"Naruto! I can perform the Phoenix Flower Jutsu now!"
Sasuke pointed excitedly at a pile of charcoal generated from his practice session—the remains of several trees he'd incinerated.
Ever since becoming friends with Naruto, Sasuke had personally experienced just how powerful his friend was. Naturally, he refused to fall behind, so he'd been training even harder than before. His dedication had paid off. Now he could successfully execute the Phoenix Flower Jutsu—a more advanced Fire Style technique.
Looking at the pile of charcoal on the ground, Naruto felt genuinely happy about Sasuke's progress. Friends should advance together, after all. "Don't let this charcoal go to waste," he said with a grin. "Let's use it for roast lamb today."
While they ate the roasted meat, Naruto brought up something important. "Sasuke, I won't be going to school this afternoon. I need to focus on training."
The system had just informed him about critical shortcomings he needed to address immediately.
"You're not going?" Sasuke looked surprised, but after a moment's thought, it made sense. Naruto hadn't even begun refining chakra yet, and attending the Academy did seem like a waste of his time. Naruto had clearly embarked on a completely different cultivation path.
"I just feel bad about disappointing Iruka-sensei and Grandpa Third," Naruto said, genuine apology crossing his face. "They've always hoped I would study hard."
"Actually, I have an idea about that," Sasuke said thoughtfully.
"Really? What is it?"
"I know a technique called the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It creates an identical copy using half your chakra. The clone can attack and perform actions independently. Because the chakra is evenly distributed, it's generally impossible to tell which is the real body and which is the clone." Sasuke's explanation grew more animated. "My brother knows how to do it. I can ask him to teach me, then I'll practice until I master the Shadow Clone. After that, I can use the Transformation Jutsu on the clone and make it look exactly like you—then send it to class in your place!"
Sasuke spoke with growing excitement, clearly pleased with his own clever solution.
"Wow, really? That's brilliant!" Naruto clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Sasuke, you're such a clever guy!"
After finishing their barbecue, Sasuke headed back to the Academy while Naruto remained at the back mountain, waiting for the system's next instructions.
Once Sasuke had left the training ground, Naruto addressed the system directly. "System, what should I do now?"
[Naruto, now that you've achieved entry into the Iron Body Technique, it's time to master some genuinely powerful attack methods] the system replied in its characteristically measured tone.
[Mountain Embrace is effective, but its attack pattern is too singular and limited. The Weapon Body concept is good, but relying solely on turning your body parts into weapons is still quite restrictive in actual combat]
The system paused, then continued with increased seriousness.
[Also, even though you've entered the Iron Body level and ordinary weapons can no longer harm you, have you noticed that there are actually two critical vulnerabilities remaining in your body?]
[If an enemy discovers these weak points and specifically targets them, your entry-level Iron Body protection will be completely bypassed and rendered useless.]
"Vulnerabilities?" Naruto thought carefully, trying to identify what weaknesses his body still possessed that he hadn't properly trained. After a moment of concentration, sudden realization struck him. He exclaimed loudly, "I know! It's the rear entrance... and the other one!"
The system was clearly satisfied with Naruto's comprehension. It continued,
[Let's discuss the first point. Throughout the heavens and myriad worlds, there exist many powerful creatures and monsters. Their hides are so tough that swords and blades cannot penetrate them—ordinary weapons prove completely useless. Therefore, many masters throughout the realms have developed techniques specifically targeting... posterior vulnerabilities.]
[As for the second weak point—the groin area—even a nine-foot-tall warrior will be brought low by a well-placed strike there. No amount of external conditioning can prevent it.]
[So, in order to avoid such embarrassing and dangerous situations, today I'm going to teach you training methods that will eliminate both of these vulnerabilities. After completing this training, you won't need to worry about them anymore.]
As the system spoke, two books slowly materialized in Naruto's mind, their titles becoming clear.
"Hundred Refinements: Posterior Defense" and "Protective Retraction Technique"
Naruto examined these two methods carefully. He had to admit—the training seemed... rather embarrassing to practice. Sensing his reluctance, the system immediately reprimanded him sternly.
