"Do you truly have that determination?"
Tsunade's sharp question echoed through the training ground, making Naruto freeze for a moment.
Naruto lowered his head and thought bitterly to himself.
I don't have several years… I don't even have decades.
The time limit that big brother System gave me is only one short year!
If he failed to complete this ninjutsu within a year, then the punishment waiting for him would be another merciless baptism of Lightning Release.
The moment he imagined endless bolts of electricity striking him over and over again, Naruto's face turned pale.
"Ahhh…"
"I don't want to be electrocuted again!"
Although he rarely received punishment now, Naruto still remembered how terrifying it used to be. Whenever he became lazy or slacked off in training, the system would mercilessly shock him until he screamed.
Just recalling that inhuman pain made every hair on his body stand upright.
"The Lightning Release baptism…"
Then suddenly, Naruto paused.
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning itself.
That's right… I've already experienced countless lightning punishments.
And every time, the system increased the power.
His eyes slowly widened.
Wouldn't that mean… my body has already adapted?
As the saying went, true gold fears no fire.
Only through hardship could a person become stronger.
Naruto already possessed extraordinary vitality. Even without the Nine-Tails' chakra, the blood of the Uzumaki Clan flowing through his veins granted him monstrous endurance and life force.
On top of that, he had survived hellish training methods and repeated lightning punishments that would have killed ordinary people long ago.
His body had been tempered far beyond human limits.
Every muscle.
Every organ.
Every single cell.
Naruto suddenly grinned.
"Grandma Tsunade… what you're saying sounds terrifying."
"But I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Other people might not be able to do it…"
"But maybe I can!"
Tsunade frowned deeply.
"Naruto, you are indeed powerful. Your talent is exceptional, and your determination is rare."
"Someone like you can absolutely become a first-rate ninja."
"But that doesn't mean you are omnipotent."
Naruto shook his head.
"That's not what I mean."
"I'm saying Wind Release chakra is dangerous… but maybe my body cells are stronger than normal people's."
"Maybe they won't be destroyed so easily!"
Tsunade's expression shifted slightly.
"…Explain."
Naruto immediately replied.
"It's simple!"
"When I get injured, I heal faster than others."
"I recover quickly from taijutsu damage and ninjutsu wounds too."
"I've gone through insane torture and training methods. Maybe my body already adapted long ago!"
Hinata, standing nearby, nodded seriously.
"Master… Naruto-kun is right."
"In many life-and-death battles, Naruto-kun was often the one most severely injured…"
"But he was also the fastest to recover."
"His vitality and healing ability are truly incredible."
Tsunade folded her arms and nodded once.
"I know that much."
"You possess Uzumaki blood, and you also contain the Nine-Tails."
"But physical toughness and cellular resilience are two different things."
She pointed at Naruto's chest.
"A body can appear strong outside while the inside remains fragile."
Naruto instantly protested.
"I'm different!"
"My insides have already been tempered thousands of times!"
That was not an exaggeration.
Whenever the system activated Lightning Release punishment, it did not discriminate. Muscles, bones, organs—even the sealed Nine-Tails itself—everything suffered together.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"You're that confident?"
Naruto puffed out his chest.
"Absolutely!"
Tsunade smirked.
"Fine."
"Then we'll test it."
Naruto blinked.
"How?"
Her answer was simple and brutal.
"Attack yourself with Wind Release ninjutsu."
Hinata and Shizune were stunned.
"Lady Tsunade!"
"That's too dangerous!"
Tsunade waved dismissively.
"What's there to fear?"
"I'm standing right here."
"He won't die even if he wants to."
Though harsh, her words carried overwhelming confidence.
Naruto grinned fearlessly.
"Alright!"
"For the sake of creating an ultimate move, this little pain is nothing!"
He formed hand seals immediately.
"Grandma Tsunade, watch carefully!"
Wind chakra surged violently through his arm.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
A compressed blade of wind instantly sliced across Naruto's left forearm.
Slash!
A deep wound opened.
Blood spilled out in a stream.
Naruto's face twitched from pain.
Hinata panicked.
"N-Naruto-kun!"
Shizune also shouted anxiously.
"You idiot! There was no need to go that far!"
But Tsunade remained calm.
She stepped forward, placed a hand on Naruto's arm, and sent medical chakra into his body while carefully examining him.
"Hm?"
Shizune immediately asked,
"How is it, Lady Tsunade?"
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly.
"Naruto wasn't boasting."
"His physique is truly monstrous."
Naruto instantly brightened.
"See?! I told you!"
Tsunade nodded slowly.
"The activity of his body cells is likely over one hundred times that of an ordinary human."
Shizune gasped.
"One hundred times?!"
