Three years had passed since Naruto and Satsuki first met in the Academy, and in that time, much had changed. Now both ten years old, their skills had improved markedly, though they were still mastering the basics of shinobi life. The Academy drills had intensified, focusing on kunai and shuriken throwing, basic stealth techniques, and the foundational jutsu like substitution and transformation, which every young ninja was expected to know.
On a bright and crisp morning, the training grounds were alive with the sound of young shinobi practicing. Naruto and Satsuki, now inseparable in their training sessions, worked together with a rhythm and understanding that came from years of close friendship.
"Watch this, Naruto!" Satsuki called out as she expertly threw three shuriken in quick succession, each hitting the designated target with impressive accuracy.
"Not bad, Satsuki! Now check this out!" Naruto replied, eager to show off his own improvement. He performed a series of hand signs and executed a perfect substitution jutsu, disappearing in a puff of smoke and reappearing behind Satsuki, startling her with a playful shout.
"Still using tricks, huh?" Satsuki laughed, turning to face him. "But I admit, that was pretty good."
Their camaraderie was evident in their easy banter and the way they pushed each other to improve. While Naruto's techniques were still a bit rough around the edges, his creativity in using them often turned the tables in unexpected ways. Satsuki, with her natural grace and precision, complemented Naruto's unpredictable style, making them a formidable pair during team exercises.
As they took a break under the shade of a nearby tree, they talked about their progress and their dreams for the future.
"You think we'll be on the same team when we graduate?" Naruto asked, tossing a kunai up and catching it by the handle.
"I hope so," Satsuki replied, taking a sip of water. "It'd be weird not having you around to mess things up."
Naruto grinned, bumping his shoulder against hers. "Yeah, and who else would save you when you get in trouble?"
Satsuki rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "Please, I do the saving ninety percent of the time."
Their laughter filled the air, mingling with the sounds of other students in the distance. Over the years, their bond had deepened, strengthened by countless hours of shared experiences and mutual support. They had faced academic challenges, rigorous physical training, and the typical trials that came with growing up in a village brimming with the world's most formidable ninja.
As the training day drew to a close, they practiced their aim with kunai, focusing on precision and control. Naruto watched as Satsuki threw with almost surgical accuracy, her eyes focused and her movements fluid.
"You're getting really good at that," Naruto commented, impressed.
"Thanks, Naruto. You're not too bad yourself," Satsuki responded, giving him an encouraging nod. "Remember when we couldn't even hit the broad side of a barn?"
"Yeah, now we can actually make the targets sweat!" Naruto joked, throwing another kunai that hit just outside the bullseye.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the training field, Naruto and Satsuki collected their tools and prepared to head home. Walking side by side, their shadows merged on the path, a symbol of their united journey. The challenges ahead were many, but with each other's support, they felt ready to face whatever the shinobi path would throw at them.
After their rigorous training session, Naruto found himself walking towards the village library, his mind buzzing with a mixture of curiosity and determination. The topic that had piqued his interest was nothing other than the mysterious wood jutsu he'd accidentally used years ago—the same one he'd been warned to keep secret.
Aware that showing up as himself might attract unwanted attention or lead to awkward questions, Naruto decided to use one of the jutsu he'd practiced most: the transformation technique. With a puff of smoke, he transformed into a nondescript, slightly older academy student, someone who wouldn't stand out among the other library visitors.
The library of Konohagakure was a vast, sprawling building filled with scrolls and books on every conceivable subject that a shinobi might need to know, from jutsu manuals to historical records. Naruto, under the guise of his henge, slipped inside unnoticed and began his search.
He navigated through the rows of shelves, his eyes scanning for any section or book title that mentioned or hinted at wood-style jutsu. His heart raced with the thrill of the hunt and the fear of being caught. Each step took him deeper into the labyrinth of knowledge, from the practical to the purely academic.
Eventually, Naruto found himself in a less frequented part of the library: the history section. The musty smell of old parchment filled the air, a stark contrast to the sweat and earthiness of the training grounds. He looked around, realizing that the texts here were more about the past shinobi wars, the great clans, and the formation of the Hidden Villages than about specific jutsu techniques.
