Chapter 1: What If the Blond Kid Had Top-Tier TalentHaving transmigrated from another world, the very first sight that greeted him was his parents in this life being pierced through by giant claws, fresh blood spraying everywhere, leaving a newborn infant as an orphan without a father or mother.When he was finally able to vaguely comprehend his current situation, he realized he had come into an anime from his past life.There was no Douqi that had evolved to its peak here, only a special energy called Chakra, which Ninjas could use to unleash various dazzling Ninjutsu.He had even become the future protagonist of this entire world, a fox demon brat named Naruto Uzumaki. Whenever he grasped the tyrannical will of Konoha, he could only clench his fists and warn himself: "Endure!"As for relying on hard work to gain others' recognition and the like, please, the new Narutowasn't a masochist. "If you repay injury with virtue, how will you repay virtue? Repay injury with directness, and repay virtue with virtue.""Damn it, Young Master is clearly a Transmigrator, am I supposed to be just like Naruto in the original work? Acting like a fool and being treated as a joke by the people in the village?" Naruto shivered from anger even on a hot day, and out of extreme exasperation, he even shuddered with a chill.Right at that moment of shivering, a voice from beyond the heavens rang in his ear."Talent Template System, initializing." As the name implies, it was able to replicate the opponent's talent template through contact with plot characters. According to the standards of the Shinobi World, so-called talents referred to various bloodlines and the mastery of various Ninjutsu.In other words, if an Ōtsutsuki were to drop from the sky at this moment, as long as Naruto touched him, becoming a god on the spot would no longer be a dream.Never mind, he could keep daydreaming, but in Konoha, he still needed to get some realistic things done.Naruto, who was already 5 years old at this time, recalled his circle of relationships and cursed inwardly about spending every day matching wits and courage with that group of stubborn commoners, while the only countable Ninja by his side was old Hiruzen.Of course, it wasn't impossible to casually bump into someone on the roadside; what if he happened to contact a hidden peerless genius?Take the legendary Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku for example. If that were real, it would be great. Given their close buddy-buddy relationship, borrowing some power would be as easy as pie.Unfortunately, it was fake. Whatever, whatever, old Hiruzen's talent was barely acceptable; after all, he possessed 5 Chakra natures and was also proficient in various Secret Techniques such as sealing techniques.If viewed purely from the perspective of an ordinary person—meaning without considering future scenes of towering Gundams flying around—Hiruzen Sarutobi could basically be called the pinnacle of mortal Ninjas.Damn it, if his old man were still around, who would care for an old man with a wrinkled face like the Third? Or his mother would do too; triggering the Uzumaki bloodline talent would yield twice the result with half the effort.Wait, his own old man seemed to actually still be around. Minato's Chakra could probably be used if he pieced it together."System, System, if I release my dad's Chakra and punch him, does that count as contact? Having a physical entity should count, right?""Beep beep, system judgment: physical entity is available."That settled it then. He quickly released the Chakrasealed by his old man; as long as he touched it, he could immediately reach the pinnacle of his life.Overjoyed, Naruto didn't lose his composure. After cautiously closing the doors and windows, he sat cross-legged on his small bed, and his Mental body entered the sealed space.Don't ask him why he knew to do this; Naruto's biggest cheat in the original work was the Nine-Tails. Knowing that it was just a tsundere fox, hadn't Naruto always wanted to find a way to reconcile with it?Through his unremitting efforts, he could at least say a few words before the big fox flew into a rage.Besides that, Naruto had also kept a trump card, originally intending to use it to win Kurama's trust after completely reversing their relationship. It seemed this killer move had to be used ahead of time.Arriving in the pitch-black space, the huge dark-red fox was locked behind golden gates."Mere blond brat, this old man will not be shaken by any flowery words from humans.""Big fox, I've figured out a truth." Naruto forced himself to remain calm, "We are both the same. I understand you. Me facing everyone's malice is just like you being locked inside this prison. Big fox, I'm not joking. Take my share of freedom and live freely!"To say Naruto didn't understand, the Nine-Tailswouldn't believe it. No matter how young a human infant was, they always understood basic self-preservation. He clearly knew that tearing open the seal would mean death; this point had already become clear in the tug-of-war between the two after the initial temptation failed."Evil blond brat, this old man doesn't care about any freedom. As for you, obediently endure the sins this old man has committed.How does the surging malice from the people in the village feel? Hate, abhor! If you want to blame someone, blame the damn Fourth for sealing you... What the hell, you're playing for real!"Only by using the verbal tic learned from the innately evil blond brat could one truly experience the Nine-Tails' mood at this moment.The young Naruto tiptoed around, taking advantage of its inattention. By the time the fox reacted, more than half of the sealing paper talismans had already been torn off.'This blond brat is going to die, right?' Similar thoughts flashed by, but following that, the hatred towards humans overwhelmed everything else."Once this old man comes out, I will definitely teach those mocking guys a good lesson for you. That Fourth probably never imagined this, this old man is coming out!""Hiss——!" As the seal was about to be completely torn off, a strange Chakra stopped Naruto's action."Stop, Naruto, you must never let the Nine-Tailsout." Minato Namikaze, sporting a handsome face, appeared between the human and the beast.In the blink of an eye, the talisman that was almost completely torn off was pasted back on, causing the big fox, which was already red, to completely overheat."Damn it, Minato Namikaze! You've ruined this old man's good deed again." Roaring, the Nine-Tailsrushed towards the bars, but it could never break through the seal passed down by the Uzumaki clan."Fourth... Hokage." Naruto wore a look of shock."You've suffered, child. Actually, I am your da..."Before the blond could finish his sentence, Narutojumped up with lightning speed and threw a punch. If this fellow hadn't shielded others, Lord Narutowould still be enjoying the young master treatment of Konohamaru."Hahaha, Fourth, how does it feel to be beaten by your own son? Your son is ostracized as a demon fox by the people of Konoha, this is the retribution for you two couples, an innately evil Hokage who can't even guarantee his own child the honor he deserves!""Shut up, Nine-Tails, stop trying to delude Naruto. As the son of the Hokage, he should shoulder this responsibility of protecting Konoha..."Without caring anymore about the verbal sparring between the big blond and the big fox, Naruto was blooming with joy inside his heart right now."Minato Namikaze talent template loaded successfully. Once the talent development is complete, the next template loading will continue."The power belonging to the blond Namikaze family flowed within his body. Superimposed with Naruto's original talent, he felt his physical condition was better than ever before.However, before that, taking advantage of his old man still being around, he could ruthlessly pull up the big fox's favorability.This was the crown prince's cheat in the original work; even in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, he could still open Baryon Mode to beat up the Ōtsutsuki."I don't want a dad like you!" Naruto decisively sided with reason over family, "What did the big fox do wrong? Why does it have to be locked in a cage by you guys?Only he and I can understand each other. We are both the same. The cage belonging to me, Naruto Uzumaki, is called Konoha!"
