Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: The First Hokage Sage Body!

[Inside Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant, Konoha.]"Sister Ayame, the ramen you make is really delicious! I think it tastes even better than the one Uncle Teuchi makes!"Inside the cozy ramen shop, a cheerful blond boy slurped noodles from his bowl while beaming at the elegantly dressed girl in front of him. That boy was none other than Uzumaki Naruto—the Naruto from the alternate black-bordered world.Since becoming Konoha's hero, Naruto had gained immense popularity among the villagers. Everywhere he went, people greeted him with warmth and admiration.Ayame giggled at Naruto's praise, but then leaned in with a mischievous smile, placing a finger to her lips."Shh! Don't let my father hear you say that. He's very confident in his ramen skills!""Haha, don't worry! He's not here, right?" Naruto grinned."That's true!" Ayame chuckled in agreement.Lately, her father had been going out frequently to help with village reconstruction. After the recent devastating attacks, many parts of Konoha were in disrepair and required additional manpower.Oddly enough, despite the severity of the explosions that struck the village, Ichiraku Ramen had been miraculously spared."Maybe," Naruto muttered thoughtfully, "the masked man who attacked us also loves Sister Ayame's ramen?""Hmph! Naruto, you're being silly again!" Ayame said with a playful pout, smoothing her hair with a graceful hand gesture. A faint, pleasant fragrance drifted toward Naruto, and he involuntarily smiled."I'm full now. I'll head out. See you later, Sister Ayame!" Naruto said, placing his bowl and chopsticks down respectfully before turning to leave.But the moment he pulled aside the shop curtain, he was greeted by a surprising sight.Outside the restaurant, a large crowd had gathered—villagers, noble girls, even kunoichi—each one waiting with eager eyes. All of them had come to catch a glimpse of Uzumaki Naruto.Naruto's face twitched. Though he welcomed admiration and had no intention of rejecting anyone's feelings, this was becoming overwhelming.Guess I really need to fast-track the plan to improve the Uzumaki clan's physical endurance…"Uh… hello, everyone!" Naruto greeted, raising a hand and flashing his signature warm smile."Kyaaahhhh!!! It's Naruto!!! He smiled at me!!!"The reaction was instant—and catastrophic. Girls screamed, blushed furiously, and a few even fainted from excitement. The emotional shockwave was like a localized nuclear explosion.Scratching his head in exasperation, Naruto mumbled to himself, "This is too much… I think I should leave now!"In the next instant, his figure vanished into thin air.Flying Thunder God Technique!Perfect for escaping awkward or overenthusiastic situations like this.Naruto reappeared deep in the back mountains of Konoha, in front of a hidden cave. This place had long since become his private sanctuary—one where he and Uzuki Yugao had once "communed with nature," exploring not only the beauty of their surroundings but also... each other.He chuckled as his eyes drifted to a particular stone slab.That's where Xi Yan once laid down… Good memories.Naruto took a seat and exhaled, allowing himself a rare moment of peace.Thanks to his advanced chakra perception, he could detect any approach from miles away. This place was perfectly safe.With a flick of his hand, he summoned several scrolls from a storage seal. These documents had been retrieved from the Third Hokage's private archive by one of his Shadow Clones—specifically the clone named Uzumaki Menma."You've been spending a lot of time reading lately. You're slacking off on your training," a deep, grumbling voice echoed inside him.It was Kurama, the Nine Tails, speaking with irritation.Not that Naruto was truly neglecting his training. Kurama knew full well that even if Naruto wasn't physically active, he often left behind dozens of Shadow Clones to refine chakra, train, or even research new jutsu.No, Kurama's complaint had more to do with boredom.After finally escaping from the confines of the seal, the great fox expected grand adventures, thrilling battles, or at the very least, some excitement. Instead, he had to watch Naruto pour over scrolls every day.To make matters worse, Kurama found the human world puzzling—especially the female interactions. He still hadn't figured out why Ino had squatted down in front of Naruto the other day.Was that some kind of attack? A new jutsu? Or… something edible?Humans were truly strange."Don't worry, Kurama," Naruto said calmly, understanding the fox's frustration.Even though he and Kurama had achieved perfect synchronization—as Minato once said—it didn't mean they were yet strong enough to face every enemy in the ninja world."I found something interesting in these scrolls," Naruto added, opening one of them. "It's a record of the legendary battle between the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara. Kurama… were you there for that?"Kurama paused, visibly uncomfortable."I… did I participate?"Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me whether you participated?"Kurama fell silent. Truth be told, he had been involved in that monumental battle. But whether his presence had truly mattered... that was another question.Against either Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama, he often felt like little more than a glorified chakra battery."Well, it was a long time ago," Kurama finally said with a huff. "Maybe I did. Maybe not. If it's written in the scroll, let's go with that."Naruto's suspicions were confirmed. The scrolls claimed that even with the full power of the Nine Tails and the terrifying strength of Madara's Eternal Mangekyō and Susanoo, they had been no match for Senju Hashirama.And it wasn't just about jutsu proficiency.The real secret to Hashirama's invincibility lay in his Sage Body.A natural Sage Body was a monstrous advantage in the shinobi world. It came with chakra reserves on par with tailed beasts, a terrifying self-healing ability, incredible stamina, and most notably—the ability to activate any ninjutsu with just a clap, no hand seals required.Even a basic D-rank technique could become as powerful as an S-rank jutsu in the hands of someone with a Sage Body."So… you want to obtain the Sage Body now?" Kurama asked with a trace of concern. "Didn't I already tell you? That's something only the First Hokage was born with."Naruto slowly shook his head, eyes burning with determination."No, Kurama. There might be another way. These scrolls contain some… unexpected information.""Oh?" Kurama's curiosity was piqued.He still remembered Hashirama clearly. That man had defeated him—armor-plated in Madara's Susanoo—with a single move. The sheer force of his Wood Release was overwhelming.Maybe Naruto was right. Until they had truly overwhelming power, it was better to remain discreet.After all, Kurama hadn't had a Jinchūriki like Naruto in centuries—someone who didn't treat him as a mere tool but as a partner. He wanted Naruto to succeed.Seeing that Kurama was now interested, Naruto continued, flipping open a more confidential scroll."This scroll says that Orochimaru once experimented on the First Hokage's cells in secret. The notes hint that… he may have succeeded."Kurama's eyes narrowed."Orochimaru… That snake. He really went and tampered with Hashirama's cells?"Naruto nodded. "That's right. And not only that—some of the samples were used to create powerful clones. In fact, one of them became a key part of Danzo's experiments. That clone could use Wood Release."Kurama growled lowly. "I remember now. That's the source of that twisted Root member's power."Naruto rolled the scroll back up."I'm not going to do it the way Orochimaru did. But if we understand the underlying secrets, maybe we can awaken something close to the Sage Body… naturally."Kurama remained silent for a long moment, then sighed."Well, I suppose if anyone could do it without going full mad scientist… it'd be you."Naruto smiled.He didn't want the Sage Body for glory, or even power. He wanted it to protect Konoha, protect his loved ones… and stand shoulder to shoulder with the strongest legends of the past."I'll figure it out, Kurama. You'll see."The Nine Tails grunted. "Just don't make me eat any more weird chakra supplements or have Sakura squatting in front of us again. That's weirder than the experiments."Naruto laughed aloud, the sound echoing into the quiet mountains."Deal."