The assembled group stared at Naruto, processing what they'd just witnessed. Wings made of bone and muscle. Flight at supersonic speeds. Casual mastery over his physical form that defied conventional understanding.
But after the initial shock faded, everyone's reactions followed a predictable pattern.
This is Naruto, they all thought with resigned acceptance. His training method is beyond normal comprehension. There's no point being surprised anymore.
Strange things had become routine. Impossible feats had become expected. With Naruto, the only constant was that he continually exceeded the boundaries of what should be possible.
Orochimaru's mind, however, took a different analytical path. His scientific curiosity latched onto specific details, searching for patterns and explanations.
That bone manipulation, the snake Sannin thought, his golden eyes narrowed in concentration. It's somewhat similar to my subordinate Kimimaro. The Kaguya clan's bloodline ability.
The comparison was natural. Kimimaro could extend his bones at will, create weapons from his skeletal structure, transform his body into a living arsenal. Naruto's wing formation had shown similar principles.
Could Naruto be a survivor of the Kaguya clan? Orochimaru wondered briefly.
But the thought collapsed immediately under scrutiny. No, that's impossible. I know for certain that Uzumaki Naruto belongs to the Uzumaki clan. The massive chakra reserves, the vitality—all characteristic of Uzumaki bloodline. Nothing to do with the Kaguya clan at all.
Which means this bone manipulation is another application of his training method. It can actually modify skeletal structure, change body configuration at will. Remarkable.
The more Orochimaru observed, the more desperately he wanted to understand the underlying mechanisms. But when he thought back to previous battles—how Naruto could transform into a giant exceeding twenty meters in height, how his flesh could withstand techniques that should have obliterated him—suddenly a pair of wings seemed almost mundane by comparison.
Just growing wings, Orochimaru rationalized. Hardly surprising given what I've already witnessed.
While Orochimaru processed his observations internally, Sasuke stepped forward with more immediate concerns.
"Naruto," he asked, hope and anxiety mixing in his voice. "Did you succeed? Did the breakthrough work?"
There was expectation written across Sasuke's face. After everything—Itachi's death, the revelations about the Uchiha massacre, the emotional turmoil of recent days—he needed something positive. Needed confirmation that his best friend had achieved his goal.
Hearing the question, Naruto nodded. Simple, confident, without fanfare.
"I did. Spirit, energy, and body unity achieved."
"So you're even taller now? Even bigger when you transform?" Sasuke's surprise was immediate and genuine.
The question made practical sense. Every previous breakthrough had increased Naruto's transformed height. From five meters to ten to twenty. So naturally, further advancement would mean even greater size.
Orochimaru, listening to this exchange, felt sudden relief wash through him.
Thank the heavens I didn't proceed with the Tsukisha Hime seduction plan, he thought with barely suppressed horror. If Naruto's breakthrough made him even larger, even more massive... I wouldn't be able to tolerate that. It would cause serious physical injury.
The mental image was vivid and terrifying.
After all, I'm not built for that kind of... structural stress, Orochimaru concluded delicately. Completely inadequate specifications for such an encounter.
Different from Sasuke's focus on power scaling or Orochimaru's focus on avoiding traumatic seduction scenarios, Nine-Tails paid attention to more practical matters.
The fox's sharp eyes examined Naruto's current appearance. Barefoot. Bare-chested. Pants riddled with holes where flesh thorns had pushed through the fabric during his earlier experimentation.
This image is terrible, Nine-Tails thought with something approaching maternal disapproval. He looks like a homeless vagrant. Completely undignified.
"Naruto," the fox called out, his voice carrying gentle reproach, "I put fresh clothes under the waterfall for you. Go put them on before you do anything else. You can't walk around looking like that."
"Right," Naruto agreed readily. "I'll go now. You guys continue what you were doing."
The words had barely left his mouth before Naruto vanished. Not in a blur of movement—just instantaneous disappearance. One moment present, the next moment gone.
Instantaneous Movement, Sasuke recognized. Heavenly Steps Level 2. He's gotten even faster with it.
A heartbeat later, Naruto reappeared at the waterfall. The clothes Nine-Tails had carefully folded sat on the flat stone exactly where the fox had left them.
Naruto picked up the bundle, preparing to dress. Then he paused, a thought occurring to him with sudden clarity.
