Chapter 29: Rebuilding InazumaIruka Umino walked into the classroom. Seeing the two students who had been absent for a whole week finally arrive, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they were okay.However...Noticing the cold and indifferent Uchiha Sasuke, Iruka Umino felt quite heartbroken. Such a good child, sigh...He secretly decided that he must have a talk with Uchiha Sasuke; he couldn't let him remain immersed in hatred...."Class is dismissed... Uchiha Sasuke, come out with me for a moment."Uchiha Sasuke stood up, frowned, and followed behind Iruka Umino out of the classroom."What could Iruka Umino-sensei want with UchihaSasuke..."Since it concerned Uchiha Sasuke... the girls in the class were quite curious.They hid by the classroom door, peeking out to watch.The boys curled their lips and said nothing.Uzumaki Naruto came over and sat down next to Hyuga Hinata, asking, "Is there something you want to tell me?"During class, Hyuga Hinata kept stealing glances at Uzumaki Naruto. And unlike her usual shyness, this time... Hyuga Hinata was looking at Uzumaki Naruto with an expression of grievance, sadness, and wanting to cry.It made her Byakugan look like red eyes."I... I don't know."Hyuga Hinata lowered her head, feeling aggrieved.She didn't know why, but a few days ago, her father suddenly told her not to get too close to Uzumaki Naruto.She didn't want to agree, but she didn't dare disobey her father's words.She was in a dilemma!"Don't be afraid, Hyuga Hinata. I'm here. You can tell me anything..."— The handsome guy tactic!Uzumaki Naruto held Hyuga Hinata's soft little hand, a sunny smile appearing on his youthful face."Uzumaki Naruto-kun..."The sunlight pierced through the darkness, shining into Hyuga Hinata's heart.She slowly raised her head and looked at Uzumaki Naruto's face. Suddenly, she felt her body filled with courage — her father or whatever didn't matter for now."Oh, your father told you to keep your distance from me..."After listening to Hyuga Hinata's words, Uzumaki Naruto let go of her hands, his expression thoughtful.On that night of the Uchiha clan massacre, he was most worried about a Byakugan Ninja appearing and seeing through his disguise.And judging from Konoha's reaction and HyugaHinata's words,The Hyuga clan must have discovered something, but for some reason, they didn't tell Konoha and only told Hyuga Hinata to stay away from him. That was actually good news, dispelling his last bit of worry...With her hands released, Hyuga Hinata felt a sense of loss. Seeing Uzumaki Naruto deep in thought without speaking, she assumed he was worried about their future interactions.Hyuga Hinata gathered her courage and said firmly, "Uzumaki Naruto-kun, Father-sama is wrong. I won't leave Uzumaki Naruto-kun."Stop it, you're making this sound like a melodrama.Uzumaki Naruto twitched the corner of his mouth: "Thanks, but no one is making you leave. Your father only told you to keep your distance from me; he didn't say we couldn't be friends. And friends... we have always been that. It was the same before, and it's the same now. Don't overthink it."For a seven or eight-year-old loli, even if it was Hyuga Hinata, the canon wife from the original story, Uzumaki Naruto didn't have many thoughts.After all, being human, one shouldn't be too beastly...."You understand? What do you understand? You don't understand anything at all! You, who haven't experienced it yourself, cannot possibly understand my pain..."Uchiha Sasuke's roar came from the hallway; it seemed he had a falling out with Iruka Umino."Hurry, hurry, Uchiha Sasuke is coming back."The little girls hiding behind the classroom door hurriedly dispersed and returned to their seats.Chatting, putting on makeup, they all pretended as if they hadn't been peeking.However, it was all futile; Uchiha Sasuke had noticed them long ago.With a cold snort, Uchiha Sasuke ignored them and returned to his seat.Just then, the class bell rang. Iruka Umino stepped into the classroom and looked at Uchiha Sasukewith a weary heart.This child... is even harder to deal with than Uzumaki Naruto."Class is starting now."...Sealing Space.Uzumaki Naruto didn't wait long before Ei projected herself into the Sealing Space using the Rinnegan's Astral Projection Technique."I have already mastered the original abilities of that body: the Three Body Techniques, Fire Release, Lightning Release, Sharingan, Genjutsu, and some of the Rinnegan's abilities..."Looking at Uzumaki Naruto, Ei said seriously, "I believe my strength is sufficient for self-preservation. Can I go down the mountain now?""Hmm... yes, you can."A daughter traveling a thousand miles worries her father. As Ei's creator, in a sense her father, Uzumaki Naruto was very worried about Ei encountering danger while traveling in the Ninja World.So he suggested she lay low in the mountains for a while to familiarize herself with her abilities.At the same time, Uzumaki Naruto also had her come to the Sealing Space every day to receive his imparted life experience, so she wouldn't get knocked out after taking only a few steps."Please be sure to be careful and cautious. The Ninjas in this world are all very sinister, especially those few Ninjas I specifically marked for you. Don't believe a single word if you meet them..."Blah, blah, blah, he went on for a while. After finishing, Uzumaki Naruto looked at the sleepy Nine-Tailed beside him."Kurama, with your thousand years of experience wandering the Ninja World, do you have any advice for Ei?""Hmmph..." The Nine-Tailed opened its eyes, yawned, and said, "Don't trust humans. Humans are all a bunch of despicable and shameless...""Hey, hey, Kurama, I'm still here." Uzumaki Narutoreminded him with dissatisfaction.The Nine-Tailed glanced sideways: "Am I wrong?""Wrong, you should say most humans except for me."...On a deserted small mountain in the Land of Fire, Ei, who had been sitting cross-legged, opened her eyes, feeling quite excited.Finally, I can go down the mountain!The Shogun's voice echoed in Ei's mind."Have you thought about what to do next?"Ei said confidently, "Of course I have. I want to rebuild Inazuma in the Ninja World. In the future, when Uzumaki Naruto leaves Konoha, he can come live in Inazuma."The Shogun pondered for a moment and said, "I fully support your decision."Inazuma... an important part of the path of eternity.Ei said with a satisfied expression, "Good, since you agree too, let's start now."The first step to rebuilding Inazuma — travel the Ninja World and find a suitable country to take over.After Ei left the Sealing Space, Uzumaki Narutogreeted the Nine-Tailed and prepared to leave as well."Wait, Uzumaki Naruto, I have something I want to tell you."Uzumaki Naruto turned his head to look: "What is it?"The Nine-Tailed sat up, a flash of hesitation in its eyes, "Uzumaki Naruto, are we friends?""Of course we are!"Uzumaki Naruto was very certain."All these years, do you miss your parents?""Occasionally, after all, I've never met them.""If I said... I caused your parents' death, would you still be willing to be friends with me?"Uzumaki Naruto fell silent, looked up at the Nine-Tailed, and said nothing.The Nine-Tailed seemed to have let it all out. Although it was anxious and uneasy, it told Uzumaki Naruto everything about what happened back then.The masked man, the Nine-Tails Incident, The Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Kushina...Finally, the Nine-Tailed concluded, "Although I was controlled and couldn't help myself, regardless of how you put it, I have some responsibility for your parents' death... So, whether you forgive me or not, I can accept it."That being said, if Uzumaki Naruto didn't forgive it, the Nine-Tailed would probably be very upset.In fact, the Nine-Tailed felt it had no fault at all, because as the Nine-Tailed said, it was forced, and it was also a victim.
