The next day.
Uchiha Station.
In a certain room.
Sasuke looked at the people in front of him with a confused expression.
He said awkwardly: "Is it really necessary to have so many people just to take a photo?"
Naruto raised the camera in his hand and said to Sasuke, "Sasuke, you don't understand."
"I'm the photographer, Sakura is the lighting technician, and Ino is the makeup artist. These are all essential roles."
Haruno Sakura held a wooden stick wrapped with wires, with a light bulb tied to the front.
She said to Sasuke, "Yeah, Sasuke, don't be shy. It's not like there are any outsiders here anyway."
"Yeah, yeah Hehehe" Ino nodded too, though her tone sounded a little off.
Sasuke was silent for a moment, then finally resigned to his fate.
After the group tinkered around for quite some time, the shoot was finally completed.
Sasuke walked into the bathroom with a numb expression.
Soon, the sound of running water echoed inside.
Sakura and Ino got what they needed and began preparing to sell the photos.
Not long after,
Sasuke came out of the bathroom, clean and calm, his expression unreadable.
He immediately said to Naruto, "Uzumaki Naruto, let's begin!"
Naruto nodded slightly. "Alright. Attack me with all your strength — I want to see how good you are now."
Hearing this, Sasuke's eyes lit up with excitement.
Finally!
After all his effort — even sacrificing his dignity — he was about to receive Naruto's personal training.
He couldn't wait to see what Naruto would teach him.
The two walked out of the Uchiha compound and came to a river.
As soon as they stopped, Sasuke activated his Sharingan.
He explained confidently, "My Sharingan can copy your movements, copy your jutsu, and enhance dynamic vision. Naruto, you'd better be careful."
With that, he rushed forward without hesitation.
Naruto, however, simply closed his eyes slightly, relying on instinct and combat experience to predict Sasuke's movements.
Sasuke attacked with all his might — punches and kicks flying in quick succession — but Naruto blocked every strike with a single hand.
After evaluating Sasuke's level, Naruto took the initiative.
He caught Sasuke's arm, twisted it, and threw him to the ground.
Then, with a light push, Sasuke fell straight into the river, drenched and defeated.
In the water, Sasuke replayed Naruto's movements in his mind in shock.
No!
The gap was enormous.
It was like an adult sparring with a child.
Grinding his teeth, Sasuke swam ashore and stood up, dripping wet.
"I lost," he admitted, lowering his head, his voice heavy with frustration.
This was the first time he had lost to Naruto.
Naruto reached out and pulled him up. "Your taijutsu is already among the top tier for your age group," he commented.
Top tier?
Sasuke blinked, a little skeptical.
But then he relaxed — Naruto wasn't one to lie about such things.
Before Naruto had started showing his true strength, Sasuke had been number one in the Academy's practical exercises.
In terms of taijutsu, only Inuzuka Kiba could somewhat compare.
But once Naruto began to unleash his full power, Sasuke never managed to win first place again — no matter how many times he challenged him.
Naruto continued, "But what you lack isn't strength — it's technique and combat experience."
"Then, I'll make a special training plan for you next."
Hearing that, Sasuke's eyes brightened.
Naruto went on, "Every Tuesday and Thursday, you'll challenge me and gain experience through defeat. That rule stays the same."
"Every Monday, I'll teach you a new skill until you've mastered it."
"And once your strength reaches a certain level, we'll start taking missions together."
Sasuke understood what Naruto meant. Naruto wasn't particularly interested in regular missions…
But then Naruto added, "We'll take missions that let you experience real battle — missions where you'll see blood."
Sasuke's heart thumped, but instead of fear, he felt anticipation.
The plan was set.
Sasuke then asked, "Naruto, what's today's skill?"
Naruto smiled faintly. "Sasuke, why did you fall into the river earlier?"
"Huh?" Sasuke blinked, puzzled.
Isn't it normal to fall into the water?
He guessed, "Because… I'm heavier?"
Naruto didn't respond. Instead, he walked out onto the surface of the river.
To Sasuke's astonishment, Naruto stood on the water as if it were solid ground.
"What?!" Sasuke exclaimed. "Naruto, how are you doing that?"
Naruto replied calmly, "This is the first skill I'm going to teach you."
"You have to focus your chakra at the soles of your feet so that it adheres to any surface."
"Walking on water can be difficult at first, so start by practicing tree climbing."
"You don't need me to tell you how to climb a tree, do you?"
Excitement filled Sasuke's eyes. "No, I know!"
He ran to a nearby tree, placed his foot against the trunk, and focused his chakra.
Sure enough, he could feel a sticking sensation — a perfect chakra balance.
As expected of Naruto — he really knew this technique.
If he mastered it, he could fight freely in any terrain.
Sasuke began practicing seriously.
Naruto nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.
It was already afternoon.
Naruto had his own plans.
He went to Ichiraku Ramen for lunch, then rested briefly at home.
After that, he headed toward the main gate of Konoha.
Even though it was peacetime, Konoha — one of the Five Great Ninja Villages — still required registration for anyone entering or leaving.
When Naruto arrived, Gatekeeper Izumo Kamizuki immediately approached.
"Uzumaki Naruto?" Izumo looked puzzled at first, then asked, "You're leaving the village? Do you have a mission approval from Lord Hokage?"
That restriction made Naruto frown slightly.
Naruto shrugged. "I'm not a Jinchūriki anymore. Why would I need one?"
"Uh?" Izumo froze, his mind blanking for a moment — but he quickly realized Naruto was right.
Everyone knew the Nine-Tails had been released from Konoha.
Now, when villagers saw Naruto — once called the "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" — their expressions were a mix of shock and confusion.
After all, they used to treat him like the demon itself.
But now the Nine-Tails was gone… and Naruto was still here.
What did that mean?
It meant Naruto was never the demon fox to begin with.
Izumo hesitated, then said, "Alright, but you'll still need to sign the register. It's standard procedure."
"Got it." Naruto stepped up to the table near the guard post, picked up a pen, and wrote down his name and departure time.
Once done, Naruto walked through the gates of Konoha, following a narrow forest path.
Before long, he had left the village behind and entered a remote jungle.
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