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[+200 power stones = +1 extra chapter]
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The air in Konoha was thick with the scent of blooming cherry blossoms, a deceptive calm settling over the village. Life moved on, as it always did—shinobi bustled through the streets, merchants haggled over prices, and children laughed as they chased each other through the training grounds.
But beneath the surface, something had shifted.
Naruto's brief disappearance hadn't gone unnoticed.
---
Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a slow plume of smoke, the acrid scent of burning tobacco filling the dimly lit room. His aged fingers tapped against the polished wood of his desk, a rhythmic, deliberate motion.
"You understand the risks, Naruto," the Hokage said, his voice gravelly but firm. "Even if you are no longer a jinchūriki, the world still perceives you as one. Leaving the village without notice, especially now puts you in unnecessary danger."
Naruto leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. The sunlight streaming through the window cast sharp shadows across his face, highlighting the faintest traces of exhaustion beneath his eyes.
"Then how did you hide my identity in the first place?" Naruto asked, tilting his head slightly.
The question hung in the air like a blade.
Hiruzen stiffened, his grip tightening imperceptibly around his pipe. For a moment, the room felt too small, the weight of unspoken truths pressing in from all sides.
"Never mind," Naruto said, waving a hand dismissively before the Hokage could respond. "I'll try not to wander off again."
The lie was paper-thin, and they both knew it.
Hiruzen exhaled through his nose, watching as Naruto stood and turned toward the door. The boy moved with an unsettling confidence now, a far cry from the brash, impulsive child he had once been.
'Minato's son… yet nothing like him.'
The thought stung more than Hiruzen cared to admit.
---
A week passed.
Sasuke Uchiha stood amidst the wreckage of another spar, his chest heaving, knuckles bruised. The dirt beneath him was torn up from repeated impacts, the air thick with the scent of upturned earth and sweat.
Naruto stood across from him, arms loose at his sides, not a single scratch on him.
"Again," Sasuke demanded, his voice rough.
Naruto shook his head. "You're not ready."
Sasuke's jaw clenched. "I've mastered tree-walking. Water-walking. What else do you want?"
Naruto reached into his pouch and tossed a scroll at him. Sasuke caught it on reflex, his fingers tightening around the worn parchment.
"Konoha's Body Flicker Technique," Naruto said. "Work on this. Speed is your biggest weakness right now."
Sasuke unfurled the scroll, scanning the contents with narrowed eyes. His pride warred with the gnawing frustration of being so far behind.
"Fine," he muttered, tucking the scroll away.
---
Winter break had brought an unexpected surge of business.
A makeshift stall had been set up near the compound's entrance, just a simple table and two chairs, but it was enough. A steady stream of girls, ranging from academy students to kunoichi, formed a winding line, their chatter filling the air.
Sakura sat behind the table, her fingers flying as she scribbled signatures onto photographs of Sasuke, each one sold at a premium. Beside her, Naruto handled the transactions, his expression neutral as he counted out change.
"Next," Sakura called, sliding another signed photo across the table.
The girl who took it nearly fainted on the spot.
Naruto checked the system:
[126,400 / 10,000,000]
'Pathetic.'
At this rate, he'd need until the Fourth Shinobi War just to hit the target.
Sakura, oblivious to his internal calculations, beamed as she tallied their earnings. "Naruto, we made almost forty thousand today!"
He shook his head. "We need to scale up. Start mass-producing copies."
Sakura blinked. "But the quality..."
"Doesn't matter if we can't meet demand," Naruto cut in. "Konoha's obsession with Sasuke is bottomless. We capitalize on that."
She hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Okay!"
Money wasn't everything.
But it sure didn't hurt.
---
Hiruzen stared out the window, watching as the last rays of sunlight faded behind the village walls. The paperwork on his desk remained untouched.
Shikaku Nara stood beside him, arms crossed, his usual lazy demeanor replaced with quiet contemplation.
"You're worried," Shikaku stated.
Hiruzen didn't deny it. "Naruto hasn't taken a single mission since becoming a genin."
Shikaku hummed. "And yet, he's stronger than half the chūnin in the village."
"That's not the point." Hiruzen turned, his expression grave. "A shinobi's duty isn't just strength. It's loyalty. It's purpose."
Shikaku's lips quirked. "You think he lacks that?"
Hiruzen exhaled. "I think he's slipping through my fingers."
Just like Asuma had.
Just like so many others.
But Naruto was different.
He wasn't running away from Konoha.
He was running past it.
And Hiruzen didn't know how to stop him.
---
Elsewhere in the Village, Naruto sat atop a rooftop, the cool night air brushing against his skin. Below, the village glowed with lantern light, alive and humming.
Kurama's voice rumbled in his mind. "You're thinking too hard."
Naruto smirked. "Says the fox who spent centuries brooding."
Kurama huffed, but there was no real bite to it.
For the first time in a long time, things felt… Right.
But Naruto knew better than to get comfortable.
The climb was slow.
But the summit was still ahead.
....
T/N: Thanks for the support from: Lam Sha, Black Widow, Hamza Masfar, Lord Of the Mysteries, Andrew, Jiri Stehule, trey hill, Agustin Monti, Tightless, Impulsionimulsion.