Chapter 467 - 1

Chapter 1: The Old Third's ConcernHiruzen Sarutobi stood before the window, pipe in hand, unlit.The sky outside was gray, not yet fully bright. The report Anbu had just delivered swirled in his mind.Naruto Uzumaki, three years old.Waking up at 4:30 AM to train, practicing for three hours. Basic Taijutsu movements, repeated over and over. He tried Chakra control in the middle, failed, then switched to another method and continued.At the end of the report, Anbu had written a line: "The Jinchuriki is showing abnormal behavior; recommend continued monitoring."Hiruzen chewed on the mouthpiece of his pipe, biting down twice. An unlit pipe had no taste, but he was used to chewing on it.He recalled that night three years ago.The Nine-Tailed roared in the sky, Tailed Beast Ballraining down, houses collapsing one after another. Minato Namikaze used the Reaper Death Seal to split the Nine-Tailed in two, sealing one half inside himself and the other half inside the stomach of that newborn infant.That infant was Naruto, the son of Minato and Kushina.Hiruzen had stood by the sealing altar back then, watching the Eight Trigrams Seal emerge on the infant's navel, feeling a complex mix of emotions.He had wondered then, what would become of this child?Looking at it now, his initial worries were not at all unfounded.The villagers treated the child as a monster; no one was willing to raise him. A year ago, after a malicious incident at the orphanage, Naruto had moved out on his own initiative.He could only send people to periodically deliver milk powder, money, and supplies.He knew Naruto had suffered quite a bit, but he also knew that Naruto's identity was special, and he had too many other considerations to take into account.It was the same as the contents of the previous report.A three-year-old child, waking up at 4:30 AM to exercise.Frog jumps, push-ups, squats, running... Adults would get bored after a few days, but this three-year-old child had been training for over half a year.Hiruzen put this one down and picked up another. The record of last night's conflict.A dozen or so children had surrounded and beaten Naruto, shouting, "The Demon Fox killed my parents!" Adults formed a circle around them, shouting for them to stop, but their eyes were full of hatred.As a result, Naruto had taken down all of them by himself. The report was objective: no serious injuries, no fractures, mostly soft tissue contusions and nosebleeds.But that wasn't what concerned Hiruzen.It was what the Anbu had transcribed.After the conflict ended, Naruto stood in front of those children, panting, blood on his fists. The surrounding adults hadn't dispersed; some were cursing, others were pulling their own children away. Naruto didn't run, nor did he strike again.He said: "I know why you hate me, and I'm also very sad."Reading this, Hiruzen's fingers paused."But I won't become like you.""I will become Hokage on my own and make everyone acknowledge me, not by bullying the weak to find a sense of existence."Hiruzen put the report down, picked up his pipe, then put it down again.He remembered Minato.When Minato was alive, he was always smiling. Gentle, patient, kind to everyone. Hiruzen had always felt that Minato was a natural leader; he didn't need to do anything deliberately for others to be willing to follow him.Naruto was very much like Minato."I won't become like you."Hiruzen pondered this sentence repeatedly.Hiruzen had seen what many people looked like after being bullied. Some cried, some hid, some endured for years before exploding, killing more ruthlessly than anyone else.But he had rarely seen someone like Naruto.Hiruzen stood up and walked to the window.People walked by on the street, several women carrying vegetable baskets, chatting and laughing, a vendor pushing a cart selling dumplings. Everything was normal and peaceful.But underneath, there were undercurrents surging.Hiruzen had seen too many children crushed by hatred. Either they gave up on themselves, or they retaliated against society.But he was now convinced that Naruto would be just like Minato—loving Konoha and protecting the Village.Bang!The door was shoved open violently, striking the wall with a dull thud."Hiruzen."Danzo stood at the doorway, half his face wrapped in bandages, the exposed eye like a dry well, from which no emotion could be dredged up."To barge into the Hokage Office before the sky is even fully bright—it seems this is no small matter." Hiruzen still looked out the window, turning his pipe half a circle in his hand.Danzo walked in, his cane tapping on the floor, tap, tap, tap.He didn't sit, standing three steps behind Hiruzen, neither overstepping his bounds nor appearing respectful."I have read the Anbu report." Danzo said.Hiruzen finally turned around, leaning against the window frame with his pipe clamped in the corner of his mouth. "Since when did Anbu reports start being copied to Root? I recall that this is not within the scope of the Hokage Assistant's authority.""You know full well what I am talking about." Danzo's tone remained unchanged, still that dry, emotionless inflection, "A three-year-old Jinchuriki, waking up at 4:30 AM to train, and even attempting Chakra control on his own without guidance."He paused, as if he could recite every word in the report without needing to look at it."Hiruzen, don't you think there's a problem?"Hiruzen walked back behind his desk and sat down, placing his pipe on the table and crossing his hands in front of him. He looked at Danzo, his gaze as calm as a stagnant pool."What problem do you think there is?"Danzo stepped forward two paces, his cane striking the floor in front of the desk, making a crisp sound."A Jinchuriki should not have this kind of drive." Danzo's voice lowered by half a degree, as if speaking a secret that could not be heard by a fifth person, "The seal is stable, the Nine-Tailed has not leaked; so where does this desperate desire to become stronger come from?""Hatred." Danzo didn't wait for Hiruzen to answer, continuing himself, "A three-year-old child, treated as a monster from a young age, with no one to raise him, no one to teach him, eating one meal and starving the next, met with Byakugan and curses everywhere he goes. Why should he be able to endure it? Why is he still training? Because he hates. He has converted everything he was deprived of into fuel for becoming stronger."Hiruzen listened without interrupting."Hatred is a weapon, and it is also gunpowder." Danzo's exposed eye narrowed slightly, "You are letting him grow wild now; he took down a dozen kids today, but what about tomorrow? The day after? When he gets a little older, when his hatred burns to a critical point, how many Evil Sealing Methods do you intend for the Anbu to use to suppress the Nine-Tailed?"The office was silent for a few seconds.Hiruzen picked up his pipe, then put it down again. He didn't rush to refute, but spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but every word seemed measured by a ruler."You are right; he is feeling hatred."Danzo's eyebrows twitched, seemingly not expecting Hiruzen to agree."But you missed one thing." Hiruzen raised his head, looking at Danzo, "He is hating, but he has not let the hatred consume him. Did you read that sentence in the report? 'I won't become like you'.""A three-year-old child's platitudes.""A three-year-old child wouldn't have such thoughts." Hiruzen corrected, "Have you ever seen a three-year-old child who would think the way you imagine?"Danzo was silent for a moment, his cane tapping lightly on the floor, making an impatient sound."Dare you say you don't have this concern? Hiruzen, there is no room for error in such matters; you are the Hokage.""Enough, Danzo! I am the Hokage!" Hiruzen's voice suddenly deepened, and the sharpness that had always been hidden beneath his gentle exterior was revealed for an instant."You will regret this, Hiruzen!"Bang!Stopped🔊 Browser

Chapter 2: Living Together, Yūgao UzukiHiruzen sat on his chair for a long time.The day had fully brightened. Sunlight cut diagonally through the window grid, spreading a warm yellow across the floor. Fine dust floated in the light, falling slowly, ever so slowly.He had been thinking about Naruto.His pipe rested on the edge of the table, the blue smoke long dissipated. He clasped his hands together, staring blankly at the ceiling. Danzo's concerns were not without merit—Naruto could no longer live alone.Previously, no arrangements were made for someone to look after him because the right person couldn't be found. The villagers avoided Naruto as if he were a plague; forcing him onto any family would only invite more cold glares. Back then, Naruto was small and didn't understand; it didn't matter who was with him.Now it was different. The child was growing up day by day; he needed more than just a bite to eat and a bed to sleep in. He needed someone to talk to, someone he could see when he returned home.Minato's child...Hiruzen went through the list in his mind over and over. Among the Jonin, few were suitable: Asumawas too impetuous, Might Guy's loud voice would scare the child into tears, and while Kurenai was steady, her missions were packed, keeping her away every other day.No suitable candidates were found among the Chunin and Special Jonin either.He suddenly changed his line of thinking—why must it be an adult?Adults had their own lives to lead and missions to attend to; they couldn't revolve around a child every day. He should look for someone of the same age, or a few years older. What Naruto lacked wasn't "care," but "company." Someone to eat with, bicker with, and get covered in mud with during practice. Someone who wouldn't look at him with that kind of gaze.Yūgao Uzuki.When this name popped into his mind, Hiruzentapped his fingers lightly on the desk.Eight years old. She graduated from the Ninja Academy last year and just passed the Genin exam this year. She didn't talk much, was efficient in her work, and had clear eyes. Her father, Heishiro Uzuki, was a Chunin who died in the line of duty during an escort mission two years ago. Her mother remarried, and Yūgao lived alone.An eight-year-old living alone. Hiruzen's heart pinched at the thought.But