"Naruto! You're bleeding!"
Minato Namikaze, still reeling from his son's incredible display, quickly called out to remind Naruto that he was injured.
Naruto landed heavily on the stone platform and took a deep breath. Reaching back, he grabbed the kunai lodged deep into his shoulder—only the handle was still visible.
Large beads of sweat instantly began rolling down his forehead.
The searing pain, transmitted through his nerves, felt like it pierced all the way to his soul.
It hurt like hell—but Naruto knew better than to yank it out carelessly. Pulling it too fast or with too much force could make things worse.
Understanding this, his bright blue eyes reddened at the corners. Clenching his fists, his knuckles cracked loudly while his fingernails dug into his palms. Gritting his teeth, he reached up with his other hand and slowly, methodically pulled out the three kunai, one by one, tossing them onto the stone platform.
"Quick! Naruto, you've got bandages and healing salve in your tool pouch!"
From within the seal, Minato watched helplessly. Seeing Naruto go from sweating in agony to coldly pulling the kunai out with a deadpan expression didn't fill him with pride—it filled him with fear.
His son's terrifying willpower and pain tolerance were not normal.
"Looks like I won't need them. I think the wounds are healing on their own…"
Naruto had just reached for his tool pouch, but paused. His shoulder tingled—not in pain, but in a numbing, ticklish way. The wounds were clearly closing at an accelerated pace.
"What?" Minato's voice was tinged with disbelief.
Moments later, Naruto could no longer feel any pain. When he touched the wound, he found it completely healed—no scar, no mark, nothing.
His gaze sharpened. A memory from the original timeline flashed through his mind.
During Team Kakashi's first mission outside the village—to the Land of Waves—Naruto, desperate to prove his courage, stabbed his own hand with a kunai.
Kakashi, acting as their team leader, treated the wound and was stunned to see it heal in an instant—by the time the kunai was out, the wound was gone.
Back then, Kakashi attributed this remarkable healing ability to the Nine-Tails' chakra.
But now? Naruto could feel it—it had nothing to do with Kurama. The wounds were healing entirely on their own.
"Father, did my mother ever show signs of this kind of natural healing?"
Naruto asked Minato from within the seal.
"No," Minato replied instantly. But then his expression turned awkward. "Then again, maybe she just never had the chance. From the day she arrived in Konoha, your mother was always the one chasing others down. I… I don't think I ever saw her seriously injured."
"Naruto, your situation reminds me of someone else,"
Kurama suddenly spoke from the side.
Naruto's heart stirred.
"Who?"
Kurama locked eyes with him, gaze burning.
"Hashirama Senju."
At the Hokage's Office
"When are you planning to approach Naruto?"
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had just returned from the Konoha Hospital. Puffing on his pipe, he glanced at Nara Shikaku, then turned to address the little boy beside him.
"Ahhh… Lord Hokage, it's such a drag…"
The boy with the trademark pineapple-head of the Nara clan yawned lazily, responding with a laid-back drawl.
"Ahem! Shikamaru, mind your tone with the Hokage!"
"Heh, it's fine, Shikaku," Hiruzen smiled gently, then turned back to the boy. "Shikamaru, it's been months now. Have you figured out how to make friends with Naruto?"
Shikamaru's face turned serious—completely unlike a child his age. His tone became measured.
"Lord Hokage, I'm not dragging my feet. It's genuinely difficult."
"I've been studying Naruto's movements for months… and I haven't had a single chance to approach him."
"Every day, he leaves home and heads straight for a small grove near the Uchiha district. Even though I'm a kid, as a member of the Nara clan, I can't just waltz into Uchiha territory."
"I even considered bumping into him 'by chance' at Mantendo, the ninja tools shop he frequents. But here's the big problem—Naruto always uses Transformation Jutsu before he leaves the house."
"If I go up and talk to him directly, it'll be obvious I've been spying."
Hiruzen's expression darkened with frustration.
Why did I teach him Transformation Jutsu so early...?
"Hmm. You make a good point. Well then—why don't we take a look at what Naruto's up to right now?"
With a puff of smoke, the Third Hokage pulled a crystal ball from a drawer. After calling Shikaku and Shikamaru over, he activated the viewing technique.
The crystal ball flickered—and an image of Naruto appeared.
He had just left the grove, but now looked like a boy around twelve years old, thanks to the Transformation Jutsu.
Back in the seal, Kurama had just begun explaining how Naruto's healing ability was strikingly similar to Hashirama's when Naruto sensed Hiruzen returning to his office.
Quickly, he packed up all his ninja gear.
Just as he was about to head home, he sensed two approaching chakras—one belonging to Uchiha Sasuke, and the other unfamiliar… but distinctly unusual.
He didn't want to interact with Sasuke, who was still emotionally immature. And the second chakra? It felt dangerous.
Soon, he spotted Sasuke walking in front, with another figure trailing close behind.
The man wore a black-gray high-collared short-sleeved shirt, reinforced with triangular armor plates, matching pants, and shin guards.
Naruto's eyes narrowed in alarm.
That's Uchiha Shisui!
"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing in Uchiha territory!?"
Sasuke, still full of tsundere pride, immediately began interrogating Naruto.
Naruto was stunned. So this place really was Uchiha land?
No wonder no one had been following him lately.
"I'm just a passerby who wandered in by mistake,"
Naruto replied with a slight smile.
"A passerby?" Sasuke eyed him suspiciously, repeatedly sizing him up. After a pause, he asked, "Did you see a blond-haired guy in the grove earlier?"
So you really were looking for me... Naruto thought, then replied calmly:
"No, I didn't see anyone."
"Sasuke," Shisui walked up, staring at Naruto with a strange expression, "Is this the kid your brother mentioned—the one stronger than you?"
The moment Shisui's gaze turned probing, Naruto's senses lit up like wildfire.
Did he see through my Transformation Jutsu!?
But… he wasn't using his Sharingan!
"No, not that annoying guy," Sasuke pouted. "But… this guy feels kinda familiar."
Seriously? We met once and you already hate me?
Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Maintaining a calm expression, he nodded politely to Shisui—then turned and walked away.
But Shisui frowned deeply as he watched him go.
He didn't know who that person was.
Even though the boy masked his presence well, Shisui still smelled a faint trace of blood on him.
Back in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen, Shikaku, and Shikamaru watched the entire interaction through the crystal ball. They observed Naruto until he finally returned home. Only then did Hiruzen end the projection.
"Lord Hokage, you saw that, right?" Shikamaru sighed. "Even going home, Naruto uses Transformation Jutsu."
He spread his hands with a helpless expression.
But Hiruzen had been reflecting on Naruto's behavior in the footage—and suddenly, a smile crept across his face.
"Hehe. Shikamaru, have you ever thought about approaching this from the opposite direction?"
Shikamaru blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"You don't need to worry about what face Naruto is using."
"You're not being asked to recognize him by appearance. You're being asked to make friends with Naruto."
"Why should it matter which face he's wearing?"
"All you need to do… is earn his complete trust. Understand?"
Hearing these strangely worded instructions, Shikamaru's expression turned conflicted. He was just about to refuse when he caught his father signaling him with a subtle glance.
"Understood, Lord Hokage. Though… I can't guarantee I'll be able to become Naruto's friend."
"Hehe, Shikamaru, I believe you can. In fact, aside from your father, you're the only one I've ever said that to."
(End of Chapter)