Chapter 38: Three Years Pass in the Blink of an Eye in the Ninja World
"Is this the Uzumaki Naruto that Hokage-samaholds in such high regard?!"
Uchiha Itachi, who had just finished his training and come looking for Uchiha Sasuke, witnessed the scene. Even with his Sharingan upgraded to two-tomoe, he failed to copy Naruto's Nine-Headed Dragon Flash.
"Was that move just now a sword technique similar to a Profound Truth, or perhaps it actually was one?!" Uchiha Itachi's expression was grave. "Truly terrifying swordsmanship, and a truly terrifying person!"
However, after offering a few words of praise, Uchiha Itachi leaped away from the area where Naruto and Sasuke were staying. He felt it was better not to step forward and disturb them.
"It's time for Sasuke to make a friend..." Uchiha Itachi, constantly jumping through the trees, hid the shock on his face. "Uzumaki Naruto is not only suitable as Sasuke's friend, but at times, he can also play the role of a teacher."
Having seen the extraordinary nature of Naruto's swordsmanship, Uchiha Itachi naturally had no reason to stop them; instead, he was somewhat pleased to see it happen.
His thoughts were surprisingly consistent with Uchiha Sasuke's: outsiders could never learn the essence of Uchiha Style Throwing, but Naruto's swordsmanship was different.
"I hope you can grasp this opportunity well!" Uchiha Itachi took a deep look back toward Sasukeand Naruto. "There isn't much time left for you... and similarly... my time is also running out!"
...
Naruto, who returned home happily after a day's training, was unaware that his clash with Uchiha Sasuke had been caught red-handed by Uchiha Itachi, a true Uchiha Genius.
However, there are exceptions to everything; the Nine-Tails was extremely sensitive to the Sharingan!
"Kid, everything between you and that Uchiha brat was seen clearly by someone with intentions!"
Naruto, who had thrown himself onto his bed as soon as he got home, was suddenly startled. "Who?! Did they have any ill intent?!"
"Heh, you know how to be nervous now?" Kuramateased Naruto unhurriedly. "Failing to check your surroundings before showing your hand... I can only say that no matter how mature you pretend to be, you're still just a brat!"
Naruto was in no mood to bicker with the Nine-Tails. Although Kurama had a point, hearing it always made Naruto a bit irritated.
"Kurama, this is serious business. Tell me quickly if the person peeping had any ill intent toward me!"
"Probably no ill intent. After all, that person is from the Uchiha Clan. Even though he was hidden in the distance, the evil aura emanating from him was exceptionally conspicuous!"
"An Uchiha who has awakened their eyes?!" Naruto's voice rose an octave. "So... he knows everything about me trading swordsmanship for Uchiha Style Throwing?"
"Obviously!" Kurama jumped onto Naruto's chest and sat down. "And did you forget what I told you? Try not to learn things from the Uchiha Clan, especially regarding Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and the like!"
"They have the Sharingan, and you don't!" they said in unison.
Naruto's voice rang out simultaneously with Kurama's, which dealt a blow to Kurama just as he was about to start lecturing. Not only did his mood sour instantly, but he also lost the desire to continue communicating with Naruto.
Quickly jumping off Naruto, the mini Little Nine-Tails, with only one tail remaining, glanced back at Naruto before hopping and disappearing into the room.
"At such an old age, he really can't take a joke!" Naruto lay back on the bed, silently calculating the various situations he might face after revealing his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū swordsmanship.
"Since there was no ill intent and he didn't come out to stop Uchiha Sasuke and me from exchanging our specialties, based on that alone, I'm unlikely to be exposed in the short term!"
Naruto saw the pros and cons clearly. Moreover, the timing of Naruto's exposure was directly related to the speed of Uchiha Sasuke's learning. Before Uchiha Sasuke mastered it, the observer would not only refrain from exposing him but would also do everything possible to keep this secret for Naruto.
Even an old fellow like the Nine-Tails, who only knew about violent destruction, could see the extraordinary nature of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū. There was no way the Uchiha Clan, who were constantly fighting on the front lines, wouldn't see it.
"That arrogant brat Uchiha Sasuke... it'll probably take him ten years to learn Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū!" Naruto relaxed completely, stretched, and rolled twice on the bed. "As for the two Profound Truths, Nine-Headed Dragon Flash and Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, he probably won't learn them in this lifetime!"
"I'm not like that foolish master Hiko Seijuro..." Naruto felt a bit dazed, somehow thinking of Hiko Seijuro. "If I hadn't held back at the end, he probably would have lost his head long ago..."
...
The river of time flows ceaselessly, the gears of fate keep turning, and Naruto's life naturally could not stand still.
Since meeting Uchiha Sasuke at the training ground in the Konoha Forest, Naruto had a companion in his training. Their relationship had evolved from mutual hostility and dislike at the beginning to their current state of being both mentors and friends.
Naruto's life was simple: an unshakeable medicinal bath three times a week, appearing at the fixed training ground punctually every day, and learning various knowledge from Kurama at irregular times every night, while also bickering mercilessly with him.
As for the Hyuga Clan, after the incident with Hyuga Neji at the Blessing Banquet that night, Naruto rarely went to the Hyuga residence.
It wasn't that Naruto was afraid of Hyuga Neji, but rather that he didn't want to get involved in the mess within the Hyuga family. Naruto planned to wait until the Hyuga family stabilized before going to further the relationship between the two families.
Naruto thought very clearly; his connection with the Hyuga family all came from Hinata. Although he didn't visit the Hyuga house much, he still met with Hinata quite frequently.
Uchiha Sasuke naturally knew about the ambiguity between Naruto and Hinata. For a while, he teased Naruto quite a bit about it, constantly clamoring that women would slow down Naruto's progress and that the day he would overtake Naruto on the inside track was just around the corner.
But Naruto just smiled dismissively. To be honest, an Uchiha Sasuke who hadn't even awakened his eyes really was like a little brother in front of Naruto.
Although Sasuke had the power to resist and could even fight Naruto to a draw when he performed well, both knew in their hearts that if they truly fought a life-and-death battle, Sasuke's win rate would be less than forty percent.
This made the already hardworking Uchiha Sasukework even harder. Backed by the entire Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Sasuke could bring Naruto a surprise every day after returning home.
There were even several times when Naruto was caught off guard, allowing Uchiha Sasuke to reclaim some ground.
But this was exactly what Naruto liked to see. If the entire Uchiha Clan was a boost for Uchiha Sasuke, then wasn't Uchiha Sasuke also a boost for himself?
Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke supported, encouraged, and competed with each other. Along the way, three years had passed without them noticing, and tomorrow would be the day Naruto entered the Ninja Academy.
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