Chapter 4: No Way It's That Convenient, Right?
Hokage Administration Building
Having watched Naruto plenty in his previous life, Naruto knew the layout even without ever setting foot here—like seeing pigs run even if he'd never eaten pork.
Once inside the building, he followed Mizuki's instructions exactly.
Combined with the super-sharp perception granted by half of the Nine-Tails' chakra, he easily avoided the stationed ANBU members.
What puzzled Naruto was how few ANBU were on duty today.
No more than five patrolling back and forth!
Where did these guys go?
Or… is this because I'm the protagonist with insane plot armor? Idlers just automatically step aside?
He remembered back when he didn't even have half of Kurama's chakra.
By sheer coincidence and plot convenience, he still obtained the Scroll of Seals without any real effort.
"No way it's really this convenient, right?"
Naruto's mouth twitched.
In peacetime, Konoha didn't have many combat-ready ninjas on the surface.
But underground, the village still had strength.
There was no way their defenses would be this wide open.
Oh? They're deliberately letting me take it?
Naruto suddenly realized something.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi's skill and experience,
how could a mere academy student—not even a genin—possibly get his hands on the Scroll of Seals left behind by the Second Hokage?
Even an idiot could figure out it was impossible.
What the hell is this old man plotting?
"Whatever. Once I get the Rinnegan and my strength jumps another level, only then will my fist have real authority when I speak."
"Since you're intentionally leaving the door open for me to grab the Scroll of Seals… then I won't hold back."
Naruto grinned.
His pace quickened.
He strode right in, bold as brass.
Coincidentally—or not—the ANBU who were supposed to be guarding the corridors turned their heads and left their posts as if they hadn't seen a thing.
If Naruto hadn't sensed them, he would've thought those spots were genuinely empty.
He reached the Third Hokage's room.
Naruto originally planned to use some ninjutsu to break in.
But on second thought, he dropped the idea.
He was definitely being watched right now.
The slightest unusual movement, and the old silver coins lurking in the shadows would swarm him.
"Guess I'll have to force the door open physically."
"If they catch me, I'll just say I was born with superhuman strength."
He already had his excuse ready.
He placed his hand on the doorknob.
Click—
The door opened.
Naruto froze.
He hadn't forced it at all.
The damn thing wasn't even locked!
"The favoritism is way too obvious."
He wasn't the original Naruto with his simple brain circuits anymore.
Any normal person could deduce what was happening after a moment's thought.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared into a crystal ball.
The image inside showed Naruto sneaking into his own bedroom.
"Lord Third, is this really wise? Letting Naruto take the Scroll of Seals… If the Nine-Tails inside him goes berserk amid the chaos, countless people will die."
"Konoha can no longer withstand another catastrophe like that."
Behind him, the ANBU captain knelt on one knee, voice heavy with worry.
Konoha had finally entered a time of peace.
The wars had already taken the lives of far too many young ninjas.
Internal strife had also plagued the village.
If the Nine-Tails attacked again,
the only one who could possibly stop it would be the Third Hokage himself.
And if Lord Third fell in battle,
the other great ninja villages would surely break the peace treaty and declare war on a leaderless Konoha.
Then it would truly be a situation where no one answered cries to the heavens or the earth.
In short:
Konoha simply could not bear such devastating consequences again!
Hiruzen took a slow pull from his old-fashioned pipe.
Calmly, he replied:
"I have my own arrangements."
"I'm getting old. At night, when I dream, I can't help but see the past."
"Back then, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life—along with his wife—to stop the Nine-Tails from destroying the village."
"On his deathbed, he entrusted the infant Naruto to my care."
"The elderly, the widows, the orphans who lost loved ones in that disaster needed a target to vent their rage."
"On the surface, the village seems peaceful, but internally and externally it is full of troubles. The conflicts of interest among the great clans are growing fiercer. I had no choice but to divert the people's attention."
The wrinkles on Hiruzen's face seemed to deepen, making him look several years older.
He glanced at the framed photo on his desk—a picture of himself with the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
A deep look of guilt crossed the old man's face.
He took another drag from his pipe.
"The Scroll of Seals will be in Naruto's hands for the time being. Nothing will go wrong."
"And if something does go wrong… I alone will bear the consequences!"
Hiruzen's tone left no room for argument.
"Yes, sir!"
With the words spoken so decisively,
the ANBU captain had no choice but to obey.
Indeed… they owed the Fourth Hokage far too much.
If he hadn't stepped forward and sacrificed himself back then,
the death toll in the village would have been even higher!!!