Chapter 30: I Finally Came OutIt was only because of Naruto that the Nine-Tailedwas willing to admit its fault.Naruto didn't say whether he forgave it or not, but instead asked, "Kurama, why are you suddenly telling me this? You could have chosen not to say anything."The Nine-Tailed replied in a muffled voice, "You said it yourself, we are friends."A faint smile appeared on Naruto's face. "Thank you. From my perspective, you weren't at fault; it was all caused by the masked man."The Nine-Tailed perked up."But I cannot forgive you."The Nine-Tailed's eyes dimmed. It lay down listlessly, turning its head to the side, not wanting to see Naruto."You can leave."Friendship ended."Let me finish," Naruto said, looking helpless. Didn't it say it could accept it regardless of whether I forgave it or not?"I think you should talk to the people involved, instead of asking me to stand in for them."The Nine-Tailed was puzzled. "They are no longer here..."You can't expect me to go down to the Pure Land to talk to them; that would be even more excessive than not forgiving me."But their Chakra is still here... and as it happens, I also have something to ask them."As he spoke, Naruto walked to the sealing gate and reached out to pull the sealing tag on the door."Naruto, stop!"A large hand grabbed Naruto's arm.A handsome man appeared beside Naruto.He had golden hair and azure blue eyes. Except for the lack of the Six Paths whiskers, his face was very similar to Naruto's.The Nine-Tailed instinctively roared, "The Fourth Hokage!"Minato didn't have time to pay attention to the Nine-Tailed. "Naruto, you cannot move the seal..."Naruto ignored Minato's lecture. "Kurama, calm down."The Nine-Tailed snapped out of it, glared fiercely at Minato, and then said to Naruto, "Regardless of whether you accept it or not, I will not apologize to him. I am only willing to apologize to you."The pain from that year when Minato tore it into two halves was etched into the Nine-Tailed's heart."Apologize? What's going on?"Minato was stunned. As a strand of Chakra sealed away as a fail-safe, he didn't have the energy to observe the outside world, so he completely failed to understand the current situation."Fa... never mind, I'll just call you The Fourth Hokage for now. The Fourth Hokage, let me explain it to you."After listening to Naruto's account, Minato was dumbfounded. Once he processed it, his eyes filled with pride as he looked at Naruto."As expected of my son, Naruto. Your growth has exceeded my expectations. Dad is proud of you."The Nine-Tailed mocked, "It's just a pity that Naruto is your son; otherwise, Naruto would be perfect."Minato gave a wry smile. "Kurama..."The Nine-Tailed bristled. "You are not allowed to call me Kurama! You don't have the right!"In the Nine-Tailed's heart, only the Six Paths Sageand Naruto were allowed to call it by its name.Naruto stepped in to mediate. "Kurama, can you do me a favor?""Hmph!"The Nine-Tailed crossed its arms and turned away, remaining silent.Minato smiled. "It seems you two are very good friends..."Naruto nodded in acknowledgment. "The Nine-Tailed is indeed a good friend of mine.""Since you are good friends, don't hold a grudge over the past."After saying this, Minato walked up to the Nine-Tailed and said, "If anyone should apologize, it should be me. Splitting you into two, and sealing you inside Naruto's body without your consent... I am truly sorry, Nine-Tailed."The Nine-Tailed curled its lip. "The Fourth Hokage, you finally said something reasonable."Minato didn't mind. He smiled, put his hands together, and said, "From now on, I leave Naruto in your care.""I'm afraid that was your goal all along. But even if you didn't ask, I would have done it, because Naruto and I are..."Seeming to suddenly remember something, the Nine-Tailed paused and looked back at Naruto."Are we friends?"Naruto blinked, puzzled. "Yes, didn't I say that earlier?""Then what about the apology?""The apology isn't important. I just wanted you to talk, and as long as you've talked it out, that's enough."From the very beginning, Naruto never intended to force the Nine-Tailed to apologize to Minato.The Nine-Tailed nodded, satisfied. Very good, as expected of the person I acknowledge."There is one more.""Wait..."Ignoring Minato's urgent cry, Naruto tore open the seal."Nine-Tailed, don't you dare be rampant!"A woman with long red hair appeared. Dozens of thick chains emerged from behind her, binding the Nine-Tailed tightly from all directions, like a wrapped zongzi.Seeing this, Naruto hurriedly tried to persuade her. "Um... Madam..."Kushina turned her head, saw Naruto standing nearby, and glared. "You must be Naruto, right? What 'Madam'? You should call me Mom!""Uh..."The Nine-Tailed struggled violently, roaring, "Uzumaki Kushina, you bastard!"Kushina's willow-leaf eyebrows shot up. "You dare curse at me? Behave yourself! Adamantine Sealing Chains!"More chains emerged from behind her, wrapping around the Nine-Tailed's mouth, forcing it to only make muffled sounds....A few minutes later."I'm sorry!"Faced with the simultaneous apology from Minatoand his wife, the Nine-Tailed snorted coldly and glanced at Naruto."For Naruto's sake, I'll forgive you for the last time."The situation had developed to this point, and it had completely reversed.Not only did the Nine-Tailed not apologize, but it instead became the one doing the forgiving.It could only be said that it was quite surreal.Minato and Kushina said a few more gentle words, and the Nine-Tailed's anger finally subsided.Next was time for the family of three to reunite."Naruto, this is Dad, and this is Mom."Kushina pointed at Minato with her finger, then pointed at herself, and then looked at Naruto with an expectant face. The meaning was self-evident.Naruto lowered his eyes. "Sorry, I can't call you that for now."He didn't feel like he was a brat, but being asked to call strangers Mom and Dad after only meeting them for a few minutes was truly difficult.Minato and Kushina looked at each other, feeling quite awkward.They hadn't expected that their first meeting with their child would be such an awkward scene.The atmosphere was silent for a while, until Minatospoke first. "Naruto, is there anything you want to say to Mom and Dad?"Naruto pointed his finger at the sealing gate. "Can you open it?"Hearing this, the Nine-Tailed pricked up its fox ears to listen.Minato scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, this requires a special key; otherwise, even I cannot open it."The Nine-Tailed let its fox ears droop in disappointment."So that's how it is... I'll have to do it myself then."Naruto murmured, seemingly having made a decision.Minato, worried that his son might do something foolish, hurriedly said, "Don't do anything reckless. The key is with Master Jiraiya. You can get it when you see him.""But I can't wait that long."The experience of nearly losing his life at the hands of Obito that night told Naruto something.No one knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first.The Rinnegan alone cannot protect him; he needs the power of the Tailed Beast.Under the shocked gazes of Minato and Kushina, Naruto activated the Rinnegan and cast the ocular jutsu, Kamimusubi.Green life essence was poured into the sealing gate.From that moment on, the sealing gate had life."Open!"The gate automatically dispersed, revealing the exit."I finally came out!"The Nine-Tailed was overjoyed, quickly leaped out from inside, and roared wildly toward the sky.
Chapter 31: Complaints about the Third Hokage"I'm finally out!"After roaring, he came before Naruto."What do you want to do?"Kushina snapped back to reality, subconsciously shielding Naruto behind her, looking at the Nine-Tailed with a wary expression.The Nine-Tailed ignored Kushina, a half-body phantom appearing behind him, and encouraged Naruto: "Come on, how much Chakra you can get depends on your own ability.""I will do my best."Naruto stepped past Kushina and came before the Nine-Tailed.A phantom appeared behind him, engaging in a tug-of-war with the Nine-Tailed's phantom—no, it should be a one-sided pull, because the Nine-Tailed offered no resistance at all.Kushina hesitated, saying: "They..."Minato smiled and said: "They are very good friends."The tug-of-war ended.The Nine-Tailed lay on the ground, gaunt and listless, as if he had been played until broken.A slightly excited voice came through."Is this the power of a Tailed Beast..."The Nine-Tailed slowly turned his head, looking at Naruto, who was cloaked in a Chakra shroud, and said weakly."Naruto, you guy, you didn't hold back at all..."Naruto waved his hand and said casually: "Why hold back? This is a testament to our friendship.""...At least leave me some!"Naruto felt slightly embarrassed and said: "Uh... then I'll stuff some back in."After returning a portion of the Chakra, the Nine-Tailed finally caught his breath."Naruto..."It was Kushina calling out.Naruto looked back, slightly stunned."You guys... is your time up?"Minato and Kushina's bodies gradually began to glow, becoming transparent and illusory.After all, they were just strands of Chakra, similar to a Shadow Clone, and could not remain for long.Kushina hugged Naruto tightly, tears streaming down uncontrollably."Naruto, Mom hates to leave you... but Mom doesn't have time left. Naruto, remember what Mom is about to say.""Don't be a picky eater, eat plenty of food, grow up quickly; sleep on time every day... Huh? Huh? What's going on..."The heartfelt farewell was suddenly interrupted.Kushina was stunned.Under the continuous input of the Nine-Tailed's Chakra, her illusory body stabilized."The Nine-Tailed's Chakra can sustain existence."Naruto, having read the manga, understood this.The Nine-Tailed was very special; he could replenish Chakra for anyone, even if they weren't the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.As for whether he could replenish Chakra for Kushina, who was in a state similar to a Shadow Clone...Naruto wasn't sure before.But now it seemed the answer was yes.Hearing that she could stay for a long time to accompany her son, Kushina happily hugged Naruto tightly."Naruto really doesn't want Mom to leave either!"Being hugged, Naruto felt a little embarrassed inside.It's embarrassing to say, but actually, I was reluctant to lose the Ninjutsu.Mother and son embraced; it was a touching scene.Only..."Can you not forget me?"Minato, whose body was about to dissipate, raised his hand in protest....A quarter of an hour later.The family of three finished their simple chat."The main consumption is provided by the Nine-Tailed's Chakra. Although my Chakra is also fading, the speed has become very slow. Roughly... within three years, there will be no problem."Minato closed his eyes, carefully sensing the consumption of Chakra within his body, estimating the time he could remain inside Naruto."Only three years? That's too short!"Kushina, never satisfied, wanted to accompany her son for a lifetime."Three years is not short. By then, Naruto will be about to graduate. Besides, Kushina... you are from the Uzumaki Clan; your Chakra is stronger, so the time you remain should be longer than mine."Minato smiled and comforted Kushina.In their situation, staying even one more day was a gain. Now that they had gained a full three years, what more could they ask for?The couple chatted for a while, then quickly turned their attention to Naruto.Naruto was fist-bumping with the Nine-Tailed, completing the final step of being a