Orochimaru had little interest in reanimating shinobi below Kage level.
Unfortunately, he hadn't collected the remains needed to summon any more fighters of that caliber. Obtaining them would require outside help—the kind of assistance Zetsu could provide, and that Kabuto had benefited from in the original story.
For now, the Fourth Kazekage was the only reanimated shinobi he could use.
Naruto had rendered him helpless.
Orochimaru stared up at him, his narrow, serpentine eyes cold.
After a long silence, he finally abandoned the fight.
Over the years, his attention had shifted toward techniques such as Impure World Reincarnation and the immortality offered by Living Corpse Reincarnation. Research into the secrets of life had come to dominate his ambitions.
He still favored attacks he could perform without lengthy hand seals—stretching his neck to strike, or unleashing Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.
But he rarely fought with the full range of ninjutsu and taijutsu he had employed in his younger days.
A low chuckle escaped him.
Naruto thought he heard resignation beneath it.
"Naruto-kun… I believe we'll meet again in three years."
Orochimaru sank into the ground, taking Sasuke and Sakura with him.
Until the last moment, Sasuke kept his eyes fixed on Naruto.
The challenge was clear.
In three years, I'll defeat you...
Naruto raised an eyebrow, amused.
Orochimaru was counting on taking Sasuke's body and acquiring his Sharingan once those three years were up.
Did he think Naruto would spend that time standing still?
There was the [Senjutsu Body] to obtain. The Eight Inner Gates to learn. And the talented shinobi gathering in the Hidden Snow Village.
Three years would give Naruto plenty of time too.
Gamabunta disappeared in a cloud of smoke, returning to Mount Myōboku.
Naruto drifted down to the ground.
Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma hurried over. Looking toward the place where Orochimaru had vanished, they struggled to accept what they had just witnessed.
Naruto had forced one of the Sannin to retreat.
There was a new wariness in the way they looked at him.
Kakashi felt another sharp pang of regret.
He should have handled things differently when he still had the chance.
Shikamaru and the others were equally unsettled. They had graduated only a short time ago.
How had Naruto become this strong?
Was this really the same boy who had struggled at the bottom of their class?
Guy alone regarded him with open admiration.
He was happy for Naruto.
He had seen how hard the boy trained, how much effort he poured into improving his taijutsu. Naruto had the same determination Guy treasured in Lee.
To him, this was another miracle of youth.
…
The mission ended in failure.
In truth, it had been heading toward that outcome from the beginning.
Sakura had no intention of returning to Konoha. Even if they dragged her back, there was no guarantee she wouldn't leave again.
Her heart was already elsewhere.
The journey home was quiet.
No one seemed inclined to talk.
Naruto eventually turned to Guy.
"I'll go ahead, Guy-sensei. I need to pick up Hinata, then get back to training."
He rose into the air and disappeared into the distance.
His first stop was the Hidden Snow Village.
Construction was still underway. After checking on the village, he took Hinata somewhere quiet, with a pleasant view, and settled into training.
Two days later, they appeared outside Konoha.
They entered through the main gate, and Naruto returned to his practice.
…
Kakashi's report left Tsunade furious with Sakura.
It also gave her a much clearer understanding of Naruto's strength.
She needed to reconsider how she treated him and what missions she assigned him. He could no longer be regarded as a boy fresh out of the Academy.
"Twelve years old… with the strength of an elite jōnin."
In a time of peace, that was extraordinary.
The last comparable prodigy who came to mind was Itachi Uchiha.
But Itachi had grown up in the shadow of the Third Shinobi World War. He also possessed the Sharingan and had gone on to awaken the Mangekyō.
Naruto, as far as Tsunade could tell, had shown no powerful kekkei genkai. Nor had he been relying on the Nine-Tails' chakra.
She decided to honor the break she had promised him.
For the time being, Naruto would receive no new missions.
Hinata, however, still had her duties as a genin. She needed experience, and missions were part of that.
Three days later, she, Shino, and Kiba were assigned to a mission in the Land of Birds.
Kurenai remained in Konoha, recovering from her injury.
From the client's description, Naruto recognized the incident immediately.
The Cursed Warrior.
A supposed haunting concealing a human conspiracy.
Behind it were the Watari Ninja, a band of wandering shinobi with enough skill to pose a real threat to Hinata's team.
Naruto didn't want to risk something happening to her.
Before they left, he summoned Katsuyu from Shikkotsu Forest.
A small white-and-blue slug appeared.
"Hello, Naruto-kun. Lady Tsunade has told me about you."
Her voice was gentle and unfailingly courteous, as though she were welcoming a guest.
"How may I help you?"
Naruto gestured toward Hinata.
"She's going on a mission far from the village. If anything happens to her, I'd like you to let me know immediately."
"Of course."
Katsuyu divided into two smaller portions.
One settled on Naruto's shoulder. The other climbed onto Hinata's.
They were both parts of the same being and could share information.
If Hinata encountered danger, the portion accompanying her would dispel itself as a warning. The one remaining with Naruto would immediately know.
Then Naruto could use the Flying Thunder God mark on Hinata to reach her in an instant.
No matter how far away she was.
…
After Hinata departed, Naruto resumed his training at Konoha's training grounds.
Fifty shadow clones worked on Fire, Earth, Lightning, and Water Release.
His real body focused on physical training.
Thanks to the [Ninjutsu Talent] granted by his [Senju Clan Sage Body], most of the B-, C-, and D-rank elemental techniques he had learned had reached [Proficient].
The handful of A-rank techniques had all reached [Basic Mastery].
Once he brought every technique to [Proficient] and had enough points, he could finally obtain the [Senjutsu Body], replacing his two existing Sage Bodies.
After that, he would use system points to raise his elemental techniques to [Perfect Mastery].
Then he could synthesize [Fire God Form], [Lightning God Form], [Earth God Form], and [Water God Form].
With senjutsu chakra amplifying those abilities, he could become the most powerful master of elemental ninjutsu in the shinobi world.
He would be able to wield any elemental technique at will.
His enemies' elemental attacks would lose their power before him.
The thought drove him to train even harder.
Ten days passed.
Then the little Katsuyu on his shoulder suddenly spoke.
"Naruto-kun! The part of me accompanying Hinata has disappeared!"
Naruto's expression changed.
Hinata was in danger.
He immediately dispelled his training clones, then dismissed Katsuyu's summon.
An instant later, he vanished.
The Flying Thunder God Technique carried him directly to Hinata.
As he appeared, an elderly monk exhaled a dragon of fire toward her—and toward Kiba and Shino beside her.