Boom!
A sudden explosion ripped through the forest, leaving a wide, white clearing in its wake. No one could have imagined the sheer power of that Rasengan; it had cleared a section of the woods in a single blow.
Even the Earth Flow Wall that Ebisu had formed for defense was destroyed in an instant. The Special Jonin could only watch in despair as the Rasengan's attack descended upon him. The quality of this year's Konoha Academy graduates is just too high!
That kid, Naruto Uzumaki, was clearly skilled in such a powerful ninjutsu, yet he taught Konohamaru that crude, low-class Sexy Jutsu. What on earth was he thinking?
Ebisu fell to the ground, covered in injuries. He hadn't even taken a direct hit. Just being caught on the periphery of the Rasengan's explosion had dealt a devastating blow to his body.
This kid… is he really a genin?
For a moment, Ebisu recalled his own genin days, when a fellow genin—an older man in their squad—had activated the red steam, stood before them, and stopped seven terrifying, bizarrely-shaped ninjas…
Naruto Uzumaki sat down beside Ebisu, a strange smile on his face. "Seeing you like this… I seem to remember something different…"
"...Cough, cough… Are you happy, beating me into this state?" Ebisu spat out a mouthful of blood and looked up at the yellow-haired ninja with confusion.
"No, I just feel like I had a dream…" Naruto shook his head, his smile lingering. "In the dream, Teacher Ebisu praised every child, telling them that anyone could become Hokage. You were loved by so many students…"
He continued, his voice distant. "When you died, your former students knelt by your bedside, crying and telling stories about you… After you were gone, even I, as Hokage, took time out of my busy schedule to place a bouquet of flowers on your grave…"
Ebisu stared at him, speechless. Finally, he couldn't help but retort, "So your point is that you became Hokage? That was just a fake dream!"
"I know. Because I've already forgotten it now." Naruto's eyes widened in confusion. He reached up and massaged his temples. As he tried to trace back the memory of that dream, it felt as if he had experienced a painful journey through time. Only after the dream had faded completely did his mind seem to relax.
Naruto looked down at the Special Jonin lying on the ground. "A person like you would only bother teaching children with excellent bloodlines, just to get the reputation of being the Hokage's teacher. You'd never look twice at ordinary students, would you?"
Ebisu's face grew uglier. He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at Naruto and suddenly smiled. "Hey, brat. I think I can still be saved. Want to consider sending me to the hospital?"
"...Are all Special Jonin this thick-skinned?"
"...When necessary, my skin can be even thicker."
That evening, Konoha Hospital received a new patient.
Besides Naruto, two other ninjas helped carry Ebisu to the hospital. Ever since the Konoha Military Police Force was disbanded, the duty of patrolling the village had been assigned to various ninja squads.
The commotion from the battle in the back hills had been loud enough to alert this patrol squad. At first, they thought someone had invaded and that Ebisu had been seriously injured while protecting Naruto. The thought made their emotions quite complicated…
After learning the truth, their emotions became even more complicated. Was this Ebisu guy just for show? He was actually defeated in a head-on battle by a fresh academy graduate.
For a moment, the ninjas in the patrol squad all cast looks of doubt and contempt at Ebisu. This is the strength of one of our Special Jonin? As expected, if they aren't a proper Jonin, their strength must be all talk.
Just before being carried into the ward, Ebisu suddenly called out to Naruto. "Hey, brat! I want to try and see if I can give you a dream back…"
"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." Naruto shook his head and turned to leave the hospital.
But the Special Jonin didn't give up, shouting after him, "When you become Hokage in the future, and when I'm buried at the Memorial Stone, don't forget to offer me a bouquet of flowers!"
This strange remark drew a host of puzzled glances.
That demon fox brat was always shouting about becoming Hokage. The idea was a huge joke. Which family in the village didn't have a child who dreamed of becoming Hokage?
This guy named Ebisu… why did it sound like he was willing to believe the demon fox brat would actually do it?
One of the ninjas couldn't help but ask the medical ninja next to him, "Doctor, excuse me, but if someone is hit by a very powerful jutsu, could it… affect their intelligence?"
"Theoretically, such a possibility exists." The medical ninja nodded solemnly, glanced at the heavily injured Ebisu, and added softly, "And judging by his injuries, that possibility is not low."
Ebisu: "..."
-----
Back in the hills of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing loose clothes and with a pipe in his mouth, leisurely examined the recent battlefield.
Someone had reported that the "demon fox brat" had injured the Special Jonin Ebisu. Fearing the Nine-Tails' chakra had leaked, he had rushed to the scene.
Based on the destruction, it was clear that a very powerful jutsu had torn through the forest. The spiral-shaped crater in the ground showed that the jutsu Naruto used could be classified as a transformation of the Rasengan.
The Third Hokage squatted down, caressing a destroyed tree root. His face gradually became grave. "To have such great power just from the periphery of the jutsu? Even Minato never developed the Rasengan to this extent, did he?"
"My teacher once mentioned that the Rasengan is a jutsu that can be enhanced through chakra nature transformation," Kakashi Hatake said, standing beside him. He surveyed the mess on the ground and couldn't help but praise, "Whether it's his age or the time it took him to master it, Naruto has indeed surpassed my teacher."
"Kakashi… his talent is almost too high." The Third Hokage shook his head, holding his pipe. "As Naruto's future supervising Jonin, you must guide him to become an excellent ninja. This can also be considered a way to make up for the regrets between you and Minato."
"Understood." Kakashi pulled up his mask, his eyes narrowing slightly. "As the son of an Uzumaki clan princess and my teacher, Minato, it shouldn't be an accident that Naruto possesses such talent, right?"
Hiruzen nodded, turning to the white-haired ninja. "But Naruto is not a pure-blooded Uzumaki descendant. He can't completely control and restrain the Nine-Tails' power like Lady Mito and Kushina did…"
"I'm just worried that he will be corrupted by the Nine-Tails' evil chakra. After all, the jinchuriki of other villages are, more or less, a bit extreme…"
"Yes." Kakashi clenched his fist, then slowly loosened it. "If Naruto and the others can pass my test, I will guide him well."
-----
Bonus:
Ninja A: "Man, that Ebisu guy is weak!"
Ninja B: "Got sent to the hospital by a recent graduate — how's he even still a special jonin?"
Ninja C: "If I can beat Naruto Uzumaki, does that mean I can become a jonin too?"
Ninja D: "Let's all become special jonin!"
Ebisu: "Naruto Uzumaki, you have to become Hokage — clear my name for me!"
Naruto Uzumaki: "…Since when was getting beaten up by the Hokage something to be proud of?"