Naruto had never been one to dwell on things.

Normally, he just rolled with the punches life threw at him and kept pushing forward. But discovering his Uzumaki clan heritage? That threw him for a loop.

Suddenly, the dream of becoming Hokage didn't burn as brightly.

Growing up as an orphaned outcast, wanting to become Hokage made sense. It was more than a goal; it was a statement. He wanted to prove everyone wrong, to transform from the village reject into its most beloved leader.

It was his identity—his drive.

Yet, now that he had learned about the Uzumaki clan, it was like he had been caught in a new current. This identity, this history, this legacy—it was something tangible, something that was part of him long before he knew it.

It was a badge of honor he wore proudly, unlike the Hokage title, which felt like a distant dream.

As these thoughts swirled in his head, pushing the dream of being Hokage to the background, his new goal became clear: to uphold the Uzumaki name.

"Naruto-kun, I know this is hard to hear... but you are not responsible for the past. Your family's history... it doesn't define who you are."

He forced a smile, trying to show Hinata he was okay, trying to keep up his usual spirited front.

"It's okay to feel upset, Naruto-kun. It's a big part of your history. But remember, you have friends here... and we... I care about you for who you are now."

Naruto just nodded. He appreciated her words, her support, but deep down, he was wrestling with a whirlwind of emotions. He had every right to be upset about his family's past, about their disappearance from history. But that didn't mean he was going to sit back and cry about it.

He was determined to honor their legacy with every fiber of his being, through his actions, his jutsu, and his mark on history.

"Thanks, Hinata," Naruto said, his voice gaining strength. "But you know what? Being an Uzumaki—it's a part of who I am now. And that's not something I want to ignore. I can't change the past, but I can definitely shape the future. And hey, maybe that future still has a spot for a Hokage who's an Uzumaki."

Despite his outward confidence, a small, nagging voice in the back of his mind began to surface.

Why did no one tell me about this? Why did Jiji hide it from me? Why keep the history of the Uzumaki clan hidden from the newer generation?

He remembered Hinata mentioning something about shame, but was that really all there was to it? Was shame and anger truly enough to justify burying such a significant part of Konoha's history?

Naruto was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly jumped when Iruka's familiar voice suddenly broke through.

"Naruto, please take the book."

[ Notification: Opportunity detected to acquire skill 'Uzumaki Clan Taijutsu: Swirling Kata'. ]

[ Action Required: Confirm acceptance or declination of class skill. ]

The moment Naruto saw the words on the system screen, he immediately tapped the acceptance button.

[ Skill Unlocked: Uzumaki Clan Taijutsu: Swirling Kata - Level 1 ]

[ Description: A Taijutsu style from the Uzumaki Clan, focused on attacks utilizing scroll arts and Fuinjutsu rather than physical strength. ]

[ Passive Enhancements: ]

- [ Scroll Synchronization: Increases efficiency and speed of scroll arts integration in combat by 15%. ]

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- [ Enhanced Agility: Improves dodging capabilities and reflexes by 20%. ]

[ Active Boost: ]

- [ Swirling Assault: Temporarily enhances attack range and speed by 25% for 30 seconds upon activation. ]

- [ Chakra Infusion: Increases the power of scroll-based attacks by 20% during the active phase. ]

Naruto's surprise must have been obvious as he stared down at the book in his hand, titled Basic Academy Style Taijutsu.

It hit him then—through the system's skill table, he had just unlocked the Uzumaki Clan's Taijutsu, Swirling Kata, even though he only had the basic academy techniques in front of him.

[ Alert: System Quest ]

[ Quest: Learn Basic Academy Taijutsu ]

[ Objective: Perform basic Kata. Perform 200 punches, kicks, and rolls ]

[ Reward: Basic Academy Taijutsu ]

[ Failure: None. ]

[ Action Required: Confirm acceptance or declination of class skill. ]

Naruto stared at the notification on the system quest alert, deep in thought. The question loomed in his mind: Did he really want to learn the Basic Academy Taijutsu? He weighed his options carefully.

Comparing the two styles was straightforward.

Iruka had often explained the origins of the Taijutsu taught at the academy—it was a diluted version of the Senju clan's Taijutsu.

Designed to be foundational, the Academy Taijutsu allowed for flexibility, enabling students to integrate additional martial arts techniques as they progressed. Essentially, it was crafted to complement any other fighting style, whether Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, or another discipline.

On the other hand, the Swirling Kata was also a complementary style, but in a different sense. It specifically complemented the class features of scroll arts and Fuinjutsu. Predominantly focused on evasion and defense, the Swirling Kata was structured around agile movements and positioning to avoid attacks. The offensive capabilities were not direct but were executed through Fuinjutsu and scroll arts.

Naruto had always been a brawler, fighting up close, so learning the academy style seemed like the obvious choice.

But the excuses started rolling off his tongue almost automatically.

He wanted everything about him to be a representation of the Uzumaki clan. After all, in the rat dungeon, he saw the real power of Fuinjutsu. He realized then that the Uzumaki clan's Taijutsu, which was better for mid to long-range combat, worked well with his scroll arts.

His experiences had shown him the advantages of keeping a distance in battle. Plus, he was keen on unlocking the Chakra Chains.

The Swirling Kata seemed right for him.

Why should I bother learning Basic Academy Taijutsu? It would take a lot of time and effort to master something that might not even be all that beneficial in the long run. Why bother? I'm an Uzumaki.

With a decisive click, Naruto declined the quest.

"I need to concentrate on what will make me stronger in the way I naturally fight."

----------------------------------------

Iruka's announcement brought a buzz of excitement to the classroom.

"Okay, students, after you've revised the basics, let's do some practice spars."

Naruto sighed. Great, I can't use the offensive part of my Uzumaki style in the spar. I only know two seals—Explosive and Storage. Storage is useless in a physical spar, and Explosive... well, it's too dangerous for my opponents.

As the class paired up for sparring, Naruto sighed again, wishing the day was already over. He was eager to delve deeper into the system, to explore more of the Uzumaki clan.

Guess I'll just have to wing it and hope for the best, Naruto thought.

[ Name: Uzumaki Naruto ]

[ Status: Chakra Imbalance (Difficulty in controlling chakra, -100% performance in executing simple Jutsus) ]

[ Title: Academy Student ]

[ Level: 2 ]

[ Class: Shinobi of the Uzumaki Clan ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ HP: 350 / 350 ]

[ AC: 11 ]

[ CP: 10k / 10k ]

[ Lineage Traits: ]

- [ Chakra Chains ] ( Locked )

- [ Mind's Eye ]

- [ Healer's Body ] ( Locked )

[ Class Features: ]

- [ Scrolls Arts ]

- [ Fuinjutsu ]

[ Feats: Observer ]

[ Stats: ]

- [ STR: 12 ]

- [ DEX: 14 ]

- [ CON: 10 ]

- [ INT: 13 ]

- [ WIS: 12 ]

- [ CHA: 9 ]

- [ VIT: 11 ]

- [ LUK: ? ]

[ Stat Points Remaining: 0 ]

[ Allies: - ]

[ Equipment: ]

[ Exp: 630 ]

[ Description: Uzumaki Naruto is the dead last of the Konoha Academy, having failed the graduation twice before and clearly not prepared to graduate. While most of his past is a mystery, Uzumaki Naruto has found his clan. ]