Yūgao had survived, and she lived with her head held high. She wouldn't look at Naruto with the eyes one uses for a demon fox—she was an orphan herself; she knew what that felt like.Letting an eight-year-old look after a three-year-old sounded absurd. But thinking about it carefully, Yūgao didn't need to do much. She just needed to be in that house, so Naruto would know that there was someone there when he came home.The more Hiruzen thought about it, the more he felt it would work.He picked up a pen, wrote "Yūgao Uzuki" on a piece of paper, and set it aside. He wrote another note, ordering someone to go find her.After the messenger left, Hiruzen leaned back into his chair. He twirled the pipe between his fingers twice, then put it down. He didn't know if this decision was right. But he couldn't think of a better way.The knock on the door was very light, two taps."Come in."The door pushed open, and a little girl entered. Her black hair was tied behind her head, wearing a gray top and dark pants, with a short sword tucked at her waist. The sword was a bit large for an eight-year-old, but worn on her, it looked inexplicably natural.Yūgao Uzuki.She walked to the desk and stood still, not speaking, looking at Hiruzen. Her gaze was neither evasive nor offensive. She was just waiting.Hiruzen sized her up. Thin, but not weak. She stood straight, her breathing steady."You live alone?" Hiruzen asked."Yes.""For how long?""A year.""How have you been getting by?"Yūgao paused, her voice not loud, but clear: "Cooking. Doing laundry. Training. Everything that needs to be done."Hiruzen nodded. He didn't ask if life was hard—looking at her, he knew she wasn't the type of child to complain about hardship."There is something I want to entrust to you," Hiruzen said, taking a photo from the drawer and pushing it in front of Yūgao.Yūgao looked down. Blond hair, blue eyes, three whisker-like marks on his cheeks."Uzumaki Naruto. Three years old," Hiruzen said. "He lives alone right now. I want you to move in with him."Yūgao's gaze lifted from the photo to look at Hiruzen."He has no family," Hiruzen said. "And no one is willing to look after him. You are an orphan, and so is he. Living together, you can be company for each other."Yūgao looked down at the photo again."I know who he is," she said. Her voice was very flat.Hiruzen understood what she meant. Everyone in the Village knew who Naruto was."He is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," Hiruzen said. "But he is not a demon fox. He is just a child."Yūgao didn't reply."You don't need to do anything special. Make him a meal, let him know there is someone at home, that's enough. You should train as you do, go on missions as you do. It's just one extra pair of chopsticks."Yūgao was silent for a moment."Is he willing?"Hiruzen was taken aback. He hadn't expected Yūgaoto ask this first."I haven't told him yet."Yūgao thought for a moment: "Then ask him first."Hiruzen looked at her for a few seconds, then nodded slowly."Alright. Let's meet him first and see if he is willing."He stood up and took his coat."I'll go with you."The training ground was empty.When Hiruzen brought Yūgao over, the day had fully brightened. However, the open ground only had packed yellow soil and leaves that had accumulated in the corners from the wind overnight.An Anbu landed silently from a tree, kneeling on one knee."Where is Naruto?""Reporting to Hokage-sama, he is at the apartment. He practiced until seven this morning and went back to cook."Hiruzen nodded and turned to walk toward the apartment. Yūgao followed behind, two steps away.The apartment was in the east of the Village, very old. The wooden floorboards in the hallway creaked when stepped on, and most of the paint on the railing had peeled off, revealing the gray-white wood grain underneath.Hiruzen stood in front of Naruto's door and knocked twice.No movement.He knocked twice more.After a few seconds, the door opened.Naruto stood at the doorway, still clutching a spatula in his hand. A grease stain was on his white T-shirt, and a smudge of dirt was on his cheek. Seeing Hiruzen, he was stunned, his gaze shifting to Yūgao behind Hiruzen."Grandpa Hokage.""Eating?" Hiruzen asked."Yeah.""Can we come in?"Naruto stepped aside. Hiruzen bent down to enter, and Yūgao followed behind.The room wasn't big, but it was clean. The pot on the stove was bubbling and steaming, and the salty aroma of miso mixed with the scent of firewood, filling the whole room.Hiruzen sat at the table. Yūgao stood at the door, unmoving.Naruto returned to the stove, turned off the fire, and took the pot down. Then he turned around, leaning against the stove, opening those adorable big blue eyes, looking at Hiruzen with innocence."Is there something you need, Grandpa Hokage?""There is something I want to talk to you about," Hiruzen said, trying to make his voice sound casual. "You live alone, you're too young. I want to have someone move in so you can look after each other."Naruto looked at Hiruzen, not speaking."Her name is Yūgao Uzuki," Hiruzen pointed toward the door. "Eight years old, she also lives alone. She will move in, and you two can be company for each other."Naruto turned his gaze to Yūgao.Yūgao was also looking at him. The two stared at each other for a few seconds."I don't need anyone to look after me," Naruto said.Hiruzen looked at those blue eyes. They were very clear, without the evasion and resentment that a child bullied for a long time should have. His heart ached slightly."It's not for her to look after you," he softened his tone, "It's just to be company. Yūgao also lives alone; if you live together, you can talk. If you're tired from training, there will be someone to give you a hand."Naruto pursed his lips and looked at Yūgao again. Yūgao stood at the door, her back very straight, the short sword at her waist swaying gently. Her eyes were very calm, very calm.Naruto remembered that every time he came home after training, the room was dark. Only the small lamp on the stove was lit, lonely. If someone were home, that light should be on for longer, right?Besides, Grandpa Hokage had spoken, and he couldn't refuse."Will she... train?" Naruto asked in a low voice, his fingers picking at the wooden handle of the spatula.Hearing this, Yūgao nodded: "I train every day.""Then are you strong?" Naruto's eyes brightened a little, "Stronger than me?"Yūgao thought for a moment and told the truth: "I know more Ninjutsu than you. My Taijutsu is okay too.""Then I can learn from you!" Naruto's energy suddenly returned, the previous awkwardness all gone, "I want to become strong! When I grow up, I want to be Hokage!"Hiruzen watched from the side, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.He cleared his throat: "Yūgao not only knows how to train, but she can also read. Don't you always say there are characters you don't recognize?"Naruto's face flushed slightly. Last time he went to buy rice, he miscounted the copper coins and was nagged by the landlady for a long time. He scratched his head and looked at Yūgao: "You really can?""Yes." Yūgao took a small notebook out of her pocket, opened a page, pointed to the words on it, and read them out.Naruto leaned in to look, his head almost touching Yūgao's arm. He pointed to one of the lines: "What does this character read? What does it mean?"The two heads were side by side, one asking and one answering. Hiruzen was left aside, smoking his unlit pipe, the worry in his heart slowly settling down.Things between children are simpler than adults think."So, are you willing to let her move in?" Hiruzeninterjected.Naruto raised his head, his blond hair ruffled. He nodded, nodding very heavily."I'm willing. But I have conditions.""Go ahead," Hiruzen found it interesting.Naruto held up a finger: "First, we take turns cooking. If I burn it today, she does it tomorrow.""Okay," Yūgao said.The second finger: "Second, when training, you can't say I'm noisy. When I practice Chakra bursts, it's very loud.""I also practice sword, it's also loud."Third finger. Naruto paused, his eyes changing."Third, you can't ignore me just because I am 'that'."The voice was very light. As if afraid it would be blown away by the wind.Yūgao looked at him. There was a flash of unease in his eyes, like grass that had been stepped on too many times, yet was quietly straightening up again.She remembered when she first moved out to live alone. When the neighbor aunt saw her, she always walked around her.She looked at Naruto and said: "I won't."Just two words. But said with weight.Naruto smiled. Revealing two little fangs."It's a deal!"The day Yūgao moved into Naruto's house, there was no ceremony.She didn't have many things. A half-old canvas bag stuffed with clothes to change, a few notebooks, and the short sword that never left her side.Naruto helped her carry the bag into the back room. That small room had been piled with miscellaneous items, but he had cleaned it in advance; the floor was wiped so clean one could see their reflection, and the cobwebs in the corners were cleared away completely."You live here from now on," he pointed to the place by the window, "There is sun here."Yūgao nodded, placed the bag on the tatami, untied the strap, and took things out one by one. Clothes folded neatly, edges aligned. Notebooks arranged by thickness. The short sword was placed on the wooden rack in the corner, blade facing the wall, not reflecting light.Naruto stood at the door and watched for a while."I'm going to buy soy sauce. Making soup at noon."He ran off after saying that.Yūgao was left alone in the room. She walked to the window and pushed open the wooden lattice window. Below was a narrow alley, a few sparrows jumping back and forth on the wall, and in the distance, one could vaguely hear people shouting training commands.It was noisier than where she used to live. But also livelier.Her fingers slid across the window sill, touching something sticky, and she brought it to her nose to smell—candied sugar.Probably got on it when eating candied haws last time.She took a cloth from her bag and wiped that spot clean.When Naruto returned, besides soy sauce, he had two skewers of dumplings."Uncle Ichiraku said it's a new side