The two exchanged dozens of blows back and forth in the courtyard, with every one of Hinata's Gentle Fist strikes being precise.
Naruto blocked and dodged, while occasionally reaching out to ruffle her hair. With every touch, Hinata's striking rhythm would noticeably falter for a few beats, and the flush on her face would spread from her ear tips down to her neck.
Karin watched Naruto teasing Hinata and laughed until her stomach hurt.
"Naruto, stop touching Hinata's head, she's about to start smoking."
Naruto withdrew the finger he was about to flick against Hinata's forehead and took a step back.
"Alright, let's stop here. Hinata, your Gentle Fist is already much stronger than it was during the Chunin Exams. Your striking trajectory isn't as straightforward anymore, you've learned to use your body's rotation to create angles."
"What you need to strengthen next is maintaining your mental stability in actual combat. Don't let your rhythm be disrupted by a few small movements from your opponent."
"As for Karin..."
Naruto turned to look at Karin, who was sitting cross-legged under the tree. "Hinata has already analyzed your problems very clearly for you."
"Starting tomorrow, run five kilometers every morning, then practice two hundred basic punches. Hinata and I will come over to supervise you from time to time."
Karin was stunned. "Five... five kilometers?"
Naruto said, "Five kilometers is the passing line for Genin physical training. Your foundation is too poor. If you don't build up your physical strength and master the basic stances first, you'll easily get injured no matter what you learn later."
Karin hugged her knees and began to seriously consider whether she should quit the ninja profession and open an herbal shop.
Naruto ignored Karin's muttering and sat down on the stone stool next to Hinata.
Hinata was still standing in the middle of the training area, her hands folded in front of her, not yet having fully emerged from the state of sparring with Naruto.
She stood with her head bowed for a while, then looked up at Naruto, her lips moving.
"Naruto-kun... I..."
"What's wrong?"
"I... I want to spar with Naruto-kun again. This time I won't get... distracted just because you touch my head."
Naruto smiled and nodded.
He stood up and walked back to the center of the courtyard. "Come on."
Hinata resumed the starting stance of the Gentle Fist, her breathing gradually becoming steady from its hurried pace.
Her fingers were slightly spread, and the Chakra on her palms shimmered with a faint blue light.
—
The next morning,
A notice was posted on all the announcement boards in Konoha.
"Danzo, a member of the Konoha Council, is hereby stripped of his position as an Elder, effective immediately, due to suspected kidnapping of Konoha ninjas, illegal imprisonment, abuse of power, and multiple acts severely endangering the safety of the village. After the investigation of all crimes is completed, a public execution will be held in front of all villagers."
This news was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar in Konoha.
Discussions about Danzo could be heard in the streets and alleys after meals. Some people clapped and cheered, some were suspicious and uncertain, and others remained silent.
The door to the Hokage Office had already been worn down by Koharu and Homura.
The two came to the Hokage Office to repeatedly confirm the authenticity of the announcement, then took turns trying to persuade Tsunade that an Elder's crimes could be handled internally, and that a public execution would cause Konoha to lose dignity in front of other nations.
Tsunade's attitude was unyielding, leaving no room for negotiation.
After finally managing to send the two Elders away, she had just picked up her teacup to catch her breath when an Anbu wearing a cat mask appeared in front of the desk, presenting a scroll with both hands.
Tsunade put down her teacup and unfolded the scroll. Her gaze swept over the contents, and her entire face darkened.
"Bastard!"
...
The back hills of Konoha.
Naruto did not know what was happening in the Hokage Office.
He deactivated Absolute Control and opened his eyes. A pair of pinwheel patterns emerged from his pupils and rotated.
With a thought from Naruto, a surge of golden Chakra overflowed, beginning to materialize close to the surface of his body. Thick ribs emerged one by one, wrapping him inside a skeletal frame.
Naruto glanced at the skeletal frame surrounding him and shook his head. "Not enough."
He continued to inject Chakra, and a golden light gushed from the depths of his pupils.
Muscle fibers began to grow on the surface of the skeleton, intertwining layer by layer. The gaps between the bones were quickly filled, first with a layer of translucent muscle tissue, followed immediately by the growth of skin. Soon, a complete golden giant appeared.
