The Waves

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"Ah... what I mean is, we can exchange our shuriken techniques and see if we have anything to learn from each other..."

"Oh~ now that sounds better. Fine, let's do it~"

"Mm... alright then, we'll start special training tonight. Before Hinata challenges us again, we need to practice our shuriken skills to the point where we can actually threaten her from a distance."

Fighting the urge to punch Naruto, Sasuke barely held himself back. Well, as long as this idiot could at least distract Hinata and hold out for a while without getting knocked out instantly, Sasuke would have a chance to strike from the shadows.

Meanwhile, up on the rooftop, Kakashi had been listening to their entire conversation. The silver-haired jonin shook his head helplessly. While it was good that they were working together, why did it feel so unreliable?

But then, his expression suddenly changed. In a swift motion, he flipped backward and hid behind a water tank. His sharp gaze locked onto a suspicious figure lurking outside the Uchiha compound, peeking around as if scouting the area. From the Leaf headband on his forehead, it was clear that he was a shinobi from Konoha.

Looks like some small fry decided to stir up trouble.

Narrowing his eyes, Kakashi didn't rush to capture the man. Since he was a Konoha shinobi, they'd need solid proof to take him in.

Besides, Kakashi couldn't help but think—if this wasn't an assassination attempt, then maybe this was the perfect chance to test Naruto and Sasuke's instincts.

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Just like any group has its good people, there are always bad ones too.

Mizuki was undoubtedly one of the latter. As a chunin of Konoha, he had once graduated from the Academy alongside Iruka. But whether it was the evaluations from his superiors or his own awareness, he knew one thing for sure—he was an ambitious man, willing to use any means necessary.

Because of that, Mizuki had never managed to become a teacher at the Academy, nor had he been promoted further as a ninja. This enraged him. Seeing Iruka, his former classmate, now working as an instructor only fueled his jealousy.

On top of that, he had once encountered one of the legendary Sannin. After stewing in his frustration for so long, Mizuki finally made up his mind—he would betray Konoha and seek out that legendary ninja.

Of course, if he was going to defect, he'd need a worthy offering. And after much thought, he had settled on one particular item—the Scroll of Seals, said to have been created by the First Hokage himself. It contained many forbidden jutsu, making it an invaluable treasure for anyone seeking power.

As a shinobi, Mizuki understood that stealing such an important artifact wouldn't be easy. If he was going to make his escape, he'd need someone else to take the fall.

And Konoha had the perfect scapegoat—someone everyone in the village disliked, someone always causing trouble, someone people wouldn't hesitate to blame for anything.

Yes, the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, the outcast of Konoha, the infamous prankster—Uzumaki Naruto.

At first, Mizuki had planned to wait until the graduation exam in two months before making his move. But there was a problem—Naruto had stopped causing trouble.

That blond troublemaker, who used to pull pranks just to get attention, had been oddly quiet these past few months. He hadn't even vandalized the Hokage Rock like he used to. That made Mizuki uneasy. If Naruto really was turning over a new leaf, he might not be as easy to manipulate.

So, after much deliberation, Mizuki decided to act now—while Naruto's bad reputation was still fresh. If he could convince Naruto to steal the Scroll of Seals for him, things would go much more smoothly.

And convincing Naruto? That was the easiest part.

Mizuki saw Naruto as nothing more than a dumb duck—tell him that stealing the scroll would make him strong, and the fool would believe it.

That was why Mizuki was now lurking outside the Uchiha compound. From what he had gathered, Naruto had been staying there recently.

That was a problem—because the Uchiha compound also had another troublesome brat.

"What are you doing here, sneaking around?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out from above Mizuki. Sasuke was perched on a tree branch, his dark eyes locked onto the intruder. As someone with naturally sharp instincts, Sasuke had immediately noticed the suspicious figure loitering outside. Without making a sound, he had positioned himself nearby.

"Ah! Y-You're Uchiha Sasuke, right?"

Mizuki flinched but quickly regained his composure. He forced a friendly smile, his expression carefully crafted to appear harmless. "I heard that you and Naruto have been skipping class a lot lately, so I wanted to check if you two were in some kind of trouble."

"Hah? You... I know you. You're Iruka-sensei's friend or something..."

