Chương 114: Chapter 113
Ninja Training Academy, Konoha
It was early in the morning, and Hiruzen was taking a leisurely walk through the corridors of the ninja academy. After taking the position of head of the Ninja Academy, his life had been peaceful, with not much to do. Today, he was planning to visit the young ones and try to teach them about the Will of Fire.
However, contrary to Hiruzen's expectations, the children from the academy, who had seen him walking by, did not show any delight on their faces. Instead, they wore ugly expressions, as if wanting to swallow him whole. Hiruzen was confused by the reaction of the little ones.
"Have I become unpopular so fast? Why are the kids all reacting so aversely towards me?" Hiruen couldn't help but question himself.
However, what the poor old man did not know was that there was a monster disguised as himself who, in the name of education, was putting the little children through hell. And all this resentment ended up in Hiruzen's head.
Hiruzen couldn't hold back his curiosity, so he wanted to call a child and have a conversation. He turned to a little child and gestured for him to approach, but the child ran away so fast as if he had encountered a bloodthirsty monster.
Hiruzen couldn't help but scratch his head in confusion. He made a gesture, and an ANBU flickered next to him.
"Find out what's going on in the academy. I want to know why the kids are running away from me," Hiruzen said. He had a vague feeling that somehow that little monster was involved in this matter, so he wanted to get to the bottom of it. Hiruzen had put so much effort into maintaining the persona of a kind old man, especially when it came to young children. The ANBU nodded quickly and vanished, while Hiruzen also walked towards the training area, as he could hear vague shouts from the training ground adjoining the academy.
As Hiruzen made it to the training ground, the sight before him left him baffled. He rubbed his eyes again to make sure that he was seeing things correctly. In front of him were more than thirty children wearing identical green spandex, running around the training circuit with Might Guy, whom Hiruzen was familiar with, encouraging each and every child to push themselves to complete the training regimen. Hiruzen knew that the elite Jonin was recruited as a special instructor to help the children develop their physiques. However, Might Guy had already turned the little children into mini versions of himself in the name of training.
Hiruzen couldn't help but shiver at the thought of more than thirty Shinobi running around the village in green spandex. Just as Hiruzen was immersed in the traumatizing scene, a loud shout brought his thoughts back.
"YOUTH!" A single kid among the crowd was enthusiastically following Guy's actions to the letter. As for the rest of the kids, they were too embarrassed to mimic their instructor's actions. If they could have their way, they wouldn't want to wear such an outfit for taijutsu training.
Many of the kids were simmering on the inside. It was all that old man's fault. If not for Sandaime, they wouldn't have been tricked into wearing such a grotesque outfit.
Approaching the training circuit, Hiruzen cleared his throat to get Guy's attention. The eccentric Jonin turned to face the Third Hokage with his trademark grin.
"Ah, Sandaime-sama! What brings you here?" Guy exclaimed, his enthusiasm undiminished even in the presence of the village leader.
Hiruzen smiled warmly at Guy. "Just checking in on the academy, Guy. I must say, you seem to have quite the... enthusiastic group here."
Guy chuckled heartily. "Indeed, Sandaime-sama! These young warriors are the future of Konoha, and I'm honored to guide them on their path to greatness!"
Hiruzen nodded approvingly, but his gaze softened as he glanced at the uncomfortable expressions of some of the children. "I have no doubt about that, Guy. But perhaps we could consider adjusting the training regimen to accommodate their... preferences?"
Meanwhile, Guy couldn't shake off his confusion regarding Hiruzen's suggestion. Hadn't the Sandaime-sama approved the idea of mandatory training uniforms for taijutsu and physical training? The discrepancy between Hiruzen's current stance and his previous approval puzzled Guy. However, he chose not to question the Sandaime, as his happiness at seeing so many youngsters following in his footsteps overshadowed his concerns.
Guy's attention shifted to Rock Lee, the determined young ninja who reminded him so much of his own youth. Lee possessed the willpower and determination to succeed, but he lacked guidance. Guy knew that he needed to take Lee under his wing soon to impart to him the secrets of Taijutsu. Despite his dual duties, Guy was determined to make time to groom Lee and pass on his legacy.
As the children continued their training, their resentment towards Hiruzen was palpable. Each stinky glare directed at him felt like a dagger to his heart. Little did he know that the person responsible for all their recent suffering was not actually him.
Unbeknownst to Hiruzen, a clone created by Kazuki had been using his persona to create chaos among the children, shedding fake tears and trying to trick them into some new kind of scheme. Meanwhile, the real Hiruzen remained oblivious to the turmoil he was unwittingly causing, continuing his walk through the academy corridors with genuine intentions.
Hiruzen's headache intensified, and he realized he needed to discuss this matter directly with Kazuki himself. If he took any action behind Kazuki's back, the kid would only see it as a challenge, potentially tarnishing the reputation Hiruzen had earned over the years. Dismissing the ANBU, Hiruzen made his way towards the Nara compound.
Within the confines of the Nara clan compound, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino were animatedly discussing a matter when Kazuki entered the training ground. The kids immediately ceased their gossip and resumed their training, which they were supposed to be doing instead of talking.
"You guys have been slacking since I stepped out, right?" Kazuki asked with a smile on his face.
The kids, however, knew better than to admit the truth. They understood that he would increase their training until they broke down from exhaustion. Their big brother was a merciless monster when it involved training. Somehow, even Ino got caught in this circle of training hell after Ino's mother came to realize how much Shikamaru and Choji had grown under Kazuki's care.
