Since Naruto had previously entered his mindscape, he could now freely access the space where the Nine-Tails was sealed. His immense mental strength allowed him this unique privilege.
During this period, Naruto repeatedly tried to influence the Nine-Tails—or rather, persuade it. No, influence wasn't the right word. It was more like recruiting a comrade—a like-minded partner.
He even remodeled the inner space where the Nine-Tails resided. No longer a dark and damp sewer, it now looked bright and sunny. Of course, the iron bars of the seal still remained, but Naruto had found a workaround. Using his powerful mental energy, he had expanded the confines of the cage, giving the Nine-Tails far more room to move around.
Though the beast hadn't fully submitted, the relationship between them had improved noticeably. Naruto understood well—true bonds couldn't be built overnight. They needed shared experiences and time.
At the very least, they had come to an agreement: the Nine-Tails could regularly change its living environment. It was like switching themes—simple, but meaningful.
The benefit for Naruto was immediate. The Nine-Tails stopped interfering with his chakra, freeing up a significant portion of his reserves. Previously, Naruto had always needed to divert part of his chakra to suppress the beast's influence. Now, unimpeded, his overall chakra pool had grown dramatically.
His chakra control improved as well. Naruto had tested it—his Ninjutsu power had increased by roughly thirty percent.
Time continued to flow...
After a break that felt neither too long nor too short, Naruto was now a second-year student. Lee had advanced to the third year.
One day, Lee came running over, excitedly shouting, "Naruto! Guy-sensei has accepted me as his student!"
Seeing Lee's joy, Naruto couldn't help but smile too. Might Guy's Eight Gates technique was indeed formidable, but Naruto had no intention of walking the pure Taijutsu path.
Unlike many other transmigrators who fixated on mastering the Eight Gates, Naruto understood why the technique hadn't become mainstream.
Sure, Might Duy, a Genin, had once taken down the Seven Ninja Swordsmen using the Eighth Gate. That case was legendary. But in the present day, the technique was still used only by Might Guy—and with a heavy price.
Naruto had a different vision. He wanted to fuse Sage Mode with Taijutsu, creating a powerful new hybrid: Sage Taijutsu. This was his answer to the Ōtsutsuki threat.
After all, against the Ōtsutsuki Clan, conventional Ninjutsu was practically useless.
Most of them possessed the Rinnegan, which could absorb chakra-based attacks. Ninjutsu without chakra was meaningless. That's why Ninjutsu use had declined so much in Boruto's era.
"Lee, Might Guy is a great teacher—perfect for you, actually... a bit intense, but still a great match."
Naruto wasn't worried about Lee adapting to Guy's pace. The two were practically carbon copies of each other.
Nearby, Sasuke stood with arms folded, unusually quiet. It didn't take much to guess what was on his mind.
He was likely thinking about the growing tensions within the Uchiha Clan.
When the time comes, Naruto thought, I'll try to save as many Uchiha civilians as possible. It's the least I can do to preserve their bloodline.
After all, if things followed the original path, Sasuke wouldn't even consider a romantic relationship. If not for Sakura's relentless persistence, the Uchiha line might've ended with him.
By the river behind the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi stood talking.
"Shisui, the clan is getting out of hand," Itachi said, concern creasing his brows. "Some members are openly declaring rebellion during clan meetings."
Shisui sighed but remained calm. "Itachi, you're the most talented person I've ever met. The clan needs guidance. Those hot-headed few don't represent us all. You and I—we're the bridge between the Uchiha and the village. I truly believe there's still a way forward, a path where both sides can coexist."
He smiled warmly. "You'd like to see Sasuke grow up peacefully in the village too, right?"
Shisui's optimism was genuine, but deep inside, he understood that if worst came to worst, he might have to use Kotoamatsukami—the ultimate Genjutsu that could manipulate thoughts without the target even realizing it.
As he gently touched his eyes, Itachi noticed and asked, "Shisui... are you planning to use Kotoamatsukami?"