Naruto's voice came from a nearby bush. Clearly, if Mizuki had made any suspicious moves just now, he would've been hit from both sides in an instant.

"Ah~ ahem, yes, I'm an old friend of Iruka's. Naruto, he complains about your mischief all the time, you know."

Mizuki nearly jumped at Naruto's sudden appearance but forced himself to stay calm. It wasn't his fault—he had been so focused on his own schemes that he hadn't noticed the two kids closing in on him.

"Tch~ That guy Iruka~ So, Mizuki-sensei, what do you want?"

Naruto pouted in annoyance, scratching the back of his head, but a mischievous grin still crept onto his face. No matter what, knowing that Iruka cared about him gave him a warm feeling inside.

"I heard that you two even passed out recently from training too hard, right? It's impressive that you're working so hard at such a young age, but skipping class all the time isn't good. The graduation exam is only two months away. You don't want to repeat a year, do you?"

Finding the perfect opening, Mizuki spoke in a natural, concerned tone. His words did make Naruto and Sasuke pause, stopping them from just ignoring him.

"Hmph~ It's just that basic Transformation Jutsu stuff. I've already mastered it."

Sasuke scoffed, completely unconcerned. But Naruto's expression changed instantly. Yeah... even though his combat skills and endurance had improved a lot thanks to Hinata's brutal training, his basic jutsu—especially the Clone Jutsu—were still a disaster.

"Sasuke's a genius, so of course, he doesn't have to worry. But Naruto, what about you? Iruka doesn't want to say it, but I don't have a reason to hold back. Your Transformation and Substitution Jutsu are barely passable, but you still haven't learned the Clone Jutsu, have you?"

Seeing Naruto's face stiffen, Mizuki clenched his fist slightly in satisfaction. Just as he thought—this idiot dropout still hadn't mastered the Clone Jutsu.

"Ah... um... maybe it won't be the Clone Jutsu on the test this time..."

Naruto mumbled weakly, but he instinctively shivered when he sensed Sasuke's silent judgment from the side. If Sasuke and Hinata graduated, but he got held back because he wasn't good enough... That future was way too painful to imagine.

"You better not count on that. The Clone Jutsu is one of the most basic and important jutsu for a ninja. If you can't do it, you won't graduate."

Mizuki crossed his arms, his expression serious. "And from what I've seen, you might have a natural disadvantage when it comes to Clone Jutsu. I hate to say it, but... you should be prepared for the worst."

"Uh... then what should I do, Mizuki-sensei? I've never passed the Clone Jutsu in my life!"

Naruto was sweating nervously. Meanwhile, Sasuke frowned slightly. Unlike Naruto, he wasn't clueless—he could sense that Mizuki had some ulterior motive.

So Sasuke simply stayed silent, deciding to see where this was going.

"Naruto, this is what happens when you don't train properly. If you had worked harder before, you wouldn't be in this situation now."

Mizuki sighed dramatically, sneaking a glance at Sasuke. Seeing that Sasuke wasn't interrupting, he relaxed a little before shaking his head as if reluctantly making a decision.

"But... well, since you've been training so hard lately, I suppose I can tell you about a way that might help."

"Huh? Really?! What is it?"

Hearing that there was hope, Naruto perked up immediately. Mizuki, still acting reluctant, continued in a gentle voice.

"Don't rush. I'll explain."

"In our village, there's a special scroll passed down from the First Hokage himself—the Scroll of Seals. It contains the knowledge of powerful jutsu from past Hokage."

"If you were to take a look at it, I bet both you and Sasuke-kun could gain something valuable from it."

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Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Kakashi watched the conversation carefully. After confirming what Mizuki had said, the silver-haired jonin sighed before quietly leaving the Uchiha estate. This was something he couldn't decide on his own.

Soon, the Third Hokage was informed of the situation. The usually kind old man's eyes sharpened slightly.

"Mizuki's suspicious behavior has been reported before, but I didn't expect him to truly have ulterior motives... What a shame."

His voice was calm, almost indifferent, as he lifted a hand.

"Withdraw the guards watching the Scroll of Seals. Also, have Ibiki position his men around the outer walls tonight."

