The sun had already dipped below the rooftops of Konoha. The crimson evening glow painted the village in shades of gold and orange, and the chatter of returning villagers filled the streets.
But far away from the crowd, in the quiet apartment at the edge of town, Naruto Uzumaki sat at his small wooden table, eating in silence. Steam rose from a bowl of instant ramen. The smell was familiar, comforting.
But Naruto's thoughts were elsewhere—tracing the faint pulses of chakra that drifted in the air outside. Even though he'd concealed his presence within the Storm Sanctuary, he could still feel the subtle stirrings of movement beyond it. Ever since Danzo's failed attack, the number of watchers in the village had doubled. ANBU, Root remnants, even curious civilians. The Hokage wanted reassurance. Danzo wanted revenge. And the people—they just wanted a story to whisper about.
Naruto sighed softly. "So noisy, " he muttered. "Do they really think I don't notice? "
He reached out lazily, and a flicker of lightning chakra arced across his fingertips—a small reminder to himself that the storm was still there, waiting.
A soft knock came at the door. "Knock, knock. "
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't sensed any hostile intent. No killing aura, no chakra fluctuation. Just… calm familiarity.
He stood, walked to the door, and opened it. Standing outside was a familiar figure, dressed in a casual vest and carrying a small paper bag.
"Iruka-sensei, " Naruto said, a little surprised.
The teacher smiled gently. "Hey. I hope I'm not disturbing you. "
Naruto blinked. "Not really. You're probably the first person who's ever knocked on my door. "
Iruka chuckled softly. "Then I'll take that as an honor. "
He held up the paper bag. "I brought some real food. Instant ramen's not bad, but you can't live on it forever. "
Naruto looked at the bag, then back at Iruka, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he seemed unsure how to respond.
Then, after a beat of silence, he stepped aside. "Come in. "
The two sat across from each other at the small table. Iruka opened the bag and began unpacking it—rice balls, grilled fish, miso soup, and a box of dumplings. The smell filled the room instantly.
Naruto blinked in mild awe. "You… cooked all this? "
Iruka smiled. "I'm not a great cook, but I manage. It's better than cup noodles, at least. "
Naruto grinned faintly. "I don't know. You've never had my ramen. "
They both laughed, and for a while, the silence in the little apartment softened.
Iruka watched as Naruto ate quietly, his movements precise and calm—very unlike the noisy, hyperactive boy he once knew.
After a while, he set down his chopsticks and spoke carefully. "…You've changed a lot, Naruto. "
Naruto didn't look up. "People keep saying that. "
"It's true, " Iruka said softly. "You're quieter now. More focused. And…"
He hesitated. "There's something different about your eyes. They look older. "
Naruto smiled faintly, but there was no joy in it. "I guess that happens when you stop being a kid. "
Iruka frowned. "You're still a kid. "
"Am I? " Naruto asked, his tone light but edged. "Everyone in this village either fears me, pities me, or tries to use me. I can't afford to act like a kid, Iruka-sensei. "
The teacher's chest tightened. He'd expected bitterness—but hearing it spoken so calmly hurt more than anger ever could.
He took a deep breath. "I know the village hasn't treated you fairly. But the Hokage—"
Naruto cut him off gently. "The Hokage is doing what he thinks is right. I understand that. But he's still using me. Just… more politely than Danzo. "
The bluntness of that statement made Iruka flinch. Yet Naruto's expression remained calm, almost detached.
"I don't hate him, " Naruto added quietly. "I just don't trust anyone to protect me but myself. "
Silence fell between them for a moment. Iruka looked down at his bowl, then at the boy sitting across from him. He'd always told himself Naruto was just a student—a mischievous kid with too much energy and too little discipline.
But the child before him now… was something entirely different. Still, behind that maturity, Iruka saw a glimpse of something else—a faint loneliness hidden in the boy's eyes.
