Mizuki's voice echoed through the dense forest.
"Naruto!! I see you! Come out now! Hand over the Sealed Scroll, and I'll let you go!"
His grip tightened around a kunai as his eyes scanned the dark thicket. Step by step, he closed in on a dense patch of bushes where Naruto was hiding.
Naruto, crouching low, peered through the leaves. A smirk tugged at his lips.
"Idiot. I don't have time for you right now."
Now that he had learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, Naruto was more than capable of beating Mizuki into the dirt. But he had bigger plans. He needed more power.
He took a deep breath, fully accepting his identity. This is my life now. Uzumaki Naruto. Running wouldn't change anything.
"System, are there any more rewards? Like a beginner's gift pack?"
A soft chime rang in his head.
[Ding! Beginner's gift pack unlocked: 100-square-meter system storage space obtained.]
Then—
[Ding! Host must now select a faction.]
[Faction 1: Become Konoha's devoted protector, inherit the Will of Fire, and obtain the 'Holy Saint's Aura.']
Effect: Talk no Jutsu +100%. Gain the ability to influence enemies with love and words.
[Faction 2: Walk the path of vengeance, rebel against Konoha, and seek justice for Uzumaki Naruto's suffering.]
Effect: Gain 2 seconds of photographic memory—instantly imprint any two jutsu from the Sealed Scroll into your mind.
Naruto's smirk widened.
"Tch, as if there's even a choice. Who the hell would be Konoha's lapdog?"
Without hesitation, he selected Faction 2.
[Ding! Host has chosen rebellion. Naruto is now classified as a rogue ninja.]
Then, another warning appeared.
[Due to current strength limitations, defection must occur within one year. Failure to defect will result in forced termination of the system.]
Naruto blinked.
"Wait—what?! Self-destruction?!"
But after a moment, he shrugged. One year is plenty of time. With Flying Thunder God, he could leave whenever he wanted.
A surge of heat flared in his eyes.
[Activating super memory ability. Prepare to scan selected jutsu.]
Naruto felt his vision sharpen like a camera lens focusing. In just two seconds, he memorized every detail of the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Eight Gates.
"This is insane..."
Mizuki's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Naruto!!! I found you!"
His footsteps grew louder as he approached the bushes.
Naruto's grin turned sharp.
"Tch. You're annoying."
Mizuki snarled. "You damn demon fox!"
With a flick of his wrist, several kunai shot through the air.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Sharp blades cut through branches, embedding deep into the trees. Mizuki narrowed his eyes.
"No movement?"
He took a cautious step forward.
"Did he die already?"
Just as he reached for the bush—
"Your grandpa isn't going down that easily, Mizuki!"
"MULTIPLE SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!"
A massive boom shook the trees.
Then—
Naruto clones burst from every direction, swarming Mizuki like a tidal wave.
Dozens. No, hundreds.
In an instant, Mizuki was surrounded.
His eyes widened in shock.
"W-What?! This many...!?"
The clones perched on tree branches, stood on the ground, even hung upside down from the trunks. The entire forest was filled with grinning Narutos.
"Mizuki! Didn't you just call me a demon fox?"
Naruto cracked his knuckles.
"Let's see how you like getting beaten by one!"
Mizuki's face twisted with rage. "Tch! You ARE a demon fox! The entire village hates you, Naruto!"
Desperate, he reached for the massive four-pointed shuriken on his back. With a powerful swing, he hurled it toward the nearest clone.
SWOOSH!
The spinning blade whistled through the air, striking several clones—
BOOM! BOOM!
They vanished in puffs of smoke.
Mizuki grinned—until he realized something.
"...Wait. That was only four."
Over 900 Naruto clones remained.
And they were all laughing.
"Pfft—hahahaha!"
"Wow, Mizuki, you suck!"
"Only four? That's so weak!"
Some clones wiggled their eyebrows mockingly. Others turned around and shook their butts at Mizuki in taunting unison.
Mizuki's face burned red with fury.
From a distance, two ANBU operatives watched in disbelief.
One of them, wearing a wolf mask, muttered, "This can't be real... Naruto learned Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
The other, in a hawk mask, nodded slowly. "And look at the sheer number... Easily over a thousand. His chakra reserves are monstrous."
Both fell silent, sharing an unspoken thought—
Naruto wasn't just some dropout anymore.
Back in the battlefield, Mizuki gritted his teeth. "Damn it! Damn it!!"
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small glass vial. Inside, a thick red liquid swirled ominously.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that?"
Mizuki sneered.
"You forced my hand, Naruto."
He popped the cork and chugged the entire thing.
The moment the liquid touched his tongue, his veins bulged. His pupils contracted as his body twitched violently.
Then—
BOOM!
A wave of red chakra exploded from Mizuki's body. His muscles swelled unnaturally, his skin turning a dark shade.
He grinned maniacally.
"This is Orochimaru's secret serum! With this power, I'll kill you, Naruto!"
His feral laughter echoed through the forest.
-----------------------------
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