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Chapter Forty Five: Ramping Up
[—NTLS—]
Naruto's eyes widened. "Kurama?"
There was a brief silence.
The fox's eyes widened even further. "What did you just say?"
"Shit."
Naruto realized that he may be making a major mistake. The only issue was that the realization came a second too late. A surge of red chakra erupted from the cage, or more specifically, from the gargantuan being behind the cage, who was more than just pissed right now. He pulled chakra into his feet to stick to the sewer water underneath him but still felt the rustling of his clothes due to the sheer force of the wind that came from his front.
"WHO TOLD YOU THAT NAME?" The fox growled.
How could he turn this in his favor? Let's think…. I have to somehow keep the fox's interest in me without turning it too negative. I can't be chasing the fox forever. I'll have to let it chase me back after a while.
Naruto took a deep breath.
He stared into the deep red eyes of the Tailed Beast in front of him. "Why should I tell you?"
There was a pause as Kurama said nothing for a while.
"I'll rip you apart."
"Hmph. If you could do that without any repercussions you would have done so a long time ago, eh?" Naruto said, crossing his arms. "We both know you aren't going to be killing me any time soon, aren't you…Ku-ra-ma?"
Kurama struck its monstrous paw against the iron bars of the jail it was presiding in, violently vibrating the structure and along with it causing rapidly moving ripples to form on the water that Naruto stood on. The fox refused to elaborate any further.
Naruto continued with a grin. "Anyways, I just came here to say hello. Whether you like it or not, we're both stuck here for the long run. I don't plan on dying anytime soon. The Akatsuki are a major threat right now, and they want you just as much as they want me. So, for both of our sakes, we could use a bit more cooperation, couldn't we?"
That sounded reasonable, didn't it?
"…OUT!"
Maybe not.
Naruto's head spun as the environment rapidly changed. The pungent smell of the sewer present in his mindscape was gone, replaced by the clean scent of grass and nature. The dark, shadowy nature of his tenant's home was starkly contrasted with the well-lit living world he was currently back in. He continued his mediation, thinking over his rather brief encounter with the fox. One thing was for sure…the fox was the strongest creature he had ever encountered. The sheer magnitude and scale of the chakra Kurama released was incomparable to anything Naruto had ever experienced before. This was all while experiencing a watered-down version of the Nine-Tails which was stuck behind that seal.
Speaking of seals…how is that single piece of paper holding down that monster behind it? Just how powerful is Fuinjutsu?
Unfortunately, Fuinjutsu no matter how strong and useless it felt could be, wasn't really Naruto's cup of tea. He would leave the weaving of seals, kanji, and ink to the actual sealmasters like Jiraiya.
Unbeknownst to Naruto, his state of mediation never stopped. He continued to remain calm and still in the grassy field, with a snoring Jiraiya in the corner against a tall tree, having taken a nap for a while.
Naruto found himself sinking deeper and deeper into the woods of meditation, getting lost in the comforting darkness of serenity and the strangely unfamiliar silence his mind was exhibiting.
For a hyperactive knucklehead like himself, this was a completely new feeling.
He leaned into it, refusing to budge a centimeter in fear of breaking apart the illusion that he had set up for himself, reveling in the feeling that he was experiencing, He felt himself getting enveloped by the gentle embrace of nature. The rustling sound of a soft breeze on the blades of grass that were in his proximity, the buzzing of curious bees that flew around him, and even the movement of a small mouse that weaseled its way across the ground.
Then, suddenly, Naruto could feel something.
At first, he was awfully confused,
It wasn't like what he was feeling was tangible in any way, shape, or form. It was simply a matter of sense. He could sense that something was around him. And it was something that he recognized.
Chakra.
Of what, though? Naruto thought with a frown. I don't have great sensory abilities, so there's no way this source is coming from someone far away. There's also no one relatively near me other than Jiraiya who is sleeping his ass off, Even with all of that information to use from, it was obvious to the blond that this source of chakra was something grander.
Because it wasn't just coming from a single source or person…no, that chakra was everywhere.
And it was begging him to open the gates, knocking vicariously on the doors of his heavily guarded mansion that was his body.
He relented.
Instantly, a poisonous sensation took over Naruto as his mind began to scream for him to release the foreign chakra as soon as possible. The blond shouted in agony as piercing pain lanced through his body and mind, hurting every single inch that it touched. The gates immediately closed, and the Trojan Horse exited back to where it came from leaving behind a ruined city in its wake.
A hand placed itself gently on Naruto's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Jiraiya had a concerned look on his face as he asked the question.
