Chapter 175: Naruto's Return
Time passed in a flash.
"I'm finally back."
A blond young man in an orange outfit stood on the rooftop of a tall building, gazing down at the bustling streets of Konoha. The village had grown far livelier than he remembered.
"Welcome back, Naruto. It's been a while," Sakura greeted him with a soft smile.
"Sakura! It really has been a long time!" Naruto beamed with uncontained joy.
"You've grown taller… and your posture's much stronger now," Sakura noted, scanning his appearance from head to toe.
"Of course!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.
At that moment, Konohamaru's team arrived to welcome him. As soon as he saw Naruto, Konohamaru's face lit up. Without hesitation, he performed the Sexy Jutsu right in front of his senior.
Naruto stared at him blankly. No reaction.
"…Looks like Naruto really has matured," Sakura thought, somewhat amused.
"From now on, don't rely on jutsu like that anymore," Naruto said with a faint smile as he looked at Konohamaru. Sakura nodded in agreement, a grateful expression on her face.
But suddenly—
"What was that?! Your Sexy Jutsu is still as primitive as ever!" Naruto snapped, switching tone without warning.
Sakura's expression instantly changed.
"You're such a perv! Get lost!" she shouted, delivering a devastating punch that sent Naruto flying. He crashed into the ground with a loud thud, buried headfirst from the sheer force.
— — —
Later, inside the Hokage's office, Naruto stood with Jiraiya before Tsunade.
"Granny Tsunade! Long time no see! Where's Uncle Yusuke?" Naruto asked cheerfully.
"He's at home. Since you've completed your training, I've arranged someone to test you," Tsunade replied with a small smile.
"Huh? Who?" Naruto tilted his head, curiosity piqued.
"Look outside the window," Tsunade said, pointing outward.
Naruto stepped forward and spotted a masked man sitting calmly in the garden, fully absorbed in a book.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out with a grin.
"Oh? Naruto? It's been a while," Kakashi replied coolly, eyes still on his book.
"Still as cold as ever, huh…" Naruto grumbled, rummaging through his bag and pulling out a brand new novel—Jiraiya's latest release.
"A gift for you, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, handing it over.
Kakashi's expression lit up like a child on their birthday. He practically sparkled.
"Alright then, I'll be your proctor this time. But don't expect me to go easy on you," Kakashi said with a sly smile before vanishing in an instant using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Listen up. This exam is important. Sakura, you'll be participating as well," Tsunade added firmly.
"Yes, Sensei," Sakura responded with confidence.
"Don't worry, Granny Tsunade! I've gotten way stronger!" Naruto declared proudly.
"Don't get cocky, Naruto. Your opponent this time is Kakashi," Jiraiya warned with a serious tone.
Naruto nodded, fully aware of how dangerous his former teacher could be.
"…Honestly, picking Kakashi might've been a bit too much," Jiraiya muttered.
"Who else do you expect me to send? The other Jōnin can't match Naruto anymore. The only one close would be Might Guy, but he's away on a mission. Yusuke offered to test him, but I turned him down," Tsunade replied with a sigh.
There were still plenty of powerful shinobi in Konoha, but most of them were currently deployed outside the village.
"Good call. If he stepped in, Naruto and Sakura might actually die," Jiraiya said bluntly.
Naruto shuddered as he remembered Yusuke's Giant Rasengan. After two whole years, he still hadn't come close to mastering it. Even Jiraiya admitted he couldn't pull it off—it was a technique capable of wiping out an entire village in a single instant.
Meanwhile, an old fear flickered in Sakura's chest.
Back when Tsunade had been too busy to train her, Sakura had been temporarily entrusted to Yusuke. At the time, her chakra-enhanced punches had hit a wall.
So, Yusuke had demonstrated something.
With a single strike, he obliterated a mountain. The peak vanished.
The sheer shockwave from his punch tore down the forest surrounding it. And he had done it casually, as if it was nothing.
It was then Sakura truly realized just how terrifying Yusuke's strength was.
Back then, she thought he was just a little stronger than the average Jōnin.
But now she knew.
The gap between them was like heaven and earth.
There's a saying: "You'll never know true despair… until you actually try."
"Alright, time to go. Kakashi's waiting for you," Tsunade said, breaking the silence.
Naruto headed toward the exam site. On the way, he ran into Shikamaru and Temari.
"Y'know… you're the only Genin left now," Shikamaru said with a yawn.
"Shino and Neji already made Jōnin," he added.
Naruto froze in place, dumbfounded.
"Wait… Are you two on a date?" he asked, eyeing Temari and Shikamaru suspiciously.
"No! I came to Konoha for business with Lady Tsunade!" Temari replied quickly, cheeks slightly flushed. Still… someone else flashed briefly in her mind.
Shikamaru raised his hand casually.
"Oh yeah—Naruto, where are you headed?" he asked.
"The exam. We're being tested by Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied, already looking worn out.
"Good luck," Shikamaru said with a nod.
Aside from Hatake Yusuke, Kakashi was the strongest ninja in Konoha.
"Let's go together," Sakura offered. Naruto nodded, and Temari decided to tag along too since she was heading to the Hokage's office anyway.
— — —
By now, dusk had fallen. The skies began to darken.
"Naruto, Sakura, this is still the bell test. The rules haven't changed. Unless you come at me with the intent to kill, you won't stand a chance," Kakashi declared, standing relaxed in the middle of the field.
Naruto smirked and suddenly dashed at him. But Kakashi effortlessly dodged and pressed a kunai against Naruto's neck.
A puff of smoke exploded—just a Shadow Clone.
The real Naruto appeared behind Kakashi… but that one vanished too. It was a clone as well.
They'd both lost track of him.
Sakura scanned the area, then slammed her fist into the ground. The earth cracked and split violently. Kakashi, who had been hiding underground, was forced to surface.
"Oh? Looks like she picked up your punching technique. Her training paid off," Jiraiya remarked.
"I'm the one who trained her," came a calm voice from the trees above.
Everyone looked up to see a tall figure with an eyepatch and his hands tucked casually into his pockets—Hatake Yusuke.
"Yusuke, it's been a while," Jiraiya greeted.
Temari looked visibly tense upon seeing him. She had requested this mission to Konoha herself, much to Gaara's surprise. Even she wasn't sure why she felt so excited… just to see this man.
"It's been a while, Uncle Jiraiya," Yusuke replied with a calm smile.
But Jiraiya's expression grew somber.
Yusuke looked exactly the same as he did years ago. He hadn't aged a day.
Tsunade too—she remained ever-youthful, untouched by time. Meanwhile, he… while not old, clearly couldn't compete with these two monsters.
"You really haven't changed. Still sharp-tongued as ever," Jiraiya muttered, rolling his eyes.
Yusuke offered a small smirk and turned his attention back to the battlefield.
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