Perfect Jinchuriki — mutual understanding!Minato said with gratification: "It seems the Third Hokage did not fail our entrustment and took care of Naruto very well..."Kushina snorted: "I suppose that old man has some conscience and didn't let our sacrifice go to waste."The couple sacrificed their lives for Konoha, not asking for any reward, but at the very least, the child they left behind should be treated well.If they couldn't even do that, it would be too heartless.Konoha wouldn't have such heartless people, right?Surely not, surely not, there wouldn't really be anyone...The Third Hokage and the villagers: That's right, it is indeed us.The couple was still unaware of the shady operations on Konoha's side.The two were very satisfied with Naruto's growth. If there was one thing they were unhappy about, it was that Naruto refused to call them Mom and Dad.But it wasn't a big problem!The child already said he just couldn't say it for now; they believed that as time went on and they became more familiar, he would definitely call them that....After achieving mutual understanding, Naruto and Kurama's relationship improved even further, and the boy and the fox chatted easily.Suddenly, Naruto noticed the Nine-Tailed lying on the water."I'll change it back..."Having had experience once, Naruto was familiar with the process this time.Under the effect of the Rinnegan's ocular jutsu, the surrounding environment transformed back into a grassland.Minato and Kushina walked over, looking shocked."I was wondering how the Sealing Space could turn into a grassland; so that's how it happened... Naruto, I didn't get a chance to ask before, what's going on with your eyes?"Naruto touched his eyes and mused: "This is a type of ocular Bloodline Limit. The name... I think you have heard of it too. It's called the Rinnegan..."...Outside, the students in the classroom had long since been cleared out, and the Sealing Squad waiting nearby was on high alert.The Third Hokage rushed over.Looking at Naruto sleeping on the desk, the Third Hokage lit his pipe, feeling more worried with every puff.Everything was fine; why would the Nine-Tailed's Chakra leak? He had checked the seal beforehand, and there were no problems..."Iruka, was there anything unusual before Narutowent to class?"The Third Hokage asked the person present when the incident occurred.Iruka frowned, recalling, then shook his head with a bitter smile."I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, I didn't notice anything unusual. Naruto was the same as usual; he listened to one lesson and then went to sleep."He was confused too; class was in session.The Nine-Tailed's Chakra suddenly leaked, a terrifying aura spreading that almost scared him into wetting himself.Iruka was fine, it was only almost.Many of the children in the class really were scared into incontinence, crying and calling for their moms.Even some of the bolder children from ninja clans, like Shikamaru, Shino, and others, couldn't help but turn pale and tremble.Fear was one aspect; the other was a physiological reaction that they truly couldn't control.It wasn't just their class; nearby classes, upstairs and downstairs, the entire Ninja Academy was affected.The scene at that time was as chaotic as it could be.Fortunately, the Anbu arrived in time to evacuate everyone.Now, the Ninja Academy had suspended classes, and the students had all returned home, rejoicing in their survival with their families.Then, families inevitably cursed the demon fox brat."Damn demon fox, monster, why don't you just die? You almost killed our children again..."Further extending to complaints about the Third Hokage.
Chapter 32: Who is Kakashi?"Hokage-sama is really something. Why let that demon fox attend school? He doesn't care about our children's safety at all..."It was only because Danzo was confined and reflecting on his mistakes that he didn't take this opportunity to stir up trouble.He wouldn't expect to get the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but at the very least, he could damage the Third Hokage's prestige and pave the way for his own path to becoming Hokage.His two teammates, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, didn't have ambitions to be Hokage. Believing that everything they did was for the good of Konoha, they also rushed to the Ninja Academyupon hearing the news."Sarutobi, don't hesitate anymore. Listen to us: a Jinchuriki shouldn't be mixed with ordinary people. You need to place it under direct control and conduct specialized training...""Those two old geezers, I'm going to beat them to death... Minato, don't hold me back..."In the Sealing Space, via the Nine-Tailed, Kushinaheard the Advisors' words and was so angry she wanted to hit someone.Those two old fogies actually wanted to turn her child into someone with no childhood, no life, and no freedom...Someone with nothing at all, just a Tailed Beastweapon that only listens to orders.Could she stand for that?No!"Kushina, calm down."Minato grabbed Kushina's arm. As a father, he was also very angry, but anger wouldn't solve the problem.They were just two wisps of Chakra left behind by the deceased; there were many things they couldn't do, and were unable to do."Trust the Third Hokage; the Third Hokage won't agree to it."At this moment, Minato could only trust that the Third Hokage would consider their past relationship."Naruto."Seemingly remembering something, Minato's eyes lit up. He said to Naruto, "Go out now and confess to the Third Hokage that you've become a perfect Jinchuriki. The Chakra leak just now was an accident during the unsealing, and it won't happen again... Once the Third Hokage knows, he will definitely reject the Advisors' suggestion."Naruto smiled and refused, "No need for that much trouble. I trust Grandpa Third Hokage."Minato's eyes shifted slightly. For some reason, he always felt his son's smile was a bit strange.He looked back at Kushina, and Kushina nodded with a grave expression.Something was wrong with their son!In the end, what made Minato and Kushina breathe a sigh of relief was... the Third Hokage rejected the Advisors' suggestion.However, for the safety of other students, Narutoneeded to suspend his studies for a period of time to be kept under observation.Naruto woke up at the right moment and accepted the Third Hokage's decision, looking dejected.He was placed under house arrest, living a secluded life where he couldn't leave his home.One month later.After passing the inspection and being stamped as safe, Naruto regained his freedom, was allowed to leave his home, and returned to his previous life.Naruto went shopping on the street without wearing a mask. Along the way, he received pointing and criticism from all sides; whoever he heard calling him a demon fox, he would throw a rock at them.I have to say, after not throwing for a few years, his aim was a bit rusty; he either threw too hard or missed.Later, his touch returned, but as it did, the memories of the unruly villagers getting hit in the past also returned, so they all started hiding far away before launching counterattacks.Walking into a shop on the street, unsurprisingly, Naruto was refused service and chased out of the shop....In the Sealing Space, Minato and Kushinaobserved Naruto's experiences in Konoha through his perspective.Their expressions were extremely grim.Even though Naruto had already told them a lot of negative news over the past month, the two still harbored a glimmer of hope.On one hand, they thought it might be the child's prejudice.On the other hand, they felt the Village couldn't be that excessive.But now it seemed...It seemed to be even worse.It was one thing that their son didn't grow up as the hero's son as planned, but he didn't even get treated like a normal person...It was truly chilling.And their son, growing up in such an environment...The couple felt heartbroken for their son's tragic experiences and also had a headache over his eccentric personality.Smashing people's heads, frequently acting, having a strong desire for revenge, feeling no sense of belonging to Konoha, and even having some bold ideas...This was what the two had discovered about Naruto so far.It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a problem child, and the possibility of him going down the wrong path when he grows up was also quite high.What should they do?Was there any way to change Naruto's personality?Kushina and Minato thought hard, then looked at each other and sighed in unison.They were both first-time parents and had no experience."Nine-Tailed, you are familiar with Naruto; do you have any good suggestions?"Minato shared his worries with the Nine-Tailed, seeking its help.Kushina also looked at the Nine-Tailed expectantly."Nine-Tailed, please help us.""Hmph, I think you have too much time on your hands."The Nine-Tailed turned over and said lazily, "Naruto is fine as he is; he doesn't need to change. And... trust my judgment, there won't be any problems."That's how Tailed Beasts are; the people they acknowledge might not be perfectly good, but they are definitely not evil.Hearing the Nine-Tailed's words, the couple felt much more at ease.However, being completely at ease was impossible. They planned to slowly guide Narutoas they spent more time together in the future....After wandering around until noon, Naruto arrived at Ichiraku Ramen."Big Sister Ayame, Uncle Teuchi, long time no see. One serving of ramen, please.""Oh, it's Naruto. Long time no see. What kind of ramen do you want?""Hmm... a large bowl of pork miso chashu ramen."Not long after, Ichiraku finished making the ramen, and Ayame brought it to Naruto, including two extra thick slices of chashu."Thank you."After thanking them, Naruto lowered his head and ate the ramen.Minato's gratified voice came from his heart."As expected, there are still good people in the Village..."The previous impression that everyone was evil had almost made Minato depressed.Is this the kind of thing I fought for my whole life and even sacrificed myself for?Fortunately, the appearance of Ichiraku Ramensalvaged his view of the Village.Darkness certainly exists, but light exists alongside it."They are indeed good people..."Naruto multi-tasked, eating ramen while introducing Ichiraku Ramen to his parents....After finishing the ramen, Naruto went home to carve wood to help with digestion.Half an hour later, he put on his mask and walked out the door.Kushina's interested voice rang out in his mind."Oh, is Naruto going to find friends to play with?""No, training."Training?Now Minato was interested.He watched Naruto go to a ninja tool shop to buy weights, tie them onto his body, then go to the forest to run, do push-ups, and then swing his fists to hit a tree randomly..."Wait, stop hitting it, your hands are bleeding..."Kushina hurriedly called for him to stop."My recovery is very strong..."Naruto stopped hitting the tree and raised his red, swollen fists, the injuries healing at a visible rate.Kushina said with a heartache, "Even if your recovery is strong, you can't abuse yourself like this. Mom feels so heartbroken..."Minato frowned and said, "Naruto, who taught you to train like this?"It's completely without method; it's simply reckless.It's only because Naruto has a special body; if it were anyone else, they would definitely be crippled."No one taught me how to train; I figured it out myself.""The Third Hokage didn't... forget it. Then what about Kakashi?""Who is Kakashi? I don't know him.""..."
