[The chapter has been edited.]
Kap…
"Haa… Haa…"
Kap… Kap…
Two exhausted and bleeding figures—a blond man in a white cloak and a red-haired girl in a dress—stood impaled by the massive claw of the nine-tailed demon fox. The target of the Nine-Tails' attack was the crying infant lying before them, their precious child, whom they had shielded at the cost of their own lives.
This fading couple was named Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. At the moment of their son Naruto's birth, an unknown masked ninja, wielding the special Sharingan eye and possessing mysterious abilities of intangibility and teleportation, attacked. He abducted Kushina and, exploiting her weakened seal and postpartum condition, released the Nine-Tails from the seal on her stomach. For a brief time, he even controlled the demon with his Sharingan. That short window was enough to unleash the beast upon Konoha, nearly annihilating the village.
Thanks to his extraordinary skills, Minato—proclaimed the "Yellow Flash of Konoha" and the Fourth Hokage—defeated both the masked ninja and thwarted Konoha's destruction using his signature space-time technique and a spatial barrier. With the aid of the Uzumaki clan's hereditary ability, Kushina restrained the beast with her chakra chains, enabling Minato to seal half of the Nine-Tails' chakra into himself. Then, to avoid endangering the infant's life, he sealed the remaining half into his newborn son, making Naruto a Jinchuriki.
The Nine-Tails, now free from the Sharingan's control, understood what was about to happen. In a desperate bid to avoid being sealed within a human once more, it attempted to exploit Minato's distraction and kill little Naruto. But parental instincts proved stronger than the pain and exhaustion they endured. Minato and Kushina stood in the path of the attack, halting the claw mere centimeters from their child.
Now frozen in that position, they gazed at their son with warmth in their eyes. Minato, pained that Kushina had also placed herself in harm's way, spoke through labored breaths, "I told you… it's a father's duty to protect his family and child…"
Kushina, her voice weak, countered, "Nevertheless… I am his mother…"
Recalling Minato's plan to seal the Nine-Tails into Naruto, she added, "You know… This is the first time… it's hard for me to argue with you…" She offered a bitter smile. "I think we're ready now…"
Minato smiled back and replied, "Thank you, Kushina."
After performing a series of hand seals, Minato summoned a toad named Gerotora and entrusted it with the key to the Eight Trigrams Seal, which would be used to imprison the Nine-Tails within Naruto. The toad would later deliver it to Jiraiya. As this unfolded, Kushina gazed at her child with sorrow and whispered, "Naruto… It's such a pity we won't be able to raise you… guide you… and direct you…"
Minato, having dismissed the toad back to its dimension, watched Kushina with a bitter expression, lost in deep thought. Kushina, her eyes vacant, continued, "I would have loved to see… how you grow up… fall in love for the first time… find a bride… heh… maybe even more than one… I still regret the fate of our clan… It would be wonderful if you could one day revive it… Naruto…"
Unable to bear his wife's heart-wrenching words any longer, Minato snapped out of his reverie and resolved to suggest something he'd never have considered otherwise, "Kushina… I have a way we could, in some sense, accompany our son on his future path, but…"
Before he could finish, Kushina interrupted, "Is that true? Then… whatever it costs, I want it!"
With a bitter smile, Minato responded, "Kushina, listen…" He coughed, spitting blood, then pressed on. "We have little time… The method I'm talking about is a special seal I began developing the day I learned you were pregnant. This seal was meant to act as an artificial mentor, passing wisdom and knowledge from parent to child. But I couldn't devise a safe way to limit and organize that knowledge to prevent it from overwhelming the mind. The only solution I found was to sacrifice a part of my soul, giving the seal a semblance of intelligence—making it self-sufficient and self-regulating. It would become more than a collection of facts; it'd be an entire teaching system. However, for us, this is no better than summoning the Shinigami, because in both cases, your soul loses the chance for reincarnation."
"This… Why…?" Kushina was stunned, unable to believe Minato had secretly worked on such a thing.
