____________
[—
"Wait a minute!! How is learning how to climb a tree going to make us stronger?!!"
"Here's the main part. Listen closely."
"The purpose of this training is…"
Kakashi paused for a moment before continuing,
"First, to teach you how to control chakra."
"To bring out the proper amount to the proper area."
"As I said earlier, this is the most important aspect when using jutsu."
Kakashi was still standing upside down on the tree branch as he said all this.
"This can be difficult even for a skilled ninja. The amount of chakra needed to climb a tree is small, but it must be exact."
In the background, an illustration appeared explaining how spiritual energy and physical energy (chakra) are balanced in the legs.
"And it is said that the sole is the most difficult area to gather chakra."
"So basically… if you can learn this control, you should be able to master any jutsu theoretically…"
Hearing this, Naruto became excited.
"The second thing is to develop the stamina needed to control chakra properly."
"Depending on the jutsu, controlling your chakra properly can be very difficult."
"And a ninja will usually be gathering chakra during battle while constantly moving. Situations like that make controlling chakra even more difficult."
Kakashi pulled out three kunai and threw them toward the trio.
"That's why, through this tree-climbing exercise, you must gain the stamina needed for proper control."
"Well… me talking all day isn't going to accomplish anything. This is something you'll have to learn with your bodies."
"Use those kunai to mark how high you make it up the tree."
He added, "Then use that mark as your goal and try to surpass it."
—]
At this moment, the manga felt like a soothing medicine, as once the readers became immersed in it, the previous 'mysterious' incident—where everyone had been spatially transferred into the art store—was completely forgotten.
The shinobi from the various clans glanced at the Third Hokage, who gestured with his hand, signaling them to calm down and pretend to read the manga without causing a disturbance.
However, what Hiruzen did not expect was that the shinobi were not pretending at all—they were fully engrossed in the story.
"This is amazing! I honestly didn't expect such a simple lesson to be this deep!" exclaimed a shinobi from the Fūma clan, astonishment clear on his face.
"Kakashi-sensei is extremely skilled in chakra control. Going back to the basics and presenting them so simply to the trio, he truly is an outstanding teacher. I can't even imagine what those three will achieve in the future under the guidance of someone like Kakashi."
A shinobi from the Aburame clan smiled as he commented on the instructional scene in the manga.
"As expected of someone from my clan,"
The Hatake clan was not limited to Sakumo and his son alone. Other families were bearing the same name, all tracing their origins back to the Hatake clan. Only Sakumo's family stood out due to their exceptional reputation.
The person who had just spoken was a shinobi from a branch family of the Hatake clan.
"This is far more complex than it appears at first glance as a simple tree-climbing test. I completely agree with Kakashi. The chakra must be balanced with extreme precision in the foot, which is the most difficult area to direct the chakra to. If you use too much, you'll fail to climb, and if you use too little, you'll fail as well."
Said another shinobi—this time from the Inuzuka clan, famous for their formidable ability to tame dogs through chakra control. For the Inuzuka clan in particular, Kakashi's tree-climbing lesson was not a simple exercise at all, but something incredibly valuable.
Soon, the Konoha shinobi found themselves completely unable to pretend. Instead, they were contemplating the manga scenes as if they had fallen under a powerful genjutsu.
Yet there was no trace of genjutsu at play—
They were being drawn in willingly.
...
The same was true for Hiruzen himself, who was currently in the midst of a fierce inner struggle.
He wanted to stand up, leave the art store, and pull every Konoha shinobi out with him. But when he opened the manga volume, he found it incredibly difficult—no, impossible—to rise from his comfortable seat.
'This feeling is unsettling… as if I'm being controlled.'
Hiruzen thought to himself. He knew there was no control or manipulation involved, yet on a deeper level, he desperately wanted to know what would happen in the next scene of the manga.
How would Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura learn chakra control and advance to the next level?
And how would Kakashi succeed in teaching them?
When he saw Kakashi's detailed explanation of the seemingly simple tree-climbing exercise, he praised him sincerely in his heart.
'Amazing. Excellent. He truly has real teaching and training ability—both theoretically and practically.'
