Naruto paused mid-step. He looked back at the western clearing one last time. The landscape was completely unrecognizable. Massive craters dotted the overturned earth. A huge section of the forest floor was melted into smooth, dark glass. Smashed timber and pulverized boulders littered the area. He had unleashed four S-rank destructive techniques in a matter of hours.
'Strange,' he thought. 'Even though we are in an isolated training ground outside the village, the noise alone should have triggered an Anbu patrol. Did Danzo already warn them to stay away?'
"Well, it does not matter," Naruto said.
He crouched down and placed both palms flat against the warm, scorched earth. He closed his eyes and pushed his consciousness inward. He isolated the heavy, grounding earth affinity and the fluid water affinity. He merged them perfectly, channeling the profound life force of the First Hokage's cells.
Wood Release.
The ground trembled: Fresh, green saplings erupted from the pulverized dirt. They grew at an impossible speed, expanding into massive, thick oak trees in seconds. The deep craters filled with shifting soil. Thick roots tore through the melted glass, breaking it down and burying it deep underground. A lush carpet of green grass spread rapidly across the clearing. Within a minute, the forest looked entirely untouched. It was exactly as if his brutal training session had been a simple illusion.
Naruto stood up and wiped a trace of sweat from his forehead. The massive scale of the Wood Release drained his reserves a bit more. He smiled softly, satisfied with the clean environment. He turned and resumed walking toward the eastern sector to find Kinoe.
_
He opened his Fate storeinterface while he walked. The transparent blue screen hovered in his vision. He focused on his currency. He had exactly 360 unused Fate Points. Passing the latest point threshold had unlocked several new jutsu and weapon sections. He ignored those tabs for now. He navigated directly to the Medical Resources section.
The options were endless. He scrolled past standard soldier pills and basic bandages. The prices varied wildly. A basic chakra sugar bar cost a single point. A standard chakra replenishment pill cost twenty points. He remembered the last major purchase he made from this menu.
'''[Item: Refined Vitality Marrow (Tier 1)]
[Description: A concentrated medicinal extract that repairs microscopic tears in chakra pathways and strengthens the physical vessel.]
[Cost: 45 Fate Points.] '''
That purchase had been expensive, but the results were undeniable. The marrow had completely repaired and drastically improved his damaged coils. He kept scrolling down the long list. A small, simple icon caught his attention. It was called a "Restoration Pill."The item only cost two Fate Points. The description simply stated it could restore physical energy and chakra pools simultaneously.
Naruto was curious. He selected the item.
[Ding!]
[Purchase Confirmed: Restoration Pill has been added to your inventory.]
[Current Fate Points: 358]
He willed the item into existence. A small, perfectly round pill materialized in the palm of his hand out of thin air. It looked exactly like a piece of hard, colorful candy. He tossed it into his mouth and bit down.
It tasted incredibly sweet. The effect was completely instantaneous. A sudden, violent rush of heat surged through his chest and rapidly spread to his limbs. He clenched his right hand into a fist. He could feel the dense, heavy chakra flooding back into his empty coils. His reserves had dropped to roughly five percent after the forest restoration. The pill pushed that number straight back up to nearly sixty percent in a matter of seconds. It was a massive jump considering his currently expanded capacity. His stamina was already naturally high due to the Hashirama cells. He had trained the entire night without feeling fatigued, so he could not physically tell if the pill fully restored his physical energy, but his chakra network was practically buzzing with life.
*
*
*
He reached the eastern clearing a few minutes later.
Kinoe was in a terrible state. The older boy was kneeling in the dirt, completely covered in mud and sweat. He looked like he was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion. Deep trenches and massive, splintered wooden structures littered the area around him. He had clearly spent the entire night pushing his physical limits.
Kinoe heard the footsteps and looked up. He saw Naruto walking toward him with calm, measured steps. Kinoe placed his hands on the ground and tried to stand. His legs shook violently. He managed to get halfway up before his knees buckled.
"I... I mastered it," Kinoe said. His voice was completely hoarse and shaky.
Naruto looked down at the exhausted Root operative. He scanned the massive wooden dragons resting in the dirt behind Kinoe. The structures were dense and well-formed. He smiled. He was highly satisfied with the results.
"Good," Naruto said simply.
He opened his inventory and materialized a second Restoration Pill.
