Land of Whirlpools.
A soft sea breeze stirred the glowing morning light spread across the ocean's surface. The waves lapped gently at the shore, rising and falling in rhythm. On the golden beach, a large crowd gathered—people shoulder to shoulder—like a sea of dark heads rippling with the tide.
On the backs of their clothes, the same symbol appeared again and again: a red and white fan, like a stylized ping pong paddle.
The Uchiha clan.
"Lord Fugaku is here!"
With the sound of that announcement, the previously scattered crowd snapped into orderly formation. Fugaku walked slowly onto a wooden platform built on the beach, flanked by several Uchiha shinobi.
"I wonder who'll pass the test this time…"
Only those who passed the test would be allowed to leave the Land of Whirlpools—a rule established by Naruto himself, and one that had been approved by the entire Uchiha clan.
"It'll be Lady Izumi, no doubt. She's awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, after all," one Uchiha said proudly, as if he were the one who had unlocked the legendary eye. "The Mangekyō is the most powerful form of the Sharingan—even Lord Fugaku doesn't have it."
"I disagree. Even though the Mangekyō is powerful, it comes with major drawbacks. Overusing it severely damages vision. Lady Izumi wouldn't waste such a rare power on a test like this," another replied with confidence, listing all the weaknesses of the Mangekyō as though he had personally triumphed over it in battle.
Well, it's not like they're the ones fighting. They can talk all they want.
These days, every Uchiha knew that the Mangekyō couldn't be used casually.
Fugaku himself had publicly disclosed the secrets of the Mangekyō within the clan—it wasn't harmful information to share.
"It'll be Inaho, I bet. He's the youngest Uchiha to awaken the three-tomoe Sharingan," one clan member chimed in, naming another Uchiha prodigy. "He once fought that madman head-on. Didn't win, but it proves his strength."
There was only one person who could be referred to as that madman.
"Nonsense. Everyone knows Tekkō is the youngest three-tomoe user."
"I'm betting on Lord Yashiro. He was from the same era as Lord Fugaku," an older Uchiha added. "Lord Yashiro is our clan's strategist."
"But don't forget—this test is being overseen by Lord Uzumaki."
The moment that name was spoken, the crowd fell into complete silence.
"…Let's hope he doesn't make the challenge too hard," one young Uchiha muttered, rubbing his eyes, clearly haunted by the memory of the last test.
"…You don't think it'll be like last time, right? When no one passed?"
All eyes exchanged uneasy glances.
"Lord Uzumaki is just too strong."
"If he's the proctor again, no one's making it through…"
Groans spread like a wave across the crowd.
The last test had been judged personally by Naruto himself.
The requirement? Take one punch from him and remain standing.
Thirty-four Uchiha had participated, including Izumi—and every single one was knocked out with a single blow.
The arrival of Itachi and Obito had already forced the Uchiha clan to confront the fact that not all Sharingan were created equal.
Naruto's appearance had made something even clearer:
The difference between people can be greater than the difference between a man and a pig.
As dozens of bitter Uchiha exchanged hopeless glances, Fugaku stood tall and calmly announced:
"This test… will once again be conducted by Naruto."
Instantly, every Uchiha present covered their eyes.
It's over. No one's passing again.
"No need for long-winded speeches," Naruto said, stepping forward. "The rules this time are simple: if you can survive an attack from my summoned beast for thirty minutes, you pass."
Straight to the point—typical Naruto. He never liked beating around the bush. Always straight into the action.
The moment the rule was announced, the crowd exploded again:
"Wait, wait—did you hear that? He's not fighting himself this time!"
"Just his summoning beast? And we only have to hold out for thirty minutes? This could be doable!"
"Then Izumi and Inaho should be fine."
"Damn it, if I'd known the test would be this easy, I would've signed up too!"
In the middle of all the chattering, Naruto performed a hand sign and activated a summoning technique.
With a massive BOOM of smoke, the battlefield was filled with a huge white cloud.
Out of it emerged…
The Box of Ultimate Bliss—a.k.a. Six Paths Fitness Equipment.
So they thought this would be easy?
Let's see how you handle the ultimate weapon left by the Sage of Six Paths himself.
Naruto placed his hand on the box and began channeling chakra into it.
Summoning Go required chakra. Even for Naruto, it wasn't free.
Through continued experimentation, Naruto had gradually come to understand the box's mechanics. Depending on how much chakra was poured in, it would summon different forms of Wu—classified into three tiers:
Level 1 Go: the weakest, with only slightly more intelligence than a mindless beast. Low strength and regeneration. Least dangerous.
Level 2 Go: significantly stronger, with moderate intelligence. It could read the minds of opponents who feared it—but couldn't read thoughts if the opponent had no fear.
Level 3 Go: the legendary destroyer. Capable of speech, incredible intellect, mimicking any lifeform, and immense regeneration. The highest tier—a threat to the world.
Fun fact: the Wu Naruto spars with regularly is a Level 3 Go—the one who inherited Muku's memories.
In the original movie storyline, Level 3 Go fought Killer Bee, Naruto, and Mu'i all at once, overwhelming them completely. Even Naruto's Sage Mode full power couldn't touch it. If not for a last-minute plot device—Go inheriting Muku's trauma and self-destructing—Team Protagonist would've stood no chance.
If it weren't for Ryūzetsu's Dragon Life Reincarnation, Naruto would've died again.
Classic Naruto. Dying at least once in every movie.
This time, Naruto planned to summon only a Level 1 Go.
"Come forth—Go!"
One of the four faces on the Box of Ultimate Bliss, the Joy Face, slowly opened.
"ROAR!!"
A ferocious bellow echoed across the beach as a monstrous figure emerged—blind, toothy, and seething with chakra.
"So evil…" Fugaku muttered. He was the first to sense the monstrous energy. His Sharingan snapped open—three tomoe spinning wildly—as he stared at the box with wary eyes.
Out of the corner of his vision, he glanced at Naruto, worry flickering in his eyes.
Such a malevolent summon… if it went out of control, even its master might be devoured.
Wu's chakra felt even darker and more unstable than the Nine-Tails.
Behind him, Izumi and the other test participants were already on high alert, all of them activating their Sharingan and entering combat stance.
Don't underestimate Go just because this one's only Level 1.
Even at its weakest, it still had tailed beast-level power—excluding the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails—and its mind-reading ability made it all the more dangerous.
Level 3 was too powerful. If that one came out, no Uchiha here would stand a chance.
Not even Izumi—unless she used the full power of her Mangekyō.
Level 1 Go, on the other hand…
was just right.
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