Naruto nodded slowly. That hurt like a bitch. What even was that? "Yes."
"What did the fox do?" Jiraiya asked immediately afterward.
"Nothing much. A few threats to kill me here and there. Nothing I can't handle, though. I'm more concerned about what happened afterward."
His sensei motioned for him to continue.
"I continued to meditate when I felt something in the air. It was almost like some kind of…alien chakra. Though I knew it wasn't another shinobi's, because, for one, I'm not a sensor. Anyways, I tried to channel it and ended up taking in that poisonous chakra raw."
"Interesting…." Jiraiya hummed.
"Do you know what that was?" Naruto asked eagerly.
"Of course I do…I'm Jiraiya of the Saanin. Believe it or not, I know a lot of stuff. What you went through was an unsuccessful attempt at channeling natural energy, a process most of us undergo when we first begin to detect the energy that is present in our world."
"Energy? So it isn't chakra?"
"Certainly not. Natural energy surely predates chakra, though an accurate date would never be found."
[Ding!]
[New Skill: Natural Energy Detection Lvl 1 Achieved!]
[You've gained the sixth sense and along with that the ability to detect what others cannot see. The Natural Energy that governs the processes of this Earth welcomes you into the group of few individuals who were blessed with the ability to acknowledge its presence.]
Interesting…
"So what do we do exactly with natural energy?" Naruto asked a moment later after he finished reading the information he was given.
Jiraiya smiled. "Ah! There's a state known as Sage Mode that utilizes the natural energy for great amplification of strength and other advantages, though that's a far way to go, even for someone like you."
"Do you know how to do it?"
"Of course I do. Though mine wouldn't be considered a perfect execution of it. The Fourth was much more talented at it."
Naruto nodded. "Another thing the Fourth is good at…just how strong was he?"
Jiraiya looked upwards with a sigh. "Immense talent. Great determination. The makings of a genius. He wasn't from any prominent clan to speak of, yet now the name 'Kamikaze' is known around the globe. And for good reason. The thing is, Naruto, people like the Fourth have something that separates them from the others. It doesn't matter if Minato was to fight someone who had the exact same attributes as him—he would win ten out of ten times. Do you know why?"
Naruto shook his head.
"Instinct. The born instinct of a shinobi. It isn't something you can truly change. Sure, you could train someone to do something over and over again until it sticks to their mind. But none of that would ever train the unfiltered drive of someone who simply wants to end you with no strings attached."
"I think I understand…" Naruto said with a thoughtful expression.
Jiraiya slapped the shorter kid's back and let out a loud laugh. "Enough of that, however. I believe you have that instinct in you. Regardless, today was successful! You got to meet the blasted fox and get a touch of natural energy at the same time! How about we celebrate with a bowl of ramen?"
Naruto pumped his fist into the air. "Hell yeah!"
But despite his excitement, the nagging thought stood in the back of his mind, making a nest that nestled comfortably in the crooked corners of his darkest thoughts. Every comfort that he felt was merely a distraction from the ugly truth that was waiting to jump out of a box and surprise him.
The Akatsuki were coming.
Instinct.
I need it.
—[NTLS]—
Naruto was calmly walking through the roads of Konoha, his hands in his pockets as he whistled a tune he vaguely remembered hearing when he was a kid. Circus performers regularly used to visit Konoha, and their events were hugely popular with most of the youth back then. It still felt like yesterday when Shikamaru had brought three tickets to the event, inviting Naruto and Choji along with him. The childlike wonder in his eyes as he watched the talented performers do tricks beyond his imagination. Juggling fifteen balls at a time, balancing on the thinnest of ropes, the elusive hand coordination involved in card tricks and more.
He palmed the kunai in his pocket before bringing it out. The subclass [Trickster] gave him greatly increased dexterity in his hands, proven by how easily he spun the weapon in his fingers, twisting and rotating the blade with practiced motions that he couldn't remember doing. It could pass off as a passive skill of its own.
That made him wonder, what passive skills did he have from the main class of [Necromancer]?
He was distracted from his musings when he heard a sniffling noise nearby. Naruto was currently near the park next to the Academy, meaning someone crying wasn't too rare. It was usually due to a small injury or a cut that was common among playing children, but the only peculiar thing was that he could almost recognize the voice that was bawling.
Sure enough, Konohamaru was sitting on the top of a slide, looking down at the bottom without sliding down.
Naruto quickly leaped towards the other side of the slide, taking a seat next to the small boy with the bright blue scarf tightly wrapped around him. The upper end of the scarf extended upward and covered his mouth, and also had the dual function of absorbing the tears that fell down from his wide, innocent eyes.
