Iruka stared at the Hokage Rock in disbelief.
Fresh water still trickled down the carved stone faces, carrying away the last traces of paint and grime. The cliff, which had been defaced only hours earlier, was now clean—thoroughly, painstakingly clean. Every crevice had been scrubbed until the stone showed through clearly beneath the fading sunset.
And standing at the base of the cliff, sleeves rolled up and clothes splattered with water, was Naruto Uzumaki.
By choice.
"He… he really came here on his own?" Iruka muttered, squatting on a nearby boulder.
His eyes stung, and before he realized it, they were glossy with emotion.
Earlier, Mizuki had pulled him aside to "chat," dragging the conversation out far longer than necessary. Iruka had assumed—quite reasonably—that Naruto would take advantage of the distraction to slip away and cause more trouble somewhere else in the village.
That was how things usually went.
But instead of running…
Naruto had stayed.
Not only that—he had cleaned the Hokage Rock thoroughly, without being chased, scolded, or supervised.
Iruka pressed a fist to his mouth, shoulders trembling slightly.
"He's really growing up…" he whispered. "Sensei is so proud."
The thought sent his imagination racing.
If even Naruto can change like this… Iruka thought excitedly. Doesn't that mean my teaching methods are improving? Maybe I really do have talent! At this rate, becoming head instructor—or even principal—might not be impossible!
The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became. A broad smile spread across his face, and before he realized it, he let out a laugh.
Nearby, Naruto glanced over, confused.
Iruka was alternating between wiping his eyes and grinning like an idiot.
"…Sensei's weird," Naruto muttered, then shrugged and went back to work.
He had no interest in whatever emotional breakthrough Iruka was having.
He just wanted this over with.
Hurry up, Naruto thought impatiently. I still need to find Mizuki-sensei before it gets too late.
Inside his mind, Lock watched everything calmly.
He didn't interfere.
There was no reason to.
The path was already set.
At most, Iruka would become a teacher Naruto trusted more than others—nothing more. Certainly not the kind of irreplaceable figure who could derail what was coming.
When Naruto finally finished and stepped back, hands on his hips, Iruka cleared his throat and stood.
"Naruto," he said warmly, "to reward you for taking responsibility today, how about this—after we're done, I'll treat you to ramen."
Naruto's ears perked up instantly.
"…Ramen?"
Iruka laughed. "As much as you want. Eat until you can't move."
For a split second, Naruto's eyes shone.
Then the light faltered.
He hesitated, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"…Sorry," he said reluctantly. "I can't today. I need to go see Grandpa Third after this."
The words tasted bitter.
Ramen wasn't something he could afford often. Usually, it was a rare treat—something he saved for days when the loneliness felt unbearable.
But tonight, timing mattered more.
This excuse had been prepared carefully, rehearsed in his mind until it sounded natural.
Iruka blinked, then nodded in understanding.
"I see," he said. "You do spend a lot of time with the Hokage."
He paused, then chuckled.
"Well, today or tomorrow doesn't matter. If I promised ramen, you'll get it. Tomorrow, the day after—whenever you're free."
Naruto's face brightened immediately.
"Really!?" he shouted.
"Of course."
Naruto pumped his fist into the air.
"Long live Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka laughed as Naruto bounded away, energy completely restored.
From the outside, it looked like a simple moment—teacher and student, misunderstanding resolved.
Inside, Lock was already looking past it.
Within the depths of Naruto's consciousness, Lock turned his attention inward.
Now that the immediate situation was stable, he could focus on something far more important.
Power.
The internal framework he had begun to understand earlier responded as soon as he directed his thoughts toward it. Information surfaced—not as floating panels or symbols, but as structured awareness, like instinctive knowledge waiting to be accessed.
Sources of chakra.
Different imprints.
Different prices.
Lock's brows knit together.
Some presences were overwhelming—vast, ancient, and completely out of reach for now. Others were smaller, more practical, but still required careful consideration.
The difference between them was like comparing a mountain to a stepping stone.
At the moment, Lock's reserves were pitiful.
Barely enough to experiment.
He weighed his options carefully.
Drawing on anything tied to Naruto's inherited legacy—or the sealed beast within him—was completely unrealistic at this stage. The cost was too high, the strain too dangerous, and the attention it would attract unacceptable.
There was, however, one source that stood out.
Iruka Umino.
A chunin.
Not exceptional by the village's standards, but solid. Experienced. Dependable. His chakra was stable, his fighting style practical, his fundamentals clean.
And most importantly—
Affordable.
Lock frowned.
Using that now would be inefficient in the long run, he thought. Once Naruto learns more advanced techniques, Iruka's level will be surpassed easily.
But circumstances had changed.
The original course of events was already shifting.
Lock had interfered—subtly, but decisively.
That meant relying entirely on canon outcomes without preparation was foolish.
Even if ANBU were watching. Even if the Hokage occasionally observed Naruto from afar.
Depending on others was never a sound strategy.
Self-sufficiency first, Lock decided.
He explored deeper, testing the limits of what could be drawn out, refined, and retained. A question formed naturally.
If I build strength piece by piece… can it accumulate?
The answer came instantly.
Yes.
Skills drawn from different sources could overlap, reinforce, and eventually elevate one another. Slow and inefficient compared to outright mastery—but stable.
Lock's eyes narrowed in thought.
Then taijutsu is the best choice.
Every shinobi used it. It required no hand seals. No large chakra expenditure. No flashy displays that would draw attention.
And more importantly—
It stacked.
With enough accumulation, even something as mundane as chunin-level combat experience could be refined into something far more dangerous.
A memory surfaced unbidden.
Might Guy.
The Eight Gates.
Raw physical force taken to its absolute extreme.
Lock exhaled slowly.
One step at a time.
For now, restraint mattered more than ambition.
He made his decision.
Not yet.
He would wait.
Observe.
Save what little he had until the moment demanded action.
Outside, Naruto was already moving.
He finished putting away the cleaning tools and jogged back toward the academy, heart pounding—not with fear, but excitement.
Luck was on his side.
Near the school building, he spotted a familiar figure pacing slowly, hands behind his back.
Mizuki.
Naruto swallowed, then squared his shoulders and approached.
"Mizuki-sensei!"
Mizuki turned, his expression shifting into a practiced smile.
"Well, if it isn't Naruto," he said lightly. "What brings you here?"
Naruto stopped a few steps away.
"I… I wanted to ask you something."
Mizuki's eyes flickered with interest.
"Go on."
Naruto took a breath.
"Can you tell me about the Scroll of Seals?"
For a fraction of a second, Mizuki's smile vanished.
His gaze sharpened, cold and calculating.
Has he found out? Mizuki thought.
The sudden shift made Naruto's heart skip a beat.
Sensing the tension, he hurriedly spoke again, repeating the explanation Lock had drilled into him.
"I—I overheard you talking earlier," Naruto said quickly. "You said it records really powerful jutsu. I just thought… if I could learn one, maybe I could finally graduate."
The words were clumsy.
Earnest.
Perfect.
Mizuki studied Naruto's face carefully.
Then, slowly, his expression softened.
So that's it, he realized. Desperation.
He chuckled lightly.
"Sorry about that," Mizuki said. "I overreacted. That scroll is one of the village's greatest treasures, after all."
Naruto nodded eagerly.
Mizuki leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
"But…" he continued, eyes glinting, "if you could master one of the techniques inside it, passing the graduation exam would be easy."
Naruto's breath caught.
Inside his mind, Lock watched in silence.
The hook had been set.
And the line was about to tighten.
---
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San