NARUTO: GOD LEVEL FORGING SYSTEM

He glanced at the sawdust on the ground, then turned to Danzo and asked,

"Danzo, what happened? I heard people say that after you returned from the Hokage's office, you were furious."

Danzo's face was dark, his expression as cold as steel. His voice was laced with anger as he said,

"That fool Sarutobi refused to listen to reason. He insisted on allowing that demon fox brat to read the Scroll of Seals. Do you understand the risk he's taking?"

His fists clenched tightly.

"What if the Nine-Tails goes berserk again? What if that boy actually learns one of the forbidden techniques? And yet, Sarutobi told me he believes in him? Has he lost his mind?!"

"What?"

Shimura Jogawa's pupils shrank.

"He actually said that?"

"Do you think I would lie about something like this?" Danzo's voice was low and sharp, his irritation growing.

"I have requested access to the Scroll of Seals countless times, only to be denied at every turn. And now, he simply hands it over to a twelve-year-old? What can that boy possibly understand?"

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"And to make matters worse, he claims that sending ANBU to watch over the situation will ensure everything goes smoothly. Hmph! If the Nine-Tails truly goes on a rampage, what good will a handful of ANBU do? The entire village could be destroyed!"

A heavy silence filled the air for a few moments.

Then, a glimmer of calculation flashed in the eyes of Elder Jogawa. He spoke slowly, as if weighing each word carefully.

"Danzo, since the Scroll of Seals will be in that demon fox's possession tonight… doesn't that mean we have an opportunity as well?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but Danzo immediately understood the implication.

His voice rose slightly.

"You mean… we should send our own people to seize the scroll?"

"The village will be in chaos tonight. This is the perfect chance for us to take the Scroll of Seals.

Whether it ends up in the hands of that demon fox brat or Mizuki, neither of them poses a real threat to us."

Danzo's expression darkened as he considered the idea.

"However… Sarutobi's ANBU will also be involved. That could be a significant problem.

If I still had Root, I would have been able to counter them. But ever since Sarutobi forced its disbandment, my available manpower is… insufficient."

"I will support you."

Elder Jogawa stood up with firm resolve.

"For years, I have gathered my own forces in secret. I will lend them to you tonight—to aid you in seizing the Scroll of Seals."

Danzo's eyes gleamed with ambition. His heart pounded with excitement.

"If I can obtain the Scroll of Seals, my power will rise to new heights. I will finally have the leverage to challenge Sarutobi for the title of Hokage!

At that point, the prestige of the Shimura clan will soar beyond measure! Elder, your foresight is truly impressive!"

"Hahaha, patience, Danzo.

I will lend you my men—but in return, I have one request."

Danzo's sharp gaze locked onto him.

"Name it."

"Take advantage of the chaos tonight… and eliminate someone for me."

A dangerous light flashed in Jogawa's eyes.

The target of his hatred had stood in his way for far too long.

"Who is it?" Danzo asked.

"I've done my research.

This person is the current captain of ANBU's Second Assassination Squad—codenamed Mink.

His real name… is Kazuki."

Late at Night

The full moon hung high in the sky, casting pale light over the village.

Within the dense forest, a lone figure dashed through the trees, moving swiftly and silently.

It was Naruto, clad in his signature orange tracksuit. Strapped to his back was an enormous scroll—the Scroll of Seals, which he had just stolen with surprising ease.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office—

"Lord Third, we have a problem! The Scroll of Seals has been stolen—by Naruto Uzumaki!"

A Chunin, who had been patrolling the village, had noticed the missing scroll and immediately rushed to report it.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, remained silent for a moment. Then, without a trace of panic, he lifted his smoking pipe to his lips and took a slow, deliberate puff.

"Hmm… I see."

Then, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked at his crystal ball, which displayed Naruto Uzumaki's movements. His expression remained calm, without much surprise.

"As expected... that child was still deceived by Mizuki into stealing the Scroll of Seals," Hiruzen thought with a silent sigh.

"Lord Third, please give the order to apprehend Naruto! This is a serious crime—it cannot be dismissed as a mere prank! His actions fall within the realm of treason!" an angry shinobi declared.

"There is no need for excessive force. Send twenty Chūnin and a supporting team of Genin. Bring Naruto back unharmed, but recover the Scroll of Seals immediately," Hiruzen said, exhaling a puff of smoke from his pipe.

"Why, Lord Third? Stealing the Scroll of Seals is a grave offense! It should be enough to imprison him!" the shinobi protested.

"I have my own reasons," Hiruzen replied, closing his eyes, signaling the conversation's end.

"…Understood, Lord Third."

The shinobi left, quickly organizing a team of Chūnin, including Iruka Umino and Mizuki, along with a group of Genin. Together, they began their search for Naruto in the forest.

Once the shinobi had departed, Hiruzen slowly opened his eyes again, looking at Naruto through the crystal ball. The boy had found a secluded spot deep in the forest, hidden behind a large tree, where he eagerly unrolled the Scroll of Seals.

Seated in his office, Hiruzen muttered to himself, "Minato... forgive me. This is the most I can do. I just hope Naruto can at least learn the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu… That way, the risk I'm taking won't be in vain."

What Hiruzen did not realize, however, was that Naruto barely glanced at the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu written at the top of the scroll. He didn't pause for even a second before flipping to the next technique.

Muttering to himself, Naruto scoffed, "The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu? This kind of simple technique is in the Scroll of Seals? Big Brother Kazuki already taught me this a long time ago—it's really not hard at all. I shouldn't waste my time on this. Let's see what's next…"

"Darkness Jutsu? An illusion technique that disrupts vision? Hmm… Big Brother Kazuki has some kind of ninja tool that can create the same effect, but even stronger. I don't even like Genjutsu anyway. Next…"

"Flying Thunder God Technique? It looks like it requires special seals and markings... This seems interesting! Wait, wasn't this the jutsu Big Brother Kazuki mentioned before?!"

Excited, Naruto focused all his attention on the Flying Thunder God Technique, determined to memorize every detail written in the scroll.

Even though he usually struggled with memorization at the Academy, this was different—it was something personally mentioned by Big Brother Kazuki. Naruto's determination skyrocketed, and despite the complexity of the technique, his efficiency was surprisingly high.

In the forest...

Naruto was completely absorbed in studying the Scroll of Seals when suddenly, he noticed the moonlight in front of him being blocked. A shadow loomed over him.

"Naruto! What are you doing here?!" Iruka Umino's voice rang out as he appeared, panting heavily.

"Ah? Iruka-sensei, why are you here?" Naruto asked innocently. "I'm just learning ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals! Oh, does this mean I'll graduate if I master it?"

"The Scroll of Seals? Graduation?" Iruka's expression turned serious. "Wait… You mean Mizuki told you all of this?"

"Yeah! Mizuki-sensei told me about the graduation method and where to find the scroll!" Naruto responded cheerfully, feigning his usual carefree attitude.

Hee hee… Just as Big Brother Kazuki said, as long as I tell Iruka about Mizuki, everything will be fine, right?

Even Iruka, who had known Naruto for years, was fooled by the boy's seemingly clueless nature. He failed to notice the calculated intent behind Naruto's words.

If Kazuki were here right now, he would have given Naruto a thumbs-up for his flawless acting.

At that moment, Iruka's expression suddenly darkened. Before he could say anything else—

SWOOSH!

The sound of a shuriken cutting through the air came from behind him.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted as the projectile closed in.

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