dish, red bean paste flavor." He handed one over, took a bite himself, the bean paste smeared on the corner of his mouth, "Try it."Yūgao took it and took a small bite.The red bean filling was generous. Sweet.Watching Naruto with his puffed-out cheeks, she suddenly remembered when her father was still around. He also loved to buy these dumplings. Back then she was also eight, following behind her father every day watching him practice sword."Is it good?" Naruto asked."Yes."For lunch, Naruto didn't burn the miso soup.Yūgao watched him cut the kelp into long and short pieces, and the tofu into various sizes. But he waited until the water boiled before adding ingredients, and the heat control was just right.A three-year-old child was more careful than she thought.After eating, Naruto took the initiative to clear the bowls. Standing on tiptoe to reach the sink, his sleeves slid down, revealing his thin arms. There were several shallow scars on them, from training.Yūgao walked over and took the bowls from his hands."I'll do it. You can't reach."Naruto didn't argue, standing obediently to the side and watching. Yūgao washed the dishes quickly, the water rushing, foam piling on the rims."You lived alone before, did you wash like this too?" he asked."Yes.""Then you must be cleaner than me," Narutoscratched his head, "I broke one last time, now there are only three bowls left."Yūgao washed the last one and inverted it on the drying rack."Be careful in the future. I have two spares on my side."In the afternoon, the two went to a nearby open space.Naruto practiced Taijutsu, held a horse stance, his knees shaking violently, but he gritted his teeth and didn't let go. Yūgao practiced drawing her sword on the side, drawing it out in one motion, the wind bringing down a few leaves; retracting it with a crisp click."Your sword drawing is so fast!" Naruto stared, no longer holding his horse stance, "Can you teach me?""Stand steady first," Yūgao looked at him, "Bend your knees more. If the center of gravity is too low, you'll get tired; if it's too high, you won't be steady."Naruto adjusted, and indeed, he was steadier. He looked up at Yūgao and found she was staring at his legs. For some reason, his face felt a bit hot, and he quickly lowered his head to look at the ground.When the sun tilted west, the two walked back.Yūgao's shadow was very long, able to cover Naruto completely.Passing by the grocery store, Naruto stopped and pointed at the candied haws at the door."If I learn the new fist tomorrow, can I buy a skewer?""If you can hold the horse stance for twenty minutes, it's fine."Naruto straightened his back: "I can!"After arriving home, Yūgao rummaged a small wooden box from her bag. Opening it, medicinal herbs were neatly arranged inside."Apply this to the wounds, it reduces swelling." She took a pinch, mixed it with warm water, walked to Naruto, "Stretch out your arm."Naruto was stunned for a moment, then obediently stretched it out.Yūgao's fingers were very light. The herbs were cool, brushing over the scars on his arm.Naruto shrank back."Itches.""Endure it." Yūgao applied it intently, wrapped it with a cloth strip, "Don't train too rushingly. It's easy to get hurt.""I want to become strong quickly," Naruto looked at his arm, "If I become strong, I can become Hokage, and then I can make everyone—"He didn't continue.Yūgao helped him tie the cloth strip."Take it slow. I'll accompany you."At night, Naruto lay on the bed.The sound of turning pages came from next door. Rustling, very light, very steady.At this time in the past, he would always let his mind wander. Worrying about tomorrow's training, worrying if there was enough money, worrying about being scolded again when going out.Today he didn't think about those things.The rustling sound of turning pages was like a lullaby. He touched the cloth strip on his arm, the scent of herbs seeping out, cool. The moonlight shone in from the window, drawing a few square grids on the tatami.Someone is accompanying me.It really is different.At 4:30 in the morning the next day, Naruto woke up.He went out lightly and found that Yūgao was already standing in the yard. It was still dark, and he could only see her outline—holding the short sword in her hand, standing like a tree."Awake?" She turned her head, "Warm up together."The two stretched side by side. Naruto peeked at Yūgao's movements, learning to keep his back straight when pressing his legs like her. It hurt so much he grimaced, but he didn't make a sound.When it was bright, Yūgao made breakfast. White porridge, pickled vegetables.Naruto drank two bowls, wiped his mouth, his eyes curved."Delicious!""Then I'll make it every day from now on." Yūgaocollected the bowls and chopsticks, her tone very flat.Naruto looked at her back.Suddenly, he felt that this previously empty room seemed to really be like a home. The rice bag wasn't empty, there was hot food on the stove. When returning from training, one could see the light in the window from far away.He remembered what Yūgao said yesterday, "I'll accompany you," and his heart was filled with something, warm and swollen."Sister Yugao.""Hmm?""Today for the horse stance, I will definitely be able to hold it for twenty minutes."Yūgao turned her head, the corners of her mouth moved slightly."I'll be waiting."Sunlight shone in from the window, falling on the two people.The shadows overlapped.

Chapter 3: Shattered Leaf Flow Ninja TaijutsuThe morning dew had not yet dried, and Naruto was already pounding the wooden stake with a thumping sound.His fists slammed into the wood, the sound much deeper than it had been last month.Yet every time he retracted his fist, his knuckles were flushed red, and the mass of Chakra on his arm would still run wild—darting from his wrist to his shoulder, forcing him to hold his breath every time he exerted force, terrified of numbing himself."Tsk."He shook his arm.The lingering glow of Chakra remained on his palm, hazy and white, dissipating faster than it could gather.Having transmigrated three years ago, he had truly witnessed the growth rate of Ninja in this world.His progress in Taijutsu was so fast it startled even him—his weighted training gear had increased from five jin to twenty jin, and he was only three years old.The potential for growth as a Ninja was absurdly high.But when it came to Chakra control, things were not looking so good.Spiritual energy and physical energy could clearly be twisted into a single strand, but once they entered his meridians, they started running wild.Last time he tried Tree Climbing, he gathered Chakra at the soles of his feet and kicked off—a piece of bark from the old locust tree fell off, and he fell backward, looking just like a toad on its back.He knew where the problem lay.That fox in his belly.The Nine-Tailed Chakra was always holed up in there, usually quiet and silent, but the moment he tried to exercise precise control, that power would become restless, shattering his rhythm to pieces.Kurama really was a menace.Naruto picked up a pebble from the ground and twirled it at his fingertips.Could he only pour it all out at once, and not guide it out bit by bit?...In that cat animation he watched in his past life, those cats did not seem to use precise control when unleashing their moves.They "flowed" it out along with their movements—the energy followed the body, not the body chasing the energy.Movements?He suddenly stopped.He stared at the sand pit not far away and took a deep breath.This time, he did not want to think about "how to make Chakra behave."He recalled the whirlwind kick he practiced yesterday—exerting force from the waist and abdomen during the jump, lowering his center of gravity upon landing, with the force traveling along his spine like a thread.A running start.Just as his feet left the ground, he tried to let the Chakra surge upward, following the contraction of his leg muscles.Not "driving" it, but "following" it.Like water flowing along a riverbed.No matter how chaotic it was inside, as long as a river channel was formed, it would not be able to go astray."Hah!"His foot landed in the sand pit, creating a deep crater.Sand splashed up and hit his face, stinging a little.But this time, the Chakra lacked its usual sense of chaos.Following the bending of his knees and the push of his ankles, they converged into a surging river, pouring into the soles of his feet in waves.The explosive force was nearly twice as strong as usual, yet he landed steadily, as if it had grown right onto his legs.Naruto stood in the sand pit, stunned for two seconds.Then he jumped up."It works! And it's perfect for a player like me who relies on brute force!"Under a tree not far away, Yūgao was crouching and wiping her sword.She looked up at the deep crater, then at the dancing Naruto.She pulled her scabbard closer to her chest, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.She did not let him see.From that day on, Naruto seemed to have found the way.When practicing straight punches, he let the Chakragather at his knuckles, following the swing of his arm.His punches became much faster, and the sound of them hitting the wooden stake was dull and deep.When practicing side kicks, he let the energy sink to his toes, following the twist of his waist and abdomen.With one kick, a wooden target half his height could spin three times.He no longer obsessed over whether his Chakrawas delicate or not.He only thought about one thing: quick release, quick retraction.Pouring it in violently when punching, and instantly withdrawing it when retracting.His moves were sharp and fluid, and combined with his punches and kicks, they actually gained a bit of a continuous, unstoppable momentum.This Uzumaki body recovered quickly; even if his muscles were sore from the Chakra's vibration, he would be fine after a night's sleep.In the evening, Naruto was training enthusiastically.With a spinning kick, he struck the wooden target, and the Chakra erupted along the arc of his kick, cracking the center of the target.He stumbled upon landing, but he smiled, revealing his two small canine teeth.The Nine-Tailed's interference was still there, so precise control was not realistic.But there were other ways—letting the Chakraexplode