Chapter 26: Perception Blocking Barrier, Daily TasksThe Adamantine Sealing Chains were primarily a suppression-type seal aimed at Tailed Beasts and Chakra entities; the Four Symbols Seal was suitable for strengthening existing sealing structures; the Fire Sealing Method was a Sealing Jutsu specifically targeting Fire Release; and there were also some small-scale barrier jutsu suitable for short-term spatial isolation.As he flipped through the pages, Naruto's gaze rested on a Sealing Jutsu that was unassuming but highly practical.Perception Blocking Barrier.The principle of this barrier jutsu was very simple: build a layer of Chakra barrier within a designated space to isolate everything inside from any external sensory jutsu probes.Whether it was the Byakugan, the penetrating pupil power of the Sharingan, or Sandaime's Telescope Technique through that crystal ball, as long as the barrier remained intact, the outside world could not detect what was happening inside.Maintaining the barrier required continuous consumption of Chakra; the larger the area, the faster the consumption. If maintained only within a small area for personal training, the Chakraconsumption was not particularly large.Naruto carefully read the structure of the Perception Blocking Barrier and the essentials of casting it from beginning to end twice. He then combined it with the underlying principles of Sealing Jutsu left behind by Kushina to make some deductions and supplements, before organizing and archiving the entire plan in his mind.This Sealing Jutsu was the thing he needed most urgently at the moment.With it, he could disappear for a period of time right under Sandaime's nose, secretly conducting Ninjutsu and Chakra training without worrying about being caught by the Telescope Technique.However, he couldn't use it at home. If the Chakra in his room suddenly disappeared from Sandaime's crystal ball, even a fool could guess that something was wrong.He had to find a place outside where no one would pay attention, use a Shadow Clone as a decoy at home, and go out to train with his real body.But he didn't have a suitable training location yet.He happened to be on break for these two days with no missions, so he couldn't run around aimlessly. It would be best to take the opportunity to observe the surroundings of Konoha for a suitable location the next time he went on a mission.Two days passed quickly.Naruto did not waste these two days of vacation.On the first day, he spent the entire morning continuing to study the details of the Perception Blocking Barrier, memorizing the sequence of every hand seal and the path of Chakra guidance. He then simulated the casting process about twenty times in his mind, until he could accurately construct the barrier pattern even with his eyes closed.In the afternoon, he went out for a trip to the public training grounds of Konoha to do some basic Taijutsu training.It was mainly running laps, push-ups, and Shuriken throwing.These exercises wouldn't attract anyone's attention because, in the past, Naruto had also often practiced Shuriken throwing alone at the training ground, covered in sweat. The only difference was that before, he had just thrown them aimlessly, whereas now, he was adjusting the angle and force of his wrist with every shot.In the evening, he returned to continue gnawing at Sealing Jutsu, dismantling the basic structure of the Four Symbols Seal.His schedule on the second day was about the same, with only one extra task: he ran to a KonohaNinja tool shop and used the reward from the last mission to buy two new Kunai and a roll of rune paper specifically for Sealing Jutsu.Rune paper was a slow-selling item in ordinary Ninja tool shops. The proprietress rummaged for a long time before finding a roll from a corner of the warehouse. When she handed it to him, she specifically glanced at him, probably wondering what a Genin was doing buying such a thing.Naruto casually said it was for a school assignment, paid, and left.Did you think it was that smooth with Naruto's identity?Of course not. He had used a Shadow Clone to transform into that student appearance; otherwise, would the proprietress have sold it to him?On the third morning.Naruto woke up before the alarm went off.He washed up, changed into a clean Ninja outfit, and straightened his headband in front of the mirror.The blonde boy in the mirror looked spirited, and the whisker-like marks on his face appeared a bit clearer in the morning light than before."I have time to spruce up a bit!"Naruto shook his head. It was a pity that he couldn't do anything too eye-catching right now. Afterward, he went out and walked toward the small bridge where Team 7 usually gathered.The meeting time was 8:00 AM. Naruto deliberately arrived ten minutes early, but by the time he walked there, two people were already standing by the bridge.Sasuke was leaning against the bridge railing with his hands in his pockets and his chin slightly raised, still wearing that'stay away from me' expression.Sakura was standing next to Sasuke with her hands behind her back, her body leaning slightly toward him. She was talking about something, and even though Sasuke didn't respond, she wasn't discouraged and kept talking.When Naruto approached, he nodded simply toward the two of them: "Morning!"One word, no more, no less.Sasuke looked up at him and let out a very soft 'hmph' from his nose.When Sakura saw Naruto take the initiative to greet them, she was stunned at first. Then, remembering her determination to "absolutely ignore Naruto," she quickly turned her head away, huffed, and held her chin up high.Naruto didn't mind and walked to the other side of the bridge to stand still. The three of them waited in silence like this.Was Sakura a bit surprised?Shouldn't Naruto be asking her why she was ignoring him?...Eight o'clock arrived. Kakashi-sensei didn't come.Ten past eight, twenty past eight, eight-thirty...Naruto wasn't in a hurry; he leaned against the railing, closing his eyes to rest, while still going over the Sealing Jutsu in his mind.Sasuke was able to maintain his posture at first, but as time went on, his brow furrowed as well.Sakura, on the other hand, had been pacing in circles since the eighth minute, and by the twentieth minute, she had entered a manic state.Her fists were clenching and cracking, the veins on her forehead were visible, and she was roaring madly in her heart: "Kakashi-sensei is late again! Kakashi-sensei is always late! This time, I'm definitely going to make him pay!"Five minutes past nine, a leisurely figure finally appeared at the end of the road.Kakashi-sensei held 'icha icha paradise' in one hand, his other hand in his pocket, walking slowly toward the bridge with a smile that showed a complete lack of time awareness."Ah, morning everyone. The morning mist is a bit thick today, so I got a little lost on the path of life."Sakura's fist almost went straight for him, but Naruto stepped aside unobtrusively to block it.Kakashi-sensei didn't care; he closed 'icha icha paradise', put it into his Ninja pouch, and said in a tone even more casual than usual: "Today, there is a simple D-rank mission: help an old grandmother on the outskirts of the Village clear the weeds in her field.""Weeding again?"Sakura's face immediately fell. Sasuke was expressionless. Naruto nodded without speaking.The mission location was next to a field on the southern edge of Konoha Village.The owner of the field was an old grandmother in her seventies. Her back was severely bent, and she spoke slowly. After handing each of them a hoe, she went to sit under the shade of a tree to drink tea.The weeds in this field were indeed growing rampant; in the densest areas, the grass was higher than a person's knees.Naruto carried the hoe and, while weeding, observed the surrounding environment unobtrusively.This farmland was not far from the Village. There were a few scattered farmhouses nearby, children running around on the ridges of the fields, and people drying rice in the distance.The flow of people was neither large nor small, and the view was too open, so it wasn't suitable.Naruto mentally crossed out this area, then lowered his head and continued to cut the grass efficiently
Chapter 27 KonohamaruNaruto moved quickly; every time he landed, he precisely cut the grass stems without damaging the crop roots, his efficiency a cut above Sakura and Sasuke.Kakashi sat in a large tree with his icha icha paradise spread out on his knees. His gaze drifted from the pages to Naruto from time to time, watching the boy's steady movements with a thoughtful expression.By the end of the day's weeding mission, everyone was covered in sweat and dirt.Sakura wiped away sweat while complaining about the blisters on her hands. Sasuke turned and left without a word, and Naruto simply bid the two of them a brief farewell before heading back to his apartment.On the way back, Naruto mentally reviewed the results of his observations from today.This farmland is not suitable for a secret training spot. Need to keep looking.The next day.Kakashi was over an hour late again. After the usual excuse about getting lost, he assigned the three of them a mission to clean up trash in a river channel.The mission site was a river on the edge of Konoha Village. The river wasn't very wide, but the current was quite swift. The channel was filled with a pile of random trash thrown by who knows who, ranging from plastic bags to old, battered beverage bottles.Kakashi sat on a large rock by the riverbank, continuing to read his icha icha paradise, occasionally looking up to shout, "Over there, over there! You missed one!"Naruto rolled up his pant legs and stepped into the river. While fishing out trash, he began to observe the terrain of the area.The river wound its way through the interior of Konoha Village, and by this point, it was nearing the edge of the Village.At the end of the river channel was a natural cliff drop, where the river water poured down to form a white waterfall.The pool beneath the waterfall was surrounded by a dense forest. The sound of water roared, and mist filled the air; looking down from the top of the waterfall, one