Over the next few days, Naruto threw himself into training with the kind of intensity only he could manage.
While hundreds of clones surrounded scrolls, formulas, kunai markers, and chakra diagrams, Naruto worked on everything else his body needed. Every few minutes, a clone would pop, sending a burst of knowledge and experience into him—each one sharpening his grasp of the Flying Raijin.
The theory—chakra flow, formula placement, spatial tearing, marker imprinting—hit him like waves, but he absorbed them all.
By the third day, he had learnt it.
Meanwhile, he kept up with his social life—something surprising even for him. Training With Sakura & Ino
Sakura was strict but fair, correcting his stances and counter-form with clean precision. Ino was… different. Surprisingly enthusiastic. Especially when Naruto encouraged her to take taijutsu seriously.
"Taijutsu, huh?" she smirked once. "I'll make sure I can kick your butt with it."
"Oh yeah?" he grinned. "I'll believe it when I see it."
She hit him with a soft jab to the shoulder. "You will see it."
Their training became an unexpected daily routine—sparring, talking, teasing. Naruto found himself actually getting to know her: her frustrations, her dreams, the weight of always being compared to Sakura.
He listened. And she noticed.
He also had brief talks with Hinata
Hinata remained quiet, shy, but determined. Their conversations didn't last longer than five minutes at a time:
"Ah—N-Naruto-kun! Good morning!"
He'd smile. "Morning, Hinata. Training today?"
"Y-Yes!"
Simple. Short. Yet each one left Hinata brighter, and Naruto found himself appreciating her presence more than he expected.
One random afternoon, Naruto was strolling through the village with his hands behind his head, stomach full from Ichiraku Ramen, mind drifting peacefully.
'Training's going well…' he thought.
Then—his senses twitched.
He looked up.
On a nearby rooftop stood Asuma, Shikamaru, geared up, faces serious. Wind rustled Asuma's trench coat. Shikamaru had a troubled look, hands in his pockets. This was the moment… that mission.
Naruto's eyes widened.
'Damn, I almost forgot.'
A cold weight dropped in his stomach.
No time. He turned and sprinted, chakra gathering instinctively in his legs.
In less than thirty seconds he crossed half the village—rooftops blurring beneath him, civilians startled as a blond streak flashed past.
By the time he reached the other side of Konoha, his breathing was steady and controlled. He wasn't wearing weights, and without them he felt light, almost like he was gliding across the village.
He burst into his apartment.
Dozens of clones were still working—some drawing seals, some practicing kunai marking, others resting with exhausted expressions.
"Boss? You back already—?"
He didn't reply. He rushed past them, grabbed his gear—kunai pouch, scrolls, jacket—and slung everything over his shoulder.
No hesitation.
He sprinted out the door again, footsteps echoing sharply down the hallway. Naruto wasn't letting this play out the same way.
Soon enough, Naruto caught up with them, jogging lightly as if the long run from the village meant nothing. The group—Shikamaru, Asuma, Izumo, and Kotetsu—turned when they heard footsteps closing in.
They all stopped.
Shikamaru let out a sigh.
"What are you doing here, Naruto?"
Naruto flashed a grin, hands tucked behind his head.
"Well, I was bored, y'know? Thought I'd come with you guys. Don't worry, I asked Lady Tsunade."
' That's a lie' he thought.
He walked right past Shikamaru to greet the two gate guards—Izumo and Kotetsu.
"Yo, Izumo! Kotetsu! Thanks for the warm welcome every time." Naruto nodded, now finally remembering their names after years of running past them.
Kotetsu smirked. "Heh, look at that, he actually remembered."
Izumo chuckled. "Write this day down—Naruto Uzumaki used someone's real name."
Naruto waved them off and joined Asuma, who leaned against a tree, arms crossed but relaxed.
"You're not smoking today, sensei," Naruto noted, raising a brow. "Guess this is a personal mission."
Asuma gave a small, amused smirk. "You're slowly getting more like Shikamaru, you know that?"
