Naruto Uzumaki watched as his shadow clones swarmed forward, only to be thoroughly beaten into puffs of smoke by Ebisu's kicks and punches.
This guy wasn't kidding, Naruto thought. His taijutsu alone is much stronger than Mizuki-sensei's.
Under a large tree, Naruto ignored the phantom pain from his dispersing clones and scribbled in a small notebook with a crookedly held pen. "A Special Jōnin's fighting skills and power are a bit much, aren't they?"
"Several hundred shadow clones can't even handle a ninja of Ebisu's level," he muttered to himself. "I have to be especially careful in the future. When facing a strong enemy, I can't just rely on the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I have to write this down, write it in my notebook."
Ever since his mindset had completely changed, Naruto had started keeping a notebook to record everything that happened, just to avoid memory errors and confusion. People often go through strange phases; like finally starting to take serious notes after you've already graduated.
A shadow fell over him. Ebisu stood there, arms crossed. "Hey, brat, what do you mean, 'a ninja of Ebisu's level'? I'm very strong!"
In such a short time, the Special Jōnin had escaped the encirclement of over a thousand shadow clones, defeating them all with ease. The nature of shadow clones meant they couldn't withstand much damage; once an attack exceeded their limit, they simply vanished.
Naruto quickly formed a Rasengan in his palm. He loved this jutsu. The fact that it required no hand seals made it an incredible offensive tool. He forcefully pressed the Rasengan into Ebisu's body.
The Special Jōnin couldn't dodge in time. The moment the Rasengan hit, his body instantly dissipated into smoke.
Naruto looked at the empty patch of grass, glancing around in surprise. "That guy was also using a shadow clone..."
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball descended from the sky, the scorching heat rushing toward him. Compared to Sasuke's half-baked attempts, Ebisu's Fire Style was clearly superior in both power and timing.
Just as the flames were about to engulf him, Naruto calmly held out his palm. "Sealing Jutsu: Devouring!"
The flames turned back into chakra and were absorbed into his body.
The move made Ebisu pause, surprised and uncertain. He then unleashed a series of other jutsu he was skilled in. "Earth Style: Rock Fall Jutsu! Water Style: Water Fang Bullet Jutsu!"
But whether it was chakra-infused rocks or Water Style ninjutsu, they were all absorbed and dissipated by Naruto upon contact. Ebisu's face immediately turned ugly.
"Perhaps you really are talented in ninjutsu," the Special Jōnin said, looking down at Naruto from his perch. He offered faint praise, then flashed a confident smile. "However, in taijutsu, I will let you see what a true master is!"
"Perhaps I can't compare to that man's taijutsu, nor am I as outstanding as his son..." Ebisu adjusted his small sunglasses, wiping a water stain from his cheek. "It was on that day that I realized commoner ninjas have no future in this world..."
Naruto watched him warily, his expression souring. "Hey, Mr. Special Jōnin, you're not crying, are you?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Ebisu roared from the tree branch, his voice lowering to a growl. "Brat, you who were born from the demon fox are even more worthless than he was!"
"A ninja as strong as him could only bear the title of Genin for his entire life. Do you think you can really become Hokage?"
"Let me wake you up! Let me show you the real world!"
Ebisu clenched his fists, pushed off the tree trunk, and rushed toward Naruto. "Stop being so full of yourself! I've already seen through your weakness!"
A Rasengan formed in Naruto's palm, and he casually pushed it toward the charging Ebisu. However, the Special Jōnin simply flipped over the attack and kicked Naruto in the back, knocking him to the ground.
Bang!
The Rasengan hit the earth, kicking up a large cloud of dirt.
Naruto flipped over and got back to his feet. Facing Ebisu's continuous attacks, he could only dodge left and right, struggling to defend himself.
He couldn't hold on. As a Special Jōnin, Ebisu's taijutsu skills were far beyond Sasuke's. As a Genin, Ebisu had participated in the invasion of the Mist Village at the end of the Third Great Ninja War. He had nearly died, saved only by the sacrifice of a taijutsu master. He had honed his skills ever since and never stopped his private training.
Naruto blocked a blow with his arms, using the force of the impact to retreat and gain a moment of respite. "Phew... how terrifying."
The storm-like taijutsu attack had nearly overwhelmed him. It was only thanks to his body's instincts that he had avoided being completely knocked down.
Ebisu paused his assault and offered a sliver of praise. "I didn't expect you to resist so stubbornly... I underestimated you, Naruto Uzumaki."
"..."
Naruto didn't have time for his nonsense. He frowned, deep in thought. If his Rasengan couldn't hit the enemy, it was just a waste of chakra.
If one Rasengan can't hit... then I'll just add another one!
Suddenly, chakra vortexes formed in both of his palms. The two Rasengans swirled and intertwined until they merged into one massive, chaotic sphere of energy.
Even in this critical moment, Naruto had the presence of mind to admire his new creation. "Two Rasengans combined... can they become a combination ninjutsu?"
A huge, unstable chakra vortex churned in his palm, continuously distorting the air around it. It looked like it could explode at any moment.
Ebisu looked up in panic. "Idiot! How dare you do that? If you can't control the Rasengan's chakra, you'll be seriously injured!"
He was just here to teach this brat a lesson and get his dignity back. If Naruto got hurt because of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi would definitely hold him accountable. Teaching a Genin was one thing, but if the lesson resulted in an accident, it was another matter entirely.
"Don't worry, they're very well-behaved..." Naruto said, looking guiltily at the giant chakra vortex in his palm. He then looked up at Ebisu, his expression serious. "You were right about one thing. That little guy, Konohamaru, really might become Hokage..."
"Being the Hokage's grandson will only become his shackles!"
Naruto focused, gradually stabilizing the chaotic Rasengan. "But the position of the next Hokage is definitely mine. It can only be mine."
"..."
Ebisu was silent for a moment, then looked up. "Sooner or later, you will realize the cruelty of this world. Besides, you are just a Genin now..."
"Has anyone ever told you that a Genin can't become Hokage?" Naruto held up the massive Rasengan and walked toward him step by step. "Let's continue our battle. This is a good opportunity for me to test the power of this jutsu on you."
"As a fellow Konoha ninja, a friendly reminder..."
"When this Rasengan lands, you will die."
"Don't worry, bring it on!" Ebisu waved his hand, then pointed at the rampaging Rasengan and chuckled. "As a Special Jōnin of Konoha, how could I be injured by a Genin's jutsu?"
-----
Bonus:
Naruto Uzumaki: Can't a Genin become Hokage?
Ebisu: How can a Genin become Hokage?
Naruto Uzumaki: I remember someone became Hokage as a Genin. Am I remembering wrong? Who was that?
Ebisu: It's impossible. A Genin can't pass the Jōnin's vote of confidence, be approved by the Daimyo, or even be nominated.
Naruto Uzumaki: Jōnin vote? If someone doesn't vote for me, can't I just beat them up? If the Daimyo doesn't approve, can't I just abolish the Daimyo? If I'm not nominated, whoever gets nominated, I'll just put them in the hospital.
Ebisu: A Hokage like that won't be able to win the hearts of the people.
Naruto Uzumaki: I want obedience, not popular support. One person more or less doesn't matter.
Ebisu: ...Am I the 'one person less'?