could only see a canopy of green shrouded in water vapor.Naruto's eyes brightened slightly.He cleaned trash along the river downstream, observing the environment around the waterfall more carefully as he picked things up.This area was quite far from the center of Konoha. There were no houses or fields nearby, and the closest structure was an abandoned old watermill cabin that looked like it hadn't been used for many years.The sound of the waterfall was incredibly loud; one had to raise their voice to be heard while standing by the pool. This natural white noise could perfectly mask any sounds made during training.Furthermore, because the area was shrouded in mist year-round, the forest here was very damp with soft soil, making it an environment unsuitable for human gathering or activity.Naruto silently added this waterfall pool to the top of his shortlist, planning to find a time another day to scout the location properly without being monitored, so he could thoroughly map out the surrounding environment.The third day's mission left Naruto completely speechless.Kakashi led the three of them to a wealthy residential area in Konoha, stopping in front of a mansion with a large, private garden.The person who opened the door was a middle-aged noblewoman wearing a gorgeous kimono, holding a poodle dressed in a little vest.She looked down her nose at the four Ninja, then explained the content of her request in a condescending tone:"Our little princess needs to go for a walk today, but I am feeling unwell. You all will take her to KonohaPark for a stroll. Remember to wipe her paws with wet wipes. Also, she doesn't like walking on gravel paths, and if you encounter other dogs, you must pick her up. And..."Before she could finish, Sakura's face had already darkened, Sasuke's face was even darker, and the corners of Naruto's mouth were twitching.Kakashi, without changing his expression, took the leash and said with his most standard smile, "Please, leave it to us!"And so, the four of them began what could be called the most humiliating mission of their Ninja careers: walking a poodle that had its own dedicated wardrobe.Naruto walked in the middle of the group holding the leash, thinking to himself just how rich one had to be to pay Ninja to walk their dog.Konoha's Genin mission system had always been famous in the Ninja World for weeding, finding cats, and picking up trash, but this was his first time encountering dog walking.However, dog walking had one benefit: he could stroll around various areas of Konoha openly and legitimately without raising anyone's suspicion.When passersby saw a few Genin walking a poodle down the street, they only felt amusement and sympathy; no one would suspect they were scouting locations.Taking advantage of the dog-walking opportunity, Naruto walked through several areas on the outskirts of Konoha, silently drawing a map in his mind.When the walking route passed by a patch of wasteland in the northwest corner of Konoha, Naruto's footsteps paused slightly.At the entrance to the wasteland stood a conspicuous wooden warning sign, with "Trap Area, Do Not Enter" written in red paint, and a rough wooden fence surrounded it.Looking inside through the gaps in the fence, one could see dense layers of barbed wire, bear traps, and pitfall traps on the ground, some already rusted and looking quite aged."Kakashi-sensei, what is this place?"Naruto told the dog he was holding to stop running around, then turned and asked Kakashi."It's an early trap training ground for Konoha..."Kakashi rarely put his book away, glancing at the wasteland behind the fence. "It was used during wartime to train Genin in setting and disarming traps. It was abandoned later on. The traps inside were never cleared and fell into disrepair. There was an accident a few years ago, and it's been sealed off since.""Why, Naruto? Are you interested?""No, just passing by. I was just asking."Naruto shook his head and continued walking the dog.But in his mind, he had already marked this trap area as a priority.Abandoned training ground, warning signs, fenced off—normal people wouldn't come in here at all.Compared to the waterfall, this place was closer to the center of the Village, but the risk was actually lower because everyone assumed no one would enter.As for those traps, they weren't a big problem for him; he could just spend some time clearing them out slowly.Naruto compared the waterfall area and the trap area in his mind, deciding to choose one for his final plan once the time was right.The dog-walking mission finally ended. The four of them returned the dog to the mansion without a scratch. The noblewoman held the dog and inspected it for a full ten minutes before finally signing the mission confirmation form with satisfaction.Kakashi led the three of them to the central mission office to settle the payment. Combined, the three days of D-rank missions earned each of them enough to buy a few bowls of Ichiraku Ramen.Naruto carefully tucked the money into his frog wallet, stowed it away, and turned to walk toward his apartment.He hadn't gone far when he passed the entrance to an alley behind a commercial street, and he heard the sound of small, shuffling footsteps behind him.Naruto didn't turn around. He could clearly sense three small Chakra sources following him, sticking to the base of the wall. When they neared a large rock at the alley entrance, the rock even wobbled.Naruto stopped and sighed."Your disguise is way too obvious."There was silence behind him for two seconds."Poof!"Then, a puff of smoke exploded in the alley, and the Transformation Technique was dispelled.Three small figures jumped out from the smoke.
Chapter 28: GaaraStanding at the very front was a mushroom-haired brat wearing a long scarf and goggles, hands on his hips, looking up at Naruto with his chin tilted so high it was almost pointing at the sky.Behind him stood two other kids of the same age: a little girl with her hair in buns and a little boy wearing glasses with two streams of snot hanging from his nose."As expected of the man I've set my sights on, as expected of the one who will sooner or later become my rival, you saw through my peerless disguise so easily!"Konohamaru poked his chest with his thumb, his face full of smugness."Anyone could see through your disguise."Naruto replied expressionlessly.Konohamaru seemed to have completely ignored this retort and continued speaking to himself."Moegi, Ise Udon, and I have been tracking you for a full half hour. My Ninja intuition tells me you must be carrying out some secret mission, the kind that's very dangerous and can't be known by outsiders...""No, just walking the dog.""As I thought, you're very tight-lipped.""Then let me tell you, according to intelligence I've gathered, you are now the Konoha super Genin who defeated the rogue Jonin Zabuza. So, I want to duel you; the loser must give up the path to becoming Hokage!""Come on, let's have a duel between real men..."Naruto started to lose the desire to speak.He finally understood why the Sandaime always had that expression when facing a pile of documents every day.He reached up to rub his temples, deciding to get rid of Konohamaru in the most effortless way possible."Fine, fine, fine, you win. The path to Hokage is yours to take; I just want to go back to sleep now.""What? Surrendering without a fight? That's not like you!"Konohamaru shouted while walking backward down the street, his scarf nearly tangling his feet as he spun around:"Besides, I overheard some super important news from Ebisu-sensei. I was going to tell you, but since you won't accept my duel challenge, I..."Konohamaru was walking backward too enthusiastically and didn't watch where he was going. Halfway through his sentence, his back slammed solidly into someone."Ah..."Konohamaru stumbled forward, nearly falling, but Naruto reached out and grabbed him by the back of his collar.After steadying himself, he quickly turned around, about to apologize, but the words got stuck in his throat.He had bumped into a wall; no, it was a person."That hurts, brat."The person Konohamaru bumped into looked down, his voice gloomy.He was wearing a grayish-white bodysuit, his face painted with dark purple stripes, and he wore the symbol of the Hidden Sand Village on his forehead.Behind him followed a tall girl with four golden ponytails, a giant iron fan wider than her entire body tucked at her waist, looking down at them with an expression somewhere between impatience and amusement.Naruto's gaze swept over, and he froze.Kankuro and Temari.The children of the Sunagakure's Fourth Kazekage, Gaara's brother and sister.The appearance of these two on the streets of Konoha meant the Chunin Exams were about to begin, that the people from Sunagakure had arrived, and if these two were here, it meant Gaara must be nearby too.Naruto quietly expanded his perception, precisely controlling the range of his Chakra sensing to a spherical area of fifty meters around him.Absolute Control gave Naruto extremely fine-tuned control over his senses, so he didn't need to release Chakra fluctuations to detect things like ordinary Ninjas.Sure enough.On a large tree behind and to the right of Kankuro, there was a source of Chakra that was eerily quiet.The texture of this Chakra was very special—vast, cold, and violent—but it was suppressed very low at the moment, like a thin layer of ice covering a dormant volcano.Through the gaps in the leaves, one could faintly see a patch of dark red hair and a pair of emotionless eyes.Gaara.The Jinchuriki of the Ichibi Shukaku, the ultimate weapon of Sunagakure. At this moment, he had not yet experienced any warmth or redemption; he was a killing machine that could lose control at any time.Naruto calculated the time in his mind.Only three days after returning from the Land of Waves, the people from Sunagakure had already arrived.This meant that representatives from various countries for the Chunin Exams had begun to arrive in Konoha one after another.And the official exam notification should be coming down in the next two days.Time was tight.He had originally planned to keep a low profile before Tsunade