But it was too late. A yellow flash, like an energy cannon, erupted from between Sasuke's palms, shooting toward Naruto at a speed that was impossible to follow with the naked eye.
The distance was too short; Naruto couldn't dodge.
BOOM. The blast of light engulfed Naruto, forming a massive sphere of light. Inside, lightning coiled and explosions roared, creating a sealed space.
BOOM. The frenzied power within surged, and the flashing lightning illuminated the sky above the training ground.
"Hmph. Naruto, it's over," Sasuke said, wiping his nose and letting out a cold snort. But he accidentally touched his wounds and immediately winced in pain.
Whoosh. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps landing on the ground echoed from within the light.
"What a powerful technique. Is that a jutsu you created yourself? Truly astonishing," Naruto's magnetic voice rang out.
The smoke cleared, revealing Naruto's calm figure, his white robes completely unstained.
In front of him stood a tall, massive wall of glass.
It was spotless and completely undamaged.
It was Naruto's most proficient defensive Kido, Danku.
"Let's leave it at that. I understand your progress now," Naruto said, dispelling the Danku.
He had a new understanding of his own strength.
After entering the Pure Land, his body was like it had found a wellspring of power. After undergoing the baptism of the Pure Land, the Reiatsu in his body had multiplied. He now possessed the Reiatsu of a captain, and he believed that with his full strength, he could reach the level of a Kage.
Facing Sasuke, who had barely reached the level of a Jonin, Naruto could naturally handle him with ease.
He could effortlessly use not just one Danku, but three in a row if he wanted.
"That jutsu really is strong. I'm almost out of energy. Right now, I can only use Danku two more times at most," Naruto said with a look of admiration, panting slightly.
"Hmph."
"It seems the cost was too high after all," Sasuke said, pushing himself to his feet, his legs feeling weak and unsteady. "But I haven't lost yet."
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!" Sasuke began to form hand seals again.
Pfft. A wisp of green smoke drifted from Sasuke's mouth. His face instantly turned green.
"D-d-dammit!! I haven't even used my ultimate move, the Thousand Years Finger, yet! If I had used it, you would have been defeated in an instant!!!" Sasuke stomped his feet in frustration, shouting loudly.
The chakra in Sasuke's body had been completely depleted by his previous jutsu.
From this, it was clear that his development of the technique was still incomplete; its current consumption was still too great.
"Let's end the fight here for now," Naruto said, shaking his head with a light laugh.
"Sasuke's fighting style is still a bit reckless. Since Naruto's taijutsu is so strong, he shouldn't have used that jutsu to forcibly enhance his body. The cost is too great. If he had played it steady, he wouldn't necessarily have lost so badly," Jiraiya commented from the Hokage's Office.
"But this is the first time Sasuke has pushed that jutsu past its limits. It's only natural that this would happen."
"It's a pity he didn't get a chance to use many of his other jutsu. Not just his various secret techniques, but also Needle Jizo," Jiraiya's tone was full of regret.
"Needle Jizo? You even taught him that jutsu?" Tsunade was quite surprised.
Needle Jizo was one of Jiraiya's more powerful defensive jutsu, capable of both offense and defense. It wasn't something one would normally teach to others.
"I saw that Sasuke kid has good hair quality, and it seemed like a good fit for the jutsu, so I taught him."
Hearing Jiraiya's answer, Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"You're really too carefree. Aren't you afraid that Uchiha Sasuke will get out of control?"
"That won't happen. This kid is different from the usual Uchiha." Recalling his time with Sasuke, Jiraiya's face was full of conviction.
After the fight, they continued their training.
Except for Sasuke, who, having exhausted his chakra, was leaning against a large tree to rest, completely drained.
He was incredibly unwilling to accept the outcome.
He had trained so hard just to defeat Naruto.
But…
The gap between them seemed to be growing wider and wider.
"Dammit!!" He slammed a fist into the grass, creating a small crater.
The experience from this battle was precious.
At the very least, it proved…
His jutsu was not yet mature enough. The consumption was far too great.
If used improperly, it could even be counterproductive.
I still don't have enough real combat experience. At this rate, I'll never be able to defeat Itachi, Sasuke thought with a hint of melancholy.
He had never given up on the idea of finding Itachi and demanding the truth.
But Itachi, who had single-handedly slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan, definitely possessed Kage-level strength. Right now, Sasuke struggled to even deal with a Jonin, let alone Itachi.
After watching the fight, the Hokage's Office fell silent once again.
Naruto's performance had been rather surprising.
Without anyone realizing it, Naruto had already achieved the solid strength of a Jonin.
All one could say was…
The light of a genius cannot be hidden.
They only needed an opportunity to show their brilliance.
The Third Hokage and the others had very complicated feelings.
After all…
Naruto was now considered a member of Root.
"It might only take a year or two for Naruto to become a Kage-level powerhouse," Tsunade said in a low voice, her brow furrowed.
"Are you sure he won't become a threat to Konoha in the future? That guy Danzo's brainwashing skills are still something to be feared. If Naruto is brainwashed by Root, then in the future…"
Tsunade didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.
"There won't be a problem. I believe in Naruto," the Third Hokage said, taking a hard puff from his pipe. A slideshow of Naruto's journey flashed through his mind.
Changing himself, gaining the village's approval, acknowledging others, leading others.
How could a Naruto like that possibly threaten Konoha!
Whether he was in Root or ANBU, the Will of Fire he had inherited would burn brightly and endlessly.
It would illuminate Konoha.
It would bring warmth to everyone.
The Third Hokage firmly believed all of this.
"Naruto is not the kind of person who would threaten Konoha," even Jiraiya said with a look of certainty.
He had taught Naruto and had even taken him to the summoning realm.
Naruto was a kid that even the two great sages were very fond of.
His kindness was acknowledged by everyone.
He had even influenced the difficult Uchiha Sasuke to want to become Hokage.
If Naruto were to threaten Konoha…
Then this world would truly be too false.
"Why do you two sound like you've been brainwashed by this Uzumaki Naruto?" Seeing the certainty on the faces of the Third Hokage and Jiraiya, the corner of Tsunade's mouth twitched, and a dark line appeared on her forehead.
"Since you both believe in him, let's leave it at that for now. Jiraiya, continue helping me with the paperwork," Tsunade said, stretching lazily, revealing her impressive cleavage.
Jiraiya was once again dumbstruck, and two streams of blood trickled from his nose.
After a few simple days of rest, Naruto soon received a new mission.
Summoned by Danzo, he arrived at the Root base.
Danzo stood in the darkness and handed Naruto a mission scroll.
"This mission is of the utmost importance. You must hide your emotions."
Mission Scroll: Mysterious Creature, Hollow.
Mission Content: Proceed to Otogakure and conduct a transaction with the Konoha traitor, one of the former Sannin, Orochimaru.
Halfway through reading, Naruto looked up, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at Danzo.
He had never expected Danzo to entrust this mission to him.