"Thank you so much, old man Teuchi!" Uzumaki emptied his third extra-large serving of ramen and hopped off the stool. "Master Saitama, where are we going to train?"
Caped Baldy put his mind to work. Back in his old world, the location of his training hadn't mattered to him at all. He would simply go outside and push himself to the limit. Here, however, ninja surely had special grounds for honing their skills. But where those places were, and whether one could go there without some kind of permission, the young man had absolutely no idea.
"Today we could head to one of the nearby ANBU training grounds. It's usually empty. I'll take you there," said Anko, seeing Saitama struggling to answer. "Going forward, though, Naruto, you should find out which training ground is assigned to your team. Who's your trio's instructor?"
The blond scratched the top of his head thoughtfully:
"I don't remember. He ended up in the hospital after some mission, so my team is on break for now."
"Is that so…" Mitarashi drawled. "Alright, let's go!"
About twenty minutes of easy walking later, Anko, Naruto, and Saitama arrived at the empty training ground. During that time the kunoichi had been casually trying to extract information about her current charge. She hadn't really expected an answer. But she got one — and quite a response it was. This Saitama had come up with such a ridiculous story that the Special Jonin marveled at how a person could even concoct something like it: that he was a hero from another world who normally fought monsters and had accidentally ended up in this world after a skirmish with one of them. The nerve of him! Who did he take her for? Some village fool? And the most remarkable thing was the perfectly straight face with which he had poured that nonsense into her ears. Outstanding performance. She had been given a none-too-subtle hint to mind her own business. Anko was no fool, so she dropped the subject.
The little Jinchuriki, on the other hand, had been clearly captivated and walked the whole way with his mouth hanging open, hanging on his master's every word. Understandable — he was just a child, what could you expect. Moreover, the answer had evidently been crafted to impress the boy in the first place. Anko, for her part, found the storyteller's tale genuinely amusing. Particularly the description of Saitama's supposedly brutal training — so intense the man had even gone bald. What an absurd story. How could anyone go bald from training?
More likely you'd just grow thicker eyebrows… the thought flashed through Anko's mind. And where had Naruto even gotten the idea that this guy was so strong? Sure, he could take a hit, but the kunoichi figured the bald man was as far from Kage-level as the moon.
"Master, will I go bald too?" Naruto asked with a worried look as they passed through the gate of Training Ground 66.
"Kid, it's too early to worry about that. First survive day one," Caped Baldy grinned.
Uzumaki gave a confident nod, though he had already made up his mind: Whatever's waiting for me — I will never give up…
Out loud, the blond declared firmly:
"Master Saitama! I'm ready for anything it takes to become as strong as you. And after that — I'll become Hokage. So what's this super awesome training of yours?"
The One-Punch Man fell into deep thought. He remembered that everyone he had told about his "special" training hadn't been particularly impressed; some had even thought he was just messing with them. But he genuinely hadn't done anything beyond that. A hundred reps on each major muscle group and ten kilometers of running every day. Even now, Saitama was starting to think the training might not actually have been all that grueling. But back then — it had truly felt like hell.
Nevertheless, the hero's main objective at the moment wasn't to mentor a student but rather to scare one off. He needed to propose such an insane training regimen that the kid would give up on his own. Sifting through various knowledge gleaned from movies and manga, Saitama found his answer.
The bald young man immediately plastered on the most serious expression he could manage and began instructing his "student":
"Listen up, Naruto! Heed the words of your teacher!"
Uzumaki stood ramrod straight, fists clenched, drinking in every subsequent word from the sensei with hunger. Caped Baldy continued:
"Brutal training awaits you. Even if your tendons tear, your muscles burst, and your bones crack during this training, you must pay it no mind…"
During his speech, Saitama watched Naruto's reaction. And he didn't like what he saw: a sharp, determined gaze, an unbending will — the drive to push through to the very end. For a child, such a thing was, to put it mildly, unusual, and Caped Baldy began to worry whether his super-training would actually kill the boy. But seeing the unquenchable flame in the kid's eyes, he understood that this little demon wasn't going to let him off easily.