He set down his chopsticks. "Then promise me one thing, Naruto. "
Naruto looked up. "What? "
"No matter how strong you get, don't forget the people who care about you. "
Naruto tilted his head slightly. "You mean… you? "
Iruka smiled gently. "I mean anyone. Even if the whole world stands against you one day, there will always be someone who believes in you. And you'll need that belief more than any power. "
For a long moment, Naruto said nothing. Then he looked away, toward the window. The evening light spilled through the glass, casting long shadows across the room.
"I'll keep that in mind, " he said softly. It wasn't a promise—but it wasn't rejection either. For Iruka, that was enough.
After they finished eating, Iruka stood to leave. At the door, he turned back one last time.
"Oh, and Naruto? "
Naruto glanced over. "Yeah? "
Iruka smiled warmly. "You don't have to carry everything alone. Even storms need a sky to exist in. "
Naruto blinked, surprised. Then, for the first time in days, he smiled genuinely. "…Thanks, sensei. "
When Iruka left, the apartment grew quiet again. Naruto stood by the window for a long time, watching the distant rooftops shimmer under moonlight.
The teacher's words lingered in his mind—not as orders, but as something gentler. He reached out his hand, letting a small thread of Storm chakra coil around his fingers. The light from it flickered faintly, like a heartbeat.
"Even storms need a sky, huh…" He closed his hand slowly, the glow fading. "Then I'll find my own. "
Far above, in the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen sat at his desk, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he looked into the crystal ball. He had watched the entire conversation silently. For the first time in days, his heart felt lighter.
"Thank you, Iruka, " he murmured. "You may be the only one who can still reach that boy. "
He looked out the window toward the night sky. "Hold on to that light, Naruto… because the next storm may be darker than anything before. "
The pipe smoke curled through the air, forming a thin spiral that rose toward the stars—just like the will of the Uzumaki.
Tab 31
**Chapter 31: A Fruitful Harvest! The Forest Drill Begins! **
Not long after Naruto's mental strength skyrocketed—
time flew by like an arrow,
and the sun and moon passed as swiftly as a shuttle through the loom.
Just like that, Naruto and his classmates completed their **second year at the Ninja Academy**.
During this year, they studied the basics of *shurikenjutsu* and *kunai techniques*,
learned survival skills, trap-setting, environmental analysis, and stealth tactics.
As for Naruto himself—
Up to this point,
he had created the **Meditative Star Gate Cultivation Method**,
and the **Chakra Version of the Six Styles of the Celestial Thief**.
He'd also developed a ninja-world variant of **Observation Haki**.
He mastered the **Rasengan**, the **Big Ball Rasengan**, the **Ultra Big Ball Rasengan**, and even the **Planetary Rasengan**.
He'd achieved **the ultimate transformation of Wind-natured Chakra**,
and from that foundation, created:
**Wind Release: Rasenshuriken**,
**Wind Release: Big Ball Rasenshuriken**,
and **Wind Release: Ultra Big Ball Rasenshuriken**.
He even developed **Wind Release: Sky Dance Technique**,
granting him the ability to **fly freely** using his own chakra.
Then there was the **Divine Mechanism Hundred-Forge: Art of Object Control**,
which allowed him to control all ninja tools at will.
Finally, his tremendous spiritual power had reached the point of **complete immunity to genjutsu**.
Oh—and one more thing.
During the end-of-year exams, Naruto, unsurprisingly,
again ranked **first in both theory and practice**,
retaining his spot as **top student**.
Such outstanding results made **Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen** beam with satisfaction.
During the vacation, Naruto finally allowed himself a true break,
spending happy days with Hinata and the others.
However—
those joyful days quickly passed,
and the **third year at the Ninja Academy** began.
---
On the very first day of term,
**Iruka** stood before the class with a serious look on his face.
"This time, " he said, "I'm not going to check whether you've reviewed last year's lessons. "
At once, cheers erupted through the classroom.
But in the next moment,
Iruka's next words left everyone stunned.
