"See? Don't waste your energy. I already know everything you do!"
Naruto shrugged casually.
Jiraiya could only stare, torn between helplessness and amazement at the boy's strength—especially at the sheer number of Ninjutsu he had already mastered.
As far as he knew, Naruto had graduated the Academy barely half a year ago.
Yet here he was, already brimming with power.
For the first time in years, Jiraiya felt genuine relief.
Naruto's potential surpassed even Minato's.
He might truly grow into a great shinobi—perhaps even the one spoken of in the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, the disciple destined to bring peace to the ninja world.
"Naruto, you're truly outstanding!" Jiraiya said with pride, clapping his student on the shoulder. Then, with a grin, he added, "But I've still got some tricks you haven't seen yet!"
He flashed through hand seals.
"Ninjutsu: Needle Jizō!"
His hair suddenly surged outward, growing long and rigid until it wrapped around his body like armor, sharp and strong as steel.
Not far away, Neji and the others couldn't help but widen their eyes. The legendary Sannin-sama was openly demonstrating techniques to Naruto—it showed the esteem in which he held him.
Naruto tilted his head, intrigued. There were thousands of jutsu in the world, many bizarre and unexpected. This one—using hardened hair for both defense and close combat—was undeniably clever. Its main weakness, though, was obvious: against Fire Release, even steel-like hair could burn.
"Oh, how should I put this… I don't really need to learn it," Naruto replied.
"Look!"
He extended his hand. Chakra swirled in his palm, compressing into a concentrated, violent vortex.
The air hummed with dangerous energy.
Jiraiya's eyes widened, his jaw dropping in shock.
That was the Rasengan—but beyond it.
An advanced stage of the jutsu that even Minato had never managed to complete!
The sight left Jiraiya utterly shaken. What kind of monster of a genius was this boy? Even Orochimaru, at this age, hadn't possessed such a vast arsenal of techniques.
In the days that followed, Jiraiya eased off, pestering Naruto less—but he still appeared often, insisting Naruto should formally become his disciple.
What made Naruto laugh and cry, however, was Jiraiya's strange persistence. Somehow, he'd gotten his hands on a book about "Umbrella ideology" and kept trying to indoctrinate him with it—claiming Naruto needed "proper values."
Naruto was left speechless.
Still, the fact that even someone like Jiraiya was being influenced showed just how far the Umbrella's reach had spread across the shinobi world.
Time passed quickly. With Heaven Rewards Diligence at his side, Naruto steadily accumulated strength.
A month later, the day of the Chūnin Exams arrived.
In Konoha, on the high platform, the Land of Fire's Daimyō appeared with his attendants. He was a plump man draped in brocade, his swollen figure a testament to indulgence and corruption.
The shinobi world resembled a feudal kingdom—rulers drowning in luxury while commoners scraped by in poverty. The only difference was the existence of shinobi.
Before this day, Orochimaru had already contacted Naruto privately, speaking in vague hints of deeper plans.
Now, he sat disguised as the Kazekage beside Hiruzen Sarutobi. The disguise was flawless; the Third Hokage never suspected that the man seated beside him was in fact his own former student.
"Hokage-sama, shall we begin the exams?" Orochimaru asked smoothly, impatience hidden behind the Kazekage's mask.
His plan could no longer wait.
Konoha's surface might glitter, but its roots were already rotting. A sick tree might look whole from the outside, but inside, decay spread unseen—and its caretaker, blind to the truth, did nothing.
"Very well," Hiruzen said gravely. "Let the Chūnin Exams begin."
The proctor had already been replaced.
Naruto narrowed his eyes as he recognized the man on stage. He knew that Gekkō Hayate had been killed—silenced by Baki.
It made sense; as the teacher of the Kazekage's children, Baki's strength was undeniable.
Naruto exchanged brief looks with a few others, but none of them spoke.
The Umbrella's martial artists, who had disguised themselves as taijutsu specialists, had already withdrawn from the competition.
The upcoming battles were just for show. Even Rock Lee's match with Gaara ended with Lee conceding.
Then came the next announcement:
"Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyūga Neji!"
The proctor's voice rang out, and both Naruto and Neji stepped onto the arena floor.
In the original tale, Naruto proved to Neji that destiny was not absolute—that one's future was held in their own hands.
But in the end, only the victor earns the right to speak.
If Naruto had lost back then, Neji would have dismissed his words as nothing but the prattle of a fool.
In truth, Naruto had defeated Neji with what could be called a "cheat."
As for Neji afterward—did he truly break free from the birdcage of fate, or simply step into another cage, resigned to destiny? That much was never clear.
Neji believed destiny was unchangeable. Naruto believed that his fate was his own, not Heaven's. Yet in hindsight, wasn't it ironic?
The Sage of Six Paths once prophesied that a blue-eyed boy, calling out playfully to the nine Tailed Beasts, would bring peace to the shinobi world.
Was that not also a preordained destiny?
Naruto remembered the events of the original story. Even after Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had been sealed once more, the shinobi world seemed unchanged.
He and Sasuke became the new Hashirama and Madara—rivals locked in destiny's cycle.
Konoha's power became more centralized. Every major and minor decision in the village rested on Naruto's shoulders.
The Hidden Rain, entrusted to him by Nagato, withered away into decay. Konoha grew into a city of steel and concrete, while Amegakure crumbled into obscurity.
It was no longer the world he once dreamed of.
The Five Great Nations continued to reap the profits of stability. History was forgotten, and the next generation grew up ignorant of what had truly transpired during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
The truth had been buried.
Naruto clenched his resolve. He would not allow history to repeat itself.
The shinobi world needed to change—fundamentally.
In his heart, he envisioned a future where this world could transform into something greater, something like Zhonghuajia.
He had once thought to simply go with the flow. But his cruel childhood had taught him otherwise: this world demanded change.
That alone made his journey worthwhile. And beyond it loomed an even greater threat—from beyond the heavens.
The future would be cruel.
The moment the match was announced, the two moved at once. Dust rose as their fists clashed with a sharp crack.
They separated instantly, then launched back in, trading blows at blinding speed. Fist, foot, counter, strike—the rhythm of their Taijutsu stunned the crowd.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"
Neji's Byakugan activated, veins bulging around his eyes. His strikes came sharp and fast, his palms leaving afterimages as he tried to seal Naruto's chakra.
Naruto's chakra, vast and overwhelming, surged wildly. But within it was another power—Natural Energy fused into his body.
Neji knew this, and his strikes grew sharper.
But then, to everyone's astonishment, Naruto forced his way out of the Sixty-Four Palms' lock, breaking the cycle.
He moved with sudden, blistering speed, slipping through Neji's blows.
Up in the stands, the Third Hokage's expression shifted.
Dodging Neji's attacks like that—Naruto's speed was already at the level of an Elite Jōnin.
Impossible.
From beside him, Orochimaru—disguised as the Kazekage—let out a soft chuckle.
Hiruzen… you can't even imagine what kind of monster you're looking at.
...
TN:
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