The reason Naruto was learning hand seals was to understand the principles behind hand seal ninjutsu. Only by comprehending it could he eventually simplify the process.
Naruto didn't want to become a general-purpose ball-rolling master like in the original timeline. Though he was good at creating Rasengan variants, his shortcomings were also glaring. If not for the Nine Tails and protagonist plot armor, he would've died countless times.
The original Hatake Kakashi was also called "Hatake 50-50" for a reason!
Because he mastered so many jutsu, he could formulate strategies and adapt his attacks to practically any enemy.
He was a Genin at five, Chūnin at six, and Jōnin by twelve. At thirteen, he developed Raikiri, a lightning-cutting technique—an S-rank jutsu—and even before that, he created the A-rank Chidori!
From this perspective, Hatake Kakashi was a complete genius. But after the Obito incident, his strength plateaued. For years, he remained below Kage-level.
This was primarily due to the Sharingan. Since the Sharingan couldn't be turned off by outsiders, it constantly drained Kakashi's chakra. That made him a huge chakra consumer. However, Kakashi's stagnation wasn't entirely the Sharingan's fault.
The main reasons were his addiction to erotic novels and his emotional numbness from the loss of friends. He even abandoned the Hatake clan's kenjutsu!
Still, his talent was undeniable.
As for chakra, Naruto muttered, "Is this chakra? He calls it 'Chatonla.'"
There was a power bank inside his body—though currently unusable.
Naruto remained puzzled about the Nine Tails. Logically, with his current mental strength, he should have been able to enter the mindscape, yet for some reason, he hadn't. Perhaps the Nine Tails didn't want to see him yet.
But Naruto didn't care. He focused on growing stronger. There would be opportunities in the future!
Soon, Iruka's theory class ended, and the next was a lecture by Mizuki—another theory session. Compared to Iruka's classes, Mizuki's were far more boring. Shikamaru and the others fell asleep within minutes.
Mizuki was no Iruka. He dared not scold anyone, especially the heirs of major clans. He couldn't afford to offend them. But his gaze toward Naruto was filled with malice.
He couldn't find a fault, though, because Naruto sat upright and paid attention the entire time. In truth, Naruto was practicing hand seals and contemplating various concepts in his mind.
As long as chakra wasn't being actively mobilized, hand seal practice was safe.
However, if you randomly infused chakra into incorrect hand seals, it could cause serious problems.
At best, you'd need days to recover. At worst, you'd damage your meridians—or even lose limbs!
That afternoon's class was another practical session. For Naruto, this was simple. They practiced kunai and shuriken throwing. Naruto ranked near the top in both. Uchiha Sasuke performed best.
For some reason, Naruto kept feeling Sasuke was staring at him.
He wouldn't... right?
Naruto shook the unsettling thought from his mind. During combat drills, Naruto faced Inuzuka Kiba. At first, Kiba vowed to defeat him. A few minutes later, Naruto had already bested him and earned his respect.
Kiba thought Naruto's movements were flawless. In fact, he suspected Naruto held back slightly to save Kiba's pride. This made Kiba grow more fond of Naruto.
Even Iruka nodded in approval. Naruto's strikes and defenses were near perfect. His only apparent weakness was stamina—but that too was part of his act.
If Naruto hadn't revealed a hint of his power during his spar with Sasuke, he would've had to hide even more to maintain a top-five ranking in class.
Naruto wasn't afraid of arousing the Third Hokage's suspicions. After all, standing out among the clan heirs without formal tutoring was already impressive.
The Anbu still watching him wouldn't be alarmed either—because the "God Rewards Hard Work" ability was truly overpowered.
Although Naruto didn't have a full-blown system, he found immense joy in the growth process. It was like gaining ten times the EXP—absolutely thrilling!
After class, Naruto returned to his training ground. As usual, he sensed someone watching him. Using Kagura's Mind's Eye, he realized only one person was now observing him.
Have I earned more of the Third Hokage's trust?
Naruto didn't dwell on it. It was a good thing either way.
Running down the familiar path to the back mountain, Naruto was ready to train.
Suddenly, he heard a voice and became curious.
Following the sound, Naruto arrived at a spot about two hundred meters from his training zone—and saw a young boy practicing there!
He looked to be about six or seven years old. His whole body was drenched in sweat.
Yet he never stopped training. He shouted out rhythmically, "1397! 1398! 13…"
As if sound itself gave him strength.
Watching the boy's tireless effort, Naruto decided to call him "youthful."
He had a bowl cut, thick eyebrows, and a slightly faded white shirt with a yellowish tint. Though slightly different from what Naruto remembered, he recognized him immediately. This was Rock Lee from the original—also known as Rock lee!
He hadn't yet donned that infamous green jumpsuit, but his life of intense training had already begun.
Naruto had a degree of admiration for him. Every hardworking person deserved respect.
In the original story, Lee defeated Sasuke upon first meeting! When he opened the Fifth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, he briefly reached the level of an average Jōnin.
Unfortunately, he lost to Gaara—who, despite being twelve, had already killed multiple Jōnin.
That was also the arc where Naruto and Sasuke rapidly grew.
Naruto went from an ordinary Genin to Elite Chūnin in six months. With Rasengan, he could even fight on par with Special Jōnin.
Sasuke, thanks to the Sharingan and Chidori, also exceeded average Elite Chūnin.
But that only referred to pure combat power.
In other areas, they still lagged behind.
Of course, that was the original timeline. Now that Naruto had arrived, the butterfly effect had already begun.
After finishing squats, Rock Lee began a series of fast punches. Naruto thought the method seemed inefficient.
But with his own growth from the "God Rewards Hard Work" passive, combined with last night's taijutsu reading, Naruto had some insights into body training.
"Hey! Mind if I interrupt you for a second?"
Naruto's voice rang out, calm and confident.
Rock Lee, startled, looked up to see a boy about his age standing before him. He had deep, focused eyes and a calm, mature presence.
End of the Chapter.
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