along with the rhythm of his fists, smashing sweat and strength into the ground together.This feeling was more satisfying than anything else.He bent down to pick up the weighted bands and wrapped them tighter around his arms.Tomorrow, he would try switching the Chakra's burst point during continuous punching.As for the fox in his belly, he would ignore it for now.Anyway, he could not control it for the time being.The morning dew had long since dried.The sun climbed to the top of the sky, and the sandy ground of the training field was scorching hot.Naruto sat beside the wooden stake, clutching the weighted bands in his hands, motionless for a long time.It had been over a month.Every day he got up before dawn to train, and even after Yūgao sheathed her sword and left, he was still here pounding away.The bruises on his body healed only to be replaced by new ones, and the calluses on his knuckles grew thicker.He could not say there were no results.His fists could now crack the wooden stake, and the instances of Chakra running wild were slightly fewer than before.Just a little bit.He picked up a stone and scratched at the ground.In the morning, he tried switching the burst point during continuous punches—the first punch was fine, the second punch started to jam, and on the third punch, the Chakra exploded directly on his shoulder, numbing his arm for half an hour."This way of training is wrong.The method is wrong, I'm training too haphazardly."Naruto muttered to himself; this was just blind training.The fox in his belly turned over, ignoring him.Naruto threw the stone away and lay back.The sun was blinding, so he squinted, his mind in a mess.He had trained very hard this month, but he knew in his heart that the effects were becoming smaller and smaller.The first few days saw rapid progress, but later it felt like hitting a wall; no matter how hard he tried, he could not push through.He lacked a method.He rolled over, resting his chin on his arm, and stared at the sand on the ground.He tried desperately to recall the animations he had watched in his past life.Not Naruto, but "Jing-Ju Cats."He remembered some scenes of the cats training their Rhythm Force very clearly, while others had become blurred.Controlling grass to grow and wither.Right.Baitang crouched on the ground, palms pressed against the grass leaves, and as the Rhythm Force slowly seeped in, the grass would shoot up.Then, when he withdrew it, the grass would turn yellow and wither.One release and one withdrawal, the Rhythm Force entered and exited his body freely.Naruto sat up abruptly.He looked down at his hands—formless and colorless Chakra.He had long since been to the library and accessed some basic books.It was not hard to get Chakra nature testing paper, and he tested as having innate Wind and Fire dual natures.Chakra had five basic natures: Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning, and Earth.Wood Release was a Bloodline Limit mixed from Water and Earth.Make grass grow?He did not have the Wood nature.Naruto fell back to the ground, placing the back of his hand on his forehead.The sun scorched his face; that method was not suitable for him.But the logic was correct—to let the energy be released and retracted freely.He closed his eyes.What he wanted was not precise control, but the ability to release and retract freely even while it was violent.Direction!He opened his eyes suddenly.From the Dantian to the fist, from the waist and hips to the toes.This was the direction.Before, he had never thought about "which path to let the Chakra take," only knowing how to "pour it into his fists."Like splashing water at someone; regardless of whether it spilled or not, as long as it was splashed out, it was fine.Half of the splashed water was wasted, and the other half splashed back onto himself.He needed a conduit.The meridians in his body were the conduits.But he had never seriously managed how the Chakra moved within the meridians; he only focused on pouring it in.Naruto sat up, crossed his legs, and rested his hands on his knees.He closed his eyes.The mass of Chakra in his Dantian was warm, like warm water.The Nine-Tailed's Chakra was like another mass of fire, holed up in a deeper place, usually silent, but the moment he touched the Chakra, that fire would flare up.Ignore it for now.Naruto took a deep breath and focused his attention on his own Chakra.He did not urge it or drive it, just felt it.He let that mass of warm water slowly spread out, seeping out from the Dantian.He imagined his Dantian as a lake.The Chakra was the water.The meridians were the river channels extending from the lake.Go to the right hand.The Chakra slowly seeped toward his right hand, very slowly, like the first stream of spring water flowing beneath the ice.His right palm began to heat up.It could work.He closed his eyes again, this time trying it faster.Go to the left foot!Whoosh, the Chakra shot down his left leg, as fast as lightning.But it was too fast, and when it reached the sole of his foot, it exploded with a "pop," like water rushing over a cliff, splashing everywhere.His left foot jerked violently, and his entire leg went numb."Hiss—" Naruto gritted his teeth and rubbed his foot.But his eyes were bright.There was a way.He knew where the difference lay—when it was fast, the conduits were not wide or smooth enough, so the water rushed down, got blocked, and exploded.He needed to make these "river channels" smoother, training from a trickle to a torrent, from slowly guiding it to reaching it with a single thought.Naruto stood up and drew five lines in the sand."Phase One: Directional Flow." He crouched down and used a stone to carve beside the first line."Being able to control the flow of Chakra anywhere in the body, going wherever desired, without stuttering or scattering, fast and swift."He then drew a second line."Phase Two: Power Path Imprinting."He knew this one. The power generation for punches and kicks inherently has a fixed sequence.From waist and hips to shoulders, then elbows, then fists; this route is determined by the body's structure.He didn't need to create a route, only to make the flow of Chakra coincide with this path.Wherever the movement goes, the Chakra follows. Once the movement arrives, the Chakra arrives.The third line."Phase Three: Surging Infusion with Movement."Infusion was still necessary. He, Naruto, was never the type for fine-tuned precision—the amount of Chakra was what it was, and the interference from the Nine-Tailed was also a reality.He couldn't become like Kakashi Hatake, someone who could calculate Chakra down to the milligram; he could only accept that he was a flood.But floods also have their own way of fighting. Rushing along the riverbed is better than flooding everywhere, right?The fourth line."Phase Four: Cut Off Upon Stopping."Naruto looked at this line of text and thought for a moment. This was something he had never thought about before—retracting a move.He had only ever focused on striking out, never on pulling back.But the explosion under his feet just now made him realize that Chakra isn't just about going in and not coming out.When a move stops, if the energy is still rushing out, it will backlash against oneself.It must be like a sluice gate. Open the gate to release water, close the gate to stop the water.The fifth line."Phase Five: Rapid Continuous Release and Retraction."Naruto rubbed his hands together.One punch after a kick, one kick after an elbow; each time fully infused with Chakra, and each time cleanly retracted.No dragging or mess, no self-interference. Like waves pushing forward, one subsides and another rises.He stared at the five lines on the ground for a long time, his fingers tapping unconsciously on his knees.It's still not enough. These five phases were the framework, the logic of internal power operation.He needed specific training methods—what to do every day, what to use for practice, and how to know if he was practicing correctly.Naruto stood up and grabbed a handful of leaves from a pile of fallen leaves by the side of the training ground.Withered and yellow, completely dried out, crumbling at a touch.He held the leaves up to his eyes.Control...Precision...A sudden "ding" went off in his brain.Not Hokage, but *Hajime no Ippo*.Takamura teaching Ippo to catch falling leaves—ten leaves falling at the same time, throwing a punch to catch them all before they hit the ground. It trains speed, precision, and continuous power generation.Naruto's eyes lit up.Falling leaves!He wasn't a boxer, he didn't need to catch leaves. But he needed to train precision, retraction and release, and synchronizing movement with energy.Leaves were perfect—light, brittle, sensitive. No need for much force; as long as the Chakra grazes it, the leaf reacts: being blown away, cracked, or shattered.Different effects indicate different issues.Perfect.Naruto sat cross-legged and spread the leaves out in front of him. He closed his eyes and pieced it together in his mind like building blocks—Phase One, Directional Flow, tested with leaves. Guide Chakra to the fingertips, use the fingertips to blow the leaves; guide it to the palm, use the palm to flip the leaves away.If the leaf moves, it means the Chakra arrived; if it doesn't move, it means it didn't reach or it scattered.Phase Two, Power Path Imprinting, practicing the trajectory with leaves. Staring at a leaf while punching, the fist edge must cut through precisely.Training for movements that don't deform and power that doesn't deviate.Phase Three, Surging Infusion with Movement, testing force with leaves. Not blowing away, but shattering.Chakra flows along the route to the fist surface, released exactly at the moment of touching the leaf to shatter it. It's about the timing and point of power generation.Phase Four, Cut Off Upon Stopping, using the moment the leaf shatters as a signal. Once the leaf shatters, immediately retract the move and cut the flow.Training for retraction speed and awareness.Phase Five, Rapid Continuous Release and Retraction, throwing a handful of leaves into the air and shattering them with combos. Not one falls, not one is missed.Naruto opened his eyes.Clutching that handful of leaves, his heart was pounding.He