Wait. I'm about to go make friends with Hiruzen. That process involves combat, which means transformation, which means these clothes will explode.
He looked down at the fresh clothing in his hands, then at his current damaged pants.
If I put these on now, they'll be destroyed within minutes. Completely wasteful. Why not just keep them for after the friendship process is complete?
The farm's annual income had grown substantially—enough to support operations and feed his enormous appetite. But that didn't mean Naruto could afford to waste resources carelessly. Destroying clothing unnecessarily went against his principles of efficiency.
I'll wear them afterward, he decided, setting the bundle back on the stone carefully. No point in ruining good clothes.
With that settled, Naruto walked to stand directly beneath the waterfall. Water crashed down on his head and shoulders with tremendous force—tons of falling liquid that would have battered a normal person unconscious.
Naruto barely registered it as more than mild pressure.
He activated his Iron Body technique fully, channeling power through his enhanced physiology. Time to test his new limits. Time to see how high spirit, energy, and body unity could elevate him.
Transform, he commanded internally.
His body responded instantly.
Five meters. Ten meters. Fifteen. Twenty.
In the past, twenty-plus meters had been Naruto's maximum height. The absolute ceiling of his transformation capability. But this time, the growth didn't stop.
Twenty-five meters. Thirty. Forty.
He continued expanding, rising higher. Simultaneously, internal changes accompanied the physical enlargement. The blood in Naruto's body surged like tsunami waves, circulating with such force and volume that it created sound. A rumbling roar emerged from his chest, drowning out even the waterfall's thunder.
His body temperature skyrocketed. The massive energy expenditure of maintaining this form generated heat that radiated outward in visible waves. The air around Naruto shimmered and distorted from thermal displacement.
Steam rose where the waterfall struck his superheated skin, creating clouds of vapor that obscured his lower body.
Back at the farm, Sasuke kept his attention focused on the waterfall's location. He knew Naruto had gone to retrieve clothing, and some instinct told him to watch.
Something's happening, Sasuke sensed. Something significant.
Normally, looking toward the waterfall from the farm's central area, you could see the cascade of water flowing down the mountainside. A white ribbon descending from rocky heights, beautiful and constant.
But this time, when Sasuke looked in that direction, he saw something impossible.
A giant was rising. Growing taller by the second, ascending until its height nearly matched the waterfall itself.
Despite the distance—perhaps a kilometer separating farm from training ground—the giant's sheer scale made it clearly visible. Majestic. Towering. Unmistakably inhuman in proportion.
"Look over there," Sasuke breathed, pointing. "At the waterfall."
Knowing Naruto's transformation capabilities, understanding his training system's effects, Sasuke immediately recognized the giant's identity.
That's Naruto. Has to be. But he's never been that tall before. Never reached that height.
The others followed Sasuke's pointing finger, turning their gazes toward the distant waterfall.
Orochimaru saw the figure clearly—a boy with long golden hair that caught sunlight like spun metal, a physique that radiated power even from this distance, a presence that dominated the landscape.
"Incredible," Orochimaru muttered, genuine awe coloring his voice. "He's taller than the waterfall itself now."
But more than the visual spectacle, Orochimaru could sense the energy. His decades of experience, his sensitivity to chakra and life force, detected the majestic power contained in that enormous body.
If that energy were released, Orochimaru calculated grimly, if it erupted in a single burst, it would be catastrophic. Village-destroying. Country-annihilating.
What Konoha? What Land of Fire? They could be erased easily by that giant. Swept away like sand before a tsunami.
Everyone stared toward the waterfall, faces slack with shock. Their minds struggled to process the magnitude of what they were witnessing.
Naruto had transcended normal power scaling entirely. He'd become an existence they could only look up at, the way ordinary humans looked up at mountains—with awe, with wonder, with the humbling recognition of something fundamentally beyond their ability to challenge.
At the waterfall, Naruto examined his transformed state critically. The water level reached his waist now, cascading around his torso rather than over his head.
Two hundred meters, he assessed, satisfaction warming his chest. Quite an improvement over twenty.
But this was raw physical height. Physical mass and strength. There was another dimension to test.
"If I integrate with the surrounding magnetic field," Naruto mused aloud, "the power should increase even further. Because my body isn't measured by physical form alone anymore. Heaven and earth lend their force. The world itself becomes an extension of my strength."