Chapter 2: Obtaining a Lifelong CheatFaced with Naruto's temper-tantrum-like words, Minato Namikaze was clearly choked up. He hadn't been a father for long and didn't know how to reason with his son."Did you hear that? Minato Namikaze, even Narutoacknowledges me. Just like a cage, this damned Konoha should just be destroyed." The red-haired fox grinned and laughed loudly.Naruto was overjoyed inside. He said it, he said it! He said Naruto's name, which meant that the emotional exchange between the two of them had taken a huge step forward."Hah." Minato Namikaze took a deep breath, then earnestly explained to his son, "Child, you can do whatever you want, but you must never open the seal; if you do, you will die. As a father, I simply want to protect my child.""So, your protection is sealing the big fox into my body?" Naruto brushed away the hand that wanted to pat his head. Please, petting one's head stunts growth, okay?"Hokage-sama, I want to ask you, what on earth did the big fox do to make you treat him like an enemy in this manner? Locked up in a tiny cage, even my situation is countless times better than his.""Nine-Tails... Nine-Tails is too dangerous. That day, it went on a rampage in the village, leaving countless residents displaced. To prevent further disasters, the village made the decision to persist with the seal.""Stop joking, Fourth." The big fox decisively called him out, "Whether it was a decision made by the village or a decision made by yourself, Hokage-sama should know best."Perhaps from staying with Naruto for too long, the sarcasm in Nine-Tails' words was practically overflowing."Father, don't rush to refute. What I want to ask is, before the big fox was locked up and sealed by you people, had it already wreaked havoc on Konoha?""Of course not, but the village's past enemy, Uchiha Madara, once manipulated it, which even led to the passing of the First Generation. To prevent similar situations from happening again, the village had no choice but to take emergency measures...""So it was controlled by someone else." Narutointerrupted, "Therefore, on the night you and Mom... passed away, were the actions taken by the big fox out of its own will?"Needless to say, it was obviously that ultra-filial disciple, Uchiha Obito. Minato Namikaze was actually rendered speechless by the interrogation from his son whom he was meeting for the first time."Damn it, that night, it was all those naturally evil Uchiha...! Hey, brat, don't misunderstand. As for finishing off your damned old man and your mom, that was definitely a decision made by old man using my own will." Nine-Tails bared its teeth and said."As for Mom's death, come to think of it, I'm very grateful to her for bringing me into this world. But big fox, I can understand your situation, after all, compared to parents I've practically never met." Speaking of this, Naruto glanced at Minato Namikaze in front of him."The one sharing this confinement with me is you, big fox. We are companions, and there has always been a voice in my heart telling me that Kurama is truly the best."Hearing a name long sealed away by the passage of time, the big fox widened its huge eyes, looking at the human pup not far away with a mix of shock and uncertainty.This was precisely Naruto's trump card to persuade Nine-Tails. What could better win trust between people than meeting an old friend after a millennium of loneliness?"Naruto, it was Dad's lack of consideration. It's a pity that you are the Hokage's son, and I had no choice but to make this decision, shouldering the responsibility onto you." Minato Namikaze knew well that if they didn't open their hearts to each other sooner or later, his own son would be lured away by the evil Nine-Tails.He steadied his mind and began to talk about the significant meaning that the Nine-Tails Jinchūrikirepresented for Konoha."This was a decision made by the First Generationto prevent war. After capturing the Nine Great Tailed Beasts, they were distributed to different villages, using the powerful strength of the Jinchūriki to curb the risk of war breaking out.""Konoha is also under the deterrence of the Jinchūriki, so Naruto, your existence is by no means some demon fox; you are a true hero, for guarding the peace of the Shinobi World and Konoha."Ninjas had long been thoroughly pickled by the deformed environment of the Shinobi World. Even a sunny little bishounen like Minato Namikaze, after undergoing Ninja training, had become a killing machine on the battlefield with zero psychological fluctuations.The so-called Hokage mindset was precisely like this: ignoring the lives of others and imposing all unnecessary destinies onto others.The world laughed at Minato Namikaze's master Jiraiya for believing in the Child of Prophecy, yet failed to realize that the entire Shinobi World had already sunk hopelessly into fatalism."If the peace of the Shinobi World requires relying on oppressing the big fox to achieve, then I would rather such peace never existed. The big fox is by no means a beast; he is a companion who can laugh, can speak, and can play together with me!""You stripped away everything from him, locking the big fox inside a tiny cell. Fourth, just like how you never considered my thoughts, Konoha has never thought from the big fox's perspective either. Peace... Heh, how many crimes are committed in your name?"Minato was left speechless. Back then, the First Generation might indeed have been wrong; before the Shinobi World War began, Tailed Beasts never had anything to do with war. Then, who was it, who was it that turned them into Jinchūriki weapons that could make crying infants stop crying? It was none other than humans themselves, who had always been the victims and accusers of war.Watching the Fourth get chewed out by his son, the Nine-Tails on the side was thoroughly enjoying the show. It practically voiced the innermost thoughts of all Tailed Beasts: clearly, they hadn't provoked anyone, eating dew and singing songs, when suddenly one day, they were controlled by the evil Uchiha.That would be fine, but what was even more infuriating was that idiot Hashirama brat, who used such a huge hand to touch its head, muttered a sentence about Nine-Tails having too much power, and in the blink of an eye forcefully suppressed the Nine-Tails, sealing it inside the body of that woman, Uzumaki Mito."Hey, brat." Nine-Tails hadn't forgotten another matter of concern, "Kurama... Where did you hear that name from? Wait, perhaps you can't explain it clearly, let's just do a fist bump."Its giant paw reached out, and Naruto foolishly reached out to step forward as well. Seeing this, Minato decisively blocked in front of his son."Nine-Tails, don't you dare try to bewitch Narutoagain! Don't go over there, Naruto, the Tailed Beastis too dangerous. Before you possess sufficient strength, I will never let you come into contact with it."It was this phrase again, which almost gave Nine-Tails a trauma response. "The brat Naruto is right; humans are always sanctimonious, and how many crimes are born from you people? Does that guy Hashirama think he won? He definitely couldn't have imagined that just a few decades after his death, humans would launch several Shinobi World Wars in the Shinobi World.""Fourth Hokage, you accuse old man of being dangerous, yet the people you've killed on the battlefield might be far more than even me."Naruto did not continue to approach, but he still answered Nine-Tails' question."The name Kurama is something I heard an older brother tell me in a dream. He called me this generation's Asura, needing me to complete his fateful duel with his older brother. Right, Asura's older brother, his name seems to be called—""Indra." × 2Both the child and the beast were stunned on the spot. Seeing this, Minato panicked and sternly shouted at Nine-Tails, "Nine-Tails, don't think about bewitching him.""Shut up, Minato Namikaze, you don't understand anything at all." Nine-Tails suddenly roared in fury, while simultaneously feeling a sense of grievance. For how many years had it been, and finally there was someone who could listen to it vent.It was a success; Naruto's trust and bond had been successfully established. Next, "Dad, you definitely won't let me contact the big fox, right?""Yes, betting on the name of the Hokage, if you stubbornly persist in your own course, I will not let you get any closer to this iron gate.""Is that so? Then teach me Ninjutsu, Fourth. The day my strength is sufficient, you can rest assured, right?"
Chapter 3: Directly Laying Cards on the TableOut of concern for Naruto, the Third Hokage would make a point of coming to visit him whenever he had spare time. After all, he was Minato's child, and since his honors couldn't be made public, this was the only way to compensate him.Just as he was approaching the small rented apartment where Naruto lived, a surge of incomparably evil Chakra leaked out."Oh no, could it be the Nine-Tails leaking?" At this time, the Third Hokage's blade was still sharp; forming a Body Flicker hand seal, he appeared outside the room in the next second.Seeing the Hokage suddenly appear, the surrounding Anbu emerged one after another. "Hokage-sama." Truly worthy of being called the strongest Hokage—even these Anbu elites hadn't noticed Hokage-sama's arrival."No need for formalities at a time like this. Everyone, stay alert." A dangerous glint flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged eyes. Was it just his imagination? Why couldn't he feel it anymore now?As a Professor of Ninjutsu bearing the title of Hero of the Shinobi, the Third Hokage was proficient in almost all of Konoha's Ninjutsu, and Sensory Ninjutsu was naturally no exception. Even the heads of the Yamanaka Family and the Nara Clan, who were famous for their Yin Release, might not necessarily surpass the Third Hokage in this aspect."Reporting: not long ago, the Nine-Tails Jinchurikiseemed to experience a sharp emotional spike. We were just about to report to our superiors when you arrived, Hokage-sama." The leading ANBU operative hurriedly presented today's surveillance logs.Flipping through them casually before tossing them back to the ANBU operative, Hiruzen Sarutobigently stroked the goatee on his chin."Since everything is fine, all of you stand down. I will go check on Naruto."Hokage-sama's word was law; in the blink of an eye, the ANBU operatives who had been kneeling on one knee vanished without a trace."Knock, knock, knock." Adopting his usual demeanor of a kindly grandfather, Hiruzen Sarutobi knocked on Naruto's door."Hey, Naruto, it's me, Grandpa Third. I came to visit you."Hurried footsteps sounded behind the door, as if unable to wait a second longer. The door swung open immediately, and Little Blondie slammed into the Old man in front of him like a cannonball."Ouch, Naruto, you've gained weight again." "Shut up! Where am I fat? I'm not from the Akimichi Clan!"Normally, Naruto's topic of conversation would definitely lead to the BBQ restaurant run by the Akimichi Clan, where he would fleece Old manThird heavily.However, his state was clearly different this time. After mentioning the Akimichi Clan, Naruto merely expressed envy toward Choji's family.What was wrong now? Hiruzen Sarutobi was utterly baffled. Based on past experience, he ought to immediately open his wallet to Naruto, as according to Little Blondie, only money could soothe his sad mood at the moment.Although Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a pinch of pain in his wallet, he still pulled out his coin purse without hesitation.This could be considered compensation as well. Right now, when Naruto was hated by everyone in Konoha as a demon fox, he was actually well aware that Naruto usually had to spend several times as much money as ordinary people just to receive the same service.With expenses so high, the small orphan stipend was naturally insufficient, so in the end, it was up to him, Grandpa Third, to pay out of his own pocket. Speaking of which, according to the records, Narutodidn't seem to have been spending extravagantly lately.Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to figure out what was going on, Naruto took the initiative to reveal the reason for his unusual behavior.Tears almost brimmed in his eyes, perfectly portraying the image of an innocent child who knew nothing of the world."Grandpa Third, just now, I... I dreamed of my dad. I'm actually not an orphan without parents, and I'm not a demon fox, right!"How could the Third Hokage answer this? He embraced Little Naruto in his arms, walked into the room, and shut the front door. All information regarding the Jinchūriki was a village secret, and not even the Anbu were permitted to pry into it in the slightest."A dream... so Little Naruto was dreaming. I wonder if I was in your dream? If Naruto didn't get enough BBQ in his dream, I can take Little Naruto to Yakiniku Q right now."Trying to trick me with BBQ again—does he still take me for a three-year-old child? Narutocomplained inwardly. Oh well, I'll spare Old manThird's wallet today. Compared to BBQ, raising my own strength is far more important.Sniffling hard, Naruto's deep blue eyes held a touch of loneliness. "Grandpa Third, in my dream, my dad told me that he was the village's Fourth Hokage. And that big fox in my dream... he said it was the Nine-Tails, not a demon fox at all."The last sentence was practically shouted out. After being bullied as a demon fox for years, only to find out those ignorant villagers had gotten the wrong impression, how could anyone remain calm?But compared to Naruto's mental health, the Third Hokage was clearly far more concerned about another matter."Naruto, tell Grandpa Third every detail of your dream, including that big fox and your father, the Fourth Hokage."Naruto himself seemed to have undergone a change, no longer presenting his usual mischievous persona. It was as if a child from a poor family had suddenly matured overnight, his composure feeling somewhat unfamiliar to the Third Hokage."It went like this: in my dream, I came to a pitch-black place where there was a huge cage containing a big fox. I... I wanted to become friends with the big fox."Hearing this, the Third Hokage could barely keep his composure. According to the current understanding of the Konoha Upper Echelon, a Tailed Beast was at best a brute beast. Naruto wanting to make friends with a wild beast could only be described as wild fantasy."...The big fox agreed, but he had a condition. In front of the big cage holding him, there was a paper talisman attached. As long as I tore it off, he would be friends with me."The Third Hokage finally understood—the Nine-Tails was tempting Naruto. So that was how the Nine-Tails' Chakra had leaked."...Just as I was about to completely tear off the paper talisman, an uncle appeared in front of me. He claimed to be the Fourth Hokage, and also my dad. Oh right, his name was—""Minato Namikaze / Minato." Saying this, Narutopaused."Keep talking! What else did the Fourth—your father—say?" Like meeting an old friend in a distant land, the Third Hokage felt as if he could see that high-spirited Fourth standing right before his eyes."He told me to master my power as soon as possible so I could control the Nine-Tails and protect the village. Also, Dad said he would teach me all the Ninjutsu he mastered, because only then could we stop the next tragedy from happening to the village."Right in front of the Third Hokage's eyes, a clear blue sphere slowly materialized. "This technique is what Dad taught me in the dream. There are other techniques too—as long as I master them all, I can try to use the Nine-Tails' power.""Could it be that Minato is giving a hint to this Old man? Ever since Lady Mito's time, the village has never been able to control the Nine-Tails' power. Perhaps this was research the Fourth conducted during his lifetime, but died young before he could hand it down." Hiruzen Sarutobi's face instantly contorted in pain."Naruto, did Minato specify exactly which techniques you need to master?" Recouperating his composure, the Third Hokage asked anxiously.Facing the Third Hokage's eager gaze, Narutoopened his mouth and blurted out that long list of techniques Minato had once mastered."That's right... Ninjutsu is a Ninja's deepest hidden secret, and truly only Minato would know all of these. If we can cultivate him according to Minato's path, perhaps the village can completely master the Nine-Tails' power in my generation, and I can go meet Lady Mito with a clear conscience."Hiruzen Sarutobi made up his mind at this moment to overturn the cultivation plan he had previously drawn up for Naruto Uzumaki.Naruto... wait, I almost forgot. Am I treating this child as a tool? Even if it was Minato's idea, at least I ought to ask for the child's own opinion."Naruto, what do you think? If you don't want to..." Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in a low voice.However, before he could finish asking, Naruto's eyes became as firm as if he were determined to become the Hokage."It's not that becoming Hokage earns everyone's recognition, but rather that only by gaining everyone's recognition can one become Hokage!I am willing to inherit my dad's legacy and protect Konoha, so that everyone in the village will recognize me!I am Naruto Uzumaki, the man who will become Hokage!"
Chapter 4: A Peerless Genius Shows His Edge!Naruto's deafening shouts that day had reignited a long-lost passion in the Third Hokage's aging heart.After much thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to set aside some time to personally guide this sprouting bud of Konoha.Why hadn't he noticed it before? Minato's child was an extraordinary prodigy who had quietly mastered the A-rank Ninjutsu, the Rasengan, in his dreams.The final wish of his current term was now placed upon Naruto Uzumaki; following the path Minatohad planned for him, he had to witness the emergence of a Perfect Jinchūriki belonging to Konoha before stepping down.Then again, for a Jinchūriki, the Nine-Tails often interfered with the Host's Chakra control. Many of the Ninjutsu Minato had learned were notoriously demanding in execution.But since he had decided to take this gamble, he could only hope that Minato's contingency plan would resolve this thorny issue....Of course no one had noticed Naruto Uzumaki's talent before. In order to practice that damned Rasengan, Naruto had played with water balloons for two whole years since the age of three, all without using any Shadow Clones.And the reason he had finally mastered it that day was thanks to the talent he had copied from his dad.As for the Chakra control issue Hiruzen Sarutobiworried about most—come on, who was Kurama? They were total bros, alright? That greatest obstacle to learning Ninjutsu had never existed from the start.Putting away the scroll left behind by the old man Third Hokage, Naruto felt a massive headache. Even after copying Minato Namikaze's talent, it had nearly burned out every single one of his brain cells."I was still aiming too high. This 'Flying Thunder God' scroll is far too profound for me right now."The Flying Thunder God was the signature Ninjutsuof the Fourth Hokage. As his father's heir, Narutonaturally wanted to learn his dad's specialty.In fact, he had drooled over the Flying Thunder Godsince his past life. Come on, the Yellow Flash was ridiculously cool!From the looks of it now, even with the Fourth's talent, mastering the Flying Thunder God in a short time was practically impossible.Unlike the tropes in many fanfics where the Flying Thunder God required some mysterious, esoteric spatial affinity, the real Flying Thunder God was actually a remarkably scientific Ninjutsu.You couldn't say its foundation had nothing to do with spatial affinity, but at best, it merely brushed against it—specifically requiring the user to have a keen sensory talent.Many people could meet that requirement, and our Crown Prince was naturally no exception. Whether it was his mom's Uzumaki lineage or his dad's blond-hair bonus, his sensory talent ranked among the very best in the entire Hidden Leaf Village.But as stated before, that was merely the lowest threshold. Once you crossed it, you arrived at the real meat of learning the Flying Thunder God.As a jutsu personally created by the Second Hokage, renowned as the master of forbidden arts, the Flying Thunder God, like many of his trump-card Forbidden Jutsu, was essentially built upon the foundation of Sealing Jutsus.Be it Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, Impure World Reincarnation, or the Flying Thunder God, their essence was all a form of Summoning Technique.In particular, once its basics were mastered, the Flying Thunder God required an intimate familiarity with Summoning Technique theory, reaching the level where one could perform reverse-summoning at any moment.From another perspective, the Flying Thunder God Mark was a jutsu transcribed and sealed to trigger automatic reverse-summoning.In short, after all that, it wasn't hard to see that all those fancy abilities developed from Summoning Techniques were fundamentally variations of Sealing Jutsus, and the Flying Thunder God was Sealing Jutsu layered upon Sealing Jutsu.Therefore, the fact that the Fourth could take the Flying Thunder God to unprecedented, perhaps never-to-be-repeated heights didn't mean it was his only forte.In other words, even if the Second Hokage had never developed the Flying Thunder God, Minato Namikaze would still have climbed to the peak of the Shinobi World by virtue of his formidable Sealing Jutsus.Learning Sealing Jutsus was a matter of slow and painstaking effort; even someone as powerful as the Sage of Six Paths hadn't mastered them from birth.The knowledge of Sealing Jutsus behind the Chibaku Tensei that ultimately sealed Kaguya was far beyond what the Ōtsutsuki Clan, who only had a rudimentary application of Chakra, could ever compare to.Setting aside for now the idea of styling