Chapter 29: Ino's Sealing JutsuThe bedroom door clicked shut.Suddenly, Ino poked half her head through the gap in the door, her blonde ponytail swaying, and she deliberately put on a stern face: "Naruto-kun, you are not allowed to peek!""Alright, alright, I promise not to look." Narutosmiled and raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.The door closed completely.He turned and walked toward the living room cabinet, taking out the materials needed for the Sealing Jutsu.Faint rustling sounds came from the bedroom, along with Ino's hushed exclamation: "Hinata, your skin is so fair—oops, don't hide!"Immediately following was Hinata's protest, as soft as a mosquito's buzzing: "Ino, Ino, don't touch me there..."Naruto shook his head with a smile and spread the materials out on the table.About five or six minutes passed."Knock, knock."Naruto knocked on the door, his voice cheerful: "The materials for the Sealing Jutsu are ready."The door opened a crack.Hinata leaned out, her face as red as a ripe peach, her eyes not daring to look at him at all; she simply lowered her head and made way.When Naruto walked in with the Sealing Jutsumaterials, Ino was already lying on the bed, wrapped tightly in a quilt, revealing only the back of her head."Ino?" Naruto placed the tray on the bedside table.A muffled "Mm" came from inside the quilt.The little blonde head moved, revealing a pair of eyes, her eyelashes fluttering.Ino stared at the ceiling for two seconds before whispering: "...Just exposing my back is enough, right?""Yes," Naruto said softly, "it might be a little ticklish, so don't move around."Ino bit her lip and nodded.The quilt slid down a bit, revealing the young girl's smooth back.Naruto composed his expression, dipped his fingertips in the special ink, and light blue Chakragathered at his fingertips as he began to slowly draw the Sealing Jutsu formation.The room was very quiet.Hinata stood by the bed, her fingers unconsciously tugging at the corner of her clothes.She looked at Naruto's focused profile, then at Ino's slightly reddened ears, and her mind uncontrollably recalled yesterday—how she had also been lying on the bed like this, her back able to feel the slight coolness of Naruto's fingers as they moved, along with Naruto-kun's warm breath...Her face turned even redder."Hinata," Ino suddenly turned her face from the pillow, her eyes curving into crescents, "was it like this for you yesterday too—""Eh?!" Hinata was startled and hurriedly waved her hands, "N-no! It was just a little... a little ticklish...""Liar." Ino turned her face and winked at her, "I saw you tapping your index fingers together again just now; you must be reminiscing, right?"Hinata couldn't say a word, curling up like a steamed shrimp.Naruto's fingers paused, and the corners of his mouth curled up: "Ino, if you keep teasing Hinata, I might just draw this a little crooked on purpose.""Woo—Naruto-kun is a bully!"Ino immediately behaved, burying her face in the pillow; her ears were red enough to drip blood, and her previous pretense of boldness instantly crumbled.Even though Ino herself was terribly shy, she insisted on teasing the one who was even shyer, as if doing so could alleviate some of her own embarrassment.On the second drawing, Naruto was more skilled; the light blue Chakra lines meandered across Ino's back like some living vine, gradually outlining the complete pattern.Hinata watched from the side, mesmerized, forgetting even her shyness.When the final stroke was placed, the entire Sealing Jutsu formation glowed faintly."It's done," Naruto asked, "how does it feel?"Ino lay on the bed without moving, and after a few seconds, she whispered: "...It feels warm."She tried moving her shoulders, and her eyes suddenly widened: "Eh? The Chakra flow has sped up!"She excitedly rolled over and sat up, hurriedly pulling her clothes into place, then jumped off the bed with a flushed face and hugged Hinata: "Hinata, Hinata! Were you this happy yesterday too?""I, I..." Hinata was dizzy from being shaken by her, and in the end, she could only softly admit, "...Mm."The two young girls looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh."This is the effect of the Speed," Naruto said with a smile, "you might feel a bit unaccustomed for the next few days, so just get plenty of rest."She looked at Naruto, then at the still-blushing Hinata, and suddenly burst into laughter."You two—" She reached out, grabbing Naruto's arm with one hand and Hinata's hand with the other, "You both have to be responsible for me from now on!"Naruto smiled and ruffled her hair: "No problem, I'll be responsible to the end."Hinata gave a soft "Mm" and quietly squeezed Ino's hand back.The three children laughed and played in the bedroom for a while longer before tidying their clothes and walking out.Ino hopped and skipped to the living room, plopped down on the cushion, and complained that she was hungry.Hinata followed behind her; the blush on her face hadn't completely faded, but her smile was clearly much more natural.Dinner was simple—miso soup, grilled fish, and rice.Naruto was in charge of grilling the fish, Hinatahelped serve the rice, and Ino waited on the side holding her bowl, muttering, "I want the most tender piece."Under the warm orange light, the scene of the three little heads huddled together eating was as warm and cozy as a painting.After eating, Ino went to wash the dishes, Hinatawiped the table, and Naruto cleaned up the kitchen.By the time everything was tidied up, the sky outside was completely dark.Ino leaned against the window to look out, then turned around and said: "I have to go back now, if I don't go home, Mom will nag me.""I'll see you off." Naruto stood up."No need, no need!" Ino and Hinata spoke almost simultaneously.The two young girls looked at each other and both laughed.Ino waved her hand: "Naruto-kun has already worked hard enough today; Hinata and I can just walk together."Hinata also nodded, her voice gentle: "Mm... Naruto-kun, get some good rest."Naruto blinked, didn't insist further, and just opened his arms.The two young girls looked at each other, then simultaneously leaned in and were pulled into his embrace; Naruto gently kissed each of their heads, the action as natural as if he had done it countless times."Then be careful on the way.""Mm!" The two responded with blushing faces and ran into