The shirtless Naruto turned around and patted his body, surprised to find that after falling from such a height, he didn't have a single scratch—not even a bruise. The discovery astonished Uzumaki Naruto.
"This is the power of Sage Mode? So strong!"
Uzumaki Naruto clenched his fists, smiling with confidence.
"This kid's only visible change is in the eyes. The rest of his body remains unaffected by natural energy."
"The completion level of his Sage Mode is extremely high—even higher than Jiraiya's!"
"He's truly an incredible one. Over the years, only one other person has achieved this level of perfection."
Sage Fukasaku gave Naruto an appraising look, impressed. Then, turning to Uzumaki Raiden beside him, he said, "Raiden, Naruto has successfully entered Sage Mode."
"Next, I plan to have him familiarize himself with its power. Are you free? Why don't you spar with him to help him master it more quickly?"
Fukasaku leapt onto Raiden's shoulder and whispered into his ear.
Uzumaki Raiden, seeing Naruto's eager expression, smiled secretly and nodded. "Sure. It's necessary for him to get used to Sage Mode's power—and sparring against the unique physicality of a Sage will help him much more than training alone."
"Combat helps people grow quickly."
"Naruto, if you're ready, let's begin."
Raiden shrugged, loosened his neck with one hand, and smiled. Hearing Raiden agree, Fukasaku jumped down from his shoulder and created space between them for the spar.
"Hey, uncle, aren't you going to prepare?"
"You're going to get hurt!"
Naruto spread his stance, slightly crouched, ready to go. With Sage Mode activated, his abilities had been vastly enhanced, and the power coursing through him left him intoxicated. At this moment, he felt like he could even overpower his uncle.
"Injured?"
"Kid, you're getting cocky now that you've entered Sage Mode!"
Raiden was briefly stunned by Naruto's words, then chuckled. In the next instant, his figure vanished in a flash of light. By the time he reappeared, he was already in front of Naruto, swinging his right leg directly toward Naruto's face.
Thanks to his heightened perception, Naruto immediately sensed Raiden's position and raised his left arm to block. He believed one hand was enough to stop his uncle's kick. While defending, Naruto also reached out with his right hand to grab Raiden's arm, hoping to immobilize him.
"Hmm." Raiden noticed Naruto's move and smirked.
In the next second, his sweeping leg connected with Naruto's arm—hard.
Naruto's confident expression crumbled instantly. His own left hand slammed into his face from the impact, and an overwhelming force launched him backward.
Despite being in Sage Mode and strengthened by natural energy, Naruto couldn't withstand even a single kick from Raiden.
Boom!!! Naruto flew more than ten meters and crashed into the ground like a projectile. The impact shattered the earth and kicked up a large cloud of dust.
"Raiden... he's really this rough with his own nephew?" Fukasaku muttered, breaking out in a cold sweat. He couldn't help but remember the times he had sparred with Raiden during training. Thankfully, Raiden had been younger and weaker back then—otherwise, his old bones might have been broken for good.
"Oww!!"
A breeze blew away the dust, revealing Naruto struggling to get up. He grabbed his left wrist with his right hand and groaned in pain. A red handprint had formed on his face, but the swelling soon faded thanks to the healing effect of natural energy and tailed beast chakra.
Naruto felt like his whole body had been dismantled. Though he recovered quickly, the pain etched the moment into his memory.
"That was intense... If I hadn't been in Sage Mode, I would've lost all combat ability from just that one hit."
"Is the gap really this big? Uncle didn't even use Lightning Armor or Tailed Beast Chakra yet…"
Naruto's recovery was swift. Within ten seconds, he was completely healed and pain-free. But now, his expression was solemn. The pride and excitement he had felt after unlocking Sage Mode were gone.
That single kick made Naruto see the truth. Maybe he had become much stronger with Sage Mode, but against top-tier ninja like Uzumaki Raiden, there was still a vast gap.
He composed himself and shouted, "Uncle, don't hold back! Show me my true level!"
Naruto charged toward Raiden, determined to go on the offensive and find an opening.
"If I hadn't held back, you'd already be unconscious."
"I'll play along for a while."
Raiden raised his fist and smiled.
Naruto moved quickly, arriving in front of Raiden in an instant, swinging a punch at his face. Raiden didn't suppress Naruto with superior speed or power this time. He controlled his strength and easily caught Naruto's fist.
Then, with one hand, Raiden mimicked the move Naruto had tried on him earlier. But Naruto's reaction speed was clearly inferior. Raiden yanked Naruto's arm forward and slammed his shoulder into Naruto's chest.
The blow knocked the breath out of Naruto. Though Sage Mode was still active, his body tensed, unable to inhale. Sensing this, Raiden didn't give him a chance to recover—he swept Naruto's heel with his foot and pushed forward.
Letting go of Naruto's hand, Raiden delivered a follow-up punch as Naruto staggered backward.