Minato met her gaze with solemn resolve and explained, "The day I learned you were pregnant was the happiest of my life, but… at the same time, I was gripped by a powerful premonition that something terrible would happen. I didn't know what, so I prepared for the worst possible scenario. I wanted our child to be safe and equipped with the knowledge to protect himself and survive if we were gone. Alas, I never finished the seal. So… Kushina, if you're willing, we can offer parts of our souls and integrate them into it. With two souls, it'll stabilize and become far more effective. Over time, we might even communicate with our son occasionally—briefly, but not limited to a single moment, as it would be if we left only our chakra behind."
Looking at their tiny child, Kushina nodded resolutely and said, "If I can help my son on his path, I'll gladly give my soul for it."
Minato smiled warmly, nodded, and replied, "Then, give me your hand, Kushina."
Kushina and Minato clasped hands, forming a paired seal. Symbols of two distinct seals began to take shape on their free hands—one to encase a fragment of their souls in Minato's new creation, the other to bind the Nine-Tails. After focusing their chakra, Minato declared, "It's ready. Place your hand on Naruto's stomach… I'll conceal this seal behind the Eight Trigrams Seal; their spirals align perfectly. Once we're done, the Nine-Tails will be sealed, along with parts of our souls. Are you ready, Kushina?"
"Mm…" Kushina nodded, her face set with determination.
With her consent, Minato began the paired seals, and Kushina matched him effortlessly, drawing on her vast shinobi experience. When the final seal was completed, a wave of chakra surged through their bodies. Minato proclaimed, "Fuinjutsu: Heritage Seal!" With those words, he finalized the seal's formation.
Instantly, a portion of their essence detached, flowing into the seal on little Naruto's stomach. It formed a spiral pattern reminiscent of the Uzumaki clan symbol, soon overlaid by the Eight Trigrams Seal, which masked it. Smiling, the parents watched as the Shinigami dragged the furious Nine-Tails into the seal. Then, with a sense of duty fulfilled, they let their consciousness follow, merging with the Heritage Seal.
Minato didn't know how long the seal would take to stabilize fully, but he was certain that when it activated, Naruto would be around 11 or 12—still young enough for him and Kushina to guide him, even if only in part.
"Grow up to be a good child… Naruto…"
The last traces of their consciousness vanished into the Shinigami's maw, leaving behind only the crying blond infant, soon retrieved by the Third Hokage.
From this moment began the life of Namikaze Naruto Uzumaki, heir to his parents and the child of prophecy destined to bring true peace to all shinobi nations.
(Twelve years later)
Tap - tap - tap - tap - tap - tap…
A blond boy in an orange jacket and matching cargo pants dashed across Konoha's rooftops, a gleeful grin on his face and paint cans in his hands.
This was twelve-year-old Naruto, currently fleeing from Chunin ninjas after his latest prank—defacing the faces of the four Hokages with doodles and scribbles. The enraged Chunin chasing the nimble blond bellowed, "NARUTO!!! STOP, YOU RASCAL!"
The Chunin squad tried to nab the troublemaker, but as always, our hero somehow slipped through their grasp. This time, like every other, he escaped without much trouble.
Peeling off his camouflage cloth, Naruto glanced back at the Chunin who'd raced past and laughed, "Heh-heh-heh! You'll never catch the great Uzumaki Naruto, believe it, believe it!"
Just then, his joy was cut short by a stern voice, "Oh really, Naruto!?"
"WHOA!" Startled by the angry tone behind him, Naruto jumped and landed flat on his backside.
Turning, he saw his sensei, Iruka, standing with arms crossed, glaring at the culprit. Shocked by his sudden appearance, Naruto stammered, "Iruka-Sensei!? Where'd you come from, and how'd you find me?"
Iruka snapped back, "Better tell me, WHY DID YOU PAINT THE FACES OF THE GREAT HOKAGES, NARUTO???"
"Heh… heh… heh…" Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Iruka-sensei, it was a demonstration of the elusiveness of a future ninja who'll one day be the strongest in the village!"