Releasing a faint wave of killing intent, Saitama fixed a stern stare on the boy and began hammering out each word:
"We begin training… ten thousand push-ups, ten thousand squats, ten thousand sit-ups… After that, you run one hundred kilometers!.. Get started!"
"Yes sir!" Naruto immediately dropped into push-ups, and the bald hero let out a sigh of relief.
He figured that kind of workload would definitely kill the kid's enthusiasm for training. The boy would give up soon, and Saitama could go walking around Konoha with Anko. She was supposed to show him the village, after all. And there was something else the girl was supposed to do, but the one-punch master couldn't recall what. It felt like something important.
"I have to admit, for an ordinary child this load is absurd. But Naruto is no ordinary child, so after a while he'll be able to get used to it," Mitarashi muttered.
That number of repetitions would indeed have been beyond the limits of the average genin, chunin, or very weak jonin. But for, say, Konoha's Green Beast and his student, it would have been nothing more than a light warm-up; the same exercises with weights and running with logs on your shoulders — that was a different story entirely.
"Who would have thought, Saitama, that you'd be training a Jinchuriki in the Style of the Power of Youth," the girl said, involuntarily shuddering as Gai came to mind.
"What? What Power of Youth?" the young man didn't follow.
And so Anko found herself telling Saitama about Konoha's greatest Taijutsu master, Maito Gai, and his methods of achieving strength, which broadly resembled those of Caped Baldy. Then Mitarashi moved on to explaining what Taijutsu was. After that the girl began enlightening the young man about who Jinchuriki were, deciding to start from the beginning.
Saitama was genuinely interested in hearing about a man who practiced training that brutal. He wanted to cross paths with the Green Beast — a close-combat specialist. As for all the information about the chakra fruit, the rabbit, some Sage of Six Paths, and the unknown tailed beasts, he let it flow past him as usual, doing his best to look like he was listening, while his eyelids were already growing heavy.
"Got it, Anko," the bald young man drawled with a wide yawn.
The girl, seeing her conversation partner's reaction, gave up on the explanation and pointed at Naruto:
"The boy is already exhausted. He should take a break."
The little Jinchuriki's arms were barely holding him up. His whole body was shaking with the effort, his cheeks were flushed, and sweat was pouring off him in streams. He was barely audibly murmuring:
"One thousand seven hundred one… one thousand seven hundred… t-two… t-three…"
Saitama was impressed by the boy's endurance. It was a good thing he had told Naruto to do ten thousand reps and not a hundred. That would have been laughable — the little monster hadn't even broken a sweat in the first two hundred, and in that case there would have been no question of pushing past any physical limit.
"That's enough, Naruto!" the hero said firmly.
Uzumaki wanted to protest, but his arms gave out and he fell face-first into the grass. Flipping onto his back, the blond spread his arms wide. Gasping for air, the boy said between ragged breaths:
"Master Saitama!.. Heh… I… heh… am not done yet…"
"Calm down, Naruto," Anko decided to step into the "educational" process. "Saitama never said you had to do the reps back-to-back without stopping. Right?" she glanced at the bald young man, who a moment later gave a knowing nod.
In truth, doing the exercises consecutively had been kind of implied, but technically he hadn't actually said anything of the sort. Besides, the hero had decided that the workload should be increased gradually, or the kid could actually be seriously hurt. After all, he himself had pushed past his limits as a grown adult. Naruto was essentially still a child.
"So then," the kunoichi continued, "you can practice strength training on your own. But you won't get far on that alone."
The boy, having rested a little, sat up, deciding to listen to what the girl had to say.
"That's not all, is it, Saitama? You certainly have a training plan for Naruto, don't you?" Mitarashi inquired with a cunning squint.
