toward the figure that coming behind his back. "Who are you?" Mizuki asked, glancing over his shoulder. There is a subtle fear that this stranger might have heard him.

The figure behind him, wearing a worn-out black cloak that hides their feature and a plain white mask that has several scratches and is as worn out as their cloak.

"Greetings..."

"Who are you?" Mizuki asked one more time, his hand sneakily finding its way into his pouch.

"I'm simply a passerby, a nobody" Judging from the muffled masculine voice, Mizuki concludes the mysterious figure in front of him is a man.

"Alright Mr. Nobody, what do you want from me? There is no way you accidentally found me, unless..." Mizuki squinted his eyes in suspicion. His secret place was pretty much deep inside the forest and far from the main street.

"Well, I can't help but listen to your… rather interesting words. You want to steal the forbidden scroll yeah?" the man asked.

At once, Mizuki draws his kunai quickly, thinking his ill intent has been found out. If the words got out, there was no way it would end with just a warning, Mizuki needed to silence him. But, before he could fully draw his kunai, a cold and sharp feeling pressed against his throat.

Fast!? Mizuki shocked. His eyes shot wide at the realization.

The man has disappeared from his vision and in a split-second reappears beside Mizuki, pressing his own kunai on Mizuki's neck. "I suggest you put down your weapon… I'm not your enemy after all."

Mizuki gulped his saliva "How so?" Judging from his fast movement he could be stronger than Mizuki.

"Because I also wanted that scroll."

"Hmph! Even if I succeed in stealing that scroll, I don't have any plan to share it with you".

"Hoo… is that true, then let me ask you, what are you planning once you get that scroll?"

Mizuki gritted his teeth, the cold edge of kunai still pressed against his neck "None of your business!"

The mysterious man chuckled "Good, good, you are a good shinobi. Trying to withhold your information as tightly as possible." he praised.

At his words, Mizuki let go of his weapon. "Let me ask again, who are you?"

"I like that 'Mr. Nobody' so we will stick with that" Returning Mizuki's action the man let go of Mizuki's neck from his weapon's sharp edge "You planning to give it to someone?"

Mizuki rubbed her neck, checking for any injury, giving the man silence as the answer.

"You don't try to deny it, and from my judgment, you are not a spy from another village… so it's an individual? I doubt that it's for yourself"

Mizuki clicked his tongue in annoyance "Tch, What are you trying to get into?"

"I want to strike a deal" the man simply replied.

Mizuki raised one of his eyebrows. "A deal?"

"Let's say, what you are going to do is a very risky move. Once found out, you will be hunted by this nation and shunned by other nations. And risking that for a single individual… only idiots will do that…" he mocked.

"What was that!?" Mizuki snapped.

"That's why I will offer you a deal. You steal the scroll and give it to me, and I will ensure your safety in another nation."

"Another nation, as if you have that authority, who do you think you are?"

"I'm simply No one… Nobody..." a hand emerged from inside his cloaks, offering his hand. When the man does that, Mizuki catches a glimpse of what appears to be a white flak jacket under the man's cloak.

Kumo? and a jounin at that? Mizuki guessed. It is outside the village wall but to meet shinobi from other nations so close to the village raises the question of the security against any espionage. Pfft this village is a lost cause.

"You are from Kumo?"

The cloaked man didn't answer Mizuki's question, "Let's say we have the same goal, you are a smart man. I don't need to tell you what that goal is. And you... you want power and glory that comes with it, I can see it in your eyes."

"So, if I give you the scroll, you will help me join Kumo's shinobi?" Mizuki tried to connect the dots.

The man rejected him flatly "...No, you can't ask that much as a missing-nin. But, I could request to shelter you from any hunter-nin, and maybe lend you one of our own scrolls…"

Mizuki stared at the man's extended hand. He wasn't sure. But, the deal might be better and safer if he gives it to the man from Kumo. But how will he even steal it in the first place? His initial plan of using Naruto has failed miserably.

"I… frankly speaking I don't have any plan…"

"A plan? That I can help you with. So… We have a deal?"

Mizuki took a deep breath, and shook the hand of the mysterious man in front of him "Let's hear it. Mr. Nobody" he said, half sarcastically.

