Next Day,
Naruto woke up from his sleep and finished his morning routine. After making some toast and milk, he started eating his breakfast.
Surprisingly, his first thought wasn't to eat ramen but rather a healthy food.
After that, he wore his clothes and walked out of his apartment. He wanted to find the cameraman and finish his Registration Job.
He also had some other plans with Old Man Hokage. After careful planning for an entire night, he found a way to make Old Man reveal more about his parents.
So, he quickly got his photo and finished his Registration Form. Now, he was standing in front of the Third Hokage.
While Old Man was checking his form, he stared at Naruto with a little bit of surprise and chuckled.
"I thought you would cover your face with war paint and make yourself look like an idiot for this photo."
"Old Man, did you really think I was such an idiot?" Naruto rolled his eyes and sat down on the chair.
He was a bit nervous about his plan but this was something he came up with a lot of concentration.
Third Hokage just chuckled and stamped on the Registration Form.
"Congratulations Naruto, you are officially a Genin of Konoha."
Suddenly, he noticed the expression on Naruto's face and his brows twitched for a moment. He knew something was bothering Naruto.
And Naruto was hesitating to tell him. So, he took a deep breath and asked.
"Is there a problem Naruto?"
"Old Man, will you punish me for something that I have already done and it didn't affect me anymore?" Naruto cautiously asked.
Third Hokage paused for a moment and countless thoughts came to his mind but he couldn't confirm any of those. So, he simply asked.
"I won't punish you for something that didn't affect anyone. So, tell me what did you do?"
"Before that, I want to ask you something. It has been bothering me since yesterday morning but I don't think that is even possible."
"But considering that there is a mountain-sized beast inside my belly, I consider this thing to be possible." Naruto continued to speak but went nowhere.
His words made Third Hokage even more anxious. He knew that something was truly bothering Naruto and it wasn't simple.
The way Naruto was speaking and his words were making Third Hokage a bit more anxious. His expression darkened as he asked with a serious tone.
"Tell me everything, Naruto!"
"Alright! Yesterday, I managed to borrow its Chakra. In my defense, I was quite angry about you not telling me about Nine Tails and even more anxious because of Mizuki's death."
"Of course, I only borrowed its Chakra for a moment, and then suddenly, something happened. My mind suddenly became clear."
At first, Third Hokage was shocked beyond words. He immediately stood up from his desk and went to Naruto.
He pulled Naruto's jacket and saw that the seal was completely intact. He breathed heavily with a sigh of relief. Only then, did he register Naruto's last words.
"I am not sure if I can be angry at your action since I didn't tell you about the Nine Tails. But, what do you mean your mind suddenly became clear?"
Naruto took a deep breath and said.
"As I said, my mind suddenly became clear. I didn't get smart or even learn a lot of things but I managed to figure out the Training shortcut of Multi-Shadow Clones and Vertical Surface Walking that most Ninjas do."
"You know, this is not something I should be able to do. It's humiliating but I am dead last for a reason. It took me by surprise when I started thinking about my problems logically and made choices."
"Such as eating healthy food instead of ramen. I used shadow clones and transformation to buy food from vendors who didn't sell me before. These things never crossed my mind."
"Yeah, I could play smart during my pranks but except for that, I was nowhere near this good and logical. So, after careful consideration and thinking, I realize that someone must have used seals to block my logical side."
"And, using Nine Tails' Chakra, I was able to break that seal. I am not sure if that's even possible but there seems to be no other explanation. And, only you are in the position to do something like that."
When he finished his explanation, Third Hokage was stunned for a moment. He was a bit bitter and sad when Naruto finally accused him of something that he didn't do.
But, he couldn't blame Naruto. Suddenly, an idea popped up in his mind as he asked.
"Naruto, I can assure you that it wasn't me. But since you have gotten smarter, I believe you can hold some secrets."
Naruto gulped down and nodded.
"Naruto, what am I about to tell you is a village secret so you mustn't reveal it to anyone. The only reason why I am telling you this is because I want you to believe that I will never do something to harm you."
Naruto took a deep breath and nodded.
Finally, Third Hokage put down his smoking pipe and said.
"You see Naruto, while Hokage is the leader of the Konoha, he isn't the only one in power. Several others can influence the politics of Konoha."
"For example, Hokage can't easily interfere with a Clan's Rule. That's why Hokage can't take action against a Clan unless they are against Konoha. Likewise, there is a Council that helps Hokage run the village."
"Originally, Hokage had a lot of power in the council but after Nine Tails' attack, some of that power fell into the hands of civilians who helped Konoha stabilize its economy."
"And, just like that, there are other people who have some forces of their own. I can't give you the direct name but I believe you can understand."
Naruto nodded his head and said.
"So, even if you are the Hokage, these people can still influence your decisions. But, still, if that seal was a real thing and not just a possibility that I consider, isn't it a big offense against Konoha."
Third Hokage expression hardened as he spoke.
"Exactly, that is a capital offense in Konoha. But, without proper evidence, we can't take any action against others. So, first, we must find proper evidence."
"Not to mention, we don't even know who did it. It could be a Clan Head or it could be a random Shinobi. Or, it could be Konoha's Advisors. In short, we need evidence, Naruto."
Naruto paused for a moment and asked.
"Can't we catch the thief by showing him the gold?"
Third Hokage paused for a moment and looked at Naruto with a surprise.
"Now, I have more reasons to believe your theory. Do you have any plans?"
Naruto smiled and asked.
"Old Man, do you believe that intelligence can affect one's talent?"
Third Hokage nodded his head and said.
"Of course! Nara Clan have some of the best strategic minds but they are lazy by nature. Even so, they have some of the best Chunin and Jonin. This is entirely due to their intelligence."
Naruto slowly stood up and walked toward the wall. He stepped on the wall and spoke.
"Then, what would you do if I said that I mastered Vertical Surface in eight hours?"
Third Hokage's eyes almost bulged out.
"You mastered it in just eight hours?"
Naruto spoke again.
"It is a Chakra Control Exercise, isn't it? I can feel my Chakra Control getting better after this. And, yesterday, I found something else."
"I found that I have Jonin if not even Kage Level Chakra Reserve. So, how can a student with Jonin Level Chakra Reserve master Leaf Concentration Exercise and find out that he has a Chakra Control problem with that seal influencing him?"
Hearing his words, Third Hokage's eyes narrowed. He clenched his fist and released of some his bloodlust but it wasn't affecting Naruto.
It was only creating more and more pressure for the Anbu who were stationed outside.
"Old Man, you don't need to be angry anymore. If we keep getting angry at our past, how can we move ahead? If I hadn't let go of my past, I wouldn't have forgiven those villagers."
Naruto saw his expression and noticed that the atmosphere was getting heavier. Although it wasn't affecting him, he could still notice it.
[Extreme Bloodlust has been detected]
[Congratulations on keeping your mind calm in Extreme Bloodlust]
[You have awakened a new skill 'Killing Intent']
[Skill- Killing Intent
Description- For a Ninja, Killing Intent is one of the many tools to intimidate others. It can be obtained from killing hundreds, if not thousands of people.
Mastery- 2%
Advantage- Intimidation
Disadvantage- None
Note- You can improve Killing Intent by killing or bearing other's Killing Intent]
Naruto saw several of those screens appearing in front of him. He gave it one glance and turned his attention toward Hokage.
Suddenly, Third Hokage walked toward him and raised his hand. Naruto was a bit confused and a bit scared as well.
But, the Third Hokage put his palm on Naruto's head, ruffled his hair, and said with a gentle smile on his face.
"Naruto, one day, you will become Hokage just like if not greater than Lord First."