[Naruto! You must face your own weaknesses directly. Don't look at these techniques with prejudice or dismiss them as shameful. This isn't child's play. You'll deeply regret it the first time someone uses a technique that target this on you in actual combat.]
"You're right. I'll face it properly," Naruto nodded, accepting the wisdom. Then he continued, "System, didn't you also say you'd teach me some powerful attack methods?"
[Yes, don't worry. Keep reading—I'm getting to that] the system responded.
[This attack style is called the Heavenly Ascension Fist. It consists of three forms. The first form is called 'Rising to Heaven'—anyone struck by it will immediately soar into the sky whether they want to or not. The second form is 'Opening the Netherworld'—it's a spiritual attack. Those hit by it will feel as though they've fallen into hell itself. Anyone without strong mental fortitude will remain trapped in that nightmare realm, unable to escape.]
[The third form is 'Ten Thousand Buddhas Ascend to Heaven'—a group attack technique based on the first form. One strike delivers the equivalent of countless Ascension Fists simultaneously, affecting multiple targets.]
[There's also the matter of your movement speed. Although we practice defensive conditioning—and as the saying goes, 'the best defense can deliver the most vicious offense'—simply standing still and taking hits has never been our true style. Therefore, this movement technique called the Heavenly Steps can compensate for your deficiencies, transforming passive defense into active offense. It's divided into five levels.]
The system elaborated
[The first level is 'Startling Step'—vigorous, powerful footwork with graceful form. The second level is 'Instantaneous Movement'—within a thousand miles, you arrive in the blink of an eye. The third level is 'Shrinking Earth'—no longer bound by terrestrial distance. The sea becomes wide enough for fish to leap, the sky high enough for birds to soar freely.]
[As for the fourth and fifth levels—'Breaking Boundaries' and 'Crossing the Void'—those are still far beyond your current capabilities. Focus on the fundamentals first.]
The system patiently explained everything in detail.
After completing its explanation, the system directly gifted both "Heavenly Ascension Fist" and "Heavenly Steps" into Naruto's mind, making them available for study at any time.
Between the two new defensive techniques and the two new offensive/mobility techniques, plus his newly achieved Iron Body entry level, Naruto felt the weight of responsibility. He needed to work even harder.
After carefully reading through and comprehending the basics of each technique, Naruto began his practice in earnest.
That afternoon, Sasuke returned to the back mountain. This time, he'd come specifically to deliver a message.
Tomorrow, the Academy would conduct a progress assessment. He'd heard this evaluation was extremely importan. Therefore, every single student was required to participate without exception.
The next day, after Naruto washed up and finished breakfast, he shouldered his pink schoolbag and headed to the Academy.
When he entered the building, he immediately noticed that the seats normally occupied by teachers were completely filled with people. Everyone's faces bore expressions of utmost seriousness.
Naruto took his assigned seat calmly. He exchanged a quick glance with Sasuke, making brief eye contact, then settled in to wait quietly for Iruka and the other instructors to begin the assessment.
What none of the students knew was that from the very moment they'd entered the classroom, someone had been secretly observing the entire scene.
In the Hokage Building, within the office of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi...
Several people had gathered around a crystal ball, crowding close to observe. The scene displayed within the crystal sphere showed Naruto's classroom perfectly.
Present were:
The Third Hokage himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Elder Advisors—Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
And the head of the Root organization—Shimura Danzo.
These four individuals represented Konoha's current center of power.
The moment Naruto entered the classroom, all four sets of eyes focused intently on him.
Rather than being a general assessment of Iruka's entire class, this was more accurately an assessment of Naruto specifically. They wanted to see exactly how far Naruto—the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—had progressed in his development.
More importantly, they wanted to evaluate his temperament and emotional state. They desperately hoped Naruto wouldn't go to extremes or develop dangerous resentments. What they desired most was for Naruto to inherit the Will of Fire, taking the protection of Konoha as his sacred duty.
Just like his father had.
Just like Minato Namikaze.
Hiruzen gazed at the young boy in the crystal ball, hope and worry warring in his aged eyes.