took office, using this time to train his Flying Thunder God Technique and Sealing Jutsu to a level where they could be used in combat, but now it seemed the window of time left for him was much shorter than he had anticipated.The benefit of transmigrating to this point in time was not having to go through the miserable life of his childhood; the downside was the tight schedule, having to face the major event of the Chunin Examswithout time to prepare anything.The Forest of Death, Orochimaru, the Tailed Beasttransformation of Gaara, the Konoha Crush Plan.However, on the other hand, there were benefits to the Chunin Exams coming early.The Sandaime's attention would soon be diverted by the Ninjas from various countries, Orochimaru's conspiracy, and the diplomatic standoff with Sunagakure, so the Telescope Technique focused on him would naturally decrease a lot.Just as these thoughts were turning in Naruto's mind, Kankuro made his move.He grabbed Konohamaru by the collar and lifted him off the ground like a chick.Konohamaru's legs kicked wildly in the air, his scarf tightening around his neck, his little face turning bright red from lack of air. He tried hard to pry Kankuro's fingers off, but how could the strength of a seven-year-old child possibly pry open the hand of an official Sunagakure Ninja?Kankuro lifted Konohamaru to eye level, tilted his head to examine this brat who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, and pulled his mouth into an unfriendly arc:"You don't even know how to apologize after bumping into someone?""Is this how Konoha Ninja are taught?"Moegi and Ise Udon stood by, their faces pale with fright.Moegi's lips trembled, and summoning her courage, she rushed up to try to kick Kankuro's shin, but Temari gently pushed her aside with a flick.Ise Udon sat straight down on the ground, his glasses crooked, snot hanging long from his nose."I advise you to let him go."Just then, a hand steadily clamped onto Kankuro's wrist.Kankuro looked down and discovered that Naruto, who had been nearby, was already standing in front of him before he knew it.The force of the fingers gripping his wrist wasn't great, but the position was extremely tricky.The thumb pressed against the ulnar nerve node on the inside of the ulnar styloid process, and the other four fingers were precisely caught between the radial artery and the palmaris longus tendon—it was a standard wrist-locking technique.If the other person added just three more points of force, his entire forearm would go numb, rendering him unable to use any strength.So fast.Everyone present and the person hiding in the tree flashed this thought at the same time.Temari's arms, which had been lazily crossed over her chest, unconsciously dropped, and her fingers quietly rested on the handle of her iron fan.Gaara, up in the tree, also narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on Naruto.
Chapter 29: The Three Siblings DepartNaruto felt no inner turmoil.His intervention was not an impulse; with Konohamaru being bullied, given his current status and personality, it would have been unreasonable for him not to act.After all, Konohamaru was his little brother.Besides, who was Konohamaru?He was the grandson of Sandaime Hiruzen, being hoisted up in public on the streets of Konoha by a Ninja from Sunagakure.As a Konoha Ninja stepping in to stop it, he had every justification; no one could say a word against it.This move would not only secure Konohamaru's favor but also earn some goodwill from Sandaimefor protecting a comrade—all while avoiding the exposure of his true strength.Killing three birds with one stone.Kankuro was stunned for a beat before he reacted."Brat, you..."He had actually had his wrist locked by a brat who looked about the same age as Gaara.Unable to save face, his right hand instinctively moved toward the puppet scroll on his back, his fingers already touching the binding cord of the scroll."Do you intend to use Crow?"Temari calmly placed her hand on Kankuro's shoulder."Stop it, Kankuro.""But this brat..."Just then, a low and icy voice came from above."Stop..."Everyone looked up at the same time.On a thick branch of a large tree, a red-haired figure was crouching, though no one knew when he had arrived.He was hugging his knees, his back slightly hunched, and his pale green eyes shone in the dense shadows of the tree like two cold lamps.A character for "Love" was carved on his forehead.Sasuke was standing under another tree not far away, his back pressed tightly against the trunk, his expression looking not very good.He had arrived after Konohamaru bumped into Kankuro, deliberately choosing a position hidden in the tree's shadows to observe the situation.He thought his hiding spot was sufficiently concealed, but the red-haired youth hanging upside down in the tree had already glanced in his direction, intentionally or otherwise, before speaking.This glance made a chill run down Sasuke's spine: "The other party knew he was hiding here from the very beginning.""A guy who brings shame to the Village."Gaara dropped silently from the tree; sand spread out and condensed beneath his feet, as if supporting his body.He stood before Kankuro, his tone as flat as if he were stating a fact. There was no anger, but precisely because there was no anger, it made him seem all the more terrifying.Kankuro shuddered.He knew his younger brother too well; the flatter Gaara's tone was, the closer he was to the edge of losing control.Cold sweat almost immediately seeped from his forehead, trickling down along the lines of his purple face paint.He quickly put Konohamaru back on the ground and took a step back, the arrogance he had shown toward Naruto disappearing completely."I... Gaara... It was this brat who bumped into me first; I just wanted him to apologize...""Shut up."Gaara didn't even look at him.For Kankuro, this was already the greatest mercy; at least Gaara still allowed him to stand and speak.Kankuro immediately clamped his mouth shut, not daring to say another word.Gaara's gaze passed over Kankuro and landed on Sasuke, who was not far away.He stared at Sasuke for several seconds, as if appraising an interesting item.Sasuke felt completely uncomfortable being stared at by Gaara. Although his Sharingan wasn't activated yet, his body instinctively entered a defensive state."I am somewhat interested in you."Gaara spoke, his voice still devoid of any emotion: "What is your name?"Sasuke frowned.He didn't like being stared at with that kind of gaze; it didn't feel like being looked at as a person, but rather like being looked at as prey or a corpse.But his pride did not allow him to lose his momentum in front of the other party.Sasuke lifted his chin and coldly uttered a few words."Uchiha Sasuke.""Uchiha Sasuke..."Gaara repeated the name in his mouth, as if tasting the flavor of a strange food.Then he moved his gaze away and turned to Naruto.The way he looked at Naruto was different from the way he looked at Sasuke.Looking at Sasuke was like a hunter evaluating the value of prey, while looking at Naruto was more like seeing a kindred spirit."You discovered me a long time ago, right?"Gaara spoke slowly.When he was in the tree, he had felt a sense of perception sweep over him. This perception was very light—so light that it was as easy to ignore as the sound of a falling leaf—but he would not ignore it.The vigilance of the Jinchuriki of Shukaku toward the surrounding environment was honed through countless assassinations and bouts of insomnia."State your name.""Uzumaki Naruto."Naruto met Gaara's gaze, his expression calm: "I did indeed discover you beforehand.""As for why, I think it's probably because we might be the same kind of people."Naruto naturally knew about the Ichibi Shukakuinside Gaara.Shukaku would constantly vie for control of the body with Gaara, causing Gaara to never dare to sleep, which was why his dark circles were so heavy.Although he had the Nine-Tailed inside him, his seal was perfect, so naturally, he didn't suffer from insomnia.Moreover, Gaara had been raised by his own father as a weapon.Both of them were Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, so naturally, they were the same kind of people.At this stage, Gaara had no positive identification with the concept of a Jinchuriki; his only identity was that of a lonely monster.Naruto saying this wasn't to change Gaara's perception, but to link them together under the label of being monsters.In this way, within his cognitive framework, Narutowould be automatically classified by Gaara as an existence that shared his same plight.For the later Konoha Crush Plan, this was an extremely important piece of foreshadowing.Gaara was silent for a moment.He looked into Naruto's eyes, trying to find a trace of deceit or hypocrisy, but found none.Naruto's gaze was very clean; there was no fear, no disgust, and no deliberate ingratiation.What was there was a kind of candor that one would only have in front of someone like themselves."The same kind of people?"Gaara muttered these three words, repeating them, then turned his head away, his voice returning to the previously near-indifferent expression: "Hmph, boring."He turned around, the sand flowing silently beneath his feet. After walking a few steps, Gaara turned his head slightly:"Uzumaki Naruto, we will meet at the Chunin Exams."Kankuro and Temari felt as if they had received a reprieve. They exchanged a look and then quickened their pace to follow Gaara. The figures of the three Sunagakure Ninjas gradually disappeared at the end of the Konoha street.Before catching up with Gaara, Temari did not forget to look back at Naruto.When the figures of the three disappeared from the street, Konohamaru finally exhaled a long breath, as if the pause button had finally been released.He jumped up on the spot, the fear of being hoisted in mid-air long since having flown off to who knows which galaxy, replaced by eyes shining with admiration."Wow~ Big Brother, you were super cool just now!""You rushed over in a 'whoosh,' and before I could even blink, I saw that you had already grabbed that big guy's wrist.""When did you learn such a powerful move?"