on the entire Shinobi World and thrashing the Ōtsutsukiwith the Flying Thunder God, it was better to honestly tackle the thick tomes of Sealing Jutsus.Konoha's Sealing Jutsus were inherited from the Uzumaki Clan, making them the perfect foundation and widely recognized throughout the Shinobi World as second to none.This once again underscored just how monstrous Minato Namikaze's talent was; according to Naruto's mother, who possessed a special physique, Minato's Sealing Jutsus could match her own, despite her pure Uzumaki lineage.Now that the son had inherited everything from his father, after giving up on forcing himself to learn the Flying Thunder God he had obtained from the Third Hokage, the ordinary Sealing Jutsus looked almost absurdly adorable in Naruto's eyes....Time flew like an arrow, and white snow soon blanketed the earth; in the blink of an eye, winter had arrived.By now, Naruto could confidently declare that no one could match his sealing prowess, all because he had later asked the Third Hokage for a certain Ninjutsu—the Crown Prince's signature loadout from the original story.With the help of the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, which served as a veritable experience hack, Naruto's progress in Sealing Jutsus reached a level that left even Hiruzen Sarutobi dumbfounded.Strictly speaking, relying on his massive Chakrareserves and Sealing Jutsus, ordinary Chunin were no longer his match. Even against a Jonin, a single lapse in vigilance could lead to them being ambushed and taken down by Naruto's Sealing Jutsus.After all, this was the underlying source code of Naruto: in the original work, even Kakashi, the "Technician of Konoha" renowned across the Shinobi World, only barely managed to cast the Evil Sealing Method, yet that alone earned praise from Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.One could easily imagine how low the general standard of Sealing Jutsus was in the Shinobi World. In the past, it had been basically monopolized by just one or two clans, and even in this era of great-power balances, only those few great nations possessed a modest heritage of Sealing Jutsus.At this point, Naruto Uzumaki was feeling rather proud. This was the fruit of all his hard work—he had finally, painstakingly chewed through the fundamentals of the Flying Thunder God Technique. Barring any accidents, he would soon master this dashing specialty.Deciding to take a break, Naruto stepped out of his room for the first time in a long while. During his intensive training, the Anbu had been delivering meals straight to his doorstep every single time."It's been so long since I had barbecue. In this damn Konoha, getting a taste of meat is frustratingly difficult.Sigh, whatever, at least I don't have to go fishing like in the original work. I'll just casually bleed the old man Third Hokage's wallet dry." Naruto shook his head and decided on his meal, which was his top priority for the day.Strolling around aimlessly, he thought to himself that these unruly villagers truly needed some discipline; once he became Hokage, he'd definitely equip the Military Police Force with retractable batons.Wait a second—as Naruto passed by the playground, he actually caught people bullying someone right in front of him. How could he stand for this?"...Those eyes are so creepy." "She's basically a monster." "You're a Byakugan monster! Hurry up and show us your Byakugan!"What a bunch of brutes. Little Hinata was already reduced to tears. By the way, where were the people of the Hyuga Clan? How come they didn't utter a peep while their young mistress was being bullied?"Shut your mouths." Weaving a Body Flicker Technique on a whim, Naruto appeared beside Hinata and wiped away her tears."Who are you?" "It's him, boss, it's that demon fox." "The demon fox and the Byakugan monster are together—they really are all monsters.""String Light Formation." Black runes spread across the ground to the feet of the three brats, and in an instant, they couldn't move an inch."When dealing with bullies, the best way is to hit back hard." Naruto's icy gaze swept over the boys before leaving the stage to the victim."I... I..." Unfortunately, little Hinata was still completely at a loss."Sigh." Letting out a soft sigh, Naruto turned to face her, flashing a Little Sun-like smile, and then uttered the most terrifying words in the gentlest tone."You're not a Byakugan monster. You're the victim here.So, just for my sake, use the Gentle Fist on them."
Chapter 5: Entering the Ninja AcademyAfter all, the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan had undergone Ninja training since childhood; once she got serious, simple rowdies were no match for her.In the past, Hinata was not weak, merely far too kind, which was why she had been constantly bullied by the unruly rabble of Konoha. This time, for whatever reason, Naruto's smile had spurred her into doing something she would never normally do."For Naruto." Hinata's gaze grew sharp, and with a flowing, graceful routine of Gentle Fist strikes, she taught these bullies a harsh lesson.Those brats clearly hadn't expected the frail-looking Hinata to hit so hard. The real problem was that, trapped in the seal, they could only take the beating passively. Hopefully, this lesson would teach them to know better."That's it! Next time someone bullies you, hit back just like this." Naruto nodded with satisfaction.Then, leaving behind only the untamed silhouette of his back, he turned and walked away.Of course, he knew this was the original story's fateful encounter between the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince, but right now, Hinata was still just a child.Even if Naruto's mentality had grown a bit younger, his tastes definitely didn't allow him to make a move on a child—that sort of thing deserved electrotherapy.Cute little Hinata froze for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and hastily chased after him.She said nothing, only following silently. Of course, with Naruto's sensory abilities, none of this escaped him. If she wanted to follow, so be it; if she got hungry, the worst that could happen was he'd treat her to a meal.Walking away together, the two unconsciously overlooked the bully trio still trapped within the String Light Formation seal.Once the infused Chakra ran out, the seal would naturally unravel.However, Naruto's Chakra reserves were completely on another level, so those guys would probably have to suffer for quite a while longer....Having constantly leeched meals from the Anbuallowed Naruto to save up his living expenses in an unconventional way, so he felt thoroughly confident upon arriving at Yakiniku Q."Um, are you two together?" The best part about the Akimichi Clan's restaurant was that they never looked down on anyone; service was strictly you get what you pay for. Although their guests being two children raised doubts about their ability to pay, that unmistakable Byakugan was impossible to fake, and the Hyuga Clan was renowned as one of Konoha's prestigious noble families.Naturally, Naruto wouldn't ignore Hinata, so he led her alongside the server to a two-person table.Since they were already here, there was no way he'd let a girl foot the bill. Yet, just as Naruto was about to act like a big spender, he suddenly remembered Hinata's trait as a legendary big eater."Whatever, let's just indulge this once. Waiter, bring on the barbecue! Oh, almost forgot—put it on the Hokage's tab." In the end, it was Hiruzen Sarutobi's wallet that would have to suffer.Even though the Hokage was the one genuinely footing the bill, that didn't stop Naruto from borrowing another's flowers to offer to the Buddha.He bonded further with the little loli Hinata and urged her never to tolerate any bullying. He truly was a good person; just another day setting Konohaback on the right track.The next day, Hokage-sama suffered the tragic loss of his wallet, which even prompted the old man to inspect the bills personally."Wait, what do you mean two people ate 50 servings of barbecue? Besides, can anyone from the Hyuga Clan eat that much?" A flabbergasted Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to accept the reality.Don't think making the Hokage wince was an exaggeration—Hinata's appetite could surpass even the Akimichi Clan, renowned for their eating prowess. Don't forget that even the Hokage's son, Asuma, was once eaten out of house and home by Choji to the point of being forced to apologize on his knees. This time, Naruto had actively encouraged Hinata to eat to her heart's content, dealing a devastating blow to Hokage-sama's private stash.Ahem. To curb this unhealthy trend of extravagance and waste, Konoha's leadership team issued the following directives:Aside from the usual clichés about frugality, the priority was to urge the construction of the Ninja Academy cafeteria. Students must be fed well and full, without lingering outside school grounds; ensuring food safety was a long and arduous road.In short, you rascal Naruto, go eat at the cafeteria like a good boy, and stop worrying about meals for the Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter.Of course, the food had to be made slightly unpalatable, and part of Naruto's monthly living allowance would henceforth be deposited into his meal card by Hokage-sama in advance.Naruto was oblivious to the fact that his carefree days were coming to an end. Even though he was currently being taught personally by the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi still decided to enroll him in the Ninja Academy according to tradition.When Naruto received the admission notice delivered by the Anbu, the Third Hokage still brought out that famous philosophy that had bred so many emotionally intense men in Konoha."Where Konoha leaves dance, fire will dance anew. The dancing fallen leaves shall burn to light the village and nourish the birth of fresh green leaves.""So Grandpa Third means I'm Konoha's fresh sprout?""No, what I mean is that every drifting leaf will meet the spark that sets it ablaze. It's time for you to go to school, Naruto, and forge your own bonds."Naruto was struck speechless. Those Japanese folks really threw words around haphazardly—was "bonds" even supposed to be used like that? A word originally with negative connotations had been elevated into something grand. Still, looking at it from another angle, he wasn't wrong either."The Ninja Academy is great and all, but I'd like to make a slight modification. Can I use a Shadow Clone to attend classes while my real body continues studying Ninjutsu? And it'd be even better if the Anbu could bring me food."This time Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't indulge him, raising his pipe and rapping him with it. "No way. The Hokage's Office has already issued the notice. This is a vital component of the Hidden Leaf Village's compulsory education!"Damn it. If it were really as great as you say, where did the villagers' bullying attitudes come from? Setting aside the possibility that they were just unhinged, the odds were pretty high that he was just bickering with a bunch of illiterates."Ahem, let's not dwell on that." Hiruzen Sarutobiprobably felt the excuse was a bit flimsy as well. "Let me see how well you've mastered the Sealing Jutsu from last time. I, the Professor of the Shinobi World, can't have come all this way for nothing."After thinking it over, Naruto simply stopped agonizing over it. He'd have plenty of ways to skip class anyway, and at worst, he could just emulate Konoha's Technician and Itachi by graduating early."I'll start with this one: Sealing Jutsu: Triangle Seal, Four Symbols Seal, Eight Trigrams Sealing Style...!" A dazzling array of Sealing Jutsus was unleashed, each with vastly different applications and effects. Aside from the Five Elements Seal, which required five Chakra nature transformations, he had thoroughly mastered almost all of Konoha's advanced Sealing Jutsus.Faced with this astonishing display, Hiruzen Sarutobi merely treated it as ordinary. Though he had been thoroughly shaken when he first witnessed Naruto's talent, having seen it so many times by now had built up a fair bit of resistance.By the time he had demonstrated all the advanced Sealing Jutsus, Naruto was only breathing slightly heavily, and judging by his composed demeanor, he clearly wasn't finished yet.Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart stirred. "Could it be...?"He watched as Naruto suddenly whipped out his ninja tool pouch, sending Kunai scattering everywhere, a few even grazing past the old man's skin."Flying Thunder God: Spiraling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Form Three!" An azure ball of light smashed fiercely into the Third Hokage.When Naruto concluded his demonstration, the target over there dissolved into a log amidst a puff of white smoke, and Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared right beside him in the very next instant.A warm, large hand stroked his yellow hair, as words followed: "Naruto, you are already ready to graduate. Your Sealing Jutsu far surpasses mine in my youth!"
The next day, Naruto was taken to school early in the morning by a teacher visiting his home. Unsurprisingly, it was indeed that man—the person regarded as a father by the original Naruto: Iruka Umino.The two were not yet familiar with each other at this time, and Iruka simply walked ahead to lead the way.Upon arriving at the Ninja Academy, the very first event was a speech delivered by Hokage-sama, who took time out of his busy schedule to tirelessly address the young blossoms of Konoha.It was clear that Hiruzen Sarutobi held immense prestige in the children's hearts, especially among the civilian youth. Having been supported throughout the Third Hokage's entire term, those who grew to become the backbone of Konoha had no reason not to support Hokage-sama.At this point, it brought to mind the theories from his previous life about the Third Hokage suppressing the major Ninja Clans, which indeed made a fair amount of sense.As everyone knew, the Shinobi World War was simply a periodic team-building event triggered by the unequal distribution of resources.This could similarly be applied to the inside of Konoha. Looking at the disciples taken in by the Third, whether it was Jiraiya or Orochimaru, both possessed purely civilian, non-clan backgrounds.As one could imagine, supporting civilians was the consistent political philosophy of the Hokagefaction. Starting from the era of the Second Hokage, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado gradually rose to high positions in Konoha, followed by two of the future Sannin, and continuing all the way to the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Finally, the Hokage faction pushed forward to produce the first civilian Hokage.At the same time, among the Fourth's peers, the Third had practically laid out a civilian squad for him—Shiranui Genma, Iwashi Tatami, Namiashi Raidō... none of the Hokage Guard Squad had clan backgrounds.There were also the Fourth's disciples, Hatake Kakashi and Rin Nohara, and even Obito—an Uchiha who had almost no connection to his clan—along with a large group of core pillars like Kurenai Yuhi, Might Guy, Morino Ibiki, and Anko Mitarashi. As long as the Hokage was replaced with a younger generation, this would be the ideal village in everyone's minds.As for where the resources to cultivate these civilians came from? It's not as if Hiruzen Sarutobipossessed magic and could pull money out of thin air.In the past, the Might father and son didn't even have any talent for Ninjutsu, yet despite that, Konoha was still willing to spend resources on training them.Were these benefits not wrested right out of the mouths of the major Ninja Clans? After all, the Hokage's stance naturally diverged from the clans; anyone sitting in that seat would realize how difficult it was to establish Konoha in the first place.So stop saying that Konoha specifically targeted the Uchiha; any other family that failed to keep pace with the Hokage was dealt with just the same.Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi being too old and powerless to suppress the internal situation of the village was another story. Faced with the village's sharp contradictions, even the former Hero of the Shinobi could only play mediator and try to smooth things over.However, the consequence of wavering was being seen as two-faced. Neither side could wait for a new Hokage to bring new changes. The major Ninja Clans supported Tsunade because of her status, and when facing a crisis, the two Advisors could only hold their noses and accept it for the sake of unity.Originally, the candidate Hiruzen Sarutobi hoped for was Jiraiya. If that failed, he could just keep working and pass it down a generation later to Kakashi.Fortunately, Jiraiya somewhat understood his old teammate. From the moment she became Hokage, she was no longer Lady Tsunade, but the village's sole Fifth Hokage.Taking in Sakura Haruno, a civilian from Naruto's generation, as an apprentice was her way of demonstrating to everyone that the foundation of the Hokage's seat had never shifted.There was no other way. Since even the Fifth Hokage had betrayed her own class, the village's internal struggles could only revolve around competing for the next generation. By the time of Naruto's peers, it was almost entirely dominated by the Ninja Clans.With the contribution of having put in great effort during the Shinobi World War, even the Sixth Hokage could only try to prolong his transition period as much as possible. Unfortunately, the influence of the Hokage's enemies eventually seeped into Konoha's various departments.As if to compensate for being targeted over the past few decades, they even snatched away tiny crumbs like being a homeroom teacher at the Ninja Academy. Looking at you, Shino—his Aburame clan got the worst deal, stuck with a position completely unsuited for him.Fortunately, it was still early. Within his own term, he could still suppress the rampaging Ninja Clans—or so Naruto thought to himself.Looking out across the playground filled with tiny kids, all the future heavyweights who would monopolize Konoha's various departments were present. No, calling them "Rookies" at this stage would be more appropriate."...Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire burns eternal. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and cause new leaves to sprout."The group of elementary kids below listened with boiling passion, wishing they could take his place and become the Hokage right then and there. Yet, besides Minato Namikaze, how many could actually fulfill that dream?...Naruto's homeroom teacher was indeed Iruka, and his classmates were just like in the anime.Perhaps due to the mutual attraction of destiny, as soon as he entered the classroom, he locked eyes with a certain black-haired little boy.This must be the connection between Indra and Asura; fate was predestined in the dark!"But I am just Naruto Uzumaki." After mentally preparing himself, Naruto shifted his gaze away.Finding a random seat to sit down, Naruto's posture was virtually identical to Sasuke's at the start of the original series. He couldn't bring himself to act like a child, which resulted in an image that appeared aloof and cool to outsiders.This made Sasuke unhappy. He was originally the handsomest cool guy in the classroom, but how could that blonde guy pull off being cool even better than him? What an annoying feeling... Hm, though that posture is pretty nice, he could learn a thing or two from it.When Naruto's gaze swept across the classroom again, he noticed that Sasuke was actually copying him—or strictly speaking, copying his future self. Truly, "Youth knows not the taste of sorrow, loving to climb the high tower, loving to climb the high tower!"Finally managing to endure until the end of class, without even bothering to greet Hinata, he left the boring classroom.To be honest, this Ninja Academy was far too boring. The very first lesson taught Chakraextraction methods. Naturally, he didn't expect a school to teach any real skills anyway; the subsequent curriculum would be nothing more than the Three Basic Jutsu, along with shuriken and Kunai throwing techniques.If he didn't need to give the Third Hokage some face, Naruto probably would have just sent a Shadow Clone to class to endure the sentence.The moment Naruto left, the young girls in the classroom burst into chatter. Even in a world like the Shinobi World where everyone matured early, it was rare for someone at Naruto's age to carry such a mature demeanor.It just so happened that young girls fell hard for this style. Coupled with Naruto being told to dress up nicely, his blonde, aloof face was practically a lethal weapon (refer to cover art, but a bit cooler).The other cool guy, Sasuke, was half a beat slower before deciding to copy Naruto's way of leaving, looking straight ahead without acknowledging anyone, already exhibiting a bit of his future pillar-like demeanor."Ah, they're both so handsome! They were looking at me just now!" The screams in the classroom grew even louder, with the best friends Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno discussing it most fervently."If I could be together with Sasuke, tee-hee..." Kotoamatsusakura was practically placing a Genjutsu on herself."No, no, no, Sakura! Sasuke is mine!" Ino protested with her hands on her hips."What are you talking about? You were just saying Naruto was the handsomest!" Sakura couldn't help but banter back at her best friend."Oh, right... In that case, can't I just choose both? What should I do, I really like each of them!" Inoacted as if she had suffered a terrible shock.Sakura matched her friend's train of thought, imagining herself with both Naruto and Sasuke, her face flushing red like a bubbling teapot.It seemed that eliminating the trend of puppy love in the Shinobi World was a long and arduous path!
