"Ouch!"
Boruto's face once again made intimate contact with the dirt.
"Your movements are still too obvious." Shadow Clone Naruto #1 slowly retracted his right foot.
"Before your strength reaches a certain level, you still need strategy to aid you when engaging an enemy."
"Even samurai techniques have underhanded moves, let alone those of ninja."
"In today's world where all sorts of ninjutsu emerge endlessly, no one can know what kind of jutsu an enemy will use."
"Exposing your weaknesses to the enemy too early is no different from placing your own neck under their blade."
"Then what kind of strength do I need to not have to use these schemes and tricks?" Boruto propped himself up, complaining.
"Don't aim too high." Hearing this, Shadow Clone Naruto #1 sighed helplessly.
"Reach Kage-level strength first, then we'll talk."
"Decided! First, I'll reach Kage-level strength!" Boruto loudly declared to himself.
"Defeat my shadow clone first," Shadow Clone Naruto #1 said, rubbing his temples.
Arrogant, reckless, acts without thinking…
He could list countless flaws for this kid; he really didn't know who he inherited them from.
"Alright!" Boruto picked up the kunai from the ground and attacked him again.
Fortunately, the kid wasn't entirely useless. Even he had to marvel at this kind of unwavering perseverance.
A person with a strong personality might not necessarily become strong, but a strong person definitely possesses this trait.
"Kage-level strength isn't just about brute force; it needs strategy and knowledge as support," the shadow clone instructed while dodging the little guy's attacks.
"When facing a situation, the more urgent it is, the calmer you must be. Always think before you act."
"Acting impulsively, relying on instinct, most of the time, won't solve problems; it will only worsen them."
"The current training isn't about further enhancing your strength based on your existing foundation, but about integrating and compensating for what you already have."
"It might have significant effects in the short term, but eventually, you must return to the original, tedious practice."
"Only with a deep foundation of knowledge as support can you become truly strong. Little guy, adjust your mindset and take learning seriously."
"Don't get complacent because of your current achievements."
"The only person one needs to surpass is oneself."
"I understand," Boruto replied.
He didn't know why, but the things his mother had nagged him about in his original world, which he had usually let go in one ear and out the other, he was taking to heart exceptionally when spoken by this world's 'Dad.'
In another training area not far away.
"How far can your eyes see now?" Naruto asked.
"About fifteen hundred meters," Hinata replied.
"In the Hyuga clan's records, can the Byakugan be developed further? Does it possess other abilities?"
Being able to be an inherent trait of the Otsutsuki clan, just like the Rinnegan, he felt the Byakugan's potential wasn't as simple as what the Hyuga clan had demonstrated.
Hinata pondered for a moment, then shook her head slightly. "I'm not sure."
"Some records have restricted reading access; only Father and the clan elders know."
"If you have the chance, you might want to ask," Naruto nodded slightly. Large clans have their own rules; these are the foundations of their heritage and standing.
"Mm."
"Have you undergone any Yang Release training?"
"No." Hinata shook her head. "The Byakugan leans more towards Yin Release. Before becoming a jonin, the clan prohibits us from accessing Yang Release knowledge."
"Is that so..." Hearing this, Naruto immediately extinguished the thought of teaching her Yang Release.
The Hyuga clan, having existed for a thousand years, certainly understood the principle that Yin and Yang Release could mutually promote each other. Since they chose to restrict the younger generation from accessing Yang Release knowledge too early, they definitely had their reasons.
A layman like him, with only a superficial understanding of the Byakugan, shouldn't overstep his bounds.
"Take these stones." Naruto took out a handful of Gelel Stones and handed them to her.
This stuff didn't fall under the category of knowledge.
"When you're training, use your chakra to draw out the energy within them. See if it can make your Byakugan evolve."
According to Future Sasuke, whether it was the Hyuga clan or the Uchiha clan, their bloodlines had weakened to varying degrees over the long course of their lineage.
In other words, compared to the very first Byakugan, the Hyuga clan's Byakugan today definitely had some kind of defect.
This defect couldn't be rectified by simple training.
The Gelel Stone, as a crystallization of life energy, could, to some extent, activate latent energy within the body. For bloodline ninja, this meant activating the genetic information dormant deep within their bodies.
Hinata stared blankly at the Gelel Stones he handed her.
A gift from Naruto-kun…
What should I do? I haven't prepared a return gift…
Naruto naturally wasn't aware of the young girl's current mental activity. Seeing her not reach out for a long time, he just assumed she was too shy and embarrassed to take them.
He immediately grabbed her hand and placed the Gelel Stones in her palm.
"I still have plenty of these. Use them without worry. If you need more, just ask me."
"Mmh..."
Feeling the warmth from his hand, Hinata's earlobes instantly flushed a shade of red. Paired with her jade-like skin, she looked like the finest ruby, dazzling to the eye.
Under the shade of a tree, Shadow Clone Naruto #2 and Shikamaru were playing a game of shogi, one move after another.
Initially, he had thought of giving Shikamaru some training too, to boost his strength.
But after a battle, he discovered that what limited this guy from advancing further wasn't combat experience, nor knowledge foundation, nor even strategic planning, but his chakra reserves.
And for increasing chakra reserves, even he didn't have any good methods.
Thus, the current situation arose.
Among the three, only Boruto needed his special training. The other two were either the Hyuga clan's heiress or the Nara clan's eldest son; teaching them combat experience and techniques was hardly his place.
Fortunately, he still had quite a few Gelel Stones on hand.
Otherwise, this so-called special training would have truly become a joke.
He did have quite a few forbidden jutsu, but being called forbidden jutsu, they certainly weren't something chunin or genin level ninja could access or learn.
At least, not these two.
"Where did the other person go?" Shikamaru asked.
Shadow Clone Naruto #2 knew he was talking about Future Sasuke and shook his head slightly. "I don't know either."
He only knew the other had gone to find Itachi Uchiha, but where Itachi Uchiha was, he had no idea.
Last time he went to Amegakure, he hadn't seen any other Akatsuki members.
"Do you need me to arrange an identity for them?"
Recalling the Shadow Clone Technique Boruto had just used, and the shift in Naruto's attitude before and after, Shikamaru had a rough guess about their identities.
"No need. They don't plan on staying long." Gazing at the chessboard where he was once again at a disadvantage, Shadow Clone Naruto #2 frowned.
Had he chosen the wrong way to pass the time?
From the beginning until now, he hadn't won a single game!
"How about you let me take back a move, just this once?" Shadow Clone Naruto #2 proposed.
"Three strikes and you're out. No way," Shikamaru flatly refused.
Shadow Clone Naruto #2: "…"