stood up, ran to the wooden stake, and picked up the weighted straps to wrap them on. He took a deep breath and placed a leaf on top of the wooden stake.Start with Phase One.He extended his right index finger, two inches away from the leaf.Concentrate.The Chakra in his Dantian began to surge. He imagined that stream of Chakra starting from his Dantian, flowing along his chest, shoulders, upper arms, and forearms, all the way to his fingertips.Slower... steady...The Chakra reached his fingertips, a faint white light glowing on his palm. This time he didn't let it explode, but tried to let it seep out from his fingertips.The leaf moved.Gently, slowly, as if blown by a breath, it floated up from the stake, flipped twice, and landed on the ground.Naruto stared at the leaf, his mouth slowly widening into a grin.It worked.He picked up the leaf and put it back on the stake. This time, faster.The Chakra rushed from the Dantian to the fingertips like a torrent. The leaf was flicked away with a "snap," flipping several times before landing, three or four steps further than before.Hmm, faster means less control. Needs more practice.He switched to his left hand. The left hand was clearly not as smooth as the right; the Chakra got stuck a bit when flowing to the shoulder, and only half the amount reached the fingertips, causing the leaf to just tremble without flying away.Both hands need training.Then the palms, forearms, shoulders, waist, and legs. When guiding it to his palms, he could blow away three or four leaves with palm wind, but the directional control wasn't good; sometimes it went left, sometimes right.When guiding it to his legs and feet, a stomp could scatter a circle of leaves, but they flew too widely, indicating heavy dissipation.Over and over again.The sun moved from overhead to the west.Naruto was covered in sweat, but his eyes were bright. Dozens of leaves were scattered on the ground in front of him—some blown far away, some just slightly shifted, some shattered to pieces, which happened when he accidentally used too much force and caused an explosion.He sat cross-legged on the ground and used a stone to add another line next to the fifth phase:"Ninja Taijutsu: Shattered Leaf Flow."The name was a bit chuunibyou, but he liked it.Naruto looked at the five lines, going over the entire system in his mind—starting from guiding the leaf with fingertips, ending with shattering leaves filling the sky.Every phase had goals, training methods, and evaluation standards.Afterward, he wiped away all the writing on the ground.He had a plan now.Starting tomorrow, he would train according to this.Regardless of whether Kurama interferes or not, lay the road first. Once the road is laid, when the water comes, it will naturally follow.If the water is too big and washes the road away, he would just build the road wider and harder.He took off the weighted straps, folded them, and placed them next to the wooden stake. He stood up and brushed the dirt off his body.The setting sun stretched his shadow long, extending all the way to the row of poplar trees at the edge of the training ground. Yūgao had returned at some point, leaning against the farthest tree, her sword resting across her knees."Sister Yugao.""Hmm.""Let's go home."Yūgao's gaze landed on Naruto's face, and for a moment, she was dazed.The setting sun illuminated him brightly. His sweat hadn't dried, and his golden hair was plastered to his forehead.Those azure eyes were shining differently than usual—not the kind of brightness from gritting his teeth during training, but another kind.Like he had found something good and couldn't help but smile.He was indeed smiling. The corners of his mouth were turned up, revealing two small fangs.Yūgao remembered the first few days after she moved in. It was also evening; he stood at the door with a rolled-up poster in his hand and said, "Let's go."He hadn't smiled back then.This past month, she had watched him throw countless punches, watched him fall and get back up, only to fall again.He would wipe the blood from his elbows onto his pants and continue training. She had never seen him smile like this before."What are you looking at?" Naruto walked up to her and waved his hand in front of her face, "Let's go. I want miso soup today, with extra tofu."Yūgao snapped out of it. Her hand gripped the scabbard.She stood up and tucked the sword back into her waist."Hmm."The two of them walked back. Naruto walked in front, the fallen leaves crunching under his feet.He was chattering away, talking non-stop—he always had topics, always had endless things to say.Yūgao followed silently. This somewhat dazzling Naruto made her feel, in a trance, that a ray of light had suddenly shone into her dark life, warming all the coldness in the depths of her heart.Naruto would talk for a bit and then pause; when he paused, he would look back at her to confirm she was still there, then turn back and continue talking.When they reached the alley entrance, Narutosuddenly stopped and turned around."Sister Yugao, do you want to try?""Try what?""My self-created—Shattered Leaf Flow method."

Chapter 4: Daily Life Living TogetherTwo years later.It had been raining for three days, without stopping.The patch of woods on the edge of Konoha was soaked in muddy water; the trunks were blackened, and the branches hung low. When the wind passed through the forest, it carried a wailing sound.Naruto stood in the densest clearing in the forest. Barefoot, he stepped into the rotting leaves and mud. Rainwater streamed down his back; he wiped his face and swept his soaked blond hair back." This rain is really something! " he shouted up at the sky.No one answered him. The sound of the rain was too loud.He began to punch. Fist after fist slammed into the tree trunk, the dull thuds sounding like a drum. Rainwater was kicked up by the force of his punches, splashing to both sides. His movements weren't large, but every punch carried the sound of breaking wind, and the old punch marks on the tree trunk were being struck deeper and deeper.Outside the woods, Yūgao crouched under a tree, the water on her straw raincoat having already seeped into the inner layer. She wasn't looking at Naruto. She was looking at her sword.The sword lay across her knees, a thin layer of water droplets congealed on the blade. She extended a finger and gently wiped the surface of the blade; the water droplets were wiped away, but a layer of something remained on the edge.It wasn't water; it was Chakra.A thin, almost invisible layer, like frost, like mist, clinging to the blade without dissipating.Yūgao stared at that layer, her breathing light and slow.It had been two years. Naruto had been practicing Shattered Leaf Flow for two years, from blowing fallen leaves with his fingertips to shattering an entire tree canopy with a single punch. She had practiced along with him, but not with fists—with a sword. How the fist smashed, the sword slashed; how the fist retracted, the sword retracted.She had adapted the five stages of Shattered Leaf Flow into sword techniques.Directional Flow—Chakra flows along the arm to the hilt, then from the hilt to the blade. Imprinting the Force Path—the path of every slash is carved into the body, no need to think, the sword moves on its own. Surge with Action—the moment the sword falls, Chakra is infused, and the force increases sharply. Stop and Cut—the sword retracts, and the Chakra retracts as well, leaving no residue. Continuous Rapid Release and Retraction—slash after slash, without interruption.She had spent a year and a half on the first four stages. She had been stuck on the fifth stage for half a year.Continuous rapid release and retraction. Easy to say, difficult to do. A sword is not the same as a fist; a fist has no weight between release and retraction, but a sword does. A sword has inertia, has centrifugal force; once a slash is made, trying to pull it back midway, the inertia of the blade would twist and injure her wrist.She had tried many times. Her wrist swelled and subsided, subsided and swelled again.Until last month, when she suddenly figured it out.It wasn't about retracting the sword. It was about releasing it.Naruto had said it. She had remembered that sentence for a long time— " It's not you swinging the fist; it's the fist swinging you. "She pondered it for three days and three nights, and on the dawn of the fourth day, she got up to practice. When she made that slash, she didn't retract; instead, she let the sword finish its path. When the sword reached the end, the inertia carried her, and she followed that force to spin half a circle, letting the second slash follow through naturally.Slash after slash. It wasn't her slashing; it was the sword leading her to slash.That morning, she slashed forty-nine times in one breath, the kind where you can't stop. When she finished, the tree in front of her had already fallen, the cut smooth as if sawn by a saw.She crouched down, looked at the cut, and watched it for a long time.Then she smiled. A very soft smile, one that only she could hear.At this moment, she was crouching outside the woods, her finger sliding across the blade. Chakraclung thinly to the edge, like an invisible layer of skin.She stood up.The water on her straw raincoat cascaded down with a splash. She untied the raincoat and threw it under the tree. The rain hit her directly, the chill drilling into her skin. She didn't dodge.She walked into the woods.Naruto was punching and, hearing footsteps, turned his head." Sister Yugao? " He retracted his fist, wiped the rainwater from his face, and asked, " Didn't you say you weren't practicing today? "" Changed my mind. "Naruto looked into her eyes. Those eyes were a bit different from usual—he couldn't say where, just that they were a little brighter, a little deeper." What are you going to practice? "Yūgao walked over to a tree as thick as a bowl. It wasn't the old locust tree that Naruto had been hitting, but a young fir tree with a straight trunk and smooth bark.She drew her short sword, the tip pointing down, hanging at her side." Watch. "She swung her sword.It was slow. So slow that Naruto could see every moment the blade cut through the curtain of rain. The sword