After Naruto returned home, exhaustion settled over him like a heavy blanket.
His body ached slightly from the long day, and his eyelids drooped.
He yawned loudly, stretching his arms over his head before scratching the back of his neck.
"Man, I'm beat..." he muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes as he stumbled toward his bed.
Collapsing onto the mattress, he let out a sigh of relief, his muscles finally relaxing.
He turned onto his side, staring at the ceiling as sleep crept up on him. Just as he was about to drift off, a faint glow flickered in his vision.
Naruto blinked groggily. "Huh...?"
A pale golden screen suddenly materialized before his eyes. His tiredness instantly faded as he sat up, puzzled. The translucent screen hovered in the air, gently pulsating as if waiting for his response.
On the golden panel, two options were displayed:
---
[ Analyze ]
[ Samples ]
---
Naruto rubbed his eyes again, wondering if he was imagining things. He reached out cautiously, attempting to touch the screen, but his fingers passed through it like an illusion.
"Eh? I can't touch it?" Naruto mumbled, his curiosity piqued.
As he tilted his head left and right, the screen followed his movement. His lips curled into an excited grin. "Oh-ho, so it moves when I move, huh?"
Determined to figure this out, Naruto focused on the first option, [ Samples ], and imagined selecting it. The screen changed instantly.
The new interface was mostly empty, displaying nothing but a blank space. "Tch, lame... nothing here," he muttered in disappointment.
However, he noticed two small buttons at the corners of the screen—one with an arrow and the other marked with an 'X.'
His instincts told him to press the arrow, and sure enough, the screen reverted to the initial two-option display.
"Alright, let's try the other one!" Naruto grinned as he selected [ Analyze ].
This time, lines of text appeared before him:
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Function: Can analyze any bloodline limit or talent. Upon analysis, the user can develop the same bloodline limit or talent.
Requirements: A DNA sample of the target bloodline or individual is necessary for analysis.
---
At the bottom of the text, another button labeled [ Next ] appeared. Naruto pressed it, and a new screen with two empty slots, each marked with a '+' sign, was displayed.
As Naruto tapped on one of the slots, a notification appeared:
[ Insufficient Samples ]
Naruto frowned, crossing his arms. "Huh... what does that even mean? What's a DNA sample? And what's a bloodline limit?" He scratched his head, completely lost.
Shrugging, he sighed. "Whatever... I'll think about it later. I gotta wake up early tomorrow."
With that, he dismissed the screen by pressing the 'X' button. He yawned and turned over, pulling the thin blanket over himself.
But just as he closed his eyes, a thought struck him, and he bolted upright again.
"Wait... how do I open that screen again?"
Panic briefly settled in before he took a deep breath and focused, trying to will the golden screen to appear again.
Sure enough, the golden panel flashed back into existence. Naruto grinned in satisfaction. "So that's how it is, huh?"
Feeling pleased with his discovery, he dismissed the screen once more, muttered a final "I'll figure it out later," and finally drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Naruto had only been asleep for an hour when a sudden knock echoed through his apartment.
He groaned, rolling over. "Ugh... who is it now?" His voice was thick with sleep as he rubbed his eyes. Stumbling toward the door, he yawned before pulling it open.
Standing outside was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing his usual gentle smile.
"Grandpa Hokage? What are you doing here at this time of night?" Naruto asked, still groggy.
Hiruzen chuckled. "Congratulations, Naruto, on passing the graduation exam."
Hearing this Naruto's face instantly brightened. Scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin, he said, "Heh, it's nothing, Grandpa."
Despite his casual words, the praise made his mood soar. He rarely received genuine acknowledgment, so hearing it from the Hokage himself filled him with pride.
Hiruzen continued, "I've even prepared a special gift for your graduation, Naruto."
Naruto's eyes widened in excitement. "Really, Grandpa?! You're the best! What is it?" He bounced on his feet, barely able to contain himself.
With a knowing smile, Hiruzen unsealed a small scroll from within his robes. In a puff of smoke, two smaller scrolls appeared in his hands, which he then handed to Naruto.
"Memorize these techniques carefully. Once you've done so, I will destroy the scrolls," Hiruzen instructed.
Naruto eagerly unrolled them, his eyes scanning the titles.