The principle made sense. Unity meant harmony with environment. Harmony meant drawing power from sources beyond individual capacity.
Let me try it.
Naruto began the process he'd practiced earlier—relaxing conscious control, expanding awareness outward, seeking connection with the ambient magnetic field.
This time, he didn't stop at the farm's boundaries. His perception spread farther, wider, encompassing larger territories with each passing second.
Past the farm. Through the forest. Across fields and streams.
Toward Konoha.
The village came into his awareness like a city appearing through lifting fog. Buildings, streets, people—all of it registered in Naruto's expanded consciousness with perfect clarity.
His perception continued spreading throughout Konoha, covering the entire settlement. Every activity, every person, every location existed within his awareness now. Nothing could hide. Nothing remained concealed.
Well, some images Naruto chose to filter out automatically. Certain activities were better left unobserved. His consciousness politely harmonized those scenes, preserving the participants' privacy.
The Hokage Building fell within his perception. At this hour—late afternoon, not yet evening—Sarutobi Hiruzen should still be working. Should still be in his office handling administrative duties.
Naruto's awareness focused on that location, zooming in like a camera lens adjusting magnification.
The Hokage's office materialized in Naruto's consciousness with perfect fidelity. Every detail rendered in what felt like 4K resolution. Crystal clear, undeniable, impossible to misinterpret.
Konoha's Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat at his desk. But he wasn't reviewing reports, wasn't signing documents, wasn't conducting any legitimate Hokage business.
He was staring at his crystal ball. And the image displayed in that scrying sphere showed the interior of Konoha's largest women's bathhouse.
The scene was active. This was prime bathing time—when civilians and small nobility alike visited the bathhouse after completing daily work. Women from across the village gathered there, seeking relaxation and cleanliness.
Larger clans like the Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, and Hyūga maintained private bathing facilities on their own compounds. More convenient, more exclusive.
But everyone else used the public bathhouse. Which made it an excellent target for surveillance if you were a perverted old man with scrying techniques and no shame.
The crystal ball's image fed directly into Naruto's awareness. Though most bathers wore robes, though some maintained modesty while in the water, the bathhouse environment encouraged relaxation. Defenses lowered. In same-gender company, privacy concerns diminished.
Which meant Hiruzen's crystal ball was capturing things it absolutely shouldn't.
Sensing this scene, rage ignited in Naruto's chest. Hot and immediate, burning away his previous calm.
This is what Konoha's Hokage does during working hours? The thought came with visceral disgust. This wretched, perverted activity? This complete betrayal of his position's dignity?
He presents himself as everyone's kind grandfather. The benevolent leader. The wise protector. But this is what he actually does when nobody's watching?
The hypocrisy was staggering. Hiruzen's public persona—amiable, grandfatherly, caring—stood in stark contrast to this private behavior. The man was a fraud. A sanctimonious pretender wearing a mask of virtue while indulging base urges.
I can see through you now, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Naruto thought coldly. The mask has slipped. The performance has ended.
In his office, completely unaware of Naruto's remote observation, Hiruzen continued admiring the bathhouse scene with appreciative focus.
Then his instincts screamed warning.
Someone's watching me.
The feeling hit like ice water down his spine. Hiruzen had been peeping at others for so long, had spent so many years as both observer and occasional target of observation, that his sensitivity to surveillance had become exceptional.
He recognized the sensation immediately. Undeniable. Someone was studying him right now.
Hiruzen's hand moved away from the crystal ball, leaving it active but shifting his attention to threat detection. His eyes scanned the office interior first—no intruders, no obvious presences.
He stood quickly, moving to the window, pushing it open. Leaned out to examine the exterior walls, the nearby rooftops, the street below.
Nothing. No ANBU watching from concealment. No enemy ninja maintaining observation positions. The area appeared completely normal.
But the sensation of being watched persisted. Didn't fade. If anything, it intensified.
Above, some instinct whispered. Look up.
Hiruzen tilted his head back, gazing toward the sky.
The thin clouds hanging in the low atmosphere began moving. Not drifting naturally with wind currents—twisting deliberately, purposefully. Forming shapes that shouldn't exist.
A face emerged from the clouds. Massive. Unmistakable. Features that Hiruzen recognized instantly despite the impossible scale.
