I Became a Demon Sword and Traveled the Anime Worlds

To Mizuki, Naruto's curious expression looked almost painfully innocent.

He nearly laughed.

So what if the boy was a genius?

In the end, he was still a twelve year old child, easily led wherever Mizuki wanted him to go.

Suppressing the contempt in his eyes, Mizuki leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Then I'll tell you a secret."

Naruto gave him his full attention.

"There's a special scroll kept inside the Hokage's office. It's called the Scroll of Seals."

Mizuki glanced around theatrically before continuing.

"It contains powerful forbidden techniques left behind by the First Hokage. Ninjutsu that ordinary Shinobi are never allowed to learn."

He smiled.

"If you could master the techniques written inside, becoming Hokage might not be such an impossible dream after all."

Naruto's eyes widened at exactly the right moment.

Mizuki continued in a whisper.

"There's also a secluded training ground outside the village where almost no one goes. If someone wanted to study the scroll without being disturbed, that would be the perfect place."

Just then, Teuchi placed two steaming bowls of ramen on the counter.

"Here you go."

He smiled warmly.

"Eat while it's hot."

"Thanks, Uncle Teuchi."

Naruto picked up his chopsticks and began eating.

His expression remained perfectly normal.

Inside, however, his thoughts were moving quickly.

So that's it.

Mizuki sensei wants me to steal the Scroll of Seals for him.

The more Naruto considered the conversation, the clearer Mizuki's intentions became.

Before he could think any further, Asuramaru's voice sounded within his mind.

"Go steal it tonight."

Naruto nearly paused mid bite.

Asuramaru continued with complete confidence.

"You definitely won't be punished for it."

Naruto trusted him.

Still, that statement was so certain that he could not help asking.

"Why?"

Asuramaru answered immediately.

"Think about it."

"This is Konoha."

"Do you really believe Mizuki can spend his time plotting against the Nine Tails Jinchūriki without the Hokage knowing anything?"

Naruto's gaze shifted slightly.

Asuramaru continued.

"If Hiruzen truly wanted to stop this, Mizuki would never have gotten this far."

"Since no one has interfered, the most likely explanation is that the Hokage already knows and has chosen to let events continue."

Naruto chewed thoughtfully.

"That actually makes sense."

And truthfully, he wanted to see the Scroll of Seals himself.

Forbidden techniques personally preserved by the Hokage...

How could a Shinobi not be curious?

After finishing their ramen, Naruto and Mizuki separated.

The sun had only begun to set.

Naruto found a bench in a nearby park and sat down to wait.

Orange light slowly faded from the sky.

The streets grew quieter.

One shop after another closed for the night.

Only when darkness had fully settled over Konoha did Naruto rise.

It was time.

Late that night, the Hokage Building stood almost completely dark.

At least, that was how it appeared.

Asuramaru's Perception spread through the surrounding area.

Several presences were hidden nearby.

ANBU.

There was no mistaking them.

Naruto approached carefully.

Not one of the hidden Shinobi moved to stop him.

Asuramaru almost laughed.

Just as expected.

Naruto slipped inside.

The halls were silent.

He moved quickly but cautiously, making his way toward the Hokage's office on the upper floor.

No guards appeared.

No alarms sounded.

Naruto reached the office door, opened it, and immediately spotted the enormous scroll inside.

The Scroll of Seals.

He grabbed it without wasting time.

Then he retraced his path through the building and disappeared into the night, heading toward the forest Mizuki had mentioned.

From beginning to end, the ANBU remained hidden.

And Asuramaru sensed something else.

A familiar chakra signature.

Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The Third Hokage was watching Naruto through the Telescope Technique.

Elsewhere in the darkness, Hiruzen drew slowly from his pipe as Naruto disappeared into the distance.

He said nothing.

Meanwhile, news of the theft began spreading with suspicious speed.

Mizuki hurried to Iruka's home and pounded on the door.

"Iruka sensei!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Wake up!"

"Something serious happened!"

A moment later, Iruka rushed out.

"What happened?"

Mizuki wore an expression of perfect urgency.

"The Scroll of Seals has been stolen!"

Iruka's face changed immediately.

"What?"

Mizuki continued.

"It looks like Naruto took it!"

"The Scroll of Seals?!"

Iruka was fully awake now.

"Come on!"

"Hokage sama is gathering everyone!"

The two hurried toward the Hokage Building.

Before long, a group of Shinobi had assembled outside.

Only then did Hiruzen emerge.

His expression was solemn.

"The Scroll of Seals has been stolen."

He looked over the gathered Shinobi.

"Uzumaki Naruto appears to be responsible."

"Find him and bring both Naruto and the scroll back safely."

The Shinobi answered together.

"Yes!"

They scattered through the village and surrounding forest.

Inside Asuramaru, however, the entire situation looked increasingly ridiculous.

Not a single ANBU had been dispatched.

There was not even one Jonin among the search party.

The village had supposedly lost one of its most dangerous collections of forbidden techniques...

Yet the search force consisted entirely of ordinary Shinobi.

If this was supposed to look convincing, Hiruzen could have tried a little harder.

Deep within the forest, Naruto had already unrolled the Scroll of Seals.

He sat cross legged beneath the trees, eyes bright with anticipation.

The first technique appeared before him.

[A Rank Ninjutsu: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique]

Naruto began reading.

The technique divided the user's chakra evenly among a large number of Shadow Clones.

Unlike ordinary clones, these possessed physical bodies and could participate in actual combat.

