c4 – Rapid Growth
This time, Naruto not only mastered the Shadow Clone Technique recorded in the Book of Seals but also gained access to the foundational training methods for the Rasengan and the Flying Thunder God Technique left behind by the Fourth Hokage. It can be said that this night's harvest far exceeded Naruto's expectations. The primary reason Naruto was so desperate to learn the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was to dramatically speed up his overall training efficiency. In the original methods used by Minato and later by Kakashi during the bell tests, Naruto's ability to send back the clones' accumulated experience would multiply his growth rate several times over. However, without Yamato's Wood Release suppressing the Nine-Tails' chakra, Naruto found that after repeated tests he could stabilize only around one hundred Shadow Clones for long-term practice.
Combat and training had fundamentally different chakra consumption patterns. In battle, one needed instantaneous explosive chakra output, the type Naruto was naturally gifted in thanks to both the Uzumaki vitality and the Nine-Tails' influence. Training, however, required steadiness and long-term maintenance of clones without collapse. Naruto could barely accomplish this through the improved chakra control exercises he had been practicing since the Academy tree-climbing, water-walking, and maintaining fine chakra flow through his tenketsu. Although sustaining a hundred clones was his current limit, for a genin-level student this was already so frightening that even elite jōnin would be shocked.
From that night on, in one of the remote corners on the outskirts of Konoha near the same training field where Iruka once secretly observed him hundreds of Narutos could be seen climbing trees simultaneously, running on the surface of a stream, practicing shuriken trajectories, or even attempting the rotational chakra shaping essential to the Rasengan's second stage. Luckily, Naruto deliberately chose an unmonitored forest area beyond Training Ground Three. Otherwise, ANBU would have been alarmed by such a bizarre scene.
Since there was no class today, Naruto headed to the forest as usual to continue his training. As he was passing by an abandoned path near the Hyuga compound's outer wall, he noticed several children surrounding a smaller girl. When Naruto approached, he immediately recognized her Hyuga Hinata, the shy eldest daughter of the prestigious Byakugan clan. Although she was timid now, Naruto who had learned fragments of future events from the Book of Seals notes left by Minato knew she would grow into a gentle yet beautiful kunoichi with a strong heart.
Without hesitation, Naruto leapt out of the bushes and shouted loudly, "A few people bullying one girl? Cut it out right now!" Seeing that the intruder was merely a boy of the same age as them, the children scoffed. "Everyone, get him!" someone yelled.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto instantly created twenty clones that surrounded the bullies from all sides. The kids, who were only academy brats with minimal chakra training, panicked. One shouted, "Run!" and they scattered in all directions, disappearing faster than when Konohamaru fled from Moegi.
Naruto didn't bother chasing them. Instead, he turned toward Hinata, whose face was already red, her fingers poking together out of habit. "If anyone bothers you again, just come find me," he said proudly. Hinata lowered her head, whispering in the barely audible tone she often used when speaking to Naruto at that age, "Th-thank you… Naruto-kun."
Feeling triumphant that he had just rescued a Hyuga girl, Naruto was certain that this moment would be burned into her heart. So he waved his hand and tried to act cool imitating poses he remembered seeing in Jiraiya's notes saying, "Just look for me anytime you're in trouble," then walked away briskly. Although it was just a small incident for him, it became Hinata's first unforgettable memory of Naruto truly noticing her. Naruto, however, didn't expect that soft-spoken girl to remember his kindness far longer than he imagined. This made him think that maybe improving his image wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Speaking of image, Naruto first adjusted his hair, shaping it into a clean and energetic style somewhat similar to the one Minato wore in his youth. Moreover, due to his sudden improvement in chakra control, shuriken throwing, and taijutsu skills he had been secretly polishing through Shadow Clone training Naruto's performance at the Academy quickly rose to the top of his class, even being spoken of alongside Uchiha Sasuke, who was always hailed as the prodigy of their generation. Naturally, this drew the admiration of many girls in class.
But unlike Sasuke who maintained a cold and distant demeanor due to the trauma of the Uchiha massacre Naruto's cheerful personality and willingness to interact with everyone made him far more approachable. Because of this, his popularity among the students gradually surpassed even Sasuke's. Whether it was in daily training or casual conversation, more classmates began to gather around Naruto, recognizing him not just as the class clown, but as a genuinely talented future shinobi of Konoha.
