The morning sun rose gracefully over the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant shades of gold and pale crimson as it cast a warm, invigorating light across the lands of the Fire Country.
At Training Ground 7, the tranquil stillness of the early dawn was broken by a lively chorus of voices. The entire clearing was bustling with energy, having been transformed into an expansive gathering spot for Konoha's finest young shinobi. Nearly all of Naruto's peers had assembled: the former members of the Rookie Nine, Team Guy, along with Yamato and Sai.
Near the edge of the grassy field, a heavy iron barbecue grill had been erected over a bed of crackling coals, sending thin trails of fragrant smoke curling into the morning air. Spread out across the lush, dew-kissed grass was a massive woven picnic mat, laden with wooden baskets, ceramic plates, and stone thermoses.
While several of the Chunin and Jonin lounged on the mat, enjoying the serene atmosphere, the far side of the nearby lake was the stage for a display of high-level physical combat.
THWACK!
The sharp, concussive crack of wooden weapons striking against flesh echoed across the water.
Naruto Uzumaki hovered effortlessly over the lake's surface, executing a flawless, lightning-fast backflip to dodge a brutal, sweeping strike from Rock Lee's nunchaku. As the bladed wooden weapons whistled through the empty air where his head had been a millisecond prior, Naruto snapped his right arm forward, his open palm striking the chain of the weapon with precise force to redirect its momentum.
Taking advantage of the opening, Naruto thrust his left palm straight toward Lee's exposed midsection.
Reacting with the instincts of a Taijutsu master, Lee braced his core, contorting his upper body mid-air. He planted his free forearm firmly against Naruto's outstretched arm, using the momentum of Naruto's strike as a makeshift springboard to vault over his opponent, flipping gracefully through the air before skimming across the water.
It was a brilliant, high-speed exchange, yet both combatants were visibly holding back.
Naruto, in particular, was restraining his output to an extreme degree. Ever since returning from Mount Myōboku with his body fundamentally restructured by Sage Mode and Kurama's refined chakra, controlling his raw physical force during casual spars required absolute, razor-sharp focus. One fraction of an inch too much force, and a friendly mock battle could easily turn catastrophic.
On the shore, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the picnic mat with his eye glued to his signature orange book, Kakashi Hatake let out a quiet sigh.
Beside him, Might Guy stood with his hands resting dramatically on his hips, his green jumpsuit gleaming in the sunlight as his eyes sparkled with fierce pride.
"Look at that, Kakashi!" Guy shouted, his boisterous voice echoing across the clearing. "The radiant flames of youth are burning brighter than ever in my beloved Lee! Seeing the new generation clash with such fiery intensity makes my very blood boil with passion! Ah, to be young again!"
Kakashi subtly shifted a few inches to the side without taking his eye off the page. "Did you say something, Guy?"
Guy instantly fell to his knees in dramatic defeat, clutching his head. "Gah! Your casual indifference is as infuriatingly cool as ever, Kakashi! Such an unbothered, hip attitude!"
A few feet away, Asuma Sarutobi leaned against the trunk of a broad oak tree, puffing a cloud of blue smoke from his lit cigarette. He watched the high-speed sparring match across the lake with a sharp, analytical eye.
"You have to admit, Guy," Asuma commented lazily, taking the cigarette between his fingers, "their fundamental Taijutsu form is far beyond anything you'd expect from Jonin and chunin. In fact, their baseline physical skill is terrifying for their age. I don't think a single one of us possessed that level of close-quarters proficiency when we were seventeen... well, except for Mr. Prodigy over there."
Asuma tilted his head toward Kakashi with a dry, knowing smirk.
Meanwhile, near the cooking area, Kurenai Yūhi was supervising the meal preparation with a warm, gentle smile. The workload had been divided with strategic efficiency: Chōji Akimichi was stationed directly at the grill, turning heavy skewers of marinating meat over the flame, while Shino Aburame and Shikamaru Nara stood on either side of him like hawk-eyed sentinels, explicitly tasked with preventing the heavy-eating Akimichi from consuming the entire supply before the picnic officially began.
A short distance away, Hinata Hyūga, Ino Yamanaka, and Tenten were meticulously slicing fresh vegetables, setting aside colorful arrangements for salads and sandwiches.
Near the edge of the woods, a minor commotion broke out. Kiba Inuzuka, having watched Naruto and Lee's flashy exchange with growing envy, had declared an open challenge to anyone willing to fight him. When no one initially took the bait, Neji had calmly stepped forward to entertain his rival's energetic outburst.