Night arrived, and one of the buildings that usually breathes with life had lost its life. the Hokage office is now empty, no one is currently present for a few reasons, like the worker already coming back home, but the main reason is that all of its usual residents right now are in another building, having an important clan meeting. Only a few ninja guards sit in some corner of the building, trying to kill time by reading, watching TV, or even sleeping, knowing their usual duty always ends without any eventful occurrences.

But tonight will be different.

One masked figure sneaked through one of the windows, door after door he maneuvered with skillful steps towards his destination. That intruder is Mizuki, evading any guards that stand idly.

"That man Intel... who would think that it would be so accurate" he mumbled.

He finally reached his destination.

The Hokage's Safe.

Well, a safe would be an over-exaggeration. It's actually just a normal storage room, used to store archives and important documents. the real Hokage's safe is located in the basement of the current building with better security and better lock. The storage room is used often and the worker started to call it the Hokage safe, knowing that, it could be beneficial as a decoy for the real safe, so it is an unofficial Hokage safe as of today. But the real Hokages safe is not where he needed to go, his target is located in this storage room.

With a key he got from the secretary's room, Mizuki can open the door easily. Opened the door and the content of the room presented itself. He looked around, scroll after scroll until he finally found his target.

The second Hokage's Forbidden Scrolls, the scroll that the man asked specifically. Mizuki has found his ticket to achieving more power. He quickly grabbed the scrolls and quickly left the building via the windows. Jumping from one roof to another roof Mizuki opens his mask and throws it along the way, going straight to his rendevous point with the mysterious man.

"That Man's plan is so good, it runs so smoothly" Mizuki laughed, his smile shadowed by the moonlight.

"But, how did he know that the building is not heavily guarded tonight? did he have any spies here?" Mizuki couldn't but wonder "Pfft, this village is a lost cause if they got spies already taking root"

The plan that the mysterious man orchestrated ran smoothly, if only he could slip in another plan to drag the boy he hated, that demon child, to hell. Well, he couldn't ask for more. The only thing left is to meet him at the promised spot.

He finally reached the edge of the forest, only a few branches he leaped on but his steps came to a halt.

That cursed child he just thought of, standing on the branch in front of him.

"Oh, Good evening Mizuki-sensei" the boy greeted, his face showing that he didn't expect to see Mizuki again.

"Hahaha, Speaking of the demon child! he is here!" Mizuki spoke loud enough to wake up the sleeping bird that sat on the trees nearby.

Naruto who heard his slurs dropped his smile. "Mizuki-sensei what are you doing?"

"None of your business brat!" Mizuki answered, but suddenly a lightbulb appeared on his mind. He eyed Naruto who grew unhappy with his response. Mizuki still holds a grudge against Naruto and now is the best time to take revenge. He is about to leave the village and fully geared up, he could kill this boy easily and not bear any blame, a perfect scenario.

Mizuki pulled his kunai and pulled his leg backward. His determination was made. He will kill Naruto right here and right now.

In a different place.

Satsuki Sitting on her seat, trying to maintain her posture. The clan meeting has dragged out longer than usual. Several topics come and go, from budget to Genin graduation. Idle chat also comes and goes, the idle chatter is more on the Hyuga-clan explicitly mocking her about her loss against a nobody. Of course, that made her mad. Not because they mocked her defeat but because they called Naruto a nobody. Holding her urge to punch their old face.

Speaking of Naruto, They just made a plan to date after this meeting is over. He didn't accompany her yesterday, just waiting at his apartment. But he did accompany her today, and maybe after the date they could have another fun activity tonight. Satsuki shook her head, knowing her mind had become a little perverted over time, It must be his influence.

What is he doing now? He must be bored waiting in that forest. She thought reminded of where they will meet in secret.

Suddenly the door to the room slammed open, with a loud bang in its wake. "Hokage-sama!" comes several shinobi with panicked expression.

Everyone's attention focused on the people who just barged in.

"What's the meaning of this!?" The Hyuga's clan head slammed the table, the way they walked in on an important meeting made him mad.

"We-We're Sorry, but there's the important report we must deliver!"

"Alright. Speak!" Hiruzen waved his hand.

"T-The Hokage's safe has been broken into!"

"What!?" With the report being announced, the room suddenly turned tense.

"How can it be broken into?"

"Are you guys slacking off!?"

"Who did it?"

Question after question was thrown by the clan head that was present in the room, but none could be answered by the guards. "Silence!" Hiruzen finally spoke up, silencing the room immediately. "What has been stolen?" surely at least they know that.