Iruka's eyebrow twitched. Grabbing Naruto by the collar of his orange jacket, he dragged him toward the vandalized Hokage faces and said, "Well, after such a 'demonstration,' this great and elusive ninja will have to work hard to clean up his mess."
Eyes wide with indignation, Naruto protested, "WHAT!? But I worked so hard to create this masterpiece—you can't make me erase something so grandiose!" He flailed his arms dramatically.
Smirking at Naruto's dismay, Iruka replied, "Oh, I certainly can, and you'd better hurry if you don't want to be at it till late."
Pouting, Naruto crossed his arms, letting Iruka haul him along the ground. He muttered irritably, "What difference does it make, late or not? It's not like anyone's waiting for me at home…"
Catching the hint of sadness in Naruto's voice, Iruka realized this was still a sore spot for the boy. Without parents, he had no source of proper guidance. After a moment's thought, Iruka scratched the bridge of his nose casually and said, "Hey, Naruto. If you finish cleaning the monuments by evening, how about we hit Ichiraku Ramen together? My treat."
Naruto whipped around, eyes gleaming, and exclaimed, "Really? You're not joking, Iruka-sensei? YAY! Now that's some serious motivation! I'll finish in no time, believe it!"
Just then, two young girls strolled by. One wore a red qipao dress with black shorts, her pink hair reaching mid-back. The other, a cute blonde, donned a purple qipao-style dress with elastic combat bandages beneath, covering her chest and hips.
It was Sakura and Ino, the ever-rivalrous duo. Spotting them, Naruto zeroed in on Sakura, waving enthusiastically and shouting, "Hey, Sakura-chan! How're you? Wanna go tomorrow to—"
But before he could finish, the annoyed pink-haired girl cut him off, "Leave me alone, Naruto-baka! I don't have time for whatever you're suggesting. I've got to keep Ino-pig from pawing at my Sasuke!"
Ino, accustomed to this routine, wasn't fazed by Sakura's reaction to Naruto's umpteenth attempt to ask her out. But the last bit irked her, and she snapped, "What'd you say, forehead girl? Since when is Sasuke yours, huh?"
Smirking confidently, Sakura shot back, "He will be tomorrow! I saved up for new popular perfume—it's guaranteed to dazzle Sasuke. He'll fall for me the moment he smells it!"
Raising an eyebrow, Ino laughed, hand over her mouth, and retorted, "Pfft, no way! I finally got Mom's okay to wear light makeup, so toss that perfume in the trash—I'll outshine you, ho-ho-ho!"
The pair strutted off, oblivious to Naruto, leaving him standing with his hand still raised, staring at the empty space they'd occupied.
Snapping out of his latest rejection, Naruto sighed resignedly. Recalling the ramen awaiting him, he hurried off with a smirking Iruka toward the Hokage statues.
True to his word, Naruto cleaned up quickly. Task complete, he and Iruka headed to Ichiraku Ramen. They ordered several bowls and dug in.
Pondering Naruto's antics, Iruka asked, "Hey, Naruto. Why'd you deface such a place? You know who the Hokages are, right?"
"Of course I do!" Naruto gulped down the last of his broth and continued, "The ones with the Hokage title are the village's top ninjas, right?"
Gazing at the carved face of the Fourth Hokage, he added, "And I heard the Fourth Hokage was a hero who saved the village from the monster fox…"
Iruka nodded, then pressed, "But then why?"
Staring at his bowl, Naruto declared, "One day, I'll snag the Hokage title and become the greatest of them all! Believe it!"
He jabbed his chopsticks at Iruka, who gaped, noodles dangling from his mouth, forgotten mid-chew.
Naruto pressed on, "And then, everyone in the village will recognize me and my strength!"
Glancing at the stunned Iruka, he asked, "By the way, Sensei, can I ask for something?"
"Another bowl of ramen?" Iruka ventured, guessing the obvious.
Naruto shook his head and clarified, "Nah, not that. Can I wear your forehead protector?"
