Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 18 The Book of Seals

"Don't you want to learn powerful ninjutsu?" A teacher who considered himself a great actor finally appeared in the sight of the two children after a week of following them. His praise and the expected twist revealed his only purpose: "I know a place where a very powerful ninjutsu book is hidden."

"Hey, you're not really planning to steal it, are you?" Halfway there, Sasuke couldn't help but call out to Naruto. Mizuki had indeed grasped their needs, but the deception was a bit too contrived; it might fool a simple-minded child at best. Sasuke craved power, but stealing a book from the Hokage's office... that just didn't sound right. And for some reason, Naruto had just been so innocently focused on getting the book.

Naruto blinked and said matter-of-factly, "Why not go?"

"Something about this doesn't seem right at all. The secret scroll he mentioned is called the Book of Sealing. Would a regular scroll have such a name?" Sasuke frowned, his little brain thinking about things other than getting stronger for the first time.

"Maybe it's just a gimmick? It sounds impressive, which is why people want to learn it, right?" Naruto put his arm around Sasuke's waist and pushed him towards home, deliberately shouting loudly, "Besides, doesn't Sasuke want to learn some new techniques?"

Sasuke still frowned. He wanted to argue, but Naruto rubbed his shoulder, a signal for him to be quiet. Although he didn't understand, he kept quiet until he closed the door.

"What exactly happened?"

"Aren't we going to stay up all night tonight? Let's take a rest now." Naruto said this, but his hands moved with surprising ease.

"The third generation is watching us."

Sasuke was taken aback, then raised his hand to touch his ear. "I really can't do anything with you. Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"

"Were we being monitored?"

"It's because our grandfathers refused to teach us."

"yes."

"Don't oversleep."

"Of course not."

After Naruto's sensory abilities were revealed, he would frequently critique the tracking techniques of the surrounding ANBU members for Sasuke, often breaking the poor ANBU soldiers' nerves and causing them to turn tail and run. Gradually, the ANBU monitoring them moved further away, and their whispered conversations were no longer overheard. However, the Third Hokage's surveillance ninjutsu was an inescapable problem, thankfully the old man didn't have that much time to watch them every day. Today's timing was so special; the Third Hokage's chakra appeared as soon as Mizuki approached, it would be hard to believe it wasn't intentional.

Naruto was willing to trust the Third Hokage because he was confident he could protect Sasuke. Even if things went wrong, he could simply run away with Sasuke. So, as agreed, the two sneaked into the empty office, picked up the huge scroll placed in the most conspicuous spot, and arrived at the agreed location much faster than Mizuki had anticipated, quickly unfurling the large book.

Naruto actually memorized this book.

Forbidden techniques are forbidden because the prerequisites for their activation are stringent or the price to pay is too high. As the Hokage, he could choose not to use these techniques, but he needed to know them because he might encounter opponents who used them. The scroll was fully unrolled, astonishingly long, exceeding the length of a wooden hut. Sasuke was completely captivated; he discovered a significant portion of the book dedicated to Fire Release techniques, and immediately began intently taking notes, his Sharingan wide open. Naruto, on the other hand, paced from one end to the other, finally stopping at the section on the Flying Thunder God Technique.

He hadn't expected the book to be real. The Third Hokage had lifted the seal on the scroll and generously given the entire book to them. He knew perfectly well that Sasuke already knew how to use the Sharingan, and even if his mental strength was lacking, he could at least remember some of the contents.

Human nature is both complex and simple. Complex in that it may fear their growth while secretly providing them with conveniences, and simple in that all its actions are aimed at ensuring the two children have a peaceful childhood.

"Hey, Naruto! Sasuke!" Iruka's aggressive voice interrupted the two children's thoughts. He looked extremely angry, and his eyes were full of worry, clearly genuinely concerned about the children's future.

Sasuke silently closed his Sharingan, clutching his aching temples and pretending he didn't exist, while Naruto smiled "innocently" and greeted his teacher.

"You caught me! Iruka-sensei. Sasuke and I were practicing ninjutsu."

Iruka's anger subsided, replaced by a more serious expression. "Learn ninjutsu?"

"That's right. It was Mizuki-sensei who told us where this book was, and even told us to come here and wait for him to teach us in person!" Naruto, a master at shifting blame, won decisively.

Just as Iruka realized this was a scheme to use someone else to do his dirty work, he heard a whooshing sound behind him. Iruka was about to push the two children aside when they simultaneously kicked him. The force of the kick caused all three to avoid the kunai attack; Iruka was on one side, Naruto and Sasuke on the other, both choosing the same direction to dodge.

The raider was indeed Mizuki. When he saw Iruka there, he knew he couldn't fool the child, so he decided to try to break through their psychological defenses and disrupt their formation first.

"Naruto, Iruka is afraid you'll get it, do you know why?"

"Mizuki, what are you saying?" Mizuki's voice was practically overflowing with malice, and Iruka immediately realized the danger. "Naruto, Sasuke! Quickly, take the scroll and get out of here! I'll hold him off!"

"Hahaha, let me tell you the truth!"

Iruka's resistance only piqued Sasuke's curiosity. Seeing that Naruto didn't move, he gave up on the idea of ​​taking back the scroll. He wanted to see what kind of truth Mizuki could reveal.

"Ever since the Nine-Tails attacked the village twelve years ago, there has been a new rule in the village, a rule that only Naruto Uzumaki cannot know."

"That is, the rule that Naruto must never be revealed!"

Mizuki's malice did not elicit the reaction he hoped for. Iruka was sweating profusely, terrified that Naruto would believe him. Sasuke, however, did not distance himself from Naruto out of fear; instead, his eyes turned red, widened in anger, and the tomoe spinning wildly in one eye multiplied from one to two.

"Say that again and see what happens!" Sasuke hated the talk of monsters and fox spirits. Mizuki using them was one thing, but to dare speak so disrespectfully to Naruto was unacceptable!

Naruto quickly smoothed down Sasuke's frizzy hair, "Don't be so angry..."

"Do you think you're any better than him? That cursed race should have been wiped out long ago!"

Naruto's smile vanished instantly, and a surge of chakra erupted from his face.

"Sasuke, I just learned a new Water Release technique." Naruto glanced disdainfully at Mizuki, who was frozen in place by the chakra intimidation, and said calmly.

"Right on my mind."

As if on the same wavelength, the two children began to form hand seals, and a monstrous wave surged up, engulfing Shuimu with dangerous blue lightning.