"I-Its the second Hokage's Forbidden Scroll Hokage-sama"

"The second Hokage's scroll!? That forbidden scrolls at that" Hiruzen knew the content and could feel a headache creep up on his head. "Everyone the meeting is over. Find and secure the Forbidden Scroll at all costs, catch the perpetrator dead or alive, recovering the scroll takes the highest priority. Dismiss!" he announced.

"Yes sir!"

With that said, the room emptied out in an instant. All clan head and their representative begin the search, informing their fellow clanmates of the current mission along the way. Their number grew and started covering the whole village"

Satsuki on the other hand, was alone, jumping from one branch to another, heading to the person that she wanted to inform and could help her at the moment. The meeting point is a little further into the forest. The place Naruto usually hangs out while waiting for her meeting to come to an end. Her progress was slower than usual, mostly because the kimono she was wearing covered her legs and she needed to use both of her hands to hold the extra fabric so she could venture into the woods. It was clearly not the right wear for a run and slowed her down.

Finally, she reached her destination. But, the scene shocked her.

How could it not be, the place she remembered was not decorated with battle marks, scratches on the trees, bloodstains, and kunai stuck all over the ground. But what shocked her the most was that the only person she loved was sitting leaning against a tree with obvious wounds and blood on his clothes, he was pulling out the kunai stuck on his thigh.

"Naruto!?" she quickly landed and came closer to him.

"Oh Satsuki, fancy meeting you her- aw!" he still tried to welcome her with the usual joke before she shut him up with her hands roaming around his body checking for any wounds.

"What happened!?" her eyes went crazy scanning him.

"I... I don't know actually, he suddenly attacked me so, I kinda defend myself"

"He?" she asked.

Naruto then gestured his chin towards a dark corner of the forest. There lay a body bathed in a pool of blood not too far from them. "Mizuki-sensei... But why?" realizing who the attacker was, it shocked her to the core. But then she realized a big scroll lying a few feet away from him.

"I'm okay, go check on him"

Hearing his mind, she raised up and walked closer to Mizuki. Looking at her sensei's body full of wounds and kunai sticking to his body, her hand checked for any pulse. It was faint but she could feel it "...He is still alive" She moved and reached for the scroll, it was sealed by ordinary sealing paper but she decided to open it to make sure its content "This!?"

After scanning the scrolls she believed that It must be the stolen scrolls. Connecting the dots, she concluded that Mizuki was the one who stole it and by any chance met Naruto on his escape and-

"Is it something important?" Naruto's voice snapped her back to reality. He already walked closer to Satsuki and stood behind her.

"H-huh? S-sorry. W-Wait why are you standing up!?" she almost yelled, looking at her boyfriend's bloodied figure.

"I said I'm okay. See?" he showed her his left wrist which wounds slowly closing.

"Sit down!" she yelled which made Naruto sit in an instant. While kneeling beside him, she resumed her examination from where she had previously left off. Caught in a dilemma, her thoughts were split between the need to tend to her injured boyfriend and the responsibility to report back to the third Hokage of the unfolding situation. She couldn't decide which she should prioritize.

"Satsuki, You have something else to do"

His voice woke her from her dilemma "Huh? I-I..." she paused and took a deep breath. "...The Hokage's secret scrolls have been stolen and the whole village is looking for it and the thief. I think... the suspect is Mizuki-sensei"

"I see, that explains a lot" He nodded. "Then you need to report it to Ji-chan as soon as possible right?"

"Yeah, But-"

"I'm fine"

"But-"

"Satsuki, Trust me I'm fine, This is mostly his blood" he tried to convince her one more time.

"F-fine! But promise me to stay still, I will also call the medic!" even though he didn't feel like he needed it, he nodded. She reached for the scrolls and stood up but she quickly realized her clothes were already in the way so bringing the scrolls with her only slowed her movement even more. "Here take care of these scrolls for me" She handed it to him and then with both hands holding her kimono she leaped into the trees and went on her way.

Several minutes later, Satsuki arrived with Hiruzen, a medic-nin, and three ANBU guards. Hiruzen and Satsuki quickly come closer to Naruto who is sitting against a tree, while the other four circle around Mizuki's body.

"Naruto are you alright?" hiruzen asked.

"I'm okay Hokage-sama" he answered, knowing there were other people in the area, he couldn't call him Ji-chan at the moment.

