JOIN:- patreon.com/The_GreatRed
[20% Discount on MostHigh Membership]
AND GIVE POWERSTONES
100 powerstone = 1 bonus chapter
.[FULLY-COMPLETED IN PATREON]
.
.
"...so All you have to do is get these bells."
"Whoever gets them shall pass. The others will be sent back to the Academy," Itachi announced calmly.
All the Genin were surprised to hear that—especially Sasuke. Sai raised an eyebrow, but remained quiet. Meanwhile, Menma and Mito stood with the same blank expressions, though occasionally, flashes of anger appeared in their eyes whenever they looked at their older brother, Naruto.
Both Naruto and Itachi noticed this, and even Sasuke picked up on the tension between Naruto and his siblings. He also knew about the legendary prodigy, often referred to as the Son of the Hokage, the True Heir, and the only Double-S-rank Shinobi in the elemental nations. Rumors said Naruto was even stronger than their father—though Sasuke was skeptical. Still, someone who had been promoted to Jonin while technically he still a Genin had to be taken seriously.
Itachi clapped his hands once. "You already have your mission. Begin."
Naruto looked at Itachi with a neutral expression and gave a small nod before leaping into the trees. He chose to meditate slightly, leaving the test in Itachi's hands. Itachi returned the nod, a small smirk forming on his face. "Let's see what my little brother has learned over the years."
The Genin scattered, each heading in different directions to pursue the bells. From one side, Sai and Sasuke moved with tactical precision. On the other hand, smoke bombs suddenly flew toward Naruto from two directions. He opened one eye calmly as the smoke filled the area—but there was no one in sight.
Naruto focused, scanning the surroundings with his enhanced senses. He could easily feel the chakra presence of Menma and Mito, trying poorly to hide.
"What are you two doing?" Naruto said plainly, his voice cutting through the mist. "I can already sense exactly where you are. Why don't you just come out?"
Menma and Mito dropped from the trees, attempting to encircle Naruto. He raised an eyebrow.
"What do you think you're doing? The bells are with Itachi. You should be trying to get them, not wasting time with me."
Mito decided to speak up. She coughed lightly, but her eyes were filled with anger—years of resentment toward her older brother. The prodigal, the prodigy, the golden child. She still remembered the days when she and her "true brother," as she saw him—Menma—had all the attention of their parents, all the praise from the villagers, and were hailed as the destined children who would bring change to the Shinobi world.
But the moment Naruto awakened his Kekkei Genkai, everything changed. The admiration, the attention, the glory—it was all stripped away from her and Menma and handed over to him. Her older brother. The one she now viewed as a thief of their destiny.
Why did he have to be born with that Kekkei Genkai? They were supposed to be the chosen ones, not him. If not for that power, she was certain that she and Menma would have surpassed him easily. Their parents had stopped giving them the same attention. Sure, they still taught them a few techniques here and there—but it was nothing like the way things used to be, back when they were the special ones.
Similar thoughts filled Menma's mind. His eyes darkened slightly as he stepped forward and spoke.
"It doesn't matter who has the bells," he said coldly. "Our real opponent is you. You're the Jonin, aren't you? I'm pretty sure you can handle two weak academy students who haven't even passed your little test yet."
He smirked bitterly.
"After all, that's what this is about, isn't it? You want to see if we're worth your time, because you're so much stronger than us. So much better than us. Right?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow again, unfazed. He could already feel the resentment pouring off both Menma and Mito like a toxic mist. Truth be told, he had known this would happen from the start. That was one of the main reasons he had hesitated to take on a Genin team.
But ultimately, he agreed—mainly because Itachi was involved, and he didn't mind having his old friend nearby.
Even so, Naruto had never formed a deep bond with his siblings. He had tried, once—years ago, when he first revealedRasengan to them. For a short while, things had seemed better. There had been a brief flicker of hope, a spark of connection.
But it didn't last. Things changed again—drastically—when he started receiving more missions, more recognition, more fame. And with that came the widening rift between him and his siblings…
Naruto, by no means, was naive. He already understood what was really going on here. But he simply sighed and shook his head.
"Menma," he said calmly, "why don't you go back to your test? It doesn't matter what your feelings are right now. The point is—there's a test happening. And if you fail, you won't be able to become a Genin."
Menma gritted his teeth and suddenly unsheathed his sword. He lunged forward without warning. Naruto moved his head casually to the side—slowly, for him—but to Menma and Mito, it was a blur. A chain, laced with chakra, sliced past Naruto's head, missing him by inches.
Naruto turned his head calmly and saw that it had come from behind.
"Well, little sister," he said with a cold smirk, "why don't you show me just how much better you think you are?"
Mito's face twisted in anger. "Gladly."
Naruto sighed again. "Fine. I'll entertain you both for a bit. Not that I plan to actually defeat you or anything—I wouldn't want to disrupt Itachi's evaluation of the others."
With a small flourish, he motioned toward them lazily. "Why don't you both go back to your test and stop wasting time?"
"Hmph. Too late," Mito snapped.
She darted toward him with speed and rage, her sword raised. Naruto ducked casually under the strike, moving with an ease and grace that only made her angrier. He was purposely dodging in a flamboyant, almost taunting fashion.
Menma and Mito's eyes glinted with fury. They were clearly getting more aggressive. Their red eyes—activated and glowing—flared with intensity. Naruto could see their chakra flaring as well. It seemed he would have to put in a little more effort to teach them a lesson in humility.
Very well.
He moved.
To them, it was a blur—nearly impossible to track. Yet, Naruto was only using one percent of his power. Just enough to allow them to perceive his movements without being completely overwhelmed.
Still, he couldn't help but think: This is boring.
Fighting his own siblings, whom he never truly bonded with, in a childish grudge match? It was tiresome.
Menma and Mito, however, were fighting with deadly coordination. Sword strikes from Menma and chakra chains from Mito came at Naruto from both sides—left and right. Still, he remained composed.
But something caught his attention.
Both Menma and Mito were controlling their red-eyed forms—their Beast power—far too easily.
Strange, Naruto thought. They shouldn't be this proficient yet…
Curiosity piqued, he decided to unleash just a bit more of his power.
And in that moment, the world around him seemed to slow.