The brief mock spar between Kiba and Neji ended almost as quickly as it began.
BANG!
Kiba hit the dirt with a heavy thud, Akamaru barking nervously beside him. Neji stood over him, his long white robe pristine and untouched by dust. The Hyūga prodigy casually dusted off his sleeves, a rare, amused smirk gracing his features.
"I believe that makes it ten to zero in my favor, Kiba," Neji noted smoothly. "Perhaps we should call it a morning."
Kiba scrambled back up, brushing dirt off his coat while glaring defiantly. "Yeah, yeah! Keep talking, Neji! I was just holding back so I wouldn't accidentally break one of your ribs in a casual spar!"
Neji merely closed his eyes and let out a soft chuckle, while the surrounding rookies completely ignored Kiba's bluster, their attention drawn back to the lake where the main event was escalating.
Out on the open water, Naruto slid across the surface with uncanny smoothness.
Instead of merely walking on water using standard chakra retention, Naruto was dynamically shaping the water molecules directly beneath his sandals. Utilizing his refined elemental chakra control, he was literally gliding across the liquid surface like an ice skater on fresh glass.
On the shore, the Jonin squad leaders watched the display with visible surprise.
"Well now..." Asuma murmured, his eyes widening slightly behind the veil of smoke. "Look at that fluid control. Naruto's chakra refinement has reached a terrifying level. His natural affinity for Water Manipulation is showing through quite clearly."
"It's more than just simple water walking," Yamato added, stepping up beside Asuma with a look of genuine fascination. "He is actively manipulating the surface tension and kinetic friction beneath his feet to glide without losing momentum. That level of micro-adjustability on a dynamic liquid surface is something even high-level Jonin from the Hidden Mist would struggle to master so effortlessly."
On the lake, Lee descended from the sky like a green meteor, swinging his nunchaku down with brutal downward force.
Naruto didn't block. With a fluid, rotational shift of his weight, he spun on the water, slipping past the trajectory of the strike. As Lee's hand passed him, Naruto caught Lee's wrist with absolute precision. Instead of stopping the blow head-on, Naruto used Lee's own downward kinetic force to swing the Taijutsu master through a complete circle, dispersing the momentum harmlessly into the air.
Lee spun through the air, executing three quick aerial flips before landing cleanly on his feet atop the water's surface, his eyes sparkling with pure exhilaration.
"Incredible, Naruto-kun!" Lee declared, his chest heaving as he brought his fists up into a classic stance. "Your defensive fluidity is magnificent!"
"You're not so bad yourself, Lee," Naruto replied, a bright grin spreading across his face. "Honestly, this spar is the perfect test for a new utility technique I've been refining."
Without warning, Naruto pushed off his back foot. Utilizing his "water-skating" mechanic, he burst forward across the lake at a speed that defied visual tracking. In a fraction of a second, he materialized directly in Lee's personal space.
Before Lee could react, Naruto launched himself into a low, elegant vault, flipping over Lee's head.
Tap.
Naruto landed lightly, balancing perfectly on a single hand—planted squarely on top of Lee's head—while positioning his body in an inverted handstand above his opponent.
"I believe that's match to me," Naruto said with a casual laugh, resting his weight effortlessly on Lee's head. "What do you say, Lee?"
Lee lowered his nunchaku, letting his arms drop to his sides with an awe-filled grin. Naruto gracefully flipped off Lee's head, landing softly on the water beside him.
"That was a truly magnificent exchange, Naruto-kun!" Lee shouted, pumping a fist into the air. "My soul is overflowing with youth! Your fighting spirit has inspired me to push my physical boundaries even further!"
"Haha, same here, Lee," Naruto grinned, slinging an arm over Lee's shoulder as they began walking back toward the grassy shore. "I've been itching for a good warm-up. Next time, we'll go a bit harder and test out some real heavy hitters!"
As the pair stepped onto the dry grass, Might Guy instantly materialized before them, flashing a blinding, white-toothed grin and giving a dramatic thumbs-up.
"A spectacular display of youthful excellence!" Guy roared, tears of inspiration welling at the corners of his eyes. "Naruto-kun, your unprecedented chakra control and innovative spirit have set my very soul ablaze! To match your incredible effort, I declare that immediately following this picnic, I shall complete five thousand laps around the perimeter of Konoha on my hands!"
A massive, collective sweatdrop manifested behind Naruto's head.
