A few days later, at the small forest training ground:
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With Naruto's shout, two shadow clones immediately appeared beside him and charged at Shikamaru and Choji, wrestling and tumbling across the ground.
When the strength gap is small, numbers become a huge advantage. Shikamaru and Choji couldn't hold out for long. One by one, they were defeated and finally admitted defeat.
Seeing this, Naruto released the shadow clones and smiled, taking out the bento he had prepared in advance.
With the help of Shikamaru and Choji, and Kyuubi conveniently minding his own business, Naruto had mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu in just a few days—a testament to his natural talent in ninjutsu.
If the original Naruto had been this capable early on, he wouldn't have ended up as the laughingstock of the class.
After the duel, Shikamaru and Choji stared at Naruto as if they had just seen a monster, even beginning to wonder if the "Demon Fox" rumors might actually be true.
At their age, they had only just learned their clan's secret techniques and the Three Body Technique. Meanwhile, Naruto had already perfected Sanshenjutsu and mastered the advanced Shadow Clone Jutsu—a B-rank technique that's notoriously difficult to learn.
What frightened them most was the speed at which he had progressed. It was almost terrifying.
While munching on the bento, Choji nudged Shikamaru. "Shikamaru… are we even qualified to be Naruto's opponents in the future?"
Shikamaru went silent. Honestly, they weren't. Maybe if they teamed up with the future descendants of the Yamanaka clan, they might have a chance. But clearly, Naruto was meant to be a friend, not an enemy.
Aside from curiosity, Shikamaru was a little intrigued by Naruto's true identity. Could he be the descendant of some big shot in the village? After all, a phoenix rarely flies out of a chicken coop. But since his father had always treated the topic as taboo, it was probably better not to pry.
While meditating, Naruto chatted and laughed with Shikamaru and Choji, discussing everything from interesting village gossip to foreign ninja visitors.
"Wait," Naruto said. "There've been a lot of foreign ninjas in the village recently?"
Shikamaru glanced at him. "Those are members of the Yunyin Mission. The frontline war is over, and they came to sign a peace treaty with us."
Choji nodded. "I heard both Yunyin and us suffered heavy losses. To avoid giving other ninja villages an advantage, they decided to settle things peacefully."
Shikamaru added, "It's actually good for us. During the last ninja world war, even students had to fight. We're lucky to avoid that fate… and, well, we're all going to become ninjas someday anyway."
"You should have received your admission letter too."
"That's right. Grandpa Hokage delivered mine last time."
Naruto nodded, but his frown didn't ease. It wasn't the peace treaty that worried him—it was memories stirred by the arrival of the Yunyin Mission.
From what he remembered, this mission wasn't just about signing a peace treaty—they also had orders to capture Baiyan. Indirectly, this had led to the tragic death of Hyuga Neji's father, deepening the conflict between the main and branch families of the Hyuga clan.
At that moment, Choji stopped eating and walked over. "By the way, Naruto, Shikamaru and I need to tell you something."
Naruto tilted his head. "What is it?"
Scratching his head, Choji said, "After today, we probably won't have time to hang out with you. Our families want us to train with Shikamaru and the Yamanaka clan kids our age, and the training has to be within the clan grounds."
Ah, the next generation of the Pig-Deer-Butterfly trio… Naruto thought.
He glanced at Shikamaru and Choji, then nodded. "Okay. You guys go train. I have other ninjutsu to practice anyway. We'll meet up after we start Ninja School."
Shikamaru hesitated, but when Naruto gave him a faint smile, he relaxed.
After confirming the temporary separation, the three spent the afternoon playing ninja games, laughing and enjoying themselves. Though Shikamaru and Choji had approached with a purpose, the happiness was genuine. This was exactly what the Third Hokage intended—gently binding them together.
…
After seeing Shikamaru and Choji leave, Naruto walked alone through the village. The recent visit of the Yunyin Mission had made the streets livelier than before.
Bronze-skinned Yunyin envoys bargained with shopkeepers. Passersby looked at Naruto with disgust at first, then fawningly at the envoys, as if they were seeing saviors.
Naruto chuckled and ignored them. For these villagers, the Demon Fox brought bad luck; the Yunyin Mission brought peace. Funny how quickly they switched their allegiance.
After wandering a while, he arrived at a quiet park, ready to enjoy some peace.
On a bench, he noticed a small figure—Hinata. She held a gift box and looked around nervously, clearly waiting for someone.
When she saw him, she quickly stood. "Naruto-kun… please accept my gift."
Naruto smiled. Of course I won't reject Hinata… Then he frowned slightly. "Hinata, how did you find me? Have you been waiting here for days?"
Hinata blushed, flustered. "On the first day… I didn't expect to meet you by chance, Naruto-kun…"
After questioning her carefully, Naruto realized she had secretly come to deliver the gift, not knowing where he lived. By coincidence—or fate—she had waited in this park and completed her mission.
Touched, Naruto looked at her. "I've accepted your gift, but don't sneak out to find me again. It's late… what if you get lost?"
Hinata bowed her head. "I've been practicing Gentle Fist very hard… it's not about being bullied. I just… wanted to see you, Naruto-kun."
Hearing this, Naruto felt a warmth in his chest he couldn't describe.
He glanced around and sensed chakra similar to Hinata's. The Hyuga finally had longer memories. After multiple incidents of bullying, they were finally willing to assign a guard to protect Hinata. Somehow, they seemed to realize she was special.
Thinking of her past near-kidnapping, Naruto approached her and whispered, "Hinata, go to bed early. Be careful walking at night, and make sure an adult is with you. I don't want another accident to happen."
"What…?"
Feeling Naruto's close presence, Hinata blushed furiously, almost hiding her face in her shoulders. After a few seconds, she nodded. "I… I'll listen, Naruto-kun."
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