Iruka's lecture buzzed in the background like a dying mosquito.Naruto wasn't listening. He never did. His mind was already somewhere else — thinking about training, about power, about what came next.
The bell finally rang, merciful as a jutsu tag.Naruto stretched, grabbed his things, and grinned toward the shy girl waiting by the door.
"Let's go, Hinata!"
After walking her home — and enduring her usual mix of stammering and soft smiles — he headed off to his personal training ground. The "exclusive" one no one else dared to use because half the terrain was cratered from his experiments.
It'd been a year since the "incident" — the time he'd sworn to protect Hinata. Their bond had grown since then. She still flushed red at everything he said, but at least she didn't faint anymore when he got too close. Progress, probably.
What really surprised Naruto was that Hinata's father, Hyūga Hiashi, hadn't objected once.Strange, considering the man had a glare that could kill birds mid-air.But maybe the old man saw something useful in him.
After all, genius attracts attention. And Naruto, like it or not, had become one.
The Hyūga clan already had prodigies like Neji, but Naruto's rate of growth made even Hiashi raise an eyebrow. Unlike those spoiled clan heirs, Naruto worked until he bled. And Hiashi respected that. Maybe that's why he turned a blind eye to the whole "Naruto and Hinata" thing.
At the training ground, dozens of shadow clones were already hammering away at targets, spewing fire and wind techniques.Naruto watched, arms crossed, and nodded. The synchronization between his clones and his chakra control had grown tight — refined.
"Not bad," he muttered. "Real improvement."
His best technique so far, Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu, could now be used six times in a row before his chakra hit critical levels. Still, he wasn't satisfied. Six wasn't enough. Power was never enough.
In his mind, real ninjutsu wasn't something gentle or neat. It should hit like a storm — fast, overwhelming, merciless. He wanted to burn through his enemies with a single breath, not chip away at them.
And for that, he needed more.
More chakra.More control.More forbidden techniques.
There were three jutsu that had been haunting his thoughts lately — his future goals:
Flying Thunder God Technique, the legendary teleportation jutsu.
Fire Style: Majestic Flame Destruction, a massive inferno that could engulf entire fields.
The Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Techniques, his true heritage.
The rest didn't matter much. He already had the Six Divine Paths through Rikudō Shingon — abilities that bordered on godlike. Everything else was just garnish.
Still, even Naruto had limits. He wasn't going to mess with inventing new ninjutsu — not after the higher-ups started watching him closely. Danzo's eyes were everywhere, and Naruto knew one wrong move could put him in a cell or worse.
For now, he'd bide his time.Train. Grow. Pretend to be an idiot.
The art of confusion was a weapon too.
Rikudō Shingon:"How noble. The Host embraces idiocy as a strategic maneuver."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Shut up."
"Such eloquence. Truly, the Child of Prophecy."The voice echoed like a hymn in a cathedral, equal parts divine and smug.
Ignoring it, Naruto began another round of taijutsu drills. His fists slammed into a spinning wooden post — one of his own inventions. It was a rotating training stake that could block, counter, or even strike back depending on chakra flow.
The idea had caught on around the village. Now, Konoha's training grounds were full of these things. Even the Third Hokage had praised the design, saying it would save countless young ninja. Naruto didn't brag about it, but he did allow himself a little grin.
He worked until sunset, sweat soaking his orange jumpsuit, hands bleeding through the tape.When he finally dismissed his clones, the accumulated exhaustion hit like a wave.He didn't head home. Instead, he walked through the quiet streets, drifting closer to the Uchiha compound.
For months now, he'd been circling the area every few nights.Ever since Ten'mon showed him that dark fragment of Sasuke's fate — the moment of blood and silence — Naruto couldn't ignore it.
He knew what was coming.The massacre.
Still, he couldn't intervene. Not yet.If anyone saw him nearby when it happened, suspicion would eat him alive.
That's why he called it "the act of confusion" — blending into the scenery, pretending to be clueless.Even his shadow clones joined in, scattered across the forest like pranksters playing war games.
"Host, this is what mortals call paranoia."
"Yeah," Naruto muttered, staring toward the Uchiha district's distant lights. "Maybe. But it's also survival."
"How poetic. A foxling plotting in the dark while fate sharpens its knives."
Naruto didn't reply. He just kept walking, the night wind biting his skin.He wasn't ready to be a hero yet.He just didn't want to die before he got the chance.