swept from bottom to top, the rainwater rolling up along the blade surface like beads being led by a thread.The sword reached the top of her head and stopped.It wasn't retracted; it was stopped. The blade hung in mid-air, not shaking, not swaying. A few droplets of rain clung to the blade, not sliding off, just stuck there, as if held by something.Naruto's eyes lit up." Your Chakra... "Yūgao didn't answer. She flipped her wrist, the blade facing down, and slashed out.This slash was fast. So fast that Naruto only saw a flash of white light cutting from above her head to her waist. The blade cut through the tree trunk without a sound.Yūgao retracted the sword. She stepped back two paces.The fir tree didn't move. Rainwater was still streaming down the bark. Naruto blinked, walked over, and reached out to push the trunk.The tree fell.It wasn't broken; it was cut. The cut was smooth, like a mirror, reflecting a person's silhouette. The growth rings on the stump were circle by circle, as clear as if they had been painted on.Naruto crouched down and touched the cut. It was smooth, not prickly.He looked up at Yūgao." You've mastered it. "Yūgao sheathed her sword, rainwater dripping from the tips of her hair. She looked into Naruto's eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching." Shattered Leaf Flow. The fifth stage. "Naruto was stunned for a moment, then smiled. It wasn't a smile that came out little by little; it was a sudden bursting smile, revealing two canine teeth, his eyes curving into two crescent moons." I knew you could do it! " He bounced up from the ground and reached out to pat Yūgao's shoulder, but halfway through, he pulled his hand back—his hands were covered in mud.Yūgao looked at his retracted hand and said nothing. She only shifted her sword to the side of her waist, making room for her shoulder.Naruto stood on his tiptoes, stretched his hand out again, and patted it lightly." Congratulations. "Two words, spoken very quickly, just like he usually talked. But Yūgao could hear it—underneath those two words was something else, heavy and warm.She lowered her head, looking at the tips of her shoes. Rainwater hit the muddy ground, splashing up little droplets." You taught me well, " she said." I didn't teach you sword techniques, " Naruto said, " Shattered Leaf Flow was my idea, but you adapted it into sword techniques yourself; that was something you figured out on your own. "Yūgao didn't reply.She remembered those days. Every night, after Naruto went to sleep, she would be alone in the courtyard, practicing against the wooden stake. Modifying every move, testing every slash. When her wrist swelled, she wrapped it in cloth; when the cloth got wet, she changed it for a dry one, and once it was dry, it would swell again.Sometimes it hurt so much she couldn't hold the sword, so she would support her wrist with her left hand, slowly tracing the movements one by one.Naruto didn't know these things. He only knew she had mastered it. That was enough." Let's go! " Naruto suddenly shouted, pulling her out of her memories. " Let's go back and cook! We're eating well today! "" What are we eating? "" Braised pork! I'll go buy the meat! You go back and boil the water first! "After saying that, he ran off. Barefoot, stepping in the mud, making a splashing sound, he ran fast, as if a dog were chasing him.Yūgao followed behind him, her pace neither fast nor slow. Rain fell between the two of them; she watched his back, his blond hair swinging back and forth in the rain.She reached out and made a faint grasping motion in the curtain of rain.She grasped his shadow.

Chapter 5: Yūgao's Inner PathBack home, Naruto changed into dry clothes and ran into the kitchen to help.Yūgao stood in front of the stove, the kitchen knife in her hand slicing rhythmically. The blade hit the cutting board—thud, thud, thud—in a steady beat. She never spoke when she was cutting vegetables; it was her own rule, because losing focus meant cutting her fingers.But today, she wasn't afraid of cutting her fingers. She was using this rhythm to suppress the voice inside her heart.That voice was saying: Take one more look.Naruto crouched by the stove, helping her peel garlic, humming an off-key tune. His golden head bobbed up and down like a chicken pecking at rice.Yūgao's gaze slid past the back of his neck. The skin there was fair, glowing with a thin sheen after being soaked in rainwater. A small section of his spine protruded like a ridge.She thought of the edge of that blade."Sister Yugao, the garlic is peeled."Naruto stood up and handed her a pile of white, fresh garlic cloves. His fingers were still stained with garlic skin, and there was dirt under his fingernails.Yūgao took the garlic cloves, accidentally brushing against his fingertips.They were cold.Her hands were even colder than his. That was because she had been washing vegetables in cold water for too long. It wasn't because she needed to wash them for that long; it was because she wanted her hands to be colder. If they were colder, she wouldn't do things she shouldn't."Where's the meat?" she asked."Right here!" Naruto pushed the pork belly over from the other end of the cutting board.Yūgao began to slice the meat. As the knife fell, the layers of fat and lean meat separated neatly, uniform in size with smooth edges. Every cut landed in the exact same spot, precise and unwavering.Naruto leaned over beside her to watch."You cut so evenly.""It's from practicing the blade.""Since your sword skills are so good, cutting meat is a piece of cake for you." Naruto smiled. "From now on, the kitchen chores are all yours."Yūgao's knife paused for a moment.Home.He said "home."She lowered her head, staring at the meat on the board. Her reflection on the blade showed her face, expressionless, but something was churning beneath her eyes."Okay," she said.Her voice was flat, just as usual.The pot was hot.Naruto added a piece of wood to the stove, and the flames leaped up, licking the bottom of the pot. Yūgao poured oil into the pot, and when it was hot, she added the green onions, ginger, and garlic. With a sizzle, the aroma exploded.She was very focused when cooking, like a Ninja on a mission. Every step was ordered in her mind; there was no wasted movement.Naruto was used to it. He pulled over a small stool and sat by the stove, swinging his legs, waiting for dinner."Sister Yugao.""Hmm.""Do you think you'll stay with me forever, right?"Yūgao's hand faltered.The spatula hung in mid-air. The oil was still sizzling between the pieces of meat, and steam rushed against her face.Naruto wasn't looking at her. He kept his head down, drawing circles on the edge of the stove with his finger. He looked so casual waiting for the answer, as if he were just waiting to see what was for dinner.Although Yūgao knew he might just be asking casually, the way he asked was truly special—his pair of azure eyes were so expressive.Even though it was just small talk, as if the answer didn't matter.Yūgao didn't answer. She put down the spatula, turned around, and leaned against the stove.She looked at him.The stove fire reflected on his face, flickering, making his outline look warm.His golden hair was illuminated by the firelight, as if it were on fire. His blue eyes were bright—not from the firelight, but from within himself.Those eyes had been like that since he was three—bright when people threw stones at him, bright when people cursed him as a demon fox, and bright when he sat alone in an empty house eating miso soup with no vegetables.When Yūgao first saw those eyes, something inside her shattered.She was ten then, and he was three. She stood at the door, he opened it, revealing half his face. His blue eyes looked at her and asked, "Who are you?" The voice wasn't loud; it was steady. There was no panic of a three-year-old seeing a stranger.She was stunned. In those blue eyes, she saw something—herself. It wasn't that they looked alike; it was the feeling. The feeling of "I don't need anyone." She was too familiar with it because she was pretending to be that way every day too.But she was tired of pretending. Every night when she returned to her rental room, closed the door, and shed that shell, she felt drained, sitting in the darkness, not wanting to move, not wanting to speak, not wanting anything.Sometimes she would take her father's blade and hold it in her arms; those were the hardest times. The blade was cold, and holding it made her colder, but she had nothing else to hold.Naruto was different. He wasn't pretending. He truly didn't need anyone, but his lack of need wasn't cold; it was hot. He could live on his own, cook for himself, wash his own clothes, practice punches, and shoulder everything by himself.He didn't complain, didn't cry, didn't ask why. It wasn't that he was holding back tears; he simply didn't feel there was anything to cry about.Yūgao couldn't understand. Both were orphans, both lived alone, both were avoided by others—why could he live like a sun, while she could only live like a stone?It took her two years to figure it out. It wasn't because he could carry more than her; it was because he didn't view himself as an orphan. He never asked "Why me?" and never felt that fate was unfair to him.He just lived, living with all his might, living until every punch carried the sound of wind, and every kick left a crater.And she had been asking "Why me?" the whole time. Why did her father die? Why did no one want her? Why did she have to live alone in that dilapidated house?She asked for two years, and no one answered her. Then Naruto came, looking at her with a pair of blue eyes, asking nothing, saying nothing, just standing there, as bright as a ball of light.She looked at that ball of light and suddenly didn't want to ask anymore.She had thought more than once—if she got close to him, would she be a little warmer?At this moment, Naruto was leaning against the stove, waiting for her answer. The stove fire shone on his face, making his bronze skin glow.His T-shirt was still crooked, revealing a small part of his right collarbone. There was a scar on that collarbone, very shallow, from being scratched by a tree branch while training two days ago. She had put a