The Second Contact with Naruto
Hokage Office
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at the scroll of ninjutsu before him.
"An S-rank Water Style jutsu… only twenty-five seals are required to cast it…"His eyes narrowed."This talent… it's as remarkable as Lord Tobirama's…"
Boom!
A knock echoed against the door.
"Enter."
A masked ANBU stepped inside. Hiruzen didn't raise his eyes, slowly rolling up the scroll.
"Report. Nagano Yuichi is currently training at Mount Aso, outside the village."
"I see."
"Shall we continue monitoring him?"
"No need."
Hiruzen placed the scroll back on the desk, finally lifting his head."You may leave."
"Yes, Third Hokage-sama."
The ANBU vanished, leaving the room in silence. Hiruzen turned toward the window, his expression thoughtful.
This diligence in training… it reminds me of myself in my youth.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, yet his eyes chilled with frost.He must be pleased to bear such a gift.
Time passed. The eastern sky glowed with the golden hues of sunset when footsteps approached.
"Lord Third Hokage," Kakashi greeted respectfully as he entered.
"How are they?" Hiruzen asked, referring to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's performance on their D-rank missions.
"It's… barely acceptable," Kakashi replied. "Sasuke and Naruto keep competing with each other, but when it matters, Sasuke still lends him a hand."
Hiruzen nodded. "Good. Tomorrow, assign them a C-rank mission."
"Tomorrow? A C-rank mission, for them?"
"You still have your duties, Kakashi. But with you by their side, I feel reassured."
Kakashi, confident in his own strength, simply inclined his head."Understood. I'll look after them."
"Go on, then."
As Kakashi turned to leave, a thought crossed his mind—Yuichi. The boy Hiruzen had once asked him to keep an eye on.
"What about that kid?" he asked.
Hiruzen took a slow draw from his pipe, his tone calm."That boy is indeed exceptional. A rare talent. But precisely because of that, he needs more training. He must be tempered."
Kakashi blinked, caught off guard. No missions? Not even one?
Hiruzen exhaled, the smoke curling in the air."Extraordinary talent is both a gift and a threat. The village cannot withstand another upheaval. I will not allow a second Orochimaru to rise."
Thus, despite surpassing his peers, the newly graduated Genin would not receive missions.
Kakashi said nothing further, though he quietly thought Hiruzen's caution was… perhaps, too extreme.
Meanwhile, Naruto had wrapped up his mission. Now he sat by the riverbank, bored, tossing pebbles into the water.
"You look awfully bored," a voice sounded from behind.
Naruto turned. A familiar young man stood there. His eyes lit up with recognition."You're the guy who ate noodles at Ichiraku's that night!"
Yuichi nodded casually, flipping a bench over and sitting beside him."You're Uzumaki Naruto, right?"
"You know me?"
"Of course. The 'Eternal Dead-Last' of the Academy—everyone knows who you are."
Naruto scowled. "Don't underestimate me! Even if I'm dead-last, I'm still stronger than you. Test scores don't mean anything!"
"Yes," Yuichi agreed lightly. "Test results are just numbers."
Naruto froze for a moment. He hadn't expected that. Yuichi wasn't mocking him… he wasn't looking down on him at all.
"Hey, what's your name?" Naruto asked.
"Nagano Yuichi."
"That's too formal. I'll just call you Yuichi."
"Then I'll call you Naruto."
"Yeah."
Yuichi's relaxed tone made Naruto's chest warm. For once, someone was treating him like an equal—not like a fool.
"Since you're free," Naruto grinned, "how about a little challenge to see who's better?"
Yuichi's lips curved faintly.
[System Prompt: Please Choose]
Accept Naruto's proposal — Reward: Wind Style: Beast Wave Palm.Focus chakra to form a slicing wind blade, striking the enemy with devastating force.
Reject Naruto's proposal — Reward: Water Style: Wave Ride.Move swiftly across water surfaces, seamlessly chaining into Water Style ninjutsu.