"Not yet," Shisui replied softly. "But if I can't stop the clan's momentum... then yes, I'll request permission from Lord Hokage and Danzo to use it."
Itachi's expression darkened. "Some of our people are too blind. Can't they see their actions will only plunge Konoha into chaos? If war breaks out, the peace we've fought for will be shattered."
Itachi's words carried a sharp edge, and a dangerous light flickered in his eyes. He had already been heavily influenced by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. His current ideals were shaped almost entirely by Hiruzen's teachings.
But Shisui didn't notice this shift. With a calm voice, he continued, "I know there are fools in the clan. But that's all the more reason we must try harder. No one is perfect, Itachi, but most of our clan members are still good at heart."
There were many shinobi within the Uchiha Clan, but even more were just ordinary people—civilians without awakened Sharingan. They were warm, kind, and no different from any other villagers in Konoha.
"Just like Izumi and Sasuke," Shisui said softly. "Aren't they exactly the people we're trying to protect?"
He was trying to use those two examples—people dear to them both—to show that the clan still held value worth preserving. In Shisui's heart, Izumi and Sasuke were his most cherished people.
Hearing Sasuke's name brought a rare, gentle smile to Itachi's face.
Shisui, seeing that smile, felt a trace of relief—but what he didn't notice was just how deeply Hiruzen Sarutobi had already influenced Itachi's mind.
From a young age, Itachi had been shaped by the Third Hokage's ideals. Hiruzen had once proclaimed that Itachi had "the wisdom of a Hokage" when he was still a child. How old was he then? It was more than just praise—it was a deliberate molding of Itachi's values. Later, he was placed into the ANBU at a very young age, where the subtle yet consistent indoctrination continued.
Over time, Itachi's entire worldview was reconstructed to align with the Village's interests above all else.
This was part of Hiruzen's cunning strategy. He applied the same tactics to Naruto, except that Naruto's ideology was already too strong—he couldn't be manipulated so easily.
This mastery of psychological control was Hiruzen's greatest advantage over Danzo.
Danzo relied on cursed seals to forcibly ensure his subordinates' loyalty, manipulating them through fear and binding contracts. Hiruzen, on the other hand, controlled people through ideology—through the "will of fire," the illusion of righteousness, and the unseen pressure of loyalty to the village.
In all his years as Hokage, Hiruzen had perfected this art of manipulation.
Few were aware of the undercurrents swirling beneath Konoha's surface.
And meanwhile, completely unaware of these plots, Naruto was joyfully experimenting with his newly crafted Ninjutsu.
Lately, he'd become very fond of the Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage technique. Thanks to his cheat-like talent system, Heaven Rewards Diligence, his attempts at modifying the technique progressed quickly and smoothly.
Using this passive skill, Naruto could continually improve the proficiency and functionality of any technique he worked on. Once he gained a solid understanding of Earth Release chakra nature, his growth sped up exponentially.
Eventually, he created a version of the jutsu he was finally satisfied with:
Earth Release: Nuclear Submarine!
The original Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage allowed the user to alter the nature of the ground using chakra, enabling them to pass through the earth as if it were water.
In the original timeline, Naruto had used this method to sneak beneath the arena during the Chunin Exams—but his understanding of Earth Release was too shallow then. The tunnel he made left obvious traces, easily giving away his position.
Now, things were different. The current Naruto could be considered a legitimate Earth Release user.
Earth Release: Nuclear Submarine—just as the name suggested—formed a chakra-reinforced, earth-based "submarine" that Naruto could lie inside, allowing him to travel underground in full comfort and stealth.
Of course, the jutsu had its drawbacks. Though it was faster than its predecessor, it consumed far more chakra. In terms of rank, it still barely scraped past the C-rank threshold, with limited combat value due to its high cost and situational use.
But then again—was chakra really a problem for Naruto?
"Do you really think 'Chakra-ton' is just a joke?" Naruto chuckled to himself.