Chapter 30: Moegi Is Captured"Teach me, please? I want to learn too!""That's enough, Konohamaru."Naruto reached out and pressed down on Konohamaru's head: "A lot of people from other Villages have come to the Village lately. You three had better stay home and behave yourselves, and don't run around everywhere.""Why?""I haven't even shown you the super Ninjutsu I just developed yet!""Because your identity is very sensitive."Naruto bent down: "There are many Ninja from other Villages moving about in the Village right now. At any moment, there could be someone with ulterior motives looking to target you."Konohamaru blinked, stunned by Naruto's serious attitude.He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Naruto's serious expression, he swallowed his words back down."Alright, I understand, Big Brother."Naruto nodded: "Then hurry back.""Moegi, Ise Udon, you two be careful too.""Okay, Big Brother Naruto!"Moegi and Ise Udon replied in unison.Konohamaru took his two followers and jogged off in the direction of home, turning back to wave at Naruto the whole way, shouting as he ran:"Big Brother, you need to be careful of that red-haired weirdo from just now..."Before he could finish speaking, he nearly tripped over a pebble on the ground again.After the three little ones had run off, Naruto quietly withdrew his gaze and turned his attention to Sasuke, who had been standing under the tree the whole time.He didn't even need to look to know that Sasukewas staring at him; he hadn't looked away since just a moment ago."Sasuke, why are you looking at me like that?"Naruto turned around.Sasuke did not avoid Naruto's gaze.He leaned against the tree trunk, arms crossed, his black eyes staring straight at Naruto with a serious expression."Loser, when did your strength become this strong?"He had seen it very clearly just now.From the moment Naruto vanished from where he stood to appearing in front of Kankuro and grabbing his wrist—a distance of at least ten meters—Narutohad crossed it in almost an instant.It wasn't the Body Flicker Technique; the Body Flicker Technique required hand seals, but Naruto's hands had been hanging naturally at his sides at the time, with absolutely no signs of hand seals.This was pure physical speed.And that kind of speed, he asked himself, was something he couldn't achieve right now.Before he had fallen unconscious, Naruto was still that Loser who was half a beat slower than him even at tree climbing.But since he had fallen unconscious, Naruto had used a method he didn't know to break Haku's Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, and later, he learned from Kakashi that Naruto had even defeated Haku.Now, he had even used a wrist joint lock to subdue an official Ninja from the Hidden Sand Village.Furthermore, his way of speaking, his gait, and his expression when fighting had all changed.The Naruto of the past would bare his teeth and turn bright red when fighting, wanting to shout with every punch, but the current Naruto didn't say a word when fighting, remaining as calm as Kakashi.He couldn't understand it.But he had to know the answer.Naruto glanced at Sasuke, not avoiding the question.He nodded, his tone casual, neither boasting nor deliberately humble:"Yeah, after returning from the Land of Waves, I trained for a while.""My strength is indeed a bit stronger than before."Sasuke's brow furrowed even deeper.Trained for a while?Could a Loser really train to this kind of speed in just a few days?He wanted to ask more, but the words died on his lips.He was Uchiha Sasuke; he would not pester others for training methods, as that was something only the weak would do.He was a genius, always walking ahead of Naruto, the person Naruto had to use all his strength to catch up to.But now, he vaguely felt that this position seemed less certain for him.Sasuke said nothing.He simply lowered his arms from his chest, shoved his hands back into his shorts pockets, and clenched them tightly into fists.Then he turned around and walked back the way he came without saying a word.His back remained straight, his gait still carrying the unique pride of the Uchiha clan, but the knuckles of his hands in his pockets were white from gripping so hard.Naruto watched Sasuke's retreating figure, neither chasing after him nor offering any explanation.Some things cannot be solved by explanations.Sasuke was a person who defined the meaning of his existence through his own strength; what he needed was never comfort or explanation, but stronger opponents and crueler stimulation.Especially at this point in time, with the Chunin Exams right around the corner, Orochimaru was about to place the Curse Mark on Sasuke.If Naruto were to comfort him now out of soft-heartedness, or slow down his own pace to cater to his pride, that would actually harm Sasuke.Letting him experience the gap in strength early, and letting him face the upcoming trials with unwillingness and a sense of crisis, would actually increase his chances of survival.As for Orochimaru placing the Curse Mark on Sasuke during the upcoming Chunin Exams, Narutodidn't intend to stop it; after all, Sasuke had his own path to walk, and staying in Konoha might even hinder his growth.The most critical point was that his current strength wasn't enough to stop Orochimaru, and it might even expose him and draw Orochimaru's attention.However, Naruto did want to change the way Sasuke left.He could not leave as a defector."But before that, I should also improve my own strength. I'll take action tonight; time waits for no one!"Thinking this, Naruto turned and began to walk toward his apartment.But he had barely walked ten steps."Ah!"A scream came from the street corner ahead; it was a little girl's voice, sharp and urgent, as if it had leaked out from between fingers after being suddenly covered.Naruto recognized this as Moegi's voice.He and Sasuke, who was still not far away, stopped in their tracks almost simultaneously.The two exchanged a glance across the tens of meters, then one after the other, they dashed toward the direction of the sound.Naruto was faster; every point where his feet landed was precisely stepped on a position that maximized propulsion, and with a few leaps, he had opened up a significant distance.Sasuke followed closely behind. This time, he saw clearly Naruto's method of acceleration: it was precisely concentrating Chakra in the soles of his feet, not a simple, crude eruption for propulsion, but adjusting the density and angle of the Chakra at the moment of each exertion to exchange the minimum consumption for the maximum displacement.He had seen Kakashi use a similar technique, but he hadn't expected Naruto to use it even more fluidly than Kakashi.When Naruto rushed out of the alley, the scene before his eyes made his pupils shrink.A figure wearing a dark gray cloak was carrying Moegi toward the opposite direction of the main road. The speed wasn't particularly fast, but the route chosen was extremely tricky, specifically picking the blind spots of roofs and hidden alleys between old buildings.Konohamaru had fallen to the ground at the mouth of the alley, his scarf loose and dragging on the ground, and he was struggling to climb back up."Big Brother Naruto, Moegi has been taken by that bad guy!"By the time Konohamaru shouted this at the top of his lungs, Naruto had already dashed out.He had no time to stop and comfort Konohamaru; his entire being turned into a blurred golden afterimage, chasing along the route the cloaked figure was escaping on.
