Admission Notice
After returning home, Naruto boiled some water and sat on the worn-out sofa, chatting with Kurama to pass the time.
"Hey, Big Fox, how was the grilled fish? Pretty good, right? If you like it, I can share chakra with the taste of gourmet food with you every day."
Kurama remained silent, but the slight twitch of his whiskers betrayed his thoughts.
After a long pause, he snorted. "Hmph. It's nothing special. I've had better. Don't think you can bribe me with something so trivial."
Naruto smirked. You've been sealed for decades… what 'better food' have you even eaten? He didn't say it out loud, though. Instead, he mulled over his current situation and how to improve it.
Having recently awakened a weakened version of Malicious Intent Sense, Naruto could now faintly perceive the chakra of those around him. Though still rudimentary, it was a step toward countering the constant surveillance of the ANBU and the Third Hokage.
But sensing them wasn't enough—he needed power.
For that, he had to learn more ninjutsu. Right now, all he had was the Three Basic Jutsu (Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Jutsu), but his Clone Jutsu was practically useless due to his overwhelming chakra reserves. If he wanted more techniques, he had two options: create them himself or wait until he joined the Ninja Academy.
At that moment, a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
Standing outside was the familiar old man—Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, who had almost had his reputation dragged through the mud last time.
"Grandpa Hokage, I already ate."
The Third Hokage opened his mouth, ready to greet Naruto, but his expression stiffened at those words.
...Wait. Does this brat think I'm only here for food? I'm the Hokage! Why would I come just to eat at a child's house?
Suppressing a sigh, Hiruzen composed himself and smiled. "I already ate, Naruto. I actually came to check on your training progress. You'll be a ninja soon, after all."
Naruto nodded nonchalantly. "Oh. Well, I can do the Substitution and Transformation Jutsu, but my Clone Jutsu keeps failing. It feels like something is interfering."
Hiruzen's smile faded slightly as he considered this.
"Interfering?"
His eyes briefly flickered with concern. Could it be the Nine-Tails' chakra affecting him? However, as he observed Naruto closely, he sensed no leakage of the Nine-Tails' chakra, meaning the seal was intact.
After a brief pause, he spoke reassuringly. "Naruto, you're already doing well. You can keep practicing the Clone Jutsu at your own pace. There's still plenty of time."
Naruto tilted his head. "Really? Then who was stronger at my age, you or me?"
Hiruzen stroked his beard, recalling his youth. Then, with a small chuckle, he said, "Of course, I was stronger. But that doesn't mean you can't surpass me one day. You just have to work hard."
Naruto nodded. "I will. I'll become an excellent ninja."
Hiruzen observed the boy's expression. Something about his words felt… lacking.
"Is that all?" Hiruzen prompted gently. "After becoming an excellent ninja, do you have any other goals? Like becoming Hokage? Gaining the recognition of the village?"
Naruto shook his head without hesitation. "I don't need to be Hokage. I don't need recognition. It's enough to become strong and protect the people I care about."
Hiruzen inwardly sighed. At least he understands part of the Will of Fire… but not all of it.
"And who do you care about in the village, Naruto?"
Naruto answered instantly. "Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji… and you, Grandpa Hokage. Other than that, everyone else is just cold strangers."
Hiruzen smiled despite himself. "Three friends, huh? That's a good start. I believe you'll make even more in time. And then, maybe you'll understand why recognition is important."
Naruto wasn't interested in that conversation, so he changed the topic.
"Grandpa Hokage, aside from the Three Basic Jutsu, can I learn other ninjutsu? I want to be strong."
Hiruzen chuckled. "Of course, but first, we need to check your chakra nature."
He took out a piece of chakra paper, a specialized material that reacts differently depending on a person's chakra nature. Naruto held it and injected chakra into it.
The paper split cleanly down the middle.
"Grandpa Hokage, what does this mean?"
Hiruzen stroked his beard. "You have the Wind Release nature. That's rare among Konoha ninja—you're lucky."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Rare? Does that mean it's really strong?"
Hiruzen hesitated before giving an awkward smile. "The Wind element is quite powerful, but…" He trailed off, sighing internally.
The problem was that Konoha lacked advanced Wind Release ninjutsu. Most of them were in the hands of Danzo Shimura, and retrieving them wasn't exactly easy.
Seeing Naruto's slightly disappointed look, Hiruzen added, "Don't worry. You can still learn other types of jutsu in the future. For now, you'll start with the basics at the Ninja Academy."
He reached into his robes and pulled out a scroll.
"This is your admission notice. You'll officially begin at the Ninja Academy soon."
Naruto's eyes landed on the gilded lettering of the scroll. The signature of the headmaster was stamped at the bottom, confirming his enrollment.
"So, I was accepted without an entrance exam, huh?" Naruto muttered. Probably because of the Third Hokage's recommendation…
Hiruzen smiled. "Genius or not, even you need proper education. The Academy isn't just about jutsu—it's where you'll form bonds and learn the true meaning of being a ninja."
After Hiruzen left, Naruto placed the admission notice on the table beside a second scroll labeled Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Unlike the basic Clone Jutsu, Shadow Clones were solid—perfect for someone like him with massive chakra reserves.
Naruto smirked. "Kyuubi, I'm going to school."
Kurama, lazily stretching in his mindscape, scoffed. "Hmph. Congratulations, you're officially an elementary school student."
Naruto ignored him, staring at the Shadow Clone Jutsu scroll.
"Before school starts, I'll master this technique."
With only a few months left before the Academy began, for most people, it wouldn't be enough time.
But for Naruto?
It was more than enough.
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