Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"Just when I was worrying about what to do for dinner, you come to me, Iruka-sensei."

Naruto chuckled mischievously.

Hearing this, the bandaged Shinobi was enveloped in a puff of smoke, reverting to Iruka's true apperance.

"Naruto, how did you know it was me?"

Iruka asked, slightly embarrassed.

It was obvious that he came to test Naruto, but not only was he subdued, his disguise was also easily seen through.

"I just guessed. I figured with the Chunin Exams being dangerous, Iruka-sensei would definitely disapprove. Knowing I'm still a new Genin, I couldn't think of anyone else but you."

Naruto lied casually.

He couldn't exactly say he'd 'read the script'… that would be absurd.

"It seems that I was worried for nothing."

Iruka smiled helplessly and said, "But not everyone is as sharp as you, Naruto. Dinner's on me, but I'll need to finish checking in on the other students first."

"Sure, go handle that. Let's meet at Ichiraku Ramen at six."

After bidding farewell to Iruka, Naruto strolled leisurely with his hands in his pockets.

Passing by a bookstore, he noticed the bestsellers on display and stopped in his tracks.

"Icha-Icha Paradise?"

'Wow, just wow!' Naruto thought with astonishment, 'I didn't expect a book like that would be sold so openly… Konoha's bookstore was truly accommodating.'

Without hesitation, Naruto dove into the shop.

As the saying goes, 'Within books, one finds beauty and wealth', and Naruto wanted nothing more than to dive into the sea of literature.

By the time the sun was setting and the bookstore was closing, Naruto finally left, feeling thoroughly satisfied, and made his way to Ichiraku Ramen.

"Naruto, what's got you in such a good mood?"

Iruka, who had been waiting at Ichiraku Ramen, was curious.

After ordering a bowl of tonkotsu ramen, Naruto grinned and said, "Reading makes me happy! I spent the entire afternoon reading and feel completely refreshed."

"That's fantastic!"

Iruka gave him a thumbs-up. He had thought Naruto, strong as he was, would be lax with his studies, but hearing that Naruto spent his free time reading made him see this student of his in a new light.

"Keeping up a reading habit after graduation is commendable! By the way, Naruto, what were you reading?"

"Icha-Icha Paradise!"

Naruto replied with a grin. Even now, he couldn't shake the memory of its contents.

Jiraiya might not be a polished writer, but Icha-Icha Paradise had a straightforward charm. Some passages were so intensely realistic that Naruto couldn't help but find it thrilling and immersive.

"Pfft!"

Upon hearing Naruto's reply, Iruka choked on his hot ramen, some even spurting out of his nose.

"Naruto, how could you read something like that?!"

"This great! It's resolved all the worries I have about my approaching adolescence. Plus, it describes the human anatomy in such detail that it'll help me in battle, so now I know where all the vital points are. Why shouldn't I read it?"

After Naruto argued, he said in a condescending manner, "Iruka-sensei, don't judge your students with such bias. It makes me feel unfairly criticized."

"Yes, it's art in its own right! The more you know, the better."

Teuchi added with a hearty laugh and placed a bowl of tonkotsu ramen in front of Naruto.

"Teuchi-san, you truly understand! You are indeed a fellow artist who knows how to appreciate art with an artistic eye!"

Naruto chuckled, eagerly slurping up the delicious ramen.

Only Iruka was left speechless, opening and closing his mouth without a word in rebuttal.

"One bowl of char siu ramen."

Just then, the shop curtain was lifted, and a masked ninja walked in.

Seeing the newcomer, Iruka's eyes lit up with surprise, "Kakashi you came at the right time. Please, talk some sense into Naruto."

"Oh? What's Naruto done? Isn't he your most outstanding student?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow with mild interest.

Iruka began venting, "You have no idea! Naruto's gotten into trouble, he spent the afternoon reading Icha-Icha Paradise at the bookstore! He claims it's to study anatomy and improve his targeting skills. And then he tells me not to be judgmental because it's 'art'. Can you believe this?"

"Whoa, Naruto, did you really read Icha-Icha Paradise?" Kakashi turned to Naruto.

Naruto nodded without a hint of hesitation.

He'd read it and had no reason to deny it. After all, real men own up to their actions.

Iruka, thinking Naruto's admission would lead to a stern lecture, couldn't help but smile. He believed that Kakashi would give Naruto a thorough scolding.

After all, this was serious misbehavior, and Naruto needed to understand what's appropriate and what's not.

But before Iruka's smile could fully form, Kakashi surprised him by patting Naruto on the shoulder, giving a thumbs up, and saying, "Good lad, finally expanding your horizons. Icha-Icha Paradise is a great read! Next time, you don't need to go to the bookstore… I'll lend you my copy."

"Awesome! I'll take you up on that, then." Naruto smiled with a very obscene expression.

"Wh-what…"

Looking at the two people who had similar interests, Iruka was utterly dumbfounded.

Iruka's words caught in his throat, unable to voice a single complaint. He didn't expect Naruto, once a well-behaved youth, would change so much in just over a month. But there was no need to guess who had influenced him.

'It must be Kakashi, with his Icha-Icha Paradise obsession, who had been a corrupting influence.'

'Kakashi, give me back my old Naruto!'

"A-choo!"

"Who's thinking about me?"

Kakashi sneezed, rubbing his nose. Little did he know that Iruka was silently holding a grudge against him.

After finishing their ramen, they each went their separate ways. With the Chunin Exams starting tomorrow, Naruto anticipated an eventful day ahead, so he headed home early to get some rest.

However, after spending an entire afternoon engrossed in Icha-Icha Paradise, he found himself unable to sleep. Left with no choice, he went out to clear his mind, hoping a stroll would calm him down.

However, not long into his walk, he noticed a figure hanging from a tree, almost as if someone had… hanged themselves.

"Whoa, did someone commit suicide?"

Naruto instinctively gathered Kyubi's Chakra and jumped back several meters. He definitely didn't want to get mistaken for a culprit.

But upon closer inspection, the figure didn't look right, as the head seemed oddly forked. It was not someone committing suicide, but someone hanging upside down on a tree using Chakra.

"Well, what a sight, hanging around in the middle of the night. This person must not be well in the head!"

Naruto couldn't help but feel bemused. He wanted to go up to see who was so bored and scared him.

But before he could get any closer, the figure vanished, and in the blink of an eye, they appeared right in front of Naruto, shrouding him in darkness.

"I'm not well in the head? Perhaps. But I sense something similar in you. I can feel a shared aura between us."

Under the moonlight, Naruto finally got a good look at the figure's bright red hair, leaving him momentarily stunned.

'Gaara?'

'What is this guy doing here?'

Naruto's mind raced and he quickly pieced it together.

'Currently, Gaara has not yet gotten along well with the Ichibi, Shukaku, and has been suffering from insomnia.'

'Gaara didn't dare sleep, for fear that Shukaku would take over his body and wreak havoc whenever he did.'

'The constant struggle with sleeplessness had left Gaara with his infamous dark circles.'

After thinking it through, Naruto snapped back to his senses, firing back without hesitation: "I'm not the one who's crazy here! Don't give me that pitying look… I sleep soundly every night..."