Filled with anticipation, Naruto stood in the center of his room, chakra bubbling with excitement.
He tightened his stance and formed the hand seal, his expression serious—well, as serious as Naruto could look with toothpaste still on his shirt.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he shouted with all the confidence in the world.
Poof!
A puff of smoke burst around him, and within moments, four identical Narutos appeared, each blinking at one another in synchronized confusion.
???
"…"
"…Whoa."
"Damn!" Naruto grinned. "Am I a genius or what?!"
He looked at the three clones proudly, puffing his chest like a peacock who just invented flying.
"Hmph! What a powerful technique. This sage—you're lookin' at him—mastered it in an instant!"
Still riding the high of success, Naruto scoffed at the memory of the other technique.
"Tch. If that last jutsu didn't have so many math equations, I would've mastered that one too!"
With his self-esteem now soaring somewhere near the clouds, Naruto didn't forget the next step. He released the clones with a simple thought.
Poof. Poof. Poof.
As they vanished, a sharp but brief jolt of information flooded into Naruto's mind. Their memories—movements, feelings, what they saw—merged back into him.
It gave him a momentary headache, like getting slapped with three pop quizzes at once.
"Ugh… so that's how that feels…" he muttered, shaking his head. The discomfort faded fast, though.
Before he knew it, he was standing exactly where he'd started.
Only an hour had passed.
"Man… already done with practice?" Naruto sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Now what?"
After thinking for a moment, a mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Alright then… let's go explore the village!"
With a new plan in mind, Naruto decided to roam around Konoha for the day. And—though it pained him to admit—maybe even head to the library later.
"Ugh, studying…"
He winced dramatically, clutching his chest like he'd been betrayed by destiny.
But then his eyes lit up.
"Still… if I can get stronger by studying…" he sniffled, tears forming comically at the edge of his eyes, "…then I'll do it! Small sacrifices… for the greater good."
But before any of that—
Naruto turned his gaze to the treasure sitting on his shelf.
A single, sealed cup.
His limited-edition ramen.
He had saved it for months.
Today… was the day.
"Let's eat!"
In no time, he had the water boiling and the packet opened. The scent filled his house like a divine blessing from the noodle gods themselves.
As he dug in, he made dramatic commentary between bites:
"Hmm! What flavor! Oh, my lovely ramen—why must you taste so good?!"
Within minutes, the bowl was empty, the soul was full, and Naruto leaned back, patting his stomach with a satisfied grin.
The rest of the precious limited-edition stash? Safely tucked away.
You don't eat the treasure all at once.
Feeling refreshed, Naruto stepped out of the house, stretching in the warm sunlight.
The cobbled roads of Konoha stretched before him, lively and familiar.
As Naruto wandered through the village, he came across all kinds of interesting shops—weapon stores, trinket stalls, food carts, and even a place selling weird singing frogs.
But thanks to the simple mask he wore today, no one recognized him. No whispers, no glares, no villagers pulling their kids away. Just peaceful strolling.
And Naruto? He loved it.
"This is how legends should live—in mystery!" he muttered smugly to himself, arms behind his head as he walked.
Eventually, he stopped outside a familiar bookstore. His eyes sparkled with nostalgia.
This was the place.
The sacred ground where it all began.
The origin of the legendary jutsu that made even the Third Hokage buckle.
The Harem Technique.
Naruto puffed up with pride. "Heh. Even grandpa third hokage couldn't resist it. The technique is just that powerful!"
Meanwhile…
Far away, sitting peacefully (and finally sipping tea for once), the Third Hokage happened to glance at his crystal ball.
And there, like a flash of lightning in a clear sky, he saw Naruto… walking into that cursed shop again.
"No… not again…" the old man whispered, his cup trembling slightly.
Memories flashed before his eyes—the Harem Technique, the nosebleed, the shame.
If news of that day ever leaked, his image as the wise, all-knowing Hokage might never recover.
He broke into a cold sweat. "That technique… was too dangerous. The world isn't ready."
Without hesitation, he turned to the shadows.
"You there!" he called out.
An ANBU ninja in a dog mask knelt instantly behind him. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Get Naruto out of that bookstore," Hiruzen said seriously. "Discreetly. I don't care how. Just make sure… he doesn't learn anything else."
The ANBU bowed respectfully.
"At once."
With a flicker of movement, he vanished into the rooftops, darting through the village like a phantom— reaching the destination in few minutes
The ANBU quietly stepped into the shop, making sure no one noticed him. He stayed in the shadows, keeping his eyes on Naruto.
"What is he doing?" he wondered.
He thought Naruto would head straight to the back of the store—where the adult books were.
That's where Naruto had gone last time, and the Hokage still hadn't recovered from that surprise.
The ANBU knew about that section too, though he didn't like to admit it.
Cough! Cough!
Let's just say... field experience.
But to his surprise, Naruto walked toward the literature section instead.
He looked through a few books, flipping pages and reading a little from each one. He seemed focused—curious, even.
His interest had been piqued ever since he read something good at the library.
After checking a few, Naruto picked a book and headed to the counter.
The store owner, an old ninja now running the shop in retirement, didn't even get up from his seat.
He just said, "300 ryo."
Naruto paid the price and left the shop quietly.
The ANBU let out a small sigh of relief as Naruto exited the store.
He slipped out behind him, vanishing onto the rooftops, and sent a quick report to the Hokage.
Back at the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage leaned back and smiled slightly.
"That boy... maybe he's starting to change."