Kakashi observed as the Third Hokage issued his orders. He understood exactly what the old man was planning. Since Mizuki had revealed his true colors, this situation had become the perfect final test for Sasuke and Naruto.

"Third Hokage-sama, I personally believe that Sasuke and Naruto are still too young. It's only natural if they struggle against the temptation of power. If this goes too far..."

Kakashi, usually a strict rule-follower, hesitated as he spoke. The Third Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke before replying in an even tone.

"That's why I will personally unlock the Scroll of Seals' barrier later. Whatever those boys manage to learn... will be their reward for passing this test."

The Scroll of Seals contained many forbidden jutsu and was normally sealed with powerful barriers—only the Hokage had the authority to unseal it.

And with this decision, the Third Hokage made his intentions clear:

If Naruto and Sasuke really managed to steal the scroll, then whatever they learned from it would be their own reward.

Of course, if they made the wrong choice—like running away with Mizuki—then no matter what jutsu they learned, it wouldn't matter.

"Also... tell Hinata about this tonight. Since they're a team, they should take this test together."

Setting down his pipe, the Third Hokage looked directly at Kakashi with a sharp gaze. The white-haired jonin instinctively straightened his posture. He understood the Third's meaning—since that white-eyed girl was leading Naruto and Sasuke right now, she needed to be tested too.

"Understood, Third Hokage-sama."

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Alright, things had escalated to this point. It wasn't exactly surprising.

Sasuke gripped a kunai tightly, staying alert as he observed the small building that held the Scroll of Seals. What bothered him was that there were no guards anywhere. That didn't make sense for a high-security area.

"Nice~ No one's here! Let's find the scroll!"

Unlike Sasuke, Naruto wasn't thinking that far ahead. The blonde glanced around quickly, saw no guards, and immediately grinned before dashing toward the shrine that held the scroll.

"Wait, Naruto."

Sasuke sighed, grabbing Naruto by the back of his collar. He was already feeling exhausted. Well, he had no one to blame but himself—he was the one who wanted to see the legendary Scroll of Seals in the first place.

"What's your problem, Sasuke? We need to grab the scroll quickly before someone shows up!"

Naruto complained, but Sasuke just pressed a hand to his forehead, forcing himself to stay calm. He spoke in a low voice.

"There's no guards anywhere. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"

"Huh? Oh... yeah, I guess..."

Naruto finally caught on, and Sasuke exhaled slightly. Traps weren't difficult to set up. They could be anything—pitfalls, capture nets, explosive tags, genjutsu, puppets, or even summoned creatures. And considering this was an important area with zero visible security...

There was definitely something off.

"Maybe they went for a snack or had to use the bathroom! Lucky for us! Ahahaha~!"

Reality, however, was cruel. Before Sasuke could even figure out how to handle potential traps, Naruto burst into laughter like an idiot and bolted straight for the shrine, throwing the doors open without hesitation!

"I..."

Sasuke's hand froze mid-air. For a moment, it felt like his blood had turned to ice. That kind of "I don't even have time to be angry" feeling that completely broke his brain.

Logically, he should've expected something to happen—shuriken flying out, a capture net springing, a genjutsu that distorted the surroundings, or maybe a huge, terrifying summoned beast lunging at them...

But none of that happened.

Instead, Naruto peeked inside, rummaged around for a bit, then excitedly pulled out a massive scroll, almost as tall as he was. "Hey, Sasuke! Look, I found it!"

"..."

Without a doubt, Sasuke felt insulted.

Yes. Completely humiliated.

His intelligence and ninja knowledge had just been mocked.

Why the hell didn't anything attack them?! What happened to all the traps?! How was he supposed to justify all that careful thinking?!

With an irritated snort, Sasuke spun on his heel, ready to leave. But behind him, Naruto called out, "Oi oi~ What's with that attitude?! We got the scroll!"

"Shut up, you absolute idiot!"

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage watched the two through his crystal ball, feeling... slightly speechless.

Honestly, he had removed the guards and traps to accommodate Naruto's "civilian-level" intelligence and common sense. But apparently, that decision had inflicted a psychological wound on "academic elite" Sasuke instead.

Hopefully, the boy wouldn't develop trauma over this.