the night hand in hand.Naruto stood at the doorway, watching their backs disappear around the street corner before turning to close the door.Just as he was about to tidy up and go to sleep, his body suddenly froze.The sensory Sealing Jutsu within the Flying Thunder God Kunai he had left for Karin and her mother had been triggered.He created a Shadow Clone, and the two looked at each other; the clone tacitly turned and walked into the bedroom, skillfully crawling into the bed.Meanwhile, Naruto's original body had already vanished from the living room.Land of Waves, near the seaside cottage.Kana leaned against a large tree, breathing heavily, with two bleeding wounds on her arm and shoulder.Her silver hair was scattered messily in the moonlight, with a few strands stuck to her pale cheeks by sweat.In front of her, three raggedly dressed rogue Ninjas were grinning and slowly closing in."Mom!" Karin's crying voice came from behind her to the side; the little girl was being held hostage by one of the rogue Ninjas with a Kunai."Looks like I made it in time."
Chapter 30: Harbor"Swish—"The rogue Ninja holding Karin hadn't even reacted when a crisp "crack" sound came from his neck.Naruto let go, allowing the body to slump down limply, while his other hand had already scooped the stunned Karin into his arms."Mom—eh?"Karin's cries got stuck in her throat.She only felt a loosening around her waist; that rough force had vanished, and in the next second, she was being held firmly by a pair of hands."It's okay now," Naruto's voice sounded by her ear.He formed a hand seal with his left hand.Three Shadow Clones appeared with a "poof," blocking the other three rogue Ninjas trying to escape."Crack."The sound of bones breaking was exceptionally crisp in the night.The Shadow Clones dragged the three rogue Ninjas, whose limbs had been broken, back to the clearing and tossed them into a pile like trash."Come now, tell me—""—who sent you here?"Naruto activated his Sharingan to put the three rogue Ninjas under a genjutsu hypnosis.One of the rogue Ninjas' lips began to tremble uncontrollably: "I... am a Chunin from the Village Hidden in the Grass...""After the Village Hidden in the Grass was destroyed... I was afraid that mysterious powerhouse would come back... so I ran...""I heard that woman shout 'Karin' at the market... although her hair color had changed... the voice and the name... couldn't be wrong...""We wanted... to capture them to use as medical kits..."A few seconds later, Naruto deactivated his Sharingan and walked toward Kana while holding Karin.Kana was still leaning against the tree, gasping for breath, her silver hair stuck to her face with blood and sweat. It wasn't until Naruto walked up to her that she finally relaxed, as if her bones had been removed, and she slid down the tree to the ground."I..." She opened her mouth, her voice extremely hoarse.Naruto gently set Karin on the ground. As soon as the little girl's feet touched the ground, she let out a "waah" and threw herself into Kana's arms, crying until her shoulders were heaving.Kana instinctively hugged her daughter tighter, while her other hand reached out, as if wanting to touch Naruto to confirm if this was an illusion.Naruto crouched down and gently wrapped his hand around Kana's shoulder.Kana's body stiffened for a few seconds, and then her whole body relaxed.She buried her face into Naruto's neck, her arms wrapping around his back, holding on tighter and tighter.Karin's crying gradually quieted, turning into soft sobs."If I hadn't shouted Karin's name loudly at the market, that Ninja from the Village Hidden in the Grass wouldn't have...""It's my fault! The market was so lively, I saw someone performing acrobatics and went over to watch... and got separated from Mom..."Karin suddenly raised her head, her crying-reddened eyes swollen like peaches.Seeing that she was about to start crying again, Naruto gently patted her back."Alright, alright, it's all in the past now. Isn't everyone fine now?"Kana looked up at him, her eyes still brimming with moisture under the moonlight.Naruto winked at her and said softly, "Let's go, let's go back and treat your wounds first."He stood up, holding Karin in one arm and helping Kana up with the other.In the next second, the three of them appeared in the cabin's living room. An oil lamp was burning dimly, its halo casting the shadows of the three onto the wall.Karin was gripping Naruto's hand tightly, refusing to let go.The little girl looked up, her voice tinged with a crying tone again: "Naruto-kun... can you not leave tonight?""Karin! Don't be willful..." Kana scolded softly, but her hand had involuntarily gripped the corner of Naruto's clothes tightly.Those eyes flickered in the dim light—hope, unease, and a tiny bit of reliance that even she hadn't noticed...Naruto tilted his head, his smile appearing exceptionally warm in the lamplight: "Alright, I left a Shadow Clone in Konoha, no one will notice I'm gone."Karin immediately broke into a smile through her tears and jumped up to hug his neck.Kana's lips moved, but in the end, she just gave a soft "Mn" and turned to get the medical kit.Her fingers were still trembling as she treated her own wounds. Naruto walked over, took the gauze, and helped her treat them.The ointment felt cool when applied. Kana looked at his focused profile and suddenly felt a bit dazed.That night, the three of them squeezed onto one bed.Naruto was sandwiched in the middle. Karin was clinging to him like an octopus with both hands and feet, while Kana lay on her side on his other side, holding him gently.Their body heat seeped through his clothes, and their breathing gradually steadied.When he woke up the next morning, Naruto found that Kana was using his arm as a pillow.And the softness at his right hand... made him subconsciously squeeze it.Kana's body obviously stiffened for a moment, but her breathing kept the rhythm of sleep, her eyelashes trembling gently in the morning light.A flash of embarrassment crossed Naruto's face, and he gently pulled his arm out.Just as he sat up, Karin groggily snuggled toward him, her little hand grabbing at the air, finally clutching the corner of his clothes. Naruto smiled, ruffled her hair, and got out of bed lightly.When slight noises came from the kitchen, Kanaopened her eyes.She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, her