Chapter 18: Naruto's Routine and a Long-Awaited Opportunity
Hiruzen Sarutobi had neither expected nor discovered Naruto's early awakening; this was his oversight, and it was also related to Naruto's already mature psychological age.
Hiruzen Sarutobi overlooked that Naruto, as a Jinchuriki, possessed a natural resistance to Genjutsu, an ability that had nothing to do with age.
Primarily, the young Naruto was simply too deceptive, making Hiruzen Sarutobi's oversight understandable.
Having learned part of the truth, Naruto thoroughly understood his current situation, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally found some temporary peace.
Naruto deduced from the conversation between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura that he had previously been caught in a struggle between two factions. The man Hiruzen Sarutobi called Danzowas clearly from the radical faction.
As a member of the moderate faction, Hiruzen Sarutobi might not have made up his mind to train him before, but after Naruto's efforts during this period, he believed that Hiruzen Sarutobi had decided to make him a priority for cultivation.
Thinking of this, Naruto felt incredibly fortunate to have the life experience game system. Without this System, his miserable childhood would have continued for a long time.
He didn't even know what kind of person he would have grown up to be by then.
Now that he understood his situation and most of the reasons for his past experiences, Narutocouldn't help but feel hostile toward Danzo Shimura and the forces behind him, as well as dissatisfied with the fate others had arranged for him.
He, Naruto, was Naruto; the kind of person he wanted to become was his own choice, not something for these politicians to arbitrarily shape into their ideal image through environment, rhetoric, and education!
Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi was now the one protecting Naruto, it could not erase the resentment in Naruto's heart.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi only made this choice after Naruto pretended to show him that he could become what Hiruzen wanted, rather than making that choice from the very beginning.
One should not underestimate this subtle difference; the meaning behind it was truly worlds apart. How could Naruto have much goodwill toward Hiruzen Sarutobi?
However...
"It's mutual exploitation. I'll work hard to become who you want me to be, and you'll provide me with a harbor to weather the storm. Once everything is settled, I'll just do what I truly want to do!" Narutothought to himself.
...
Naruto, who had accidentally stumbled upon part of the truth, pretended for a while before slowly waking up. The performance was flawless, and Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed nothing unusual.
"How do you feel after your nap?" Hiruzen Sarutobiasked.
"I feel... I don't really feel anything..." Naruto didn't fall for it. He was quite puzzled as to why Hiruzen Sarutobi was constantly testing him. "It's about the same as a normal nap... just my mind feels slightly clearer."
Seeing Naruto's response, Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile widened. After a few words of encouragement, he instructed Naruto to go back and try to Cultivatemore, his words clearly urging Naruto to hurry up and Cultivate.
Naruto naturally took the hint and went back to Cultivate obediently. However, he did not continue staying at the Sarutobi residence. Instead, after informing the Butler, he returned to his own "doghouse."
Naruto had generally figured out Hiruzen Sarutobi's daily routine and planned to have a few small secrets of his own.
For instance, it was time to put the Nurturing Method of the Eight Extremes Fist on the agenda.
After his battle with Hyuga Neji, Naruto realized that the Eight Extremes Fist was already practical in his original world. Although it couldn't compare to the Gentle Fist, which was a self-contained System that complemented Chakra, it was far superior to ordinary Taijutsu.
Yes, Naruto already knew about the existence of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu, thanks to the Butler's teaching.
Although the Butler also had certain motives, merit is merit and fault is fault; Naruto distinguished between them very clearly...
"I can only use the excuse of playing to secretly collect medicinal herbs and then do the Medicinal Baths at night," Naruto had already thought of his countermeasure. "During the day, I'll continue playing-house-style Ninja games and do some routine training and Chakra refinement every day. This way, I can stay hidden longer."
No sooner said than done. After cleaning his room, which had been vacant for several days, Narutolocked the door and went out to play with his little companions.
Observing Naruto through a Crystal Ball, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt even more at ease. This was the way he had envisioned Naruto growing up.
A happy childhood, a sense of belonging to the Village, love and aspiration toward himself, while simultaneously improving both strength and personal charisma—a Naruto like this would definitely become the most qualified successor to the Will of Fire in the future.
In fact, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't wrong to do this; the mistake was that he was imposing his own will onto someone else, and the methods used weren't very honorable—one could even call it "brainwashing."
But everyone has their own thoughts. If one truly wanted to judge right from wrong, only time would tell.
After returning from playing, Naruto hurried to refine his Chakra. To be perfectly honest, after Hiruzen Sarutobi applied the Five Elements Seal, it wasn't as difficult for Naruto to refine his own Chakra.
Moreover, due to his Physique and the Nine-Tailed, the Chakra Naruto refined was five to seven times that of his peers, which was already quite an exaggerated figure.
This gave Naruto full confidence in his future and made him even more curious about the Nine-Tailedsealed within him.
If just a tiny bit of leaked Chakra could give him such a huge advantage, if he were to take it all for himself...
Naruto was tempted!
But how to approach or understand the Nine-Tailed within him became a major problem for Naruto; this was the second secret he intended to keep for himself.
To find a way, Naruto established a fixed daily routine:
In the morning, he would go play with his companions and look for herbs for his Medicinal Baths; after lunch, he would refine Chakra; in the afternoon, he would go to Hiruzen Sarutobi's house to receive the Butler's instruction and browse the books in the residence; in the evening, he would refine Chakra again until late at night; and after midnight, he would practice the Nurturing Method of the Eight Extremes Fist.
Naruto continued this fixed routine until a month later, when the Delegation from the Land of Lightning (Kumogakure) arrived, forcing Naruto to break his established habits.
Because Naruto encountered an opportunity that could completely change his relationship with the Hyuga Clan and bring another force into the camp protecting him!
Hyuga Hinata was kidnapped by outsiders, and it happened right under Naruto's nose.
"Mmph... mmph..." Hyuga Hinata, with a cotton cloth stuffed in her mouth, struggled.
"Brat, die!" The Delegation Leader who had kidnapped Hyuga Hinata took out a Kunai and threw it toward Naruto.
*Puchi!*
"Ah! Mmph!"
The sound of the blade entering flesh and Hyuga Hinata's wide-eyed whimpering rang out simultaneously. Naruto took the opportunity to quietly avoid his vital points and lay motionless on the ground, entering a Feigned Death State.
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