Time flew by.
Three months had passed since the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, personally visited Naruto Uzumaki that night.
During that time, Naruto fully cleared the Mirror World challenges against Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane.
The rewards… were still somewhat disappointing.
He had yet to awaken any chakra nature besides Wind Release, so the only thing he could truly absorb from them was their training experience.
However, his chakra had grown so rapidly over this period that even Minato Namikaze and Kurama were stunned.
At the same time, Naruto had fully mastered the Uzumaki clan's sensory ability.
That finally allowed Kurama to relax a little—because Naruto discovered something shocking:
His sensory range had already surpassed Kurama's, even though Kurama was still restricted by the seal.
Kurama grumbled that if the seal weren't in the way, he'd show Naruto what "real" sensory perception looked like.
It was now May.
After lunch, Naruto left the house.
This time, he didn't use the Transformation Jutsu. Instead, he headed toward an area far from the center of the village.
At this hour, no one else would normally come here.
Fields of crops stretched out like rice paddies. Above them, the sky was a clear azure, the breeze warm and gentle.
Naruto didn't slow down.
Before long, a wide river appeared ahead.
Crossing a wooden bridge, he followed the crisscrossing paths between the fields and finally stopped in a small forest clearing.
Hidden within the woods was an abandoned training ground—likely used long ago and then discarded. There was all kinds of equipment, including targets for kunai and shuriken practice.
Naruto had discovered this place by accident yesterday while deliberately leading Gekkō Hayate (Moonlight Hayate)—who had been tailing him—on a long wild goose chase.
Ever since learning that the Third Hokage had used a crystal ball to spy on him, Naruto had made a decision:
From now on, he would come here daily, train his body, and put on a "performance" for whoever was watching.
But he had discovered something strange about his body.
Just yesterday, he'd spent more than two hours on a set of parallel bars—like the kind gymnasts used in his previous life.
And yet he never once felt winded.
Not once did he feel tired.
His stamina was abnormal.
Minato explained that this was perfectly normal for Naruto.
Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's mother, had always ranked highest in physical conditioning at the Academy. Even under high-intensity training from dawn to dusk, she rarely tired.
That was the natural physique of the Uzumaki clan—a starting point far beyond ordinary people.
Naturally, Naruto inherited it.
But Minato added one more crucial point:
Naruto's monstrous stamina wasn't just clan blood.
The sealed chakra of Kurama, the Nine-Tails, also played a huge role.
After understanding that, Naruto decided there was no point in openly training taijutsu right now.
He was watched too closely.
If he revealed he already knew taijutsu, it would raise questions—dangerous ones.
So playing "pretend ninja" here like an ordinary child was meaningless.
Today, Naruto came to practice kunai throwing.
But as he approached the targets, he noticed something was off.
The equipment had clearly been maintained recently, and the targets nailed to the trees had been replaced with brand-new ones. Each bullseye had clear marks from repeated hits.
Naruto's gaze shifted—until it landed on a stone platform.
A bamboo basket sat on it.
That basket hadn't been there yesterday.
Naruto walked over slowly, eyes narrowing.
Inside the basket—
—was a full set of kunai and shuriken.
"Father, what do you think of this?"
Naruto glanced at the six kunai in his own pouch, then focused inward to ask Minato.
Minato thought for a moment.
"It's likely the original owner left them here."
Naruto nodded.
"Then the owner probably noticed I've been using this place. But this doesn't feel like a warning…"
At that moment, Kurama, lounging lazily, suddenly spoke.
"Naruto, the guy on the tree just left. And he left in a hurry."
"I know," Naruto replied. He had sensed it too.
"But there are still three people watching farther out. He probably ran off to report to the Hokage."
"If he panicked that quickly, he probably doesn't even know who this place belongs to."
Naruto frowned.
"Did I just cause trouble for the real owner?"
Minato had the same suspicion.
He also knew the one tailing Naruto was Moonlight Hayate.
After thinking it over, Minato said carefully:
"Naruto… maybe we should leave."
"Why would we leave?" Naruto shrugged.
"I finally learned how to swim, and I crossed that river just to find this place."
"Besides, the tools were placed here intentionally for me."
"Why else would they appear today, but not yesterday? With the equipment maintained and the targets replaced, it doesn't look like the owner minds me using it."
Minato still looked uneasy.
"But Naruto, these are someone else's things…"
"All the more reason not to leave without a word."
Naruto reached into the bamboo basket, took out a shuriken, and said evenly:
"I should meet the owner and apologize."
"And I have a feeling the owner… isn't just some random person."
As he spoke, Naruto casually flicked the shuriken at a target.
Thwack!
A perfect bullseye.
Hokage's Office
"Hokage-sama! That's everything—those ninja tools definitely weren't there yesterday!"
Gekkō Hayate stood before Hiruzen, face pale, coughing between sentences.
The Third Hokage adjusted his hat.
"What is Naruto doing there today?"
"Cough… cough…" Hayate replied."The target seems to have given up on taijutsu training. Today he brought the six kunai he's collected over the past few months. Likely he wanted to practice throwing."
"It also looks like he intends to go there regularly."
"Should we investigate who owns that place? Just in case—"
"No need!" Hiruzen cut him off sharply.
The Third Hokage stood and began pacing. After a moment, he said:
"I know who that place belongs to."
"From now on, there's no need to follow Naruto when he goes out."
"Maintain surveillance and protection only around his home."
"Yes, sir!" Hayate accepted the order immediately.
Back at his desk, Hiruzen lit his pipe.
After a few puffs, he opened a drawer and took out the crystal ball.
As he peered into it and watched what unfolded, the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.
Back in the Forest
"Naruto… what are you doing?"
Inside the sealed space, Minato looked stiff.
After realizing how easily he could hit the bullseye, Naruto had muttered something about "being summoned by the times" and started bouncing around.
At first Minato thought it was taijutsu practice—
—but it quickly looked more like a dance.
A few minutes later, Naruto suddenly stopped and turned serious.
"Father. Everyone watching me just left."
Minato's expression lit with hope.
"Maybe the Third Hokage gave them new orders. Maybe… you won't be monitored anymore!"
"Impossible."
Naruto's eyes sharpened like blades.
"Father. Don't be so naive."
Minato's face tightened.
He knew it. Yet a part of him still wanted to believe in Hiruzen.
Naruto's voice stayed calm as he gathered the kunai and shuriken and returned them neatly to the basket.
"Since I was born, they've taken everything from me."
"Then they spread twisted stories so people would avoid me like a plague."
"They've controlled my life for a long time."
His composure unsettled Minato more than anger ever could.
"But what they don't know—" Naruto continued, turning to leave, "is that I'm very patient."
"And patience will help me seize the right moment…"
"…to take back everything that's mine."
Minato opened his mouth, wanting to argue—wanting to soften those words—
—but in the end, nothing came out.
Naruto continued, still calm:
"As long as I'm alive in Konoha, most people here will always feel like they're living under a shadow of fear."
Minato's face twisted.
He spoke urgently:
"Naruto… they don't know the truth!"
Naruto didn't even slow.
"The truth doesn't matter."
He walked toward home, voice flat.
"Because in reality, the people who don't know the truth… are the ones making the biggest mistake."
(End of Chapter)
PS :
May (Timeline Marker) : Establishes time passage and Naruto's steady long-term growth.