Damn, damn… Where did you come from with your questions? I wasn't going to teach the kid anything. Think, think…
Enlightenment suddenly descended upon Saitama, and he launched into another inspired speech:
"Indeed so, Naruto. You should certainly understand that strength is far from the only thing that matters for a shinobi. Sometimes you may find yourself in situations where strength won't help you at all. And what will help is resourcefulness. So, in addition to standard training, you will be tempering your mind. Because a stupid shinobi is a dead shinobi…"
What kind of nonsense am I even spouting?! flashed through Saitama's mind.
Anko raised an eyebrow in puzzlement and asked:
"And exactly how is he going to do that?"
Anko! What did I ever do to you to deserve this?.. But it's a fair question. Really, how? What does this kid have that others don't?…
When he wanted to, Saitama could think at the speed of an advanced supercomputer. This was precisely one of those critical moments, on which his image as a cool teacher depended. Even though Caped Baldy had originally intended to get rid of the boy as quickly as possible, seeing his persistence and determination, Saitama immediately thought of Genos. Comparing the two, he realized the little blond wasn't going to let go of him. The kid needed something to keep him busy. Sifting through his memories — specifically the facts he knew about Naruto — the young man finally found his answer.
"Hm…" Saitama began meaningfully. "It's obvious, kid. You've got that cool technique where there can suddenly be a lot of you, right?"
Naruto nodded:
"Yes, Master Saitama. It's the Shadow Clone Technique. I learned it last night…"
Anko was stunned. Learning a B-rank technique in a single night. The kid was almost certainly lying. Something like that was only within the reach of a genius. And Uzumaki, to put it mildly, wasn't exactly genius material.
"Well then, using that technique, I think you can do a lot of things at the same time. For instance, what's stopping you from making a bunch of copies, sending some of them to sit in the library and absorb new knowledge, while the rest train alongside you?"
Uzumaki paused for a moment. First, he wasn't sure the technique could be used that way. The little Jinchuriki also genuinely didn't understand how reading boring books and scrolls could help him. Or how it would help him become the strongest and then move closer to his dream of becoming Hokage. The boy voiced these doubts to his sensei.
Saitama didn't understand the point either. He was just talking nonsense with a straight face, trying to look as convincing as possible. The boy's question caught him off guard, but this time Caped Baldy was saved by Anko.
"You're wrong, Naruto. Let me go in order. The Second Hokage's technique is specifically designed for receiving information from your copies. Shadow clones are normally used in reconnaissance: the moment a clone dispels, it passes its gathered intel back to the original. In pure theory, this technique could be used for an accelerated learning process — but only when you have a large chakra reserve. Using them in strength training, however, is a waste of time, since they have no muscles, bones, or anything else; they're made entirely of chakra, even if they look identical to the original," Mitarashi paused to let the child process the information.
"That's cool and all, dattebayo, but I still don't get why I need to study scrolls in the library…" the blond scratched the back of his head with a wide grin. The boy frankly didn't like reading or studying. He wanted to understand whether there was any real necessity in learning various disciplines. After all, it wasn't the same as awesome techniques or the absolute strength of his new teacher. So what was the point?
Saitama was in complete agreement with Naruto on that one — throughout his entire life he had mostly read manga, and occasionally light novels — so, holding his serious expression, the young man also waited for the kunoichi's answer.
"I was just about to get to that," Mitarashi smiled. "As your new teacher already said, not everything in a shinobi's life can be solved with strength. If you want to become Hokage, you need to know an enormous number of things. Among general disciplines, you need to master history, geography, mathematics, economics, psychology, political science, tactics… in short, there's a great deal to learn. And yes — that's just a small part of what a village leader must understand. As for the shinobi-specific subjects…"
At that point Anko paused to think. There was no need to overwhelm the boy just yet, so she suggested what she believed would be genuinely useful for him:
"Well, to start, at least take chakra theory, the history of jutsu, and physiology. The academy gives you the basics, but that's far from everything. So to sum up: the general subjects will help you as the village's future leader; while knowledge of the many different types of Ninjutsu, the properties of seals, styles of Taijutsu, the structure of chakra pathways, the approximate locations of tenketsu points — all of that will prepare you for future battles with opponents. Because sometimes, in order to win, you need not only to command various jutsu but to know your enemy well. To know their strengths and weaknesses…"
"Hrrrr… pfhhhh…" the sound of Saitama's snoring cut off her lecture.
