After finishing the dishes, Nine-Tails stretched luxuriously, untied the apron, and planned to return to the sofa to resume his favorite lounging position.
Just as he was about to leave the kitchen, Nine-Tails' nose twitched. He caught the scent of mutton still lingering in the air.
Following his nostrils, Nine-Tails padded over to the pot and lifted the lid. Inside sat a full pot of mutton, still warm. "Hmph. The brat does have a conscience after all," he muttered, though a small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Naruto took Sasuke for a stroll along the mountain path. It was late spring, transitioning into early summer—the perfect season. Trees flourished with deep green leaves, grass grew thick and lush, and occasionally small wildflowers emerged from the undergrowth, swaying gently in the breeze.
As they passed the pigsty, the pigs completely ignored them, each one sleeping contentedly in their own spot without a care in the world.
When they walked past the flock of sheep, the animals immediately fled. But this time, something strange happened—not a single sheep dared to be the fastest. Each one kept glancing at the others, making absolutely certain they weren't leading the escape.
The result? All the sheep ended up walking at the exact same slow, measured pace, moving almost like they were on a fashion runway.
Naruto and Sasuke both burst out laughing at the ridiculous sight.
Finally, they passed by the cattle herd. When the bulls spotted Naruto, the resentment on their faces intensified dramatically. Their expressions seemed to say they had absolutely nothing left to give.
This time, Naruto didn't comment on the bulls' apparent laziness. He decided it was fine to let them rest for a while. After all, perhaps some of the cows were already pregnant. He could always assign them back to the breeding bulls later if needed.
Time continued to pass slowly.
On the road outside the Uchiha compound...
Itachi stood on the streetlamp, arms crossed, waiting patiently.
After their walk, Naruto brought Sasuke to his usual training area.
Sasuke looked around with wide eyes, taking in the scene of destruction. Numerous broken trees lay scattered across the ground like fallen soldiers. "Naruto, did you break all of these while practicing?"
"Yeah." Naruto nodded matter-of-factly. Then he turned to Sasuke with a serious expression. "Sasuke, do you know why time is so precious?"
"Why?" Sasuke asked, genuinely curious.
"Because an inch of time is worth an inch of gold, but an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time," Naruto recited. He was remembering one of the inspirational quotes the system had used to motivate him during his early training. Now he took it out and shared it with Sasuke. "That's why we must work hard and seize every moment to become stronger."
The words struck a chord with Sasuke. He felt genuinely moved. No wonder Naruto is so powerful—it all comes from hard work and dedication.
"You're right. Let's work hard and practice together!" Sasuke clenched his fists, encouraging both himself and Naruto.
"Good. Then I'll start my training. You can practice your ninjutsu over there." As he spoke, Naruto pulled off his shirt, revealing his firm upper body. His wheat-colored skin stretched over clearly defined muscles, each group distinct and powerful.
He set his jacket aside carefully, mindful not to damage it. If he went all out with the Iron Body Technique while wearing it, the shirt would explode immediately.
After his preparations were complete, Naruto began to activate his technique.
He assumed the starting position, the first stance of the Iron Body sequence.
The moment he raised his hand, crackling sounds erupted from throughout his body—like beans popping in hot oil. At the same time, Naruto's height increased dramatically. He shot up, growing an entire head taller. His muscles swelled and bulged outward, the fibers becoming clearly visible beneath his skin, pulsing slightly with internal power.
Witnessing this transformation, Sasuke felt a shock run through him.
The Naruto standing before him seemed to have undergone a complete metamorphosis. His body had grown significantly larger, and his height now reached over 1.8 meters. Just looking at him conveyed an overwhelming sense of raw, primal strength.
As Naruto's body moved through strange, complex postures, Sasuke could actually hear the sound of blood rushing through his veins—a powerful, rhythmic whooshing that spoke of incredible vitality.
Inspired by Naruto's dedication, Sasuke moved to a spot nearby and began practicing his Fire Style techniques, launching fireballs at the broken tree trunks.
On the road outside the Uchiha compound...
Itachi stood on the streetlamp, maintaining his patient vigil.
