1 Day Later
Morning came slowly to the Land of Waves.
The forest behind Tazuna's house echoed with repeated impacts.
THUDSLIPTHUD
"…Again," Kakashi said lazily from a branch above.
Sasuke shot up the tree—
Ten steps.
Seven more—
SLIP
He pushed off from his last point of contact, executing a perfect aerial flip, landing in a crouched position.
*Ping*
Although it has no effect on the player, +10 to Aura for Sasuke Uchiha!
"…Show-off," Naruto muttered.
Naruto clicked his tongue.
He stepped toward the tree.
Placed one foot—
Then casually walked straight up.
No hesitation.
No slipping.
He reached a branch nearly at the top and stood upside down, hands in his pockets.
"…Okay yeah, I've mastered this."
The Shinobi Codex chimed.
Skill Level Up!
Tree Walking LVL 4 (1/40)
Effect Gained:
Chakra Adhesion Efficiency Increased
Reduced chakra cost for surface traversal
Naruto grinned.
"Nice."
Below him, Sasuke glanced up.
"…Tch."
Naruto dropped down lightly.
"Relax, you're getting there."
Sasuke crossed his arms.
"I don't need encouragement."
Naruto smirked.
"Good, cause you're getting it anyway."
Later
Naruto stretched as he wandered away from the training area alone.
"Alright…"
"If I stay there any longer I'm gonna start teaching trees how to walk."
The village felt… slightly different.
Still poor.
Still quiet.
But not as suffocating.
Naruto walked past the docks—
Past shuttered homes—
Until he stopped.
"…Huh."
An old building sat near the edge of the village.
Unlike the others, it wasn't just abandoned.
It felt… forgotten.
The sign above the entrance hung crooked.
Faded beyond recognition.
The door creaked as Naruto pushed it open.
Dust filled the air.
Shelves lined the walls.
Collapsed in places.
Rotting in others.
Scrolls.
Books.
Stacks of old records.
Naruto blinked.
"…A library?"
The Shinobi Codex flickered.
Hidden Location Detected
Type: Minor Knowledge Zone
Naruto's grin spread slowly.
"Oh this is WAY cooler than random boxes."
He immediately started digging.
Pulling scrolls from shelves.
Flipping through brittle pages.
Most of it was useless.
Fishing logs.
Trade records.
Old weather reports.
Naruto groaned.
"Man this place is boring."
Then—
He paused.
One scroll was wrapped differently.
Older.
The paper slightly discolored.
The symbol on it faint—
But familiar.
A spiral.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"…No way."
He unrolled it carefully.
The text was fragmented.
Damaged by time.
But readable in parts.
The Shinobi Codex pulsed.
Analysis in Progress…
Partial Information Extracted
Uzumaki Clan Reference Found
Naruto leaned closer.
"…C'mon…"
He read slowly.
"…Known for strong life force…"
"…exceptional chakra reserves…"
"…masters of fuinjutsu…"
Naruto blinked.
"…Sealing stuff?"
Another line—
"…former allies of Konoha…"
"…resided in Uzushiogakure…"
The text cut off.
Burned at the edge.
Naruto sat back slightly.
"…That's it?"
The Codex chimed.
Legendary Quest Updated
Bloodline Investigation
Progress: Minor Discovery
+1 Intelligence
New Clue Added:
Uzumaki Clan – Specialists in Sealing Techniques
Naruto scratched his head.
"…Seals, huh."
His gaze drifted to his pouch.
Gravity Sealing Tags - prototype.
The earlier notification echoed in his mind.
Uzumaki Synergy +10%
Naruto frowned slightly.
"…So that wasn't random."
He leaned back against the dusty shelf.
Thinking.
"…Old man definitely knew about this."
Hiruzen's face flashed in his memory.
That pause.
That hesitation.
That careful way he answered.
Naruto exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
"He knew way more than he said."
The Shinobi Codex flickered faintly.
Thought Process Recognized
Perceptive Reasoning Reinforced
+1 Intelligence
Naruto looked down at the scroll again.
"…Destroyed during the war…"
"…Clan scattered…"
"…barely anything left…"
He clenched the paper slightly.
"…So what."
A grin slowly crept onto his face.
"If there's even a little left—"
"I'll find it."
The Codex pulsed.
Legendary Quest Progress Updated
Resolve Acknowledged
Naruto stood up.
Carefully rolling the scroll fragment and tucking it into his pouch.
Inventory Updated
Damaged Uzumaki Record (Fragment)
Rarity: Rare
Description: Contains partial historical information about the Uzumaki Clan.
"…Alright."
He glanced around the ruined library one more time, turning to leave there was a sudden
CREEEEAK
A door off in a small alcove of the library slammed open.
Naruto jumped.
An old man made his way towards the blonde.
He had wild gray hair.
Crooked teeth beyond measure.
Bushy eyebrows slightly alluring in quality, with a slight swagger that oozed Sexy?
He pointed a shaky finger at Naruto.
"Oi!"
"What do you think you're doing in my establishment?!"
Naruto blinked.
"…This place is falling apart."
The old man gasped like he'd been personally stabbed.
"HOW DARE YOU."
"This is a cultural landmark, you uncultured swine!"
Naruto slowly backed up.
"…You don't even have a roof."
The old man marched forward angrily.
"Details!"
He squinted at Naruto.
"…Wait a minute."
"…You're not British, are you?"
Naruto froze.
"…What?"
The old man narrowed his eyes.
"Because there's only two things I hate in this world—"
He raised two fingers dramatically.
"People who are intolerant of other people's cultures…"
A pause.
Naruto leaned forward, something drew him to this old codger.
"…And?"
The old man jabbed a finger at him.
"…AND THE DUTCH!"
Naruto stared.
"…What does that have to do with anything?!"
The old man suddenly grabbed a nearby broom.
"GET OUT!"
Naruto yelped.
"HEY HEY OKAY—"
The broom swung wildly.
WHACK
Naruto ducked and bolted for the door.
"I WAS JUST READING!"
"THAT'S HOW IT STARTS!" the old man yelled, chasing him outside.
As he ran outside—
The sound of distant construction echoed across the water.
Tazuna's bridge.
Still unfinished.
Still dangerous.
"…Sealing jutsu, huh…"
A grin spread across his face.
"…Guess I just found my thing."
And far away—
In the shadows of the forest—
A masked boy watched quietly.
Then vanished into the mist.