"Naruto, watch out, I'm pretty fast."
The next second, Ino charged straight at him.
Since it was the first strike, she deliberately slowed down, her hand swinging toward Naruto's stomach.
Naruto raised his hands, forming seals quickly as he gathered chakra in an instant.
Ino, also of the Yamanaka clan, had sharp senses. The moment she felt the sudden surge of chakra inside Naruto, her heart jolted.
But when her palm landed, Naruto's figure burst into smoke—replaced by a wooden log.
The real Naruto reappeared several meters away, steady on his feet.
Pulling off a Substitution Jutsu perfectly on his very first try… even he had to admit this body's talent was way above average.
Yet, after using it himself, Naruto realized the technique wasn't as practical as he'd imagined.
Sure, it looked flashy when outclassing weaker opponents, but against someone stronger it was easy to predict the landing point—and then you could be finished in one blow.
Still, to clear his daily mission, he had to grind the Three Basic Techniques to max proficiency as soon as possible.
Ino looked at him from a distance, her mouth hanging open. "Naruto, was that really your first time? How are you already more skilled than me?"
Naruto nodded and checked his progress.
Substitution Jutsu (10 / 10,000)
One use gave 10 points of proficiency. That meant he needed a thousand uses to max it out.
To speed things up, Naruto had Ino use projectiles.
She gathered a pile of stones by the riverbank and began throwing them at him.
Training started again.
Ino hurled stones like shuriken.
Each time one would hit him, Naruto burst into a puff of smoke and reappeared, log in place. Over and over.
Shikamaru and Chōji munched on chips while watching, both yawning from the repetition.
But as time dragged on, Shikamaru's brow furrowed. Something wasn't right.
"This guy… is his chakra a bottomless pit? Ino's about to collapse, and he's still fresh as ever."
"Hehe, I counted. That was the 108th time. And I just ate 108 chips," Chōji answered with a grin, holding up a family-sized bag.
Casting Substitution Jutsu 108 times in half an hour? Ridiculous.
Even the three ANBU watching from above traded looks in stunned silence.
"Ino, speed it up," Naruto urged.
"Uh? O-okay…" Ino blinked, then picked up the pace.
Naruto's seals grew faster and smoother, his Substitution Jutsu flowing like water.
Before long, even Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji couldn't follow the motion of his hands.
Every stone triggered a perfect substitution, right on the instant of impact.
The three required seals were completed in less than a second.
This visible growth, along with what seemed like endless chakra, made Shikamaru's eyelid twitch.
"This guy… is he for real?"
The white-haired ANBU also stared, transfixed. He'd never seen anyone train like this before. For someone like him, who had to ration every drop of chakra, it was impossible to comprehend.
"Naruto, let's stop for a while… I can't go on," Ino finally gasped, both arms aching from throwing stones.
By contrast, Naruto only had a smudge of dirt on his clothes. The chakra consumed by Substitution Jutsu wasn't even depleting faster than his recovery.
"Alright, take a break."
He handed her his water bottle, making her blush and beam at the simple gesture.
Flustered but happy, Ino drank directly from it, cheeks still red.
Naruto checked his progress again.
Substitution Jutsu (7,330 / 10,000)
Seeing the training pause, Shikamaru let out a breath, thinking Naruto had finally run dry.
But Naruto turned to him. "Shikamaru, your turn. Train with me for a while."
"What?!"
Shikamaru nearly toppled over, saved only by Chōji's broad frame beside him.
***
By the next evening, at the Third Training Ground once again, Naruto's hands moved like lightning, forming the seals for the Clone Technique almost instantly.
In the next moment, an identical copy of Naruto appeared at his side, indistinguishable from the real one.
Clone Technique Proficiency: (10000/10000)Substitution Technique Proficiency: (10000/10000)Transformation Technique Proficiency: (10000/10000)
In just two days, Naruto had maxed out all three basic techniques. Right on time, the system's voice rang in his mind.
"All three basic techniques have reached max level. Reward acquired: [Illusionary Transformation]."
Illusionary Transformation: An advanced ninjutsu derived from the Transformation Technique.
-While transformed, the user's chakra is concealed.
-Can resist most sensory-type ninjutsu detection.
-Can resist most dōjutsu probing (Byakugan, Sharingan, etc.).
-Creates a disguise nearly indistinguishable from reality.
Note: This technique is defensive/utility-focused and does not directly increase combat power.
"Transformation that can resist sensory abilities? Interesting."
Though it wasn't directly a combat enhancement, Naruto immediately thought of many clever uses for this new technique.