"I shall join you, Guy-sensei!" Lee exclaimed with equal fervor, his eyes bursting with literal flames of determination. "Five thousand laps on our hands shall be our ultimate tribute to youth!"
"Oh man..." Naruto mumbled under his breath, backing away slowly from the dynamic duo.
Seeking an escape from the overwhelming green energy, Naruto trotted over toward a quiet shady spot near a large willow tree, where Sai sat on a small folding stool, a wooden easel balanced on his lap and a paintbrush in hand.
Naruto leaned over Sai's shoulder, peering at the canvas. It was a remarkably detailed ink sketch of the picnic ground, capturing the chaotic energy of the rookies with impressive artistic precision.
"Hey, that's a really nice painting you've got going there, Sai," Naruto noted cheerfully.
Sai paused, his paintbrush hovering in mid-air. He turned his head slowly, his expression remaining completely unreadable. "It is merely acceptable, Naruto-kun," Sai replied in his signature, flat monotone.
Naruto slapped Sai lightly on the back, causing the artist to sway slightly forward. "Come on, bro, lighten up a bit! Nobody's gonna bite you around here. The food's almost ready anyway, so let's head over before Chōji decides to devour the entire grill supply himself."
As the two walked side by side toward the main picnic mat, Sai tilted his head, his pale eyes observing Naruto with quiet curiosity.
"Naruto-kun," Sai began smoothly, "that movement technique you demonstrated on the lake... it was quite extraordinary. Fighting on dynamic water surfaces has historically been a tactical nightmare for high-speed combatants."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Naruto chuckled, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Standard water-walking is fine for steady ground, but when you're moving at high speeds on a river or an ocean, the fluid drag is a total pain. So I figured, why not use my Water affinity to actively alter the surface tension? It's basically high-speed mud-walking, but hey, it works like a charm!"
"It is beyond impressive," Sai remarked neutrally. "Lee-san is not an opponent who can be casually handled in a standard physical engagement."
Naruto snorted softly, waving a hand. "Stop joking around, Sai. If you and Lee fought seriously without his Gates, you'd give him an absolute run for his money. You're a Jonin-level operative raised through Root's lethal curriculum. I'd be seriously disappointed if you couldn't hold your ground against base Lee!"
Sai blinked, a slight pause in his step. "You evaluate my combat prowess quite highly, Naruto-kun."
"I just know what you're capable of, bro," Naruto smiled, patting Sai's shoulder. "Now come on, let's grab some food before it disappears!"
Approaching the food preparation area, Naruto called out to Ino and Hinata. "Hey! How's the feast coming along?"
Ino turned around, wiping a speck of sweat from her forehead, her hands full of sliced vegetables. She narrowed her blue eyes at Naruto, playfully glaring at him. "It would be moving a lot faster, Fox-boy, if certain people hadn't been playing around in the lake while we were slaving away over cutting boards!"
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Naruto protested, throwing his hands up in defense. "I offered to summon a dozen Shadow Clones to do all the prep work for you, but you were the one who rejected them!"
"Naruto-kun..." Hinata interjected softly, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink as she offered a tiny, embarrassed smile. "You do realize... your Shadow Clones tend to possess a bit too much... independent personality when you aren't directly micromanaging them?"
"They're completely harmless!" Naruto whined defensively. "Just a little mischievous!"
"Tell that to the clone who 'accidentally' dumped an entire wooden bucket of cold river water over my head when I tried to give him a vegetable peeler!" Ino snapped, though a suppressed smirk twitched at the edge of her lips.
"I said I was sorry!" Naruto groaned, rubbing his head. "It was an honest mechanical slip-up! And I helped you dry your hair out afterward!"
"You completely ruined my bangs!" Ino huffed playfully, shaking her head.
Hinata giggled quietly behind her hand, then held out a clean wooden bucket toward Naruto. "Naruto-kun, could you perhaps fetch some fresh spring water from the upper stream for the tea?"
"On it! Come on, Sai!" Naruto grinned, taking the bucket and jogging off toward the clear stream.
A short while later, the feast was officially served.
The entire group gathered tightly around the expansive picnic mat, digging into the magnificent spread. Chōji was in a state of pure, culinary euphoria, his fingers coated in savory glaze as he devoured meat skewer after meat skewer with terrifying speed. The rest of the rookies and jonin laughed, chatted, and ate their fill, enjoying a rare moment of absolute peace away from the heavy burdens of military duty.
