As he spoke, Shinichi raised his right hand. Chakra gathered above his palm, spinning faster with each passing second.
At first, it looked like the Rasengan Naruto already knew, a pale blue sphere rotating at high speed. But a moment later, Wind Release chakra mixed into it, and the sound changed into a sharp, piercing hum.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed at once.
"Is this... the Rasengan?"
He recognized the foundation, but this was clearly not the same technique.
A normal Rasengan was a stable sphere of compressed chakra, while the one in Shinichi's hand had countless tiny wind blades spreading across its surface. They rotated so fast that the edges looked blurred, making the whole jutsu seem more like a weapon than a ball of chakra.
Shinichi held it steadily in his hand.
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken."
Before Naruto could react, he stepped forward and pressed the jutsu against one of the thick trees grown from his new Wood Release.
The instant the Rasenshuriken touched the trunk, the wind blades erupted. A dense cutting sound filled the clearing as the tree was shaved away layer by layer.
Bark, branches, and inner wood were torn apart at visible speed, and within a few seconds, the place struck by the jutsu had turned into fine wood powder.
The giant tree lost its support and crashed heavily to the ground.
Jiraiya and Naruto both stared at the result.
"The ultimate application of Wind nature transformation," Shinichi said, lowering his hand.
A few thin cuts had appeared around his wrist from the recoil, but they healed almost as soon as they formed. With his current body and Sage Mode, the backlash was not enough to leave any real injury.
"By compressing chakra into countless tiny wind blades, this jutsu destroys the target's structure from the inside. In theory, as long as it hits properly, it can pulverize almost any defense."
Naruto looked at the fallen tree, then at the pile of wood powder left behind.
"So cool..."
Shinichi looked from the fallen tree back to Jiraiya.
"You saw the drawback too. The jutsu is powerful, but it damages the user's body. The safest way to use it is with Sage Mode, so when Naruto learns it will be up to you."
Jiraiya's gaze moved to Shinichi's wrist. The cuts caused by the recoil had already healed, but that only made the problem clearer to him.
"The power is terrifying, and you really did push the Rasengan far beyond what Minato left behind. But if Naruto has to hit the enemy at close range with this, then it is no different from a Forbidden Jutsu."
Only after saying that did Jiraiya fully understand what Shinichi was handing over to him.
"In other words, during these three years, I have to teach Naruto Wind Release, help him complete the Rasengan into Rasenshuriken, and also make him learn Sage Mode?"
The more Jiraiya spoke, the worse his expression became.
"Don't make it sound so simple. Not everyone is like you, learning Sage Mode in a month and causing this much trouble in the Ninja World at thirteen."
Shinichi waited until he finished complaining, then looked at Naruto.
"Actually, it is not impossible."
Jiraiya followed Shinichi's gaze, and Naruto finally pulled his attention away from the Rasenshuriken.
"Naruto," Shinichi said, "you don't want to lose to Sasuke in that match three years from now, do you?"
"Lose to Sasuke?" Naruto repeated.
The moment he said it, Sasuke's face appeared in his mind. Worse, he could almost hear that annoying voice saying the one word he hated most.
"Dead-last."
Naruto's expression changed at once.
"No way. Like hell I'd let that happen."
He turned to Jiraiya, already fired up. "Pervy Sage, teach me. Sage Mode, Rasenshuriken, whatever it is, I'll learn all of it. In three years, I'm going to knock Sasuke flat in front of everyone."
Jiraiya stared at him, caught off guard by how quickly Sasuke's name had changed his mood.
Shinichi watched Naruto's reaction without saying anything. Naruto and Sasuke had always been like this. Even before they knew anything about Indra and Ashura, they kept pushing each other forward.
In the original future, Sasuke grew stronger after leaving the village, and Naruto spent those same years chasing after him.
Now, Sasuke had become the Third Hokage's disciple, while Naruto had Jiraiya, the Nine-Tails, Sage Mode, and a clear goal waiting for him three years later.