"Because this year, you'll be learning something different. "
"Starting now, you'll be undergoing a **month-long combat drill in the forest training grounds! **"
The moment his words fell,
the classroom froze, then exploded into disbelief.
"No way, Iruka-sensei! A month-long forest drill? ! You're trying to kill us! "
"Teacher, what will we eat? Where do we sleep? !"
"Yeah, Iruka-sensei! I don't want to take part in this! "
The students protested one after another.
But Iruka wasn't asking for their opinions—
he was **informing** them.
His expression turned stern as he slapped the desk twice—*bang! *
"This is a **mandatory exercise**, with no exceptions.
Anyone who doesn't want to participate—
can go ahead and file for withdrawal from the Academy right now. "
At those words, the class fell silent.
They all understood just how serious Iruka-sensei was.
And compared to quitting and never becoming a ninja,
gritting their teeth and enduring a month in the forest didn't seem so bad after all.
"Good. "
Iruka nodded at the now-quiet room.
The drill starts **today**! "
---
Iruka led Naruto's class through the village
to the vast **Forest Training Grounds** prepared for live combat exercises.
The area stretched out endlessly—
after all, if there was one thing **Konoha Village** had in abundance, it was forests.
The **First Hokage**, the village's founder,
had chosen this land precisely for its rich forest resources,
and later used his divine **Wood Release**
to expand them even further—
thus creating the lush, resource-rich village of Konoha.
Standing at the entrance to the training area,
Iruka began to explain the rules for the month-long exercise.
"This drill will test your intelligence-gathering, trap-setting, and ambush skills—your overall capabilities.
Use what you learned last year about wilderness survival. It'll serve you well. "
"Each of you will receive an **identification tag**. "
"If your tag is taken, you're **eliminated**. "
"Those who survive until the end will be deemed **victors**. "
"To ensure fairness, " he continued,
"you'll be divided into **four-person teams**. "
"If three members are eliminated but one remains victorious,
the entire team will still be counted as a win. "
After finishing, Iruka signaled his assistants to hand out the tags.
Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino each received theirs.
By coincidence, Naruto's group consisted of **Hinata Hyuga**, **Kiba Inuzuka**, and **Shino Aburame**.
"Tch. Didn't expect to be on your team, " Kiba muttered, frowning at Naruto.
Though they were friends, he'd wanted a real chance to challenge him.
No such luck this time.
Naruto just smiled.
Hinata, blushing, felt incredibly lucky to be teamed with him.
Seeing the crimson flush on her face, Naruto couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her hair with a grin.
"Don't worry, " he said softly.
"With me here, we'll be fine. "
Since Hinata was on his team,
he naturally couldn't allow her to be eliminated.
As for Shino—ever silent and low-key—Naruto simply ignored him.
---
Meanwhile, on another side of the field,
**Sasuke Uchiha** found himself assigned to a team of nobodies—
ordinary civilian-born students with no particular talent.
Not that Sasuke cared.
To him, anyone in the class would only hold him back—
anyone except Naruto.
His dark eyes locked onto Naruto's back,
burning with determination and the hunger for vengeance.
Of course, Naruto wasn't the one he sought revenge against—
but right now, Naruto was the strongest of their generation,
the one standing at the very top.
If Sasuke wanted the power to kill *that man*,
he needed to surpass everyone—
including **Uzumaki Naruto**.
Thus, he had decided:
during this forest drill, he would **defeat Naruto**!
---
To ensure fairness from the very beginning,
Iruka sent each team to a different entrance around the forest perimeter,
so no group would start too close to another.
Before long,
every team was in position at their assigned gates.
Then Iruka's voice echoed through the air:
"Now, the one-month forest combat drill—**begins! **"
At that command,
his voice rang simultaneously in the ears of every team.
With that, Naruto and his teammates, along with the other groups,
charged deep into the forest training grounds.
---
*wuwuwu! *
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