"Naruto, I must say… the power you possess is astonishing. Umbrella's strength has already reached the level of a Great Nation—maybe even two."
Shikaku Nara spoke with genuine admiration.
Naruto smiled lightly. With Gaara, Sunagakure, and the two major Umbrella bases, their total force was already comparable to three or four of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
And that wasn't even counting his own power.
If he included himself, he could easily match Umbrella's combined might alone. With him at the forefront, Umbrella could sweep across the entire shinobi world.
But Naruto wasn't in a hurry. If victory could be easier, then it should be. After all, after conquest would come reconstruction—and strengthening now would make ruling later far simpler.
"Hahaha! Naruto, you're a good kid! I can't believe Umbrella has already grown so powerful!"
Tsunade laughed boldly. Dressed in her green jacket, she looked like a fierce heroine from a martial arts tale—if one ignored the large "Gambling" kanji boldly stamped on her back.
Naruto laughed as well. The fact she freely said Umbrella meant she now recognized herself as part of it—she had accepted the organization in full.
Before, Tsunade might have hesitated. Naruto's future path meant one day he would inevitably oppose the Great Nations… and Konoha too.
Konoha was the legacy her grandfather left behind. She could never allow anyone to destroy it. But after being immersed in Umbrella's ideology, she now understood—
Her grandfather built Konoha for peace.
Yet peace was never truly achieved.
If Naruto could really bring lasting peace to the world… then the First Hokage would surely support him.
Konoha had once been Tsunade's home, but the Senju clan was gone. With Nawaki's death and Dan's passing, she no longer had anything anchoring her there.
After all, who would willingly wander the world for more than ten years… if they still had a home to return to?
Umbrella's actions had now fully cemented the resolve of those Konoha clans who joined them.
Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Chōza had already decided to send Ino and Chōji here for training.
They had seen Sasuke, Neji, and Lee's dramatic growth firsthand. Even Shikamaru had changed immensely.
They would also be sending another five hundred shinobi to support Umbrella—
Nearly half of their clans' total strength.
Even at their peak, their combined forces barely reached three thousand. Unlike the Uchiha and Hyūga, they were not considered noble clans.
Half a month passed since the previous major incident, and Umbrella had entered yet another period of rapid expansion.
Under Naruto's orders, the gravity chambers and training fields were constantly in use—shinobi cultivating strength at all hours.
At this moment, Naruto was inside his personal training room, researching the limits of his Undying Martial Body. He discovered that only by repeatedly injuring himself and recovering—driven by his unique ability of Heaven Rewards Diligence—could he efficiently increase its mastery.
Otherwise… advancing to the next stage could take years.
And by then, it would be too late.
So he chose the only path available—self-inflicted pain.
Naruto gripped a blade infused with Wind Release chakra. He slashed across his torso.
Blood surged out instantly.
But within moments, the wound sealed shut—new skin forming perfectly smooth, leaving no scar behind.
Brutal.
But the results were undeniable.
[Undying Martial Body — Beginner Stage Proficiency +2]
[Undying Martial Body — Beginner Stage Proficiency +2]
A pleasant voice echoed in his mind.
Then—
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Naruto briefly replied, and the door slid open.
Uchiha Shisui entered.
Not having been told Naruto was training, he approached without hesitation. But when he saw Naruto's blood-streaked blade and rapidly healing wounds—
Shisui froze, eyes wide in shock.
He had heard Naruto was training intensely…
But not like this.
Shisui was stunned for a moment. Any wound Naruto inflicted on himself healed completely within seconds. Even knowing Naruto was training, he hadn't expected anything quite this extreme.
Naruto paused when he noticed Shisui approach. Shisui rarely came without a purpose, so Naruto knew something important must have brought him here.
"This is part of my Undying Martial Body training — a form of extreme regeneration," Naruto explained calmly.
"To improve its growth speed, I have to push it to the limits of recovery."
Up to now, only Tsunade knew about this ability. Revealing a trump card in the shinobi world was essentially inviting death.
The moment information leaks, lives are lost.
Just like Shisui's own past tragedy…
Naruto made no mention of his current Divine Power; even the previous one was already beyond normal understanding.
Shisui had heard him mention Martial Arts Divine Power before but never pressed for details. It was improper — and dangerous — to pry into another shinobi's secrets.
Hearing Naruto's explanation, Shisui gave a small smile.
"I truly envy you. With such a technique, your strength will only continue to climb. Meanwhile, I'm still stuck at the Bone-Forging Realm."
Naruto set aside the bloodied blade, cleaned himself up, and served Shisui a cup of tea.
"Then you'll just have to work harder," he replied lightly. "Once Martial Arts reaches a high enough level, one's lifespan can be greatly extended — living two hundred years wouldn't be a problem."
In a world where death lurked around every corner, the allure of longevity was irresistible. Shisui was no exception.
But he only let out a helpless laugh.
"If only it were that simple. I barely have time to breathe with everything I'm handling daily."
Naruto understood well — Shisui was managing nearly two-thirds of Umbrella's operations, with most of the remainder handled by Zabuza and the others. Naruto himself oversaw barely a tenth.
Any normal person working under such a delegating leader would celebrate…
But Shisui and the others weren't seeking power. Their goal was singular:
To support Naruto's vision.
Because their ideals aligned with his.
"Don't worry," Naruto reassured.
"Give it a few more years. You'll have plenty of time to relax. The future is long."
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
Their shared laughter echoed warmly through the spacious room.
Yes — there was still so much time ahead. Shisui was only in his twenties. Naruto still in his teens. And greatness was within their grasp.
"Alright," Naruto finally said, taking a slow sip of tea. "What's the situation this time?"
Shisui leaned forward slightly.
"A shinobi from the Land of Bears visited Umbrella. She requested our help in obtaining something they call 'the Star.'"
Naruto's eyes sharpened instantly.
Land of Bears… the Star.
That sounded familiar.
"Is the shinobi named Natsuhiboshi?" he asked casually.
Shisui blinked, caught off-guard.
"You know her?"
"A bit," Naruto replied.
"The Star of Hoshigakure is very interesting. It has great research value."
He set the teacup down, voice steady.
"We can use this opportunity to bring Star Village under Umbrella's protection. Their location and environment are strategically excellent."
Shisui nodded in agreement.
Naruto's gaze drifted back to the rippling surface of his tea — reflections dancing in his deep, contemplative eyes.
Already, he was planning the next step.
...
TN:
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