In about two and a half years, Sasuke's battle with Itachi would still come. If things went according to Shinichi's plan, Itachi would sacrifice himself, help Sasuke awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, and leave his eyes behind for him, allowing Sasuke's strength to rise again.
And once Sasuke moved forward, Naruto would not stay behind. For someone like Naruto, pressure was often more useful than comfort.
Shinichi's gaze moved past the clearing and toward the clouds on the northeastern horizon.
The Nine-Tails' chakra had already been absorbed. Yang Release had also merged into his Wood Release, turning it into a Bloodline Selection and giving his strength another clear rise. Even now, he could feel that power moving inside his body, heavier and fuller than before.
It was time.
"Now that things here are settled..." Shinichi said, cutting into Naruto's excited chatter about training. "The Nine-Tails' chakra has been absorbed. Next, it is time for us to part ways."
Naruto froze. "Part ways? Shinichi, you're leaving again? Where are you going?"
"Kumogakure," Shinichi said.
Jiraiya frowned. "Do you have a plan? The Fourth Raikage is not easy to deal with, and Kumogakure still has Killer B and Yugito Nii. After what happened to Iwagakure, they will definitely be ready for you..."
Halfway through, even Jiraiya felt the question lose weight.
Shinichi had just suppressed the Nine-Tails, absorbed its chakra, and grown stronger again. Against that kind of power, ordinary caution sounded almost meaningless.
Shinichi looked toward the northeast. "At this point, a complicated plan would only waste time."
He turned toward the open cliffside and formed two hand seals.
"Wood Release: Scale Wood Dragon Technique!"
The ground trembled as a Wood Dragon rose from below the cliff. Its body was covered in layered scales, and a pair of wide wings spread from its back, stirring the air hard enough to make Naruto's hair whip around his face.
Shinichi had already obtained Ōnoki's Light-Weight Rock Technique, so flight itself was no longer difficult for him. But for long-distance travel, it was still slower than the Scale Wood Dragon, which had both speed and power.
The dragon lowered its head, and Shinichi leaped onto it, landing steadily between its horns. He looked down at Jiraiya and Naruto, then gave them a slight nod.
"I'm off."
"Shinichi!" Naruto stepped forward before the dragon could rise. "Be careful!"
Jiraiya put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and looked up at Shinichi. "Do what you need to do. The village is behind you."
The Scale Wood Dragon spread its wings. Wind swept across the cliffside, carrying dust and loose stones with it.
A moment later, the dragon lifted into the air and flew northeast, toward Kumogakure. Its figure grew smaller against the clouds until it disappeared from sight.
Naruto kept looking at the sky even after the dragon disappeared. After a while, he lowered his head and muttered, "It would've been nice if Shinichi came with us."
Jiraiya glanced at him. "What, you want to train with him that badly?"
"Of course!" Naruto pointed at the wooden house behind them without hesitation. "Look at that place. With Shinichi around, we could have a house wherever we go. We wouldn't have to sleep outside anymore."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched, and he gave Naruto a light smack on the back of the head. "Idiot. Is that really what you're thinking about right now?"
"Ouch! But it's true!" Naruto shouted, rubbing his head.
Jiraiya shook his head helplessly, but his gaze soon returned to the empty sky. Naruto only saw the comfort of having a roof anywhere they went, while Jiraiya could not forget what that same Wood Release had done the night before.
After a moment, Jiraiya withdrew his gaze. "Let's go, kid. We have our own training to finish. When the time comes, don't lose to Sasuke, or I'll be too embarrassed to return to the village."
"I know!" Naruto's mood changed at once, and the reluctance from earlier was quickly pushed aside. He puffed out his chest and asked, "Pervy Sage, where are we going for special training next? I'm ready!"
Jiraiya grinned and turned back to pack their things. "Just follow me."
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