The school days continued as usual, though for Naruto each day felt completely different from the last. With the help of the Shadow Clone Technique, his training efficiency increased at a pace that no ordinary academy student could ever match. Before long, Naruto became exceptionally proficient in tree-climbing and water-walking exercises skills that even many genin struggled with. His chakra control had advanced to an entirely new realm compared to his first year at the Academy. This level of growth finally made Naruto feel that it was time for him to begin serious training in the Rasengan and even the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, the legacy techniques of the Fourth Hokage recorded in fragments within the Scroll of Seals. But despite his rapid progress, he knew he couldn't neglect physical conditioning. Even Minato and Jiraiya balanced taijutsu with ninjutsu to maintain real combat strength.
The Rasengan, being an A-rank ninjutsu requiring chakra rotation, shape manipulation, and stability, was extremely difficult to master. The Flying Thunder God, a technique developed by Tobirama Senju and perfected by Minato, was in a completely different league, its difficulty surpassed even many S-rank jutsu. Even with hundreds of Shadow Clones training simultaneously, the learning speed did not increase as dramatically as it did for simpler ninjutsu. Worse yet, the accumulated fatigue of the clones always returned to the original body the moment they were dispelled. Because of this, Naruto frequently nodded off during class. Iruka noticed it many times, but because Naruto had become a diligent student with excellent performance, Iruka simply sighed helplessly and allowed it to pass. In contrast, another significant change was Naruto's appetite it had become astonishing. Given the Uzumaki clan's naturally strong life force and the Nine-Tails sealed inside him, this was inevitable. Fortunately, the Third Hokage ensured Naruto received sufficient allowance and food subsidies, allowing him to eat his fill every day.
Through years of constant ninjutsu practice, taijutsu drills, and unending Shadow Clone training, Naruto's improvement rate became terrifying. While his classmates struggled with basic kunai accuracy, Naruto's clones were learning advanced chakra shape manipulation hundreds of times over. In this way, several years at the Ninja Academy passed in the blink of an eye.
Finally, the day of the Ninja Academy graduation exam arrived. The exam was straightforward: a taijutsu evaluation, a test on the accuracy of kunai and shuriken, mastery of the Three Body Techniques, and basic ninjutsu theory. These tests were extremely simple for Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, both widely recognized as the most gifted students of their generation each admired by countless girls in the class.
Over those years, Naruto had refined the Three Body Technique to near-chūnin precision, almost comparable to Kakashi's basic-level execution. His taijutsu, bolstered by years of clone-assisted repetition, reached a level only slightly inferior to Rock Lee's academy-era strength. Lee, who relied purely on physical training due to being unable to use ninjutsu, could not match Naruto once Naruto created multiple clones to support his movements. In ninjutsu, Naruto not only mastered the Rasengan after endless clone-based attempts but also grasped the fundamentals of the Flying Thunder God Technique although this was a trump card he swore to use only in life-or-death moments.
Because of his improved appearance, confident temperament, and excellent grades not to mention his friendly, approachable nature Naruto was far more popular among the girls than before. Even Haruno Sakura, who had been infatuated with Sasuke since their first year, gradually developed a subtle fondness for Naruto, although Sasuke remained her primary crush.
After the exam, class formations were soon announced. Sakura and Ino both prayed desperately that they would be grouped with Sasuke and Naruto. However, team assignments were based on balance of ability not personal wishes. By design, the top student, the worst student, and someone in the middle were often grouped together. Thus, the final result remained unchanged from the original setup: Team 7 would consist of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto. Sakura nearly fainted from excitement. Naruto had no reason to ask the infamous question of why he had to be paired with Sasuke; after all, he was fully aware of the logical basis behind team composition.
Once the teams were formed, the students awaited their jōnin instructors. Kakashi Hatake, infamous for his chronic lateness, made Team 7 wait far longer than anyone else. Naruto lazily slept on the desk due to accumulated clone fatigue, Sasuke sat quietly with arms crossed as usual, and Sakura was the only one who appeared increasingly impatient with every passing minute. After all the other teams were picked up by their instructors, Kakashi finally appeared at the door wearing his mask, slouching casually as he said his classic line: "Yo. Sorry… I'm late."
Naruto wasn't surprised at all he had seen this scene in Iruka's stories and even expected it. Sasuke's expression darkened with dissatisfaction, while Sakura seemed seconds away from exploding. Even so, Naruto felt strangely calm. Late or not, Kakashi Hatake Copy Ninja, student of the Fourth Hokage would one day become the most important teacher in their lives, and Naruto already viewed him with a certain respect.
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