Naruto stood inside the giant, and after looking it over, he stretched his hands.
With a thought, the Susanoo's right hand opened its palm, and several golden magatama took shape in its hand.
Yasaka Magatama, the long-range attack method of the Susanoo.
Naruto held the magatama and felt them for a couple of seconds, confirming their condensation speed and maximum power.
Then he spread the Susanoo's five fingers, dispersing the magatama in its palm.
Continue.
He injected Chakra once more, this time outputting more than double the previous amount.
Armor began to appear on the surface of the Susanoo's body, spreading from the chest to the shoulders, and from the shoulders to the arms, with armor plates piecing together layer upon layer.
The moment the armor covered it, its defense and strength climbed another level.
The giant's right hand clenched, and a spiral-shaped golden greatsword appeared.
Naruto swung the greatsword twice in the air. The resulting wind pressure forced the surrounding trees backward in unison.
He stared at the outline of the Susanoo for a few seconds and frowned.
"Shisui's Susanoo doesn't seem to have awakened a Spiritual Artifact." Naruto's tone carried a hint of regret.
Setting this thought aside, he tried to continue injecting Chakra, wanting to push it up another stage but it didn't budge at all.
He exerted even more force. The burning sensation of the Mangekyo had turned into a stinging pain, and the golden Chakra flames flickered on and off, but the Susanoo's size and structure refused to change further.
"It seems this is the limit of the Mangekyo. To elevate it to the Complete Body Susanoo, I'll need the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan." Naruto muttered to himself, his tone calm.
He sheathed the greatsword and stacked Kurama Mode on top. A golden Chakra cloak enveloped his body, with tail-like Chakra appendages fluttering behind him.
Immediately after, Nine-Tails's head materialized. The massive fox head opened its mouth, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth, with the fierce light burning in its golden vertical pupils.
Naruto controlled the Susanoo's armor to fit over Nine-Tails's head. The golden armor plates covered it piece by piece, intertwining with the golden Chakra.
"To think you actually came up with something like this."
Just then, Kurama's voice echoed within the Mindscape.
"However, the strength of this Susanoo..."
It narrowed its vertical pupils, carefully sensing the golden armor covering the outside of its body, and fell silent for two seconds.
"It doesn't seem to be as strong as that man's."
Naruto nodded.
He knew who Kurama meant by 'that man.'
Uchiha Madara.
Back then, Madara used the Sharingan to forcibly control Kurama, using the Complete Body Susanoo as armor over it, and rode it to fight Hashirama at the Valley of the End.
Thinking of that incident made Kurama thoroughly displeased.
Naruto said casually, "Madara's eyes are the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan level, and the Complete Body Susanoo can split mountain ranges with a single slash. Mine is still a level below that but it's enough."
"Draping a layer of Susanoo armor over the Tailed Beast Mode is equivalent to adding a self-defending armor over the golden Chakra beast. Offensive and defensive integration, double the insurance."
"Hmph. Do whatever you want, just don't go blind."
Naruto deactivated the Susanoo and Kurama Mode in turn.
Just then, a strong wave of blurred vision suddenly surged. The scenery before him looked as if it had been splashed with a layer of mist and a sting came from deep within his eye sockets.
Naruto immediately activated Absolute Control, continuously channeling Nine-Tails Chakra into both eyes. The immense vitality wrapped around his eyeballs, permeating them thread by thread.
Under the nourishment of the Nine-Tails Chakra, the over-exhausted ocular power of the Mangekyo Sharingan restored at an extremely rapid pace, and the stinging pain receded.
A few seconds later, the blurriness before him was dispelled, and his vision became clear once more.
Having done all this, Naruto raised his hand to touch his right eye socket. This eye had been ripped from Danzo's face, and the dojutsu residing in it was also Kotoamatsukami. However, unlike the permanent Kotoamatsukami in his left eye, the one in his right eye could only temporarily rewrite others' memories, unable to permanently alter their conscious cognition.
The advantage was that the cooldown was much shorter. While the left eye required waiting over a decade after a single use, the right eye was perfectly viable in actual combat.
Taken individually, both eyes were top-tier even among the Mangekyo. The permanent Kotoamatsukami of the left eye was the ultimate trump card, while the short-cooldown version of the right eye was a method that could be used repeatedly.