cheeks belatedly flushing red. By the time she composed herself and walked into the kitchen, Naruto was already making breakfast.Looking at Naruto, who was already almost as tall as her, Kana felt a bit dazed."Let me do it, you go rest for a while," Kana said softly, taking the spatula from Naruto's hand."Okay." Naruto didn't refuse; he stepped aside and leaned against the doorframe, watching her cook.About ten minutes later, the bedroom door opened with a "bang."Karin walked out rubbing her eyes. Seeing the two in the kitchen, she immediately rushed toward Naruto and hung onto his back: "Naruto!""Morning." Naruto swayed from the impact, smiling as he ruffled her hair."Stop messing around," Kana turned back and scolded softly, though the corners of her mouth were curved up, "Go wash your face.""Got it—" Karin replied with a drawn-out tone, then skipped off to wash up.While eating, Naruto picked up food for Karin and said, "Later, I'm going to find that merchant named Gato in the Land of Waves."Kana looked up."I'll use genjutsu to hypnotize him so that if any strange Ninjas enter the Land of Waves in the future, he'll notify me."Naruto took a sip of porridge."I've strengthened the sensory barrier around the cabin," Naruto put down his chopsticks, "Next time you detect strange Chakra approaching, immediately trigger the seal inside the Flying Thunder God Kunai. Do not hesitate."His tone was relatively gentle when he said this, but Kana could hear the unquestionable nature within it.After finishing breakfast, Naruto stood at the cabin door and waved.Karin rushed over to hug him again. Kana stood behind her, her fingers gently gripping the corner of her clothes. Naruto smiled, stepped forward, and hugged her gently.Immediately after, he used the Flying Thunder Godto return to his bedroom in the Konoha apartment.
Chapter 31: The Mastermind Behind the Land of Waves and the Third Hokage's ProbeWhen Naruto returned to his bedroom, his Shadow Clone was wrapped in the blanket, pretending to sleep.With a soft "pop" sound, the clone dissipated.Naruto rubbed his temples and activated his full sensory perception, sweeping across the area surrounding the apartment.The Anbu didn't detect anything unusual; they probably thought it was normal for a child to sleep in.Naruto smiled and formed hand seals."Pop!"A new Shadow Clone appeared by the bed, skillfully burrowing under the covers, and even deliberately kicked the blanket into a mess.His original body had already transformed into the appearance of a middle-aged man with black hair, a few wrinkles on his face, and a steady gaze.Flying Thunder God activated.Land of Waves, Gato's mansion.At this point in time, Gato wasn't as arrogant as he would become later; the house was just an ordinary two-story building, and there wasn't even a decent guard at the entrance.Naruto appeared directly in the bedroom.Gato was dozing off on his desk, the oil lamp was still lit, and an account book was spread open halfway."Who..."The moment Gato woke up in a start, a Mangekyo Sharingan had already unfolded before his eyes."You..."Gato's pupils instantly dilated.Naruto pulled over a chair and sat down, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the tabletop:"From now on, record and report any strange Ninjaentering the Land of Waves immediately." Naruto's voice was very flat. "Also... don't exploit them too harshly; causing a civil uprising will easily attract the attention of other Ninja villages."Gato nodded mechanically: "Yes."Naruto walked to the vase by the window, his fingertips condensing Chakra to draw a miniature Sealing Jutsu formula on the bottom of the vase."If you discover that the situation is wrong, smash it.""Understood.""Information on your competitors." Naruto sat back down in the chair.Gato woodenly recited two names and addresses.Ten minutes later, Naruto returned to the study. He waved at Gato, who was still in a daze: "Go and take over; be low-key."Gato responded with hollow eyes: "Yes."Flying Thunder God activated again...In the Konoha apartment living room, Narutospread several scrolls of basic Sealing Jutsu on the low table.The tip of his pen sketched a few simple formula structure diagrams on the paper—Tenten had good talent for Ninja tool manipulation; learning Sealing Jutsu shouldn't be too difficult for her. He also had to prepare some suitable content for Hinata and Ino...His hands were writing, but his mind was on another matter.Uchiha Shisui...After reminding him last time to be careful of the Konoha high-ups, would that guy still choose to trust them...Given Shisui's personality, he would most likely still try to communicate.Heh, naivety is sometimes truly a terminal illness."Knock, knock, knock."A knock on the door suddenly rang out."Coming!"Naruto's pen tip paused, and his face instantly switched to an innocent smile.The door opened, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was standing outside, still wearing his Hokage robe, carrying a bag of fruit in his hand."Grandpa Third!" Naruto's eyes lit up, "Why are you here?""I was passing by and decided to check on you." Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in with a smile and placed the fruit on the table, "How have you been lately? I heard you've been getting along well with Hinata and Ino?""Yeah!" Naruto nodded vigorously, "Tenten also recently agreed to study some basic Sealing Jutsuknowledge with me."He ran to the kitchen to pour tea, his movements as lively as a little squirrel.Hiruzen Sarutobi took the teacup and took a sip, his smile gentle: "How is your Rasengan training going?""Ah... that..." Naruto scratched his head, his expression a bit embarrassed, "I can form the Chakra sphere, but I can't maintain it for long..."He extended his palm, and light blue Chakra began to condense.The sphere slowly took shape in his palm, the flow of Chakra on the surface was very unstable, and every now and then it would "poof" and leak a bit of energy.When Naruto was out on dates with Hinata and the others, his Shadow Clone was actually "practicing" frantically at the training ground."That's already quite good." Hiruzen Sarutobinodded with satisfaction, "The next step is to practice more; once you are proficient, you will naturally be able to stabilize it."He put down the teacup and changed the subject: "By the way... how is your Adamantine Sealing Chains training coming along?""I've been practicing it all along," Narutoimmediately stood up, "I'll show you!"Three pale golden chains shot out from his back, swung in a circle in the air with a "clatter," and then obediently dropped onto the floor.Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes slightly.This control... it has improved quite a bit compared to a few years ago."Very good." He smiled and patted Naruto's shoulder, "You haven't neglected your training."Naruto retracted the chains and sat back down in the chair, holding the teacup with both hands and taking small sips of water.From the Third's perspective, he was just a well-behaved, sensible, and hardworking good child.But Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly didn't come just to check his homework today.He was silent for a few seconds, his tone becoming somewhat cautious: "Naruto... have you seen the monster inside you?"Naruto's movements paused.He lifted his head, his expression somewhat troubled: "I can vaguely see the shape of a red fox... It seems I can borrow a portion of its power...""But that power is too evil." He added in a low voice, "I don't dare to try it.""Give it a try." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was very gentle, "With me here, nothing will go wrong."Naruto bit his lip and hesitated for a few seconds, then finally nodded and closed his eyes.In the Sealing Space, Kurama was lying down, yawning."The old man is probing again?""Play along," Naruto replied in his mind, "Three-Tails worth is enough.""Tsk, troublesome."In the outside world, a dark red Chakra cloak suddenly surged over Naruto's body!A violent aura instantly filled the entire room, and the cup on the tea table cracked with a "snap."Three Chakra tails swayed slowly behind him, each one exuding a heart-palpitating pressure.Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils constricted slightly.Three-Tails state... and he can still maintain consciousness?!Naruto quickly revealed a strained expression, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead: "Th-Third Grandpa... I can't do any more... any more and I feel like I'll lose consciousness...""Put it away," Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice.The red Chakra slowly faded away.Naruto panted heavily and slumped into the chair—of course, it was an act; with his current level of rapport with Kurama, Three-Tails? Heh, even nine tails would be fine.Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the sweating little guy in front of him, calculating rapidly in his heart: To be able to maintain consciousness in the Three-Tails state... at this rate, he might really become a perfect Jinchuriki in the future."Don't rush." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice became gentle again, "Although the Nine-Tailed's power is evil, if it is used to protect companions, then this power is righteous."He reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair: "Don't blindly reject it.""I understand." Naruto nodded obediently, his eyes sparkling, "I want to use this power to protect Grandpa Third, as well as Hinata, Ino, and Tenten!"Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction, chatted a bit more about daily life, and then stood up: "Alright, Grandpa has official business to attend to, I'll head back first.""Aren't you staying for dinner?" Naruto followed suit and stood up, his expression a bit disappointed, "I can make miso soup...""Next time." Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, and when he walked to the door, he turned back to look once more, "Train well, but also remember to rest.""Yeah!"After the door closed, the smile on Naruto's face instantly faded...
Chapter 32: Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Uchiha BoyNaruto tapped his fingers lightly on the desktop. The Third Hokage had indeed left in a hurry today; he had only mentioned his usual "take care of yourself" once. It seemed that the hint he had previously given Uchiha Shisui was already taking effect, as the Uchiha clan's recent movements had indeed become much more significant.He stood up and walked to the window, watching the sporadic pedestrians walking on the street outside.His eyes narrowed slightly.His lurking Shadow Clone had recently discovered that Uchiha Shisui often lingered at the place where they last met. Should he meet him again?Naruto stared out the window for a few seconds, then shook his head gently.Not yet... You never know the pain until the blade cuts your own body. Only by letting him become completely disappointed with the higher-ups can one truly win him over.An afternoon a few days later, sunlight streamed through the window into the living room."Therefore, the essence of Sealing Jutsu is 'restraint' and 'transformation'—"Naruto sat cross-legged opposite the low table, holding a pen and drawing circles on the paper."It's like putting Chakra into bottles of different shapes.""When Chakra is arranged according to specific patterns, it can create different effects."The three girls sat in a row opposite him.Hyuga Hinata sat upright with her hands on her knees; Ino Yamanaka rested her chin on her hand, her eyes glancing at Naruto from time to time; Tenten leaned in very close, almost touching the paper."Then what does this symbol mean?" Tentenpointed to a complex pattern on the paper."This is a 'reflux' structure." Naruto naturally leaned towards her, his finger pointing at the paper, "Look at these three lines here—"His arm was almost touching Tenten's shoulder.Tenten's body stiffened for a moment, and the tips of her ears turned red at a visible speed."Uh... yeah..." She responded vaguely, her eyes fixed on the paper but not taking anything in.Ino Yamanaka "tsked" from the side.The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough for everyone to hear.Hyuga Hinata quietly tugged on Ino Yamanaka's sleeve. Ino Yamanaka curled her lips and turned her face away—but her eyes still slanted over to peek in that direction.The blonde little girl had specially styled her hair today—her pigtails tied with light green ribbons—but Naruto hadn't noticed since she walked in.She deliberately placed her teacup heavily on the table: "Naruto! My tea is cold!""Hmm? Oh, oh, I'll change it for you right away."Naruto turned his head, smiled at her, and ran to the kitchen to pour hot water.Ino Yamanaka watched his