53: Chapter 53 The Return of the King and the Prelude to UneaseTwo and a half years, which is also a Kun year.
For a ninja's life, this might just be a brief period of training that passes in the blink of an eye.
But for a village, especially one that has just gone through collapse and reconstruction, this period of time is enough for many things to settle down and for new hope to begin to sprout.
Konoha Village entrance.
Two Chunin guards leaned against the gateposts, idly exchanging gossip about the latest village saga.
Then two figures appeared on the distant horizon, walking slowly towards the village.
One tall and one short, one white and one orange.
"Halt!Who goes there!" one of the Chunin shouted, following procedure.
They recognized the tall, white-haired man at a glance.
One of the legendary Sannin, Lord Jiraiya.
But their bewildered gazes fell on the boy beside him.
The boy was dressed in an orange and black training robe, and his figure was tall and straight.He was more than a head taller than the noisy brat he was two and a half years ago.
His brilliant blond hair was still striking, but the contours of his face had lost all their childishness and become angular.
Most importantly, it's his aura.
Gone is the hustle and bustle of the past; in its place is a quiet, understated elegance.
He walked quietly, each step firm and steady, as if his inner world was separated from the chaos of the outside world by an invisible barrier.
"It's me, Naruto Uzumaki."
The boy's voice was flat and emotionless.
The two gatekeeper ninjas looked at each other, both seeing undisguised astonishment on each other's faces.
This overly composed young man is really the same nine-tailed brat who once graffitied the Hokage Rock and shouted throughout the village that he wanted to become Hokage.
[Ding!You have received 1200 [Surprised] items from Gatekeeper Ninja A!]
[Ding!You have received 1150 [Surprised] items from Gatekeeper Ninja B!]
Jiraiya laughed triumphantly and patted Naruto's shoulder hard.
"Well, what do you think?The hero I brought back has been completely transformed!"
Naruto did not respond to his boasting, but calmly stepped into the village gate.
Just then, a lively shout came from the side.
"Big Brother Naruto!"
Konohamaru, accompanied by Udon and Moegi, rushed over in a flurry of activity.
"You're finally back!Let me see the results of your training!" Konohamaru exclaimed excitedly, his hands rapidly forming hand seals."Sexy Technique: Woman-Woman Technique!"
Bang!
Two vibrant and alluring young women appeared before Naruto, exuding irresistible charm.
This was his once-proud prank ninjutsu, and also a powerful weapon against Jiraiya.
However, Naruto simply watched calmly.
His face remained unchanged; there was no nosebleed, no blushing, not even the slightest wavering.
Those clear blue eyes were like looking at two meaningless stones.
Konohamaru's smile froze.
His signature move, which he was so proud of, was actually.ineffective?
[Ding!You have received 2500 [Shock] items from Konohamaru!]
Naruto bypassed them and continued deeper into the village.
"Hey, Naruto!"
The familiar voice made Naruto stop in his tracks.
Sakura Haruno and Shikamaru Nara stood not far away.
Sakura's face was filled with the joy of reunion.She ran quickly to Naruto and looked him up and down.
"Naruto!You've grown so much taller!And you've become so handsome!"
"Is that so?" Naruto replied.
Sakura's smile faltered slightly.
Looking into Naruto's terrifyingly calm eyes, she suddenly felt a strange, indescribable sense of unfamiliarity.
Is the person in front of her really the Naruto she knows?
Where has that familiar passion and impulse gone?
"What a troublesome guy, he's back and already causing such a commotion."
Shikamaru yawned and complained in his usual lazy tone, but his gaze lingered on Naruto for a long time, full of scrutiny.
The Hokage's office.
Tsunade was observing everything happening at the village entrance through the crystal ball that belonged to the Third Hokage.
Jiraiya stood in front of her desk, boasting with spittle flying everywhere.
"See that, Tsunade!This kid's potential is extraordinary!I guarantee he's the man who can inherit the Will of Fire!"
Tsunade didn't speak; she just stared at the calm boy in the crystal ball.
She could understand Jiraiya's pride, but she also keenly sensed the ambiguity hidden beneath that pride, a ambiguity that even he himself hadn't noticed.
Jiraiya did not fully understand this student.
"Talk is cheap." Tsunade looked away and crossed her arms."Perfect timing, Kakashi is back too.Let them practice the bell-stealing drill again.I want to see for myself just how much he's grown."
She gave orders to the secret agents outside the door.
"Go and call Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno here."
A moment later, at the third training ground.
This is where Class 7 started, and where all the stories began.
Kakashi was still as lazy as ever, arriving an hour late.
He held the orange-covered book "Make-Out Paradise" in his hand, reading as he walked, waving to Naruto and Sakura as a greeting.
"Hey, long time no see."
Sakura was so angry that the veins on her forehead bulged, but Naruto remained completely unresponsive.
He didn't even look at the book that had once made him furious; he simply stood there calmly.
Kakashi finally looked up from the book and, for the first time, truly looked at his student whom he hadn't seen for two and a half years.
Something's not right.
This guy is completely different.
[Ding!You have received 6000 [Surprise] from Kakashi Hatake!]
Tsunade decided to personally preside over this test.She took out two familiar silver bells, shook them between her fingers, and they made a crisp sound.
"The rules are the same as before.You pass if you manage to steal the bell from Kakashi before sunset.If you fail, you won't get dinner."
She looked at Naruto and calmly accepted the mission.
Those azure eyes no longer held the impatience and defiance of the past, only a deep, unfathomable tranquility that chilled the heart.
Sakura stood beside Naruto, sensing the unusual atmosphere, and subconsciously clenched her fists.
On the observation deck at the edge of the training ground, Tsunade and Jiraiya stood side by side, their expressions solemn.
"This atmosphere." Tsunade muttered to herself, "doesn't feel like a sparring match between teacher and student at all."
Jiraiya's smile vanished.He could feel the pressure emanating from the training ground, silently spreading outwards from Naruto.
Kakashi felt it most clearly.
That pressure wasn't the pressure of chakra, but a purer kind of confidence stemming from the level of life itself.
He was no longer facing a student who needed his guidance and protection.
Instead, he was a true "ninja" who stood on equal footing with him, or even at a higher level.
He slowly closed the copy of "Icha Icha Paradise" in his hand and put it into his ninja tool bag.
Then, he lifted his headband.
The crimson Sharingan with its three tomoe eyes was exposed to the air, locking onto Naruto Uzumaki.
He entered a state of maximum alert.
Tsunade announced.
"Drill, begin!"
The moment she finished speaking, Sakura's figure flashed, and she immediately retreated, creating distance between herself and the enemy, looking for an opportunity to strike.
This is the most standard way to respond.
Kakashi also assumed a defensive stance, his muscles tensing up.
However, Naruto Uzumaki did not move.
He remained standing quietly in the same spot, his hands in his pockets, letting the breeze flutter the hem of his orange shirt.
He just stared at Kakashi, at that Sharingan that was operating at full power.
Then he spoke.
"Kakashi-sensei."
His voice was calm, penetrating the sound of the wind in the forest and clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"This test is to see if I've grown."
Kakashi didn't answer, but instead used his Sharingan to warily observe his every move.
Naruto suddenly smiled and said the second half of his sentence.
boom.
Kakashi's crimson Sharingan contracted violently to its limit in that instant due to extreme shock.
Prev Next