After the meal concluded, the group lay back across the grass under the warm afternoon sun, their bellies full and their spirits high. Chōji let out a long, contented sigh, blissfully rubbing his round stomach.
"Ahhh... now that was a truly satisfying lunch," Chōji declared with absolute serenity.
Naruto, resting on his back with his hands cushion-laced behind his head, chuckled softly. "Man, even with my Jinchūriki metabolism, I don't think I could ever match your digestive capacity, Chōji!"
The group burst into lighthearted laughter, the comfortable atmosphere lingering in the warm breeze.
"So, Naruto," Lee spoke up suddenly, leaning forward from his cross-legged position with an intense look in his eyes. "What are your immediate plans regarding your physical training schedule? I know you have been training incessantly since returning to the village!"
Every head turned toward Naruto. Everyone present was acutely aware of how vastly Naruto's strength had escalated over the past few weeks, and curiosity regarding his training regimen was at an all-time high.
Naruto closed his eyes, taking a deep, relaxed breath. "Honestly? Nothing. I'm just gonna take it easy for a while. My main goal right now is to let my body rest and fully acclimatize to its absolute baseline."
Kiba raised an eyebrow, leaning back on his elbows. "Wait, so you're just gonna laze around? Mr. Hard-Work himself is just gonna take a nap?"
"Overtraining is a fool's errand, Kiba," Naruto replied calmly, opening one eye to glance at him. "If I push my physical coils past their recovery limit right now, I'll just end up in the hospital. Auntie Tsunade would tear my head off, and Shizune would pull my ears until they detached! I need to let my muscle fibers rebuild properly and allow my new Sage energy to naturally harmonize with my internal chakra pathways."
Tenten, who was sitting near Shikamaru with her arms crossed over her chest, suddenly fixed a sharp, searching gaze on Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto," Tenten called out, her voice cutting through the chatter.
Naruto turned his head toward her. "Yeah, Tenten? What's up?"
"I heard a rather absurd rumor from Ino and Hinata earlier today," Tenten stated, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "They claimed that you are capable of unlocking the Eight Inner Gates. Is there any truth to that?"
FREEZE.
The casual atmosphere of the picnic vanished in a single instant.
Kakashi paused mid-page, his dark eye slowly shifting upward. Beside him, Guy and Lee froze as if struck by lightning, their jaws physically dropping. A wave of profound shock washed over the surrounding rookies, with only Ino and Hinata remaining completely calm, having already digested the revelation earlier.
Naruto remained lying on his back, utterly unfazed by the sudden drop in room temperature.
"Oh, that?" Naruto said casually. "Yeah. I've been able to open them for a while now."
Guy stepped forward, his boisterous demeanor completely replaced by absolute, solemn disbelief. "Naruto-kun... what is your current physical ceiling regarding the Gates?"
"The Seventh Gate of Wonder," Naruto answered flatly. "That's the highest I've pushed it so far."
"THE SEVENTH GATE?!" Kiba shrieked, jumping to his feet. "Are you out of your mind?! Lee has been breaking his bones for years to master that technique, and his absolute limit right now is the Sixth Gate! How the hell can you jump straight to the Seventh?!"
Shikamaru and Chōji nodded in grim agreement, staring at Naruto as if he were an alien lifeform.
Naruto slowly pushed himself up from the grass, shifting into a comfortable cross-legged seat. He looked directly at Might Guy, his expression turning respectful and analytical.
"When it comes to the Inner Gates," Naruto explained, "the fundamental technique itself is only fifty percent of the equation. The other fifty percent is the physical baseline of the vessel. Isn't that right, Guy-sensei?"
Guy nodded slowly, his expression exceptionally grave. "That is correct. The Eight Inner Gates are not merely Jutsu—they are physical limiters within the human chakra network. Without an impossibly durable muscular and cardiovascular foundation, attempting to open the higher Gates will instantly obliterate the practitioner's body."
"Exactly," Naruto agreed, gesturing to his own chest. "My raw physical strength and biological endurance have always been drastically higher than average. While my endurance wasn't quite at Lee's level when I was twelve, by the time I left the village with Master Jiraiya, I had bridged that gap. And during our three years on the road, my physical conditioning went through the roof."
Naruto held up his right hand, flexing his fingers with a focused expression.
"Now, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend it was all just pure, unadulterated hard work," Naruto admitted candidly, glancing over at Lee. "I worked my ass off, but I also benefited from a massive genetic cheat code. My Uzumaki lineage grants me an absurd biological recovery factor. If I train until every muscle fiber in my body is torn to shreds, I can sleep it off and be ninety percent restored by the next morning—one hundred percent if I get a massive meal."