Chapter 31: The Test, IrukaWhen Sasuke reached the alley entrance, he only saw Naruto's receding afterimage and Konohamarusitting on the ground.He gritted his teeth and followed in hot pursuit....During the chase, Naruto noticed something slightly off.The opponent's speed was average for a typical Chunin, but they seemed quite familiar with this area densely packed with buildings, turning without hesitation every time.Upon realizing this, Naruto immediately switched to pursuit mode.He fully unleashed the advanced Chakramanipulation techniques Minato Namikaze had taught him, channeling the flow of Chakra to the tips of his hands and feet.Then, the Chakra was released explosively from the soles of his feet, and in an instant, Naruto's speed jumped to a higher level.The Ninja holding Moegi was in the middle of leaping between two rooftops. Hearing something off behind him, he glanced back, only to see Naruto—who had been seven or eight rooftops away just moments ago—close most of the distance in the blink of an eye, and disappear from his field of vision with the next blink.His heart skipped a beat. Carrying Moegi, he forced himself to land, dropping from mid-air into a small clearing in a grove.He set Moegi aside, drew a Kunai, lowered his center of gravity into a defensive alert stance, and his gaze darted rapidly among the shadows of the surrounding trees.Just then, a golden light appeared silently behind him.He didn't even hear footsteps; he only felt a slight chill at the back of his neck before a palm struck the side of his neck.The force was precise—just enough to cut off blood supply to the carotid artery without injuring the cervical spine or trachea.His consciousness was swallowed by darkness in an instant. The Kunai in his hand fell to the ground with a crisp ding, and he collapsed forward, lying motionless on the ground."Big Brother Naruto!"Moegi jumped up from the ground and practically flew over to hug Naruto's waist.The little girl was sobbing uncontrollably, wiping all her snot and tears onto Naruto's Ninja outfit, while mumbling, "I knew Big Brother Naruto would come to save me...""That bad guy was so scary!"Naruto swayed slightly from the impact of Moegi's hug. He looked down at the little girl with buns in her hair, who was sobbing breathlessly against him, sighed, and reached out to gently pat her head."It's okay now, everything is fine.""Moegi was very brave to call out for help; that's how I was able to catch up so quickly."Moegi looked up, sobbing, her tear-filled eyes fixed on Naruto. She nodded vigorously and then buried her face back into him.While comforting Moegi, Naruto cast his gaze toward the cloaked figure on the ground he had knocked unconscious.He turned the person over, and the cloak's hood slipped off, revealing a familiar face.The iconic Konoha forehead protector, the old scar running across the bridge of his nose, a face that was slightly youthful but unmistakable.Iruka.Naruto was stunned for three or four seconds.Then his brain raced, piecing together everything that had just happened from start to finish.He finally understood what was going on."You've got to be kidding me."Naruto muttered under his breath, unconsciously rubbing his temples....A few leaves were crushed by the sound of hurried footsteps.Sasuke finally caught up, clutching a few shuriken in his hand, ready to throw them at any moment.He landed in the clearing, his gaze sweeping over Moegi, who was sitting on the ground hugging Naruto, then over the motionless cloaked figure, and finally settling on Iruka's unconscious face.He slowly lowered the shuriken in his hand."Iruka-sensei?"Sasuke's tone was rarely confused."It's just as you think."Naruto sighed and crouched down to check Iruka's pulse.It was normal. There was a slight bruise on the side of his neck, but nothing serious."The Ninja who just took Moegi was Iruka-sensei disguised with the Transformation Jutsu.""As for why he took Moegi, I guess it was probably a test for us."Sasuke went silent.He stood there, his gaze shifting back and forth between Iruka and Naruto several times.Iruka-sensei was a Chunin-level Ninja; not exceptionally powerful, but certainly not weak. Having taught at the Ninja Academy for so many years, he possessed basic combat experience.Yet, from the moment Naruto started the chase to knocking Iruka unconscious, it probably took less than two minutes.That included the distance of the chase through alleys and over rooftops.To catch up to a Chunin-level expert in the Transformation Jutsu in two minutes, and then silently appear behind him to neutralize him in one move.For a Genin who had only graduated from the academy a few months ago, regardless of whether it was due to innate talent or some special training, this was already beyond common sense.Sasuke said nothing, merely returning the shuriken to his Ninja tool pouch, his knuckles white from gripping them tightly.Then he turned around and walked back the way he came without a word.This time he walked faster than before, and his shoulders were set more rigidly.Naruto watched Sasuke leave, frowning slightly, but said nothing.With Sasuke's personality, persuasion was useless; the more you tried to persuade him, the more he felt like he was being patronized.He just had to wait for him to process it himself.Besides, his own strength wasn't that much greater. Aside from the Nine-Tails Chakra, with the Rasengan and Shadow Clone, dealing with an elite Chunin wasn't a problem, but a Jonin would be a stretch, and an elite Jonin would likely be tough.Naruto then crouched down, draped one of Iruka's arms over his shoulder, and hoisted him onto his back.Just then, Konohamaru and Ise Udon came running to the edge of the grove, panting.As soon as they arrived, the two little ones saw Naruto walking out with Iruka on his back, and Moegi following beside him, eyes red but otherwise unharmed."Big Brother, why is Iruka-sensei here?""Where's that bad guy? Moegi, are you okay?"Naruto didn't waste breath explaining too much, just gave a brief instruction to be careful on the way home.Konohamaru also obediently didn't press for more, taking Moegi and Ise Udon by the hand to head home.However, he kept looking back every few steps as he left, the light of admiration in his eyes as he looked at Naruto even brighter than before.Naruto carried Iruka back to the teacher's apartments.Iruka lived in a small apartment near the Ninja Academy. The room was kept clean; lesson plans and scrolls were neatly arranged on the bookshelf, and a half-graded Genin application form was spread out on the desk.Naruto placed him on the bed, helped him take off his shoes and forehead protector, and then went to wring out a wet towel to place on his forehead.He used a bit of healing-type Chakra to massage the bruise on the side of his neck; it didn't eliminate it completely, but at least it dispersed most of the blood stasis.After doing all this, he pulled over the chair from in front of the desk, sat down, and began to wait."Hmm..."About half an hour later, Iruka's eyelids twitched, he let out a vague grunt, and then slowly opened his eyes.He saw the familiar ceiling light of his own home, then turned his head to see Naruto sitting on the chair in front of his desk, flipping through a basic Ninja Academy Taijutsu textbook. The movement of turning the pages was very light, and upon hearing movement on the bed, he looked up."Iruka-sensei, you're awake."Iruka stared blankly at Naruto, and then memories came flooding back like a rushing tide.
