Chapter 22: Deep Blue, Add Points
Summer passed and autumn arrived.
Uzumaki Naruto's sixth year was about to end.
Ever since he had taught the Eight Extremes Fist to Hinata and Neji two months ago, their training lives had become extremely regimented.
When Chakra was plentiful they cultivated Sage Mode; while waiting to recover they practiced the Eight Extremes Fist.
As for Gentle Fist, the Hyuga Clan arranged it—usually after school or on weekends.
In short, the two of them lived each day with utmost diligence.
If it were Shikamaru, he would have dropped everything and run long ago.
Naruto gazed out over the rice fields.
Bathed in sunlight, they shone a golden hue.
It was harvest time.
He drew back his gaze and came to the stream, forming hand-seals.
The Chakra inside his body rapidly gathered along a specific path into his right hand.
A faint whistle of wind sounded.
Blue vapor began to swirl, centered on his three fingers.
The calm water rippled in spreading rings.
"Wind Release: Wind Blade."
Naruto spoke calmly.
The wind, now blue, formed a translucent, razor-thin disk.
Under his control the blade left his hand.
A sudden sound rang out.
A two-meter column of water rose before him.
The water spun unceasingly.
Distorting his line of sight.
It was an A-rank jutsu of Baki of the Hidden Sand Village.
In shippuden he had once used it to kill Gekkō Hayate—
Yes, shippuden lost Hayate.
Naruto nodded in satisfaction.
He had barely lost any Chakra.
"I should have about two Kakashis' worth now."
He recalled Kakashi's level from a while back and estimated it was roughly right.
That amount was enough to launch his wandering Shadow Clone plan.
A true Ninja grows amid storms of blood.
Without real battle one can never bring out one-hundred percent of one's strength.
"System, add points."
After long deliberation Naruto finally committed his attribute points.
He would first boost defense.
The Uzumaki bloodline gave him amazing recovery,
but it still hurt when it hurt.
If you fear pain, raise defense—no question.
As for the other stats—
looking back at the original story,
attack clearly wasn't needed.
If it wasn't enough, just make a few more Rasengan.
Dōjutsu Power? He didn't have any; useless for now.
Sage Chakra? Didn't exist yet.
He wasn't worried—he'd get it eventually.
After weighing everything, defense was best.
The moment the words left his mouth
Naruto felt warmth flood his body, as if wrapped in hot wet towels.
Surprisingly, there was no pain.
He couldn't help giving the system a five-star review.
Unlike those cheap systems that made you scream every breakthrough,
the process lasted barely ten seconds.
When the warmth faded Naruto studied his body.
He'd never really understood how attack or defense were calculated or applied.
After watching for a while he finally noticed a faint change in his skin—
it seemed a bit harder.
But only slightly.
So if he added enough points, would he become invulnerable?
Wasn't this just Iron Shirt?
He hadn't expected the defense boost to be so blunt and simple,
but the effect was good.
In the future Shinobi World War he could charge at the front,
rush back and forth a few times, and be the last one standing.
That night, after retrieving every Shadow Clone, Naruto created a new one.
Unlike before, this clone held half of his Chakra—
in other words, Jonin-level strength.
"Your task is simple: rack up combat experience without exposing the real me."
Naruto handed him a backpack
stuffed with shuriken, exploding tags and other ninja tools he'd bought recently.
"Got it."
The clone nodded seriously.
"Wait, one more thing."
Naruto suddenly remembered and called him back.
"Don't go flirting out there; I don't want random girlfriends popping up."
"You're me and I'm you—don't you trust yourself?"
The clone grinned.
"Except for Hinata, I don't like other girls."
"You can't like Hinata either."
Naruto glared.
"Your job is to fight, got it?"
"Fine."
The clone shrugged.
"You're the boss."
Right in front of him it used Transformation Jutsuto become an utterly ordinary young man.
"With a face like this, no one will fall for me—happy now?"
"Good."
Naruto thought his clone was pretty obedient.
"Take care. I'm off."
The clone waved and vanished.
Naruto watched him leave,
wondering what mess it might make.
Whatever—so long as the real body stayed clean.
You're after the Shadow Clone, not me, Uzumaki Naruto.
A new day began.
For a long while Naruto would have to stay at half Chakra.
No matter.
In Konoha, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, what could go wrong?
Unless Nagato moved his schedule up,
he was virtually invulnerable inside the village—
safer even than the Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi might fall; he probably wouldn't.
"It's Saturday; Hinata should be practicing Gentle Fist at home. Wonder if Neji's in the grove?"
The Hyuga household was strict,
and Hinata was the perfect good girl—
Saturdays and Sundays she trained under Hiashi's watchful eye.
Partly because of pressure from Neji.
As the saying goes: no comparison, no harm.
Hiashi naturally didn't want his daughter falling behind Neji,
since under normal circumstances Hinata would inherit the clan headship.
If she wasn't the strongest, winning respect would be hard.
Neji, a branch member whose father Hizashi had died, enjoyed more freedom thanks to his genius reputation.
"Neither of them here?"
Naruto came to the grove where they usually trained Eight Extremes Fist.
He felt out of place.
Before having friends, being alone was fine,
but after meeting Hinata and Neji, solitude felt lonely.
He thought for a moment and headed back toward the Treehouse by the stream.
Passing a river, he stopped.
A familiar Chakra signature.
Following the pulse he spotted Uchiha Sasuke.
Surprised,
he wondered why the boy was out here instead of the Uchiha compound.
Could his dad and big brother both be on missions?
That reminded Naruto the Uchiha massacre was around this time.
He couldn't help pitying Sasuke.
Yet even if he wanted to help, there was no changing fate.
Even with the Nine-Tails,
against Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Obito the fox was just a freebie.
And he'd still offend Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura.
Without absolute certainty
he couldn't risk a rescue.
If only he'd transmigrated a few decades earlier.
"Who's there?"
Sasuke turned, saw Naruto, and said coolly,
"Oh, the eternal third-place."
"…"
This guy really needs a beating.
Naruto shook his head.
"Just passing through; carry on."
Sasuke was silent a moment, then said,
"Uzumaki Naruto, spar with me."
They'd never fought at the Academy,
yet for some reason he felt drawn to the blond.
Since they'd met by chance and he had nothing else going, why not a real match?
He couldn't possibly lose—
first against third was a guaranteed win, right?
He only hoped the blond would last a while.