Anko's eye twitched. The bald shinobi had managed to fall asleep right beside her. While standing! She was already about to smack the young man on his smooth head when she heard a counterpoint — soft snuffling from the direction of the boy. He was asleep too, sitting up.
"Oh Kami! Are you serious?!" Anko hissed. "Who on earth am I even doing this for?"
Was she really such a terrible teacher? Or were these two just impossibly bad listeners?
"Wake up, Saitama!" she shouted into the bald ninja's ear.
The young man startled awake, and Naruto, jolted out of sleep, began looking around in bewilderment.
"Why are you yelling, Anko? Is it discount time? Or are we heading to lunch already?"
The kunoichi let out a heavy sigh, trying to suppress her irritation. Men frequently got on her nerves, but this bald specimen was in a class of his own. The girl tried to calm herself down with the reminder that he was just playing the fool — that deep down he was merely performing the role of a simpleton, or sometimes outright idiot. After all, just a short while ago Saitama had said some genuinely logical and convincing things. The idea of using shadow clones to learn something new, for instance. Of course, there were nuances to that technique, and certain side effects from dispelling, but that wasn't the point.
"Damn it, Saitama! Can you be serious for at least a little while and act normally?" Anko pleaded.
"Of course," the young man nodded.
The hero wasn't entirely sure what specifically he was being accused of, but decided to play dumb and keep a low profile — though he did want to ask one last thing:
"Who's this Bijuu, by the way?"
Mitarashi wearily dropped her gaze. She had just explained who the tailed beasts and Jinchuriki were. She had even started from the very beginning.
The girl resolved internally that she was done paying attention to the bald shinobi's mockery. Her nervous system was far too nervous to take his "jokes" seriously.
"Never mind, forget it. So what about Naruto's training?" she decided to return to the main subject.
"What about it?.. Oh, right," the young man slapped himself on the forehead.
Gathering his thoughts, Saitama continued, addressing Uzumaki:
"Listen carefully, my student. Your goal is to become not only the strongest, but the smartest shinobi. To that end, you're now going to create as many clones as possible, and they will go and pore over every textbook, scroll, and reference guide they can find…"
"Huh? What reference guides?"
"I'm sure Anko will help you figure out the main directions and tell you what to study. Leave some clones here for training."
"But training with clones in strength exercises is pointless, they're made of chakra!" Mitarashi groaned. The man simply did not want to listen to her. She felt like tearing the hair from Saitama's head — which was impossible for fairly obvious reasons.
The hero let the kunoichi's remark go in one ear and out the other. What mattered to him wasn't results — just keeping the kid occupied enough not to bother him for at least a little while. Everything else could be figured out later.
"There's no such thing as a pointless training," Caped Baldy declared unwaveringly. "Leave some clones, and they'll practice plain punches in the air. Because, as they say, it's better to practice one punch ten thousand times than to practice ten thousand different punches once. Meanwhile, you yourself will be completing the daily quota — ten thousand reps on each core exercise, plus a one thousand kilometer run!"
"Master Saitama, but you said to run a hundred kilometers," Naruto reminded the bald young man.
"…Talk back to your master and you'll do ten times more!" the hero declared without room for argument. "Is that clear?"
"Yes sir!" Uzumaki nodded like a proper bobblehead and formed a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Technique!.."
Konoha was sinking into dusk. The sun had nearly disappeared below the horizon, leaving only a narrow crimson stripe across the sky. The dying light of sunset also filtered into the village leader's office, painting the room in truly breathtaking colors.
"Crimson — the color of blood," Hiruzen barely murmured, packing his pipe.