Chapter 7: Early GraduationFor the following period of time, Naruto stopped attending the Ninja Academy in person, managing his daily school life perfectly with a Shadow Clone.This Shadow Clone was truly a divine skill, specially developed by the Second Hokage to counter insight-type Dōjutsu. One could only say it was exceedingly difficult to guess who in the village fit that bloodline criteria.The turning point came two months later, when the Third Hokage paid a rare personal visit to inspect the Ninja Academy; during the preceding time, he had merely cast a glance or two using the Telescope Technique.Each time he saw Naruto behaving himself in the classroom, he would at most sigh with praise that a tiger father begets no dog of a son, before turning his gaze away.Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally knew that Naruto could use the Shadow Clone Technique, but in his subsequent surveillance of Konoha, he found no suspicious strangers.It seemed he had simply been too paranoid. That child Naruto was Minato's son after all. Back then, his old man had been a model student through and through at the Ninja Academy; aside from puppy love, he had never committed any violation of school rules.Once a full two months had passed, as a reward for Naruto's patience, the Third Hokage specially took out his private savings and decided to treat him to a good meal at a restaurant.Aside from material incentives, Mentalencouragement was naturally indispensable as well. This was why the Third Hokage had shown up at the Ninja Academy. Who told the boy Naruto to perform so remarkably well? Setting aside his aloofness, in other aspects he was doing even better than Minato."Iruka, pause for a moment. Seeing the children so earnest brings great comfort to this old man's heart. Thinking back to when the Ninja Academy was first founded, my teacher back then was the Second Hokage... So, in order to pass down the Will of Fireinherited from the First Generation, let me briefly speak on the following three points... In short, let us leave it at that for now." Hiruzen Sarutobi still seemed to want to say more.He had almost forgotten his purpose in coming to the Ninja Academy, but at least he had not developed senile dementia yet. After a brief thought, he handed the stage back to Iruka."As the homeroom teacher of this class, introduce the outstanding students of this session to me. I want to personally commend these tender leaves of the village."As for Iruka's choice, there was no doubt whatsoever. Just consider what caliber an enhanced version of Minato Namikaze would be. Naruto, who possessed such a level, was unquestionably the top student of his class.In order to make a good impression in front of his immediate superior, Iruka decisively called forward his two top talents: the yellow-haired Naruto and the still-aloof Sasuke."Greetings, Lord Third Hokage." The two bowed and greeted him in unison. Their neither-servile-nor-arrogant demeanor made Inuzuka Kiba, who shared the same dream, look on with deep envy."Good, good." However, just as the Third Hokagewas smiling happily, he suddenly realized something and seized Naruto's wrist at lightning speed.In pain, Naruto put on a startled expression, and in the next moment, he dispersed into a puff of white smoke.The Third Hokage's face turned livid. No wonder he had felt something was off; Naruto would never address him as 'Lord Third Hokage'. Sure enough, this was merely a Shadow Clone.That begged the question: how on earth had he evaded surveillance over the entire Konoha? Since the Shadow Clone was here, where was the true body hiding?Also gaping in astonishment were the students in the classroom; as Ninja Academy students, they were no strangers to this."Naruto-kun... has he been attending class using a clone all this time?"Not only were the young girls not repulsed by his skipping class, but their eyes sparkled with admiration instead. This was simply too cool. The more rebellious he was, the more they liked him.Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was darkening and shifting, an ANBU operative hurried into the classroom and whispered a few words into his ear.Unsurprisingly, upon sensing that the Shadow Clone had dispersed, Naruto obediently showed himself and used the Anbu to report his whereabouts."To think he is in the Forest of Death! What reckless nonsense—that is no place for a child to be." The Hokage could no longer care about encouraging the honor students; after tossing out a couple of brief instructions, he departed in a hurry.Leaving Iruka standing there awkwardly, he could only have the solitary Sasuke return to his seat first."Haha, Lord Third Hokage has other matters to attend to, and there isn't much time left in this class, so everyone please study on your own. Also, Sasuke, you don't need to be disheartened. I'm sure there will be a next time for Hokage-sama's commendation."Sasuke did not really care about that. He silently sat back down in his seat, his mind completely occupied by that class-skipping blond.Not only did he outdo him in everything at school, but that was just a clone! He refused to believe Naruto had merely acted on a whim and only failed to show up in his real body today.That guy had definitely been doing this for a long time. At the thought that he had regarded him as a rival, only for the other person to probably not care about him in the least, Sasuke felt choked with irritation....On the other side, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the Forest of Death with the Anbu. Judging by the way Naruto was swinging lazily on a tree branch, he had probably been waiting for quite a while.On another tree, a masked Anbu was keeping watch over him."Kuroyuki, thank you for your trouble, watching over this child." The Third Hokage dismissed the other Anbu, leaving only himself and Naruto.Hiruzen Sarutobi had thought about many things on the way, but when it came down to it, he did not know how to start. Should he reprimand Naruto for skipping class? Yet, did such a trivial matter warrant the Hokage's personal interrogation?If it were just ordinary truancy, he would actually be relieved. The crucial point was that Naruto had deliberately concealed his whereabouts. Perhaps it would not matter if anyone else did so, but he was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki; not the slightest mishap could be allowed."Naruto, you should understand the duties of the Anbu."That went without saying. He could even name many of them by their real names. Even though these people wore masks, their established combat styles would never change.Just like that ANBU operative earlier, Kuroyuki, who didn't even bother to conceal a head of white hair. He was talking about you, Hatake Kakashi! No wonder while other Anbu remained unknown, your fame as the Copy Ninja spread far and wide across the Shinobi World."Look, today so many of the village's specialized personnel were mobilized just for you. This is not what a good child should do. They still have more important duties, like protecting the village, to carry out."The Third Hokage cleverly framed the argument from a different perspective rather than questioning him directly, as doing so would raise a question: was Naruto's whereabouts treated extraordinarily differently from others? It would be difficult to explain clearly the difference between this level of protection and confinement."Grandpa Third, I understand. I won't do it next time." Seeing the child honestly admit his fault, a smile blossomed like a chrysanthemum across Hiruzen Sarutobi's wrinkle-laden face."However," Naruto's true motive lay here, "the reason I skipped class is that the Ninja Academy has nothing left to teach me. Therefore, I would like to apply to you for early graduation."Naruto had pondered this matter for a long time. With his talent, continuing to idle away time at the Ninja Academy would only squander his gifts. Learning Ninjutsu was an extremely energy-consuming endeavor, after all, and being unable to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to cultivation made him feel uncomfortable all over.Besides, at his age, he couldn't do anything wicked even if he wanted to. Every night, Naruto's sole thought was to quickly realize the potential of his body.Sealing Jutsu, learn it! Ninjutsu, learn it! And of course, Forbidden Jutsu—that stuff had to be learned even more!Handing the Scroll of Seals to a Ninja Academystudent versus handing it to an experienced Anbu to peruse were completely different things in terms of perception.Especially since the Third Hokage had kept him playing with little brats all this time. Others treated him like a child, but he couldn't truly treat himself as one—playing the fool to eat pig feed wasn't supposed to be taken this far!"It is still too early for you," Hiruzen Sarutobimanaged to squeeze out dryly."But this is what I want. I want to become an Anbu, and I want to... serve the village." Naruto looked straight into those turbid eyes. In the reflection of the aged pupils, his figure gradually overlapped with his father's.The old man saw it: a new shoot breaking through the soil, containing within its boundless vitality a profound Will of Fire.
