Naruto Uzumaki came to the woods where Musashi trained to kill time.
When he was there, Musashi didn't say a word.
When he wasn't there, Musashi wondered why he hadn't shown up.
Should he talk to him?
What would he say?
Naruto was likely being shadowed by the Anbu from a distance. Hell, it might even be Root agents.
Over four years, Musashi's strength had improved immensely.
But was he ready to face the Third Hokage and Danzo directly?
Walking home, Musashi's mind was a mess of wandering thoughts.
Suddenly, he stopped.
"Stupid brat! I told you, don't let me see you again!"
Thud! Thud!
"Demon Fox! Damn Demon Fox!"
"I told you last time to stay away from here. Did you think I was joking?!"
"You dare fight back? I'll show you!"
Thud! Thud...
Nearby, a group of little boys were brawling.
A small boy with yellow hair was pinned to the ground, fists raining down on him.
See? This is the truth of the ninja world. Conflict.
Where are all the friendship and justice speeches now?
Endless fighting and killing between ninjas.
Hostility and bullying between children.
This is the real world most people live in.
Musashi walked over step by step.
Some of the kids saw him but didn't care. No adult in the village would object to teaching the Demon Fox a lesson.
Musashi looked at Naruto. Naruto looked back at him.
He didn't cry for help.
In those big blue eyes, there was no fear or anger.
Only sadness and confusion.
Why are you hitting me?
I just wanted to be friends with you.
I'm not a Demon Fox. I'm not.
I am Naruto Uzumaki.
Watching this scene, a figure with red hair flashed before Musashi's eyes—swinging her fist, shouting his name.
Musashi's heart clenched painfully.
He got closer and spoke, feigning impatience.
"Hey! Brats! That's enough!"
The kids stopped and looked at each other.
The leader of the group sneered, unimpressed. "Are you from the Academy? My big brother, Kamano Takagawa, is a top student in the upper grades."
"Don't interrupt us while we teach the Demon Fox a lesson!" With that, he raised his fist again.
Musashi didn't bother wasting words on a bunch of brats.
He slowly raised his right foot, then stomped down.
BOOM!!
The explosion was deafening.
The ground instantly cracked and shattered over a large area.
Choking dust billowed into the air.
The kids, fists still raised, were terrified into paralysis. A few seconds later, they snapped out of it and ran away, wailing at the top of their lungs.
Those with jelly legs ran slower and cried louder.
"Tch!~"
Musashi turned to leave.
Naruto scrambled up from the ground and hurriedly followed him.
"Kids are the worst. I hate them," Musashi muttered, maybe to Naruto, maybe to himself.
He kept walking. Naruto kept following, step for step.
"Hey!" Musashi turned around. "Don't follow me."
Naruto didn't say anything. Musashi started walking; Naruto started walking.
Musashi stopped.
"Kid, go away!"
"Weirdo, you're so strong!" Naruto's big eyes were shining like stars. "That stomp just now... wow, that was so cool!"
Musashi: "...I'm not a weirdo. I'll say it again: go away. I'm going home."
Naruto: "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. If I don't call you Weirdo, what should I call you?"
"...Musashi Ryomiya. You can call me Musashi."
"I'm leaving. Don't follow me, or I'll beat you up."
"Why are you still following me?"
"I'm not, I didn't." Naruto looked wronged. "This is the way to my house. I'm not following you."
Musashi: "..."
"Boss Musashi, can I treat you to ramen? Ichiraku Ramen in the village is super good!"
"Don't call me that!"
Naruto looked disappointed. "Oh..."
But a second later, he was back to his energetic self. "It doesn't matter! One day, Boss, you'll acknowledge me!"
"I am Naruto Uzumaki, after all!"
Musashi glanced at Naruto, then walked away without a word.
---
That Night.
In the Bedroom.
Musashi's Shadow Clone sat cross-legged on the floor.
In one hand, a ball of chakra spun rapidly, emitting a faint blue glow.
The other hand constantly changed hand signs, practicing the basic seals for Wind and Lightning Style simultaneously. Multi-tasking training.