Naruto's eyes darkened slightly as a vivid memory surfaced. "That recovery factor is what saved my life when I first broke the limiter."
"What do you mean?" Neji asked, his Byakugan lingering dormant behind his pale eyes.
"It happened about three months before I returned to Konoha," Naruto recalled, his voice dropping into a serious register. "I was on Mount Myōboku practicing high-intensity Taijutsu against the toad elders. I lost control of my physical output and accidentally shattered the lock on the Seventh Gate. Because my body wasn't properly conditioned for that sudden influx of volcanic thermal pressure, the violent backlash instantly ruptured my internal pathways. I coughed up a terrifying amount of blood on the spot."
Naruto extended his palm. "But because I survived that initial rupture, my body remembered the precise pathway. Once the doorway was broken open, mastering the output was just a matter of structural adaptation. I had to rapidly build up dense muscle mass to handle the internal pressure without bursting."
"Ah!" Kiba snapped his fingers, realization dawning on his face. "That's why you looked so much bulkier when you walked back through the village gates!"
"Yeah," Naruto laughed faintly. "Pervy Sage almost went broke keeping up with my daily food intake during that recovery phase. But it worked."
Neji adjusted his posture, his keen mind picking up on a logical flaw. "If your body recovers that quickly, Naruto, why are you insisting on taking several days off from training now? Surely a good night's sleep would fix whatever fatigue you currently have."
Naruto looked at Neji, his blue eyes remarkably grave.
"Because no matter how powerful my bloodline is, blindly pushing past physical limits without rest will eventually destroy my life force," Naruto explained solemnly. "Overtraining is just as lethal as no training at all. If I don't give my physical body time to naturally adapt to my new Sage Mode and Kurama's chakra, I won't just be tearing muscles—I will be shaving years directly off my lifespan. I may have a hundred-year Uzumaki life reserve, but I am certainly not immortal."
Turning his head toward Lee, Naruto's tone softened with genuine comradeship. "Which brings me to your question, Lee. You asked if you should bulk up to unlock the Seventh Gate, right?"
Lee sat up straight, his eyes burning with intense, desperate curiosity. "Yes, Naruto-kun! Please, impart your wisdom!"
"I can't give you a copy-paste answer, Lee," Naruto said gently, shaking his head. "Everyone's mental and physical trigger for the Gates is different. For me, the Seventh Gate triggered through an accidental explosion of raw physical rage during combat training. For Guy-sensei, it might be absolute, serene focus. Every single Gate feels radically different as it opens."
Naruto raised his hand, ticking off fingers. "The First and Second Gates clear the mind and grant absolute control over muscular output. The Third Gate drastically skyrockets physical speed and strength, while the Fourth Gate begins imposing brutal thermal pressure on the circulatory system. Each Gate adapts uniquely to the user's personal combat style."
"You are a pure speed-type fighter, Lee," Naruto continued smoothly. "If you pack on fifty pounds of heavy, dense muscle like a powerlifter, you'll ruin the very agility that makes your Taijutsu lethal. Maybe adding two or three kilograms of refined core muscle would help, but that's it."
Naruto gestured toward himself with a smirk. "Besides, the Eight Gates are just one tool in my arsenal. My Sage Mode offers far more tactical versatility in a high-tier engagement. For me, the Gates are an absolute last-resort physical multiplier to stack on top of my baseline body. How you use the Gates is fundamentally different from how I use them, or how Guy-sensei or Kakashi-sensei uses them."
Naruto smiled warmly at Lee. "Remember what I told you during our Jonin evaluation exam? You don't need to copy Guy-sensei's path step-for-step. You need to master how you deploy the Gates in your own unique battles. And if you want my honest opinion based on your current chakra signature... you are infinitely closer to unlocking the Seventh Gate than you think."
Lee gasped, his heart pounding in his chest. "I am?!"
"You just need one solid structural shift," Naruto advised. "Don't force your body right now, Lee. You're only seventeen! Let your physical framework naturally mature over the next year. Once your system fully assimilates the Sixth Gate's operational pressure, the Seventh Gate will open smoothly without destroying your body."
Naruto held up a cautionary finger. "Right now, your body's survival instincts are actively rejecting the Seventh Gate because your mind knows the backlash would cripple you. That's why I'm resting my own body right now—to prevent that exact same rejection."