His eyes landed on a series of books titled "The Great Clans of Konoha." Curious, he pulled one from the shelf, dust particles dancing in the air around him as he opened it. The Uchiha, the Hyuga, the Sarutobi... each clan was detailed with their founding members, their contributions to the village, and their notable jutsu.
Naruto skimmed through the pages, looking for any mention of a clan associated with wood jutsu, but his search in this book seemed fruitless. He replaced it and pulled out another, this one specifically focusing on the First Hokage, known for his unique ability to manipulate wood.
As he flipped through the pages, Naruto absorbed information about the First Hokage's role in founding Konoha, his legendary battles, and his unprecedented ability to use Mokuton jutsu. However, there was no clear explanation of how he had come to possess such a power—only that it was unique to him and revered as one of the most powerful abilities in the shinobi world.
Naruto's heart sank a little. The text hinted at the jutsu being a kekkei genkai—a bloodline limit. This revelation caused a mix of fear and excitement to churn within him. Could it be possible that he shared something with the legendary First Hokage? But how?
With this new information, Naruto felt more puzzled than ever. He looked around the history section, realizing that while he had come looking for answers, he might have uncovered even more questions about his mysterious abilities and his own past. He decided to keep searching, hoping that somewhere among these ancient texts lay the key to understanding his own power.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Naruto continued to scour the library's vast collection, unaware of how close he was to unraveling truths that might shake the very foundations of his identity.
Deep within the library's history section, Naruto's eyes caught a glimpse of a title that froze him in his tracks. It was a book older and more worn than the others, its binding cracked and pages yellowed with age. The title read "The Uzumaki of Uzu." A sense of urgency gripped him as he pulled it from the shelf. He was an Uzumaki, yet he knew almost nothing about what that meant, except for the spirals that symbolized his last name and appeared on his favorite ramen shop's sign.
With a cautious look around to ensure no one was paying him any undue attention, Naruto opened the book. The first few pages were filled with images of a village he did not recognize, marked by large, spiraling structures and bright, red bridges. As he read on, Naruto discovered that Uzu was once a small but powerful village known for its inhabitants' mastery of sealing jutsu and a life force so strong it granted them incredible vitality and longevity.
The text detailed the Uzumaki clan's reputation for their fuinjutsu—sealing techniques that were so advanced and feared that it eventually led to the village's downfall. Enemy villages, threatened by Uzu's potential power in wartime, formed alliances and destroyed it, fearing that the Uzumaki's abilities could upset the balance of power in the shinobi world.
Naruto's hands trembled slightly as he absorbed every word. The realization that he had a clan, that he was part of something bigger than he had ever imagined, was both thrilling and heartbreaking. The book explained that the few Uzumaki who survived the destruction of their village dispersed across the world, their once-great name fading into obscurity over the decades.
As he read about the fall of his ancestral home, a mixture of pride and sorrow filled him. He felt a connection to these people, his people, who had suffered such tremendous loss. The book mentioned that the Uzumaki were also known for their distinctive red hair, a trait that seemed to have been lost in him, which only added to his feelings of disconnection from his heritage.
The final pages of the book described the Uzumaki's lasting legacy in the ninja world, including their contributions to various villages' fuinjutsu practices and how they were still remembered in certain circles with a mixture of respect and fear.
Putting the book down, Naruto sat back, his mind racing with new information. He was an Uzumaki, a descendant of a once-great clan known for their powerful sealing techniques and incredible life force. He wondered if this had anything to do with the mysterious wood jutsu he could perform—was it somehow connected to his Uzumaki heritage, or was it simply another mystery of his complex lineage?
With a deep sigh, Naruto realized how little he truly knew about himself. This discovery was a piece of the puzzle of his identity, one that brought new questions even as it answered old ones. He knew he had much to learn, not just about his abilities but about where he came from.
Determined to uncover more, Naruto decided to keep the book, thinking it might help him understand more about his lineage and perhaps lead him to more answers about his mysterious powers. As he left the library, the weight of the book in his bag felt like the weight of his newfound heritage—a call to explore and understand the legacy of the Uzumaki.
What he did not notice, was the small forgotten book note inside the book he took with him home. That book note had a name written on it, "Kushina Uzumaki".