Chapter 3: The slightly changed start

sun began to set, and the number of people on Konoha's streets began to dwindle. However, for Konoha, a land of peace and prosperity, the night was not the end of the day, and many people came and went in the prosperous dark market. Patrolling ninjas were occasionally seen in the streets and alleys.

Mizuki was walking home from work, occasionally greeting civilians he recognized.

'The number of ninjas around me appears to be the same, but there were more faces than usual, it looks like they're prepared.'

Indeed, if he truly desired to seize the scroll of seals and defect, his chances were slim. Mizuki, who was quietly observing the situation, went straight to his house, "when was the information leaked? I don't understand Mizuki at all; he's not just a spy and liaison who sent Orochimaru information from Konoha. How could a chunin tell a genin about events that would shape his life so far in advance, and what if he was never allowed to pass the exam?

Was it a group? However, it is unlikely. Orochimaru clearly has a connection to Danzo. There are so many experimental materials and forbidden techniques stolen before Orochimaru defected that it's impossible to recover them without high-level support. Except for the Hokage, the only person with that much power was Danzo, who was in charge of the Anbu's discontinued root division"

Danzo and Orochimaru only had a give-and-take relationship. There was no trust, and it's unlikely that the theft of the scroll of seals would be revealed to Danzo. However, it should be noted that Orochimaru did not take Mizuki seriously, and may have even forgotten about him and that the semi-finished product from the curse mark he gave him was worthless, based on the activation method, Mizuki needed to ingest some sort of drug with a significant side effect.

If those aren't the reasons, it could be because of his previous mission, in which he had to go retrieve some confidential documents while being watched. Or was it his recently close interactions with the Nine-Tailed Jinchurki that was drawing unwanted attention? But after some thought, it wasn't really plausible. He wasn't Anbu, and there was no evidence or information to suggest he was a traitor. He hadn't yet reached the required level of concentration.

According to the original work, the nine-tailed fox attacked Konoha and was sealed in Naruto. Following the sealing, Danzo proposed using Naruto as a military weapon under his command, but the Third Hokage refused. From this viewpoint, Naruto is being watched by the Hokage, and his approaching behavior would then inevitably draw attention. The Hokage's arrangement was the most likely explanation for everything. It would be prudent to let everything play out as it should, allowing Naruto to gain the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu while avoiding further suspicion and testing my own suspicion.

"Was it the telescope technique?" Only a pervert could think of something like that. I didn't say anything inappropriate on Hokage Rock, so there shouldn't be any issues. But, as one would expect from the third Hokage, having been in power for so long, his plan seemed seamless; to make Naruto, Naruto, he needed the scroll of seals, Hehe, if that was even the real scroll."

Mizuki paused for a long time before deciding whether or not to get some extra gains tonight. The Scroll of Seals provided an excellent opportunity. The ninjutsu hidden within was extremely powerful. Even if he couldn't get the flying thunder god, summoning jutsu: Rashomon, the other lower-level ones couldn't be compared to most of the prominent Jutsu. But would the Hokage make use of a genuine copy of the scroll? Anyway, not many people have seen scroll before. Making a phony copy is simple, and the Third Hokage was aware of and prepared for every risk.

The chances of taking a huge risk and getting something in return were extremely slim. Mizuki had to abandon the idea after much consideration, not to mention that even if he obtained the real scroll of seals, he wouldn't be able to keep it. The losses outweigh the gains.

Even so, he made some preparations. Although the end result was unpredictable, the process could be guided to the best of his ability.

Mizuki couldn't help but think of one thing in particular. His relationship with Orochimaru was the last thing he wanted to reveal, but one person in Konoha was aware of it. They didn't know everything, but they knew enough. Chie Tsubaki, his fiancée.

"It appears that Mizuki had a real interest in this woman and even told her life-threatening information."

Mizuki returned to his house, opened the door, and checked it. The house was unusually clean and tidy, and everything was neatly cleaned.

Mizuki couldn't help but recall one thing. His fiance should have done the cleaning. She's surprisingly a good wife." His predecessor, in his opinion, was a winner in life to some extent. Even when he was 30, he had no girlfriend in comparison to his previous life. This guy was doing well for himself.