Naruto snorted. "Yeah nah—imagine me with that crummy hairline."
The group burst into laughter—Kotetsu actually wheezed. Even Asuma chuckled, shoulders shaking a little.
Shikamaru frowned for a moment, cheeks tightening… but he couldn't hold it. Seeing Asuma laugh again warmed him more than he'd admit.
They continued moving through the forested path, the mood lighter, but tension slowly creeping in as the mission's weight settled over them. The trees grew denser, the air quieter, and even Naruto lowered his voice, focusing.
Soon, they arrived—just within sight of a run-down wooden shack built into a rock face.
The Bounty Morgue.
Standing outside, leaning on his three-bladed scythe like it was a walking stick, was Hidan.
Hidan's lip curled.
'What's that guy's obsession with money? Doesn't he know Jashin doesn't like material things?' he thought, rolling his eyes as he waited for Kakuzu to finish.
The Konoha team stayed hidden behind thick underbrush, crouched low. Asuma scanned the clearing carefully while Shikamaru mapped positions in his mind.
Naruto leaned in, whispering, "Alright, his weapon's long-ranged, so try by all means to avoid it. I don't know… something about that guy screams bad news."
The others looked at him, confused—Naruto rarely gave warnings like that—but they nodded anyway. Shikamaru noted the seriousness in Naruto's eyes; this wasn't one of his usual impulsive comments.
Asuma exhaled slowly.
"Okay. We move on my signal."
The tension settled like a weight over all of them. The fight with the Akatsuki was about to begin.
While Hidan stood unguarded, Asuma shot down from the treeline. The wind around his blades rippled sharply.
He swung, sending compressed wind chakra slicing through the air. The invisible blades screeched as they cut toward Hidan.
Hidan reacted instantly—faster than anyone expected.
He snapped his scythe upward, pulling the rope taut as he spun it around his body. The spinning blades deflected the wind attacks with sparks of chakra flickering off the metal.
"Tch. Annoying," Hidan muttered.
But before he could reset his stance—
THUNK! THUNK!
Izumo and Kotetsu burst out from both sides, driving their oversized kunai-blades straight into Hidan's ribs and abdomen. The impact forced him back half a step, the sound of metal piercing flesh echoing through the clearing.
Shikamaru stood on the building formed the Rat seal.
His shadow stretched.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Hidan froze mid-breath, trapped in the pitch-black tendril.
Everything fell silent.
The team exchanged confident glances—this looked too easy.
Then Hidan tilted his head with a confused expression… and spoke as if they hadn't stabbed him at all.
"Uh… what is this? Some kinda game? Who even are you guys?"
He wasn't even wincing. Blood dripped, but he didn't care.
Naruto stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"He's immortal."
Shikamaru's eyes widened. He immediately signaled Izumo and Kotetsu.
"Back off! Leave the blades—just move!"
They leaped away, boots scraping dirt, abandoning their weapons inside Hidan's body.
"I can't move!" Hidan barked, struggling against the shadow. He glanced downward—then upward—and finally spotted the source.
"Ah. You." His lip curled.
'So he's the one using this stupid shadow trick.'
He frowned deeper.
'Where's Kakuzu when you need him…'
Naruto suddenly spun to the side—instinct flaring—
A massive fist punched at him.
Naruto crossed his arms and blocked, but the sheer force launched him backward. He hit the ground and skidded to a stop.
Kakuzu landed heavily in front of Hidan.
BOOM.
The ground ruptured beneath his feet. Hidan blinked.
'There was another one? Oh. Wait— isn't that the Jinchūriki? That makes our job easier.'
Kakuzu's stitched mask tilted toward Naruto.
"Nine-Tailed Jinchūriki. Unfortunately, you have no bounty… but I'm certain your corpse will be worth a great deal someday."
Naruto dusted off his arm and smirked.
"Don't you know you're not supposed to invest on a weekend?"
The forest trembled from the sudden tension—and the real fight was about to erupt.
' Fuck that was corny. One lines are not for me' he thought.
TO BE CONTINUED