"So... my body is protecting me from my own power?" Lee whispered in awe, his eyes gleaming with renewed understanding.
Shikamaru, who had been listening intently from the edge of the mat, rubbed the back of his neck and squinted at Naruto. "Alright, hold on a minute, Naruto. If you packed on that much dense muscle mass during your training trip to survive the Seventh Gate, how are you still moving with that insane level of speed and agility on the water?"
Naruto smirked, standing up from the grass. "That's just a matter of structural control, Shikamaru. Want a demonstration?"
Naruto walked out into a broad clearing away from the picnic mat. The surrounding rookies and jonin instinctively leaned forward, their curiosity peaked.
VWOMP!
Without warning, a dense, suffocating wave of physical chakra erupted from Naruto's body. The surrounding grass flattened under the sudden atmospheric pressure, and a sharp gust of wind swept across the field.
Naruto closed his eyes, taking a deep, rhythmic breath. When his eyes snapped open, his physical structure underwent an astounding transformation right before their eyes.
His lean, athletic frame expanded exponentially. The muscle groups across his arms, shoulders, and chest bulged with terrifying density, swelling into a monstrous, titan-like physique. His black mesh shirt and white jacket stretched taut against his massively expanded torso, looking as though they were on the absolute verge of shredding to pieces.
The sheer, raw physical pressure radiating off Naruto in this state was overwhelming.
BYAKUGAN!
Veins erupted around the eyes of both Neji and Hinata as they instantly activated their dojutsu. Kakashi's hand moved instinctively, pulling up his forehead protector to expose his glowing Red Sharingan.
"His chakra pathways...!" Neji gasped out, his pale eyes wide with shock. "He is actively pumping massive quantities of refined chakra directly into his vascular system, artificially expanding his muscle fibers to maximum physical density!"
"His heart is pumping at three times its normal rate!" Hinata added, her hands clutched against her chest. "The sheer volume of blood and kinetic energy surging through his muscular structure is astronomical!"
Standing in his massive, hulking state, Naruto casually stepped into a basic martial stance. He drawn his right fist back and threw a simple, forward straight punch into the empty air toward the far side of the lake.
BOOOOM!
A violent shockwave of compressed air blasted across the lake, tearing a physical trench across the water's surface. A split second later, a loud CRACK echoed from the far shore as a massive oak tree burst inward, a massive, deep imprint of a fist compressed cleanly into its hard wooden trunk.
Silence fell over the training ground.
Asuma slowly lowered his lit cigarette, his jaw slack. "Good lord... that raw structural output... Naruto, in that form, your sheer physical power could easily rival Guy with his First or Second Gate open!"
Kurenai nodded in stunned agreement, staring at the bulking young man.
Naruto let out a long exhalation, his body deflating like a releasing valve. The dense muscle mass rapidly receded, returning his frame to its normal, lean, athletic proportions. He panted slightly, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Nah... not a chance, Asuma-sensei," Naruto chuckled, catching his breath. "In a straight-up fight, Guy-sensei would completely decimate me if I used that form."
Kiba blinked, utterly baffled. "Are you crazy?! You just blasted a hole in a tree across a lake with the air pressure of a casual punch! What's wrong with having muscles like that?!"
"The problem, Kiba, is that it's a completely inefficient 'show-off' form," Naruto explained, stretching his shoulders. "I developed that bulky state on Mount Myōboku as an experimental counter when I was trying to figure out how to break through heavy stone defense blockades. Sure, it grants me absolute, devastating striking power—I could probably win an arm-wrestling match against a giant toad! But the trade-off is completely fatal in real combat."
Naruto looked at his hands, his expression analytical. "By forcing my muscles to expand to that density, I sacrifice almost fifty percent of my operational speed, agility, and reaction time. Unless I'm fighting a slow, stationary target like a giant summons or an Akimichi in expansion mode, that form is basically suicidal against a high-speed opponent. They'd skate circles around me."
"So you abandoned it?" Sai asked, tilting his head.
"Immediately," Naruto confirmed with a bright, confident grin. "I used it twice in high-level sparring, realized its massive defensive flaws, and tossed it aside. Instead, I invented a fundamentally superior method—a technique that lets me draw upon one hundred percent of my absolute physical strength and chakra output without sacrificing a single fraction of my speed, reflexes, or agility."
Naruto looked around at his awe-struck friends, his blue eyes shining with absolute confidence under the golden afternoon sun.
"And that," Naruto smiled, "is the true...."
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