The three days promised with the Nine-Tails had passed. Naruto returned home, lay down on his bed, and closed his eyes—his consciousness drifting into the seal's space.
When he opened them, the Nine-Tails was already staring straight at him. Whether coincidence or not, it felt like the beast had been watching this spot all along.
Compared to three days ago, the Nine-Tails looked as though it hadn't slept in days. Even its massive eyes were bloodshot.
When it saw Naruto, its giant pupils shrank noticeably. The ferocity from their first meeting was gone.
"Nine-Tails, have you thought it over? Want to cooperate with me?" Naruto asked bluntly.
It was a final ultimatum.
The Nine-Tails hesitated, then asked, "Why should I trust you?"
It focused intently on Naruto's expression, as if trying to see through him.
Deep suspicion remained, but this was also the first chance in decades that it saw even a sliver of hope for freedom.
"Besides trusting me, do you have any other choice? Your chakra has no effect on me anymore. The stronger I get, the less value you'll have."
"Nine-Tails, this is your only chance."
Naruto's calm tone made a chill run down the fox's spine.
In the past, it would've laughed mockingly.
But the talent Naruto had shown in this short time was undeniable, even from within the seal. The Nine-Tails even wondered if Naruto might one day rival Hashirama Senju himself.
The last three days, it had indeed been restless.
Looking at Naruto's calm, sincere eyes, the Nine-Tails wavered.
There was no malice in those blue eyes. Which meant… Naruto's promise of freedom might actually be real.
'Should I gamble on this?'
The Nine-Tails gritted its teeth. "Earlier, you said you could make my life here easier. What did you mean?"
"Once I learn sealing jutsu, I can bring things in for you to pass the time. I can even make a chakra clone body for you to inhabit—so you can move around outside," Naruto answered plainly.
The fox's distrust eased slightly at this seemingly serious plan.
But then it remembered something, its gaze flickering with hesitation. After a few seconds, it spoke:
"If I leave your body, you'll die as a jinchūriki! Your promise of freedom is impossible!"
Naruto was surprised the Nine-Tails revealed such a truth, even though it weakened its own position.
Shrugging, Naruto said lightly, "I'll figure something out."
In the end, the Nine-Tails turned its head away and gave a reluctant nod.
Seeing its tsundere posture, Naruto chuckled softly.
"Then let's properly introduce ourselves. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. And you are…?"
The Nine-Tails blinked, startled he would ask its name.
"K… Kurama!"
To speak its name to a human made it feel strangely awkward.
"You're a stubborn fox, but nice to meet you, Kurama."
"Brat, who are you calling a fox? I am—"
Before it could finish, Naruto had already disappeared from the seal space.
Left behind in the empty void, Kurama oddly felt a sense of relief—like passing a job interview.
It shook its head quickly, banishing such "weak" thoughts.
***
The next day, in class, Iruka lectured. The topic: "The Self-Cultivation of a Ninja."
Naruto, staring out the window, let out a long yawn.
From the podium, Iruka noticed and frowned.
"Naruto! Answer this: if you face difficulties during a mission, should you complete the mission or save your comrades?"
All the students turned to him. Though directed at Naruto, everyone silently considered what they would choose.
Naruto didn't hesitate: "Only kids choose. The strong take both. If you're strong enough, there's no such dilemma."
The confident answer caught everyone off guard.
Iruka opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Only kids choose? But you are a kid…
The more Iruka thought about it, the more he felt Naruto's words were actually correct.
"…So cool…" Ino muttered as she gazed at Naruto by the window.
Hinata's eyes shone with admiration. She had always lacked confidence, but in that moment, Naruto's words struck deep. Even some who usually feared or avoided him thought he was… kind of cool.
Not long after, the system's voice returned.
"Self-Discipline Mission activated: Train the nine sword forms of Breath of Wind for two and a half hours daily, continuously for one year, and master them to max proficiency."
After school, Naruto didn't head home. Instead, he went to a ninja tools shop.
To practice the sword forms of Breath of Wind, he'd naturally need a "sword."
As he stepped in, he immediately noticed a familiar figure behind the counter.
A cute girl with a round bun hairstyle, oval face, and big eyes—like a porcelain doll.
Though it was his first time meeting her, Naruto recognized her instantly.
It was Tenten, nicknamed the "little rich girl of Konoha."
She also noticed him, sneaking glances filled with curiosity.
Naruto, however, had no intention of greeting her, and wandered the shop on his own.
Tenten's family store had no equal in quality or variety.
Kunai, shuriken, explosive tags—all perfectly arranged.
But Naruto's eyes weren't on those.
As he turned the corner of a shelf, a wall full of shinobi blades caught his attention.