'Oh? Who would have thought Sakura is far better at chakra control than Sasuke and Naruto, those two monsters!'
'Seriously? They have chūnin-level strength, yet they can't even climb a tree… so they can't walk on water either?'
'That means once they refine their chakra control even slightly, they'll become unstoppable!'
'Kakashi really is meticulous.'
'Wait… if shinobi in all five great villages benefit from this lesson, refining chakra control from a young age, wouldn't that lead to an unprecedented evolution in raw power?'
Hiruzen felt completely drawn into the chapter, countless thoughts of every kind erupting in his mind.
…
'You've got to be kidding me?'
Seeing Hiruzen reading the chapter with the expression of a curious, fully absorbed reader, Danzō sensed that something was wrong.
He was still reeling from the shock of what had happened ten minutes earlier.
He and Hiruzen were now in the same boat—you can't oppose someone and, at the same time, read his manga… right?
'But… this is really difficult…'
From time to time, Danzō would sneak glances at the manga pages in his hand.
Moments earlier, both Koharu and Homura had bought their volumes—and bought one for him as well. He hadn't asked for it, but he didn't want to embarrass himself any further.
He was completely defeated at this moment.
'I admit it. I underestimated you completely, Rubiro-kun. But don't think this is the end. I'll deal with you seriously from now on.'
Danzō thought inwardly.
'And I'll also take this manga more seriously. Its content is truly unbelievable.'
…
Away from those bound by political stances, the members of the Uchiha clan—who enjoyed watching conflicts within the village escalate—were utterly astonished by the beginning of the third volume.
Uchiha Hugaku, the clan head, sat in the center with a solemn expression. Other clan members sat beside him, forming almost a circle. Among them were his son Fugaku and Fugaku's friend, Mikoto.
"Didn't you say this training was nothing to you, demon fox brat? Then why did you fail to climb even half a meter up the tree?"
Uchiha Hugaku sneered at Naruto as he watched his miserable failure.
"On the other hand, it seems Sasuke isn't doing very well either."
"That doesn't make sense, Father. Don't you think so?"
Fugaku spoke up at that moment.
"What do you mean?"
"At Sasuke's current age, given his talent, he should have been guided by his father, an older brother, or even more experienced Uchiha. He shouldn't be failing such a simple test like tree climbing."
Fugaku showed a confused expression as he said this.
That was exactly what had happened to him. When he was very young, he had been trained by his father and older brothers, taught all the fundamentals of chakra control, and how to use it flexibly.
Shouldn't the same have happened with Sasuke?
What prevented that, forcing him to wait for an outsider like Kakashi to teach him even the most fundamental?
"Hm… that's an important point I overlooked unconsciously."
The Uchiha clan head fell into deep thought.
He, too, did not know the reason.
"Uchiha Sasuke… isn't he the only Uchiha who has appeared so far?" one of the Uchiha asked.
"And why does that matter? Hatake Kakashi is also the only Hatake who has appeared so far…"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is also the only member of the Sarutobi clan who has appeared…" another added.
"Man, you're wrong—there's Sarutobi Konohamaru…"
"Oh, right. I forgot about that kid."
"It doesn't matter. Uzumaki Naruto is also the only Uzumaki who has appeared so far…"
"It's just the beginning. No other clan members have appeared in the story yet. There's no need to rush."
Hearing their clan members talk like this eased the heavy worry that had been weighing on both Fugaku and his father's hearts ever since they began reading this manga.
____________
Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 85: Haku.
Chapter 86: Iwagakure Reacts to the Events of the Manga — A Moving Story.
Chapter 87: Sunagakure Benefits from the Manga!
Chapter 88: Naruto Doesn't Seem to Be Able Not to Be Concerned About You.
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 112.
There are 29 advanced chapters available now:
5 chapters in the Silver tier ($5 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Gold tier ($10 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Platinum tier ($15 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Diamond tier ($20 subscription), and 8 more chapters in the Emperor tier ($30 subscription)
On Patreon and Ko-fi, too.
In the coming days, chapters will be made available for all tiers, reaching up to 50 advanced chapters… Enjoy!