The night before the Great Tournament, the Rain Village training grounds were shrouded in darkness and drizzle.
Crack!
A jagged bolt of violet lightning ripped through the rainy air, slicing straight through eight wooden puppet targets in a single, relentless burst.
At the far end of the scattered wood chips, Hitomi planted his feet firmly, rain streaming down his young but determined face, mingling with sweat and exhaustion before dripping into the muddy earth at his feet.
As the last sparks faded, he lowered his battered hands, fingers trembling from the strain.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Across the training ground, thousands of shadow clones vanished in bursts of white smoke, leaving only the echo of their presence.
"Whew…"
Hitomi drew a deep breath, then simply collapsed backward into the mud, arms spread wide, letting the cool rain soak him through.
Nine days and nights of relentless training—he'd finally mastered Purple Lightning, a super S-rank killing technique.
Footsteps approached, steady and familiar. Naruto strode over, his gaze warm with fatherly pride. He didn't hold back his praise: "You crushed it, kid. That's my son alright."
Hitomi looked up, eyes shining. "So… can I enter the Great Tournament now?"
Naruto didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached into his pocket and produced a small bottle, tipping out a single red pill and pressing it into Hitomi's palm. "Eat this first."
Hitomi pinched the pill between his fingers, scrutinizing it. "Is this… a military ration pill?"
He wasn't officially a ninja yet, but he'd studied enough to know the basics. Still, this red pill looked different from the usual kind, and his curiosity showed.
Naruto grinned. "It's called a 'Dan'—think of it as the Otsutsuki version of a ration pill. Try it and see what happens."
Hitomi popped the Dan into his mouth. Immediately, warmth flooded his chakra pathways. He bit down, the pill crunching with a satisfying snap, and swallowed.
Whoosh!
In a heartbeat, the exhaustion of nine days vanished. His chakra surged, stronger than ever.
He shot upright, staring at his hands in disbelief. "What the—?"
Naruto's smile was subtle. "Feels good, right? The Otsutsuki clan has plenty of freeloaders who boost their power by stealing chakra and refining it into pills like that."
Hitomi frowned. "So this one was made like that too?"
Naruto shook his head. "Nope."
He explained: Ten years ago, Kaguya had asked Naruto for crop seeds. On the moon, she started growing plants—not just for the view, but to 'make medicine' using special techniques to refine them into Dan pills.
The method came from Urashiki's teachings, but unlike Momoshiki's brutal chakra extraction, Kaguya's way was slow, complex, and sustainable. It wasn't about quick results—it was about the long game.
Because the process was so intricate, Dan pills were rare.
Naruto had given Hitomi one mainly so he could experience Otsutsuki tech firsthand. If you want to fight the gods, you start training early.
After listening carefully, Hitomi nodded, his eyes thoughtful beyond his years. "I get it. These Dan pills are precious—you should save them for when it really matters. I don't need any more."
Naruto felt a swell of pride. Good kid. Already thinking like an adult.
He squeezed Hitomi's hand. "Come on, let's go home. You need a proper meal. Then I'll tell you about the tournament."
After dinner, Naruto led Hitomi to the study at the end of the hall.
Hitomi perched on a little stool while Naruto rummaged through the bookshelf.
"Where did I put it… Oh! Found it!"
Naruto pulled out a white-covered book and sat across from Hitomi at the desk, flicking on the lamp and placing the book in front of him.
"The Great Tournament has three stages: basic knowledge, wilderness survival, and the arena finals. They killed off the old Chunin Exams, but kept the three classic rounds. Tomorrow's event is the basic knowledge test—the written exam."
Hitomi picked up the book, eyes wide as he read the cover: "The Book of Gods," authored by Uzumaki Naruto.
His jaw dropped. "Dad, you wrote this?!"
Naruto couldn't help puffing up a bit. "You bet. Your old man wrote it in his spare time. It's got everything—Otsutsuki names, origins, appearances, abilities, battle records. Trust me, if you master this book, tomorrow's test will be a breeze."
Ninja education had moved with the times. The written exam now tested Otsutsuki theory, not just basic ninja knowledge.
Hitomi flipped through the pages, stopping at an illustration. "Did you draw this too?"
Naruto scratched his head, sheepish. "Well… I described it, but Uncle Sai did the actual drawing."
Hitomi kept flipping, brow furrowing. "This writing style feels just like Grandpa Jiraiya's 'Tales of a Gutsy Ninja.'"
Naruto coughed, caught off guard.
Hitomi gave him a look. "Dad, you didn't hire a ghostwriter, did you?"
Naruto coughed again, trying to sound serious. "Not the point. What matters is you need to master this book to pass tomorrow's test."
Sizzle.
Hitomi's Sharingan snapped open. He started scanning the first page, copying the contents with his eyes.
Naruto warned, "Don't just memorize it. The test is written by Uncle Shikaku from Konoha—he won't just pull questions straight from the book. He'll twist them, make you think on your feet. Loads of talented ninja have failed here. You know Rock Lee? Eight tournaments, and he's never made it past round one…"
Poor Lee. Every answer boiled down to 'hard work.' Not even the examiners could fudge that.
Hitomi nodded, serious. "I'll memorize it, then really think it through."
He focused on the book, eyes sharp.
Naruto stayed with him, but as midnight crept in, he started yawning.
Hitomi glanced up. "Dad, go to bed. I'll keep reading."
Naruto rubbed his eyes. "Alright, I'm off…"
Left alone, Hitomi flipped to an illustration page and absently picked up a pencil, tracing the lines.
He muttered, "Why do Momoshiki's horns look like dog ears…"
And so the night passed.
At dawn, the highly anticipated Ninth Great Ninja Tournament kicked off in Rain Village, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Everything was about to change.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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