Senju Tobirama: "What Black-Frame Naruto said isn't really wrong."
Senju Tobirama: "Although it's a bit rude… I still want to ask—how did the Nine-Tails manage to let the Fourth Hokage and his wife die so easily?"
[Young Naruto toyed with the triple-pronged kunai in his hand.]
[It felt surprisingly comfortable to hold.]
[He tossed it lightly.]
[Watched the elegant arc it traced through the air.]
[Young Naruto's brows knit slightly.]
[His eyes locked onto the characters engraved on the grip—those written-form jutsu formulas.]
[Suddenly, he sensed a subtle change in the chakra of the great fox inside him—the chakra that constantly interfered with his own.]
[It seemed that every time he tossed the triple-pronged kunai, and every time he caught it again—]
[The fox's chakra would fluctuate slightly.]
["Why is that?"]
["Could it be that this triple-pronged kunai left behind by the Fourth Hokage can affect the fox's chakra?"]
[Young Naruto shook his head again, feeling that something didn't quite add up.]
["Fast—like a flash… the Body Flicker Technique. Could this formula be a simplified Body Flicker?"]
[Several scenes surfaced in his mind.]
[After fully understanding the formula on the kunai, he would inject his own chakra and establish some kind of mark.]
[Then, he replaced the ninja using the Body Flicker in his imagination—with himself.]
[Next came the image of throwing the triple-pronged kunai—]
[And immediately flickering to its side.]
[Ignoring distance. Ignoring obstacles?]
["This might work… but the Body Flicker requires a lot of preparation and can't be used repeatedly in a short time. Otherwise, accuracy in distance and position drops sharply."]
["I haven't learned it, but from observation… those should be its weaknesses."]
["So the Second Hokage developed this kind of formula to make Body Flicker more convenient?"]
["Yes—very likely!"]
["A Body Flicker that requires no hand seals… I've seen something like that before, but it only reaches a rough location."]
["If this formula really matches my guess… then the Second Hokage was truly a genius!"]
["Wait—Golden Flash. The Fourth Hokage."]
["He probably drew inspiration from the Second Hokage's kunai, studied a massive amount of material, and learned to use this kind of formula as well…"]
["A seal-less, extremely precise, high-speed movement technique."]
["In that case… calling him the Golden Flash doesn't quite fit."]
["He should be called the Golden Ghost!"]
["The Second Hokage and Fourth Hokage were generations apart, so the Fourth's version would naturally be more refined."]
["After all, there was never a 'White Flash'."]
["Wait… if that's true, doesn't that mean the Fourth Hokage's reaction speed was terrifyingly fast?!"]
["Namikaze… a surname I've never heard before, just like Uzumaki."]
["But extreme reaction speed and exceptional eyesight…"]
["Could the Fourth Hokage be related to the Uchiha or the Hyūga?"]
["As far as I know, only those two clans possess both exceptional eyesight and faster-than-average reflexes."]
["..."]
[Young Naruto continued tossing the triple-pronged kunai, his thoughts racing nonstop.]
[He didn't want his friends to worry, so he deliberately avoided thinking about any connection between Namikaze Minato and himself.]
[He planned to ponder it carefully after returning home.]
[However—just as young Naruto understood the Five Little Ones—]
[How could the Five Little Ones not understand him?]
[Tenten… she was now acting as the temporary big sister of the group.]
[Though temporary, it was obvious she liked this role very much.]
[She even seemed intent on turning this temporary authority into something long-term—]
[Perhaps even fixing her position as the group's unquestioned leader.]
Senju Tobirama: "Hahahaha~!"
Senju Tobirama: "Black-Frame Naruto is praising me again~!"
Senju Tobirama: "And 'Forever Bringing His Girl'—not bad at all. He really pushed my Flying Thunder God to the extreme."
Senju Tobirama: "Also, Uzumaki Naruto—your Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu was developed by me as well!"
Namikaze Minato: "As expected of the Second Hokage!"
Tsunade: "That kid… he's not going to derive his own Flying Thunder God from the formulas left by Second Grandpa and Minato, is he?"
Mei Terumī: "That's very possible. Directly developing Flying Thunder God would be extremely difficult."
Mei Terumī: "The Second Hokage had enormous resources and information. Creating it required not only talent, but a vast knowledge base."
Fourth Raikage: "This is bad!"
Fourth Raikage: "Black-Frame Naruto is making my mouth water!"
Fourth Raikage: "I feel like once he sees our Cloud Village's taijutsu, it'll basically be copied by default."
Ōnoki: "Then this old man who can fly—hoh~!"
Ōnoki: "The fake copy ninja: Hatake Kakashi, who relies on the Sharingan."
Ōnoki: "The real copy ninja: Black-Frame Naruto!"
Uzumaki Kushina: "Kakashi, that's enough!"
Uzumaki Kushina: "If you keep hiding like this, I'll kick your ass apart!"
Uzumaki Kushina: "Naruto is already this old—if you still can't adjust your mindset, go hang yourself on a crooked tree before I come back!"
Uzumaki Kushina: "That way you won't be afraid of us anymore, or feel guilty toward us and Naruto, and keep pretending you're dead."
Uzumaki Kushina: "I permit you to die directly."
Hatake Kakashi: "..."
Kakashi's eye twitched.
Looking at Ōnoki's avatar, he sighed.
Forget it, forget it.
[Konoha Tea House.]
[Tenten was clearly a regular here by now.]
[She led the Five Little Ones straight into a large private room.]
[Tenten skillfully took out snacks and tea leaves, waiting for hot water.]
["Naruto… Naruto-kun, can I take a look at that kunai?"]
[Hinata sat beside young Naruto, her breathing unconsciously quickening.]
[Seeing him constantly playing with the triple-pronged kunai, completely unwilling to put it down, Hinata felt an urge to replace it herself.]
Hinata: "..."
Tired… just end me… this is too embarrassing~!
["Mm." Young Naruto handed the kunai to Hinata.]
[Watching her take it with a red face, the corner of his mouth lifted unconsciously.]
[Hinata was very cute.]
[And… very strong. Truly strong.]
[Last time Sasuke ran his mouth, Hinata almost couldn't hold back from attacking.]
[That little hand had just lifted—]
[And Naruto could tell that if it landed, Sasuke would've needed last rites.]
[Fortunately, Naruto stopped her in time.]
[Of course, Sasuke still didn't know he'd just brushed past the gates of hell.]
Sasuke felt like he was about to split apart!
Since it already happened… might as well fast-forward to my overnight growth arc.
'Looking at it this way… even Black-Frame Naruto couldn't save the Uchiha back then.'
Sasuke only understood vaguely.
At his age, his understanding of politics was still shallow.
Mainly because he hadn't been exposed to much.
If not for the black-framed screen providing such detailed information,
Sasuke wouldn't have even thought along these lines.
After all, his only focus had been getting stronger as fast as possible—
And then stomping that Uchiha clan beast into a zip file.
["Naruto, tell us what you're thinking."]
["You don't want us to worry… but don't you realize that makes us worry even more?"]
[Finally, Sakura couldn't hold it in any longer.]
[The other four exchanged knowing smiles.]
[They all knew Sakura would be the first to crack and ask again.]
[Tenten glanced at them. She wanted to blend in too—not for any other reason than officially becoming the big sister.]
["Stop! Let's talk later!"]
["Hahaha~ tea's here~!"]
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