bandage on it for him; the bandage was skin-colored, and he tore it off himself before four hours had passed, saying, "It's fine now."Yūgao remembered the location of that scar. She remembered the location of every scar that had ever faded on this face. There had been one on his forehead from bumping into a tree trunk; it had swollen into a bump, and she had applied an ice pack for him, but he complained it was cold and shrank back.There had been a small scar on his left cheekbone and another on his chin, caused by the backlash of Chakra. Blood had flowed from the corner of his mouth, and he just wiped it with his sleeve and continued practicing.Although Naruto had an extraordinary ability to heal, allowing him to recover quickly, she still felt so heartbroken and distressed.She knew these scars. She remembered the location, shape, and origin of every one. Because she was looking—always looking. It wasn't that she meant to look, but she couldn't help it. Just like if there were a fire in front of you, you couldn't help but look; if you looked, your eyes hurt, but if you didn't, your heart felt empty."Sister Yugao?" Naruto tilted his head. "What are you thinking about?"Yūgao snapped back to reality."Nothing."She turned around, picked up the spatula, and flipped the meat a few times. The meat was tender, the sauce had soaked in, and it glistened with oil. She lowered the heat, covered the lid, and turned around.Naruto was still waiting for her answer.She looked at him and suddenly remembered something from when she was eight.Her father had died. When his body was returned, it was covered with a white sheet. She didn't lift it to look. Someone asked her if she wanted to take a look, and she said no. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she didn't dare. She was afraid that if she looked, she would never forget it, afraid that every night when she closed her eyes, she would see that face.But she still couldn't forget. It wasn't the face, but something else. A sentence her father said before leaving: "I'll bring you dumplings when I get back."She waited for three days, and what she got was a person covered in a white sheet.Since then, she didn't eat dumplings. It wasn't that she couldn't eat them; it was that seeing dumplings made her think of her father, and thinking of her father made her feel like something was stuck in her chest, unable to breathe. She hated that feeling, so she didn't eat them.In the three years after her father died, she lived alone in a rental room on the east side of the village. The room was small, not much bigger than Naruto's original one.Every day after school, she would come back, cook, eat, wash dishes, do homework, and practice the blade. No one talked to her, so she talked to herself. Later, she didn't even talk, because there was no one in the room to listen.She started practicing the blade. Not the kind taught at the Ninja Academy, but chopping at trees by herself. Her father's blade was too long, and her hands were small then; she couldn't hold it, so she had to use both hands. One chop, and the web of her thumb would go numb from the shock.After a hundred chops, the web of her thumb would split, blood seeping out and staining the wrapping of the handle red. She didn't stop; she would wrap it with a cloth strip and continue chopping.She didn't know why she had to chop. It wasn't to become strong, not to become a Ninja, just to make herself tired. Tired enough to fall asleep the moment she lay down, without having to lie in the darkness with her eyes open, listening to her own heartbeat.Later, she got into the Ninja Academy, her grades were decent, and when they were divided into squads, she was assigned to a fairly good team leader. The teacher taught her Ninjutsu, sword skills, and team cooperation.She learned quickly, but not because she liked it; it was because she wanted to keep herself busy. Busy with training, busy with missions, busy doing everything that would stop her from thinking about those things.She thought she was better. Thought she had suppressed those things. Thought that being busy every day was the whole meaning of living.Until she stood in front of that door, the door opened, and the moment a pair of blue eyes looked at her, she knew—nothing had been suppressed. Those things were just buried at the bottom, buried very deep, but they had always been there. That pair of blue eyes was like a hook, hooking them all up.It wasn't that he reminded her of something; it was that he made her realize what she was missing.She wasn't missing sword skills, Ninjutsu, or a place to live. She was missing a person—someone who stood there, doing nothing, and just looking at him made her feel that life still had some meaning.Naruto was that person.Not because he did something earth-shattering, not because he said something that moved her. It was just because he was alive, living in a way she had never seen before. Knocked down, he would get up; got up, he would continue fighting; continued fighting, he would continue laughing, laughing like a fool, laughing until her eyes grew hot.She wanted to become like him. But she couldn't. She had tried, but couldn't learn it. That kind of brightness wasn't practiced; it was born. He was the sun, bright from birth. She was the moon, only able to borrow light.But now the moon was greedy. She wanted to keep the sun. Only shining for her."Naruto," she started."Hmm?""About what you said, I will always stay with you."Naruto smiled, revealing his canine teeth. "I know, didn't Sister Yugao already say that?""I mean—"Yūgao paused. She had wanted to say, "I mean it seriously, you can't go back on your word." But if she said that, she couldn't take it back. She couldn't let him see that thing. The thing that had been burning in her chest for two years, growing stronger and stronger, the thing she was about to be unable to suppress.She took a deep breath, pressing that fire down her throat."I will," she said.Her voice was flat, just as usual.Naruto glanced at her, not thinking much of it, and stood up to get the bowls and chopsticks. He couldn't reach the top plate, so he moved a small stool and stepped on it, acting as if nothing was the matter.Yūgao looked at his back. His T-shirt was a bit big, the collar crooked, and there were mud spots on his pant legs that hadn't been washed clean. He was always so careless; what would he do without her? The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, then quickly pressed down.Yūgao lifted the pot lid, and the aroma of the braised pork rushed out, filling the entire kitchen. She picked up a piece with her chopsticks, blew on it, and tasted a small bite. It was salty. She had put in too much soy sauce. But she didn't season it, because Narutoliked it a bit saltier."So fragrant!" Naruto ran back with the bowls and chopsticks. "Is it ready?""Simmer for another five minutes.""Okay!" He put the bowls and chopsticks on the table, then ran back to stand beside her, peeking into the pot at the meat. "This meat is really good today, both fat and lean."Yūgao didn't speak. She looked at his profile. The line from his forehead to the tip of his nose, to his lips, to his chin, was clean and sharp, as if carved by a knife.She suddenly remembered the feeling of holding her blade—the handle in the palm of her hand, the web of her thumb gripping the tsuba, her fingers closing one by one, gripping tight, feeling steady, afraid of nothing.She wanted to hold him like that. But she couldn't hold him. He was a living person, he would walk, he would grow up, and he would leave.This thought crept in like a needle, pricking her heart.She wasn't afraid of him leaving. She was afraid that after he left, she would become one person again. Become the child who lost her father at eight, become that madman who chopped at trees, not stopping even when her hands split.She had finally managed to have someone. Someone who would stand at the door waiting when she came home late, someone who would heat up the food and call her "Sister Yugao," someone who made her feel that life still had some meaning.She couldn't be without this person."Sister Yugao, the meat is ready, right?" Narutoasked.Yūgao snapped back to reality and lifted the pot lid."It's ready. Bring it over."Naruto carried the plate, jumping slightly from the heat, but he didn't let go. He walked quickly to the table, set it down, and blew on his scalded fingers.Yūgao watched him. He was pouting and blowing on his fingers, his cheeks puffed out, his brows furrowed, but his eyes were smiling.She suddenly wanted to hug him. Not the kind of light, sister-to-brother hug. It was the kind of hug where she wanted to embed him into her own body, the kind where she never wanted to let go again.She didn't move.She brought the rice over, and the two sat face to face. Naruto picked up the first piece of meat, didn't eat it himself, but put it in her bowl."Sister Yugao eats first."Yūgao looked at the piece of meat in her bowl. Fat and lean, the sauce shining through, with a little bit of green onion on top.She picked it up and put it in her mouth. She chewed twice and swallowed. It was salty, but he had picked it for her."Delicious," she said.Naruto smiled, picked up a piece for himself, stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks bulging high.Yūgao watched him eat, slowly spooning the rice in her own bowl. The rice grains were distinct; she chewed one by one, chewing for a long time before swallowing.She was thinking, if one day he knew, what would happen?Would he be afraid of her? Would he avoid her? Would he treat her like those neighborhood aunties, walking around her when they saw her?Her chopsticks paused.No. He wouldn't walk around her. He would stand in front of her, look at her with those blue eyes, and ask, "Sister Yugao, what's wrong?" The voice wouldn't be loud; it would be steady, just like when he was three.And then she wouldn't be able to answer. Because the answer was too long, so long that it would have to start from when she was eight, so long that it would have to start from the day her father died, so long that if she told him, he would leave.So she didn't say it.She finished that bowl of rice, not a grain left.