back and then looked at Tenten, who was still brushing off her sleeves, her cheeks slightly puffed out.Hyuga Hinata sat quietly in the corner, flipping through the contents of a scroll, her white eyes focused on the sealing structure diagram. However, when she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, her ears would move unconsciously."Here."Naruto placed the freshly poured hot tea in front of Ino Yamanaka and casually ruffled her hair, "Your hair ribbon is very pretty today."Ino Yamanaka's face instantly turned red: "Id-idiot! Don't mess it up!"But the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, and she picked up the teacup to take a small sip, her previous little temper already having vanished into thin air.This was probably the best part about little kids; a little praise could make her forget all her unhappiness."Tenten," Naruto said, as if he hadn't noticed the atmosphere in the room at all, "give me your hand for a second.""Ah? Oh..."Tenten stretched out her hand in a daze.Naruto held her wrist—his movements were very light, but it was enough to make Tenten stiffen all over."Chakra is injected from here," he used the fingertip of his other hand to gently draw a circle on her palm, "and then follows this path—"Tenten's face was already as red as a boiled shrimp."Oh my, I—" Tenten stood up abruptly, her face flushed red, "I, I'm going to the restroom!"She rushed out of the room with her arms and legs moving in sync, the sound of the door closing shockingly loud.The room was silent for two seconds.Ino Yamanaka put down the pen in her hand and said gloomily: "Someone is teaching very earnestly~"Hyuga Hinata also raised her head to look at Naruto. Although she didn't speak, her white eyes clearly carried a hint of grievance. The two little girls staring at him from left and right looked just like two little animals waiting for an explanation.Naruto blinked and showed an innocent expression: "What's wrong?""You still ask what's wrong!" Ino Yamanaka puffed up her cheeks, "You were almost pressed against Tenten just now!""Because I had to correct her posture." Naruto said righteously, "And haven't Hyuga Hinata and InoYamanaka already learned this part?"He moved to sit between them, wrapping his arms around their shoulders, "I love teaching you guys the most~ How about I give you special one-on-one lessons next time?"Hyuga Hinata's face turned red instantly, and she lowered her head and whispered: "Okay..."Ino Yamanaka snorted and turned her face away, but didn't push his hand away: "That's more like it..."When Tenten returned, blushing and dawdling, the room had already returned to a relaxed atmosphere.Naruto kept some distance, using more hand gestures when explaining.Although Tenten still blushed occasionally, at least she didn't run away again.The three little girls gathered around the table, chattering and discussing, occasionally competing over who drew more accurately—although the way they competed was limited to pouting, glaring, and secretly stepping on each other's toes a little...When the setting sun slanted westward, the three girls packed up their things and prepared to leave.In the evening, after seeing the girls off, Narutoreturned to the room and spread a notebook on the table.The words were vaguely visible on the cover—Uchiha Clan Downfall Plan.He opened to a blank page, and the ink slowly spread from the tip of his pen:"Konoha discovered that Uchiha Shisui had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan..."The pen tip paused."...Danzo Shimura decided to kill Uchiha Shisui and seize the Mangekyo Sharingan,"Outside the window, the setting sun dyed the room a warm orange, and Naruto's profile appeared exceptionally calm in the light."The Uchiha hoped to ease relations with the higher-ups and once handed over a young child from the clan to Hiruzen Sarutobi, hoping he could become his apprentice... to ease the relationship between the Uchiha and the Village,""Hiruzen Sarutobi... used the Expansion Jutsu to attack... and used a Shadow Clone to transform into the child's father... disguising it as the child's father's doing."Heh heh, let's give these bumpkins in the Ninja World a taste of some unofficial history and gutter literature shock..."Hiruzen Sarutobi pretended to scold the child's father... and comforted the child...""...Hiruzen Sarutobi became the person the child trusted the most...""...Hiruzen Sarutobi's wife discovered this matter...""...The night of the Nine-Tailed incident... Hiruzen Sarutobi took the opportunity to kill his wife...""...The child from back then has grown up... and awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan...""Believing that the Uchiha is a sinful clan... slaughter the Uchiha..."By the time he finished the last stroke, it was completely dark outside.It was about time.A Shadow Clone disguised as Naruto was sleeping in the bedroom.The real body transformed into the appearance of a middle-aged man with black hair.Flying Thunder God, activate!In the capital of the Land of Fire, the lights in a certain residence were still on.The owner was a down-and-out scholar dozing at the table when he suddenly felt a blur before his eyes. When he opened them again, a spinning Mangekyo was reflected in his pupils."Copy this content." The voice was very flat, "The handwriting must be neat, and there cannot be any mistakes or omissions."The scholar nodded mechanically, then picked up a pen and began to transcribe the text from the notebook.The second stop was the residence of the largest bookseller in the capital.At this hour, the bookseller was still doing accounts, the abacus clicking loudly, until a dark shadow appeared silently in the corner of the study, and he tried to shout in terror—the Mangekyo unfolded again."Print ten thousand copies and sell them to the bookstores below." The instruction was concise and clear, "Distribute them as quickly as possible and set the price low."The bookseller nodded numbly and took the transcribed manuscript, his eyes as vacant as a puppet's.Afterward, it was a one-stop tour of the cities on the eastern, western, southern, and northern borders: hypnotizing scribes, hypnotizing local booksellers, issuing distribution orders, and then disappearing...By the time he finished all this and returned to the Konoha apartment, it was already 2:30 in the morning.After dispelling the transformation, the real body climbed into bed and tucked himself under the covers on tiptoe.In the darkness, the corners of Naruto's mouth curled up slightly.Now, there would be a good show to watch.