The contestants once again drew lots, this time to determine the lineup for the third and final stage of the Chūnin Exams. With the brackets decided, all that was left was to wait for the battles a month later.
"What a drag. Why do I have to fight twice?" Shikamaru groaned, clutching his head as though the weight of responsibility were a curse worse than death. For someone with his lazy temperament, this was nothing short of torture.
Asuma sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, I'll treat you all to some barbecue." With nothing else to offer, he could only bribe his student into compliance with food.
Meanwhile, Naruto turned to Sasuke and Hinata. "Let's head over to the hospital and check on Rock Lee."
The three of them set off together, and coincidentally, Guy and the rest of his team were on their way there as well. The two groups merged, heading toward Konoha Hospital side by side.
Inside, Lee's attending medical-nin spoke gravely as he read the chart. "Rock Lee has suffered multiple compound fractures. The muscles in his arms and legs are nearly torn apart. We will do everything we can to save him."
Guy bowed deeply. "I'm counting on you."
"You have my word," the medic replied with equal solemnity before hurrying back to his duties.
Once outside, Naruto fell into thoughtful silence. Sasuke noticed immediately. "What's on your mind?"
"I was just wondering if I should study some medical ninjutsu," Naruto said, smacking his lips as though turning the idea over. "If we get hurt in the future, it might save lives if we can treat injuries right away."
Sasuke snorted. "You? Afraid of not healing fast enough? With your ridiculous recovery rate? Please. I've seen you take a beating and walk it off the next day like nothing happened."
Naruto laughed. "That's me, sure. But what about you two? Or Kakashi-sensei? Or even Guy-sensei? Someone has to look out for everyone."
He waved it off casually. "It's not like it's a big deal. I can always send a shadow clone to learn while I keep training."
Hinata smiled softly. "Then I'll learn too."
There wasn't any hesitation in her voice. She simply wanted to stand at Naruto's side, no matter what path he chose.
"That's actually a good idea," Naruto nodded. "With your Byakugan, you can see right through the body. Learning medical ninjutsu will come naturally to you."
Sasuke almost chimed in, but halfway through opening his mouth, he caught himself. Did he really want to be the third wheel again? The thought made him grimace.
"Tch. I don't have time for that," he muttered instead, turning away.
Naruto just threw an arm around his shoulder with a grin. "That's too bad. I would've liked having you there too."
"Let go of me, you idiot," Sasuke muttered, but he didn't shrug off the hand.
"Come on, let's go train."
Hinata's quiet giggle followed them down the street.
After a day of exhausting training, Naruto and Sasuke rewarded themselves with a soak in the hot springs. Hinata, naturally, went to the women's side. Training demanded everything from them, but relaxation was just as important.
Naruto leaned back against the stone edge of the pool, remembering something from a half-forgotten dream. "You know, I once heard a martial arts master say that true training isn't just mindless work. You've got to train hard, study hard, play hard, eat well, and rest well."
The memory was hazy, but he distinctly recalled that master carrying a giant turtle shell on his back.
Strangely enough, Guy had taught him something similar work hard, but never neglect recovery. That was why Guy insisted on balance, on relaxation after brutal training sessions.
Naruto turned to Sasuke, steam curling around them. "By the way, Gaara's seal is terrible. If he gets pushed too far, the beast inside him could break out at any time. You should be careful."
Sasuke's eyes gleamed with confidence. "Then I'll just control it with my Sharingan."
Naruto frowned. "You've never tried controlling a tailed beast before. What if it doesn't work? That's not something to gamble on."
Sasuke's pride flared, but he stayed quiet. Even he couldn't deny the risk.
"If it comes to that, I'll step in," Naruto said casually.
"How?" Sasuke asked, leaning back.
"Either I'll seal it again, or beat it down until it stays quiet," Naruto said, his tone matter-of-fact. He'd been studying sealing techniques for days he wasn't about to let that effort go to waste.
Their conversation was cut short by a commotion from the women's side.
"A pervert is peeping!"
The hot spring erupted in chaos.
Naruto and Sasuke bolted to their feet, pulling on their clothes and rushing to the women's entrance. There, a group of furious women stood clutching towels and robes, some barely covered, shouting angrily at the staff.
Naruto's eyes darted through the crowd until they landed on Hinata, safely wrapped in a towel. Relief washed over him.
"Hinata! Who was it?" he demanded, anger in his voice.
"I didn't see clearly," she admitted, shaking her head. "By the time I activated my Byakugan, I only caught a glimpse of his back as he ran away."
The crowd of women muttered angrily.
"Konoha letting a peeper run around? Unbelievable!"
"It must be one of those outsiders here for the Chūnin Exams."
"If I catch him, I'll beat him into the ground!"
The bathhouse owner could only bow and offer free service for the night to calm them down.
As Hinata returned to change, Naruto muttered to Sasuke, "Maybe we should just build our own hot spring. An outdoor one in the backyard would be perfect."
Sasuke stroked his chin. "The space is there. But what about the water source?"
"Easy. We use Earth Release to tunnel into the underground flow and redirect it," Naruto said, waving the problem off.
Konoha's bathhouses were all built along the same street because of the underground sulfur stream that flowed beneath it. If they diverted some of that to the Uchiha compound, they could easily create their own private hot spring.
"Fine. You provide the labor, I'll provide the land. My Earth Release isn't good enough yet," Sasuke admitted grudgingly.
Naruto smirked. "Deal."
By the next day, the incident had already spread through Konoha like wildfire. You could never underestimate the village gossip network. Rumor had it the police force was stepping up patrols, vowing not to let the culprit get away.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage exhaled a long puff of smoke, eyeing the tall man standing before him.
"Honestly, Jiraiya. You've been back for a day and already stirred up trouble."
The man laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Hahaha, sorry, sorry! What can I say? Research is important!"
The Hokage groaned, but his expression grew serious. "Since you've returned, it's the perfect time. You can finally take up the position of Hokage."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Already hooked by this cosmic shinobi journey? Share what drew you in your words and reviews keep the flames of youth burning bright. And every 300 Power Stones will unlock a bonus chapter, pushing Naruto's path to the stars even faster!
Naruto's dream has only just begun, and the Unbound Evolution of his destiny is far from over. Stay with Naruto: Set a Goal, Conquer the Universe and reach beyond the horizon together!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a