The night air was a cold whip against my face as I darted across the Konoha rooftops. The village slept, oblivious to the drama unfolding in its heart. My Two-Tomoe Sharingan was active, not overtly glowing crimson, but subtly enhancing my vision, turning the familiar rooftops into a grayscale map of strategic advantage. I could perceive the faint, erratic chakra signature of Naruto heading towards the Hokage's office, and a colder, more calculating one—Mizuki—moving to intercept him. The trap was sprung.
I reached the Hokage's office rooftop, concealed behind a large, decorative chimney. Below, the windows of the Forbidden Scroll vault were already shattered, glass glittering on the ground. Naruto, grunting with effort, was struggling with a massive, ancient scroll, far too large for his small frame. He was pulling it through the window, clearly believing this was some secret "Hokage test." My heart clenched. The innocence, the sheer desperation for acknowledgment, was painful to witness.
I had to intervene, but not yet. He needed the Shadow Clone Jutsu. That technique was fundamental to his future, to his growth. I had to ensure he learned it.
Naruto finally wrestled the enormous Forbidden Scroll of Seals free and disappeared into the night, heading towards the isolated clearing in the forest. I let him go, my gaze fixed on the broken window. The scent of ozone, a faint trace of Mizuki's chakra, lingered in the air.
Moments later, a familiar, furious voice echoed from below. Iruka-sensei. He had arrived. I heard his panicked shouts, saw him rush into the office, discovering the theft. He quickly deduced Naruto's likely destination and sprinted off. The stage was set.
I dropped silently from the rooftop, landing in the shadows of the alleyway. My course was clear: the forest clearing. I activated my Shunshin no Jutsu, pushing my D-rank speed to its limits. The world blurred around me as I moved, a low-profile streak through the moonlit trees. I needed to arrive before Mizuki could fully manipulate Naruto, but not so early as to expose myself to both of them without sufficient cover.
I arrived at the clearing just as the scene was beginning. Naruto sat cross-legged, the giant scroll unfurled before him, looking frustrated. He was muttering about the Shadow Clone Jutsu, clearly struggling. Iruka-sensei then burst into the clearing, panting, relief warring with anger in his eyes.
"Naruto! What do you think you're doing?!" Iruka yelled, his voice laced with concern.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto stammered, surprised. "I'm practicing the Shadow Clone Jutsu! Mizuki-sensei said it was a secret test!"
And then, Mizuki dropped from the trees, landing with a smirk that chilled me to the bone. "That's right, Naruto," he purred, his too-wide smile stretching his face into a grotesque mask. "But there's something he's not telling you, Naruto. Something about the scroll... and about you."
He began his venomous revelation, exposing Naruto's status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Naruto's face crumpled, tears welling in his eyes, disbelief and pain warring within him. Iruka-sensei reacted with fury, trying to shield Naruto from Mizuki's cruel words.
This was my moment.
I moved from the deeper shadows, appearing with a subtle Shunshin behind a large tree, just out of Naruto's immediate line of sight, but within clear view for Iruka and Mizuki if they looked. My goal: distract Mizuki, buy Naruto time to recover and learn the jutsu, and then take Mizuki down.
"Mizuki-sensei!" I called out, my voice laced with feigned shock and confusion. "What are you talking about? And what are you doing here?"
All three heads snapped towards me. Mizuki's eyes narrowed, his smirk faltering slightly. Iruka-sensei looked surprised, then relieved. Naruto, though, just looked bewildered.
"Namekaze?!" Mizuki snarled, his eyes flashing. "Stay out of this! This doesn't concern you!"
"It concerns anyone in Konoha when a sensei is spreading such hateful lies!" I shot back, injecting a touch of righteous indignation into my voice. It was a gamble, but I needed to establish myself as a legitimate, if naive, interference.
Mizuki snarled, dropping his pretense of calm. "Foolish brat! You want to play hero? Fine!" He pulled out his massive Fūma Shuriken, its blades glinting ominously in the moonlight. "Then you'll die first!"
He launched the shuriken. It spun towards me with deadly speed. I didn't activate my Sharingan fully; it wasn't necessary, and it was too risky. Instead, I relied on the improved Combat Awareness and Taijutsu from my Gai-sensei training. I executed a low dodge, the massive shuriken whistling inches over my head, embedding itself in the tree behind me.
"Namekaze, get back!" Iruka yelled, trying to shield Naruto.
"Iruka-sensei, focus on Naruto!" I shouted back, already moving. "I'll hold him!"
It was a bold bluff, designed to keep Iruka from interfering too much and to make Mizuki underestimate me. I engaged Mizuki in close combat, relying on basic taijutsu. He was a Chunin, far stronger and faster than me, but I had the Evolution System's improvements and the stable Two-Tomoe Sharingan subtly active. Every one of his movements became slightly clearer, his openings more apparent. I didn't try to win; I tried to survive and annoy.
I dodged, weaved, and parried, my movements surprisingly fluid. My Shunshin allowed me to momentarily disappear and reappear, throwing off his rhythm. He was enraged, frustrated by my evasion.
