This was the happiest day he had ever had! Not only had he found a partner and a new friend to train with, but he had also gained the recognition of that man… Might Guy!
"Naruto, Teacher Guy… I will definitely work even harder!"
Under the moonlight, Rock Lee continued his training, over and over again…
…
After returning home, Naruto had already begun to prepare his dinner with increasing skill. He wolfed it down, quickly filling his empty stomach. Then, the System prompt he received was…
[Chakra refining technique one hundred times!]
[Two hundred times of clone technique!]
Naruto didn't dare to disobey and immediately continued to practice.
In the spiritual space, the Nine-Tailed Fox witnessed all of this and couldn't help but feel a little upset.
*'Although it's only to avoid being electrocuted, but… this brat still has some perseverance… Hmph.'*
He shook his head, his long fox ears twitched, and then he seemed to notice the fluctuations in his own thoughts, sneered, and closed his eyes once more.
…
Late at night, in the Hokage's office of Konoha Village, after a long, busy day of work, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, rubbed his eyes, looking a little exhausted.
"I am really getting old… I'm so exhausted by these daily chores…"
He lit his pipe, took a deep breath, and blew out large smoke rings, feeling much better.
"Ahem…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed, and his eyes subconsciously fell on the crystal ball resting on the corner of his desk.
"Hm? By the way, I haven't paid attention to Naruto for several days… Let's take a look now. But it's so late, he must be fast asleep, right?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a wry smile and activated his own ninjutsu. "Telescope Jutsu."
The scene in Naruto's room suddenly appeared within the crystal ball.
"Hmm? His place seems a bit different . Is it just my imagination?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, feeling that Naruto's room seemed much tidier and cleaner than usual. In addition to Naruto's own slight tidying up, Hinata's contribution was also included; she had helped Naruto clean the room while he was doing his homework.
However, for Hiruzen Sarutobi, this was certainly not the main point. Soon, the real owner, Naruto, appeared in the crystal ball…
"Hm? This… this is…"
At this moment, Naruto was still facing the mirror, practicing his clone technique with intense focus!
"Clone!"
"Hateful…"
"Clone!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's jaw dropped in complete surprise. "Did I see that wrong?"
He rubbed his eyes, squinted them again, and looked closer at the crystal ball. However, Naruto was still there, training hard late into the night.
"What's wrong with this boy, Naruto? Is this still the same Naruto who was always mischievous, playing pranks, and never doing his job?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the Naruto who was training hard late at night with an expression of extreme shock. This was so different from the Naruto he remembered. You know, Naruto used to be the subject of constant reports from the ninjas, always detailing what kind of troubles and disasters he had caused in the village. Come to think of it, it had been a few days since anyone had reported anything about Naruto…
Hiruzen Sarutobi scratched his head, and a few strands of his old and sparse hair fell out. "Anbu."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
*Swish, swish, swish…*
Several figures wearing strange masks immediately appeared in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi like lightning.
"You are responsible for keeping an eye on Naruto. These past two days, has he… been any different?"
Several Anbu members looked at each other in bewilderment. "Hokage-sama, how should I put it… It's not just a little different, it's like seeing a ghost!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. "Oh? What happened?"
The Anbu explained Naruto's recent changes one by one, and Hiruzen Sarutobi became more and more surprised the more he listened.
"Really? How could he suddenly change so much? What on earth happened to that boy…"
Several of the Anbu also shook their heads. "It doesn't look like anything specific happened… But, Hokage-sama, this isn't really that surprising. Boys of this age are likely to suddenly work hard on various things. Of course, most people are only intermittently ambitious but constantly live a life of idleness and waiting for death. Not many people can stick with it. It's just a passing fad…"
"Indeed, with Naruto's personality, I don't believe he can hold on for long…"
These Anbu members didn't look down on Naruto. In fact, no one knew Naruto better than them. After all, they had been secretly watching and protecting him for years. These conclusions were also entirely based on their previous deep understanding of Naruto.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also nodded. "That's true…"
But just then, a figure suddenly and silently walked out from the shadows of the Hokage's office. Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head slightly and guessed the identity of the person who had arrived.
"What can I do for you, Danzo?"
The man lurking in the darkness was none other than Konoha's Darkness, known as the shadow behind the Hokage, the Third Hokage's old partner… Danzo Shimura!
Seeing this, the several Anbu members immediately shut their mouths.
Danzo Shimura said coldly, "Hiruzen, how are you going to deal with this matter?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. "Deal with what? You mean Naruto?"
"Correct!" Danzo's tone was dry yet sharp. "Even though he's still a child, he is still the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails! Now that all these changes have suddenly occurred, shouldn't we find a way to investigate this thoroughly? Or do you want to repeat the mistakes of the Nine-Tailed Fox Rebellion?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, "Danzo, just because Naruto suddenly started to work hard, you've already thought so much? Isn't that a bit of an overreaction?"
"An overreaction? Hmph, Hiruzen, you are far too naive!" Danzo shouted. "Go and see how the Sand Village treats the One-Tailed Jinchuriki! The same child, the same Kage's son, but Kazekage Rasa never showed any mercy to that Gaara! The Jinchuriki are not only a strategic weapon for the village, but they also carry enormous dangers. They should never be neglected in this way! If you just hand that brat Naruto over to me…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression suddenly changed drastically. "Shut up, Danzo! I will never hand Naruto over to you!"
A sinister and cruel look flashed in Danzo Shimura's eyes. "Hiruzen, you are being completely naive and weak! I must remind you…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone also became stern. "Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Danzo Shimura was startled, and his expression became even gloomier. "You're going to regret this, Hiruzen!"
His figure disappeared back into the darkness, and then…### Chapter 17: Regret! Shadow! Bang!
This was the happiest day he had ever had! Not only had he found a partner to practice with, but he had also gained the recognition of that man… Might Guy!
"Naruto, Teacher Guy… I will definitely work even harder!"
Under the moonlight, Rock Lee continued his ascetic training, over and over again…