Suddenly, Itachi's eyebrows drew together in a frown. Without warning, he leaped down from the streetlamp in a hurry and dropped forward onto the ground, lying completely still.
He'd been standing on that streetlamp for far too long.
His feet had gone completely numb.
Back at the training ground, Naruto concluded the Iron Body Technique sequence and returned to his normal posture. He was still five positions away from truly mastering the technique, and the difficulty increased exponentially with each subsequent form. However, he could already feel his skin beginning to undergo a fundamental transformation.
Perhaps when he finally completed those last five positions, his body and skin would officially complete their metamorphosis. At that point, blades would never be able to harm him—swords and knives would simply bounce off his flesh.
He exhaled a long breath of turbid air. As he did so, his body began to shrink back down, his height decreasing until he returned to his normal 1.6 meters.
Turning his head, Naruto glanced to the side. There, Sasuke was still practicing diligently. He was using his Fire Style techniques against the broken tree trunks, and behind him, a hill of charcoal had already accumulated—all the trees he'd burned with his flames.
Naruto walked over. Hearing the footsteps, Sasuke wiped the sweat from his face and said with satisfaction, "Naruto, I feel like my Fire Style has improved again."
"Good. Let's keep making progress together," Naruto responded with a nod.
Sasuke pointed at the mountain of charcoal behind him. "Naruto, you can use this charcoal to keep warm during winter."
Naruto immediately shook his head with a laugh. "With my physical conditioning, I've long since stopped being afraid of the cold. But this charcoal is still useful—we can use it for barbecues next time we hang out."
Then Naruto's expression turned thoughtful. "Hey Sasuke, let's take a break and sit down for a chat. Maybe you could tell me more stories about your brother..."
The moment those words left Naruto's mouth, Sasuke suddenly exclaimed in shock.
"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Naruto asked with immediate concern.
"I just remembered—my brother probably prepared dinner and is waiting for me to come home and eat! I haven't gone back until now. He must be so worried, maybe even sad." Guilt washed over Sasuke's face. "Naruto, I need to go back right away. Let's hang out again tomorrow after school, okay?"
With those words, Sasuke said his goodbyes to Naruto and hurried off.
The entire way home, Sasuke's mind churned with worried thoughts. What if my brother waited for me for a really long time and became upset? I should have thought about him sooner. What kind of little brother am I?
Filled with this anxiety, Sasuke quickened his pace, practically running toward the Uchiha compound.
When he finally approached the clan grounds, he came to the spot beneath the streetlamp—the exact place where his brother stood most often. There, Sasuke spotted his brother Itachi. But instead of standing on top of the streetlamp in his usual position, Itachi was sitting on the ground.
Brother always loves standing on that streetlamp, Sasuke thought, his guilt intensifying. If he's not standing on it now, he must be angry with me.
This realization made Sasuke's heart sink. He walked over to where Itachi sat and saw his brother rubbing his feet with both hands. "Brother..." Sasuke called out softly, his voice small and apologetic.
"Oh. Sasuke, you're back..."
Itachi looked up, and a warm smile immediately spread across his face, lighting up his features.
"Brother, you've been waiting for me for such a long time. I'm so sorry..." Sasuke apologized, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It's all right, Sasuke. How could your brother ever be angry with you? I could never be angry at you, not ever." Itachi reached out his hand and gently rubbed the top of Sasuke's head, his touch affectionate and reassuring.
"Is brother really not angry?"
Despite the words, Sasuke felt certain his brother must be comforting him, hiding his true feelings. He's such a good brother—he always buries his grievances deep in his heart and never wants me to worry.
"But brother, something's different today," Sasuke couldn't help but point out. "Usually at this time, you'd always be standing on top of the streetlamp, gazing into the distance with your arms folded, waiting for me in that cool pose. Why aren't you doing that now?"
"I..." Itachi stopped rubbing Sasuke's head. He fell silent for a long moment, then finally let out a deep, resigned breath.
"My feet went numb, Sasuke..."
Perhaps it was Sasuke's imagination, but in his brother's voice, he could hear a rare trace of helplessness.
And just beneath that, the faintest hint of resentment.