I Want to Become an Elementary School Student
After Guy-sensei left, Naruto resumed hammering the tree. His movements were slow but deliberate. He no longer flailed wildly—he now followed the method of power application Guy had taught him.
As someone who had never truly trained in taijutsu in either life, Naruto's initial movements were clumsy. When he first started, he could only feel the strength flowing through his legs and waist. The rest of his body—the arms, back, shoulders—felt like they belonged to someone else, disconnected and uncoordinated.
Still, Naruto kept hammering. Being better than yesterday was still progress.
By the time the sun set, Naruto dragged himself home. His wrist was fine, but his fingers throbbed with dull pain.
"Big fox, I feel like you scammed me," Naruto muttered as he sat cross-legged inside the sealed space, facing the Nine-Tails.
After discovering the proper way to cut trees, Naruto realized just how much needless suffering he'd endured. The culprit? None other than the smug beast lounging across from him.
"I've been tricked by a vixen. Isn't this how kingdoms fall?"
"As my Jinchūriki, you should be able to endure something as trivial as pain," the Nine-Tails said matter-of-factly, tail flicking.
Naruto rolled his eyes. So being your Jinchūriki is supposed to be something to be proud of?
He didn't argue further. He sipped a drink from his inventory to replenish his stamina and headed to bed—but not before mumbling a tired, "Goodnight, furball."
---
Five Days Later
Might Guy returned, transformed again into the passionate master, and continued teaching Naruto the principles of exerting internal force. After another intense session, he dusted off his uniform and turned to leave.
"Wait, Uncle Takato!" Naruto called out.
"Hm?" Guy tilted his head, confused.
Naruto summoned a large wooden barrel—about a meter tall and sixty centimeters in diameter—like the kind used by dwarves to store ale. He pried off the lid with a pickaxe, and a savory aroma filled the air.
Guy blinked. Was this... barbecue?
Naruto began tossing chunks of roasted meat into the barrel, each piece sizzling faintly with residual energy. He patted the full barrel with a grin.
"This is for you, Takato-san. Thanks for everything."
Guy stared, speechless. What sort of ninjutsu was this? Grilled meat summoning? Barbecue with psychic powers?
Naruto mused to himself: There are eight types of meat in the system shop. I can't tell which one's which by taste, but only one kind—the red dragon meat—has a chance of curing mental fatigue. And Guy-sensei's the kind of person who needs help in that department… The odds are 1 in 8, so I packed the whole thing. Hope he hits the jackpot.
WHACK!
Naruto fell over as Guy delivered a powerful chop to his head.
"The crow repays its parents with gratitude! This is the essence of youth!" Guy sobbed with joy, his body twisting dramatically. With a shining thumbs-up, he picked up the barrel and sprinted off at full speed.
Naruto lay on the floor, rubbing his head.
Don't just run off! If I die today, it'll be to find out who's stronger—Nine-Tails or Eight Gates…
After some thought, he gave up. It wouldn't be very "youthful" to challenge someone who just helped him out.
He turned back to hammering the tree.
---
Meanwhile
Guy arrived at Kakashi's doorstep, carrying the enormous barrel.
"There's too much meat—I can't finish it," he explained. "Do I look like someone who can eat this much?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow behind his mask. The two of them—one destined to die beside a friend, and the other destined to survive every fight—were still young, around twenty.
They decided to eat together, roasting the meat outdoors.
At first, it tasted ordinary. But after several pieces, both men began to sense something odd. The meat pulsed with a strange energy.
Later, two pieces of the meat were presented before the Third Hokage.
"This meat contains Yin and Yang chakra?" Hiruzen said, examining the perfectly roasted cuts. "But it looks completely normal."
"Yes. One holds the power of Yang Release, and the other, Yin Release," Kakashi said, activating his Sharingan.
It had taken both his and Guy's efforts—and Sharingan analysis—to detect the faint differences. Visually, the meats were nearly identical. To tell them apart by taste, one had to eat an entire piece.
"What's the point of identifying it after eating it?" Kakashi muttered. "Still, it's incredible that Naruto produced meat infused with such chakra types."
"There are eight kinds," he continued. "Six are normal. Two possess chakra effects. And judging by the mix Naruto gave Guy, the distribution seems random—Naruto likely can't control which kind he summons."
The Third nodded, pipe in hand. "Keep this information classified. Highest level."
Yin-Yang Release was rare, but not unheard of. Several clans in Konoha—such as the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi—used Yin-Yang chakra in their secret techniques. Even medical ninjutsu and spirit-transfer techniques relied on it.
But the ability to replenish Yin and Yang directly through food? That was unprecedented. If word got out, Naruto could become a target.
"Understood," both Kakashi and Guy said.
Kakashi sighed. He couldn't let this spread. As the Fourth Hokage's student, he bore responsibility for Naruto's safety. How could he face his sensei—and Kushina—if anything happened?
He glanced sideways at Guy. Not that he'll remember any of this tomorrow…
Looking skyward, he whispered, "Sensei… your son is growing."
---
Later That Month
On the evening of February 28th, Naruto—now addicted to the satisfying rhythm of tree-hammering—returned home.
He dispelled a Shadow Clone that had been acting as his "wife" (for crafting purposes, of course), then wandered into the sealed space, ready to annoy the Nine-Tails before bedtime.
Kai still visited every few days to teach him about energy control. Naruto absorbed the lessons quickly—the difficulty wasn't in understanding, but in execution, which required relentless practice.
Inside the sealed world, the Nine-Tails was three times fatter than when Naruto first met him. Its tails flopped lazily, and its fluffy mass pressed against the cage bars.
If he keeps this up, he'll be a pig in no time, Naruto thought. A very loud, explosive pig.
He tidied the house and headed for the tea corner—but stopped when he spotted a letter on the table.
It had the official seal of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Admission Letter.