Hiruzen nodded, his eyes observing Naruto's wound that was already closing up, his wounds... it must be the nine-tailed beast's regeneration power. Hiruzen rubbed his chin, but he shrugged it off for now. Right now he needed to secure the scrolls, which were just beside Naruto. He picked it up, Noticing the sealing paper had been broken, there was a subtle fear that the content already leaked.

Noticing Hiruzen's expression, Satsuki spoke up "Um, I am the one who opened it, Hokage-sama"

"You did? Is it still sealed before you opened it?"

"Yes sir, when I first picked it up, it was completely sealed" she answered, earning his nods.

The medic-nin that had checked Mizuki walked closer to the trio. "Hokage-sama, I need to report something"

"Go ahead" Hiruzen nodded.

"The ANBU has confirmed the suspect identity. Chunin ranks Mizuki, an instructor from the academy. The suspect had passed away, due to severe blood loss, it seemed the wounds cut deep resulting in aortic tears"

"...I see, secure his body. Also please have a check on him" Hiruzen gestured towards Naruto who just stood up.

Naruto waved his hands "I'm fine really, no need for any checkup" The medic-nin nodded, it seemed like he was relieved that he didn't need to check up on Naruto when he realized who he was. The four people then leaped away with Mizuki's body in tow.

"You reckless!" Satsuki suddenly burst out.

"It is self-defense" Hiruzen stopped Satsuki "The most important thing was that he is fine and the scrolls secured" He patted Naruto's back and patted his shoulder to reassure her. "See? He is fine"

"Sorry..." she tried to wipe her unshed tears, "but still why Mizuki-sensei..." She clenched the fabric of her kimono.

The third Hokage sighed "We will conduct some investigation, Ibiki or Yamanaka will handle that"

"Mizuki-sensei..." Satsuki still couldn't believe it. He was her teacher, and she helped him a lot back in the academy and vice versa. Finding out that he had become a traitor was too much for her. She looked down, her expression saddened, but a finger poked her right cheek making her turn her head.

"Naruto-kun..." she noticed who just poked her, his smile trying to cheer her up. "W-wait" something surprised her, Naruto was still standing in front of Hiruzen but at the same time there was another Naruto near her.

There were two Naruto.

But suddenly the one near Satsuki burst into smoke and the 'Naruto' beside her went along with it, no trace to be found.

"Uhh, ha-ha" Naruto laughed awkwardly.

The normal clone is only an immaterial illusion, it cannot be touched. Hiruzen hands still rested on Naruto's shoulder but that poke on her cheek was real. That was not a normal clone, So that must be different kinds of clones.

"Ummm is it bad that I learn something from that scroll...? by any chance?" Naruto smiled awkwardly.

"You gotta be kidding me" Satsuki can only facepalmed. There is the word 'forbidden' in its title, she believed it means something not allowed to be learned.

"That must be shadow clone jutsu" Instead of getting mad Hiruzen chuckled. His chuckle surprised Satsuki, she expected the third Hokage to be mad at Naruto.

She tilted her head "Shadow clone?"

"Yes, it was an upgrade of normal clone jutsu, something the second Hokage invented in the past" he reminisced, his eyes looked at the blue scroll, a big kanji 'Second' was written on the outer part of the scroll.

"Aren't you mad at him?" she asked.

"I understand why you think I might be mad. The Forbidden Scrolls is something no ordinary shinobi are allowed to access. Some are taboo to use but mostly because it might bring harm to the user if handled without proper guidance and care"

"Harm?" She asked.

"See, This technique requires a lot of chakras and can cause the user's death due to rapid chakra depletion and exhaustion" Hiruzen explained "This Jutsu is classified as Forbidden Jutsu, as the scroll suggested"

"Naruto!" Satsuki yelled again when she heard the word 'death' in Hiruzen's explanation.

"B-but I feel fine..." he could see Satsuki getting angrier and angrier each second.

The third Hokage smiled "So how many can you make? in most cases, some of those who tried to learn it, drained themselves just by making 2 or 3 clones. 4 might be life-threatening for most people"

"I uhh, haha, um... can make these much, maybe even more if I concentrate" he looked upward towards the branch, and at his cue, a few dozen shadow clones that had hidden themselves neatly dropped down and stood around the trio.

One by one until the surroundings are full of his shadow clones.

