In the corridor of the Hokage Building, ninjas turned their heads, scrutinizing the small, golden-haired figure with strange looks. This was no place for a child, but what was even more surprising was that while their gazes held aloofness and vigilance, the usual aversion was absent.
Inside the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was puffing on his pipe and reviewing documents. Ever since his wife passed away, no one had urged him to quit smoking.
His thoughts drifted to the surveillance report the Anbu had submitted last night—the conversation between that child and the Uchiha Clan's young lady, those remarks about "talent" and "path"...
Could those really be the words of a three-year-old child? That understanding of ninja talent, that emotional intelligence far beyond his age...
Was it because he had been isolated for so long that he was forced to mature early?
Just then, the office door suddenly swung open, and a childish voice broke his contemplation.
"Thanks, Ninja Uncle! The Third Hokage won't punish you, he's not that petty~"
"He often comes to my house to visit, so it's perfectly normal for me to come see him, right?"
The young guard at the door flushed. "What 'Uncle'! I just turned adult, okay! And show some respect for Hokage-sama!"
Naruto chuckled, nimbly darting through the door and closing it behind him. He turned around, his bright blue eyes fixed on the Third Hokage behind the desk.
The Third Hokage slowly put down his pipe, a complex expression appearing on his wrinkled face. "Naruto... coming to see me so early, have you run into some trouble?"
Naruto put his hands on his hips, puffing out his small chest, "Of course it's something very important, Grandpa Third Hokage! My purpose in coming this time is super clear—give me the basic Ninjutsu scrolls! I want to train and become a powerful ninja!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.
He remembered, of course, that Naruto had made this request before, but at that time, he had refused without hesitation. It wasn't that he was stingy, but there were no suitable teachers, and letting a three-year-old child train Ninjutsu alone? What if he messed up his Chakra and injured his meridians?
But this time, he hesitated. Recent Anbu reports showed Naruto's words and actions becoming less and less like those of an ordinary child.
The Third Hokage's fingers tapped lightly on the desk. Rather than letting Naruto idle in the village all day, or even secretly sneak near the Uchiha Clan Estate, it would be better to...
Naruto looked at the Third Hokage with some surprise. This old man was actually seriously considering it?
But soon, he noticed the Third Hokage's brow was still slightly furrowed, clearly still weighing the pros and cons. However, Naruto immediately changed the subject.
"Oh, right, Grandpa Third Hokage!" he said, feigning innocence. "I've been reading lately and saw there's something called a 'Kekkei Genkai' in this world, right?"
The Third Hokage was stunned for a moment, then showed a benevolent smile. He cleared his throat and replied in the gentle tone he used when explaining Ninja World knowledge to the village children.
"That's right, Naruto. A Kekkei Genkai is a special ability passed down through bloodlines, usually only specific bloodlines can inherit it."
Next came the standard official answer—
"Our Konoha is the strongest ninja village in the Ninja World, possessing the most Kekkei Genkai families! For example, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, and also..."
Naruto directly interrupted the Third Hokage's long speech.
"So... Grandpa Third Hokage. You said before that my parents were Konoha's heroes, who sacrificed themselves in an important mission, right?"
The Third Hokage paused, then nodded, "Yes, both your parents were Konoha's pride."
"Is that so? Then were they really amazing 'Kekkei Genkai' ninjas?"
What exactly did this child want to say?
The Third Hokage frowned. Minato Namikaze was a genius from a commoner background, and while Uzumaki Kushina was from the Uzumaki Clan, possessing vast Chakra and powerful vitality, that was merely a special constitution of the Uzumaki Clan, not a Kekkei Genkai.
"Naruto, a Kekkei Genkai is a specific bloodline ability. While your parents were great ninjas, they did not possess..."
"Not true!" Naruto grinned, clinging to the Hokage's desk. "Since it's inherited through bloodlines, then what I've awakened can only be a Kekkei Genkai!"
"What?!"
The Third Hokage abruptly stood up, his pipe clattering onto the desk. Uzumaki Naruto awakened a Kekkei Genkai?! How was this possible?!
Calm down... perhaps this child merely mistook a regular Ninjutsu for a Kekkei Genkai...
However, the next second, his thoughts were completely interrupted by the scene before him.
"Look!" Naruto spread his arms, a triumphant smile on his lips. "This just suddenly became usable! Isn't it amazing?"
"Shuuush—!"
Several brilliant golden chains suddenly extended from Naruto's back, dancing in the air like spiritual snakes. The fluctuation of Chakra made the air tremble slightly.
This was—Adamantine Sealing Chains?!
The Third Hokage instantly recognized this Ninjutsu. The image of the First Hokage's wife—Mito Uzumaki—flashed through his mind. Back then, it was precisely with this sealing Ninjutsu, unique to the Uzumaki Clan, that she was able to suppress the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's Chakra and become the First Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Three years old... a child of only three years old, actually awakened the Adamantine Sealing Chains?!
As a Hokage who had experienced two Ninja World Wars, he had seen countless geniuses, but someone like Naruto—it was simply unheard of.
The Third Hokage's gaze shifted from the chains to Naruto's tender face. Golden hair, bright blue eyes. Although he hadn't inherited the Uzumaki Clan's iconic red hair, at this moment, those dancing chains undoubtedly declared it.
Minato's son, the Uzumaki bloodline flowing within him, was even thicker than imagined. No, not just thick.
It was simply... a monstrous level of talent.
He didn't delve into why Naruto, with only half Uzumaki blood, could master the Adamantine Sealing Chains at such a young age. Bloodline and talent were never simple matters of addition and subtraction.
Just like the child of Lord First Hokage and Lady Mito.
The combination of the most excellent bloodlines of the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan, with a father who was the God of Shinobi and a mother who was the pinnacle of sealing Ninjutsu, yet their child ultimately became just a...
Mediocre ninja.
The gifts of fate never followed logic. Sometimes, the fusion of two powerful bloodlines would result in ordinariness, while other times, a seemingly ordinary combination could give birth to a monster beyond common sense.
— — — — — —
"Great, finally got them!"
Naruto returned to his small apartment, eagerly spreading out the Ninjutsu scrolls he had just acquired from the Third Hokage on the table. He rubbed his hands together excitedly, his fingertips gently tracing the characters that held the secrets of Ninjutsu.
He hadn't expected the old man to be so generous.
Originally, he only wanted the three most basic Ninjutsu—Clone Technique, Transformation Technique, and Substitution Technique—but the Third Hokage had surprisingly included a bunch of other Ninjutsu scrolls.
Naruto casually opened the top scroll, which clearly read "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough" in large characters.
"Wind Release, Water Release, Lightning Release..." he muttered softly, "Water Bullet, Earth Run... Shadow Clone Technique... Whoa, quite a variety."
What surprised him most was a thick book titled "Secret Sealing Jutsu Handbook" tucked among the scrolls. Naruto picked it up and flipped through it, finding it densely packed with basic sealing Ninjutsu theories and practice methods, almost like...
The sealing Ninjutsu version of "Five-Year College Entrance Exam, Three-Year Mock Exams"...
It seemed the Third Hokage really valued the sealing Ninjutsu talent he had displayed. However, for someone who had already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, did he still need to learn these basic sealing Ninjutsu?
The answer was, of course, yes.
Naruto realized it was like playing the piano—even if one could perfectly perform a difficult piece like "Moonlight Sonata," they still needed to practice some simpler pieces if they wanted to learn them.
"Alright!" Naruto suddenly stood up. "I'll start with the three most basic Ninjutsu first..."