Unbalanced and hit hard in the chest, Naruto toppled backward. Just before hitting the ground, he formed a hand seal:
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
A clone appeared behind Naruto, catching him mid-fall and keeping him from crashing. But before Naruto could stabilize, Raiden punched him in the chest again. The impact blew him back into the ground. The clone instantly dispelled in a puff of smoke.
Raiden, having knocked Naruto down again, didn't press the attack. He jumped back slightly, creating distance and waiting for Naruto to get up.
Although Naruto looked like he was being smashed into the ground repeatedly, Raiden had been holding back considerably. The attacks didn't truly injure Naruto.
Sure enough, Naruto, who was in the pit one moment, leapt out the next—his face dazed.
"What's going on? Even in Sage Mode, I'm still this weak?"
"I can't take more than three moves from Uncle. Is the gap really this massive?"
For the first time, Naruto doubted the results of his training. He had finally mastered Sage Mode, but still couldn't hold his own against Raiden.
From what Naruto could tell, Raiden's strength and speed weren't much higher than his. But in battle, he couldn't dodge at all.
Hesitating, Naruto stood still, no longer charging.
"Hey, kid, what's wrong? Come at me!"
"You think just learning Sage Mode makes you invincible?"
"Let me tell you, brat—when I was six, I'd already seen the battlefield before even entering the Academy. The enemies I've killed and the battles I've endured are beyond your comprehension."
"You've still got a long way to go if you want to be strong!"
Raiden sensed Naruto's confusion and spoke sternly. Naruto had started to think mastering Sage Mode made him invincible. Over the years, he had grown too comfortable—he was beginning to lose the humility one should have before true strength.
"A long way to go…"
Naruto's unfocused eyes regained their fire. He clenched his fists, kicked off the ground, and charged again.
"I'll get stronger! I will become Hokage!"
Naruto roared, his obsession with becoming Hokage fueling his determination. His speed surpassed that of before.
"You won't get strong just by shouting!"
"What you need are endless battles—endless experience—and I'll give it all to you, Naruto!"
Raiden smiled and bent forward, ready.
The moment Naruto reached him, he was sent flying again. But now, with purpose in his heart, Naruto didn't give up. He got back up again and again, no matter how many times he was knocked down.
Through repeated combat, Naruto's perception grew sharper. His control over Sage Mode improved, and he gradually gained command over his strength and speed.
At first, he could only last two exchanges. But as he built up experience, he began to anticipate Raiden's attacks and dodge using Sage Mode's enhanced perception.
Naruto grew stronger before their eyes, and the potential of Sage Mode began to emerge.
That Night...
Only a few stars sparkled in the pitch-black sky. Under the heavens, a bonfire crackled, flames dancing brightly.
Beside the fire, Naruto—exhausted after a day of training—lay on a mat, using a smooth stone as a pillow, covered by a thin blanket. He had already fallen into deep sleep.
In front of him, Uzumaki Raiden poked at the fire with a stick. The flickering light reflected on his calm face.
"That kid... Naruto's growth is incredible. He really might be the one to bring lasting peace to the ninja world."
Beside Raiden, Sage Fukasaku held a stick with a fat worm skewered on the end, roasting it over the fire. The worm's browned skin gave off a fragrant aroma.
"The child of prophecy—the one who will bring true peace?"
"Speaking of which, what exactly was the Great Toad Sage's prophecy about Naruto?"
Raiden looked unconvinced. He glanced at the sleeping Naruto and asked quietly.
"Naruto will one day fight alongside a boy with powerful eyes."
"Together, after defeating the enemy, the ninja world will see true peace."
Fukasaku sniffed the roasted worm, then pulled it from the fire with a pleased expression. He pressed on it, then used his long tongue to roll it up and gulp it whole. The worm, nearly as big as Fukasaku himself, vanished in one gulp.
A strange green liquid trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Raiden raised an eyebrow at the sight. He wasn't sure how Fukasaku wasn't burned, or how his stomach could handle that.
"That's it? That's the whole prophecy?"
"Yep. That's all the Great Toad Sage saw."
"What, were you expecting more?"
Fukasaku replied nonchalantly, already skewering another worm to roast.
"What about the enemy? And who's the boy with powerful eyes?"
"This prophecy is so vague—how are we supposed to prepare?"
Raiden sighed and tossed a stick into the fire.
"Enemy…"
At this, Fukasaku's expression turned serious. He looked at Raiden solemnly and spoke with a heavy tone:
"The enemy the Great Toad Sage saw…"
"…was the ancestor of Chakra!"
"The vision showed only two boys fighting against the ancestor of Chakra—no one else."
"Not even you."
Fukasaku's voice grew graver.
"I'm not there?"
Raiden paused, rubbing his chin in thought. With his power, how could he not face the ancestor of Chakra?
There were only two explanations: either he'd been held back by another foe… or—
"Well, looks like the future will be quite interesting."
(End of Chapter)