After hearing Naruto Uzumaki's words, everyone sensed a conspiracy brewing!
But a slight smirk curled up on Hirofumi Ito's lips.
Finally, the day I've been waiting for has come!
I've dreamed of this moment, and now I'm making it real!
You, Tobirama Senju, refused to teach me ninjutsu, huh?!
Well, I don't even care to learn from you!!
This time, I'm taking the Twelve Rookies with me to steal the Scroll of Seals!!!
With that thought, Hirofumi spoke up confidently.
"I actually think we should give it a shot. Sneaking into the Hokage's office to steal something is risky, sure, but if we all go together, it'll be safer!
We'll have lookouts, scouts, and people to make the grab. Once we get the Scroll of Seals, we book it!"
Everyone nodded without hesitation, fully on board with the plan.
Naruto, watching this, was deeply moved. He hadn't expected his friends to be so willing to help him pass his graduation by sneaking into the Hokage's office to steal something so important!
Meanwhile, in the summoning realm…
Tobirama Senju was furious as he witnessed the scene!
"Big Brother! Sister-in-law!
Look at this! This rotten kid! This evil kid has finally shown his true colors!!!
What's he planning?! He's going to steal the Scroll of Seals!!!
That scroll is the most important treasure of the Hidden Leaf Village! And this wicked brat is leading a whole group to steal it! He's practically a rogue ninja at this point!!!"
Madara Uchiha shot Tobirama a cold glance.
"Hmph! Why's this kid trying to steal the Scroll of Seals in the first place?! Isn't it because you refused to teach him?! If you'd just trained him, would he even need to resort to this?!"
"Hah!" Tobirama scoffed. "Why should I teach him?! Sure, I owe him one, but I know this kid's an ambitious schemer!
If the Hidden Leaf ever falls into his hands, it's done for!!!"
Truth be told, Tobirama's resolve was starting to waver. Deep down, he actually wanted to mentor Hirofumi, but he'd already made such a big deal about refusing.
If he went back on his word now, wouldn't that make him look spineless?!
Hashirama Senju, lounging nearby, waved a hand dismissively, completely unbothered.
"Tobirama, no need to get so worked up. These kids are all part of the Hidden Leaf. Even if they learn the ninjutsu in the Scroll of Seals, what's the harm?"
"Big Brother! That's the Scroll of Seals! It contains all the most powerful ninjutsu of the Hidden Leaf, dating back to the Warring States period!!!"
"Oh, come on~ It's fine! These kids have great potential. Maybe they'll pick up some awesome techniques from it!"
Tobirama was speechless. His big brother was always like this—endlessly lenient with the village's kids, far more than with outsiders.
Forget stealing the Scroll of Seals—even if these brats burned down the Hokage's office tonight, Hashirama probably wouldn't bat an eye…
Tobirama's anger stemmed from two things. First, these kids had the audacity to plot a heist in the Hokage's office!
Second, he thought Hirofumi was being reckless. Sure, Tobirama wasn't teaching him, but couldn't the kid at least ask for help?!
If he begged a little, Tobirama might've reluctantly agreed to train him…
But no! This evil kid didn't even bother asking! Evil kid!!! My teachings are worth way more than that Scroll of Seals!
---
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was nursing a headache.
For the past two weeks, the ninja world had been plagued with problems.
A slew of wealthy merchants and tycoons had been flocking to the Hidden Leaf, posting mission requests and commissions.
But not a single one had been resolved…
Looking at the stack of mission reports, Hiruzen took a deep breath.
Take Goro Inukami, a big-shot casino owner. A few days ago, two mysterious ninjas robbed him of 30 million ryo!
Then there was Negen Inoue, who ran a hot spring bathhouse. He got hit for 13 million ryo—also by two ninjas!
And don't forget Konan Shoshige, a grain magnate, who lost a staggering 70 million ryo!!!
Then there were countless other rich merchants and tycoons, with losses ranging from a few million to over a billion ryo!
Hiruzen was at his wit's end.
"What's going on here?! According to their reports, they're all being targeted by two strange ninjas who only steal money and don't harm anyone.
But… every victim describes the ninjas as looking different.
Could it be transformation jutsu? This is such a headache… Not one of these missions has been completed! Who's behind this?!
Could it be that Akatsuki organization Itachi Uchiha mentioned?
But Akatsuki's supposed to be a mercenary group, right? And according to Itachi, they're not exactly strapped for cash… So why would they resort to robbery?!
What a mess…"
Hiruzen set the mission reports on his desk and rubbed his temples.
"Lord Hokage!" came the voice of an Anbu ninja from outside.
"Come in!"
"Lord Hokage, another merchant from the Land of Fire just arrived with a mission request…"
"Don't tell me they got robbed too?!"
"Lord Hokage, your wisdom is unparalleled!"
"How much did this merchant lose?" Hiruzen asked, already sounding defeated.
"According to the merchant, he lost 38 million ryo—all in cash. Not a single item of cargo was touched!"
"I see… You're dismissed."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Hiruzen was beyond frustrated. These kinds of mission requests were coming in almost daily, yet the Hidden Leaf hadn't solved a single one. If this kept up, the village's reputation would take a serious hit…
After racking his brain for a while with no answers, Hiruzen gave up.
"Oh, right… Today's the ninja academy graduation exam, isn't it? Mizuki's already approached Naruto. That saves me some trouble…"
Little Naruto… I've prepared the Scroll of Seals for you. Let's see how much you can learn from it…