Ch.246 Scroll of Seals

After hearing Shinji's words, Mizuki instantly bristled like a cat, snarling furiously, "What nonsense are you spouting!?"

"Heh."

Shinji didn't argue back, only letting out a light chuckle.

Mizuki's face grew darker and darker. The other party's absolute confidence suggested that they must have some evidence in hand.

Seeing that Mizuki didn't take any further action, Shinji knew he had him in his grasp. He casually sat down on the sofa.

After the initial panic subsided, Mizuki quickly realized the situation.

The person before him was a member of the Akatsuki. Even if they didn't know his secret, killing him would be a trivial matter. The fact that they hadn't done so meant they must want something from him.

And if they wanted something, there was room for negotiation!

Thus, he changed his tone, "What exactly do you want from me? I'm just an ordinary academy teacher. Surely, I'm not worth your attention."

Shinji replied indifferently, "Even teachers have their uses."

"So that's it. This guy is after the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!" Mizuki thought to himself, then forced a smile, "What do you need me to do?"

Shinji shook his head, "It's not about giving orders. I don't like forcing people. I'm here to discuss cooperation."

"Cooperation!?"

Mizuki was surprised.

"I can see that you're eager for a kekkei genkai," Shinji paused, then continued, "If you're willing to work for our Akatsuki, I can grant you a kekkei genkai."

"W-what!?" Mizuki's jaw dropped, "You're not joking, are you? A kekkei genkai... can be granted?"

Shinji smirked, "How ignorant."

Shinji's dismissive and impatient attitude actually made Mizuki more convinced than any explanation could.

Moreover, based on his observations, Mizuki had already guessed that the person before him was likely 'A' of the Akatsuki—a high-ranking figure, possibly the leader or a faction leader within the organization.

Instantly, Mizuki's heart raced, "May I ask... what kind of kekkei genkai can I obtain?"

Shinji replied, "What do you want? If you're in a hurry, I have a dojutsu kekkei genkai right here."

With that, Shinji took out a small nutrient tank containing the enhanced Hogan.

Mizuki's eyes were immediately drawn to the pair of red eyes floating in the tank.

As one of the teachers responsible for the academy's entrance exams, he had heard about the incident where a group of mysterious shinobi attacked the students during the exam, only to have their eyes gouged out afterward.

Therefore, he quickly concluded that the Hogan before him was genuine!

After letting Mizuki take a look, Shinji put the nutrient tank away, "If you don't like dojutsu kekkei genkai, I can arrange for you to get another type, though it might take some time."

Mizuki hurriedly said, "No, no! I'll take the dojutsu kekkei genkai!"

Anyone with a bit of knowledge knew that kekkei genkai varied in strength, and dojutsu kekkei genkai were undoubtedly among the best.

Even the relatively weaker Hogan, among dojutsu kekkei genkai, was far superior to ordinary kekkei genkai.

Shinji's lips curled into a slight smile beneath his mask, but he said nothing.

Mizuki snapped out of his greed and quickly asked, "Sir, I can provide you with information about the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!"

Shinji replied indifferently, "Information alone isn't enough to earn a kekkei genkai."

Mizuki hesitated, then cautiously probed, "What do you need me to do?"

"The Scroll of Seals."

Shinji uttered four words.

Mizuki was shocked, "You want me to steal the Scroll of Seals!?"

"No," Shinji shook his head, "I want you to manipulate the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki into stealing the Scroll of Seals, violating Hidden Leaf's禁忌 (taboos)!"

"This..."

Mizuki never expected the Akatsuki to ask him to do something like this.

However, after a moment's thought, he realized that manipulating Naruto into doing it was much safer than doing it himself. Although he couldn't guess the Akatsuki's true intentions, the thought of obtaining the Hogan made him unable to resist.

After only a brief moment of hesitation, Mizuki nodded, "Alright, I'll definitely find a way to make Naruto steal the Scroll of Seals!"

"Don't worry. Even if you're exposed, you can flee Hidden Leaf and join our Akatsuki."

With that, Shinji stood up and disappeared into the shadows.

After leaving Mizuki's house, Shinji glanced back.

The purpose of having Naruto steal the Scroll of Seals was simple: to create a connection between Mizuki, the Akatsuki, and Naruto, and then let Hidden Leaf catch Mizuki red-handed, exposing him as the Akatsuki's 'spy' within the academy!

As for whether Naruto could successfully steal the Scroll of Seals and learn the 'Multiple Shadow Clone Technique' like in the original timeline, that was irrelevant.

Inside the house.

Mizuki paced back and forth excitedly.

His narrow-mindedness couldn't tolerate his own mediocrity, especially when he had to face the academy's prodigies every day. It was unbearable.

So when an opportunity presented itself, and with the assurance of being able to defect from the village and join the Akatsuki, his last reservations vanished.

The next morning.

The training grounds were filled with youthful energy.

More and more students, inspired by the geniuses, chose to train hard in the mornings. This, in turn, put greater pressure on geniuses like Sasuke and Neji, forcing them to push themselves to the limit to maintain their lead over the other students.

Thud!

Another dull sound echoed as Naruto was sent flying, landing heavily on the ground.

Sasuke retracted his fist, frowning, "Naruto, are you even taking this seriously? Why haven't you improved at all!?"

Seeing that Naruto was already bruised and battered, Sakura, who was nearby, quickly said, "Sasuke, Naruto has been working really hard lately!"

Sasuke glanced at Sakura, "And you too. If the two of you remain this useless, I'll consider changing teammates."

Sakura felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

This scene was observed by Mizuki from a distance.

A moment later, he took the opportunity to treat Naruto's wounds and called the dejected Naruto aside, "What's wrong? Can't handle a little setback?"

Naruto stubbornly replied, "It's not that! It's just that Sasuke is so annoying! And... I can't beat him."

"That's normal," Mizuki said as he applied medicine to Naruto's wounds, "Sasuke is a genius of the Uchiha clan, with a three-tomoe Sharingan. If you don't have a couple of secret techniques, you'll never beat him."

"Secret techniques?" Naruto was stunned, "Mizuki-sensei, can you teach me a secret technique to defeat Sasuke?"

Mizuki pretended to be casual, "I don't have that kind of ability. But I've heard that the village's Scroll of Seals contains many powerful jutsu. If you can learn one or two, you might be able to defeat Sasuke."

"The Scroll of Seals?"

Naruto's eyes lit up!