Kuro couldn't believe it.
Naruto is Konoha's Jinchūriki!
Even though the people of Konoha despised him and treated him as an outcast, their aggression was limited to verbal insults or throwing rotten eggs and vegetables at him. They had never physically harmed him.
Everyone knew it was strictly forbidden to hurt Naruto.
As a result, most people preferred to ignore him.
In recent years, Naruto had begun pulling pranks, trying to draw attention to himself. While they still hated him, the hatred in their eyes had started to fade slightly.
After all, seeing is believing.
Some had begun to notice that Naruto was just a mischievous child and not the "demon fox" that nearly destroyed Konoha years ago. Although many had not completely changed their minds, the atmosphere was gradually improving.
However, someone had dared to hurt him.
Are they tired of living?
Who in their right mind would mess with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki in Konoha?
If it were just throwing eggs or insulting him, Kuro would overlook it, but this… this was different.
Besides, did they really think the Third Hokage, with his kind and calm demeanor, wouldn't act?
That same man had led Konoha during the Second Ninja War, sending entire generations to die for the village. Kuro knew well how much blood he had on his hands.
"Naruto, who did this to you?"
Kuro grabbed Naruto's shoulders impatiently. He was both surprised and furious.
Naruto seemed nervous under his friend's intensity.
"Uh… no, it's not a big deal," Naruto looked away, uncomfortable. "Yesterday, I was practicing in the back mountain, and I ran into three ninjas from another village."
"Ninjas from another village?!"
Kuro's eyes widened in shock.
After a series of questions, Kuro finally understood what had happened.
Naruto had encountered three ninjas from Getsugakure, a minor village, in the back mountain.
It all started because, during the entrance exam, Kuro used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to defeat Sasuke. This had left a deep impression on Naruto.
Although Kuro wasn't as cold as Sasuke, Naruto, with his competitive nature, refused to fall behind. Determined to improve, he skipped class the previous day and went to the back mountain to practice.
Unfortunately, he stumbled upon a spot where Getsugakure spies had hidden information for other ninjas to retrieve.
Unknowingly, Naruto took the information, and when the three ninjas arrived, they realized he already had it.
They chased him, trying to retrieve it.
Fortunately, Iruka arrived just in time to rescue him.
However, it wasn't Kakashi who resolved the situation—it was Sasuke and his father, Fugaku.
After graduating, Sasuke wasn't assigned to a squad like other genin. Instead, he went directly to the Konoha Police for training under his father's supervision.
"What absurd luck…", thought Kuro, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Naruto looked at Kuro with a bitter expression.
"You know? Sasuke always gets lucky. Even though he managed to beat those guys, he was so smug about it. What's so special about him?"
Kuro smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, Naruto. The day will come when you surpass him."
"Do you really think so?" Naruto asked, his eyes shining with hope.
"Of course," Kuro replied sincerely.
Hearing this, Naruto smiled broadly, completely forgetting his frustration.
Shortly after, the other students began arriving in the classroom, marking the start of a new school day.
Kuro greeted Shikamaru and the others, ready to begin. It was a calm and relaxed day.
However, time passed quickly, and before Kuro realized it, the bell signaling the end of the day rang.
Kuro said goodbye to his classmates and returned home.
It had been two days of rest… but it was time to get back to training.
...
The next morning, Kuro sent a clone to the academy in his place. Meanwhile, he headed early to Training Ground 39 to continue his practice.
That day, his focus was Wind Release Nature Transformation.
The training content wasn't particularly special. As Naruto demonstrated in the story, it involved using chakra to cut leaves at first and later moving on to cutting a waterfall.
Asuma had helped Naruto master this ability, enabling him to cut leaves quickly. However, the step of cutting the waterfall was much more complex.
In Konoha, the only waterfall was in the back mountain, where Jiraiya reinforced Naruto's seal. But there wasn't a suitable place to practice there.
Thus, Kuro decided to replace the waterfall training with cutting the flow of a river.
Although a river wasn't as challenging as a waterfall, splitting its waters with chakra was still a test of precision.
Practicing Wind Release Nature Transformation took him about a month.
After mastering it, he decided not to continue with more wind techniques immediately. Instead, he took a few days off before starting to practice other chakra natures.
Lightning Release - Water Release - Earth Release
Over the next six months, Kuro worked intensively to master these three natures, dividing his time among them.
While he used shadow clones to accelerate the process, it came at a cost.
Excessive use of clones caused mental fatigue that even his body couldn't avoid.
While his body could withstand long hours of practice thanks to his immense vitality, mental exhaustion was an entirely different matter.
Training with clones for short periods was fine, but practicing this way for months on end was dangerous.
Even Hashirama, who possessed immense vitality, had died in the prime of his life.
How did he die?
There was no one in his time who could defeat him, either in combat or in abilities. Thus, Kuro could only assume his death was caused by overwork or some illness.
________
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