Chapter 33: Learning"Who is Kakashi? I don't know him."The Sealing Space fell into silence.After a long while, Kushina's sobbing sounded."Minato, they... they are treating our child like this. What did we do wrong? Did we wrong them?""Kushina, this... there might be some misunderstanding here..."Oh no, I overacted... Naruto hurriedly entered the Sealing Space, saw Kushina crying on Minato's shoulder, and comforted her: "Mom, don't cry. Aren't I perfectly fine? Besides, now that I have you both, I'm living very happily.""Mom?!"Hearing her son call her Mom for the first time, Kushina was overjoyed. She immediately forgot about crying and happily grabbed Minato's shoulders, shaking him."My son called me Mom, Minato, did you hear that? My son called me Mom...""I heard it, Kushina."Minato was openly envious. He turned his gaze toward Naruto and asked expectantly: "Could you... also call me Dad?"I suspect you're trying to take advantage of me... Naruto hesitated and said: "Next time. Let's wait until we're a bit more familiar with each other."Minato was unwilling to give up. "Then what about Mom? I clearly met Naruto earlier than Mom did. If we're talking about familiarity, we should be more familiar with each other.""The situation was special just now. Next time...""Will Naruto not call me Mom next time?"Kushina let go of Minato and came before Naruto. Tears welled up in her eyes, looking as if she would cry if he didn't call her Mom.Naruto hesitated. Kushina was crying, so Narutohad no choice but to call her."Mom.""Yes, good son, call me one more time.""...Mom.""Mhm, that sounds nice. Call me one more time.""..."Looking at the woman in front of him who seemed to be enjoying it immensely, Naruto was speechless and vanished from the Sealing Space in an instant."Naruto is still too shy."Kushina was stunned for a moment, then sighed without any self-awareness."But he called you three times."Minato revealed a jealous expression."Dad, don't be jealous that Naruto and Mom have a good relationship."Kushina put her hands on her hips, looking smug."I... am... not... jealous."Minato said each word clearly, his jealous expression intensifying, which made Kushina burst into laughter. Seeing this, Minato also started laughing."Foolish humans."Nine-Tailed curled its lip, turned its head, and continued to sleep.After chatting and laughing for a while, the couple discussed the grand cause of their child's education.If others won't take care of their child, then they will do it themselves.Both of them were experts and had the ability to guide Naruto in his training.However, in terms of suitability, Minato was naturally more suitable.He had strong strength, sufficient experience, and a wide range of knowledge. What Kushina knew, he also knew; what Kushina didn't know, he still knew.But Minato couldn't do it all. To give Kushina a sense of participation, Minato would only teach Naruto Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, while Kushina would teach Sealing Jutsu."What about Genjutsu?"Naruto, who had been eavesdropping, appeared in the Sealing Space and said to Minato and Kushina: "Don't forget about Genjutsu."The Rinnegan is unlike the Sharingan, which comes with Genjutsu, but the Rinnegan can serve as a Genjutsu amplifier.The power of Genjutsu cast with the help of the Rinnegan is not inferior to the Mangekyo.Minato shook his head and said: "Don't be greedy, Naruto. You don't need to learn Genjutsu. You are a perfect Jinchuriki; Genjutsu cannot affect you at all. Learning Genjutsu would only be a distraction."Kushina chimed in: "That's right. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Sealing Jutsu—learning these three tasks is already very heavy. You might not even be able to finish learning them, so where would you find the time to learn Genjutsu?""I have time! Once I learn the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, I'll have all the time I need. By the way... does either of you know the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu?"Kushina asked curiously: "I know the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. This technique is suitable for people with a lot of Chakra; it is indeed very suitable for you. However, this is a forbidden technique, and not many people know about it. As a child, where did you learn about it?"Minato expressed the same question.Naruto said without changing his expression: "My eyes can see many things."He wasn't lying. In his previous life, he did indeed see the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu with his eyes."So it's the Rinnegan. It's truly mysterious..."Kushina and Minato suddenly understood and didn't ask any further.The three of them chatted for a while longer, and Genjutsu was officially added to the teaching curriculum.Minato first gave a disclaimer: "Dad isn't good at Genjutsu, so I won't be able to teach you much. Don't have too high expectations."Naruto nodded: "Understood. By the way, I also want to learn Medical Ninjutsu."Genjutsu is Yin Release, Medical Ninjutsu is Yang Release; neither can be missed."Being eager to learn is a good thing, but will you be able to handle it?""Take it slow. I'm just mentioning it for now.""That works too. When the time comes, I'll have your Mom teach you. She knows some Medical Ninjutsu."...Under Minato's guidance, Naruto changed his posture and struck the tree using a technique that was more in line with human muscle force application.He would still get injured, but it was all within an acceptable range.He exercised in the afternoon, and in the evening, Naruto entered the Sealing Space to learn Ninjutsu.Ying and General were also there. They had long been introduced to Minato and Kushina by Naruto. Over the past month or so, they had become quite familiar with each other."Please help me teach them too. Teach them Ninjaexperience and Ninjutsu knowledge."Naruto made the request to his parents."Sure."Kushina and Minato nodded in agreement. Both of them knew the origin of Ying and General and trusted them completely; teaching them was equivalent to helping Naruto."Thank you."Ying and General bowed in thanks. They had always held Naruto's parents in high regard.Ninja Academy.Naruto, who had disappeared for a month, returned. Naturally, there was no welcome party; the only things greeting Naruto were fear and alienation.Apparently, the leakage of Nine-Tailed Chakra that day had caused great psychological trauma to everyone.They finally understood that the rumors in the village were not groundless. Naruto might not eat people, but the word "monster" was quite appropriate.And humans... for the sake of their own lives, should not associate with monsters; the most appropriate method is to keep them at a distance.Seeing all of this, Kushina and Minato looked pained."I'm sorry, Naruto. We made you the container for the Nine-Tailed, forcing you to bear a heavy burden for us...""There's no need to apologize to me. I'm living very well. The so-called heavy burden isn't actually heavy at all, and it even allowed me to gain a good friend..."Naruto returned to his seat with a normal expression, constantly comforting his parents in his heart....The first class of the morning passed quickly.After class, Iruka called Naruto out of the classroom."Everyone doesn't hate you; they just have some misunderstandings about you. Naruto, give everyone some time to adapt..."Iruka had also noticed the atmosphere of the class rejecting Naruto, but he didn't know what to say.Because deep down, Iruka was actually afraid of Naruto too.After all, that was the legendary Nine-Tailed; who could not be afraid?Even the Third Hokage couldn't!However, fear was fear. As a teacher, his sense of responsibility made Iruka overcome his fear, and he even went a step further to comfort Naruto.A few minutes later, Naruto returned to his seat, and Minato's sigh of emotion came from his heart.