Naruto's face. Formed from vapor and air. Staring down at him with an expression of profound anger.
Hiruzen's heart clenched in his chest. Fear spiked through his system, flooding his bloodstream with adrenaline.
Impossible. This has to be an illusion. Stress-induced hallucination.
He blinked hard, shook his head slightly, looked again.
The clouds were just clouds. Shapeless. Formless. No face. No expression. Just normal water vapor catching afternoon light.
And the sensation of being watched had faded too. Disappeared as suddenly as it had manifested.
A delusion, Hiruzen told himself firmly, returning to his desk on slightly unsteady legs. Nothing more. Guilt and paranoia playing tricks on my perception.
But sitting back down, trying to refocus on his crystal ball, Hiruzen couldn't shake the unease. Couldn't dismiss what he'd sensed and seen.
Because deep in his heart, he knew he'd wronged Naruto. Knew the things he'd done—the concealed inheritance, the allowed persecution, the manipulated isolation—had inflicted genuine harm.
Harm that wasn't important to Hiruzen himself. Not in the grand scheme of village politics and power consolidation.
But harmful nonetheless.
I have ghosts in my heart, Hiruzen acknowledged silently. Guilt I've been ignoring. And ghosts create fear.
The stronger Naruto became, the more that fear intensified. Because previously, Naruto had been controllable. A chess piece Hiruzen could move at will, could shape according to village needs, could sacrifice if necessary.
But suddenly, recently, that control had vanished.
Naruto had become uncontrollable. Independent. Powerful enough that Hiruzen's authority meant nothing. Strong enough to challenge anyone in the village—including the Hokage himself—and win decisively.
That loss of control terrified Hiruzen more than he wanted to admit.
I've gained too much, he thought, staring at his desk without seeing it. Accumulated too much power, too much influence, too much comfort. Now I'm afraid of losing it all.
Konoha should belong to the Sarutobi family. Must belong to us. Only the Sarutobi can properly manage Konoha's strength. Not the Senju. Not the Uchiha. Not the Hyūga. Only us.
Only in my hands will Konoha become stronger and stronger.
But Naruto's figure kept flashing through Hiruzen's mind. That face in the clouds—hallucination or not—had carried unmistakable anger.
The old Hokage forced himself to calm down, to think strategically rather than emotionally. Some intuition told him that Naruto would come soon. Would arrive at his office, demanding answers, seeking confrontation.
And the result of that meeting probably won't be good for me.
Naruto's words echoed in memory, spoken casually but carrying undeniable weight: "My mother told me to blow your head off."
Kushina had indeed said that. The message had been delivered through whatever means Naruto had accessed—probably something to do with the seal, though Hiruzen didn't fully understand the mechanism.
I need insurance, Hiruzen decided. Protection. Something to soften Naruto's anger before he arrives.
He pressed a button on his desk, summoning his secretary immediately.
A female shinobi entered within seconds, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Listen carefully," Hiruzen said, his voice taking on urgent authority. "Right now, immediately, I need you to call all villagers to gather in front of the Hokage Building. Use the emergency broadcast system. I'm going to announce something extremely important."
He paused, then added the impossible deadline.
"I want to see every Konoha villager assembled in front of this building within five minutes. Make it happen."
The secretary's face showed instant distress. "Hokage-sama, it's dinner time. People are eating with their families. And gathering every villager in five minutes is... that's extremely difficult. Perhaps if we had thirty minutes—"
"This is YOUR problem," Hiruzen cut her off sharply. "Find solutions yourself. I just need to see results. You now have four minutes and fifty-eight seconds remaining."
The tone left no room for argument. This was a direct order from the Hokage, carrying absolute authority.
The secretary understood immediately that her job depended on compliance. "Yes, Hokage-sama. Right away."
She fled the office at a run, already formulating emergency plans.
Watching her leave, Hiruzen felt marginally more secure. This is insurance. If Naruto comes, I can announce his identity as the Fourth Hokage's son in front of the entire village. Make a public spectacle of recognition and legitimacy.
Maybe that will earn some gratitude. Maybe it will soften his anger enough to avoid immediate violence.
It wasn't much of a plan. But it was better than nothing.
At the waterfall, Naruto withdrew all his senses from Konoha. His consciousness collapsed back to normal human awareness, no longer encompassing the entire village.