Chapter 8: Rumors That Suddenly SpreadThe Third Hokage's thoughts were like a tangled mess; being elderly, what he feared most were all sorts of unexpected events, and he subconsciously wanted to brush it off by claiming there was no precedent.However, Naruto couldn't just let him gloss over it like that. A situation like his had happened many times in the history of the Shinobi World.Kakashi, who was temporarily promoted during wartime, did not represent the norm. But aside from him, a ready-made example was right before their eyes: the famous Uchiha Itachi, who also graduated at the age of 7 and became a Ninja in advance."I heard from Sasuke that his older brother also graduated and became a Ninja at a very early age. Why can't I? Could it be because I'm an orphan? I am confident that my Will of Fire is not weaker than anyone else."Could those be compared? Hiruzen Sarutobidesperately wanted to refuse, but he was afraid that big mouth Naruto would go around running his mouth. Clearly, Uchiha Itachi could do it, so why couldn't he?The key was that Naruto's strength was truly sufficient. To say nothing of Genin, even serving as a Chunin was more than enough for him."I believe that if my father knows I've become an Anbu and can protect the village he once protected, he will definitely be proud of me." This final blow was the straw that broke the camel's back.'As expected of Minato's child; he has completely inherited his Will of Fire.' Only at this moment did he make up his mind, though he was also increasingly worried that as his physical condition deteriorated day by day, he probably wouldn't have much time left to witness Naruto's growth.As for the original idea of letting him spend a normal childhood, since Naruto himself wasn't afraid of hardship or fatigue, what reason did he have not to guide the next generation's Will of Fire to burn brightly?"Then let me arrange a graduation exam for you. First off, if you fail to pass, I will absolutely not use the Hokage's authority to help you cheat. Of course, no matter how long you need to prepare? I can arrange privileges for you in this regard."Actually, whether it was Hiruzen Sarutobi or Naruto, both knew that the exam was merely a formality. You had already learned the Flying Thunder God; even acting as a Special Jonin would be more than enough."That's great, Third Grandpa! I certainly won't let down your expectations." This statement sounded somewhat subtle; the Third thought to himself that as long as the Nine-Tails didn't blow up, that in itself was a contribution to the village.Later, Naruto greeted Iruka and didn't return to the Ninja Academy. The exam time was also decided, set for half a month later.Imaginably, what a massive shock another early-graduating genius brought to the Ninja Academy! At an age when most kids still only knew how to eat snot, Naruto won a massive following with his unique personality.The upper grades of the Ninja Academy had already begun comparing him to Uchiha Itachi: equally aloof, equally a genius, and possessing Hokage-like thinking at such a young age.Until the matter blew up, the relationship between the Uchiha and the Konoha Upper Echelon was not good at all at this point in time. Although Uchiha Itachi himself was an unliked two-faced person, no matter what, he was still the son of the clan head. How could the proud Uchiha accept an orphan being compared side-by-side with an Uchiha genius?Once everyone inquired about it, hey, guess what? He was actually in the same year as our young master Sasuke.Sasuke had suffered from deep self-consumption since childhood because his older brother was too outstanding, causing his father to overlook him. As a result, when news of Naruto spread, he realized that all those pressures were merely pediatric-level.There was a creature more detestable than an outstanding older brother, and that was the legendary child of someone else's family—and this one might not even have a family, which put even more immense pressure on little Sasuke.He also wanted to graduate early, but was sharply reprimanded by his father, Fugaku."I heard you aren't even the top student in your class. A guy with no real ability who just puts on a bold front—such a person is not worthy of bearing the Uchiha name."Sasuke was eager to prove himself, but even his father didn't believe he could compare to Naruto. After all, while others didn't know, how could Fugaku not understand Naruto's background!Not only was he the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but the blood of the Fourth's Yellow Flash also flowed within his veins. It was said that ever since entering school, he had always kept Sasuke suppressed. What was even more astonishing was that he had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique at such a young age. Furthermore, even if it were just a clone, it still reached a level that other brats couldn't even hope to match.However, unable to prove himself, the only one who suffered was Sasuke, being mocked by his clansmenall day long. Because when faced with the provocation of the rumors, the unshakeable facts left the Uchiha unable to open their mouths in rebuttal.So they could only pressure Sasuke. Don't think that the interior of the Uchiha was all warmth and affection; even the radicals who detested Itachi the most would use him as a banner to compare with Sasuke at this time.Not only did he have to endure pressure from his classmates, but he also had to be stepped on by others using his older brother. How miserable Sasuke's plight was!However, later on, the rumors twisted as they spread. What was this about clearing the Uchiha clan's reputation? Therefore, this early graduation exam had to be made public.By the time Fugaku realized something was wrong and wanted to put out the fire, the overbearing image of the Uchiha had already been jotted down by the Konoha Upper Echelon once again....Konoha, Hokage's Office."Hiruzen, you are too weak. That clan has already broken the rules; you should immediately have the Anbu eliminate them." The old man wrapped in bandages was shouting hoarsely with agitation."Danzo, I think the one who broke the rules is you. Don't think I don't know where those rumors started. Given that it concerns the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, I do not hope for any more suspicious news to leak out." At this moment, the Hokagedidn't look like the kind old grandfather in front of Naruto at all; the faint aura of decisive ruthlessness he exuded startled his old friend."Hmph, you'll regret this, Hiruzen." Danzo left with bitter resentment. When had that little fox demon brat unexpectedly occupied a place in the Third's heart?"Do not do unnecessary things. This is my order." Seeing his old friend turn and leave without a shred of lingering attachment, Hiruzen, deeply feeling that it was a turbulent autumn, pinched the bridge of his nose."After all, I am the Hokage."Thinking of the series of events that had occurred recently, there was no doubt that the mastermind behind them was his old comrade-in-arms, Danzo Shimura.But this also corroborated from the side that the relationship between the Uchiha and the village had reached the next turning point; even a trivial matter could become a fuse, brewing irretrievable and unspeakable tragedies.'Perhaps I can take this opportunity to reconcile the relationship between the Uchiha and the village.' Of course, Hiruzen wasn't carefree enough to let Naruto go be watched by a group of red-eyed guys."Pass down the order, summon Uchiha Itachi to see me." The former Itachi had been regarded as the bridge of communication between the village and the clan; now, it was time for this bridge of his to play its role.Having an Uchiha genius examine this year's genius newcomer—how was this not another manifestation of the Will of Fire? Konoha's inheritance was nothing more than this.Naturally, Naruto needed to be notified of the examiner's change. Who could have guessed that the matter would blow up so big? By the time Naruto received the notification with a bewildered expression, the scheduled Genin exam had been raised to the difficulty of the Chunin Exams.Upon hearing that the examiner was an Uchiha, Naruto's heart tightened. Fortunately, the final choice was Sasuke's older brother, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.It wasn't that he didn't dread Uchiha Itachi; Itachiwas undoubtedly a terrorist without a bottom line. But compared to him, another Uchiha genius caused Naruto even more worry and dread.He had already inquired; Shisui of the Body Flickerwas still alive and well at this point in time. Narutowould rather go meet Pain than run into an UchihaNinja possessing the Kotoamatsukami Dōjutsu at this time.Free will—that kind of thing, perhaps influenced by the memories of his past life, Naruto regarded it as far more important than life itself.If conditions permitted, it would be best to make that Dōjutsu that rewrites will disappear from the Shinobi World forever. Regarding this, Narutowouldn't mind taking action personally to completely grind those eyes to dust.