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-liteChapter 33: Tenten's ConfessionFor the next few days, Hinata and Ino were both "grounded."Hiashi hinted that things had been off the last couple of days, saying he would personally teach Hinata the Gentle Fist and that Naruto should also be careful.The Yamanaka household had the same story; Inoichi had a dark expression as he warned Narutoto go out less recently.Naruto stood in the middle of the street, watching the villagers of Konoha coming and going. The street was bustling; a woman selling vegetables was still haggling with a customer, and a few children ran past the alley entrance, chasing a ball.Everything still looked so peaceful."Knock, knock, knock."The sound of knocking rang out in the afternoon.Naruto opened the door to find Tenten standing outside, holding a scroll in her arms, her cheeks flushed slightly from the sun."I'm here!" Her voice was a little higher than usual. "My family finally agreed to let me learn the Summoning Jutsu—though my dad said I must have someone to guide me if I'm going to practice..."As she spoke, she changed into her indoor shoes, her movements a bit flustered; she almost put the left shoe on her right foot.Naruto smiled and took the scroll from her hands. "Come in and sit down."The low table in the living room had been cleared, and a few new Sealing Jutsu diagrams were spread out on it.When Tenten sat down cross-legged, her knee accidentally brushed against Naruto's leg. She recoiled as if electrocuted, and the tips of her ears turned red again."Um..." She stared at the diagrams on the table. "That seal you taught me last time, I went back and practiced it...""Hmm?""It's still not very stable." Tenten said softly. "The Chakra disperses when it reaches the third node..."Naruto moved to sit beside her. "Let me see your hand."Tenten hesitated for a second, then slowly extended her hand.Naruto took hold of her wrist—his movements very light this time—and traced a circle in her palm with his fingertip. "When you inject it from here, you need to pull back a little bit of force, just like..."With his other hand, he picked up a pen and drew an arc on the paper. "Like this."Tenten's attention was not on the diagram at all.She stared at Naruto's focused profile; his eyelashes were long, his nose bridge was straight, and the knuckles of the hand holding the pen were clearly defined..."Did you get it?" Naruto turned his head."Huh? Oh! Got it, got it!" Tenten snapped back to reality, her face flushing bright red. "It—it's about pulling back the force, right!"Naruto blinked, not calling her out for spacing out just now.He took two Kunai out of his ninja tool pouch and placed them on the table. "Today I'll demonstrate for you—a basic application of combining the Summoning Jutsu with Sealing Jutsu."Tenten immediately leaned in, her eyes sparkling.Naruto picked up one of the Kunai and lightly wiped his finger along the blade—the Chakra-formed formation seeped into the metal surface from his fingertips, carving out the Summoning Jutsu formation.Then he picked up the other Kunai and similarly carved the Summoning Jutsu formation onto it."Watch closely."His expression turned serious as he formed hand seals with one hand to build up power.The moment the Kunai collided, they made a crisp "ding" sound. The formation was activated, and the other Kunai appeared in his hand out of thin air.The whole process took less than two seconds.Tenten stood there with her mouth agape, stunned, and it took a long while before she managed to squeeze out: "So, so amazing..."She remembered the feeling of Naruto teaching her Sealing Jutsu hand-in-hand earlier, and the warmth of his breath when he leaned in to explain...Her face turned red again."You try it too." Naruto handed her the Kunai he had prepared. "Follow the hand seal sequence on the scroll."Tenten took a deep breath and took the Kunai.Her fingers were trembling slightly.First attempt—too little Chakra was injected, and a small puff of white smoke appeared on the Kunaiwith a "poof."Second attempt—the hand seals were a beat too slow, and the Kunai dropped to the floor."Don't rush." Naruto's voice came from beside her. "Take your time."Third attempt.Tenten bit her lip, concentrating her spirit. She carefully injected Chakra into the Kunai and formed the hand seals—"Poof!"The light smoke cleared.Another Kunai appeared steadily in her palm."I—I did it?!" Tenten stared wide-eyed at the Kunaiin her hand, then looked up at Naruto. "So... it's really possible... it can really be done..."Her voice began to tremble.The next second—Tenten lunged forward and hugged Naruto tightly!"It's really possible..." She buried her face in Naruto's shoulder, her voice filled with tearful excitement. "In the future... in the future, I can use this Jutsu too..."Naruto was stunned for a moment, then gently put his arms around her back.His movements were very natural, like soothing a startled little animal.Tenten held him very tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly. It took a long while for her to calm down, but she didn't let go; she just buried her face deeper."My family..." she whispered. "They're just a commoner family... with no heritage...""The ninja tool shop at home, my mom and dad are just ordinary Chunin... They all said that in the future, I'd probably just be using scrolls to throw Kunai and Shuriken..."Her voice grew lower and lower. "Thank you... for giving me another choice..."Naruto didn't speak, just gently patted her back.Once, twice.The rhythm was very slow.The living room was so quiet that one could hear the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves outside the window.Tenten suddenly looked up—her eyes were still red, but she wore a silly, teary smile."I... I want to stay by Naruto's side forever..."After saying it, she stunned herself. Her little face flushed to the roots of her ears, and her eyes darted around in a panic. "Ah... no, I mean... um..."She made a few incoherent gestures, then finally gave up and buried her face back into Naruto's chest, her voice muffled and with a bit of a nasal tone:"...Anyway, I'm willing. Just... please don't tell