"Damn kidney!"
"Damn kidney!"
"I swear I'm gonna smack this thing with my damn kidney!!!"
Another year slipped quietly by. Deep in the forest, Naruto's shadow clones now numbered eighty.
His progress in ninjutsu was impressive. Not only had he mastered the Rasengan one-handed, but his Flying Thunder God markers had been scattered across the continent via foreign merchant caravans.
Since Naruto's Flying Thunder God mark functioned as a short-term imprint, his actions didn't attract any attention.
Of particular note was his discovery through experiments with his wood clones inside the sealed space: the essence of the technique was not unlike summoning, but in reverse. Instead of summoning something to him, he used the mark to sense a location and teleport himself there.
It wasn't, as some in his past life had speculated, a technique that would slice him into pieces if it failed. A failed attempt would simply fizzle out if he lacked the chakra.
Which made sense, really. If it were as dangerous as rumored, not only would it be impractical in combat, it would be nearly impossible to learn in the first place.
Overall, the biggest hurdles with the technique were its reliance on advanced spatial awareness, sharp reflexes, and the ability to release chakra instantly and without hand signs.
Since it didn't violate natural laws and posed no risk to the user, it wasn't technically classified as a forbidden technique.
Its S-rank status came more from its difficulty and strategic potential than inherent danger. Naruto suspected the former weighed more heavily.
Maybe it was due to the way he acquired the skill, but Naruto seemed to have a real affinity for space-time techniques. His sensory perception was unusually sharp too.
As for his reflexes though he had no benchmark to compare against he felt confident they were above average. At least, they were sufficient for using the Flying Thunder God defensively rather than as a primary means of attack.
With that skill under his belt, the next logical goal was the Rasenshuriken.
But for some reason, manipulating wind-nature chakra was proving far harder than he'd expected.
Even after months of cheating with dozens of clones grinding away day and night, the most they could do was slice leaves. Successfully fusing that nature transformation into a Rasengan felt like a distant dream.
In the original timeline, Naruto had managed to produce a prototype Rasenshuriken in just a few days. Yet here he was a literal cheat-code-wielding transmigrant and after a year, he was still stuck.
It didn't make sense.
Judging by how quickly he'd mastered tree-climbing and water-walking, Naruto didn't think his talent lagged behind the "Chosen One" version of himself. But his current pace was so sluggish, he couldn't help but feel baffled.
While Naruto was grumbling over his slow progress, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been quietly observing him all this time, was growing increasingly uneasy.
Naruto was progressing at a rate Hiruzen simply couldn't comprehend.
Kakashi had been considered a prodigy for becoming a jōnin at twelve.
But Naruto? He'd learned the Rasengan at four, and at five, was already dabbling in wind chakra nature transformation.
That meant battle experience aside Naruto's combat strength was already comparable to a standard jōnin. And given his massive chakra reserves, he might even surpass one.
And he hadn't even enrolled in the Academy yet.
Watching Naruto hammer away at a tree through his crystal ball, Hiruzen let out another long sigh.
He'd lost count of how many times he'd sighed this past year. Every time he witnessed Naruto's dazzling talent, he regretted hiding the boy's heritage even more deeply.
But with the Uchiha Clan's activities growing more frequent and their tensions with the village escalating, it was too late to reverse that decision now.
"Naruto!"
In the crystal ball's image, Ino appeared, just as she did every day, carrying a lunchbox as she approached the riverside where Naruto was training.
"Time to eat! I brought watermelon today!"
She set down the cloth-covered box, spread a picnic cloth on the grass, and sat down with elegant poise.
Naruto stopped his tree-pounding, went to the river to wash the blood off his hands, and sat beside her without hesitation.
"Mom made tuna rice balls today. And I cooled the watermelon in the well before bringing it!"
Ino beamed as she handed Naruto a slice of watermelon.
"Thanks."
Naruto bit into the slice. It wasn't especially sweet, but he hadn't had watermelon in ages.
Of all fruits, watermelon was his favorite. Oranges and pineapples came next, though he rarely ate them because they were too much hassle. Watermelon, on the other hand, was simple and refreshing.
"You're always so polite..." Ino rested her chin in her hands, staring dreamily as Naruto chewed. He really was so handsome. That calm, slightly aloof air of his was irresistible.
Internally, she was screaming with excitement, but on the surface she played it cool, trying to maintain her ladylike image. Her eyes wandered to the clones standing on the river, trying to slice water with wind chakra.
"Say, I've always wondered... what are those clones doing on the water?"
She tilted her head. She wasn't really into the whole training thing this was more about making conversation.
"Developing a new jutsu," Naruto replied casually. "Using wind-nature chakra to slice through the river. If I can merge wind chakra into the Rasengan, its power will skyrocket. But it's hard. At this rate, even with clones, it'll take at least another year. Maybe three to five if I want to do it one-handed."
"Wow, that's amazing!"
Ino's eyes sparkled with admiration.
She'd seen how hard Naruto trained and how powerful the Rasengan already was. In her mind, Naruto was hands down the strongest among their peers.
"Still, three years... that's a lot of work." Ino propped her chin on her hand. "You're already so strong. Why not take a break?"
"I need this jutsu to cover my lack of a true finishing move."
Naruto took another bite of his rice ball.
The Rasenshuriken had always been his favorite high-damage jutsu. While not as explosively destructive as things like the Tailed Beast Bomb or the True Several Thousand Hands, it had minimal charge time and high mobility. With his chakra reserves, he could practically spam it like a basic attack.
(The jutsu becomes throwable at 100 percent completion. Sage Mode just perfected it ahead of schedule. Official canon; don't @ me.)
But based on current progress, completing it was going to take much longer than expected. His only option was to chip away at it clone by clone.
Naruto didn't mind explaining this to Ino after all, she brought him food.
He actually liked her quite a bit. She was strong-willed but also gentle and thoughtful.
But given how young she was, Naruto had always made a point of not responding to her affections directly.
"So once this jutsu's done... you'll have no weaknesses?"
Ino gazed at him with shining eyes. As a kunoichi from the prestigious Yamanaka clan, she knew exactly what "no weaknesses" meant.
"More or less," Naruto nodded. "Once that happens, I can finally leave the village."
"Huh?"
Ino froze, and her smile faltered. "Leave... the village? Are you going somewhere?"
"I want to travel, see the world. Eventually find a peaceful place to settle down."
Naruto bit into another rice ball. "I know how you feel, Ino. But we're both still kids. It's better to be honest from the start."
Ino bit her lip, a shadow of unease flickering in her eyes. "Will you come back?"
"I don't know," Naruto answered quietly.
But Ino understood.
She stared at him, and tears silently slid down her cheeks.
Naruto sighed and reached out to gently wipe her tears away.
"Don't cry. I can teleport, remember? Even if I'm on the other side of the continent, I can visit anytime."
"Really?"
Naruto smiled. "What, you doubt my skills?"
"No! I believe you... so let's promise, okay?"
Ino wiped her face and held out her pinky. "A pinky swear. If you lie, you'll have to swallow a thousand needles!"
"Deal."
Naruto hooked his pinky around hers. Only then did Ino finally smile again.
In truth, Ino had already sensed this day would come. She'd known for a while that Naruto would eventually leave. He'd just brought it up sooner than expected, and it caught her off guard.
She didn't ask him to stay. Her sharp intuition had long since told her how awkward things were for him in the village.
So she wouldn't, and couldn't, ask something so selfish.
After all, it wasn't like they'd never see each other again.
But compared to Ino's quiet acceptance, Hiruzen Sarutobi was clearly not ready for what he'd just heard...
To be continued.