Chapter 9 Breaking the Ninja Academy RecordLegend has it that during the distant Third Shinobi World War, a genius Ninja who graduated at the age of 5 once appeared in the Ninja Academy, but their deeds have long been obscure to this day. What is well-known to the public now is the Uchiha Clan Head's son who graduated at the age of 7.Before Uchiha Itachi had become Itachi, even as the relationship between the Konoha Upper Echelonand the Uchiha grew increasingly tense, no one ever doubted his personal loyalty to the village.As a symbol of the village and the Uchiha's efforts to bridge their conflicts, he bore both the fan crest and left behind the unique imprint of the Anbu.Therefore, having this clan head's son serve as a sparring partner for the evaluation side to quell the widely circulated rumors in the village recently was something both sides were happy to see.Naruto's Genin graduation exam, in terms of difficulty, already surpassed the ordinary Chunin Exams. His examiner was none other than the equally genius Uchiha Itachi. In Konoha's eyes, this was the passing down of the Will of Fire.Ever since skipping class that day, Naruto had never returned to the Ninja Academy, waiting until the day the evaluation was arranged, which took place at the Training Ground beside the Forest of Death....In the spectator Body Replacements, the notorious old fogies of Konoha's F4 sat in a row, watching the two figures facing each other from afar on the Training Ground.Not only was Uchiha Itachi filled with the professional demeanor of a Ninja in every gesture, but on the other side, young Naruto Uzumaki also showed a bit of the dashing style of his father, Minato Namikaze.More coincidentally, besides the examiner on the field, another referee was arranged to prevent any other unexpected accidents from occurring.That person was none other than the famous Hatake Fifty-Fifty. What a wonderful twist of fate—the previous person to graduate at age 5 was none other than him.Looking at the two fellows before him now, in terms of talent, neither was inferior to him back in the day, especially Naruto, whose age was even younger than Kakashi's when he graduated.If Naruto could successfully pass the evaluation, it would break the Ninja Academy's record to date."Are you ready?" Uchiha Itachi asked. He then turned to glance at Kakashi, nodding to indicate that it was about to begin.Although Kakashi always had a listless appearance, he was reliable when things got serious. In fact, according to his thoughts, whether it was Uchiha Itachi or Naruto, he felt that early graduation shouldn't be encouraged.Back then, he had earned the moniker of Cold-blooded Kakashi at a tender age, and seeing Uchiha Itachi fare no better after joining the Anbu, now Naruto was about to walk down the same old path. A sense of fatigue from being powerless against all this welled up in his heart.On the other side, Itachi felt the same way. At this moment, his heart unexpectedly resonated with Kakashi's in a rare moment of shared sentiment. If Sasuke were the one standing before him today, he wouldn't even dare to imagine what he would do."I'm ready, Brother Sasuke." Naruto knew where Uchiha Itachi's weak spot was and tried to use words to disrupt him.Unfortunately, Itachi was already a qualified Ninja; mere words could not shake him in the slightest. "I cannot comment on your choice, however, becoming a Ninja at your age is still far too early."Aside from the sparring itself, this was the only sentence Uchiha Itachi spoke. Perhaps it was out of regard for Sasuke's face; for someone who viewed silence as gold, managing to spit out these few words was truly unprecedented.As soon as his voice fell, a standard Uchiha shurikenopening was deployed, but unlike his other clansmen, Itachi also used techniques that transcended the narrow confines of the clan."shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!" A sky-full of shuriken rained down. Against small-fry Ninjas, this move was already a definitive kill.Facing the offensive, although Naruto had not yet learned any Elemental Release—after all, researching Sealing Jutsu had consumed all his energy—thinking to harm him, a Jinchūriki, with mere shuriken was expecting a bit too much.It was just the right time to slightly display the power of the Nine-Tails. In the current Konoha, this was his get-out-of-death-free card.It could also let Hiruzen Sarutobi see a return on his investment, as he had placed considerable expectations on Minato Namikaze's contingency plan."Please, Kurama, lend me some power." Before the shuriken could reach him, a layer of light red Tailed Beast Cloak had already covered Naruto's body.In truth, this was still far from his limit in bearing the power of the Nine-Tails, but just like scamming investments in his past life, one could not present all the achievements at once. What was currently displayed was already enough to keep the Konoha Upper Echelon on edge.Those weapons that were fatal to ordinary Ninjas felt like mere tickles when striking Naruto's body.Seeing this, Uchiha Itachi furrowed his brows, thinking to himself, So this is a Jinchūriki? His physical constitution can practically be described as inhuman."Brother Sasuke, it's my turn next." Naruto formed a hand seal, executing none other than the Crown Prince's signature Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu.In a brief moment, an entire army of Narutos filled the entire Training Ground. This was a heresy-style gameplay utilizing massive amounts of Chakraexclusively developed by Naruto Uzumaki, followed immediately by the classic Rasengan-forming segment. Facing the impending Rasengan Barrage, even Uchiha Itachi turned serious for once.He had heard of that Seal-less Ninjutsu, which was personally created by the Fourth Hokage.However, is this move used like that? Itachi's left eyelid twitched violently a few times.Gazing at the swarming Shadow Clones, Itachi took a deep breath and displayed a set of standard Uchiha Taijutsu. Sweeping and powerful, not a single clone could break into his dancing range.Naruto's moves were also fully prepared. Following the ordinary Shadow Clones were a large group of armed Narutos wielding Rasengan.Uchiha Itachi was also forced to pull out his first Elemental Release, starting directly with the C-rank Great Fireball Technique. "Boom."Utilizing the bombardment of the Great Fireball Technique to widen the distance, Itachi calculated the Chakra within his body and counter-attacked by releasing a famous large-scale Fire Style, "Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"This finally managed to block this large-scale offensive, and Naruto, having consumed so much Chakra, felt slightly out of breath."Take this, my ninja tool All-Throwing Technique!" Naruto was perhaps exasperated; this move indeed had a somewhat desperate, all-or-nothing feel to it.As expected, Uchiha Itachi was not so easily dealt with. The red Sharingan flashed past, completely insighting Naruto's tactics."Quite a good tactical planning; if not for the Sharingan, it truly wouldn't be easy to guard against." This evaluation from the position of an examiner showed that he still had energy to spare.Those disorganized, flying Kunai and shuriken—Uchiha Itachi didn't even want to waste the strength to glance at them. He focused his target on the single shuriken that was shot with the utmost accuracy."Fire Style: Small Fireball Technique." This was a pinpoint sniper attack after seeing through the trick. Sure enough, Naruto hurriedly canceled his Transformation Technique.Facing Ninjutsu, he didn't dare to forcefully withstand it with this thin Tailed Beast Cloak of his. While transforming out a few Shadow Clones to attack where the enemy musters a rescue, his entire body could only dodge in a flustered manner.At this moment, Uchiha Itachi, whether lagging out or whatever, actually hesitated a bit towards the Shadow Clones, unable to judge which one was the true body.One must know that the failure of intelligence in battle is fatal. Naruto's life-saving move of using Ninjutsu happened to cover up the whereabouts of his true body with a burst of Chakra.Although Naruto right now was still far from being Uchiha Itachi's match, such a mistake on a real battlefield would cost one's life.Uchiha Itachi secretly made up his mind to go back and practice countering this kind of tactic with Shisui-nii. One could only say that the efficacy of the Shadow Clone Technique was simply too overpowered.By this time, Naruto had already rushed right in front of him. Itachi used Taijutsu once more to engage the enemy, sending the "clone" stumbling with a few punches and kicks. That's right, this was a solid entity.Feigning an opening with a single grappling move, he played Naruto right in the palm of his hand. How could Naruto's meager Taijutsu experience compare to Itachi's family heritage?But after being caught, Naruto wore a smile: "Brother Sasuke, you've fallen for it, Seal!"Dense curse marks coiled upward from the point of contact with Naruto. This was the Self-Cursing Binding Seal, capable of restricting a person's movements. Falling for it on the battlefield meant victory was practically in the bag.But with a flash of white smoke, Naruto's plan fell through. What Naruto had sealed turned out to be merely a Body Replacement log!"It's over." Uchiha Itachi appeared right in front of Naruto, casting the Sharingan upon him.However, to Itachi's surprise, in less than a second, Naruto broke through the Genjutsu. Even so, that tiny bit of time was enough for an elite Ninja to end the battle."Yosh, a very good battle, let's stop here. Itachi, you're the examiner, what's your opinion...""Pass. Naruto-kun is already a quite exceptional Ninja; one can tell he has undergone very strict training." Itachi's reply was concise.Hiruzen Sarutobi looked quite pleased with these words, nodding to signal the other examiner to issue the forehead protector.It was finally Kakashi's turn to take the stage—who told Uchiha Itachi himself to still be a child? However, his own qualifications were barely sufficient.Donning the forehead protector, Naruto henceforth became the youngest Ninja in the history of the Ninja Academy. Having broken the record, his destiny had also quietly begun to shift at this very moment.