Chapter 6: Yugao's State of MindDinner was over, but the rain hadn't stopped.Yūgao washed the dishes, wiped the stove, and folded the rag over the edge of the sink. Naruto had already changed into his geta and was standing under the eaves, shaking the water from his hair."Sister Yugao, I'm going for a walk. It's stuffy."Yūgao tucked her sword into her waist and followed him. The two of them left the courtyard one after the other.The rain wasn't heavy, falling in a fine, dense mist that rustled against the leaves. A thin layer of water had accumulated on the stone path in the alley, making a splashing sound as they stepped on it.Naruto walked in front with large, fast strides. Yūgao trailed half a step behind, watching his back. A patch of his T-shirt's collar was wet, water dripped from the ends of his hair, and the water from the back of his neck flowed down his spine, leaving a dark stain on his clothes.As they turned the corner of Old Locust Alley, sounds came from ahead. Laughing, shouting, and something else."Cry all you want! You Hyuga Clan trash!""You were the one blocking the way!""Apologize! Hurry up!"Naruto stopped. Without saying a word, he immediately changed direction.Under the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley, four or five children were gathered in a circle. The one being surrounded was huddled in the corner, her white clothes covered in mud and water, her hair soaked and plastered to her face, head bowed, shoulders trembling.Yūgao recognized her. The eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan, Hinata. She was younger than Naruto, had a soft personality, and her voice was barely louder than a cat's. A few naughty kids in the Village had been picking on her for more than just a day or two.Naruto walked into the alley. He didn't run, he just walked. His geta stepped into the puddles—splat, splat.Several children turned around, the smiles on their faces instantly freezing."Na... Naruto...""Hands feeling itchy?" Naruto said. His voice wasn't loud, but the alley was narrow, and the sound bounced back and forth, making every word crystal clear.No one dared to respond.Naruto walked up to them, glanced at the mud on Hinata's body, looked at the scattered clumps of mud on the ground, and then looked at the children. The children lowered their heads, looked at the ground, and shifted their feet backward."What do I usually say?" Naruto asked.Still, no one dared to answer."Ability is meant for protecting the people of the Village, not for bullying others."The leader opened his mouth: "We were just jok—""Joking?" Naruto's voice didn't rise, but it grew heavy. The weight in his voice was more frightening than a shout, and the children shifted back another half-step."Apologize.""Sorry, Hinata! We were wrong!" The voices were a mess, some fast, some slow, some high, some low.Naruto didn't move. "Louder.""We're sorry!"This time it was in unison. A bird was startled into flight from a tree across the alley entrance."If anyone blocks and bullies someone again, I'll bully them back," Naruto said. "I'll make it so they can't leave their house for half a month. Do you understand?""Understood!"The rain continued to patter down. Hinata was still huddled in the corner, her shoulders shaking rhythmically, crying silently as tears fell.Naruto crouched down."Hinata, it's okay now."Hinata slowly looked up. Her eyes were red from crying, as was the tip of her nose, and it was impossible to tell the rain from the tears on her face. She looked at Naruto crouching in front of her, her lips trembling for a few moments, unable to speak."If you encounter this kind of thing in the future," Naruto said, glancing at the bullying squad standing stiffly nearby, his voice very deep, "come find me directly. I'll handle it."He reached out his hand, not to pull her up, but to help brush the mud off her shoulder. It wasn't a big movement, just a gentle wipe; the mud fell off, but the clothes remained wet."I'll have your back."Hinata's tears welled up again. She bit her lip and nodded, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Naruto-kun..."Naruto stood up and took a step back, giving her space. Hinata leaned against the wall and slowly stood up. Her legs were a bit weak, and she swayed for a moment before steadying herself."Go, take the frail little Hinata for some ramen. If she doesn't get her fill, don't even think about slacking off, or I'll hold you accountable!" Seeing that they hadn't moved, Naruto gave each of them a sharp clout."Hurry up and go!""Ow... ah... we're going right now."Several of them hurriedly clutched their heads and led little Hinata toward Ichiraku Ramen.Little Hinata, her large Byakugan eyes still filled with tears, kept her gaze steadily fixed on the blonde boy even as she was being pulled away.At the alley entrance, Yūgao stood under a rain-drenched tree, not entering. She watched Narutocrouch down, watched him reach out his hand, and heard him say "it's okay now" in that tone of voice.That voice was different from the one he used when speaking to her. When he spoke to her, it was crisp and decisive, like a knife cutting through something, one stroke at a time. When he spoke to Hinata, it was soft and slow, as if he were afraid of scaring some small creature.She watched for a while, then looked away.A place in her heart felt sour. Not painful, but sour, like biting into an unripe fruit, the juice seeping into the gaps between her teeth, an indescribable astringency.She knew this was irrational; he hadn't done anything wrong, he had done the right thing. Driving away bullies and protecting the bullied was how he had always acted.She knew this. She had seen it so many times. He protected kids younger than him on the training ground, spoke up for extorted vendors at the Villageentrance, and pinned older bullies to the ground on the streets. She had seen it all.But today was different. Today, the person being protected was huddled in a corner, her white clothes covered in mud, her soaked hair plastered to her face, tears falling, and there was something else in the look she gave him.Yūgao understood that look; she had seen that same expression in the mirror.She pulled her scabbard a little closer to her chest. The scabbard pressed against her ribs, hard and cold, the chill seeping through her clothes. The rain was still falling, her hair was wet and stuck to her forehead, and droplets flowed down the bridge of her nose, but she didn't wipe them away.In the alley, Hinata had already steadied herself. She fished a handkerchief out of her pocket, wiped her face, and said something with her head bowed. Naruto nodded and turned to walk toward the alley entrance. After two steps, he saw Hinata still standing there, so he went back and said something. Hinata nodded and slowly walked toward the other end of the alley.Naruto walked back, saw Yūgao standing under the tree, and waved."Let's go."Yūgao followed. Their footsteps splashed in the puddles—splat, splat. Naruto walked in front with large, fast strides. Yūgao followed behind, half a step back.After walking for a while, Naruto suddenly said, "Hinata is always being bullied. If those guys keep it up, I'll give them another clout."Yūgao didn't respond.Naruto added, "She's too timid. When she's cornered, she doesn't dare call for help; she just crouches there and cries."Yūgao said, "Mm.""The Hyuga Clan doesn't care either."Yūgao said, "Mm."Naruto glanced at her. "Sister Yugao, are you tired?""No.""Then you're quiet today."Yūgao was silent for a moment. "The rain is annoying."Naruto looked up at the sky, the fine rain falling on his face, and he squinted. "True. It's been falling for days."They continued walking. The alley was narrow, so they couldn't walk side-by-side, but instead one after the other. Yūgao looked at the stone path beneath her feet; the puddles reflected the light from the streetlamps, a dim yellow, shattered into pieces by the raindrops. As she stepped through, the shattered light scattered under her feet and then gathered again.She thought of the look Hinata had given Narutojust now. That wasn't the look of someone who had been saved looking at their savior. Beneath that look was something else—something soft, warm, and sticky, something that couldn't be pulled out.Yūgao recognized it because it had grown in her as well. She didn't know when it had started, but by the time she noticed, it had already taken root, impossible to pull out, and she was reluctant to do so anyway.But Hinata could look, could cry, and could let him brush the mud off her shoulder.She couldn't. She was seven years older than him, his nominal caretaker, the "Sister Yugao." That word "Sister" stood in the middle like a wall. On the other side of the wall, he could crouch down to brush mud off someone else; on this side, she could only stand in the rain and watch.Most fatally, Hinata was the eldest young lady of the Hyuga Clan, while she was just an ordinary Ninja. For someone as outstanding as Naruto...Yūgao took a deep breath. The air was damp and smelled of earth, feeling cool as she inhaled. The sour spot in her chest was agitated by the cold air and contracted.She moved her hand away from the scabbard and let it hang at her side.It was enough. To be able to stand behind him, to hear him call her "Sister Yugao" every day, to be able to hand him a bowl of rice when he was tired from training, or apply medicine when he was injured—that was enough.Anything else, she didn't want.Nor was it her place to want it.The rain eased up slightly. In the distance, lights were glowing in the Village, orange clusters blurring in the mist. Naruto's footsteps were still splashing, walking fast, ahead of her, like someone clearing a path. Yūgao followed behind, her pace neither fast nor slow, just enough to keep up.She looked at his back. The collar of his T-shirt was soaked and clung to his shoulder, revealing the outline of his shoulder blades. His shoulders were a bit broader than last year. She wondered if he had noticed it himself.They arrived home. Naruto took off his geta, stepped onto the Genkan, and looked back at her."Sister Yugao, you wash first. I'll wait until you're finished."Yūgao nodded.Naruto turned and entered the house. The lights came on, and light spilled from the doorway, falling into the puddle at her feet.Yūgao stood outside, looking down at that patch of light.The rain fell on her shoulders, cool.She stood for a while, took off her shoes, and stepped inside.