Chapter 32: Ichiraku RamenHe had used the Transformation Jutsu to disguise himself as a Ninja from another Village to test the reactions of Naruto and Sasuke. He had grabbed Moegi as bait, but hadn't run far before Narutocaught up to him, and then his neck went numb.Everything went blank.Iruka subconsciously raised his hand to touch the side of his neck, feeling a small patch of bruising that hadn't completely faded yet, and couldn't help but reveal a somewhat complex, wry smile."Naruto, I never imagined you had become this strong. I didn't even have time to react before you knocked me out."There was relief in Iruka's tone, but also a hint of an indescribable sense of loss.A teacher is naturally happy when their student surpasses them, but that feeling of being left behind—the first time experiencing it—is bound to be a little bittersweet."Iruka-sensei, please don't do that again next time."Naruto set down the basic taijutsu textbook in his hand and looked at Iruka: "This time, you were knocked out by me, but what if I had misjudged the situation and hadn't held back?""What if it had been a Kunai thrown instead of a hand strike?"Iruka was stunned for a moment.He had originally expected Naruto to gloat and brag about how he caught up and defeated him in one move.That was the Naruto he knew best.But at this moment, Naruto didn't do that.He simply used a very calm tone to remind him to be careful.After a moment, Iruka smiled gently.Naruto really was different now.Naruto pulled his chair a little closer, watched Irukasit up in bed and lean against the headboard, and handed him a glass of water.Iruka took the cup, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and cleared his throat."You should already know about the Chunin Exams, right, Naruto?""Although I haven't received official notice yet, the atmosphere in the Village recently has made it clear."Naruto nodded: "Besides, I already encountered Genin from Sunagakure earlier and had direct contact with them.""Sunagakure? Did you fight them?"Iruka sat up slightly, concern immediately appearing on his face."It doesn't count as a fight; there was a small friction, but neither side suffered a loss, nor was anyone disrespectful."Naruto briefly recounted what happened on the street earlier: Konohamaru bumped into someone, he stepped in to stop it, the other party backed down, and the people from Sunagakure left on their own.Iruka breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, but his expression remained serious: "The Genin sent by Sunagakure this time are not simple.""Their leader is the Jonin Baki; I saw his name at the registration office yesterday, and that person holds a very high position within Sunagakure.""Students led by him personally will definitely not be weak."Naruto nodded but didn't respond.Of course, he knew the Sunagakure candidates weren't weak; Gaara was the strongest candidate in this Chunin Exams, bar none.And Baki was not only the Jonin leader for Gaaraand his team, but also the public liaison for the Konoha Crush Plan in Sunagakure.But these were plot points for the future; now was not the time to discuss these with Iruka."Back to business."Iruka set down the water cup, his expression becoming serious: "Naruto, your Jonin instructor, Kakashi, has already submitted the Chunin Examsapplication forms for the three of you.""The main reason I pulled this stunt today was because of this. I was worried about you participating in the Chunin Exams, so I wanted to test your strength and ability to handle unexpected situations myself.""As for the results... how should I put it!"Iruka gave a wry smile: "Each of you exceeded my expectations, especially you, Naruto."Naruto didn't act humble, just smiled slightly: "I went to the Land of Waves and experienced some things.""I saw what real Ninja combat looks like, and I saw how truly powerful Ninjas survive on the battlefield.""I suppose it was from that point on that I felt I had wasted too much time in the Village before."Iruka looked at Naruto and remained silent for a long time.He had taught Naruto for several years; from his first day at the Ninja Academy, to when he stole the Scroll of Seals for a make-up exam, to when he finally put on his headband and was assigned to Team 7, Iruka had been there for every stage.He understood the kind of environment Naruto had grown up in; he understood it better than anyone.Precisely because he understood, seeing Naruto like this now, the sense of relief and pride welling up in his heart was so strong that his nose felt a little sore."Naruto..."Iruka's voice softened: "You've grown up..."Iruka sat up straight on the bed and patted his knees: "Although I was almost knocked out by you today, I can still afford to treat you to a meal.""Let's go, Ichiraku Ramen, all you can eat."Naruto smiled from the bottom of his heart.As night fell on the streets of Konoha, streetlights turned on one after another, casting a river of warm, flickering yellow light across the cobblestone path.Iruka and Naruto walked side by side on their way to Ichiraku Ramen. Surrounding shops were closing one by one, but the logo on the noren curtain of Ichiraku Ramen was particularly striking in the night.The aroma of soup wafted out from behind the curtain, and the whole street could smell it.Iruka lifted the noren curtain, and Naruto followed him inside.It was Ichiraku who was wiping bowls; hearing the curtain move, he looked up, and as soon as he saw that blonde head, his eyes lit up immediately."Yo~ Isn't this Naruto? Long time no see!""Uncle Ichiraku, long time no see."Naruto sat down on a high stool and smiled.In Konoha Village, Ichiraku Ramen was one of the few places where the original Naruto didn't have to worry about how others looked at him.Ichiraku and his daughter never treated him differently because he was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki; his money was money, just like anyone else's. Here, he was no different from any ordinary customer.The original Naruto had once considered Ichiraku Ramen one of the most important things in his life. Besides Iruka, Ichiraku and his daughter were probably the only people he could feel at ease with.This feeling of being treated with sincerity was something the current Naruto also took to heart."Uncle, two bowls of signature Tonkotsu ramen, please!"Iruka sat down next to Naruto and held up two fingers."Coming right up, two bowls of signature Tonkotsu..."Uncle Ichiraku picked up the noodle strainer, his movements smooth and practiced like flowing water.Soon, two steaming bowls of Tonkotsu ramen were placed in front of Iruka and Naruto; they were filled to the brim, and there were five full slices of chashu pork arranged on top."Let's eat..."Iruka snapped his chopsticks apart and put his hands together.Naruto also put his hands together, then picked up a chopstick-full of noodles, blew on them, and put them into his mouth.The noodles were firm, and the Tonkotsu broth was rich but not greasy—exactly the same taste as what the original Naruto had eaten in his memories, but for the current Naruto, it was the first time tasting it with his own taste buds.He picked up a slice of chashu; it was a perfect mix of fat and lean, melting in his mouth, and the yolk of the soft-boiled egg, half-set and runny, coated the noodles. One bite, and his satisfaction was maxed out."How is it? Not bad, right?"Iruka asked with a smile as he watched Naruto's expression while eating.
Chapter 33: Sneaking AwayNaruto swallowed the noodles in his mouth, picked up a tissue, and wiped the corners of his mouth: "Delicious, and plenty of toppings too.""You used to be able to eat five bowls in one go, shouting 'I'm going to be Hokage' while you ate, and your voice would fill the entire shop."Iruka reminisced while eating his noodles, his eyes squinting behind the rising steam:"You're much quieter now, and your table manners are much more refined than before.""The past is the past. After all, a Ninja has to grow up, Iruka-sensei!"Naruto picked up some bamboo shoots with his chopsticks, his tone casual.After the two had eaten for a while and taken the edge off their hunger, Iruka put down his chopsticks, picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and asked in a conversational tone:"Hey, Naruto, you've been a Ninja for a while now. Any thoughts?"Naruto gently tapped the edge of his bowl with his chopsticks, thought for a moment, and said:"I'm one step closer to becoming Hokage."Iruka smiled but didn't refute him.In the past, whenever Naruto said, "I want to be Hokage," the whole class would laugh. Even Irukahimself would think to himself that this kid probably needed to trip and fall a few more times before he could learn to keep his feet on the ground.But now when Naruto said those words, his tone wasn't loud, his pace wasn't rushed, he didn't wave his fists, and he didn't jump onto a chair. He was just like a traveler confirming his destination.Iruka knew that he meant it.Uncle Ichiraku brought over two more plates of free chashu, saying it was to help Naruto build up his strength.Naruto thanked him, and as he and Iruka ate and chatted, the topic slowly shifted from his experiences in the Land of Waves to funny stories from his time at the Ninja Academy.By the time the two finished the last of their soup, it was completely dark outside.Uncle Ichiraku began to close up shop, and Ayame was wiping down the counter.Iruka paid the bill, and he and Naruto walked out of the shop together.The night breeze was cool, there were few pedestrians on the street, and the streetlights stretched their shadows out long."Naruto, good luck with the Chunin Exams.""Yeah, I will, Iruka-sensei."The two parted ways at a fork in the road; Irukaheaded toward the teacher apartments, and Narutoheaded toward his own apartment.After walking a few steps, Iruka turned back and shouted: "Don't train too late, get some rest!"Naruto waved his hand with his back turned to him and turned into the night.After saying goodbye to Iruka, Naruto walked back to the yellow apartment building along the quiet, dark street.He walked up the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the hallway. He inserted the key into the lock, turned it twice, and the rusty door creaked open.He didn't rush to turn on the lights.Standing in the darkness, he closed his eyes and slowly spread out his perception.Absolute Control allowed Naruto to finely regulate his senses.It wasn't the kind of flashy detection method that released waves of Chakra, but rather mobilizing his hearing, smell, tactile sense of air currents, and faint sensing of Chakra, like a spiderweb blown open by the wind, silently covering an area of about one hundred meters around the apartment.There was no prickling sensation specific to being watched.The hairs on the back of his neck didn't stand up, and his scalp didn't tighten.Naruto frowned slightly.Not feeling watched didn't mean no one was monitoring him.Hiruzen might be busy dealing with the upcoming Chunin Exams; as Hokage, the documents on Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk were probably piled higher than he was.But the Telescope Technique was Sandaime's signature Ninjutsu; as long as he wanted to watch, he could look at any time.Naruto didn't let his guard down just because he didn't feel watched for the moment.He raised the precision of his perception to another level.This time, it was a directional detection specifically targeting Chakra sources.With the assistance of Absolute Control, he could distinguish the subtle differences