The Third Hokage was troubled by an undefined feeling — most likely, a feeling that warned of approaching danger. He wasn't sure where the threat was coming from. He had felt something similar before the Second and Third World Wars. What could it mean? Was another war approaching? Perhaps. The fragile peace currently observable wouldn't last much longer. And yet… this feeling of unease was disturbing him far more intensely than it had before. Judging by everything, the danger threatened not only Konohagakure…
The door opened, and a thin, black-haired old man with a wooden cane walked into the Hokage's office. His right eye was covered in bandages, his left was half-closed. One hand rested beneath a black robe draped over a white shirt.
"Hokage-sama," the newcomer gave a barely perceptible nod.
"Leave us," Sarutobi said to the ANBU subordinate standing in the corner. The operative obeyed in silence, stepping out and closing the door behind him.
"Sit down, Danzo. What did you want to discuss?" the Third asked, forming the seals for a sound-isolation barrier. Once the technique was active, the Hokage lit his pipe.
The elder walked silently to the nearest armchair and settled into it gently, resting his cane across his knees.
"According to my information, the subject has made contact with the Jinchuriki," the man said in a raspy voice. "The boy even considers the outsider his teacher… Hiruzen, what were you thinking when you brought this shinobi into Konoha?"
The man's expression was usually impossible to read. He was always cold and composed. But right now the head of ANBU Root was barely suppressing the indignation straining to break free.
"He is not a shinobi," the Third replied. "He is merely…"
"Please stop talking nonsense," Danzo cut the Hokage off. "Do you honestly believe his fairy tale about traveling between worlds? A hero? It's not even funny. Seems obvious to me that a spy has infiltrated our ranks."
"You see conspiracies everywhere," Hiruzen said, releasing a spinning smoke ring from his lips. Unlike his conversation partner, the Hokage remained absolutely calm. "I believe him. So don't even think about harming him, Danzo. With someone that powerful, it's better to be on good terms. You have no idea how dangerous he can be."
"On the contrary," the elder objected. "I'm fully aware of the degree of danger the outsider poses. Which is precisely why he needs to be eliminated. He may cause problems…"
"No!" Hiruzen stated firmly. "You will not touch him. That is an order."
Danzo narrowed his eye. It seemed to him that the Third had lost his mind. Allowing an enemy disguised as a civilian onto the village's territory was the height of idiocy. The absence of chakra proved nothing. The young man had casually dealt with a squad of ten ANBU operatives. No ordinary person could do that. Possibly he had undergone experiments, or possessed an unknown Kekkei Genkai that blocked sensor abilities or granted him supernatural capabilities such as enhanced strength and speed.
But the most dangerous thing was that the bald ninja had already gained influence over the Jinchuriki — on the very first day of his time in Konoha. Unthinkable! The village's weapon had to be under the village's control, not that of an unknown shinobi. That was another reason the bald young man needed to be eliminated.
Even before the conversation with the Hokage, Danzo had already been turning over a plan to poison or covertly assassinate the outsider. Moreover, seditious thoughts had been forming in his mind regarding Sarutobi's overly long tenure at his post. He would most likely have to remove the Professor as well — not with his own hands, of course. The chunin exams were approaching, which meant an opportunity to engineer a commotion: a small, localized conflict, during which a certain slippery acquaintance of his could be helped to trap the "God of Shinobi"… or, at the very least, simply not be hindered from reuniting with his student.
Even if Hiruzen survived, he would be Hokage no longer. He would retire "for health reasons." Yes, there would be casualties — and not a few. But it would all be for the good of the village. In this case, the ends justified the means…
"I'm sorry, but I have a great deal of paperwork. Is that everything you wanted to discuss, Danzo?" Hiruzen asked.
A tense silence hung in the office for a moment.
"I won't take up any more of your time, Hokage-sama," the elder said coldly, rising from the armchair. Tapping his cane, he limped toward the exit. Sarutobi quickly dismissed the sound-isolation technique and returned to his papers, though his thoughts were still lingering on the recent conversation with the head of Root.
I hope you don't do anything foolish, Danzo. Now is not the time for internal strife, the Hokage thought.