Sasuke, believing he had found the answer, felt a sudden sense of enlightenment.
But following closely behind it was an even more surging wave of resentment and anger!
Why?
Why could this worthless dead last be lucky enough to receive the favor and guidance of legendary Ninjas?
While he, Uchiha Sasuke, the genius of the Uchiha Clan, carrying the burden of a blood feud and willing to do anything for power, had no one to guide him? No one to teach him?
The massive psychological gap was unbearable for Sasuke!
He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, feeling a sharp sting.
Looking at Naruto's smug, foolish expression, as if he had already reached the peak of his life, a surge of wicked anger rushed to his head.
"Hmph!" Sasuke let out an extremely disdainful snort from his nose, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He glanced at Naruto with a look as if he were staring at trash and coldly spat out: "Just a lucky dead last."
After saying that, he ignored Naruto, walked straight back to his seat, sat down heavily, and turned his head toward the window.
Only his tense profile and slightly trembling shoulders betrayed that his inner state was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface.
Inside the Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the documents in his hand and looked at Jiraiya, who was sitting casually on the opposite sofa, asking with concern: "Jiraiya, that boy Naruto... what do you think of him?"
Tsunade, standing nearby with her arms crossed, also cast her gaze over. Although her face still wore an indifferent expression, there was a faint, undetectable inquiry in her eyes.
"Hahaha!" Hearing this, Jiraiya immediately let out his trademark boisterous laughter, his face filled with unmasked admiration. "Old Man, Tsunade, let me tell you, that kid... is really something!"
He sat up straight, putting away some of his playful demeanor: "Don't look at how poor his current strength is or how his basics are a total mess, but here..."
Jiraiya pointed to the position of his own heart and said solemnly: "He possesses a powerful conviction and resilience that is hard for ordinary people to imagine! That unyielding spirit of never giving up and doing what he says is as brilliant as the sun! I believe that as long as he is guided properly, he will definitely grow into a magnificent Ninja!"
This evaluation was remarkably high.
Tsunade heard this and couldn't help but pout, muttering in a low voice: "Do you even need to say that? In the heavenly screen, he was already so 'magnificent' that he almost destroyed the world..."
Jiraiya was momentarily choked up by these words, and the passionate mood he had just built up instantly collapsed. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and said sheepishly: "Cough, cough... those are two different things, two different things..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored the minor clash between the two. He took a deep breath from his pipe, slowly exhaled the smoke, and mused: "Conviction is indeed the cornerstone of becoming an excellent Ninja. In that case, Jiraiya, the focus of your current teaching shouldn't be on profound Ninjutsu."
He looked at Jiraiya with a deep gaze: "Teach him more about the principles of being a person. What responsibility is, what protection is, what the bonds between comrades are... Let him understand why power is used, which is more important than simply granting him power. As for Ninjutsu and such, there's no rush; polish his basics and character first."
This was exactly what Hiruzen Sarutobi hoped for.
He was afraid that Naruto would lose his way because of the Nine-Tailed within him and his origins, and he desperately needed someone to establish the correct values for him.
Jiraiya nodded in deep agreement, the awkwardness on his face fading, replaced by the seriousness of a teacher: "I understand, Old Man. Don't worry."
Indeed, now was not the time for Naruto to learn advanced Ninjutsu. His Chakra control was as messy as a pile of mud, and his Taijutsu lacked any structure; Jiraiya had to start from the very beginning to build a solid foundation for him.
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were discussing Naruto's training plan, the office window was suddenly illuminated by a strange light!
Not just the Hokage Office, but the entire Konoha, and even the entire Ninja World—everyone who looked up at the sky saw that familiar and heart-pounding sight.
The heavenly screen had opened once again!
"It's back!" Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up abruptly and walked to the window, his expression solemn.
Jiraiya and Tsunade also immediately came to the window, looking up at the sky.
Throughout the Ninja World, whether it was a farmer working in the fields, a Ninja patrolling the border, a Kage plotting in a secret room, or a vendor rushing through the streets, everyone stopped what they were doing without exception. They held their breath and focused their gaze on that giant screen.
Having experienced the shocking and desperate 'future preview' of the first heavenly screen, everyone was filled with extreme curiosity and tension regarding this time's content.
They were desperate to know the final outcome of the Fourth Great Ninja War initiated by Uzumaki Naruto.
Did the Ninja Allied Force succeed in preventing the world's destruction?
What happened to Uchiha Sasuke later?
However, when the image in the sky stabilized and a line of clear, large characters appeared, everyone was stunned, followed by a massive uproar!
[year 60 of konoha]
year 60 of konoha?!
This wasn't the future!
This was... the past?
No, more accurately, it was 'six years ago' relative to the first heavenly screen (Konoha Year 66)!
"What's going on? Why has the time wound back?"
"Could it be that the content played by this heavenly screen is random? Not even chronological?"
"Why go back to six years ago... did something important happen then?"
Countless questions echoed throughout the Ninja World.
This jumping, non-chronological way of broadcasting caught everyone off guard and left them confused.
But the heavenly screen did not give everyone much time to think; the images had already begun to flow.
It was a misty, moonlit night, and the streets of Konoha Village were silent and deserted.
A black-haired boy walked alone on the road. He wore a dark blue short-sleeved shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back. His expression was cold; it was a younger Uchiha Sasuke, about 12 years old.
Just then, a pink-haired young girl stood up from a street bench, as if she had been waiting there all along.
"Wow—! It's me!!"
In the classroom of the Konoha Ninja Academy, Sakura Haruno saw the much older version of herself on the heavenly screen and couldn't help but scream in excitement, instantly attracting the gaze of the entire class.
She cupped her face in her hands, two clouds of red flushing her cheeks, her heart racing like a trapped deer as she began to fantasize wildly:
'Oh my god! It's me and Lord Sasuke! And it's at night! Could... could this be the two of us on a... date?'
'Oh my! Late at night, just a boy and a girl alone... how embarrassing!'
'But... future me, good job! That's it! Take the initiative!'
'Yes! It's decided! Future me must win over Lord Sasuke! This is a revelation from the "future"!'
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