Hinata and Ino yet, okay? I'd be really embarrassed..."The muffled voice came out from the fabric.Naruto smiled. "Okay."Tenten took a few seconds to calm down before gently pulling away from his embrace, her fingers subconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, rubbing them over and over.Suddenly, she reached out and gently pinched the soft flesh on Naruto's waist:"You guy... you really are such a playboy!"Her tone carried a small complaint, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly."No way." Naruto blinked, spreading his hands with an innocent, naive look. "I just want to give those cute girls in the Ninja World a warm home, that's all.""Huh?"Tenten froze, her eyes widening slightly."What kind of twisted logic is that!"She laughed and punched him on the shoulder."To celebrate Tenten becoming my girlfriend too—" Naruto stood up and reached out to her. "Come on, I'll take you to eat Ichiraku Ramen!"Tenten blushed and placed her hand in his palm.When the two walked out of the apartment holding hands, a few villagers happened to be passing by on the street.Their gazes swept over—first seeing Tenten, then landing on Naruto's face.Expressions of disgust appeared instantly.Someone lowered their voice and muttered to their companion: "The Demon Fox has ruined another girl..."The volume was just right to be heard.Tenten's hand tightened abruptly.She looked up at Naruto—he still had a smile on his face, as if he hadn't heard anything at all, and asked her, looking down: "Do you want Miso or Soy Sauce?""...Miso." Tenten said softly, her fingers gripping his hand even tighter.She turned her head and glared fiercely at those villagers, her expression as fierce as a little kitten protecting its food.Those people looked away sullenly and walked off.The Ichiraku Ramen shop was steaming hot.Teuchi was wiping the counter, and when he looked up and saw the two of them walking in holding hands, he raised an eyebrow:"Yo, on a date again today?""Old man—" Naruto pulled Tenten to sit down at the counter. "Don't make it sound like I'm on a date every single day!""Isn't that the case?" Teuchi smiled and pushed two glasses of water over. "Last time it was the blonde girl, the time before that it was the Byakugangirl..."Tenten was blushing so hard she was practically smoking, keeping her head down and playing with her fingers, but she didn't let go of his hand.Naruto rested his chin in his hand and blinked. "That's because they all like hanging out with me~""You kid..." Teuchi shook his head and turned to cook the noodles, but there was a smile on his face.It was already getting dark after they finished the noodles.Naruto walked Tenten home—her family's ninja tool shop was at the corner of the commercial street, with warm yellow lights on on the second floor.When they reached the shop door, Tenten stopped and turned around:"Um... thank you for today."The street lamp stretched her shadow out long, and her cheeks were glowing a faint pink in the light.Naruto took the two Kunai with the Summoning Jutsu formation carved on them out of his ninja tool pouch and handed them to her. "These are for you."Tenten took the Kunai, her fingers gently stroking them.The next second—Naruto gave her a gentle hug.It was a very brief hug, pulling away as soon as they touched.Tenten's face turned red again, but this time she didn't dodge. She just whispered: "Can I... can I come see you again tomorrow?""You're welcome anytime.""Then... good night!"Tenten turned and ran into the shop. When she closed the door, she looked back at him one last time—her eyes shining with attachment.The door closed.Naruto stood there for two seconds, then turned and walked toward the apartment.Just as he turned into a secluded alley, his footsteps suddenly halted—The Shadow Clone lurking at the Naka River dispersed, and memories instantly flooded into his mind:Uchiha Shisui and Danzo were fighting.Yo, that came quickly.Naruto nonchalantly backed out of the other end of the alley and continued walking toward the apartment. After walking a dozen meters, he turned into another fork in the road. A Shadow Clone appeared from behind him, took the keys from his hand, and sauntered toward the apartment.The original body silently melted into the night.
Chapter 34: The Scapegoat Hokage's ComplexIn a forest clearing upstream of the Naka River, Uchiha Shisui knelt on one knee by the stream. His right eye had turned completely gray-white, while the scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan in his left eye flickered slightly in the darkness.He was panting heavily, his shoulders rising and falling violently with each breath. The blood staining the short sword in his hand—was not his.A dozen or so Root Ninjas surrounded him in a fan formation."Uchiha Shisui!"Danzo walked out from the shadows of the woods, leaning on his cane, with two Root Ninjas following behind him."My Kotoamatsukami... How dare you let it go blind!" Indeed, Danzo had already come to view the Sharingan, which he hadn't even obtained yet, as his own.The old man's face was so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water. He slammed his cane heavily onto the ground, sending dead leaves flying.Uchiha Shisui did not answer. He slowly stood up, gripping the short sword tightly with his right hand—his movements were steady, but the blade was trembling slightly. He gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead."Do it." Danzo slammed his cane down again.But just then, a soft chuckle came from deep within the forest: "Little Danzo."A mocking voice drifted over: "Not choosing you to be Hokage back then was truly the wisest decision of my life."Danzo's body stiffened abruptly.His hand gripping the cane tightened instantly. A trace of malevolence, almost overflowing, flashed in his single eye—back then in the Land of Lightning, facing the pursuit squad of Kinkaku and Ginkaku, and facing that choice, he had indeed hesitated for a split second.But it was that very split second that cost him the throne of the Hokage."Who?!"The Root Ninjas all looked up simultaneously toward the direction of the woods.Meanwhile, the Masked Man's figure flickered, and he appeared beside Uchiha Shisui."Tsk." The Masked Man turned his head to look at Uchiha Shisui's gray-white right eye, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, he said softly: "I told you