After simply tidying up, he sat down on the bed and rested. Today was mentally exhausting; it was all too much, so it'd be better to get some rest and wait for things to fall into place.

"I'm going to have to tighten up and show off my acting ability to the best of my ability in two lifetimes soon."

…..

…..

It was quiet in the middle of the night when Muzki awoke and sat up.

"Has it started?"

Then a figure appeared outside the window.

"Iruka? What are you doing here so late?"

Outside the window was Iruka. Iruka looked at Mizuki and said anxiously: "Things are bad. Naruto escaped after stealing the Book of Seals. Hokage-sama has now issued an order for all off-duty ninjas to go find him."

"Well, I see, you go first, I'll come over in a moment, it'd be better if we split up to find him."

…..

There appears to have been a slight delay between this and the original, as Iruka received the news before Mizuki. But it's a good thing things didn't get too out of hand. He looked around quietly after getting ready to leave.

"It appears that I am no longer being watched. Is it because there aren't any people there, or because they're stronger than me and I can't sense them?"

Mizuki quickly entered the vast night after gathering his ninja tools and confirming the direction.

…

…

Mizuki arrived at his meeting point with Naruto after a short period of rapid travel. He quickly hid his figure and waited for Iruka's arrival after adjusting his breathing. Naruto was practicing ninjutsu on the edge of the cabin not far in front of him.

"He is full of energy, perseverance, and exceptional talent. Except for his low IQ, he was destined to be a ninja "…

After a while, a figure from the distance approached unnoticed; it was Iruka, who was anxiously looking for Naruto.

Naruto quickly closed the scroll of seals and turned to Iruka as if offering a treasure: "Iruka sensei, you found me so quickly, I just learned a very strong jutsu, haha."

…

"You idiot." "What are you doing here in the middle of the night, stealing the Scroll of Seals?" roared Iruka angrily.

"Isn't this a part of the exam, I just wanted to secretly learn some advanced jutsu, so that Iruka-sensei would be shocked, and then you'd let me be a ninja, I just learned a clone jutsu, do you want to see it?"

"Naruto, tell me honestly, who told you about the Scroll of Seals?" Iruka asked, feeling a little bad.

"It was Mizuki-sensei. He told me that as long as I learn an advanced jutsu that even Iruka sensei doesn't know, Iruka sensei will definitely let me pass the make-up exam."

"Mizuki?" "No, Naruto, hurry back," Iruka said, shocked.

Mizuki, who was hiding in the shadows, quietly observed the two people not far away. He hurriedly threw a shuriken after they had finished speaking. The shuriken flew in an arc towards Iruka. Then he stepped out of the shadows and stood up. Looking at Iruka, who had blocked his attack

"Hey, Naruto-Kun, how's your practice going? Iruka, you don't appear to be in good spirits; worrying too much about your lovely student isn't healthy; it makes you grow older."

The third Hokage was on the lookout. Mizuki had just probed with a perception jutsu, and there was a faint chakra permeating the surroundings, adding to the uneasy feeling of being watched. Now that the audience was seated, the actor needed to deliver a strong performance.

Naruto was perplexed after being taken aback by the sudden change.

"What the hell is going on, Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei?"

Iruka stood in front of Naruto after blocking the shuriken and said, "Naruto, don't trust Mizuki, don't give him the scroll."

"The scroll of seals? Iruka, you're still so gullible." "But you were never too smart, to begin with," Mizuki sneered. He threw a few more kunai after speaking, and then charged towards Iruka, beginning a fierce battle.

'Close combat is the simplest way to test a ninja's basic abilities. My strength is, indeed, greater than Iruka's. However, the strange sensation of fighting an ally appeared difficult to overcome. I inherited Mizuki's physique and combat experience, but I still lack his strength. An ordinary person living in a peaceful age who lacks instinct and body coordination cannot compare to Mizuki who has been living like this for years.

'Even if I have the upper hand now, it's difficult to say that I can completely overwhelm Iruka in such a short time,' Mizuki concluded. In that case, the backup plan will be useful, but I won't be able to use it right now. But I also need to give the third Hokage a sense of control so he doesn't feel compelled to intervene personally.'