"So, it's Naruto this time."
Malrick glanced up at the clear blue sky. Hands in his pockets, he observed the distant mountain wall, where the carved heads of past Shadows stood solemnly. His eyes then fell to the gate of the Ninja Academy.
Naruto Uzumaki sat alone on a swing, tracing circles in the dirt with the tip of his shoe. Around him, students were being picked up by their parents, streaming out of the academy, their world oblivious to his presence. Despite the closeness, it felt like they existed in two entirely different worlds.
Malrick quickly adjusted, blending seamlessly into the Japanese anime aesthetic.
"Oh, my, appearing next to the protagonist again. The odds of randomly showing up in front of the main character are surprisingly high," he mused.
"As for this world… I'll study the Ōtsutsuki Bloodline and the divine tree fruit before I leave. And the m-body, of course."
He released another m-body, sending it swiftly into space to merge with the universe. Turning his gaze back, he noticed Naruto silently rise from the swing and walk toward the school, dejected. Nearby parents whispered, expressing satisfaction that the fox demon had failed the graduation exam.
"Hmm… it's still graduation day at the Ninja Academy, right at the beginning," Malrick observed, pinching his chin. "I actually quite like Naruto Uzumaki. Watching him struggle evokes both envy and excitement. Wait… my power currently surpasses his, so perhaps that feeling is pointless."
"Mizuki will trick Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals. I'll take a look at it."
Malrick had no intention of following Naruto closely. With hands in his pockets and a confident stride, he headed toward the Hokage's office. Ordinarily, an outsider appearing suddenly in Konoha would have attracted immediate attention from Anbu ninja. Yet from his arrival until reaching the office, no one noticed him.
Even when Malrick entered and approached Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk, watching the old man peep into a bathhouse with a crystal ball, no one reacted.
"All day long, peeping at beautiful women, Hiruzen Sarutobi… you'll regret this!" Malrick muttered, studying the misty scene.
Hiruzen shivered and muttered, "Danzo… I am the Hokage!" hastily covering the crystal ball.
"Hmm? Wasn't that Danzo just speaking?" he added, looking around in confusion and ignoring Malrick standing before him.
After confirming no intruders, he uncovered the crystal ball, chuckling softly. Malrick observed silently, taking note of the evil ninjutsu.
He soon found the Scroll of Seals in another room. Malrick had concealed his presence with a Bio-field; even standing right before someone, detection was extremely difficult.
Inside the scroll room, he casually opened the sealed scroll. No jutsu was triggered. Alone, he began reading the secret ninja techniques of Konoha: Shadow Clone Jutsu, Impure World Reincarnation, Eight Gates Released Formation, Rasengan, Fire Release, Water Release, Wood Release…
With just a glance, Malrick comprehended the execution processes but noted, "I still need Chakra. That's my next step."
After replacing the Scroll of Seals, he returned to the Hokage's office. Hiruzen, focused on graduate files, bit his pipe. Malrick observed the flow of Chakra through meridians with his superhuman vision.
"The number of ninja cells is about three times that of Earthlings," he noted. "Chakra combines spiritual and physical energy but needs a seed to germinate."
He extracted a drop of Hiruzen's blood with a subtle cut and simultaneously healed the wound.
"Hiss!" Hiruzen gasped, then looked down to find nothing. "A mosquito?" he muttered.
Malrick carefully studied Hiruzen's cells and genetics, then expanded his collection to include Anbu guards and notable ninjas like Might Guy, Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hiashi Hyuga.
As the night deepened, Malrick walked Konoha's streets, condensing a blood-red energy orb in his hand.
"Chakra fuses soul and body. Emotions amplify or weaken power, while the bloodline determines potential," he reflected.
Glancing at the moon, he spotted Naruto leaping stealthily across rooftops.
"Is he going to steal the Scroll of Seals?"
Malrick's interest surged. Naruto, containing Asura's Chakra, was perfect for study. In a blink, Malrick appeared before him.
"Ah!" Naruto collided with him, tumbling onto the roof tiles. He looked up at the black-haired adult, reminiscent of a proud Sasuke.
"Who… who are you?" Naruto stammered, flustered.
"Heh heh, I'm here to see what you're up to," Malrick replied, crouching with a smile.
"Are you… going to steal the Scroll of Seals too?" Naruto asked, stunned.
Malrick was unsurprised by the question.
"That scroll needs to be stolen? Brat, if you want to graduate, following Mizuki won't help." He crooked a finger. "Do you want to graduate? Become a Chunin, a Jonin, or even the Hokage? Then come with me."
Malrick flickered across rooftops, instantly reappearing on another house.
Naruto's eyes widened in awe. "Amazing! Can you really help me become the Hokage?"
Malrick remained silent and turned.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Naruto hurried after him.