More importantly, once a Shadow Clone disappeared, its memories and experiences returned to the original body.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"That's useful."

Asuramaru agreed.

"Very."

Naruto studied the hand seal and chakra circulation method.

With the Legendary Buff, Twice the Result with Half the Effort, supporting his training, the technique presented almost no difficulty.

He practiced it.

Again.

Then once more.

It did not take long.

Naruto smiled.

"Got it."

He immediately turned to the next section.

Then he froze.

[S Rank Ninjutsu: Flying Thunder God Technique]

Naruto leaned closer.

"A Space Time Ninjutsu?"

The Flying Thunder God allowed its user to place a special formula upon a person, object, or location.

Once a mark had been established, the user could teleport directly to it.

Naruto had never encountered anything like it.

"Teleportation..."

He read through the training method.

"This one looks complicated."

Inside him, Asuramaru was far more surprised.

He knew the Flying Thunder God extremely well.

One glance was enough to confirm it.

This was genuine.

Not an incomplete version.

Not a deliberately altered copy.

The real Flying Thunder God Technique.

Asuramaru had half expected Hiruzen to leave Naruto access to the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique while filling the rest of the scroll with useless material.

Apparently, he had underestimated the old man.

Hiruzen was actually letting Naruto read the real Scroll of Seals.

"Are you serious?"

Asuramaru muttered.

Flying Thunder God was not something Naruto could master in a few minutes.

Fortunately, he did not need to.

Naruto carefully memorized the technique before speaking inside his mind.

"Asuramaru."

"Yes?"

"Can you remember all the training methods in here for me?"

"Of course."

The answer came without hesitation.

Naruto relaxed.

"Then that makes things easier."

He flipped to the next technique.

His expression changed.

[S Rank Ninjutsu: Edo Tensei]

A technique capable of summoning the dead back into the world of the living.

Naruto stared at the description.

For a brief moment, his breathing slowed.

His parents.

He had never known them.

He had never heard their voices.

Never felt their hands on his head.

Never sat at a table with them.

If this technique could truly summon the dead...

Naruto's eyes lowered toward the requirements written beneath the technique.

After reading them, a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"Forget it."

Asuramaru remained silent.

Naruto slowly turned his gaze away from the page.

He wanted to meet his parents.

Of course he did.

But...

He already had family.

Asuramaru had been with him for as long as he could remember.

That was enough.

Inside the sword, Asuramaru quietly memorized every detail of Edo Tensei.

Whether he intended to use the technique was irrelevant.

A useful ability was a useful ability.

Better to possess it and never need it than need it and not possess it.

Naruto reached for the next page.

Then he stopped.

Someone was approaching.

Footsteps rushed through the forest.

Branches snapped.

A figure emerged between the trees, breathing heavily.

Iruka.

The moment he spotted Naruto and the scroll, relief and frustration crossed his face at the same time.

"Naruto!"

Iruka hurried toward him.

"You made me search half the forest for you!"

Then his gaze fell on the Scroll of Seals.

"What were you thinking? How could you steal something like that?"

Naruto looked up with a perfectly innocent smile.

"Mizuki sensei told me to."

Iruka froze.

Naruto continued helpfully.

"He told me where the scroll was."

"And he told me about this training ground too."

Inside Naruto, Asuramaru nodded approvingly.

Excellent.

Place responsibility exactly where it belonged.

A student worthy of his teaching.

Outside, Iruka's expression changed drastically.

"Mizuki told you?"

His eyes widened.

"Wait..."

"Could he be planning to"

A sharp sound tore through the forest.

Iruka's instincts screamed.

Kunai!

A large volley came flying from behind him.

There was no time to evade.

Iruka immediately tried to shove Naruto aside.

Naruto moved first.

His hand snapped around Iruka's arm.

He pulled.

Iruka stumbled sideways.

The kunai tore through the space where both of them had been standing.

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

The weapons buried themselves in the surrounding trees.

Silence followed.

Then a figure moved above them.

Mizuki landed on a thick branch.

He stared down at Naruto with visible surprise.

"You dodged that?"

His expression soon twisted into a grin.

"Whatever."

"There's nowhere left for you to run."

Mizuki's eyes shifted toward the enormous scroll beside Naruto.

"Hand over the Scroll of Seals."

"I'll spare both of your lives."

Iruka stepped in front of Naruto.

"Naruto!"

His voice was urgent.

"Do not give him that scroll!"

"Those techniques were sealed away because of how dangerous they are."

He stared up at Mizuki, already prepared to fight.

"Take the scroll and run!"

"I'll stop him!"

Mizuki laughed.

"You?"

His contempt was obvious.

"You think you can stop me, Iruka?"

He reached for his weapon.

"I'll kill you first."

Then his gaze moved toward Naruto.

A cruel smile spread across his face.

"And after that, I'll kill this brat."

"The thought of snuffing out a genius before he can grow up..."

Mizuki's grin widened.

"I have to admit, that sounds pretty satisfying."

Iruka tensed.

Mizuki prepared to attack.

Naruto looked between them.

Then back again.

He had something he wanted to say.

He just was not sure whether either of these two would appreciate hearing it.

Are you two serious?

Why are you talking like I'm not even standing here?

Naruto had spent eleven years training under Asuramaru.

His current combat strength had already reached the level of a Jonin.

Iruka was trying to protect him.

Mizuki thought he could kill him.

Naruto stared at the two men.

Somehow, the entire situation had become completely backwards.

....

[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]

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