between different Chakra sources: the Chakra of ordinary villagers was as faint as a thin mist, a Genin's Chakra was a small flame, and a Jonin's Chakra was like a tightly compressed bonfire.And Anbu's Chakra had a very distinct characteristic.Their Chakra was deliberately suppressed; it was calm on the surface, but underneath, there was a density that was highly concentrated and could erupt at any moment, like an undercurrent hidden beneath calm water.Two such Chakra sources appeared, one on a large tree about fifty meters to the left of the apartment, and the other behind a rooftop water tower of a residential house about seventy meters to the right.Naruto curled his lip in the darkness.As expected, there were Anbu agents.Two Anbu, one on the left and one on the right; their positions were chosen very carefully, capable of covering all entrances and exits to his apartment without blocking each other's line of sight.This level of surveillance deployment could be considered standard configuration.For Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, two Anbu taking turns keeping watch was already the minimum security measure.Sandaime ignored him on the surface, but the arrangements in the dark had never slackened.Fine, since you love to squat there, then keep squatting.Naruto withdrew his perception, reached out, and flipped the light switch, and the dim incandescent light filled the spotlessly clean little room.He took off his shoes, hung his Ninja tool pouch on the hook by the door, and then walked into the small but clean bathroom.He filled the bathtub with water, took off his clothes, and soaked in it. The moment the hot water covered his shoulders, all the muscles in his body relaxed simultaneously.While soaking in the bath, he re-sensed those two Anbu Chakra sources.They were still in their original positions, with no signs of moving.Normal.Their surveillance of a Jinchuriki was a long-term mission, a shift system; usually, one group would watch for six hours, then swap with the next group.Naruto silently calculated the time in his head; it was probably past nine o'clock at night, and there were at least two hours until the next shift change.There was enough time.He stood up from the bathtub, dried his body, and put on clean loungewear.Then he walked to the kitchen trash can, bent over, pulled out the trash bag, and tied a knot in it.This action was very natural, very routine, and nothing worth noting.A Ninja who had just taken a bath tidying up the room and preparing to take out the trash—it couldn't be more normal.But at the moment he tied the trash bag, a Shadow Clone appeared silently behind him.No smoke, no sound.At the exact same instant he activated the Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto used Absolute Control to suppress the fluctuations of Chakra within his body to the minimum limit. His hand-sealing movements were blocked by his body, and the resulting Chakrafluctuations were as light as a grain of sand falling into water.The Shadow Clone exchanged a look with the original, then the Shadow Clone took the trash bag and walked to the door to change shoes.Meanwhile, the original Naruto simultaneously activated the Transformation Technique to turn into the shape of an empty shampoo bottle.The bottle itself had no Chakra fluctuations, exactly the same as the few empty bottles sitting on the kitchen windowsill.All aura was suppressed.Under the precise regulation of Absolute Control, his heartbeat dropped to almost a few beats per minute, and his body temperature was adjusted to be completely consistent with the surrounding environment.The Shadow Clone carried the trash bag out the door and closed it behind him
Chapter 34: Barrier Setup Complete, TrainingThe Shadow Clone was dressed in loungewear, wearing slippers, with slightly damp hair and a lazy expression on its face—it looked exactly like an ordinary Genin who had just finished chores and was preparing to go back to sleep after taking out the trash.It walked slowly down the stairs, passed the trash can downstairs, and threw the garbage inside.Throughout this process, the Anbu's gaze remained firmly locked onto the Shadow Clone from start to finish.After throwing away the trash, the Shadow Clonestretched, yawned, and then sauntered back upstairs, returned to the room, turned off the light, climbed under the covers, and within two minutes, was breathing evenly.If the Anbu members had approached the window to listen, they would have heard the rhythmic, slightly nasal breathing characteristic of a sleeping teenager.This was precisely simulated by Naruto's Shadow Clone using Absolute Control; every interval between breaths and the arc of the chest's rise and fall were exactly the same as the original body.Meanwhile, the moment the trash bag hit the bottom of the bin, the real Naruto silently switched places.He lay on his side inside the trash can, amidst a pile of waste paper and expired milk cartons, holding his breath and suppressing his Chakra fluctuations to a state of near-zero.After waiting about thirty seconds and confirming there were no unusual movements, Naruto silently climbed out of the trash can, hugged the shadows beneath the apartment building, followed the direction of the drainage ditch, and left the area like a shadow blending into the night.He ultimately chose the large waterfall at the end of the river.Although no one approached the trap training ground, the very visibility of the words "No Entry" made it more likely to attract curious kids or adventurous Genin who would sneak in to explore.Furthermore, the number of traps in that area was outrageous, and it would take some time to clear them all.With the Chunin Exams just around the corner, he didn't have the time to clear them.The waterfall area, however, met all his needs perfectly.First, it was far enough from the center of the Village, with no residential houses or farmland nearby.Second, the sound of the waterfall was deafening; even standing by the pool, one had to shout to be heard. This natural white noise could perfectly mask any sounds that might be produced during training.Third, the area around the waterfall was dense with primitive coniferous forests. The canopy was thick, making it nearly impossible to see the ground from above, so conventional aerial reconnaissance would struggle to discover anyone hiding beneath the waterfall.For these reasons, Naruto chose this place.Passing through the streets of Konoha in the night, Naruto tried his best to avoid the main roads with streetlights, following the path along the river upstream.The night wind blew across the river, carrying the fishy scent of water weeds and the dampness of the night dew.The closer he got to the waterfall, the louder the sound of the water became, gradually shifting from a gentle babble to a dull roar.When he finally reached the end of the river and stood on the edge of the cliff looking down, the moonlight was shining on the mist kicked up by the waterfall, forming a faint, milky-white arch bridge in the black canyon.Naruto took a deep breath and leaped.His toes tapped lightly on a protruding rock halfway down the cliff, his body used the force to turn, and he landed as lightly as a leaf blown by the wind on the edge of the pool below the waterfall.The mist rushed into his face, carrying a bone-chilling cold, and the sound of the water was so loud it made his eardrums buzz.Naruto looked around.Around the pool was a circular clearing eroded by the waterfall over the years; the ground consisted of smooth rocks and fine pebbles, with the dense coniferous forest surrounding the clearing.Moonlight poured down from the top of the waterfall, shattering into countless fragments of dancing silver light on the pool.This place was simply a perfect training ground.Under a recessed rock wall near the right side of the pool, Naruto found a naturally formed, semi-open stone cave. It wasn't large, just big enough for one person to sit cross-legged with room to spare, and the entrance was shrouded in mist from the waterfall, making it impossible to see what was inside from the outside.He stood at the cave entrance and formed hand seals."Shadow Clone Technique."Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!Four Shadow Clones appeared before him.The four Shadow Clones looked at each other without any unnecessary communication and dashed out in four directions, stopping at the east, south, west, and north positions, approximately fifty meters away from the cave.Then, they simultaneously began to form hand seals.The hand seals for the Perception Blocking Barrierwere not particularly complex—much simpler than a major Sealing Jutsu like the Four Symbols Seal, which required over a dozen hand seals—but the subtlety lay in the need for precise synchronization of the Chakra frequencies among the casters.For the clones, achieving precise synchronization was effortless.As the final hand seals locked into place at the exact same moment, the air trembled slightly.Four translucent Chakra barriers rose simultaneously from the spots where the four Shadow Clones stood, extending toward the center and closing overhead, eventually forming a hemispherical barrier with a diameter of about fifty meters.The barrier's wall was very thin and almost completely transparent in the moonlight; only from specific angles could one see a silhouette that looked like air distorted by heat waves.Naruto's original body stood at the entrance of the cave in the center of the barrier and reached out a finger to touch the barrier wall.A slight resistance came from his fingertip, feeling like a very elastic rubber film.He nodded.This barrier could isolate all Chakra fluctuations and sensory detection from within; the outside world could not sense any movement inside.However, its physical defense was very weak; not to mention Ninjutsu, even a Genin could break it by pushing hard enough.This was not a barrier for combat, but one specifically designed to hide one's presence.And this was exactly what he needed most right now.Without delay, while there was still time, Narutoimmediately began the core mission of his planned training: the Flying Thunder God Technique.He stood on a relatively flat rock by the pool and pressed his palms together."Shadow Clone Technique!"This time, the scale and density of the smoke were several times larger than before.After the smoke cleared, over thirty Narutos stood neatly in the clearing by the pool. Their golden hair was soaked by the waterfall mist, but everyone's eyes were as bright as lit lamps."Everyone, time is tight."Naruto's original body looked at the thirty-plus faces identical to his own: "Let's begin!""Yeah!" X30Thirty Shadow Clones responded in unison, then quickly dispersed, each finding a spot in the clearing to sit cross-legged.The moment they closed their eyes, the diagrams for the Flying Thunder God Technique, the spatial coordinate calculation formulas, the essentials of spatial perception, and all the insights described by Minato were simultaneously retrieved in their minds, and they began to deconstruct and analyze them word by word.With over thirty people training the same technique simultaneously, each Shadow Clone approached the realization from a slightly different angle: some started from the level of the technique's structure, others reverse-engineered the path of Chakra flow, some frantically simulated the mapping of spatial coordinates in their minds, and others repeatedly pondered the extremely abstract oral descriptions regarding spatial perception.