The Rasengan, invented by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Although Naruto spammed it to death later in the series, you had to admit—it was an excellent A-Rank jutsu with top-tier shape transformation and impressive power. Plus, it was great for improving chakra control.
Since starting his Ninjutsu training, Musashi obviously wasn't going to skip this one.
Naruto's biggest flaw later on was his lack of variety. From start to finish, it was just Rasengan variants. One clone for a Rasengan, two clones for a Rasenshuriken. If the jutsu got any more complex, he'd probably summon a whole platoon just to cast it.
In fast-paced, lethal combat, that was a huge disadvantage.
Without a Kekkei Genkai, Musashi had to research fighting styles and jutsu that suited him. When not using the Eight Gates, he needed effective Ninjutsu in his arsenal.
Multi-tasking was prep work for future combat efficiency.
From fumbling constantly at the start to looking decent now, his Ninjutsu training was progressing steadily.
Meanwhile, the real Musashi sat on the other side of the room, surrounded by thick stacks of notes.
Records of Physical Damage and Combat Power Increases from Opening the Gate of Opening, Healing, Life, Pain, and Limit.
Experimental Records on Using Sealing Jutsu to Close the Eight Gates.
Three Hypothetical Solutions for "Water Hammer Effect" Damage Caused by Rapidly Sealing Chakra Pathways.
Analysis of Cellular Activation Enhancement via Lightning Chakra at Different Frequencies.
Correlation Equation regarding the Positive Effects of Yang Chakra on Taijutsu Training.
Wind Style Micro-World: Verification of Vortex Effect, Boundary Layer Theory, and Non-Equilibrium Flow Theory on Wind Style Jutsu.
Analysis of Reader Demographics regarding NTR Tropes in the Ninja World...
Putting away the weird note at the end, Musashi began adding to his research based on his recent training.
His experience as a researcher in his past life allowed him to improve his cultivation in a unique way.
"Not enough. Still not enough!"
Musashi muttered to himself.
He hadn't wasted the last four years.
But this alone wasn't enough to deal with Danzo and his ilk.
That old man was full of bad intentions, but his power wasn't fake.
Musashi needed time. More time.
---
He saw Naruto again a week later.
Same street, same sounds of fighting.
"Damn Demon Fox, let's see you act tough now!"
"Where's that green-suited weirdo? Why isn't he helping you? Big Brother Kamano is here now; let's see if he dares to be arrogant!"
"Don't talk about my Boss like that!" Naruto shouted angrily.
"Boss?! Don't think I don't know—who would want to be the boss of a monster like you?!"
"Yeah! He probably hates you too, he just didn't say it!"
"Liar! Boss is amazing! Boss wouldn't... wouldn't hate me."
"Amazing? He can only show off in front of us kids. In front of Boss Kamano, he probably can't even hold a shuriken steady."
"I'll fight you!"
Musashi, expressionless, walked slowly toward the group.
The kids saw him and looked scared for a second, but then, remembering their backup, they quickly ran behind a tall figure.
"Boss Kamano, that's him! He's the one who scared us last time!"
"Yeah, that green suit! I see it in my nightmares!"
Musashi looked down at Naruto.
He looked worse than last time. His clothes were covered in footprints, and his face was red and swollen in several places.
Musashi was getting angry.
The Anbu protecting him... do they just not care?
Hiruzen Sarutobi, you piece of garbage.
Thinking this, a somewhat familiar voice spoke up.
"Musashi Ryomiya?"
"I wondered who it was. So it's you. What's the deal? Why are you hanging out with this brat and scaring my little brothers?"
Musashi looked up at the young man.
It took a few seconds to remember him.
When they first enrolled, this guy was jealous of Itachi Uchiha and tried to organize a group to beat him up, only to end up becoming Itachi's lackey.
After Itachi graduated early, he went back to being the arrogant bully of the class.
"Kamano Takagawa, right?" Musashi looked at his face calmly. "These kids who were hitting people... they're your guys?"
Sensing the hostility in Musashi's tone, Kamano's face went cold.
"I was speaking nicely because we're classmates."
"But your tone is making me very unhappy."