Chapter 34: Pride"Iruka is a good teacher..."Kushina nodded in agreement: "Naruto, you must listen to Iruka-sensei.""Yeah, I know."As the three chatted, Minato suddenly said: "Naruto, that little girl from the Hyuga Clan on the side is peeking at you; it looks like she wants to say something to you.""That look... I can't be mistaken. It's the look of someone in love. Naruto, Mom guarantees it as someone who has been there—she definitely likes you!"Kushina was beaming with excitement."Huh, so is she a future daughter-in-law?"Minato realized belatedly and began to examine Hinata carefully."No, it's not even close to that yet."Brushing off his parents, Naruto turned his head to look at Hinata. "Is something wrong?"Blushing, Hinata whispered encouragingly: "I... believe in you, Naruto-kun. Naruto-kun, do your best!"Naruto paused, then smiled: "Thank you for your encouragement; I feel much better."In truth, Naruto didn't care about the opinions of others, but clearly, others didn't think that way...So, let it be.He would accept the kindness and ignore the malice.Inside the Sealing Space, Minato watched Narutoand Hinata talking and commented: "That child... she has a rather shy personality."Kushina said with regret: "I had originally hoped Naruto would find a woman like me..."Minato smiled and comforted her: "There's no need to force it; as long as the child likes her, that's all that matters.""I know, it's just a little regrettable."Listening to his parents' conversation, Narutocouldn't help but cast his gaze toward Sakura in the distance.If there was anyone like Kushina, it had to be Sakura.However, Sakura didn't like Naruto; she was wholeheartedly in love with Sasuke.At this moment, Sakura was engaged in her daily routine—bickering with Ino over a boy in front of Sasuke."That is... Sasuke! Sasuke has grown up too, and he looks just like Mikoto."Following Naruto's gaze, Kushina saw the impatient-looking Sasuke. She was stunned for a moment but quickly recognized his identity.The son of her good friend, whom she had held when he was a baby, but in the blink of an eye...Things had changed, and people were no longer the same.Thinking of what Naruto had told her, Kushina's gaze toward Sasuke was filled with pity.This child was so miserable.At the same time, Kushina felt deeply fortunate.There was no "most miserable," only "more miserable." Compared to Mikoto, she was already quite happy; at least her son was obedient and wouldn't want to kill her."Uchiha..."Minato's expression turned grim.The Uchiha issue had always existed. After becoming the Fourth Hokage, he had worked hard to resolve it and had already made significant progress.But the Nine-Tails Incident had shattered all his plans.When he opened his eyes again, he learned from his son—the Uchiha had been completely wiped out!It was hard to describe Minato's mood; he could only say... he was very disappointed in the Third.He really didn't do anything helpful at all!"I said to stop using that..."Feeling the sympathetic gaze from behind, Sasuketurned around angrily, his warning cutting off abruptly.He saw the Little Blondie chatting with the Byakugan little girl. Hearing his voice, the Little Blondie tilted his head, looking at him with a confused expression."What did you say?""You... weren't you looking at me?"Sasuke had clearly sensed a gaze coming from that direction.Naruto glanced at his own stomach and asked indifferently: "Are you that good-looking?"Sasuke took after his mother, so he was naturally good-looking, but Naruto clearly didn't mean it as a compliment.Sasuke snorted coldly, turned his head back, and said nothing.Seeing this, Sakura spoke without thinking: "Sasuke, don't pay attention to that monster...""Get lost!"Sasuke looked cold; he found people who badmouthed others behind their backs annoying to look at."Sasuke..."Sakura was on the verge of tears, and Sasuke's coldness intensified, looking like he was about to say something even worse.Ino quickly pulled Sakura away and lectured her: "Sakura, it's fine if you don't like him, but don't badmouth people behind their backs; it will make people dislike you...""That child is from the Yamanaka Clan, right? It seems Inoichi has taught her well..."Minato's expression was quite wistful.He had a very good relationship with Inoichi. If not for the Nine-Tails Incident, the friendship between their two families would have naturally been passed down to the next generation.Unlike now...Kushina asked Naruto: "Aside from Hinata, does Naruto have any friends in class?""Isn't that obvious?"None!Originally, Naruto had four superficial friends who, over time, might have become true friends.However, after a Nine-Tailed Chakra leak, those four superficial friends disappeared."That won't do. You don't need many friends, but you can't have none... Naruto, take action and make a trustworthy friend."Kushina was full of energy, cheering her son on."Oh~"Naruto slumped on the desk, completely unmotivated."Don't you dare brush off Mom!!!"The Bloody Habanero had returned; she clenched her fists, and her long red hair fluttered behind her."Uh..."Was the initial gentleness all fake after all?Naruto pondered silently.Fearing that he might damage the bond between mother and son, Minato comforted both sides: "Kushina, calm down a bit. Naruto, please understand Mom; she's just worried about you...""I know, I'm just thinking about who to make friends with.""Find Sasuke!"Kushina's anger vanished instantly, and she said happily: "Let me tell you, back when Mikoto and I were pregnant, we agreed that if our children were of opposite genders, they would become husband and wife..."Naruto interrupted: "And if they were the same gender, they would become brothers."Kushina paused, then shook her head: "That wasn't it, but it would be best if you could become brothers. Even if you don't, you should at least be friends."People of the parents' generation always hope that the friendship between them can be passed on to their children.Aside from this sentiment, Kushina also felt that Naruto and Sasuke, two children in similar situations, were well-suited to be friends.At noon, when school ended, Naruto habitually prepared to skip class, but Kushina and Minatostopped him."Class is useless..."Naruto explained the reason to his parents; he wasn't skipping class to be lazy, but to cultivate better."There's no need to rush cultivation..."Rinnegan, perfect Jinchuriki... The achievements Naruto had made at this age were already shocking, and his future as a powerful Ninja was a certainty.So there was absolutely no need to rush cultivation; just take it step by step.In comparison, Kushina and Minato believed that it was more important for Naruto to have a normal childhood."Besides, skipping class like this is very disrespectful to Iruka-sensei...""I do respect Iruka-sensei, in my heart..."After some bargaining, Naruto obtained the privilege of skipping class twice a week.In the afternoon class, Iruka was surprised to find that Naruto was present. This child...Had he finally felt his good intentions?A sense of accomplishment from teaching filled Iruka's heart.He was proud and felt a sense of honor; he was full of energy from head to toe, feeling like he could work for another five hundred years."Let's go! Afternoon practical training!"Iruka waved his hand and led the students to the training ground.
Chapter 35: Implementation Training"We'll be doing practical training this afternoon!"Iruka Umino waved his hand and led the students to the training ground.However, when it came to assigning sparring partners, Iruka Umino found himself in a dilemma.Sparring partners were usually matched by strength and were generally fixed.But Uzumaki Naruto often missed classes, so he didn't have a fixed partner.As for the few students who also lacked fixed partners, aside from Uchiha Sasuke who hadn't expressed his stance, the others were unwilling to spar with Uzumaki Naruto.They were afraid of accidentally getting wiped out during the fight."Uchiha Sasuke, are you okay with it?" Iruka Umino cast his gaze toward Uchiha Sasuke.Uchiha Sasuke crossed his arms and said coldly, "Whatever."Anyway, I'm going to win.Iruka Umino looked at Uzumaki Naruto, who nodded in agreement. A mere Sasuke, I'll suppress him with a wave of my hand."Alright then, you two are the first match. Step forward."Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke stood facing each other."Perform the Reconciliation Seal."Without any banter, they performed the Reconciliation Seal in silence."Begin!"Following Iruka Umino's shout, Uzumaki Narutoand Uchiha Sasuke charged at each other, starting a raw, elementary school-level taijutsu duel.Uzumaki Naruto threw a punch at Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke kicked Uzumaki Naruto, fists and feet collided, both sides retreated, then charged again.Iruka Umino praised, "Their basics are quite solid..."Compared to him, a Chunin, or even Genin, they were nothing special.But compared to other students at the Ninja Academy, the taijutsu of Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke could be considered excellent.Bang, bang, bang...After over a hundred exchanges, Uchiha Sasukewas panting, while Uzumaki Naruto only had a little sweat on his forehead.The stamina of the two was clearly not on the same level.'No, if this continues, I'll lose!'Thinking about the possibility of losing to a guy who constantly skipped class, Uchiha Sasuke's face darkened. He crossed his arms in front of his chest to block a kick from Uzumaki Naruto.Bang!Uchiha Sasuke used the force to retreat, his hands moving rapidly, and he took a deep breath."Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"Due to their age and Chakra limitations, the fireball wasn't large, and its speed wasn't fast, so Uzumaki Naruto dodged it with a roll.Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...A row of Kunai flew toward Uzumaki Naruto, who hadn't had time to stand up.Puff! Puff! Puff!The Kunai hit Uzumaki Naruto accurately, causing the surrounding students to scream.He's dead!Iruka Umino warned, "Calm down, look closely..."A puff of white smoke flashed, and "Uzumaki Naruto" turned into a log."Substitution Jutsu! When did he...?"Uchiha Sasuke was stunned. A sound of air being pierced suddenly came from his side, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a rapidly approaching fist.Without time to think, Uchiha Sasuke leaned back to dodge, the fist grazing his face.Boom!Both fell to the ground, Uzumaki Naruto pinning Uchiha Sasuke, reaching out to grab his throat.Uchiha Sasuke grabbed Uzumaki Naruto's wrist, used his strength to push Uzumaki Naruto off him, then reversed the position, pinning Uzumaki Narutounderneath, gritting his teeth, "You're the one who... loses...""Are you dreaming?" Uzumaki Naruto pulled out his grabbed wrist, elbowed Uchiha Sasuke's chest, then flipped him over, regaining the upper hand."The one who should admit defeat is you, Sasuke.""This... is... impossible!"Uchiha Sasuke used all his strength to push Uzumaki Naruto away, and Uzumaki Naruto tried hard to suppress him.The two kept switching positions, rolling all over the training ground.The surrounding students were speechless. It started so brilliantly, but the final result turned into this.A student asked curiously, "Teacher, who will win?"Iruka Umino pondered, "It should be Uzumaki Naruto, his stamina..."The girls in the class expressed strong dissatisfaction: "How could he possibly beat Uchiha Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke is the most excellent one."The next moment, a boy shouted excitedly, "Look, the result is out, Uchiha Sasuke lost!"Uzumaki Naruto grabbed Uchiha Sasuke's throat and asked, "Do you admit defeat?""I... cough, cough, I adm..."Uchiha Sasuke was exhausted, unable to resist, his eyes rolling back from being choked."Uchiha Sasuke has admitted defeat, Uzumaki Naruto, you won. Let go quickly, don't hurt him."As he spoke, Iruka Umino ran over, telling Uzumaki Naruto to let go immediately.Inside the Sealing Space, Kushina and Minato also hurriedly said, "Even if you don't want to be friends with Uchiha Sasuke, don't be so ruthless. You're all classmates.""Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, I won't choke him to death... Besides, who said I don't want to be friends with Uchiha Sasuke? It's precisely because I want to be friends with Uchiha Sasuke that I specifically used such force."Uzumaki Naruto let go, stood up, reached out to pull Uchiha Sasuke up, and said earnestly, "Although you are not as good as me, don't be discouraged. Many people are not as good as me, and you are just one of them; you are not special."Iruka Umino was speechless. How had he not realized before that Uzumaki Naruto was so narcissistic?Uchiha Sasuke shook off the hand grabbed by Uzumaki Naruto, touched his neck which had red marks from being choked, stared at Uzumaki Naruto, and said coldly, "When I defeat you next time, I hope you can still say these words."Although Uchiha Sasuke hated losing, he was not afraid of it.After losing to Uzumaki Naruto, he calmly summarized his gains and losses, discovering that his technique was similar to Uzumaki Naruto's, but their stamina was vastly different, which was why he lost.Uchiha Sasuke pondered: "To improve stamina, I need to strengthen my training. However, this requires long-term persistence to be effective. But if I want to defeat that guy as soon as possible, I can only start from technique."Shuriken throwing, Ninjutsu casting, taijutsu fighting styles...Recalling Uzumaki Naruto's arrogant appearance, Uchiha Sasuke didn't delay for a moment, quickly made a training plan for himself, and started training immediately.Thus, on the desolate and lonely Uchiha training ground, a small figure didn't stop until late at night....A week later.Ninja Academy.Another practical training class.Before Iruka Umino could assign opponents, Uchiha Sasuke stood out and challenged Uzumaki Naruto."Dare to?""Of course."The two stood facing each other, turning their heads to look at Iruka Umino in unison."Since you are willing, I won't object. But I have only one request... Friendship first, competition second. Make sure not to hurt the relationship, and don't cause serious injuries, especially you... Uzumaki Naruto!"Iruka Umino glared fiercely at Uzumaki Naruto, strictly ordering: "You are not allowed to choke Uchiha Sasuke's neck!!!"Uzumaki Naruto was about to explain, but UchihaSasuke interrupted, "Too wordy. He won't have a chance to choke my neck."The sky cleared, the rain stopped, and Sasuke felt he was back in the game. Uzumaki Naruto said with great interest, "If I can choke your neck, then..."Uchiha Sasuke said toughly, "Even if you choke me to death, I have nothing to say!"Uzumaki Naruto chuckled, "Iruka-sensei, you heard that, right? You must testify for me later."Iruka Umino had a headache, "No choking the neck!"Uchiha Sasuke said impatiently, "Hurry up and start!"Iruka Umino said, "No one is allowed to choke the neck," again, then said, "Both sides perform the Reconciliation Seal... Now, begin!"Bang, bang, bang...
