[Time Skip: 3 Months Later]
In the blink of an eye, the seasons shifted. The days grew longer, the air warmer.
For Naruto, every day over the past three months had been nothing short of hell—and he loved every second of it.
Mornings began with brutal runs around the village alongside Gai-sensei and Lee, his body still shackled by the hidden weights that had long since become a second skin.
Afternoons were spent enduring punishing Taijutsu drills, his muscles burning, tearing, and rebuilding themselves stronger than ever. And when the sun dipped low, Naruto threw himself into personal training—chakra control exercises, sparring matches with Hinata, and poring over jutsu scrolls he had "borrowed" from the Academy library.
His body had transformed. His speed, strength, and reflexes had skyrocketed. Even his chakra felt denser, more vibrant, swirling through him like a living river—powerful yet obedient.
The boy who once struggled to summon a single clone without fainting...
was now a completely different beast.
Naruto didn't brag about it. He kept his head low (well... lower), hiding his growing strength behind goofy grins and half-hearted yawns. Few knew just how far he had come—only Gai, Lee, and Hinata had glimpsed his true progress.
Even Iruka-sensei had stopped scolding him as much.
It was hard to lecture someone who could now sprint laps around the training field faster than most Genin... while still wearing hidden weights.
Hinata, too, had blossomed. Day after day of sparring with Naruto had chipped away at her timidness. She still stuttered sometimes, still blushed, but when she fought, there was a fire in her strikes now—a steady, burning resolve. Naruto made sure to encourage her every step of the way, and it was paying off.
Now, as Naruto leaned back on the Academy roof during lunch break, a rice ball in one hand, he smiled up at the cloudless blue sky.
' Man... if old me could see me now, ' he thought proudly.
Flexing his fingers absently, he remembered how easily he used to break them three months ago. Now?
He could probably flick a tree trunk and obliterate it without a scratch.
And the best part? He was just getting started.
Despite everything else, Naruto knew there were still parts of himself he had to fix.
First on the list: his clothes.
The bright, blinding orange jumpsuit was fine when he was a clueless kid, but now... it just screamed "target." And Naruto, after months of Gai-sensei's brutal training and his own growth, wasn't about to stay a walking bullseye.
A few weeks ago, he made the change.
Now he wore a sleeker black and orange outfit — mostly black, with subtle orange accents running along the sides and sleeves.
The jacket was lightweight but durable, perfect for movement. The pants were fitted but flexible, and his ninja sandals were reinforced for running and kicking.
No more neon billboard. He still had some flair... but now he looked like a serious ninja.
Even Iruka-sensei had stopped commenting on his "fashion sense."
Naruto leaned back again, feeling the smooth fabric of his new jacket against the roof tiles.
'Looks cool, right?' he thought to himself.
' You finally stopped dressing like a damn traffic cone, ' Kurama grumbled inside his head.
Naruto chuckled aloud, earning a few odd looks from passing students.
Yeah. Over the past few months, he and Kurama had actually started... talking.
It wasn't exactly friendly. Kurama was still sarcastic, mocking, and temperamental. But it was something. A connection. The fox could now see Naruto clearly through the seal, but he could also feel his changes... and it piqued his curiosity.
'Anyway, it's about time I go meet the old man,' Naruto thought, pushing himself up and dusting his pants off.
Naruto walked confidently towards the Hokage's Tower, his footsteps echoing against the quiet streets of the village. The weight of his training was still fresh on him, but his body was getting used to the constant strain. As he approached the tower, he took a deep breath, ready for the conversation he was about to have. He was going to ask for something big.
He entered the Hokage's Tower, weaving through the familiar corridors until he made his way upstairs. Without a second thought, he knocked once and then entered, not bothering with formalities. His confident stride led him directly to the center of the Hokage's office, where Hiruzen was sitting behind his desk, smoking his pipe.
"Been a while, old man," Naruto said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he walked into the room, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his black and orange jacket.
Hiruzen, momentarily surprised, raised an eyebrow at Naruto's new appearance. His usual bright orange jacket was gone, replaced with a more subtle black-and-orange combination.
"You look like a ninja now," Hiruzen remarked, his voice tinged with amusement. "Not with that loud orange of yours. The enemy would spot you a mile away in that."
Naruto chuckled, leaning against the desk. "Yeah, and you look even wrinklier. I always wondered how they voted you back in as Hokage after the Fourth died. You should be off spending time with your grandkids by now."
The Hokage let out a soft chuckle but maintained his usual composed expression. "Yes, that's quite true. But what brings you here, Naruto?"
Naruto pushed himself off the desk and took a step forward. "I wanna see the forbidden scrolls. There's a jutsu I want to learn from it."
Hiruzen's gaze shifted slightly as he placed the pipe down and turned his full attention to Naruto. "The forbidden scrolls, you say?" He raised an eyebrow. "Where did you learn about those, Naruto?"
Naruto smirked. "Let's just say a little birdie told me," he replied nonchalantly, folding his arms.
Hiruzen's face became more serious. "Hmm... I'm afraid I can't do that. They're forbidden for a reason. But tell me, what jutsu do you want to learn?"
Naruto's eyes glinted mischievously. "The Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Hiruzen's eyes widened, a slight shock crossing his face. "The Shadow Clone Jutsu?" he echoed, clearly caught off guard. The jutsu was a well-known secret, a forbidden technique—an S-class jutsu—taught only to those with exceptional chakra reserves. Hiruzen immediately began calculating.
'How did he learn of this? ' he thought. ' Only a select few should even know of it.'
"Where did you hear about this jutsu, Naruto?" Hiruzen's voice became more serious, his tone shifting from curiosity to genuine concern. He didn't often show this side, but the weight of what Naruto was asking for felt different.
Naruto's smirk didn't waver as he replied casually, "Come on, old man. Books exist for a reason. Besides, why are we acting like the Second Hokage kept this jutsu a secret?" His tone was light, but there was an undeniable confidence in his words.
Hiruzen paused for a moment, his mind working through the implications of Naruto's request. ' He is right... The second Hokage may have hidden it from the public, but it's not like the jutsu was a secret among the Hokage. He thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. Naruto has an unnatural amount of chakra, especially considering his mother, Kushina, was an Uzumaki. Minato's chakra was nothing to scoff at either. He truly is a child of giants.'
Hiruzen sighed, his expression softening. "Fine," he said after a long pause. "But don't come asking for more favors this year. This will be the last one."
Naruto's face lit up with excitement. "Thanks, old man!" he exclaimed, the grin on his face widening. "You don't know how much this means to me!"
As he turned to leave, his thoughts raced. ' hope the Hiraishin No Jutsu is there too. '
He couldn't help but wonder. The teleportation technique Minato had mastered would be valuable. But for now, the Shadow Clone Jutsu would be more than enough to give him an edge. He'd make the most of it.
TO BE CONTINUED