I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Notify Jiraiya

After the holiday, the first day of the new semester at the Ninja Academy had arrived.

Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha, returning to campus, were eager to reunite with Naruto Uzumaki. However, when they arrived in the classroom, they were surprised to find his seat empty.

Sasuke and Hinata exchanged glances, concern evident in their eyes.

After questioning their classmates to no avail, they went straight to the teacher's office, where they found their homeroom teacher, Iruka Umino.

Upon understanding their concern, Iruka frowned in confusion. "Naruto? I was going to ask you the same thing. He wasn't here when I took attendance this morning."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Now that you mention it, I haven't heard anything about Naruto in the village lately. That's… unusual."

Hearing this, Sasuke and Hinata shared another uneasy glance. They had been too focused on their training during the break to pay attention to village rumors. Could Naruto have really disappeared?

What would they do if he was truly gone?

Noticing their worried expressions, Iruka exhaled softly. "For now, return to class. After school, I'll take you both to see the Third Hokage. If anyone knows where Naruto is, it's him."

"Understood, Iruka-sensei. Please don't forget," Hinata said, her voice barely above a whisper.

With no other options, they returned to the classroom.

---

A Meeting with the Hokage

After school, Iruka led Sasuke and Hinata to the Hokage's Office. Inside, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was seated behind his desk, setting down his pipe as they entered.

Before they could speak, he addressed them with a calm but knowing gaze.

"I assume you're here about Naruto," he said. "He has passed the graduation exam and is now officially a Genin. I have assigned him to a mission outside the village."

"So… Naruto has graduated?" Iruka muttered, his brow furrowing.

It was a remarkable feat—few students had ever graduated early. Yet, Iruka couldn't shake the feeling that it might be too soon. The emotional and psychological burden of a ninja's life was immense, especially for someone like Naruto, who had grown up with so much hardship.

Hinata hesitated before speaking. "Hokage-sama, do you know when Naruto will return? Everyone in class misses him… and I want to see him again."

"I can't say for certain," Hiruzen replied. "But rest assured, I will inform you if there's any news. You needn't worry."

"But—" Hinata started, only to be interrupted by Sasuke.

"Enough," Sasuke said bluntly. "Naruto's strong. If anything, it's the enemies who should be worried. We should focus on our own training instead of fretting over him."

With their concerns addressed—at least officially—Iruka escorted them out of the office.

---

Something's Wrong

As they walked back, Hinata was about to part ways and return to the Hyuga compound when Sasuke suddenly stepped in front of her, his face darkened with suspicion.

"Byakugan girl," he muttered, arms crossed. "You noticed something was off too, didn't you?"

Hinata hesitated before nodding slightly. "Sasuke-kun… do you mean that Naruto-kun becoming a Genin doesn't add up?"

Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "Exactly. The old man said Naruto graduated early. But if that were true, he would have told us. Naruto's an idiot, but he wouldn't keep something like that secret—unless he wasn't given a choice."

Hinata's eyes widened as a memory surfaced. "Now that you mention it… at the end of last semester, Naruto held a picnic. He invited so many people, even those he barely spoke to. At the time, I thought it was strange… like he was saying goodbye."

Sasuke smirked, albeit without humor. "Huh. So you do have observational skills beyond blushing at him. Tell me, why are you so desperate to find him?"

Hinata pursed her lips. "Naruto-kun promised he would come visit my house after the break. But now… he's gone without a word. It… it makes me sad."

She then turned the question back on him. "What about you, Sasuke-kun? Why are you looking for Naruto-kun?"

Sasuke folded his arms. His voice dropped, laced with something darker. "Unlike you, I don't care about some childhood promise. I need to get stronger. I don't have time to waste, and Naruto's the only idiot I can train against properly."

Hinata tilted her head. "Stronger…? For what?"

Sasuke's expression hardened. "That's none of your business."

He exhaled through his nose before adding, "Regardless, we need more information. Shikamaru and Choji might know something."

---

Hiruzen's Dilemma

Back in the Hokage's Office, after Iruka and the students had left, Hiruzen turned to the ANBU operative standing before him.

"It's been a week," he said, his voice carrying a weight of concern. "Still no word on Naruto?"

The masked ANBU knelt. "No, Hokage-sama. His ability to avoid pursuit is… remarkable. We tracked him for three days, only to realize we'd been following a shadow clone. The real Naruto was already gone."

Hiruzen frowned. "What about the Hyuga tracking unit?"

The ANBU's tone was grim. "Even the Byakugan can't distinguish between his true form and his clones anymore. He has infused them with Nine-Tails chakra, making them indistinguishable. Our best guess is that he possesses an advanced sensory ability, allowing him to evade us."

Silence filled the office.

After a long pause, Hiruzen sighed and waved a hand. "Suspend the retrieval mission for now. There's no point wasting resources if we can't catch him. There are more pressing matters to attend to."

The ANBU bowed. "Understood, Sandaime-sama." Then, with a flicker, he vanished.

Hiruzen reached for his pipe but hesitated. Instead, he opened a drawer, revealing a dusty file adorned with the insignia of Mount Myoboku—Jiraiya's personal symbol.

Without hesitation, he performed a summoning jutsu. A small orange toad appeared, blinking up at him.

Hiruzen wasted no time. He placed a sealed letter in the toad's mouth.

"Find Jiraiya," he ordered.

The toad croaked in acknowledgment before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

As Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, he exhaled deeply. If anyone could find and guide Naruto, it was Jiraiya.

There were too many uncertainties now. The remnants of the Uchiha, the rising aggression from Iwagakure and Kumogakure… and now, Naruto's disappearance.

Konoha was on the verge of stormy days ahead.

And the only person who might change its course had already left.

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