At the same time, Hiruzen Sarutobi was observing the situation through his crystal ball.
After watching what Naruto had just said to Neji Hyuga, he felt both relief and worry.
Relief that at just eight years old, Naruto could already see through such truths.
Worry that having such a level-headed Jinchuriki—whether it would be a blessing or curse for Konoha—was uncertain.
After a deep sigh, he summoned one of his shadow guards.
The shadow guard also wore an ANBU mask, but his skill and loyalty were among the best of the ANBU.
"What's the situation with Jiraiya? Why hasn't he returned yet?" the Third asked in a low voice.
The shadow guard bowed respectfully and replied crisply:"Lord Jiraiya said he still needs to continue searching for the Child of Prophecy. He will only return after some time."
Hiruzen sighed again.
***
From then on, Naruto's life became more regular.
Every day he sent one Shadow Clone to attend school.
Then he split off seven more Shadow Clones to separately train in different chakra natures.
He occasionally made time to tutor Hinata Hyuga, teaching her to refine her breathing technique as well as some combat skills.
For ordinary shinobi, this training intensity would be considered extremely high.
But for Naruto, it was only a minor burden.
When all the Shadow Clones dispelled at once, he would feel a few minutes of fatigue, but it quickly faded.
This exhaustion did not hinder his physical growth.
Three months later, at the Academy, during a combat practice class—
Naruto's Shadow Clone faced off against Sasuke Uchiha.
Having witnessed Naruto's swordsmanship before, Sasuke wore a look as if he were facing a great enemy.
As Iruka Umino announced the start of the match, both formed opposing hand seals.
Under immense pressure, Sasuke immediately activated his Sharingan. A single tomoe rotated slowly within his crimson pupils.
The cool sight of the Sharingan drew shrieks from a few fangirl students.
Naruto's Shadow Clone remained calm. Being a clone, he didn't believe in holding back out of sentimentality.
As soon as the fight began, he charged forward with full force.
First Form. Used as a Body Flicker.
His figure became a streak of azure light, darting like a ghost. After several lightning-fast flickers, he suddenly appeared behind Sasuke.
Even with his Sharingan, Sasuke couldn't track Naruto's movements—only seeing a flash of blue light.
For Iruka and the students without the Sharingan, Naruto's movements were completely invisible.
Within less than a second, Naruto's Shadow Clone appeared behind Sasuke.
With what seemed like a casual strike to the back of Sasuke's neck—
By the time the students saw Naruto's figure again, Sasuke had already collapsed limply.
The scarlet Sharingan in his eyes faded away, leaving him staring blankly at the blue sky.
His body was powerless; he couldn't even stand.
"I… lost? Just like that?"
Sasuke muttered, unclear even on how he'd been defeated.
Having once seen Naruto slice down a giant wild boar in a single strike, he had thought he might not be an equal.
But he never imagined the gap would be this vast—so wide he could not accept it.
The other students fell into silence.
The first to react was Sakura Haruno.
She rushed to Sasuke's side, crouched down, and grabbed his wrist, her eyes full of concern.
"Sasuke! Are you okay?!"
As she spoke, she shot Naruto a resentful glare.
It was the kind of look that made one's blood pressure spike—righteous in tone, though utterly unreasonable.
Naruto's Shadow Clone, unswayed by pity, even cold-blooded, gave a chilling warning:
"If I see that look again… you might die."
The frigid, cutting words made Sakura suddenly feel a deep, creeping fear.
The calmness in his voice left her with no doubt that he meant it.
It was as if, in his eyes, she was just an ant he could crush at any time.
Realizing her fear, Sakura fumed inwardly but dared not show it. She could only curse in her heart.
'Damn it! This isn't fair! Why does someone so disgusting get such talent? That talent should belong to Sasuke!'
Another month later, during another combat practice, Sasuke lost again.
But this time, it wasn't to Naruto.
It was to Hinata.
The gentle, almost invisible girl of the Hyuga clan had actually defeated the genius of the Uchiha.
Everyone was stunned.
The Sharingan defeated by the Byakugan—Sasuke's faith in himself was shattered.
"At this rate… when will I ever be able to kill him and avenge my mother, avenge my clan!?"
When Sasuke learned Hinata's rapid progress was due to Naruto's training, a thought struck him.
Although it was humiliating, he decided—he had to ask Naruto to train him!
"I'll kill you even if I have to sell my pride!" Sasuke told himself.
That weekend, Naruto as usual was training Hinata in combat skills.
The main focus was to strengthen Hinata's physique, specializing in the First Form thrust style.
Although called a sword form, even without a sword it could unleash burst movement and striking force.
For Hinata, Naruto customized a combination: First Form's instant body flicker combined with Gentle Fist. That had been the key to her victory against Sasuke.
During the lessons, occasional physical contact was unavoidable.
Over months, Hinata went from blushing and flustered at first, to gradually becoming desensitized.
Though she still blushed slightly, she was far better than before.
During training, Naruto asked:"Hinata, do you often hold back on meals? Rarely eat until you're full?"
The question nearly broke her breathing technique. Her face flushed crimson.
Having a large appetite was her secret.
Even her father, Hiashi Hyuga, didn't know.
Oftentimes at home she wasn't allowed to eat her fill, so she'd occasionally sneak out for food—but still seldom got full.
"Um… Naruto-kun, how did you know?" Hinata asked, embarrassed.
As a girl, such a big appetite troubled her deeply.
She thought Naruto would dislike her for it, but his next words made her heart stir.
"Hinata, from now on you must eat until you're full, alright? Many strong people share one common trait: they can eat."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yes. So it's actually a strength. You don't need to hide it," Naruto said gently.
Seeing Naruto not only unbothered but even viewing it as a good thing, Hinata's eyes lit up with joy.
"Then, Naruto-kun, are you a big eater too?"
Naruto nodded with a smile. "Of course. I eat a lot every day, especially meat. I can put away ten pounds easily! Just look at how tall I've grown."
As he spoke, Naruto pulled out two lunch boxes—or rather, two massive bentos.
Each weighed several pounds.
He placed one on a nearby boulder and opened it.
The aroma of food instantly spread.
With the aid of the Transparent World, the food he prepared surpassed any so-called restaurant cuisine.
Especially in the shinobi world, where diets were often poor and many people didn't even get enough to eat.
Even though Hinata had always been well-fed, she couldn't help but swallow secretly at the sight of Naruto's cooking.
After such training, her stomach was already growling.
"Let's eat first," Naruto said, handing her a pair of chopsticks.