A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Uzumaki Naruto not only received a bit of "physiological education" from Sakura, but he also managed to learn something much more practical—the Summoning Scroll Technique from Kakashi.
This technique allowed a ninja to store weapons inside scrolls and summon them instantly when needed. After all, the sword Zabuza left behind was slowly recovering its condition, but it remained massive and unwieldy. Given Naruto's current height and physique, carrying such a large blade on his back would be more of a burden than a benefit. It was far more practical to seal it inside a scroll for convenient access during battle.
Naruto had approached Kakashi about it, and Kakashi, without hesitation, taught him the technique. Just like before, Naruto picked it up effortlessly in a single attempt. His talent with ninjutsu was showing more and more promise with each passing day.
He also understood the basics of Summoning Jutsu, although he hadn't signed a contract with any summoning creatures yet. Still, if that ever happened, Kakashi might find himself overshadowed by Naruto's rising potential.
> "If I can use Summoning Jutsu on ninja tools," Naruto suddenly thought, "can I combine it with other jutsu too?"
Motivated by curiosity and innovation, Naruto headed into the forest to test his theory.
Standing there, he hurled a kunai forward and immediately formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Sniff... sniff...
Suddenly, the single flying shuriken multiplied into hundreds in midair!
The weapons weren't just illusions—they were solid clones, and their impact remained just as deadly as the original.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The dense barrage of shuriken punched through the forest trees, leaving gaping holes everywhere.
---
Observation Room:
Senju Tobirama: "He figured it out…"
Namikaze Minato: "You're right, Second Hokage. That was the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique."
Jiraiya: "Wasn't that one of the Third Hokage's signature moves?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Yes, and not to brag, but only a handful of people in the entire ninja world can use it."
Orochimaru: "Hiruzen-sensei, the Fourth Hokage, and myself… that's about it."
Maruboshi Kosuke: "Ahem… I can use it too."
Orochimaru: "Who are you? You think you're qualified to speak here, you old Genin?"
Tobirama: "Hmph, Orochimaru, show some respect. Kosuke is a man I personally acknowledge."
Hiruzen: "Indeed. Unlike you, Kosuke has an unshakable Will of Fire."
Minato: "Kosuke is someone truly dependable."
Even Orochimaru was caught off guard. If this man named Maruboshi Kosuke was approved by the Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage alike… then he must be someone remarkable.
But that raised an even bigger question: If Kosuke was so strong, why was he still just a Genin?
Could it be that Konoha's strongest ninja was actually… a Genin?
The more he thought about it, the more confused Orochimaru became. And it wasn't just Kosuke. Look at Might Dai, the man who suddenly appeared and kicked four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to death in one attack!
Then there was Kakashi, struggling to face Zabuza alone...
It was all starting to seem surreal.
Was Konoha's Genin rank actually hiding monsters?
And right now, Naruto—with his skillset—was more than capable of operating at a Jōnin level!
---
Later that day, after a successful training session, Naruto headed home, cheerful and full of energy, ready for a hearty meal.
Just then, the front door creaked open, and a child wearing a cap stepped inside, his face cold and emotionless.
Before anyone could ask questions, Dazna quickly stood up and introduced him.
> "That's my grandson—Inari," he explained with a sigh. "Don't be alarmed. He's just... going through a lot."
Another figure appeared at the doorway—a beautiful woman with gentle features. She was Tsunami, Dazna's daughter and Inari's mother.
Inari, however, kept his head down and muttered in a low, bitter voice:
> "It doesn't matter. These ninjas will just end up dying anyway. No one who goes against Gato survives. It's pointless…"
> "I'm sorry," Tsunami said softly. "There's a reason my son speaks that way."
Sensing everyone's confusion, Dazna stepped in to explain more.
> "Inari changed because of a man named Kaiza," he began.
> "Kaiza wasn't originally from the Land of Waves. He came here from another nation. One day, Inari fell into a river and was about to drown. Kaiza risked his life to save him."
> "From then on, Kaiza and Inari became like father and son. He was a courageous man who even fixed our country's broken dam. People started calling him the Hero of the Land of Waves."
> "But good things never last. When Gato set his eyes on our land, Kaiza stood up to him. He fought with all he had."
> "But no matter how brave a civilian is, he's no match for Gato's cruel, inhuman thugs."
> "In front of everyone, Kaiza was executed. From that day on, our people lost their hope… and Inari lost his hero."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Behind the glamor of shinobi life, there was always a darker, crueler reality. Ninjas were trained with incredible powers, but when such abilities fell into the hands of the wicked, the innocent suffered terribly.
The Demon Brothers, for example, were cut down by Naruto in a single move—but to civilians, they were demons straight out of a nightmare.
After a long pause, Naruto suddenly stood up.
He looked directly into Inari's eyes and spoke with firm conviction.
> "Inari… heroes do exist in this world!"
---
Observation Room:
"Naruto…" Sakura murmured, slightly surprised.
Even Kakashi looked over in mild shock.
It felt a little corny, even a bit childish—but somehow, it was cool.
Inari stared at Naruto. That determined, reliable expression… it reminded him of Kaiza. For the first time in years, his heart trembled. Tears welled up in his eyes.
It wasn't that Inari didn't believe in heroes.
He was just afraid… afraid of seeing another hero die in front of him.
---
Ninja World Reaction Room:
Yamanaka Ino: "I… I was honestly moved. That Naruto looked so heroic just now!"
Temari: "Still a bit short, but yeah… kinda charming."
Sakura: "Why can't we swap places? I want that Naruto instead!"
Hinata: "Th-that… Naruto… is r-really… amazing…"
Naruto: "Wait! Hinata, even you?!"
Minato: "To think Naruto from another world would still choose to stand up for kindness…"
Kushina: "That's my boy. No matter the world, Naruto has a good heart!"
Jiraiya: "Though, uh… are we not gonna talk about how much Naruto kept staring at Tsunami?"
Ebisu: "I noticed that too! His eyes were definitely lingering!"
Kushina: "What's wrong with you people?! Even if he looked, so what? He's a growing boy!"
Jiraiya: "It's normal, I know… but I just worry about how far he might go."
Kushina: "Not every boy is a pervert like you!"
Anko: "Ugh… what should I do? I want to be looked at the way Naruto looks at her!"
Minato: "I guess it's nice that Naruto is so popular with girls, but… he is still a child."
Jiraiya: "Tsk. That's where you're wrong, Minato. For a ninja, that's about the right age!"
Tsunade: "SHUT UP, JIRAIYA!"
---
To be continued…