Chapter 36: I Succeeded!But after sixty moves, Naruto rushed towards Sasuke, dodging the Great Fireball on the way, and quickly punched Sasuke square in the face.After being hit, Sasuke saw stars and his body swayed unsteadily. By the time he regained his senses, a Kunai was already pressed against his neck."The winner is Uzumaki Naruto!"The girls in the class immediately erupted in wails."Ah! How could this be? Sasuke is clearly so excellent, how could he possibly lose?!"A few clever girls ran over to Sasuke, wanting to take the opportunity to comfort him and improve their relationship with him.Unfortunately, Sasuke felt no gratitude at all; he only found them annoying.Shaking them off, Sasuke looked at Naruto and asked in a deep voice, "Why is your strength improving so fast?"After a week of hard training, the gap between the two not only hadn't narrowed but had actually widened.How could Sasuke accept this?Naruto pondered, "Probably... maybe... perhaps... I am a genius."...Who isn't a genius?Sasuke himself was a genius, although he really disliked it when others used the word "genius" to dismiss his efforts.But Sasuke knew very well that he was indeed a genius.Aside from not being able to compare to that man, he had no equal among his peers, and he had always been the most outstanding student in school.Until... Little Blondie stopped skipping class and had a fight with him.Only then did he discover that he didn't seem that strong, and that there were people better than him."You are a genius, and I am a genius too. Perhaps I cannot compare to you in talent, but I will work harder than you and eventually defeat you..."If he couldn't even defeat Little Blondie, what right did he have to stand before that man... and kill him!!!Sasuke made up his mind, set a new training plan, and further compressed his sleep time.He slept for three hours every night, caught up on sleep during class during the day, and spent the rest of his time in crazy training.A week later, in the actual combat training class, Sasuke fought Naruto for over forty moves before losing.He immediately launched a higher-intensity training plan, sleeping only two hours every night.A week later, in combat training, Sasuke fought Naruto for over thirty moves before losing.The gap had become even larger.Another week passed, and in combat training, Sasuke fought Naruto for over twenty moves before being defeated.Sasuke finally couldn't hold it together anymore.This is freaking impossible to fight!!!He had sacrificed a massive amount of sleep to train, to the point of almost dying from exhaustion, yet this was the result he got...Sasuke felt it was unacceptable; he suspected the other side was cheating....Later, one afternoon after school, Sasuke secretly followed behind Naruto to the forest.He saw Naruto running while carrying a giant log, his footsteps landing on the ground, the water surface, and tree trunks.After running, he punched the tree, blow after blow, making the big tree thump loudly."So that's how he trains... I've learned something."At dusk, Naruto packed up his things and went home.Sasuke followed him all the way, watching Narutoclose his door, before stepping out from behind a utility pole and whispering to himself, "I will not lose to you..."He turned and headed home; tonight, he would not sleep or rest."This kid... why does he keep following the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? What does he want?"Watching Sasuke's departing figure, the Anbuhiding in the shadows were puzzled.If it weren't for the fact that Sasuke was just a child, harmless and cute, the Anbu would have already arrested him.Another Anbu asked, "Captain, should we report this to Hokage-sama? After all, no matter how young... he is still an Uchiha."The captain pondered, "Wait for now. If he continues to follow the Nine-Tails Jinchurikitomorrow, we will report it to Hokage-sama."Whether to arrest him or ignore him, Hokage-samawould have to give them a clear order....The next day, Sasuke went to school with his palms wrapped in bandages."Sasuke, how did you get hurt? Come let me see...""Get lost!"Shaking off the annoying flies, Sasuke went to his seat, looked at his palms which were swollen to double their size, was silent for a while, and then turned to look at Naruto.Naruto was lying listlessly on the desk, his two palms white and tender, without a trace of injury.Sasuke pondered, "Judging from the previous few battles, his physique is clearly stronger than mine, but no matter how strong, there should be a limit. The fact that his hands have absolutely no injuries is definitely suspicious. It's either a secret medicine or a secret technique. However, his family situation makes it impossible for him to have secret medicine, and as for secret techniques..."According to common sense, Naruto shouldn't have them either, but thinking about how he himself failed at tree-climbing and water-walking last night, Sasuke believed that there was a high probability that Naruto possessed a training secret technique.Sasuke didn't care where he got it, but he was just wondering if he should continue to peek?Sasuke was somewhat hesitant.Training is a very private matter, and secret techniques are even more guarded secrets that concern one's life.Peeking at Naruto's training was already bad enough; if he continued to peek at Naruto's secret techniques...Morally, he couldn't allow it.One day later."The winner is Uzumaki Naruto!"Defeated in fifteen moves, Sasuke decided to abandon morality."As long as I can kill that man, I am willing to pay any price!"Even my life; mere morality... is not worth mentioning....In the afternoon, Naruto skipped class.Seeing this, Sasuke followed without hesitation, trailing Naruto to the forest.This time, he watched more carefully and quickly figured out the trick, gaining a lot."So that's how you release Chakra... So you have to strike this pose..."Sasuke suddenly realized, and was about to punch the tree beside him, but stopped just as his fist was about to make contact.His hands hadn't reduced swelling yet, and he was too close to Naruto; making noise would easily alert him.I need to change places to practice something else.Thinking this, Sasuke quietly left and came to the other side of the forest to practice tree-climbing.Bang! Bang! Bang!After falling who knows how many times, Sasukefinally succeeded.He walked up and down the tree as if it were flat ground.A smug smile couldn't help but appear on his face, but it quickly faded."I'm still far behind that guy..."Without wasting time resting, Sasuke came to the nearby river to practice water-walking.Water-walking is different from tree-climbing.Tree-climbing involves gathering Chakra at the soles of your feet, like a suction cup, to firmly adhere your body to the tree.But water-walking involves gathering Chakra at the soles of your feet and then gently releasing it to increase the pressure on the water surface, thereby managing to walk on the water as if flying.The training methods for the two are exactly opposite, but they have the same underlying principle.With the successful experience of tree-climbing, after failing a few times while practicing water-walking, Sasuke gradually got on the right track.Step by step, Sasuke carefully walked to the middle of the river."I succeeded! I succeeded!!!"