For a moment he remained quiet.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, confused.
Konohamaru looked to the side, his eyes widening. "Big brother Naruto!" He desperately wiped at his eyes, clearing his face from the salty tears that were previously running down his face. "What are you doing here?"
Naruto shrugged. "You look like you need some help."
"…"
"So? What's happening? Did a girl reject you or something? Then let me tell you, I've got a LOT of experience in that area. I'm the best person for you to confide in."
"No, it's nothing like that," Konohamaru said, blushing. It quickly paled. "Grandpa is retiring."
"Yeah, he is," Naruto said, blinking slowly. "What about it?"
Konohamaru looked aghast. "It's terrible! Some weird woman is replacing him! Tsunade Senju could go to hell for all I care. I don't care if she's the granddaughter of the First Hokage!"
Naruto remained silent, listening in and nodding whenever Konohamaru made a point.
"Grandpa has been the Hokage for ages…why should they change it now? Is it because he lost an arm? It doesn't matter if he's still the strongest! I just don't understand…"
The Jinchuuriki placed an arm on Konohamaru's shoulder. "Hmm…I see. Have you ever met Tsunade?"
"Uh, no. Not yet."
"Then how can you form an opinion on her?"
"It doesn't matter! I already know she's not gonna be as good as the Third."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "And what if she's better? What would you do then? We both know you aren't this stupid usually, brat. Now, tell me what's your real issue."
Konohamaru looked like he was caught red-handed. "I…I just don't want Grandpa to be forgotten."
Naruto couldn't help it. He laughed.
"What?!" Konohamaru questioned, anger quickly blooming on his face.
He finally stopped laughing. "Do you really think that retiring at his age is a bad thing? Why would he be forgotten? The Third took over the position a second time after the Nine-Tails attack. Don't you think he deserves a rest after all of that? He's at the age where he's supposed to be traveling the world and spending all the money he made. He can't be Hokage forever."
"B-bu—"
"Do yourself a favor. Meet Tsunade. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Anyways, you're scared of him being forgotten, aren't you? Well, there's something you can do to prevent that from happening.
"What?"
"Become Hokage! Be the first ever grandfather and grandson duo to be Hokage. Grandfather and granddaughter are sadly taken. What do you think?"
"H-huh?" Konohamaru said, evidently baffled.
"It's gonna take a while though. I'm gonna be the sixth Hokage, so you better wait until you take the seventh position," Naruto said with a big grin.
The Genin looked back to question Naruto once more, only to see nothing in his place.
"I need to learn how he does that…" Konohamaru mumbled under his breath.
[—-NTLS—-]
Two days later…
Naruto wasn't sure what to do during the coronation. Nearly everyone in the village was gathered at the announcement hall, waiting for the future Hokage to appear. Next to him were the rest of the Rookie Nine, along with the tagging along Lee who warmed up to everyone with his warm personality. Tenten was still somewhat annoying, but she mostly remained silent. The same with Neji, but the less said about him, the better.
Kakashi was with the rest of the Jonins, a green-laced book resting comfortably in his hands. Even now? Really?
"How much longer is it going to take?" Kiba asked impatiently, tapping his foot on the floor. Akamaru barked loudly in agreement, drawing a few stares from the surrounding civilians.
Sakura tutted. "You could learn to have some patience, Kiba. This is a serious event, and quite literally decides our future."
"Blah, blah, blah. Just let me know so that I can train. I couldn't give a shit about who is running the office."
"You aren't too good at training, either," Ino retorted with a frown. "Have some respect for our future Hokage!"
Kiba scoffed. "I'm surprised you know what training is, Ino!"
Naruto chuckled, enjoying the bickering while it lasted. Moments like these didn't seem like much in the present, but once he got older he knew he would view these times as the golden parts of his life. The best thing he could do was enjoy every moment in the present as fully as possible, leaving no regrets behind while he still had the choice.
"And why are you laughing, Naruto?" Ino asked, her ire switching towards him.
He wanted to rescind everything he just thought.
Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I've never really seen you training, so I guess there's some truth in what Kiba is saying, right?"
Kiba grinned as Ino fumed even further. She tossed her to the side and opened her mouth. "And how would you know whether or not I've been training? It's not like you're around here anymore! No one even knows where you go to train."
The past two days were intense stretches of endurance training and strength training. He had taken some advice from Lee, who had noticed his methods and immediately ran towards him to help. Lee's training, as it turns out, was basically torture. The first day was the worst with how his body remained sore for hours afterwards.
