"Move out immediately! We need to reach the western side of the Forest of Death—now!"
"Damn it—what's wrong with the Barrier Squad? Can't they get it right for once? In less than half a day, they've reported dozens of abnormal chakra signals, scattered all across the forest!"
"Could they be mistaken? We just swept the north side—nothing but dead animals. No human traces at all. And the team heading south just left!"
"Yeah, and with this fog and rain, visibility is garbage."
Deep within the forest, three masked ANBU stood atop tree branches, clutching a map. After a few heated complaints, they vanished in a blur, rushing toward their assigned sector.
"Naruto, the Barrier Squad has locked onto your position again. ANBU are already mobilizing."
Inside the seal space, Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, warned his son.
"It's fine," Naruto Uzumaki replied calmly.
"I'll change locations soon."
"I'm close to fully mastering chakra infusion into tools. But Father—didn't you say the barrier only covers Konoha itself? Why is the Forest of Death being monitored now too?"
Naruto's voice echoed from beneath an ancient tree whose massive roots formed a natural hollow.
Inside the hollow, Naruto leaned against the bark. He wore a mask, and his hair—altered by the Transformation Jutsu—was jet black.
Outside lay the corpses of two wolves, their blood long since soaked into the earth.
Naruto stared at the kunai in his hand.
A pale-blue chakra glow flickered along its edge—unstable, shifting.
He was pondering a problem related to chakra nature transformation.
"Awoooo—"
Low, mournful howls echoed through the forest.
"Heh… killed two idiots earlier, and now the rest of the pack wants revenge?"
Naruto stepped out of the hollow and looked up.
Thick fog wrapped the forest. Rain poured relentlessly, soaking the canopy and turning the ground into a swamp of mud and puddles. Leaves glistened with fresh water.
His sensory perception flared.
Soon, dozens of green-glowing eyes emerged from the mist.
A wolf pack, more than fifty strong, surrounded him—feral hatred radiating from every direction.
"Perfect," Naruto smiled faintly.
"More test subjects."
He clasped his hands together.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu (Kage Bunshin no Jutsu)."
Poof!
Dozens of shadow clones appeared—matching the number of wolves exactly.
The pack grew restless. Faced with an equal number of enemies, they hesitated and began backing away.
Instinct screamed danger.
They tried to retreat.
Naruto's lips curved upward.
"Go."
The shadow clones surged forward.
"One… two… three…"
"Lost eleven shadow clones."
"Total: fifty-two wolves."
"All Flying Thunder God marks applied."
Naruto murmured calmly.
With the task complete, he dispelled every clone.
The chakra along his kunai suddenly stabilized.
It solidified, extending outward into a pale-blue chakra blade, nearly half a meter long.
Naruto's eyes flashed.
He vanished.
Deep in the fog, the wolves blinked in confusion.
Their enemies were gone.
Just as they relaxed—
A dark flash tore through the mist.
"Whimper—!!"
Blood sprayed.
Bodies were severed mid-motion, torn apart before any could react.
The massacre ended almost instantly.
Whoosh!
Naruto reappeared on a tree branch.
Below him lay a grotesque scene—limbs, shattered bodies, blood staining the forest floor.
He frowned slightly and entered the seal space.
"Father," Naruto asked calmly,
"have you figured out why shadow clones can only use the Flying Thunder God Technique once?"
Minato shook his head.
"I couldn't solve it either," he admitted.
"I encountered the same limitation when I trained Hiraishin no Jutsu."
"In theory, clones should be able to use any technique the original can."
"But a clone can sense the mark and teleport only once. After that, it fails—every time."
"Even Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, never solved this."
"He created both the Flying Thunder God and the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"His original goal was to combine them into the ultimate combat style…"
"But even he failed."
Naruto nodded, disappointment flickering briefly in his eyes.
So it truly was a hard limit.
He recalled how, in the original timeline, his clones could enter Sage Mode, and how Uchiha Madara's wood clones could even manifest Susanoo.
Yet Flying Thunder God remained different.
Absolute.
Naruto had been hiding in the Forest of Death for nearly two months.
Ever since the Third Hokage left the village, only a shadow clone remained in Konoha—under Gekkō Hayate's watch.
With Minato's full guidance, Naruto had mastered Flying Thunder God within the first month.
But that wasn't all.
Through repeated battles in the Mirror World, Naruto had collected additional chakra natures.
Now, in addition to his original Yang Release, he possessed:
Wind Release
Fire Release
Water Release(acquired from the data puppet of Izumo Kamizuki)
Over the past month, he had fully internalized every technique, battle experience, and training insight gained from the data puppets.
He had even begun serious research into chakra nature transformation.
At this point, Naruto could precisely infuse chakra into ninja tools, shaping it at will.
Just then, his senses caught three chakra signatures approaching the edge of his perception.
"Hm. They're faster than last time."
Naruto smiled faintly.
"Time to go. My clone should be home by now."
Without another word—
He vanished.
Whoosh!
Naruto reappeared in his bedroom, on the second floor of his house.
"Naruto," Minato asked suddenly,
"when do you plan to leave Konoha?"
Sensing his shadow clone and Gekkō Hayate approaching the house, Naruto slipped into the seal space again.
"Why do you assume I'll leave?" Naruto asked calmly.
Minato's expression dimmed.
"I don't know… I just feel it. You've mastered Flying Thunder God. No one can control you now."
Naruto smiled.
"Father, I'll tell you this—I won't be leaving Konoha for a long time."
Minato blinked.
"Why?"
Kurama, lounging nearby, opened one massive eye.
Naruto's gaze shifted toward him.
"There are many reasons," Naruto said quietly.
"*The first reason—*I need to wait for Jiraiya to return."
"Only he holds the key to the seal."
Minato stiffened.
"And the others?" he asked.
Naruto turned and smiled faintly.
"Konoha is the perfect cover for who I am."
"It may not be the safest place—but it's the most convenient."
"If I leave, I become a rogue ninja."
"And worse—I'm a jinchūriki."
"The entire ninja world would hunt me."
"Even if they couldn't catch me, it would be endless trouble."
"And I still need to collect more data in the Mirror World."
"Konoha still has many things I want."
Naruto's eyes hardened.
"I have too many reasons to stay in Konoha."
"You might not fully understand…"
"But unless it becomes absolutely necessary—"
"I won't leave."
(End of Chapter)
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