In the classroom...
Naruto glanced at Hinata, who was listening to the lecture with full attention. On a whim, he decided to test the Chakra Dialogue Room—a new ability he had been secretly working on.
He cautiously extended a thread of Chakra toward her.
"Hinata, can you hear me?"
Hinata was focused on the lesson. In this class, Sakura Haruno had the top theoretical scores, with Hinata trailing close behind.
Hmm?
She blinked in surprise—Naruto's voice had echoed in her mind.
Yet he hadn't spoken. She subtly turned her head to check. Naruto was looking straight at the blackboard, his mouth shut.
Am I imagining things? Am I actually thinking about Naruto-kun during class…?
Hinata's face turned bright red, the blush creeping from her neck up to her cheeks.
"Hahaha! Today's Hinata is way too cute!"
"You heard me correctly! It really is my voice—inside your head!"
"Don't be scared. This is a new Jutsu I developed. Keep it a secret, okay?"
Naruto's voice sounded again, echoing inside her mind. Hinata was stunned. As expected of Naruto-kun—he had created such a miraculous technique.
"Try using your Chakra to connect to the glowing point in your mind!"
Hinata focused and sensed a soft, glowing spot. Carefully channeling her Chakra, she touched it. The next moment, she felt a subtle pull, like her Chakra was being drawn into a specific place.
Her consciousness began to shift, forming a projection within the Chakra Dialogue Room. A sliver of her Chakra was used in the process, but it had little impact overall.
When she opened her eyes again, her consciousness stood in a new space—facing Naruto.
Despite being in this strange environment, Hinata could still sense what was happening around her physical body, though with some distraction. She figured she'd adapt quickly.
The world around them looked like a tranquil meadow—clear blue skies, drifting clouds, and rolling green fields. But this wasn't real. It was a mental landscape shaped by Naruto's will. It could be changed at any time.
At the moment, only Naruto had permission to alter the environment.
Granting someone else that authority was simple: Naruto only needed to record the person's Chakra nature and assign them access.
"Naruto-kun… this is incredible!"
Hinata looked around, eyes wide with wonder. When she reached out to touch the scenery, it felt almost real.
That was because her consciousness had taken form inside the space.
"Naruto-kun, how did you do all this?"
"Hahaha! I've been working on this for a long time. Chakra is mysterious stuff—it's made from your spiritual energy and physical energy combined. Since it includes the mind's power, it can naturally act as a medium to carry information and—"
Naruto began to ramble passionately.
Hinata: "..."
She didn't really understand what he was saying, but she was completely in awe.
Naruto was Naruto—brilliant in ways she couldn't always grasp.
After chatting for a while inside the Dialogue Room, the two of them exited the shared consciousness space. Before they disconnected, Naruto explained how to re-enter it. He had constructed this Chakra Dialogue Room in his own mind—essentially a mental server. Anyone could connect to it through Chakra.
Right now, Naruto was maintaining the space alone. But if others mastered the same Jutsu, they could help build a larger, shared mental network.
His ability to accomplish all this was thanks to his extraordinarily strong spiritual energy.
Soon, class ended.
The next subject was Chakra Refinement—a foundational practice for every shinobi.
Not every day had outdoor training. Today, for example, was entirely dedicated to theoretical studies.
That class wrapped up quickly. After school, Naruto waved goodbye to Hinata and made his way toward his usual training spot.
As he walked, his heightened sensory perception picked up something unusual—a faint presence trailing behind him.
A tail…?
Focusing his Chakra, Naruto quickly identified the source. It was a familiar signature—Uchiha Sasuke. For some reason, Sasuke had chosen to follow him.
Naruto nearly laughed. Sasuke's tracking was unpolished and obvious, almost amateurish. If Naruto hadn't been playing the role of a normal academy student, he would've exposed him on the spot.
He also noticed another familiar presence—an ANBU, hidden in the shadows, carrying out the usual surveillance assigned to him.
Choosing to ignore both, Naruto continued walking at a natural pace, maintaining the image of his usual self.
By the time he arrived at the clearing, Rock Lee was already there, waiting.
Lee hadn't started training yet. He simply stood still, as if awaiting Naruto's arrival with discipline. At his feet sat a bucket of fresh fish, and beside him, two wild rabbits.
Naruto smiled at the sight.
Lee and his class were dismissed a little earlier, so Naruto was used to seeing him arrive first.
Walking up, Naruto grabbed the ingredients and headed for the nearby cave they had prepared as a temporary shelter. Since Lee had joined him, they had expanded it significantly.
Together, they had turned the cave into a small, functional campsite. Inside were bundles of green vegetables—Lee had purchased them using money Naruto gave him.
Before teaming up with Lee, Naruto would forage for wild greens in the surrounding forest. But even with such basic ingredients, Naruto's cooking skills had been enough to impress.
Lee, after tasting Naruto's meals a few times, had completely surrendered to his culinary talent. Now, he always waited for Naruto to arrive and prepare the food.
"Lee, set up the pot!"
"Yes!" Lee responded with his usual fire and seriousness.
Before training, they always had a proper meal. Naruto had explained that nourishing the body beforehand allowed nutrients to convert directly into strength, making the training more effective. Lee didn't fully understand the science, but after following Naruto's plan for a few days, he felt noticeably less exhausted after intense workouts.
From the shadows, Sasuke observed everything in silence.
He had expected to find Naruto training in secret… but instead, Naruto was having what looked like a picnic.
The savory aroma of cooking food wafted toward him, and Sasuke's stomach let out a loud rumble. He hadn't eaten since lunch.
Grrrlll~
Lee's head snapped toward the source of the sound.
"Who's there?"
His sharp gaze locked onto the bushes where Sasuke was hiding.
Caught red-handed, Sasuke had no choice but to step out. His face was tense with awkwardness.
"I was just... passing by. You believe me, right?"
Naruto and Lee just stared at him.
The expression they wore made Sasuke feel like an idiot.
Grinding his teeth in frustration, Sasuke barked, "Uzumaki Naruto! Fight me!"
Naruto held up a hand, calm as always.
"Lee, it's fine. He's my classmate."
Lee slowly eased his stance.
Naruto turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, don't be in such a rush. You haven't even eaten yet. Let's eat together first."
The smell of the food wafted toward Sasuke again. His stomach grumbled once more, louder this time.
Tch... I'm only eating so I don't underperform later. That's all.
With that excuse in mind, Sasuke sat down reluctantly.
Seeing that Sasuke was Naruto's classmate, Lee returned to his usual posture.
Naruto passed Sasuke a bowl and chopsticks. Without saying much, Sasuke took them and grabbed a piece of meat.
He expected it to taste decent—but the moment the flavors hit his tongue, his eyes widened.
It was incredible.
For a second, Sasuke even wondered if this was Naruto's secret to becoming strong.
Of course, the thought vanished almost instantly.
Still... deep down, Sasuke's instincts told him: Naruto was no ordinary academy student.
His control over hand seals, his composure, and even the setup of this secluded camp—everything hinted at a deeper strength.
...
TN:
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