Surprised, Iruka touched his own protector and replied, "Oh, this? No way—it's proof you've graduated the Academy and become a real ninja. You'll get yours in two years if you pass the exam. So don't skip class like today. Oh, and by the way, thanks to your stunt, tomorrow's a repeat training exam on the Clone Technique."
Eyes bulging, Naruto yelped, "WHAT? But I can't get that technique down! That's unfair!"
Iruka chuckled at Naruto's outrage—a misstep, as the peeved blond retaliated, "Old man Teuchi! FIVE MORE BOWLS!"
"Coming right up!" Teuchi darted to the kitchen.
Realizing Naruto had ambushed his wallet, Iruka flailed, "Uh… hey, Naruto, wait!…"
Too late. Rest in peace, Iruka's savings.
After eating, Naruto strolled through Konoha's evening streets, hands in pockets, heading home. Passing a snack stand, he overheard a child's voice, "Mom, look! They're selling takoyaki! I want some!!!"
"Oh, what am I going to do with you, Shizuka? Just one, okay?" The mother gently patted her daughter's head.
"Yay!" The girl bounced, thrilled her mom would buy her a treat.
Naruto watched, a pang of envy stirring within. But when the mother caught his gaze, she frowned and hustled her daughter away.
"Tsk…" Kicking a pebble, a glum Naruto trudged onward.
At his apartment, he washed up and flopped face-first onto his bed. Eyes closed, he murmured before drifting off, "Nothing's changed… I need to… try harder…"
As he slipped into sleep, the Heritage Seal within him completed its adaptation. Linking with his chakra, it sent an odd ripple through his body, making him twitch.
"Mmm… damn draft…" Naruto mumbled groggily, assuming he'd left a window open.
Unbeknownst to him, new neural pathways formed in his brain, chakra flowing through them. Words materialized before his eyes, coalescing into messages:
[Activation of the Heritage Seal - Completed.]
[Body scan - Completed.]
[Memory scan - Completed.]
[Compiling training missions - In progress.]
[Time to completion - 8 hours.]
"What a weird… dream…" Half-asleep, Naruto muttered in wonder.
With that, he sank fully into slumber.
[Training missions compiled.]
[Switching to standby mode for suitable events.]
"Mmm… What's this…" Stirring awake, the drowsy blond squinted around.
Seeing nothing amiss, he grumbled, "Another dream? Weird… Whatever, time to get up."
Rolling out of bed, Naruto showered, scarfed down instant ramen, donned his orange outfit, and bolted for the Ninja Academy.
He recalled Iruka's planned Clone Technique exam and was determined to nail it this time, proving he wasn't a failure. Buoyed by resolve, he leaped across rooftops, startling housewives gathering laundry, who yelled after him, "Hey! Watch where you're running, you brat!"
"Heh-heh-heh! I feel so strange today—like something good's coming. Maybe I'll finally ace the Clone Technique!"
The cackling blond bounded on until he reached the Academy. Kids milled about, most with parents, casting unfriendly glances his way—some laced with fear or scorn. Naruto still couldn't fathom why.
He'd long noticed the hatred in those looks, predating his pranks. Some even called him a demon, deepening his confusion and gloom as a lifelong loner. Becoming the village prankster had shifted some of that hate to annoyance, which he preferred. But he soon realized it wasn't the best way to change opinions. Still, he kept at it—for the fun and the scraps of attention it brought.
Mulling this over, Naruto neared his classroom, the din of laughter growing louder. Puzzled, he quickened his pace, thinking:
"What's going on? Are they talking about my prank?"
Stepping inside, he found the class mocking two distressed girls—an odd twist, as he was usually the target. Closer inspection revealed Ino's face caked in makeup and Sakura radiating a pungent scent—likely her perfume—even from the doorway.
Glancing at a fuming Sasuke, Naruto deduced their bid for his attention had flopped spectacularly. Part of him rejoiced—his slim shot with Sakura held steady—but he also pitied them, knowing that sting of ridicule.