Chapter 37: Drowning"I did it!"Joy surged within his chest, and a happy smile appeared on his face.However, joy can turn to sorrow; his excessive excitement affected Sasuke's control over his Chakra.With a splash, he fell into the water.To make matters worse... due to exercising for too long and consuming too much energy, lactic acid accumulated in his muscles, and his foot cramped."Mmph... help... mmph..."Sasuke's arm reached out of the water, struggling to survive, while his body drifted downstream with the current."I think I heard... someone calling for help?"Naruto, who was engrossed in training on the tree, stopped his movements and looked around, but found nothing unusual."Is it my imagination?"Inside the Sealing Space, Kushina and Minato, who were busy flirting, noticed the situation outside and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Naruto? Are you tired and need to rest?""It's nothing, I can still keep going, but speaking of which... where is Sasuke nickname?"That's right, Naruto had long since discovered that Sasuke was tracking and spying on him.The other party thought he was hiding well, but in reality, his actions were full of holes in Naruto's eyes.Not to mention the powerful perception brought by the Nine-Tailed, even Naruto's own perception was enough to detect Sasuke's tracking.But after discovering him, Naruto didn't care.If he wants to watch, let him watch; one more doesn't matter, and one less doesn't matter either.Anyway, he had been used to being watched since he was a child."It's Sasuke, not Sasuke nickname. Why do you keep giving people random nicknames?"This was the nth time Kushina had corrected her son's way of addressing Sasuke.Naruto said solemnly, "Giving nicknames is a sign of a close relationship."Minato asked curiously, "Then, has Naruto given me and Kushina any nicknames?""Uh... about that..."The titles 'Red Hot Habanero' and 'Fastest Man in the Ninja World' flashed through Naruto's mind. He shook his head, but said firmly, "No! That would be too rude.""You know it's rude, yet you still give Sasuke a nickname."Kushina was speechless."It's not the same; the two cannot be mentioned in the same breath... Alright, you two stop talking, I'm going to start training."To avoid Kushina's nagging, Naruto immediately started training on the tree.Bang, bang, bang...A while later, Naruto stopped again, frowned, and listened intently."Did you... hear someone calling for help?"Limited by the Sealing Space, Minato and Kushina's actual perception abilities were not as good as Naruto's.They didn't hear anything, but both suggested that Naruto go and take a look quickly.It doesn't matter if he heard wrong, but if it's real, he should save them; it is, after all, a life...."Am I going to end here? It's laughable. I, who claimed I would kill Uchiha Itachi, am actually going to die in such a way..."Cold water surged into his body from all directions, flowing into his mouth, nose, and throat, bringing a chilling sense of suffocation.Sasuke's vision became increasingly blurred, and his body had already turned stiff and cold."Dad, Mom, I'm coming to find you..."He just let himself sink quietly and motionless, gradually immersing into the deeper darkness."Found him, he's here."A voice of surprise rang out, piercing through the endless darkness and bringing Sasuke toward the light.On the riverbank.Sasuke lay unconscious on the grass, and Narutocrouched beside him, pressing on his bloated stomach as river water continuously flowed out of Sasuke's mouth.After a while, Sasuke's stomach was not as bloated, but he still hadn't woken up.Kushina reminded him, "Naruto, you need to perform CPR. I'll teach you...""No!"Naruto refused outright. His first kiss was meant for his future wife; how could he give it to Sasuke?Minato lectured, "Don't be willful, Naruto. A so-called Ninja is someone who can endure everything...""Sorry, but I can't endure anything."Why do I work so hard to train? It's not so that I have to endure everything in the end, but so that I don't have to endure anything.Only then will it be worth coming to the Ninja World.Naruto walked to a nearby tree, knocked on it, and looked up, saying, "Come down and save him.""You could detect me?"The Anbu jumped down from the branch, looking at Naruto with a grave expression."With your clumsy hiding technique, is it strange that I found you?""You...""Stop wasting time, hurry up and save him. You should know how to perform CPR, right..."Naruto waved his hand, signaling the Anbu to hurry up.The Anbu glanced at Sasuke and refused, "Saving people is not my mission."His mission was only to protect and monitor the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."What about your Will of Fire?"Naruto frowned and said, "Where the leaves dance, the fire burns, the light of the fire will continue to illuminate the Village, and allow new leaves to sprout... You shouldn't have forgotten the words of Hokage-sama, right? Now a young sprout is in mortal danger, and you are actually indifferent... To be honest, I now doubt your loyalty to Konoha."This accusation... not only could the Anbu not stand it, but even Kushina and Minato couldn't stand it.For the first time, the couple discovered that their son had such a sharp tongue; he was making the Anbu so angry he wanted to kill.The Anbu clenched his fists, his body trembling with anger, and shouted, "What do you know, you brat! When I was risking my life for Konoha...""Cough, cough... I didn't die?"Naruto looked back and saw Sasuke sitting up with a dazed expression, so he waved his hand at the Anbu."Go down, there's nothing for you to do now."After speaking, he ignored the Anbu and came to Sasuke, asking, "How do you feel?""A bit uncomfortable... cough, cough, did you save me? Thank you, I owe you my life now."Sasuke coughed up some river water, stood up, and thanked Naruto earnestly.Naruto accepted it calmly, then asked curiously, "How did you end up drowning?"If he hadn't arrived in time, this generation's Indrawould have drowned, and at that point, all of Uchiha Itachi's plans would have become a joke.To protect his younger brother?If his brother is gone, how can he protect him? Uchiha Itachi might go crazy, and finally decide to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi to create a world with his brother...Sasuke hesitated for a few seconds, then explained.After finishing, he turned his face away and said, "If you want to laugh, go ahead. It was my own stupidity that led to this, and ending up drowning was just deserts.""Can I really laugh?" Naruto seemed to be suppressing his laughter.Sasuke agreed indifferently, though inside he was very disappointed; so Little Blondie was only like this..."I'm going to laugh?""Go ahead and laugh.""I'm really going to laugh?""Stop asking, just laugh already.""I'm really, really going to laugh?""Are you annoying or what? If you want to laugh, just laugh; why do you keep asking me?"Sasuke turned his head abruptly, looking like he was about to hit someone, but saw that Naruto's expression was solemn, without the slightest hint of laughter.
Chapter 38: Why!"What do you mean by that?""I feel that anyone who puts effort into anything shouldn't be mocked, so..."Naruto asked seriously, "What's so funny about this? You've been making me laugh."Isn't it you who keeps wanting to laugh?How did it become that I want to make you laugh?"How boring."Sasuke snorted coldly, not wanting to pay any more attention to the Little Blondie, and stepped away to leave.Naruto reached out to stop him, "Wait, are you just going to leave like this... Let's put the life-saving grace aside for a moment, but what about you spying on my training?""Then what do you want?""Then what do you have?"Sasuke thought seriously, then shook his head, "I have nothing to give you. The most valuable thing I have is my life, but I cannot give you my life for now. I must kill that man... If I am still alive after killing that man, my life can be yours."Inside the Sealing Space, Minato heard this and looked stunned, "That man... does he mean Itachi?""They are brothers, yet they have come to this point..."Kushina felt sorrow for Mikoto.Outside, Naruto was almost laughed in anger upon hearing Sasuke's words.Although I don't really want your repayment, is it okay for you to act like a rascal so openly?Sasuke also felt it wasn't right, but what other choice did he have?He stiffened his neck and didn't speak. Anyway, that was the price. Take it or leave it.People who have no shame are invincible. Narutofelt helpless and sighed, "You win. I don't want your life, but I have one condition. You will be my sparring partner. How about it, do you agree?""Be a sparring partner?"After careful consideration, Sasuke felt that being a sparring partner would be very beneficial to him and could improve his strength.Rather than a condition, it was more like a reward."Why are you looking for me?" Sasuke looked vigilant. Pies don't fall from the sky unless there is a bigger scheme.Naruto said matter-of-factly, "Because I need a sandbag with enough weight. Although you are very weak, you are the most substantial sandbag below me."Sasuke felt deeply humiliated, but he let go of his worries and said coldly, "I agree."The two chatted for a while and agreed on the training time.Just as they were about to part ways and go home to change, Naruto's expression changed slightly, and he said to Sasuke, "You leave first, I have an urgent matter."After speaking, Naruto sat cross-legged on the spot, and his mind entered the Sealing Space.The next second, Shadow appeared.Naruto asked with concern, "You were in such a hurry to contact me, did something happen?"Shadow shook her head, "It's not me who's in trouble, it's someone else..."Two minutes later, Naruto opened his eyes, and Sasuke's figure came into view."Why haven't you left yet?"Seeing Naruto's look of disgust, Sasuke gritted his teeth and said, "What urgent matter do you have? I'll help you."The debt of saving his life was too heavy; he wanted to repay as much as he could."You leaving immediately is the best help you can give me."Sasuke ignored him; he was determined to help with this matter today."Tsk, forget it. Later, whatever you see, don't say anything. Pretend you didn't see it. Keep it a secret for me. If you don't keep it a secret, then I'll beat you until you do."After speaking, Naruto walked to the nearby trees, knocking and hitting, forcing out six Anbu Ninjas.The Anbu said impatiently, "Kid, what exactly do you want to do?""Nothing much, I just want to ask you all to look into my eyes."While speaking, Naruto opened his Rinnegan and cast a genjutsu he had obtained from Uchiha Izumi's head, hypnotizing the six of them in an instant."Continue with your mission."Having dismissed the Anbu, Naruto reached out in the one o'clock direction and cast Bansho Tenin.The next moment, a White Zetsu was pulled out of the ground, flying into his hand with a confused look."You've been monitoring me for two months and still aren't satisfied? Since that's the case, then you won't be leaving.""Who exactly are you..."Snap!