"Incredible..." Hiruzen left in awe, there were shadow clones nearing hundreds at minimum that just dropped down. And what surprised him more was that these clones hid themselves perfectly even his ANBU guards failed to notice.

With a hand seal, Naruto dismissed all his shadow clones. a massive puff of smoke exploded around the three of them.

"That... must be the multi-shadow clone jutsu. That one is even more... advanced and dangerous than the normal shadow clones. The Jonin who fits the requirement can learn the normal shadow clones. But that one is a no go"

"Am I in trouble?" he expected Satsuki to yell at him more but the girl in question just standing there in silence.

"...No, but at least I'll give you a check" Hiruzen is no medic-nin but at least he can check whether the multi-shadow clone had a negative effect on Naruto.

Several minutes later he was done.

"There is nothing wrong, you should be okay" The third Hokage nodded.

"Well, I guess that's a relief" Naruto let out a relieved sigh.

Hiruzen patted his back "Just be careful when using it, okay?"

Naruto nodded "Of course, I promised"

"Good, Alright you two go home. I'll take this scroll back to where it belongs".

Hiruzen bid farewell to the pair and continued on his way. As Naruto was about to invite Satsuki to go home, she took the lead in stepping forward. Their strolls were shrouded in silence, with Naruto trailing behind, attempting in vain to engage Satsuki in conversation. The quiet night enveloped them as they walked, and Naruto realized that Satsuki was heading not toward her own apartment but in the direction of his.

He could feel anger, fear and sadness coming from her.

The silence lingered until they reached his front door, taking initiative, naruto stepped forward and opened the locked door for her. As she moved past him, he caught sight of the wet tears in the corner of her eyes.

After shutting the door, he locked it. Standing in the narrow hallway his eyes fixed on her back "Satsuki... I..."

"Don't you know how I feel?" turning around she raised her voice. His body tensed up when he saw her tears running down her cheeks. She used the back of her palm to wipe her own tears but it won't stop coming.

"Sorry..." he walks slowly towards her, noticing no rejection from her, he slowly wraps his arm around her pulling her into a tight embrace and letting her use his shoulder to cry.

"When I saw you... bleeding, I-I don't know what to do. My head just stopped working. I-I... A-and-" Her voice becomes shaky.

When she heard that he learned a forbidden jutsu that was pretty much life-threatening, a dozen scenarios ran through her mind all that ended up with him leaving her. All of that left her paranoid.

"Shussh... It's okay. The most important thing is I'm okay right?"

She nodded "I... If anything happened to you I wouldn't know what to do... If you... die... I-"

"Satsuki trust me, I'm not going down easily, I will take care of myself for you, so you don't have to always worry. We're going to graduate tomorrow and if we become genin we might get sent outside of the village for the mission. It will become more dangerous than we have experienced. So trust me, I promised that I would protect you, if I can't protect myself then how can I protect you?" he looked at her wet eyes.

Convinced, she nodded. "Promise me you will stop being reckless" She looked up staring into his blue eyes.

Shaking his head "I can't promise you that"

"What-"

"-But I promise that I will live and come back to you in one piece every single time" he assured.

Accepting his term, she nodded. Hugging her closely until her sobbing stopped and she calmed herself down. Her head left his chest and she looked him in the eye. Raising on her toes, she shortened the distance between their face until their lips met. Soft and gentle kiss closing their eyes and savoring the moment.

"That is the reward for coming back in one piece," she said when they broke apart.

He chuckled, "I'll make sure to look forward to it every time."

She smiled softly, she knew he could be hard-headed sometimes but never once in any way selfish. She knew the danger of being a shinobi, risking their life every second. With that promise at least it put her at ease. With closed eyes, she embraced his tall figure, finding peace in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"You smell of blood..." her nose still catching the smell of blood from his clothes.

"Right, I'll clean up quickly"

"Uh-huh, Let's get rid of them" Her hand reached towards the hem of his clothes and helped him undressed. With his upper body laid bare before her eyes, she scanned over his muscular body and found no serious wounds, only dirt, and dried bloodstain on his exposed wrist and hands. The only place that looks badly hurt is his right thigh where he had been stabbed. Maybe she should check if his wounds need tending, maybe put on a few bandages even.

There should be a first Aid kit here somewhere.