Spotting him, Kiba piped up, "Hey, Naruto! Check this out—our resident Sasuke fangirls finally landed a killer blow on emo-boy! Ha-ha-ha!"
A vein pulsed on Sasuke's temple, but he sat silent, hands clasped before his face, barely enduring the spotlight from two fangirls he deemed useless.
Seeing Sasuke's ire, the girls bolted from the room in tears, racing to wash away their blunders. Naruto blinked back to reality and asked Kiba, "Has Iruka-sensei been here yet?"
Kiba, newly arrived, shrugged. Sleepy Shikamaru answered instead, "He was, but got called away for something. Missed the whole Sasuke-fangirl fiasco. Sigh, what a drag—couldn't even nap with all this racket."
Naruto huffed at his nonchalance, "How do you sleep through class and still pass everything decently?"
"He probably cheats or something," Kiba interjected.
Sighing, Shikamaru eyed his dim-witted classmates lazily, "I just use my brain. You two dolts could stand to try it."
Incensed, Naruto and Kiba barked, "WHAT'D YOU SAY? WANNA GO?"
Shikamaru shook his head and shuffled to his seat for a snooze. Then Sasuke's cold, irritated voice cut through, "Noisy… annoying."
"Huh? You want some too?" Naruto and Kiba each planted a foot on Sasuke's desk, glaring daggers.
Just then, Sakura and Ino returned. Seeing their precious Sasuke menaced by two louts, they shoved the boys aside, shot them a final glare, and resumed fawning over the surly Uchiha.
Kiba grumbled, "Man, sometimes they're like the women in my clan—wild as hell."
His quip earned another scowl from the girls, prompting a swift retreat to his desk. Naruto, about to approach Sakura, was interrupted as Iruka entered, commanding attention, "Good morning, kids. Take your seats—I'll check attendance."
Scanning the room, he ticked off his list, then smiled, "Great, everyone's here. Now, as you likely know, one of our students vandalized the Hokage faces."
All eyes swung to Naruto, who scratched his head sheepishly. Seeing they'd pegged the culprit, Iruka continued, "So, as punishment, we're holding a training exam on the Clone Technique today—practice for the upcoming prep exams."
"WHAT?"
"Nooo…"
"Again, we suffer 'cause of that loser Naruto!"
Groans rippled through the class, most glowering at the sweating blond. Only Sasuke (indifferent), Hinata (silently cheering Naruto on), and Shikamaru (still waking up) abstained.
Regaining focus, Iruka clarified, "You've only recently learned this technique, so I'll pass you with one clone. But for the graduation exam in two years, you'll need two or three. Got it?"
"YES, SENSEI!" the class chorused.
Nodding, Iruka called students up, testing their cloning skills. Most managed a decent clone, though a few clanless kids produced shaky ones—still passable, per Iruka.
Then came Naruto's turn.
"Naruto!"
At Iruka's call, Naruto strode forward, facing the class. Instantly, taunts erupted, "Iruka-sensei, no point testing this flop—he's botched cloning twice already!"
"Yeah, don't waste time!"
Iruka silenced them, "Quiet, or it's extra homework."
The threat hushed the hecklers, leaving them to stew in silent glares. Beside Iruka, Naruto shook a fist at them, awaiting the signal.
Iruka nodded, "Alright, Naruto. Begin."
"Hai!"
Forming the ram seal, Naruto gathered chakra. Invisible currents swirled, hinting at its abundance. Feeling ready, he shouted, "Clone Technique!"
PUFF!
Smoke billowed, all eyes locked on the result. It cleared swiftly, revealing a crumpled, origami-like clone sprawled on the floor.
Laughter erupted, especially from Naruto's earlier mockers, who relished his flop. They bullied him partly because, next to him, their own weak clones looked better.
Sighing at the sad clone, Iruka said, "Fail. You need more practice, Naruto, or you'll never pass the graduation exam."
Defeated, Naruto slunk back to his seat. Sakura smirked, thinking:
"As expected, no one tops my Sasuke!"