Flying Thunder God Technique
Multi Shadow Clone Technique
Although Naruto didn't know anything about the two techniques given to him by the Hokage, he trusted that they were powerful since the Hokage had chosen them for him. Without hesitation, he quickly began memorizing them.
For the next hour, Naruto poured over the contents, committing every detail to memory. His face was serious, his usual goofiness set aside as he concentrated fully.
After finishing, Naruto looked up and said, "Grandpa, I've memorized them."
Hiruzen nodded in approval before setting the scrolls alight with a small fire jutsu, reducing them to ash.
"Good. These techniques are extremely powerful, Naruto. You must keep them a secret," Hiruzen warned.
Naruto gave a firm nod, his expression unusually solemn. "Absolutely, Grandpa Hokage! I won't tell anyone!"
However, curiosity soon got the better of him. Scratching his head, he asked, "But, uh… what are these jutsu for?"
Hiruzen placed a hand on Naruto's spiky blonde hair and ruffled it. "You'll understand in time. Just know that these techniques belonged to two of the greatest shinobi to ever live."
Naruto blinked in surprise, but before he could ask anything else, Hiruzen straightened up. "I must take my leave now. Train hard, Naruto."
With that, Hiruzen turned and walked away into the night.
Naruto, still giddy from his unexpected gift, decided to try one of the techniques immediately. Forming the necessary hand seals, he took a deep breath and shouted, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
...
...
...
Five minutes passed.
Nothing happened.
Naruto's excitement deflated instantly. "Eh?!" He stomped his foot. "Tch, stupid jutsu! Guess I'll just have to start practicing tomorrow…" He yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah… practice makes perfect…"
Muttering to himself, he crawled back into bed, exhaustion finally winning over his excitement.
Inside the Hokage Tower
Hiruzen had just reached his office, ready to retire for the night, when the door to his chamber was suddenly flung open.
BANG!
Danzo Shimura stepped in, his cane striking the floor with a sharp clack! His single visible eye bore into Hiruzen with unmasked disapproval.
Hiruzen sighed internally, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Can't he enter a room like a normal person?
"Hiruzen," Danzo said coldly, his tone heavy with accusation. "I heard you gave Naruto techniques from the Scroll of Seals. Have you lost your mind?"
Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke from his pipe and leaned back in his chair. "I see the walls of this village have ears. Though, I suppose I should've expected you to find out."
Danzo took a step forward, his grip tightening on his cane. "You deliberately handed the boy two of the most dangerous techniques ever recorded. The Flying Thunder God, the technique of the Fourth Hokage himself, and the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, a jutsu considered forbidden due to the massive chakra cost. And you gave them… to him?"
Hiruzen remained calm. "Yes, I did."
Danzo's eye narrowed. "Explain yourself."
Hiruzen took another slow puff of his pipe before speaking. "It is to make up for a regret I've carried for years."
Danzo scoffed. "Regret? Are you saying you're compensating him for being an orphan? Sentimentality has no place in leadership, Hiruzen. That boy is unstable, unpredictable. The son of the Fourth Hokage or not, he is the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. Giving him such power is reckless."
Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly. "And yet you wanted him as your personal weapon the moment he was born."
Danzo's grip on his cane tightened, but he didn't deny it. "If he had been raised under my guidance, he would have already become Konoha's strongest asset."
Hiruzen's eyes turned sharp. "Naruto is not a tool. He is a child. A shinobi of this village. And he deserves the opportunity to grow into his potential—not as a weapon, but as a person."
Danzo sneered. "You grow soft, Hiruzen. Do you truly believe the village will accept him? That they will embrace the son of the man who failed to protect them?"
Hiruzen's voice was firm. "It is my duty to ensure that he has a chance to prove himself." He stood up, placing his hands behind his back. "I have made my decision, Danzo. And I will not change it."
Danzo glared at him for a long moment before exhaling sharply. "One day, your idealism will be your downfall."
Hiruzen's lips curled into a slight smirk as he walked past Danzo, pausing at the doorway.
Then, in a calm but absolute tone, he uttered the words that ended the argument:
"Danzo… I am the Hokage."
Without another word, he left the room, leaving Danzo standing alone in silence, his expression unreadable.