(3rd Person POV)
Hinata threw herself back, narrowly dodging the clone's axe kick aimed at her head. Without wasting a second, she surged forward, pressuring the clone and forcing it toward the edge of the arena.
The clone, unwilling to be outdone, retaliated with a punch. Hinata deflected the strike and countered with a swift backhand, dispelling it in a burst of chakra smoke.
Another clone emerged from beneath her. She leapt out of its reach and aimed a kick at it mid-air. The clone caught her foot and swept her supporting leg, sending her tumbling.
Hinata rolled backward, barely dodging a kick aimed at her torso. But she failed to anticipate the second clone coming from behind. It struck her with a brutal punch that knocked her to the ground.
Panting, Hinata pushed herself back up, eyeing the remaining four clones. She knew Naruto could summon hundreds, maybe even thousands, but she refused to give up. She wouldn't disappoint him—or herself.
She charged forward, ducking under a jab aimed at her throat. Grabbing the clone's arm, she used its momentum to hurl it into another, dispelling both in a satisfying puff of smoke.
Just as she turned to face the last two, one delivered a solid kick to her gut, sending her crashing to the floor. The remaining clones glanced at each other, then gave a cheeky wave before dispelling themselves.
Naruto—the real one—walked over with a warm smile, crouching beside her on the balls of his feet.
"You did well. I'm proud of you."
Hinata gave him a gentle smile before closing her eyes. He picked her up onto his back with practiced ease.
"Rest well. You've earned it. Iruka-sensei, I'm taking Hinata to the infirmary."
Iruka nodded, smiling. "Be careful, alright? And congratulations—you're officially considered the class's number one."
---
(Naruto POV)
I gave Iruka-sensei a small smile. "Thanks, sensei." He waved me off, and I began the walk to the infirmary.
It wasn't far—just a few turns through the hallways. I made sure to lay Hinata gently on one of the beds before leaving the room.
Wouldn't want the nurse to treat her badly just because she's connected to me.
I sat down just outside her room and closed my eyes, focusing inward toward my chakra core. I'd been experimenting lately—and yeah, I admit, this next idea was risky. But that's never stopped me before.
The principle was simple... kind of. Think of folding a piece of paper in on itself—again and again. Each fold makes it thicker, stronger. I wondered: could I do the same with my chakra?
Of course, there was the danger of frying my chakra network entirely. But hey—Kurama healed Naruto's literal hole-in-the-chest injury twice in canon. I was banking on that.
Alright. Let's do this.
Deep breath.
I focused, pushing and compressing my chakra together. It burned—a lot. But I pushed through it. If it didn't hurt, it probably wasn't working.
After what felt like hours, I could finally sense it—some of my chakra had become noticeably denser. Maybe 1/88th of it. Ugh. It's gonna be a long process...
---
(Kurama POV)
Do I really need an introduction? I'm the Nine-Tails. The Great Fox. Sealed and unsealed across centuries, through countless wars and empires.
So tell me: how in the name of the Sage of Six Paths has a six-year-old brat contributed to more than half of the most baffling things I've witnessed in my entire existence?
Exactly. No answer? Didn't think so.
The kid's a monster in human skin. And don't ask me how he ended up in here months ago—he made a habit of popping in whenever he wanted. I, of course, being the mighty being that I am, ignored him.
But this latest experiment? Forcing chakra against itself to compress it? It's absurd! And yet... it theoretically works. Not that I'm surprised—I figured it out the second he started. (I am a genius, after all.)
---
(Naruto POV)
Groans
Yeah, that sucked. But it worked. My chakra isn't fully compressed yet, but if I keep up this pace, I should finish the process in about three months. Maybe more if I keep juggling other training.
I've still got jutsu to refine and other areas to improve. Honestly, I'm already leagues ahead of canon Naruto, which is good. Progress is progress.
Once I'm sure Hinata's fine, I plan to start a new project... but that's a story for another time.
Because an ANBU just landed behind me.
"Hokage-sama has requested your presence in his office."
Rude. But alright.
"Sure. I'll be there in a minute."
I waved him off, pulled a candy bar from my pocket, unwrapped it, and took a bite before following him toward the Hokage's office.
---
(Hiruzen POV)
I let out a slow puff of smoke just as Naruto arrived with one of my most trusted ANBU—Horse. (Is that canon? Who knows.)
Horse bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama, I have brought Naruto Uzumaki."
I nodded. "Thank you. You're dismissed."
He vanished in a blur, returning to his post in the corner of the room.
"Well, Naruto. How have you been, my boy? I've heard you're doing well at the Academy. Have you made any friends?"
He nodded with a small smile. "Yep! There's Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino. They're all cool."
"I'm glad to hear that."
I paused, leaning forward slightly.
"But there's something more serious we need to discuss. It's about your inheritance—specifically from your mother. I believe you're ready to receive it."
His eyes widened. "I—I am?"
He looked stunned. Not surprising.
Without another word, I placed a hand on his shoulder and body-flickered us to a very specific location...
---
(Naruto POV)
...Okay, what?! Is the old man sick? Or maybe he's been replaced? Did someone use a transformation jutsu or something?
No way this is real. He's actually taking me to learn about my mother. I guess I really did trigger some kind of butterfly effect with all the changes I've made. Turns out not being an incompetent idiot does pay off.
We arrived in front of what I can only describe as a majestic, two-story Irimoya-zukuri home. Its red and black color scheme was flawless—elegant, yet powerful.
It was... beautiful.
---