It could be said that Tsunade completely changed Sora's life, while Water and Fire Tempering was the greatest force pushing him toward the path of becoming a top-tier powerhouse.
This technique was the cornerstone of his strength. It was something that could never be neglected.
Because of this, both Water and Fire Tempering and Fusion Tempering were always performed by Sora's original body.
Meanwhile, his Shadow Clones focused on training other techniques and different forms of cultivation.
Sora slowly exhaled and muttered, "That lasted ten minutes longer than before."
He continued analyzing his progress and said quietly, "Once I can fuse two types of Nature Transformation chakra as naturally as a true Bloodline Limit without any resistance and maintain that state anytime and anywhere, then my Bloodline Limit will no longer be just a prototype but a fully formed ability."
Forty minutes later, Sora opened his eyes. His qi and blood had grown noticeably stronger.
Although the improvement was no longer as dramatic as during the first few tempering sessions, every single session still increased his strength.
Accumulated over time, the results would become terrifying.
Tsunade immediately sensed the change and said, "Your qi and blood have become stronger again."
Sora nodded and said, "Mm."
His Shadow Clones continued cultivating various techniques while Sora discussed his Bloodline Limit with Tsunade and planned his future path.
For several days, Sora never left the room.
Only when the final deadline for the second stage of the Chunin Exams arrived and all the successful teams had gathered did he finally step outside.
Tsunade spoke quietly beside him and said, "The Third Hokage is coming soon, and if I stay beside you he might see through my disguise."
She continued, "Shizune and I will hide near the Central Tower so if anything happens we can reach you immediately."
Shizune smiled and added, "Good luck, Sora, and you must bring back first place."
Sora smiled slightly.
Confidence flashed in his eyes.
Even if Gaara transformed into Shukaku, he would not fear him, let alone anyone else.
When Sora walked downstairs, he noticed that everyone else had already gathered.
In other words, everyone except him and his two Shadow Clones had arrived.
As soon as he appeared, many people turned to look at him.
Gaara stared at him intensely. His eyes were filled with killing intent.
Although Gaara looked completely fine on the surface, Temari and Kankuro both knew that he had suffered serious injuries from Sora's previous Blazing Spiral attack.
If Shukaku's power had not erupted at the critical moment, Gaara might have died.
However, as a jinchuriki, Gaara's injuries healed rapidly as long as they did not exceed his limits.
That was why he showed no outward signs of injury now.
The moment Sora appeared, Gaara's killing intent surged violently.
He almost attacked immediately.
Temari quickly warned him and said, "Gaara, calm down because the Hokage is here."
Gaara snorted coldly and said, "Hmph."
Although he forced himself to stay calm, his eyes still burned with murderous intent.
Sora walked into the group and said calmly, "Sorry I'm late."
Then he simply closed his eyes and rested, completely ignoring Gaara's killing intent.
Anko Mitarashi stepped forward and said, "Since everyone is here, I ask Hokage-sama to come forward and speak."
Sora looked at the Third Hokage.
The old man appeared thin and frail, but Sora knew very well that this seemingly weak elder possessed terrifying power that even Orochimaru feared.
True strength was never determined by appearance.
The Third Hokage began explaining the meaning of the Chunin Exams.
For many participants, his words were shocking.
However, Sora found them completely expected.
The Chunin Exams were essentially a microcosm of the conflicts between nations.
They represented political balance, military strength, and national pride.
This time, the Third Hokage spoke bluntly and removed the usual diplomatic disguise.
Many people felt uncomfortable hearing such direct truth.
The Third Hokage concluded by saying, "This battle concerns your nation, your ninja village, and your personal dreams,
so you must fight with all your strength even at the risk of your life because only then will this Chunin Exam have meaning."
Naruto scratched his head and said loudly, "I understand!"
Whether he truly understood or not was another matter.
Gaara spoke coldly and said, "None of that matters because you might as well tell us the content of the third exam."
The Third Hokage sighed slightly and said, "Very well, I will now explain the third exam."
Before he could finish speaking, a figure suddenly appeared and knelt before him.
The man said respectfully, "Please forgive my interruption, Hokage-sama, but please allow me to take over from here because I am the appointed proctor of the next stage."
This man was Gekkō Hayate.
He was famous throughout Konoha for looking extremely sickly.
The Third Hokage nodded calmly and said, "Very well, I will leave it to you."
Hayate stood up and faced the group.
He said, "Everyone, before we begin the third exam there is something you must do first."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"We will hold preliminary matches to determine who is qualified to participate in the third exam."
Ino Yamanaka exclaimed in surprise and said, "What?"
Shikamaru frowned slightly and asked, "Preliminaries?"
Sakura looked confused and said, "Sensei, I don't understand what preliminaries mean because why can't all of us participate?"
Hayate explained calmly, "Because there are too many participants."
He continued, "The third exam will be watched by important figures such as feudal lords and dignitaries from many nations, so the exam cannot last too long."
He then added, "Therefore we must hold preliminary matches to reduce the number of participants to a suitable amount."
Hayate looked around the room and said, "If anyone feels unwell or wishes to withdraw after hearing this explanation, speak now because the preliminary matches will begin immediately."
The sudden announcement caught many participants off guard.
A voice suddenly spoke.
Yakushi Kabuto calmly said, "I withdraw."
Immediately after that, two more voices spoke.
Sora's two Shadow Clones said at the same time, "We withdraw as well."
At this stage of the competition, team participation was no longer required.
From now on, everything would depend on individual strength.
There was no longer any reason to keep the Shadow Clones here.
Keeping them would only risk exposing their identity.
Withdrawing now was the safest decision.
Many participants looked shocked.
Someone whispered, "What?"
"His teammates actually withdrew?"
From their perspective, anyone who could accompany Sora this far should have been extremely strong.
Yet they had suddenly chosen to withdraw.
Everyone looked toward Sora.
However, Sora remained expressionless.
It was as if he did not care at all.
This only made everyone even more curious about him.
...
Author's Note:
Naruto: Reborn as Tsunade's Son — Part 1 is now fully completed, with more than 130 chapters available on my Patreon!
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1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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