But before that, she must remove whatever is obstructing her view of his injury. Feeling nervous, she hesitantly reached for his pants. However, he quickly intervened, taking her hands away. Her flushed face turned upward to meet a pair of eager eyes fixed on her, she knew she triggered something and knew what was coming. With a gentle touch, he pulled her closer for another, more passionate kiss. Pressing his body against hers, she found herself being led backward until her back met the bathroom door.

Breaking the kiss, their forehead rested together as their breath mingled with each other "Aren't you also sweaty?" eyes looking at the curve of her neck.

"Can't be helped, haa~, I run in this kimono" she replied between gasping for air, a little disappointed that the kiss ended earlier than she liked.

"Then we can shower together" He tried to persuade her.

"I don't like cold showers-"

Naruto took her obi in his hand "Oh don't worry you won't feel cold with me inside" and pulled her obi.

"W-wait!" she protested. However, her protest stopped when his lips crashed against hers one more time. His hands begin their work on taking off every piece of fabric away from her body.

Naruto was also not a big fan of a late-night shower, but if there was someone to accompany him under the shower, he might change his mind. Who knows how the night will turn out if they make out under the cold shower until their bodies desire each other warmth? Surely it will be more than just a cuddle.

A/N

Holy shit how long has it been? A year and 2 months. I wasn't planning to take this much time to take a break. It starts with RL stuff getting even busier and when I'm about to write again... the website decides to break, and then I kinda forgot after that xD. and guess what? when I was about to update the new chapter, the site broke down again a day ago. but here is the update. need to refresh my memory so I reread the past chapter and also fixed and added details here and there (mostly on chapter 12 cuz don't like how the lemon turned out), idk if it's worth rereading but the edits are there if anyone wants to read from the 1st chapter.

Anyway, my pm and review got a little mixed up, and some are lost. (idk, they appear on my email but not on the website and some reviews are not even posted. The website was a little crazy back then) but let's address some reviews and PMs that I can salvage:

The harem part is mostly something like political marriage it will be close to the usual clan restoration (kinda) but more on the political stuff.

I actually didn't notice that I use cakra instead of chakra, must be the autocorrect from my device. thanks for pointing out I already edit most of them. hopefully

Actually the third member will still be Sakura, mostly because I don't want to stray far from the canon team. I have plans for ino-shika-cho, I need Kiba and Shino to stay on the same team. and I don't think I can use any of the older team (tenten, lee or neji) mostly because they already graduated earlier.

I don't think I will bash anyone very hard, but every story needs an antagonist so there will be times I'll narrate some character to be on their bad side, just for the story. I'm very much just like you, I like OP Naruto but the thing is I don't want to write one where Naruto just wiped the floor and goes all out every time, there will be more plot and growth along the way that I like to write

I am thinking of the same thing, have Karin meet Naruto at the chunin exam instead of Satsuki. the harem is around 5 beside Satsuki, mostly the key character.

"the key character seems to stray further from the canon" Well I kinda state that Naruto will be smarter and stronger, and the rest will follow suit. I will keep their base character, but I can't guarantee they will be the same as the canon. I'm not the original writer so I don't know how each character will branch out in different situations. if that make sense? but I will try to write them like how I interpreted the character. I kinda wanted to make Satsuki more like her mother instead of canon Sasuke.

I do write the next chapter more but it's just that I also take a liking of rereading the content I made and "fixing" them if I made any mistakes, it's also a way for me to remember what I wrote so I don't contradict myself in the future. I am also a short reader, I put the page break as a sign where I usually stop and then continue later on. I made each chapter around 6k so that I don't cheap out on the details or conversation to make the story more 'finished'

I mostly use 'Grammarly' to help with my grammar, I suck at it. so if the grammar improved thanks to them. (if you have a recommendation of a better website hit me up wink wink)

I don't think I can update every week, writing 6k is a lot of work, and I only write when I have a lot of free time which is mostly on weekends. I'll try to put out 1 chapter every month or two from now on, fingers crossed.

Their age should be 17-19, late teenager. will be more details in the future.

the original draft did a single pairing, but I don't know, as the story goes I tend to make it sadder and darker which is sometimes unenjoyable for me to write (too depressing) that is why I planned from the start that I will make it harem so I have other things to think of rather than the darker side of the stories.

Welp, that's some of the reviews and PMs, sorry if I missed any of your reviews or PMs. anyway thank you for reading, expect more updates. CIAO