Naruto shrugged. "Well, I can't really refute that. But it doesn't really change my opinion. But I'll change my statement a little bit. I don't think you train hard enough, Ino."
Ino put her hands on her hips, tilting her head. "Well, how can I prove you wrong?"
"Hmm…how about a bet?"
"Bet?"
"You, Shikamaru, and Choji versus me. A fight till either side surrenders, of course. Whoever wins can ask the other for any favor. If I win, I get a favor from each of you. If you guys win, you three get two favors each from me. How about it?" Naruto inquired, outstretching his hand with a crooked grin on his face,
Ino contemplated the decision for a moment before finally nodding. "I don't think Shikamaru or Choji are against it, are they?"
Shikamaru yawned. "Not really."
Choji just shrugged. "I'm bored anyways…might as well get some training and experience against someone stronger."
Sakura blinked. "But the three of them? Aren't you being a bit overconfident, Naruto?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
A civilian in front of the crowd took their attention away? "Shhh…the coronation is happening!"
The coronation event was overall underwhelming. Tsunade looked like a Princess out of a storybook, whereas the Third looked like an elderly master straight out of a movie who taught the protagonist everything they knew and passed down their training to the next generation. Tsunade's speech was short and sweet. Promises of a better tomorrow, a more united village, and the safety that everyone wished for.
In a quick thirty minutes, the event was over.
Naruto couldn't help but think that the coronation was rather short. "Ah, that was anticlimactic."
He looked back to see the tear-stricken faces of Sakura and Ino, who looked on proudly at the leaving Tsunade who now wore the Hokage's hat and cloak around her back. Naruto sweatdropped before looking at his friends incredulously. Really? Maybe it's because I've already conversed with Tsunade for a while…meanwhile, these guys haven't really heard her or even seen her properly yet.
Naruto looked up at the bright azure sky. "Could this day get any more eventful?"
He should have known not to tempt fate in such a direct manner.
[Ding!]
[New Quest: "Discovering Heritage" Unlocked!]
[—NTLS—]
Hiruzen leisurely walked through on the shore of the lake, one hand behind his back as he did so. His attire was…regular. He wasn't donning the iconic Hokage hat nor the pure white cloak that his image quickly became attached to.
He didn't cry when he gave the hat to Tsunade. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't even sad to give the position away. Currently, Hiruzen felt a great weight off of his shoulders. The responsibility that came with the power given to him was more than taxing, often leading to one struggling mentally while in such high positions. Hiruzen had done his best not to succumb to the pressure, but even he wasn't infallible.
He was hopeful for the future of Konoha.
And was glad to have had a part in its progress.
In his years of tenure, Hiruzen had made several mistakes. There were too many to count. Some of them were minor, and others so evil they couldn't be named. However, everything was done for the betterment of his village. He had never been one to use his position to further his own position in society or try to gain influence or power in any way. And often, that led to him being forced to make tough decisions. One that would keep any other unable to sleep in fear of the nightmares of the dead that continue to haunt him to this day.
But that didn't matter at this moment in time.
It was time they handed these responsibilities to the younger generations. It was time they took the reins and ushered the world into a revolution that would change the course of history forever.
But that didn't mean he didn't have a part to play anymore.
In fact, some would say he has a very big part to play still.
Enma appeared before him after a quick summon. The monkey king looked somewhat interested if his continuous wagging of the long tail he had was any indication. It was weird—it had been decades since he had seen his summon being this excited.
"The monkey shamans have found a suitable match for the boy. It's just as I predicted," Enma stated with a smug smile.
There was no doubt that Naruto would be found worthy. It was just a matter of who would pair with the boy. "Who?"
"A very young candidate. He's a troublemaker, that one. But has immense talent…I've never seen anything like it."
Hiruzen's eyebrows raised on their own accord. "That's high praise coming from you of all people…
…what's his name?"
"Sun Wukong."
[—NTLS—] Yo! My Pa tre on is back online for those who want to read THREE chapters or THREE WEEKS ahead (chapters 46, 47, 48) and support my endeavor to become an author. So if you can't wait for the next update—check out: P a treon . com (slash) PaladinKaladin Shoutout to anyone who predicted the Wukong reveal! I've been waiting for a while for y'all to read this scene! Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter. This won't be 'canon' Wukong, or else the entire story would break apart. Just read and find out (RAFO). QUESTION OF THE DAY: What's your opinion on the Boruto series? Make sure to follow, review, and favorite to keep up with next week's chapter and support the story! Chapter 46 is releasing on Tuesday, 10th of December. Around 2 PM Washington DC time. Follow so you don't miss it!