"Now eat this," Naruto said. He held the sweet-looking candy out.
Kinoe stared at it through half-open eyes. "What is that?" he stuttered.
Naruto ignored the question. He stepped forward, grabbed Kinoe by the jaw, and tilted his head back. "Just open your mouth and swallow it."
He shoved the pill directly past Kinoe's lips.
The pill dissolved the exact second it touched Kinoe's tongue. The older boy's eyes snapped wide open. The extreme fatigue vanished from his face instantly. He gasped loudly and stood up straight. His shaking legs completely stabilized. He looked down at his hands in absolute shock. He felt entirely refreshed. His drained chakra coils were completely full. The speed of the recovery was absolutely insane.
"What was that?" Kinoe asked loudly. He had never heard of any medical ninjutsu or soldier pill working that fast.
Naruto turned his back on him. "Let's go back."
He started walking toward the hidden entrance of Root headquarters.
Kinoe swallowed hard. He looked at the small boy walking casually ahead of him. He felt the terrifying, overwhelming power radiating from Naruto's restored chakra coils.
'Just who did I swear my allegiance to?' Kinoe thought to himself. He quickly adjusted his gear and followed his new Lord.
*
*
*
They arrived at the underground facility an hour later. They walked directly to the primary briefing room.
Itachi Uchiha was already standing near the central table. The Uchiha prodigy turned his head as the heavy metal doors opened. His dark eyes locked onto Naruto. A flicker of genuine shock crossed Itachi's face before he quickly masked it behind a cold, blank expression.
Itachi analyzed the boy approaching the table. The physical changes were staggering. The last time they met, Naruto was just a small child. Now, the boy was significantly taller. His frame was thicker and packed with lean muscle. He was almost the same height as Itachi now.
Itachi thought about his little brother, Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto were the exact same age. The physical difference between the two boys was absolutely massive. Itachi wondered what kind of brutal, inhumane training Danzo had put the boy through to force such rapid physical growth in a matter of weeks.
Danzo Shimura stepped out from the shadows at the back of the room. He walked to the head of the table.
"The preparation phase is over," Danzo stated. His single visible eye swept over the three operatives. "Your target is a high-ranking diplomat. He possesses critical intelligence regarding a cult uprising in the north that threatens our trade routes. You will escort him safely to the capital of the Land of Hot Water."
Danzo looked directly at Itachi. "This mission is a formal requirement, Itachi. You need a documented S-rank success on your record if you want the elders to approve your early participation in the upcoming Chunin Exams. Do not fail."
"Understood," Itachi replied quietly.
Naruto leaned over the table and looked at the map. "There are only three of us. Four, including the client. A standard shinobi escort formation will draw too much attention on the main roads. I advise we disguise ourselves as ordinary travelers."
Danzo nodded slowly. "A logical approach. I have already arranged the necessary items. A civilian merchant cart and appropriate clothing are waiting in the equipment room. You will gear up and proceed immediately to the rendezvous point. The client will meet you there."
Danzo turned and walked back into the shadows. "Dismissed."
*
The team moved to the armory: They stripped off their current uniforms. They dressed in plain, muted civilian clothes. Naruto wore a simple brown tunic and loose pants. He secured his ninja wire and kunai pouches beneath the baggy fabric. Kinoe took the role of the cart driver, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat to hide his face. Itachi wore a simple gray traveling cloak that easily concealed his short sword.
They left the village through a hidden, underground Root tunnel to bypass the main Konoha gates completely.
They reached the rendezvous point three hours later. The sun was fully up, casting bright, warm light across the dirt road. They parked the wooden merchant cart near a small, abandoned roadside shrine just a few miles south of the border.
Kinoe sat on the front bench, holding the reins of the two rented horses. Itachi stood quietly in the shade of a large tree. Naruto sat on the back of the wooden cart, his legs dangling over the edge.
They waited in total silence.
The sound of snapping twigs broke the quiet morning air. Someone was approaching from the thick brush to the west. Naruto narrowed his eyes and shifted his weight, ready to draw a kunai.
The bushes parted. A tall, nervous-looking man stepped out onto the dirt road. He wore expensive silk clothes completely covered in mud and dirt. He clutched a small, leather briefcase tightly against his chest and looked around with wide, terrified eyes.
The client had finally arrived.
****A/N***
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