The Ninja Academy droned on. Mostly theory. Dry lectures about things that felt... distant from anything real.
Was the theory useless? Not entirely. Sometimes, knowing the history of a conflict can be extremely useful for diplomatic missions or the supposed properties of a medicinal herb for emergencies might matter. But useful? When the instructor started explaining the parabolic arc needed to assassinate someone with a kunai from fifty meters... Naruto tuned out. Who had time to calculate trajectories in a real fight? By the time you finished the math, your target was gone, or you were dead.
It always seemed to circle back to the same thing: kids with clan techniques, with bloodline advantages, were the ones who survived. The bookworms, the ones who aced the written tests? They often didn't last long outside the village walls. It felt like the whole system was rigged from the start.
Sure, some practical skills were taught – wilderness survival, basic first aid, how to identify common traps. Useful stuff, maybe, for kids who'd never camped out or fended for themselves.
Naruto already knew most of it the hard way. They covered ninja tools, too – types, uses, weaknesses. And hand seals, endless drills on forming the precise shapes. But watching fights, seeing real shinobi in action... did anyone actually use basic kunai past a certain point? It mostly seemed to become flashes of light and elemental chaos. And hand seals? Felt like everyone powerful eventually just... willed jutsu into existence with a clap or a grunt.
Beyond that, the only potentially useful things were the Three Basics: Transformation, Substitution, Clone Jutsu.
Naruto's quick assessment?
Clone Jutsu: Pointless weak genjutsu. Anyone decent used Shadow Clones, or elemental ones. This was a waste of chakra.
Substitution Jutsu: Cool for show early on, touted as the first step to spatial ninjutsu. Then they retcon it into just a fast switcheroo, a trick of the eye.
Transformation Jutsu: Okay, this one had some potential. Good for infiltration, maybe. But easily seen through by sensor types or anyone with sharp eyes, unless you could somehow mimic it perfectly like... well, like things he probably shouldn't know about yet. Unless you're as good as a White Zetsu, it's useless. Though Harem Jutsu and Reverse Harem Jutsu, based on it, caught Kaguya off guard... so there's that.
So, yeah. The Academy. Great for kids with no background, giving them a crash course. For clan kids, maybe a refresher. For him? Mostly a waste of precious training time. Time he could be spending getting actually strong.
'If only I had Shadow Clones,' he thought, slouching as Iruka-sensei launched into another lecture about the Will of Fire, his voice earnest but making Naruto's eyelids heavy. A real clone, one that could train alongside him, learn, fight... even sit through this class for him. That would change everything.
Dragon Ball has clone-like techniques, sure. Tien Shinhan's Multi-Form Technique splits his power into four, and each one's a solid body. But that's Tien Shinhan's move, and Goku doesn't know it.
'So, Shadow Clones remained out of reach. The problem? Nobody's going to teach me. In the canon timeline, Original Naruto learned it by stealing the Scroll of Seals during the graduation exam. I'm years away from that. Besides, even if I did graduate, I don't plan on stealing anything. Cause I don't think this Third Hokage would be as lenient.'
Still, things weren't all bad. Since he'd mentioned wanting to be like the Fourth Hokage during introductions, the Anbu watchers had vanished. Maybe the Third Hokage figured he was safe now, or maybe it was something else. Either way, it was a relief. Less scrutiny meant more freedom. As long as he watched out for the old man's Crystal Ball Jutsu, he could finally start working on the real Turtle School stuff. Kamehameha. Flying. Ki blasts. Things that mattered.
------
*Drip... drip... drip...*
The sound, familiar yet strangely out of place, pulled Naruto from a deep sleep. He opened his eyes not to his small apartment, but to the vast, echoing space within the seal. Water pooled ankle-deep across the floor, reflecting a dim, murky light.
He frowned. He hadn't been here, truly present like this, in a long time. His training pushed him to exhaustion daily, sleep claimed him instantly. And since Goku Sensei could just talk inside his head, there hadn't been much need to visit the seal itself.
But this wasn't right. He'd consciously reshaped this space months ago, replacing the damp, oppressive feel with grassy fields under a clearer sky. Now... it felt like it had reverted. Back to how it was when he first arrived, lost and confused. And cold.
'Where was Goku Sensei? I haven't heard his Sensei's voice in... how long had it been?'
"Sensei?" Naruto called out, his voice swallowed by the immensity of the chamber. Unease prickled at him. He pushed off the ground, rising into the air, Ki lifting him effortlessly now, and flew towards the towering gate at the far end of the space.
The massive iron bars loomed, the seal tag still slapped defiantly in the centre. Everything looked the same, except... the familiar figure in the orange Gi, usually leaning against the bars or meditating nearby, was gone.
In his place, sprawled behind the gate, was a colossal shadow, mountain-sized and indistinct in the gloom.
"What the..."
"Oi! Kid! Get over here! I got something for you!"
The shadow stirred, a deep rumble echoing through the space. It shifted, dragging itself closer to the gate. Slowly, agonizingly, features resolved in the dim light.
Orange fur. Nine flowing tails lashing behind it. A massive fox head, jaws lined with teeth like daggers, peered through the bars, eyes burning with ancient malice.
Naruto froze mid-air. That face... he knew that face. The very first thing he'd seen when he woke up in this world.
The Nine-Tails. The one who'd vanished.
'My cheat... is back?' The thought barely registered before another slammed into him: 'Then where's Goku Sensei? I want him!'
"Scared speechless, are you?" The Nine-Tails grinned, a terrifying sight. It lowered its head, peering down its long snout at him with utter contempt. "Weak little human whelp."
The shock began to fade, replaced by a cold clarity. Naruto rose higher, meeting the Tailed Beast's burning gaze levelly. He snapped his fingers.
"Let there be light," he murmured.
Instantly, the oppressive gloom vanished, replaced by a clear, steady light filling the entire chamber.
The Nine-Tails blinked, startled. "...Interesting," it rumbled, reassessing him. 'This vessel might not be so boring after all.'
"Mr. Big Fox," Naruto said, his voice steady despite the tremor he felt deep inside. "Pleasure to finally meet you properly, I guess."
The fox scoffed, a puff of hot air escaping its nostrils. "Spare me the pleasantries, brat. What do you want?"
Naruto didn't hesitate. "Where did you go? For the past two years?" He needed to know. 'What happened? Where was Goku Sensei?' The question felt heavy, vital.
The Nine-Tails just stared at him, head tilted slightly, a flicker of genuine confusion in its eyes. Its next words confused Naruto even more.
"What are you talking about, runt?"
"I've been right here the whole time."
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