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Night had fallen over the Hidden Leaf Village, shadows stretching across rooftops and alleys. The village was unusually tense, though most residents were unaware of why.
Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage discovered the stand that had held the Scroll of Seals was now empty. His brow furrowed in alarm.
Meanwhile, Mizuki approached Iruka, his expression calm but calculating. "Iruka," he said, keeping his tone casual, "Naruto… he took the Scroll of Seals. He ran off into the forest."
Iruka froze. His heart sank. The scroll… Naruto… alone? Panic and worry surged through him. He immediately realized the danger the boy was in.
"Go! Find him!" Iruka shouted, leaping into action. "He's inexperienced… he could get hurt with that scroll in his hands!"
Across the village, ANBU and Chunin ninja were dispatched immediately. Teams spread across rooftops, leaping between buildings, scanning every alleyway, while sensory ninjas strained to detect Naruto's chakra signature. The search expanded outward, reaching the forest perimeter as the net slowly closed in on the young thief.
Back in the forest, Naruto was completely unaware of the chaos behind him. Kneeling in a small clearing, he unrolled the Scroll of Seals and focused on learning the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. Sweat dripped down his face as he repeated the hand signs, molding his chakra over and over.
"Come on… I can do it… I have to do it!" he muttered, determination shining in his eyes. A small puff of smoke appeared—but the clone collapsed almost instantly. Naruto's grin faltered, but he refused to give up.
Iruka, following the faint traces of Naruto's chakra, moved carefully through the forest. He knew Mizuki's warning meant that the boy was in serious danger, and that time was running out.
Every passing moment added urgency. The village search teams coordinated meticulously, using grid patterns, chakra sensing, and visual reconnaissance to track the boy. ANBU communicated in whispers, Chunin relayed information across rooftops, and Iruka's worry grew with each second.
Naruto, still struggling with the technique, finally managed to form a single clone. His grin returned. "Yes! I'm getting it!"
But the forest was deceptive. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves could signal approaching danger. Unknown to him, Iruka and the search teams were closing in. Mizuki's plan loomed in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment.
The night stretched on, tension thick in the air. Naruto's laughter echoed softly among the trees as he practiced, while the Hidden Leaf mobilized in full force to recover the scroll—and to save him from the trap that awaited.
The race had begun—between a boy chasing power and the ninja striving to keep him safe.
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The forest clearing shimmered under the silver light of the moon, leaves rustling softly in the night breeze. But it wasn't the wind that guided Iruka through the darkness—it was the unmistakable sounds of whooping and cheering. His eyes widened as he pushed past the last line of trees.
The clearing was alive with orange. Dozens upon dozens of Naruto clones filled every available space, all wearing the same wide, triumphant grin. In the center, the real Naruto sat cross-legged next to the massive scroll, face flushed with exhaustion but glowing with pride.
"I did it! I actually did it!" the clones chanted in perfect unison, their voices echoing through the forest like music.
Relief washed over Iruka at finally seeing his missing student, but it was quickly replaced by a sharp chill as his gaze fell on the scroll. The Forbidden Scroll of Seals—the most dangerous collection of jutsu in the village—lay unrolled in the middle of the clearing, its ancient paper illuminated by moonlight.
"I found you," Iruka called, stepping into the clearing.
Every clone turned in perfect synchronization, their blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Naruto leaped to his feet, swaying slightly from chakra exhaustion.
"Iruka-sensei!" he cried, voice cracking with pride. "You're just in time! Look what I learned!"
He gestured wildly at the army of clones, who waved enthusiastically in response. "It's the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu! I can make hundreds of myself—watch!"
Before Iruka could say a word, Naruto formed the hand signs again. Smoke billowed across the clearing, and when it cleared, even more clones had appeared, spilling over the edges of the small space, some climbing on each other's shoulders.
"Pretty amazing, right?" the clones said in unison. "Bet not even Sasuke could do this!"
Iruka's throat went dry. The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu was an S-rank technique—forbidden not just because of its power, but because it could kill the user if they weren't strong enough to handle the chakra drain. And Naruto… had somehow not only learned it but mastered it.
"Naruto…" Iruka's voice was rougher than he intended. He cleared his throat, trying to steady himself. "Who… who told you about this scroll?"
The celebration faltered. Naruto tilted his head, confused by the sudden seriousness in his teacher's tone.
"What do you mean? This is the make-up test, right? I studied the scroll like you said, and I learned a jutsu from it. A really hard one too!" He gestured at the clones again, though the excitement in his voice wavered. "Doesn't this mean I can graduate now?"
"Make-up test?" Iruka repeated, his stomach tightening. "Naruto, who told you this was a make-up test?"
The clones flickered slightly, sensing their creator's growing uncertainty. Some dissolved entirely as Naruto's concentration faltered.
"Mizuki-sensei said…" Naruto's voice dropped. "…he said if I could steal the scroll and learn a jutsu from it, I'd pass. He said it was supposed to be a secret…"
Iruka's chest tightened. Of course. Mizuki. It all made sense—the mysterious absence, the stolen scroll, the "secret test" no other teacher knew about.
"Naruto," Iruka said carefully, stepping closer. The remaining clones parted, their chatter dying to silence. "There is no make-up test. The graduation exam you took today… that was final."
Naruto's face went pale. "But… but Mizuki-sensei said…"
"Mizuki lied to you," Iruka said, his voice sharper now, a surge of protective anger rising. How dare Mizuki manipulate this child—how dare he put him in danger?
The last clones popped out of existence, leaving only Naruto in the suddenly cavernous clearing. The Forbidden Scroll lay between them like a challenge and a warning all at once.
"I don't understand," Naruto whispered. "Why would he lie? Why would he tell me to steal this if it wasn't a test?"
Iruka's hand moved instinctively toward his kunai pouch. Something was very wrong. Mizuki wasn't just cruel—he was calculating. If he had convinced Naruto to steal the scroll, he must have had a plan. And if that plan involved getting Naruto alone in the forest with forbidden jutsu…
"Naruto, listen carefully," Iruka said, planting himself slightly in front of the boy. His eyes scanned the treeline. "We need to go back to the village. The Hokage—"
A sharp whistle of metal cut through the night. Iruka spun just in time to see a giant shuriken slicing toward them. He shoved Naruto to the ground, taking the brunt of the attack. Pain exploded through his back as he hit the forest floor, Naruto's startled cry ringing in his ears.
Even as darkness crept at the edges of his vision, Iruka's last coherent thought was relief.
At least he had found Naruto in time.
At least he was here to protect him from whatever came next.
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