Shaking his head, the Third Hokage shifted the crystal ball's view—this time, focusing on the entrance to the Hyuga compound.

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"Hinata-sama, sorry to bother you at this hour, but I feel like something isn't right."

Still disguised as a film crew cameraman, Kakashi looked at Hinata with unease. The girl glanced at him coldly.

"You're saying… some guy named Mizuki tricked them into stealing the Scroll of Seals?"

Confirming the situation in a calm tone, Hinata felt a slight sense of surprise. Based on what she knew about the original story, this "main plot event" was supposed to happen during the graduation exam two months later. But now, it seemed like the butterfly effect had already started.

"Yes, and I think… this might not be a good thing…"

Doing his best to act like an ordinary cameraman, Kakashi cautiously observed Hinata's expression. The Third Hokage saw this as a test for their team, but something about it didn't sit right with Kakashi.

"Alright… you can go back now. Just make sure not to tell anyone about this. I'll deal with those two idiots myself."

Giving Kakashi a side glance, Hinata indeed found this situation strange. In fact, even back when she read the original story, something about it had felt off—

The Scroll of Seals contained Konoha's most powerful jutsu, like a legendary martial arts manual. How could someone like Naruto, who wasn't even a full-fledged genin, steal it so easily?

Not to mention, this world had incredibly advanced sealing techniques. Important scrolls should obviously be protected. So how did Naruto manage to open it just like that?

Now, with Kakashi specifically coming to inform her, Hinata quickly pieced everything together.

Without a doubt, this was a test set up by the Third Hokage for Naruto. And in the original story, it was only because of Iruka's genuine care that Naruto was able to pass it safely.

Otherwise, if Iruka's conversation with Mizuki had turned into something like what Yashamaru told Gaara, then Naruto could have become an even darker and more ruthless existence than Gaara. If that had happened, the Third Hokage wouldn't have hesitated to order the ambush team—already lying in wait—to capture him immediately.

So in reality, when the Third heard about the theft, he hadn't gathered all the ninja to deal with Mizuki. That clown was just a distraction. The real concern… was Naruto himself.

That old fox!

Just like Hashirama, he was the kind of person who would sacrifice anyone for the sake of the village.

And now, he had probably already noticed the difference between her and the original Hinata. He didn't have concrete proof or a reason to act against her yet, but…

This was the perfect chance. By sending Kakashi to involve her, he was testing her loyalty to Konoha.

As long as she was loyal, the Third Hokage probably wouldn't care whether she was a transmigrator or something else. But the moment she showed any intent to defect or tried to turn Naruto and Sasuke against the village…

Hinata felt like she'd end up just like Hizashi—another "sacrifice" for Konoha.

But now that she understood everything, a small smirk appeared on her lips.

If she knew how the Third operated, then this wasn't a bad thing for her. In fact… it was a good thing.

Activating her Byakugan, Hinata leapt onto a nearby tree and headed toward the location of the Scroll of Seals.

Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't have run far. Their goal was just to learn new jutsu, after all. It was thanks to sneaking a look at the scroll that Naruto originally learned his signature jutsu—Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Which meant…

There had to be a jutsu in there that suited her too.

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"Ahhhhh~! Why is it the first one?! My worst nightmare—clone jutsu!"

Just as Hinata had guessed, Naruto was sitting in a forest clearing, clutching his head in despair.

Sasuke, clearly annoyed, sighed and explained, "You idiot, this is Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, not regular clone jutsu. Are you going to learn it or not?"

"Tch! Fine, then let's split the scroll! I'll look at this side!"

Irritated, Naruto spread the scroll open and tossed the other half to Sasuke. Gritting his teeth, he focused on memorizing the hand seals and details for Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, while Sasuke carefully browsed the scroll, searching for a jutsu that suited him.

And soon enough, he found one.

"Lightning Release, A-rank jutsu… Chidori?"

Sasuke understood his own limitations. As much as he wanted those powerful S-rank jutsu, he knew they were beyond his reach for now.

What he needed most at this stage was a jutsu that could give him an edge in close combat—something strong enough to take down Hinata in a fight.

To defeat Hinata, he needed superior taijutsu.

And if he combined that with his Lightning Release chakra… this jutsu was the perfect choice.