— Asura Path · Mechanical Armor!The mechanical arm snapped the White Zetsu's neck, the White Zetsu's head tilted to the side, and it died.Sasuke walked over, feeling a chill on his neck at the sight. The questions he wanted to ask were swallowed back down his throat, and he made up his mind never to tell anyone about what he saw today.Glancing at Sasuke, Naruto ignored him and proceeded to cast Kamimusubi and Ukanomitama, resurrecting the White Zetsu."Continue your mission."The White Zetsu obeyed, its body sinking and disappearing into the ground.Subsequently, Naruto cast the Shadow Clonetechnique and said to the Shadow Clone, "Just in case, you stay here to deal with the Third's inspections and..."He turned his head to look at Sasuke.Sasuke felt insulted, his face turning red, "I won't tell anyone, even if I die!""That would be best."After thinking for a few seconds, Narutotransformed into his golden form.Shortly after, he was summoned away and disappeared from the spot.Let us turn back the clock to five minutes ago.— Land of Earth —In a wilderness with towering rocks, Shadow, wearing a purple kimono, was strolling through when she suddenly heard the sound of weapons clashing in the distance."Another meaningless dispute between Ninjas? Extremely boring..."Shadow had no intention of investigating that unknown fight; she slightly increased her speed and continued on.Since parting with Naruto more than two months ago, Shadow had encountered too many bloody incidents.On average, one every few days, sometimes even several a day.Seeing Shadow and getting ideas, killing people to relieve stress when in a bad mood, silencing witnesses while on missions, first-encounter kills by enemy Ninja...In short, all sorts of messy reasons, eventually turning into ubiquitous fighting, which was truly annoying.Compared to this, the Teyvat continent in Shadow's memory could almost be called a paradise.Although there were disputes, it was generally peaceful, and conflicts between people were not as frequent as in this Ninja World."It's me, Director!! It's me, Kabuto!! Don't you recognize me? It's me, Kabuto!!"A miserable, despair-filled cry came, and Shadow paused, her brows slightly furrowed.Kabuto?She had heard this name before. Naruto had marked the big villains she needed to be careful of, and Kabuto was one of them."Is it him?"A flash of killing intent crossed Shadow's beautiful eyes.A warrior should move forward with determination; compared to needing to be careful of big villains all the time, cutting them down with one strike was more in line with her personality...."You... who are you...?"The blond female Ninja lay on the ground, a large hole in her waist, blood flowing uncontrollably.Critically injured and dying, beyond saving.She coughed up blood, looking with confusion at the white-haired youth who was helping her heal.Do we... know each other? Aren't we enemies? But why are you helping me heal?The white-haired youth remained motionless, kneeling on the ground, already plunged into despair."Why does the Director have no impression of me at all! Why is this happening?""If I don't even exist in the Director's memory?! Then what am I?!"
Chapter 39: Are You the Master?"Why is this happening?""If I don't even exist in the Director's memories?! Then what am I even now?!""What have I received from the Director... My name was given to me by the Director, it was the Director's doing that I was adopted by the orphanage, and even these glasses I wear now are hers...""So... who... who am I...?"Tap! Tap! Tap! Footsteps rang out.Ying stepped forward, holding a samurai katana, and placed it against the white-haired youth's neck, saying indifferently: "Are you Kabuto?"If you are, make a sound, because I'm going to kill you.Kabuto raised his head, his expression dazed, and muttered: "Kabuto? Is that me? If it is me, then why doesn't the Director recognize me...? Then who am I? What is the real me? I seem to... be unable to see the real me anymore...""Stop the nonsense, just answer yes or no."Ying was slightly displeased and applied a little pressure to her hand, the blade slicing through skin and leaving a cut on Kabuto's neck."...Who? Who am I, really? My lady, do you know who I am? Can you tell me..."Watching Kabuto, who was acting like a madman, Ying lowered her blade.She disdained to kill someone with no power to resist."What is the deal with that woman? Why won't she leave..."Orochimaru, hiding in the shadows, watched Ying sit cross-legged on the spot, his mood very poor.He had been eyeing Kabuto for several years, always wanting to take this promising youth as a subordinate.After Danzo's series of chaotic maneuvers, he was on the verge of success, just waiting for him to step out and swindle... oh no, step out and enlighten Kabuto, at which point he could take Kabuto under his wing.That woman, dressed in finery, with stunning beauty and a cold, elegant temperament, had appeared!She looked like a noble lady, yet Orochimaru's years of experience in battle and his honed intuition told him otherwise.Danger!!Extreme danger!!!That feeling... Orochimaru had only ever felt it from Pain before.Naturally, Orochimaru became interested in Ying.However, having learned from experience, he didn't rush to act, only secretly memorizing Ying's appearance to investigate later.Right now, the most important thing was to take Kabuto as a subordinate.So..."Why on earth won't that woman leave?"Orochimaru was secretly anxious.Time was limited; if he didn't act while Kabuto's mind was shattered, it wouldn't be easy to completely win him over later.Ending her connection with Naruto, Ying stood up, looked at Kabuto lying on the ground, motionless like a corpse, and said indifferently: "I have a way to resurrect your foster mother."Kabuto didn't react, because what plunged him into despair wasn't the Director's death, but that the Director didn't remember him.If even the Director had forgotten him, what meaning did his life have left?Ying didn't continue to persuade him; it wasn't her nature to persuade people, and saying one sentence was already quite enough. She would leave the rest to Naruto to handle.Two minutes later, as agreed, Ying performed the Reverse Summoning Jutsu.The next second, an arrogant voice rang out."Are you the damn master of this lord?"The golden-flashing one, wearing a large gold chain around his neck, made his entrance.Inside the Sealing Space, Kushina and Minato were stunned.Damn? This lord? This foul-mouthed person was their son?The couple couldn't accept it."Naruto!!! What are you doing?!"Kushina roared, making Naruto's head ache."Mom, I'm just establishing a persona here, can you not...""No!!!""Then don't blame me for taking drastic measures. Kurama, help me block them out.""No problem, Naruto."Soon, his parents' voices disappeared.Naruto sighed inwardly.Sure enough, a normal family didn't just have warmth; it was also accompanied by arguments.He could already foresee that he would have to call Kushina "Mom" nicely tonight to coax her back."Are you the damn master of this lord?"Naruto repeated the line to the stunned Ying.Ying snapped out of it, thinking that Narutoactually liked this style; he really was a pervert.She said with a solemn expression: "That's right, I am your master.""???"Naruto tilted his head: "You want to be my master?"Ying sensed something was wrong and probed: "Isn't this what you voluntarily acknowledged?"Master, in English, means owner or employer.So, to a certain extent, Ying wasn't wrong.Naruto looked at Ying and was silent for a moment: "I acknowledge you, and you accept it?"Ying felt a bit aggrieved: "Isn't this the style you like?"You like it, so I cooperated; how can you blame me?Naruto fell silent again. He really couldn't understand why he had become a masochist in Ying's eyes."My lady, do you really have a way to resurrect the Director?"Kabuto's arrival broke the silence.He crawled up, cradled Yakushi Nonou's corpse, knelt before Ying, and pleaded for help to resurrect the Director.Kabuto wanted to ask the Director in person why she had forgotten him, and then commit suicide to leave this world full of despair."I cannot resurrect, but the one who can is him."Ying pointed at Naruto, indicating he was the main person in charge."My lady, please save the Director; I am willing to pay any price."Kabuto kowtowed heavily toward Naruto, leaving a pool of blood on the ground."I've been waiting for those words..." Narutolaughed arrogantly, his words filled with disdain: "This king possesses the world; what treasure is there that my treasury lacks... Kid, tell me, what do you have that could move me to act?"Kabuto prostrated himself: "King, all I can give you is my life."King? What the hell? What is this kid rambling about... but it doesn't matter, as long as the goal is achieved."Your life is very cheap; it is not worth this king's collection."Kabuto's expression immediately turned dull and lifeless."But, considering your sincere devotion to saving your foster mother, I... this king will accept your life.""Who exactly is that man? Why is he yet another powerful individual I've never heard of? Does he really have the ability to resurrect the dead? And is he here for Kabuto as well..."Orochimaru, hiding in the shadows and having been cut off, had a grim expression, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts.The Rinnegan possesses two resurrection abilities.One type can resurrect directly, ignoring any conditions — Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Jutsu.The other type is — Naraka Path: King of Hell Resurrection.However, this technique requires conditions such as the deceased having died recently, the soul not yet having entered the Pure Land, and both the body and soul being present, in order to resurrect the deceased.And Yakushi Nonou perfectly met the aforementioned conditions.Having died only a few minutes ago, her soul detached from her body and was gradually drifting upward."So... that child was Kabuto..."Looking at the white-haired youth kneeling on the ground, Yakushi Nonou finally recognized his identity, and her eyes couldn't help but be filled with regret.