"Fair warning," Naruto said, jar of green paste in hand. "The medicine hurts worse than the beating."
He'd experienced this himself for two years. The ointment didn't just sting the wounds—it sent shockwaves through the nervous system, amplifying every sensation. The real conditioning happened in this step.
Sasuke let out a sharp hiss through his teeth as the first application touched his welted skin.
Sakura and Ino both flinched at the sound, goosebumps rising on their arms.
Naruto's expression remained focused, his hands steady as he worked the paste into Sasuke's back with measured pressure. The technique required precision—too gentle and it wouldn't penetrate properly, too rough and it would cause unnecessary damage.
As he worked, Naruto found himself thinking of Hiruzen Sarutobi. The old man had incredible skill with massage—when he'd applied medicine to Naruto's back after the conditioning training, his technique had been perfect. Somehow, the Third Hokage could find angles that made even agony bearable, transforming pain into something almost therapeutic.
Compared to Hiruzen's expertise, Naruto's own skills were amateur at best.
Too bad I'm probably going to have to punch his head off eventually, Naruto thought, remembering his mother Kushina's advice. The idea of asking Hiruzen to run a massage parlor to earn money for the farm died before it fully formed.
After several minutes, the angry red marks on Sasuke's torso began fading to dull pink. The ointment was already working.
Naruto washed his hands in a bucket of water, then turned his attention to the two girls who'd been standing frozen in shock the entire time.
"So, Sakura, Ino—you're here to see Sasuke?" Naruto asked with a knowing smirk.
He was well aware that both girls had crushes on his friend. Simply put, they were obsessed with Sasuke's appearance. Shallow, really.
I'm handsome too, Naruto thought with mild indignation. Why doesn't anyone like me? Maybe I'm too strong. Too tall. Maybe they think they couldn't... handle me.
The image of Hinata Hyūga flickered through his mind—small, delicate, shy.
Can't wait to see what she wears to the Summer Festival.
"No! No, we're here for you, Naruto!" Sakura and Ino said in perfect unison.
Their synchronized response suggested they'd rehearsed this.
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
Ino, the braver of the two, stepped forward. "We want to become friends with you, Naruto."
Sakura nodded rapidly, her pink hair bouncing.
Sasuke, still shirtless and covered in fading welts, looked at the girls like they'd lost their minds. Did they have any idea what becoming Naruto's friend required? If they truly understood the process and were volunteering anyway, then they had more courage than he'd given them credit for.
They were literally asking to get beaten up.
Naruto, in contrast, looked completely unsurprised. In fact, a certain smugness crept across his face. As he grew stronger, people were starting to come to him to make friends, rather than him having to seek them out.
The path of Ultimate Taijutsu really was giving him everything he'd hoped for.
"Are you two serious?" Naruto asked.
"Y-yes, of course!" they stammered.
Sakura and Ino exchanged glances, then launched into their prepared speech. "We know how amazing Naruto is! Being friends with someone as incredible as you would be anyone's dream, and we're no exception—"
Naruto's expression didn't change.
Panicking slightly, the girls continued their rehearsed compliments. Unfortunately, the Academy focused more on combat training than vocabulary development. They cycled through variations of "strong," "tall," "impressive," and "handsome" with increasing desperation.
This was the disadvantage of not reading enough books.
When they started repeating themselves, Naruto held up a hand. "Alright, alright. I appreciate the kind words, but let's not waste time."
Honestly, their compliments had been fairly accurate, and Naruto had enjoyed hearing them. But they couldn't stand here all afternoon.
"If you're serious about friendship," Naruto said, "then you know my principle. We have to spar first—that's how I confirm you're sincere."
"We know," both girls said together.
Sakura glanced at Ino. "So who goes first?"
"I'll go first," Sakura declared, stepping forward.
"No way—I'm going first!" Ino protested. "I won't let you steal the spotlight on this!"
"That's exactly what I was thinking! Stop being annoying, Ino. I'm clearly the most suitable person to go first—"
"You? Suitable? Don't make me laugh—"
Naruto tilted his head back and stared at the sky. At this rate, the sun would set before they finished arguing. He dropped into a ready stance.
"Both of you. Come at me together."
Sakura and Ino stopped mid-argument. They looked at each other, and identical expressions of triumph flashed across their faces.
Success.
Before arriving, they'd planned this exact scenario. They would pretend to argue over who went first, manipulating Naruto into suggesting they attack together. Once he took the bait, Sakura would engage him from the front while Ino waited for an opening to use her clan's secret technique—the Mind Transfer Jutsu—to take control of his body.
That way, they could complete the "friendship process" without actually getting beaten up.
Simply perfect.
"In that case, Naruto-kun," Sakura said with a smile that was just a bit too sweet, "you'd better be careful."
She raised her hand and without hesitation, sent three shuriken whistling toward Naruto's face.
Naruto didn't overthink it. The System had taught him long ago: when you practice Ultimate Taijutsu, you don't need to worry about tricks, conspiracies, or schemes. If you're strong enough, one punch shatters all strategies.
Sasuke turned his head away, unable to watch what was about to happen to his classmates.
The three shuriken shot forward like silver lightning.
The instant Sakura attacked, Ino darted to the side, concealing herself behind a tree. She watched intently, waiting for her moment.
Naruto observed the incoming projectiles with perfect calm. His body bent backward in a smooth arc, forming an iron bridge—the shuriken passed harmlessly over his face.
Sakura gritted her teeth and threw another volley.
This time, Naruto didn't dodge. He simply stood there, apparently frozen.
Now!
"Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino's hands flew through the seal sequence.
Her technique wasn't perfect yet—she'd only recently learned it from her father—but all the conditions were right. The target was stationary, distracted by Sakura's attack, completely unaware.
Ino released the jutsu without hesitation.
In the next second, Naruto's body would be hers to control.
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