"The 'Dead Last' should have the attitude of a 'Dead Last' when facing a classmate! Got it!?"
Musashi's voice grew colder.
"I asked: these kids who were hitting people, are they your guys?"
"You punk!" Kamano sneered. "Yeah, they're mine! What are you gonna do about it? Want to fight?"
"Want to end up like this brat?"
The kids got cocky again. "Scared now? Apologize if you know what's good for you!" "Yeah, or Boss Kamano will mess you up!"
BOOM!
The ground shook as Musashi launched himself forward like a bullet!
In an instant, he crossed over ten meters and flashed to Kamano's side.
A sharp kunai pressed against his neck. The cold steel made the hair on Kamano's body stand up.
The emotionless voice in his ear froze his blood.
"I'll give you five seconds to rethink your answer."
One second. Kamano's brain roared, his pupils contracting to pinpoints.
Two seconds. Three seconds. His mind was in turmoil.
That speed! That power!
Is this Musashi Ryomiya?!
Impossible!!
Isn't he the class Dead Last? Since when does a Dead Last move like that!?
Fourth second. His soul returned to his body, realizing the kunai probably wouldn't slice his head off just yet.
The next moment, he jumped back several steps and raised his hand high over the kid who had been hitting Naruto the hardest.
SLAP!
"That's for being a bad kid!"
SLAP!
"That's for bullying others!"
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
"Didn't I tell you? When you're out, respect the old and love the young! Help each other!"
SLAP!
"Did you forget the Will of Fire I told you to memorize?!"
The group of kids wailed under Kamano's assault. Kamano stole a glance upward and saw Musashi still wearing that blank expression. Gritting his teeth, he hit them harder.
Slap-slap-slap!!
Soon, the kids' faces looked about the same as Naruto's.
Leaving a chorus of crying children behind, Musashi walked toward his home.
A little tail followed him.
After walking for a while, he stopped and turned around.
The little tail stopped abruptly, big eyes darting around, ready to be scolded.
Looking at Naruto trying to act brave, a thought crossed Musashi's mind.
If I yell at him, he'll probably cry for a long time when he gets home, right?
He slowly extended his right hand.
Naruto's eyes filled with confusion, then slowly lit up.
Tentatively, he reached out his small hand and grabbed the large one. He wasn't pushed away. His big eyes filled with joy.
Two figures, one big and one small, walked slowly into the sunset.
"Ow... ow ow ow."
At home, Musashi carefully treated the wounds on Naruto's face.
He wasn't very professional, and Naruto kept yelping in pain.
"Suck it up! A boy making this much noise over a little pain? Where was that fighting spirit earlier?"
"Boss, you're just being too rough!"
"Tch!~ I wouldn't let people my age beat me up like that. If it were me, the other guy would be the one on the ground." Musashi handed the medicine to Naruto. "Do it yourself then. Call me when you're done."
In the living room, Naruto carefully treated his wounds, hissing occasionally.
In the bedroom, Musashi stared fixedly at a scroll in front of him.
"Sealing Jutsu."
It contained Four Symbols Seal, Adamantine Sealing Chains, and a series of Sealing Jutsu that Kushina specialized in. On a normal afternoon, that red-haired woman had tossed it to him casually.
"You've been practicing for so long and still haven't got it? Idiot!"
"I told you not to interrupt when I'm speaking!"
"Are you channeling your chakra through your large intestine? Moron!"
"Still talking back!" Bonk! Bonk!
Familiar images flashed before his eyes. It felt like at any second, she would roll up her sleeves without warning and bonk him on the head.
But the next second never came. It had been a long time.
Time.
He needed time. He needed to wait.
But... if that woman knew he was just leaving Naruto alone like this, she would definitely be furious, red hair flying, fists swinging, yelling "Bastard Musashi!" at him.
He couldn't wait anymore!
Carefully putting the scroll away, Musashi walked out of the bedroom.
"Let's go. We're heading out!"
"Heading out? Where are we going, Boss?"
"Since you called me Boss, the least I can do is treat you to a bowl of Ichiraku Deluxe Supreme Ramen. Let's go!"
"Wow! Boss is the best!!"