"Why won't you fall, brat?!" he roared, swinging his kunai wildly.
I needed to buy more time. I leaped back, creating some distance. "You think you can just betray the village, Mizuki-sensei?" I challenged, my voice echoing with youthful defiance. "The Hokage will find out!"
"By then, I'll have the scroll!" he snarled, charging.
This was it. He was coming for the scroll. I had to create a bigger distraction. I took a deep breath, quickly performing the hand signs.
"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"
Three small, precise fireballs burst from my mouth, streaking towards Mizuki. They weren't powerful enough to seriously injure a Chunin, but they forced him to deflect and dodge, disrupting his charge. He swatted them away with his kunai, a look of surprise crossing his face. A Genin using Fire Release, and so accurately? It was enough to throw him off balance.
As he dodged my fireballs, I heard it—the faint poof of chakra behind me. I risked a quick glance. Naruto, his face grim, had finally created his Shadow Clones. Dozens of them. They looked perfect, solid, brimming with chakra. He had done it.
"Alright, Mizuki!" Naruto's voice, now filled with an uncharacteristic resolve, boomed across the clearing. "Leave Iruka-sensei and Namekaze alone! I'll deal with you!"
My heart swelled with a complex mix of pride and relief. Naruto had found his footing. My part of the plan was done. Now, I just needed to facilitate Naruto's victory and ensure Mizuki was captured.
Mizuki, distracted by the sudden army of Narutos, hesitated. This was my chance. I saw his next move, saw the opening. I quickly performed the hand signs for the Great Flame Bullet. It wasn't full power, but enough.
"Katon: Gōka Messhitsu!"
A burst of widespread flame erupted from my mouth, not aimed at Mizuki directly, but at the ground between him and the Shadow Clones, creating a momentary wall of fire and smoke. It blinded him, disoriented him, and further diverted his attention from Naruto.
"What?!" Mizuki roared, stumbling back, his eyes watering from the smoke.
"NOW, NARUTO!" I shouted, dropping low into a defensive stance, my own chakra reserves severely depleted.
Naruto didn't hesitate. With a roar of his own, the dozens of Shadow Clones descended upon Mizuki, a barrage of fists, feet, and pure, unadulterated fury. The Chunin was overwhelmed, beaten senseless by the sheer numbers, finally collapsing into an unconscious heap.
Silence fell, broken only by Naruto's heavy breathing and Iruka-sensei's stunned gasp. I stood panting, my legs trembling from chakra exhaustion and adrenaline. My two-tomoe Sharingan, still subtly active, was now throbbing faintly, pushing its limits.
Iruka-sensei stared at me, then at the defeated Mizuki, then back at Naruto, who stood proudly amidst his dissipated clones. He finally turned to me, his gaze analytical. "Namekaze... your Fire Release... and your taijutsu..."
I quickly deactivated my Sharingan, forcing my eyes back to their normal, dark state. "I... I just reacted, Sensei," I stammered, feigning exhaustion and a touch of shock. "And Gai-sensei's training... it helped a lot." I rubbed my head, putting on a tired smile. "That Fireball Jutsu was harder than I thought. Took everything I had."
He looked at me for a long moment, a new light in his eyes, a mixture of pride, confusion, and a hint of suspicion he quickly masked. He knew I had exceeded normal Genin capabilities, but my story was just plausible enough, my exhaustion convincing.
"Naruto," Iruka-sensei said, turning to him, a warm, proud smile finally breaking through his earlier shock. "Come here." He then gave Naruto his own Konoha headband, confirming his graduation in a moment of pure, heartfelt emotion. I watched, a silent observer, feeling a wave of satisfaction. My true objective for Naruto was achieved.
The ANBU arrived shortly after, securing Mizuki and the Forbidden Scroll. I offered my statement, a carefully constructed narrative of a Genin who saw a sensei manipulating a peer, tried to intervene, and used the few techniques he knew to help. My performance was convincing. I was tired, almost collapsing from the "effort," a testament to my physical training.
That night, back at the orphanage, I finally checked the Evolution System.
Mission Objective Complete: Serpent's Deception. You have been awarded 50 EP. Current EP: 250. Mission Objective Complete: Field Combat Experience. You have been awarded 25 EP. Current EP: 275. You have acquired a Major Stealth Boost, a Minor Intelligence Boost, a Major Combat Awareness Boost, and a Major Teamwork Boost. New Skill Unlocked: Body Flicker Technique (Ninjutsu - Rank D -> C) New Skill Unlocked: Fire Release: Burning Ash Accumulation (Ninjutsu - Rank B- -> B)
The rewards were immense. The satisfaction even greater. Mizuki was neutralized, the scroll was safe, and Naruto had his Shadow Clones. I had directly altered a crucial canon event, and emerged with greater power and no immediate suspicion. The path ahead was still fraught with peril, but I had proven my capabilities. I was not just a forgotten Uchiha. I was an evolving force, ready to carve my own destiny in this dangerous world.
End of chapter 18