Chapter 35: Becoming Partners with the Nine-TailedThese insights would all be gathered into the main body's mind when the Shadow Clones were dispelled, equivalent to one person tackling the same difficult problem from more than thirty different angles simultaneously.Naruto's main body watched as his Shadow Clones entered a meditative state one by one, then nodded and prepared to sit down and join the training as well."Kid, your method is not bad."Just then, a deep, somewhat lazy voice echoed in Naruto's mind."Using clones to train together is equivalent to more than thirty people tackling one jutsu at the same time; the training progress has increased by more than thirty-fold.""This kind of brain-burning training method is something only a freakish Jinchuriki like you would dare to play with."Naruto paused, recognizing the voice as that of the Nine-Tailed, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.He walked over to a large rock, sat down with his back against it, and lowered his voice. Although he knew that conversing with the Nine-Tailed only required doing so within his consciousness, he still habitually spoke out loud."Kurama, I thought you weren't going to talk to me.""Hmph."Hearing this, the Nine-Tailed let out a heavy hmph.It rolled over on the grassland, shifted its nine tails into a more comfortable position on the grass, rested its chin on its crossed front paws, and twitched its large, fluffy ears twice.It certainly wouldn't admit that because of the new environment these past few days, it had been in a good mood and had unintentionally slept until now.Because throughout the long years, that was how it passed the time!But how could it possibly say such a thing out loud?It was the Nine-Tailed, the strongest Tailed Beast, not some pet fox that would be satisfied enough to purr just from being full and basking in the sun.Naruto heard the meaning hidden in the Nine-Tailed's voice, smiled, and didn't call it out.He didn't say anything more, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and prepared to join the training."Uzumaki Naruto..."At this moment, the Nine-Tailed's voice rang out again. This time, it was no longer the surprised tone from before, but had become deep and serious, even carrying a hint of warning:"Your method can indeed quickly improve training efficiency, but have you thought about what happens when all these clones are dispelled? More than thirty sets of memories of training the same jutsu will all flood back into your brain in an instant.""These aren't just thirty different memories, but thirty highly similar yet not identical memories, each carrying its own insights, trial and error, and thought processes. They will overlap in the same memory area of your brain; you might fall into cognitive confusion, or even become an idiot.""I don't want my Jinchuriki to turn into a drooling fool."Naruto opened his eyes, looked at the sparkling surface of the pool illuminated by the moonlight, and chuckled softly.The number of thirty clones was something he had calculated using Absolute Control.His current brain capacity and information processing ability were just enough to withstand the memories transmitted back from thirty clones simultaneously without overloading.Any more, and there would be a risk of brain damage.But if the Nine-Tailed took the initiative to help, this upper limit could be raised significantly.The Nine-Tailed's Chakra itself had extremely strong restorative capabilities, which could buffer the impact on the brain during information overload.However, Naruto didn't explain; he just leaned back, shifted into a more comfortable position, and said with a smile:"Isn't there still you?""Hmph!"The Nine-Tailed was silent for a moment, then let out a cold hmph.It rested its chin on the back of its paw, flattened its ears back, and closed its eyes, adopting an attitude of 'this lord can't be bothered with you.'It did not retort.Not retorting was, in itself, a form of tacit approval.The silence lasted for a moment, and just as Narutoclosed his eyes again, the Nine-Tailed suddenly spoke up once more."Uzumaki Naruto."The Nine-Tailed's voice was very low and light, but the end of its tone hooked upward, carrying the cadence of an experienced hunter luring prey into a trap:"You train and train, but in the end, isn't it just to become stronger?""Why go through all this trouble? Wouldn't it be better to just use my Chakra?"Naruto did not answer.He opened his eyes, watched the mist stirred up by the waterfall in front of him drift slowly away in the moonlight, and remained silent for several seconds.Then he spoke, his tone more serious than it had ever been before."Kurama, I hope we can become partners, become friends.""I hope that you accept me from your heart, and then voluntarily give me your Chakra!""Not because I can suppress you using some ability, and not because I want to use your power to achieve some goal.""You are an independent life, Kurama.""You have lived much longer than me and have seen far more of the dark side of humanity than I have. I completely understand that you cannot trust humans.""But I still want to say, I want to be true partners with you—not for your power, but because you are you."The Nine-Tailed's eyes, which had been closed, snapped open.The scarlet slit pupils appeared exceptionally piercing under the blue sky and white clouds of the Sealing Space, the pupils as thin as a crack.Its tail flicked unconsciously on the grass, sweeping up a small patch of grass clippings."Partners?"The Nine-Tailed's voice carried mocking sarcasm, but hidden within that sarcasm was a certain wavering that even it hadn't realized:"You are willing to be friends with a Tailed Beast?"In a trance, an image from long, long ago involuntarily surfaced in the Nine-Tailed's mind.The Old Man of the Six Paths was wearing a wide white haori, his face kind yet majestic, sitting among the nine Tailed Beasts, saying something to them.He said that one day, a person would appear who would understand you, accept you, and treat you as partners rather than tools.The Old Man of the Six Paths recited their names one by one: Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku... Kurama.The Old Man of the Six Paths smiled and patted its head: "Kurama, you have the most stubborn temper; in the future, if you meet that person, don't scare them away."The Nine-Tailed shook its head vigorously, shaking the image from before its eyes.It refocused its gaze on the blond kid in front of it, its eyes becoming sharper than before.It had seen too much human greed and hypocrisy.Those who wanted to use its power, without exception, all used sweet words as bait, only to eventually reveal chains and Sealing Jutsu.This kid spoke of partners and friends, but who knew if it was just another pretty trap.Naruto looked at the Nine-Tailed's eyes, which were wavering between suspicion and hesitation, and said nothing more.He closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into the Sealing Space.Blue sky, white clouds, and an endless green grassland.The Nine-Tailed's massive body lay in the very center of the grassland, its nine tails slowly sweeping back and forth behind it, making the surrounding blades of grass rustle.Resting its chin on its front paws, its scarlet slit pupils stared through the bright sunlight on the grassland at the tiny golden figure in front of it, its expression carrying wariness, but also a hint of anticipation that even the Nine-Tailed itself had not realized.