to be careful of Konoha's higher-ups early on. It seems the destruction of the Uchiha is already unavoidable."Uchiha Shisui trembled all over.He wanted to say something, his lips moved, but no sound came out.The Masked Man waved his hand to interrupt him: "You go first. I will come find you later."Uchiha Shisui hesitated for two seconds. His right eye was already blind, the agonizing pain in his left eye was still spreading, and his Chakra was nearly bottomed out. Staying behind now would only make him a burden...He took a deep breath, turned around, and dashed into the depths of the dense forest. As he left, he whispered: "Thank you."The cooked duck has flown away~The Mangekyo Sharingan is just... gone~The hesitation back when facing the Kinkaku and Ginkaku squad had cost him the qualification to become Hokage forever, and now he had even let the Mangekyo Sharingan he had in his grasp slip away... Anger gnawed at Danzo's sanity like a viper.Danzo's breathing suddenly grew heavy. Veins bulged from his forehead all the way down to his neck, his entire face flushed to the color of liver, and his voice even cracked when he spoke."...Take, take this masked guy down for me! Dead or alive!""Water Release: Water Severing Wave—"A lazy voice rang out in the forest.The Root Ninjas instantly tensed their nerves, and Danzo subconsciously dodged to the side—as a disciple of the Second Hokage, no one understood the power of this Ninjutsu better than he did.However, after finishing the movement, he realized that the opponent hadn't formed any hand seals at all; his hands were still casually tucked in his pockets.The corners of the mouths of several Root Ninjas under their masks twitched. They wanted to laugh but didn't dare to; they didn't dare make a single sound, fearing that Danzo would shift his gaze onto them.The forest was quiet, with only the sound of the wind rustling the leaves. The scene was, for a moment, a bit... awkward?"Just kidding~"The Masked Man's voice broke this strange atmosphere.Several Root Ninjas secretly thanked the Masked Man in their hearts, although... only for that one split second.While Danzo had just been dodging, the Masked Man had already taken the opportunity to create three Shadow Clones.Two Shadow Clones took a deep breath simultaneously, their chests puffing up: "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"The last Shadow Clone formed hand seals: "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"Combination Ninjutsu—Great Flame Breakthrough!Two scorching fireballs whistled out, instantly expanding and merging under the enhancement of the Wind Release.The flames turned from orange-red to a blinding bright white, and even the leaves a dozen meters away began to curl and char.The massive fireball, fifty meters in diameter, surged straight toward Danzo with a roaring heatwave. Wherever it passed, the ground scorched and cracked, and the air distorted like ripples on water.By the time the Root Ninjas reacted, the Ninjutsuhad already formed."Defend!!!" a Root Ninja screamed.The Root squad leader's roar was completely distorted.Five Root Ninjas quickly stood in a row and formed hand seals simultaneously: "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"The surging water collided head-on with the fireball, and the water flow was evaporated and reduced at a speed visible to the naked eye!But the power of the combination Ninjutsu far exceeded that of ordinary Ninjutsu—the moment water and fire collided, a loud "hissing" sound erupted, white steam billowed up, and the Water Release was mostly evaporated, only able to slightly weaken the fire's intensity.On the other side, five Root Ninjas skilled in Earth Release had already flashed in front of Danzo, simultaneously forming hand seals and slamming their hands on the ground: "Earth Release: Earth Wall!"Three earth walls stacked up layer by layer in an attempt to block it—Bang!!!!The moment the first earth wall touched the fireball, it shattered into fragments!The second one held on for two seconds before its surface began to crack and weather!The five Root Ninjas behind the third wall were pale, desperately outputting Chakra to maintain the defense of the final wall...The heatwave rushed through the gaps, scorching their skin until it hurt, and the hem of Danzo's clothes had already started to smoke.When the flames finally dissipated, the scene was a mess.The scorched earth was emitting wisps of smoke, and only half-remnants remained of the three Earth Walls.The Root Ninjas who used the Water Release were soaked and in a sorry state, and several of the other Root Ninjas had even been scalded by the steam.As for that guy in the white mask? He was long gone~~The forest returned to silence, with only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the leaves and the suppressed gasps of a few wounded people remaining.Danzo stood in the center of the ruins, gripping his cane. His single eye swept across the surroundings—there were no corpses, no bloodstains, and not even a trace of Chakra residue could be sensed. The opponent seemed as if he had never appeared at all."My Lord..." a Root Ninja reported in a low voice, "We cannot track him."Danzo did not speak.He stared at the spot where the Masked Man had just been standing for a long time, tapping his cane gently on the ground twice—among those who knew about that incident back then, who were still alive, skilled in Ninjutsu combinations, and whose Ninjutsu power could reach this level... only Hiruzen could do it.But why would Hiruzen do this? A warning? A show of force?The Root Ninjas knelt on one knee, waiting for orders; no one dared to speak.After a full ten seconds or more, he slowly opened his mouth, his voice hoarse: "Clean up the scene... and return to Root."He paused, then added: "Today's events are classified as top secret. No one is to leak them. Those who violate this order... will die..."His voice was cold enough to freeze a person to death.Several Root Ninjas exchanged glances and silently followed.No one dared to ask what to do next—Root Ninjas might not have emotions, but that didn't mean they wanted to die.Although that battle just now was short, the strength the Masked Man displayed and that attitude of ease... he didn't seem like he came to fight at all... it was more like he came specifically to make things difficult for their superior.