My Name Is Naruto Namikaze

CHAPTER WORDS:- 1049

Chapter 17: Manipulation and Counter-Manipulation

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Leaving the examination area, Naruto paid no attention to the strange gazes from his classmates. He knew exactly why they were looking at him like that. After all, he lacked the symbol of a passing ninja: the Konoha forehead protector.

Couple that with the less-than-perfect soundproofing of the classroom, and many had overheard Iruka's frustration during Naruto's exam. Unlike the Naruto from Canon , this version wasn't a class dunce. Quite the opposite—he had been a consistent top performer over the years.

Of course, this dominance was intentional. Naruto had been holding back. If he unleashed his full strength, especially against a pre-mature Sharingan Sasuke (whose Sharingan had awakened during the Uchiha massacre but remained dormant), Naruto could trounce him without breaking a sweat.

But from the perspective of the other students, Naruto's failure to graduate was shocking. They all assumed that someone as sharp and capable as him would breeze through the exam.

Sure, some remembered seeing him struggle with the Clone Jutsu during practice, but surely, given his intelligence, he'd have resolved that issue by now. Right?

That was the collective assumption.

Thus, his failure to graduate left nearly everyone stunned. Among all the surprised faces, only one showed concern—Hinata Hyuga, the reserved heiress of the Hyuga clan.

Her pale eyes reflected deep worry as she looked at Naruto's departing figure, her hands nervously twisting together.

"...Naruto-kun…"

Naruto, oblivious to Hinata's concern, made his way up to the academy rooftop. Finding a quiet corner, he lay down and stretched out comfortably.

'Now, all I need to do is wait for Mizuki to come find me,' he muttered to himself. "If I recall correctly, it should happen by sunset. Yeah, seems like I've got time for a quick nap."

With his hands tucked behind his head, Naruto gazed at the blue sky and fluffy white clouds above, his expression relaxed. But inwardly, his thoughts were calculating.

This was a golden opportunity. A once-in-a-lifetime chance he couldn't afford to miss.

Unlike his counterpart in Canon, this Naruto wasn't going to waste the Scroll of Seals by learning only the Shadow Clone Jutsu. That scroll contained some of Konoha's most powerful forbidden techniques.

At the top of his list were the Dead Demon Consuming Seal , Flying Thunder God Technique and The Eight Gates.

The latter, developed by the Second Hokage and perfected by the Fourth Hokage—Naruto's father—was a space-time ninjutsu of unparalleled utility. It was a vital skill Naruto knew would serve him in his quest for strength and freedom.

As for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, Naruto was simply curious. The lore of this world fascinated him. Did beings like the Shinigami and Jashin truly exist? The sealing technique was the perfect starting point to unravel these mysteries.

then, there was The 8th Gates, with it's biggest weakness being that it damages the body, but With Naruto's natural healing ability, he can megate that. just the thought of him using the 8th Gate is exciting.

Beyond those three, there were countless other high-level techniques and forbidden jutsu Naruto intended to study. He didn't need to master them all at once; understanding their core principles and hand seals would be enough. He could always refine his understanding later.

'This is the critical first step..' Naruto thought, closing his eyes briefly.

But his moment of calm didn't last long. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he sat upright.

'Wait a second. What if Mizuki doesn't follow the Canon Plot?'

The idea struck him like a thunderbolt. While most events in this world had played out similarly to the original timeline, there had already been deviations. Five years ago, the Uchiha Massacre unfolded slightly differently from what he remembered, and that slight change had already set Naruto's mind spinning.

Even though he hadn't taken any deliberate actions to alter the timeline, his very existence as a reincarnated soul meant that divergence was inevitable. Naruto knew better than to treat the original story as a perfect roadmap.

Could he trust Mizuki to make the same moves as in the original timeline? Probably. But certainty? That was another matter entirely.

If Mizuki deviated from the Plot, Naruto's plans could unravel. Without Mizuki's manipulation, he'd have no reason to "innocently" steal the Scroll of Seals. Without that theft, his chance to graduate—or to gain access to Konoha's forbidden techniques—would vanish.

"Damn it…" Naruto muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Naruto realized he was in a precarious position. Mizuki's actions were critical to his success, and there was no guarantee they would align with the original narrative.

If Mizuki acted differently, Naruto would lose not only an opportunity to grow stronger but also his chance to graduate this year. While missing out on the former was regrettable, the latter would be disastrous. Delayed graduation would have ripple effects on the entire timeline.

'It's too risky to assume things will go as planned...' Naruto thought, a wry smile crossing his face.

For now, all he could do was wait—and prepare contingencies.

If the plotline really deviated from its course, Naruto knew he would have to find other ways to remedy the situation.

His options were either to keep pestering Iruka or to directly approach the Third Hokage. Regardless, at this point in the story, Naruto absolutely had to graduate successfully.

First, to facilitate his own plans; second, staying in the academy any longer was entirely pointless. Truthfully, the academy's utility for Naruto had dwindled to almost nothing three years ago. In these past years, all Naruto had done was focus on strengthening his physical body.

To grow any further, he needed more advanced challenges. In simpler terms, he needed practical combat experience. This was, after all, one of the most essential ways for most ninja to become stronger.

And this was precisely what the academy could no longer provide.

Even the most mundane missions could help accumulate valuable experience—let alone truly high-difficulty missions.

If it weren't for wanting to avoid unnecessary attention and knowing that early graduation would never be approved, Naruto would have applied for it two or three years ago.

Thus, graduating this year was non-negotiable. Naruto had to pass the exam and officially become a ninja. At this point, any delays would be unacceptable.

(End of Chapter)

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