After hearing this, Shikamaru looked at Naruto in disbelief—and he wasn't the only one. Even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, residing within Naruto's consciousness, was filled with emotion.
Naruto's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique had already surpassed Minato's own, and he had only learned it recently.
Of course, Naruto wouldn't mention the cheat behind his progress.
As the two talked, Naruto suddenly sensed several familiar Chakras approaching.
He looked toward the distance, and a green figure leaped into view—
Tsunade had arrived.
Behind her came Kakashi, the heads of the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Aburame, and Hyūga Clans—Konoha's core leadership.
Naruto also spotted a particular figure among them and couldn't help smiling.
"Tsunade, you're here!"
Then his gaze slid to the beautiful girl standing quietly beside Hyūga Hiashi.
"Hinata!"
Naruto smiled warmly. Hinata turned crimson under his direct attention, unable to hold his gaze for more than a heartbeat.
Hiashi's expression soured instantly, as though he had swallowed a fistful of sand.
Under Tsunade's amused look, Naruto resisted the urge to chat with Hinata first. This moment was too important. Instead, he faced Tsunade.
He had promised her before—he would show her a power capable of changing an era.
Today's demonstration would determine whether Konoha would fully join the Umbrella and follow its path forward.
This drill was monumental.
Nara Shikaku glanced at Shikamaru—standing firm beside Naruto—with slightly reddened eyes.
Yet when he saw the newfound maturity and steadiness in his son, relief washed over him. Shikamaru had grown up. He had chosen the right path.
Shikaku's gaze then moved to Naruto. Every gesture, every word radiated calm authority.
A touch of Minato's quiet confidence, the presence of a noble heir, and a commander's commanding aura blended within him.
Hinata watched Naruto blankly, utterly mesmerized.
He looked more radiant than ever before.
Naruto finally turned to his strategist.
"Shikamaru—we can start."
At that moment, Uchiha Shisui stepped onto the high platform, his face uncovered.
This was the first time he revealed himself publicly. Until now, only Naruto—and Tsunade—had seen his true appearance.
Konoha's leaders were stunned. Shock rippled through them like a stormy sea.
But the occasion was too important. They forced themselves to calm down.
As soon as Shikamaru gave the command—
The phalanx led by Rock Lee sprang into action.
"Condense your life-force! Battle Tiger—manifest!!!"
Under Lee's lead, the squad's combined vital energy and blood surged skyward, condensing into a massive spectral tiger. Its fierce aura swept across the arena, forcing even elite shinobi on the high platform to tense instinctively.
As Might Guy's successor, Lee naturally manifested a tiger as his strike-type beast.
Orochi's squad refused to fall behind. Working in perfect unison, their life-force condensed into a towering giant bear, wild and domineering.
Another unit—the martial arts division led by Takuma Genji—formed a divine dragon, coiling above them with overwhelming majesty.
Compared to the tiger and the bear, the dragon's presence was even more commanding.
Before the stunned spectators, the three enormous beasts clashed in midair—tearing at one another with claws, fangs, and shock waves so intense that the aftershocks burst beyond the training ground.
As the energy roared toward the city wall—
A transparent ripple shimmered in the air.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
A barrier… and one I've never seen before.
Naruto had prepared meticulously.
Lee focused, eyes sharp.
"Evening Tiger! King of Beasts—Golden Roar!!!"
The spectral tiger unleashed a powerful, invisible shockwave. Orochi's team staggered, grimacing.
"Giant Bear! Earth's Protection!!!"
The bear slammed a colossal shield of condensed life-force into existence, neutralizing the attack.
Takuma Genji burst into booming laughter.
"Hahaha! The old man will join the fun too!"
He thrust his hands forward.
"Divine Dragon—Dance of the Celestial Dragon!!!"
The dragon spun violently, transforming into a massive spiraling vortex that engulfed the other two beasts, consuming them in a roaring whirlwind of power.
He actually intended to take on two opponents at once.
The Konoha shinobi watching had never witnessed a spectacle like this.
This scale of power—this level of martial might—was unheard of.
They could feel it clearly: this wasn't a simple clash.
This was power beyond the Kage level, formed from the combined strength of dozens of fighters.
Naruto smiled faintly.
These people… they will be my future strength when I face the Ōtsutsuki.
And in the future, when he unified the shinobi world, he would need them as well.
He hadn't expected that with Lee and the others supporting one another, they could unleash power of this magnitude.
Tsunade's shock only deepened.
She thought of Jiraiya—of the "Child of Prophecy" he had spoken about for years.
Tsunade, who never believed in fate or prophetic nonsense, now found herself seriously wondering whether that prophecy might truly be real.
"Hahaha! You two juniors are still too green!"
Takuma Genji's thunderous laughter echoed across the field.
The martial artists behind him straightened with pride.
Every strike from the divine dragon formed by his squad's life-force hit the weak points of the tiger and bear manifested by Lee and Orochi.
Forced into a disadvantage, the other two squads exchanged a glance—and temporarily joined forces to take Takuma Genji down.
This was no ordinary drill.
The team judged to be the most outstanding would receive 30% more resources than the others.
The three colossal beasts—dragon, tiger, and bear—clashed fiercely, biting, grappling, tearing at one another while unleashing bursts of condensed, explosive force.
The battle reached a stalemate, but Takuma Genji remained perfectly calm.
Even if things stayed like this, the judges would undoubtedly deem his team the top performers.
And the extra resources would be his.
Lee grit his teeth.
He shot a look at his squad.
Instantly, their life-force surged.
"Eight Gates: First Gate—Open!!"
To the utter shock of everyone watching, the entire squad simultaneously opened the First Gate of the Eight Gates Formation.
While the Eight Gates reduced their fine control over merged life-force, Lee and his squad had trained long enough to handle it.
Their explosive power instantly overwhelmed the other two teams.
Orochi bit her lip with irritation, shooting Lee a venomous glare.
Seriously? Thick eyebrows and big eyes, yet you pull this in a drill? For just a bit of resources? Shameless!
Her expression hardened.
"Seven Breaths Method—First Breath, Open!!"
Her squad responded instantly, their life-force intensifying to match Lee's.
The two teams clashed fiercely, power building to dangerous levels.
Seeing this, Lee didn't hesitate.
He opened the Second Gate—the highest level his squad could control while keeping their formation stable.
The spectral Evening Tiger expanded massively in size, and the shock wave forced Takuma Genji's squad back several steps.
They grit their teeth and endured.
Not to be outdone, Orochi's squad opened the Second Breath, matching Lee's escalation.
Naruto's expression darkened.
At this rate, both sides would be injured—and worse, the volatile life-force buildup could result in a devastating explosion.
Without hesitation, Naruto soared into the air.
He raised his hand—an invisible force gathering, ready to disperse the clashing formations.
But the moment he touched their combined power, he frowned.
He could break it… but doing so would injure them.
A heartbeat later, his aura surged.
Naruto entered Sage Mode.
Natural energy enveloped him, and a golden-red pulse spread through the air.
In an instant—
All three massive manifestations dissolved like smoke in the wind.
Konoha's elite spectators froze.
Their throats tightened.
Just… how strong was Naruto?
That question echoed simultaneously in every mind present.
...
TN:
⚒️ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)