Ino, sharper, mused:
"With that much chakra, I thought he'd pull it off. Guess change isn't Naruto's thing."
"Sucks, man," Shikamaru yawned. "At least something showed up this time—last time, nada."
Shikamaru rarely joined the mockery—whether from laziness or pity, who knew. Choji nodded, munching chips from an endless stash.
Naruto sighed, "Haaa… Whatever. One day, I'll master it! Not one clone—five… no, ten! Just need more practice, and I'll nail it, Believe it!"
Hinata, watching his grit, smiled shyly, thinking:
"Naruto-kun, you're so determined… never giving up… It inspires me to keep going too."
As Naruto pondered his cloning woes, text flashed before his eyes:
[Mission created - Find out the reason for the difficulty in using the Clone Technique.]
[Rewards - System interface update / Shadow Clone Technique / Mission chain about the user's lineage ??? Naruto Uzumaki]
[Accept? Yes / No]
"Huh? What's this?"
Baffled, Naruto reached for the words, only to poke Sasuke's head, startling him and riling his fangirls. Even Shikamaru gawked as Naruto realized his blunder.
Pulling back, he laughed nervously at the fuming girls and puzzled Sasuke, pointing at the text, "Hey, you see these weird floating letters too, right? What's this?"
"What're you babbling about, idiot?" Sasuke stared blankly at the empty air Naruto indicated.
"HUH? WHO'S THE IDIOT?" Naruto bristled.
The class, used to his antics, dismissed it as another prank, refocusing on Iruka, whose eye twitched at the disruption.
"NARUTO! Stop derailing the lesson!"
"Y… yes, Iruka-sensei…"
Slumping into his seat, Naruto studied the messages, stunned.
"What? A mission? Like… a ninja mission?"
[Affirmative.]
[Accept? Yes / No]
The text answered his thoughts. Eyes widening, he mused:
"It reads my mind? Whoa, some fancy secret jutsu! A mission, huh? What're the rewards? Hmm…"
Reading on, he marveled at the prizes—a new clone technique and lineage info. Orphaned, he'd jump at any clue about his parents, prank or not.
"Weird as hell, but this floating-message thing's offering sweet rewards. Why the question marks by my name? Mean something? What's this Shadow Clone Technique? Bet it's better than the regular one—maybe easier too. That'd rock. First, gotta figure out why I suck at the basic Clone Technique. Alright, Uzumaki Naruto never backs down! Accept."
[Mission accepted.]
[Time to complete - 3 days. To request a hint, think of the current mission and say "Hint" inwardly. The host may request up to two hints per mission.]
[Upon failure, the host will be barred from using chakra until the issue is resolved. Good luck.]
"WHAT!?" Naruto leaped up, yelling mid-class, drawing all eyes again.
Iruka, fed up, hauled him out for the rest of the lesson. Naruto could only groan, "Damn… I'm screwed…"
That summed up both his classroom woes and the mission. Sighing, he cranked his brain into high gear for the first time, plotting how to uncover his cloning flaw. Lacking knowledge, a grim epiphany hit:
"Oh no… Looks like I'm headed to the library!"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Autore Note:
I really hope for your comments, about the writing and the idea in general. Naruto's universe is very complex, and it was a great surprise for me to find out that Anime Naruto in English and in Russian, these are almost two different Animes. There are so many differences in names and concepts that I had to study everything for a long time to find out where and how to write it correctly. Hope it worked out well.
This is my second Fanfiction, and the test first chapter of this Naruto fanfiction. The second and third chapters will come out on my Boosty first. And when I finish with the fourth chapter, I will publish the second on this site.
If you want to support me as an author, or get access to new chapters a little earlier than others, then you can subscribe to my Boosty (russian analogue of Раtrеоn) and read it right now.
My Boosty profile link: (site name) dot (to) /silentdudestory
Or you can just find the link in my Webnovell profile, or in the fanfic description.
Thanks to everyone who is still with me!