"What kind of monster is he?!"
Even Tsunade herself sighed in amazement.
"When I use Creation Rebirth, I forcibly increase cellular activity two to three hundred times for a short period."
"It accelerates division, healing, and regeneration."
"But it is a forbidden technique that shortens lifespan. It should only be used as a final resort."
She looked at Naruto again.
"But this brat's normal state already exceeds imagination."
"And this isn't reckless cell division."
"It's pure vitality."
"That means it doesn't consume lifespan in the same way."
"His healing power is absurd…"
Tsunade's eyes turned distant for a moment.
"This feeling…"
"It reminds me of my grandfather."
Shizune's mouth fell open.
"You mean… the God of Shinobi?"
"The First Hokage?"
Tsunade nodded.
"Yes."
Naruto's jaw dropped.
"Huh?!"
"I'm like the First Hokage-sama?!"
"Hahaha! Then becoming Hokage is basically guaranteed!"
Tsunade smacked him lightly on the head.
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
"I only said slightly similar."
"Compared to other ninja, you are a monster."
"But compared to my grandfather…"
"You're still far behind."
Hinata and Shizune immediately leaned forward.
"How far?"
Tsunade exhaled slowly.
"I never fully measured it myself."
"But I suspect his cellular activity exceeded normal humans by over one thousand times."
Naruto froze.
"…What?"
"Is that even human?"
Shizune nearly staggered.
"If that's true…"
"Wouldn't he heal from any wound instantly without even using hand seals?"
"In other words, his normal body alone would be equal to Lady Tsunade using Creation Rebirth or the Strength of a Hundred Seal!"
Tsunade smiled with admiration.
"That's right."
"My grandfather was exactly that kind of man."
Hinata sighed softly in awe.
"As expected of the First Hokage…"
"The man who ended the Warring States Era and founded Konoha."
Tsunade then reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair.
"Naruto."
"If you possessed a body like his, then no matter how recklessly you trained Wind Release Chakra Mode, you'd never need to fear self-injury."
Naruto puffed his cheeks.
"That's impossible…"
Tsunade thought for a moment.
"Actually, you don't need to reach his absurd level."
She raised two fingers.
"If your cell activity reaches roughly two hundred times that of a normal person…"
"You should be able to safely train Wind Release Chakra Mode without damaging yourself."
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"Two hundred times?"
Shizune muttered helplessly.
"That still sounds inhuman…"
Naruto immediately asked,
"Then how do I increase it?"
Tsunade's face became serious.
"In some ways, it's simple."
"In other ways, it's harder than climbing to heaven."
Naruto swallowed.
"…Tell me."
Tsunade explained slowly.
"The human body has a powerful ability to adapt."
"When a bone breaks and heals properly, it often becomes harder than before."
"Cells are similar."
"If they repeatedly approach destruction, then recover…"
"Their vitality can rise dramatically."
Naruto stroked his chin.
"So basically…"
"We torture them?"
Tsunade laughed sarcastically.
"In simple terms, yes."
"But the balance is extremely delicate."
"If the damage goes too far, your cells will regenerate instead of strengthen."
"And excessive regeneration shortens lifespan."
Her expression sharpened.
"One mistake could cripple you permanently."
"Naruto…"
"Is learning one new ninjutsu really worth paying such a price?"
Without a second of hesitation, Naruto answered.
"Of course."
Tsunade frowned.
"Why?"
Naruto grinned brightly.
"Because Asuma-sensei said this is a realm no one has ever reached."
"The true peak of Wind Release."
"That alone is enough reason for a ninja to challenge it."
He clenched his fists.
"And the Perverted Sage said that if I master Wind Release Chakra Mode…"
"I could gain power comparable to a Hokage."
His blue eyes blazed with determination.
"If I become stronger, then I can protect everyone better."
"I can defend the village."
"I can stand in front of danger instead of behind others."
He looked straight at Tsunade.
"And most importantly…"
"It means I'll take another huge step toward my dream."
Naruto raised his fist high into the sky.
"I will become Hokage!"
Silence filled the training ground.
Hinata stared at him with shining eyes.
Shizune smiled helplessly.
Tsunade looked at Naruto for several seconds before the corner of her mouth curled upward.
This foolish, reckless, stubborn brat…
He truly did resemble those who once changed the world.
"Fine," Tsunade said at last.
"If you're ready to risk everything…"
"Then I'll personally train you."
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Really?!"
Tsunade cracked her knuckles.
"But don't cry later."
The earth beneath her feet cracked from the pressure alone.
Naruto gulped.
"…Can I still refuse?"
"Too late."
A terrifying grin appeared on Tsunade's face.
And thus began Naruto's most brutal training yet.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)