"Kazuki Niisan, I have learned a new jutsu. Would you like to see it?" Naruto chimed enthusiastically. After Kazuki helped Naruto interact with his parents, he had been spending time within the seal space. With Minato's and Kushina's imprints permanently preserved, Naruto could interact with them at any time. Because of this, he tended to spend more time within the seal space, strengthening his bond with Kurama.
Kurama was already able to manifest itself into the outside world in the form of a little fox, as Naruto had mastered utilizing a one-tailed cloak. Anything more, and Naruto would be knocked out due to the backlash. Even Kazuki was surprised at how fast Naruto was growing.
"In that case, why don't you have a spar with Shikamaru here? Even he has learned a new jutsu that I recently taught him," Kazuki suggested. The other three kids squinted at Shikamaru as if he were a betrayer; he hadn't shared with them that he had learned a new ninjutsu, especially one taught by their big brother, which was always considered super cool and powerful by the kids.
However, only Shikamaru knew the true depth of suffering he had to go through to learn the technique within his brother's stipulated time. He had even reduced his sleep time from ten hours to six. "Ah, when big brother had been out for war, those were such good old days. I could sleep as much as I wanted." Shikamaru couldn't help but sigh internally, despite his friends giving him the stink eye.
"Naruto, can't you have a spar with Choji or maybe even Ino here? You guys have always wanted to have an all-out battle since the last time you beat up Ino, and she still wants to punish you for that," Shikamaru turned all the heat back onto Naruto as he mentioned a previous scuffle between Naruto and Ino. They had compared who was stronger, and in the end, poor Ino suffered yet another round of beating from Naruto. Ino still remembered that day and wanted to punish Naruto for it.
However, before Shikamaru could manipulate the kids more, Kazuki stepped up, lifted Shikamaru up, and tossed him towards the center of the training ground. He made a gesture towards Naruto to go ahead and start a spar. Shikamaru, however, had an ugly look; he was so close to having Naruto fight with Ino so he could relax.
As the spar started, Naruto took the initiative, darting forward with incredible speed. He unleashed a barrage of swift punches and kicks, aiming to overwhelm Shikamaru with his raw speed and power. Shikamaru, however, remained calm and collected, sidestepping Naruto's attacks with precision. He waited for the right moment to strike back.
"[Kage Bunshin no Jutsu]" (Shadow Clone Technique), Shikamaru summoned two shadow clones, his go-to jutsu during the spar. With them, he could relax on the sidelines while his clones harassed Naruto.
"Hehe, Shikamaru, did you think you were the only one who could use this technique?" With a smirk, Naruto distanced himself and began weaving hand signs for the Shadow Clone Technique, releasing his own shadow clones.
"[Kage Bunshin no jutsu]" (Shadow Clone Technique). However, contrary to Shikamaru's two clones, Naruto had summoned close to a dozen. Naruto wore a sheepish smile as he looked at his dumbfounded friend.
A dozen Narutos rushed toward Shikamaru and his clone for an all-out brawl. Shikamaru understood that he couldn't slack off anymore, especially with Kazuki carefully observing the ongoing sparring from the sidelines.
********************************************
In the Land of Hot Water, a group of Shinobi cautiously traversed the infamous canyon in the Valley of Hell. Leading the way was none other than the Yondaime Raikage, Ay, with his trusted advisor Dodai and close to two dozen elite Kumo Shinobi following closely behind. Their mission was to locate the whereabouts of the Chinoike clan, who were once part of their country but had been hunted down as traitors and forced to flee and hide in the Valley of Hell.
Following their defeat in the Fourth Great Ninja War, the repercussions were severe, particularly with the war reparations demanded by the Godaime Hokage. Although Konoha had returned Yugito to the village unharmed as promised, losing the bijuu dealt a significant blow.
Initially, the Raikage believed they could catch up with the Leaf Village given more time, but Konoha's rapid growth raised concerns for the future of his own village. Recent losses in communication with their spies occurred after Konoha erected a new barrier around their village, cutting off contact even with their most deeply embedded operatives.
Thus, the Raikage explored various means to strengthen the village, leading him to discover the powerful Chinoike clan, originally from the Lightning Country but now exiled. He sought to personally invite them back into the fold, willing to entertain their demands in exchange for their allegiance.
The Raikage saw the potential of the Chinoike clan's dojutsu, believing it to be formidable enough to rival even the Uchiha's dojutsu.
As the team moved through the dangerous canyon, a skilled sensor ninja noticed a faint barrier ahead. This news made the Raikage uneasy, so he urged his team to speed up but remain watchful.
"Quickly, but be careful," Ay commanded, his voice firm. "We're getting close to the barrier. Stay alert."
With determination, the Kumo Shinobi increased their pace, scanning the rugged terrain for danger. The harsh canyon environment made their journey tougher, with steep cliffs and scorching heat testing their endurance.
As they neared the suspected barrier location, the landscape became even more barren, with no signs of life. The Raikage wondered how the Chinoike clan managed to survive here.
"Stay on guard," Ay reminded them, his voice steady. "We don't know what's ahead. Stay sharp."
Approaching cautiously, they finally reached the suspected barrier spot. Tension filled the air as they prepared for what lay ahead, their senses alert for any danger.
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