He also released his Iron Body transformation, shrinking from two hundred meters back to normal height. Within seconds, he stood at his usual 1.7 meters, completely human in appearance.
Standing on the boulder, Naruto's face showed clear anger. The emotion wasn't explosive—wasn't wild rage that clouded judgment. This was cold anger. Calculated fury that enhanced rather than impaired his thinking.
Time to go, he decided. Time to visit the Hokage.
With spirit, energy, and body unity achieved, his Heavenly Steps technique had reached Level 3. Shrinking Earth—the ability to truly walk on air, to step on the sky itself as if it were solid ground.
Naruto looked toward the Hokage Building's direction. The village was visible from here if you knew where to look, buildings clustered together in organized patterns.
Then he stepped forward.
Not onto the boulder's surface. Not onto any physical platform.
Onto air.
His foot found purchase where nothing visible existed. Like climbing invisible stairs, each step solid despite apparent emptiness. Naruto walked upward at a gentle angle, ascending from the boulder toward open sky.
He moved normally—same gait as walking on flat ground, same casual pace. No visible effort, no struggle against gravity. Just natural movement through three-dimensional space.
He walked through the air above his farm, ascending until he cleared the treetops, until he stood perhaps fifty meters up. From this height, he could see his property clearly—the fenced pastures, the scattered buildings, the people looking up at him with shocked expressions.
Naruto paused directly overhead, looking down at the assembled group.
"Kurama!" he called out, his voice carrying clearly despite the distance. "Remember to cook my dinner. I'll be back to eat it."
The declaration was casual. Matter-of-fact. As if he were just stepping out for a brief errand rather than heading to confront the Hokage.
Hearing Naruto's voice, everyone raised their heads. They saw him standing in empty air, walking step by step through nothing, heading toward distant Konoha. By the time they looked up properly, all they could see was Naruto's receding back.
"Naruto, I understand!" Kurama shouted toward the distant figure. "I'll prepare your dinner! Come back safe!"
The fox's voice carried worry despite the cheerful words.
"Naruto's walking in the sky," Sasuke breathed, awe and concern mixing in his tone. "Actually walking on air like it's solid ground."
Obviously human, obviously bound by normal physics, the sight defied their understanding. Sasuke, Zabuza, Haku, Shikamaru, and Orochimaru all shared similar thoughts—this went beyond jutsu, beyond chakra manipulation, beyond anything in their experience.
Orochimaru felt excitement surge through him despite the situation's tension.
The more miraculous Naruto's abilities become, the snake Sannin thought, the more potential MY future holds. Because eventually, once I decode his method, I'll be able to do this too.
The obsession burned brighter than ever.
"Wait," Shikamaru said suddenly, his tactical mind catching a critical detail. "That direction... he's heading toward the Hokage Building specifically. Not just Konoha in general—directly toward Lord Third's office."
"The Hokage Building?" Sasuke's eyes widened. "What's Naruto planning to do?"
The question hung in the air unanswered. Naruto hadn't explained his intentions beyond mentioning the breakthrough. Hadn't warned them about confrontations or told them to stay away.
Even Sasuke only knew fragments—knew Naruto resented certain people, knew grievances existed, but didn't understand the full scope of what was about to happen.
"I think we should go watch," Shikamaru suggested carefully. "We should see what Naruto's planning. Maybe offer support if needed."
The suggestion received unanimous approval. Everyone nodded, preparing to head toward the village.
Orochimaru considered briefly, weighing risks. As a wanted missing-nin, entering Konoha openly was dangerous. But with Naruto's implicit endorsement, with the power balance shifted so dramatically, the danger felt manageable.
No one in Konoha can threaten me anymore, Orochimaru calculated. Not with Naruto's backing. And my curiosity demands I witness this confrontation.
"I'm coming too," he announced.
Without further discussion, the group moved out. Heading toward Konoha at maximum speed, racing to witness whatever was about to unfold.
Naruto walked slowly through the sky above Konoha, maintaining a leisurely pace. No rush. No urgency. Just steady progress toward his destination.
Once he entered the airspace directly over the village, civilians below began noticing his presence.
"Look! Up there! In the sky!"
Dozens of voices called out, pointing upward. Heads turned throughout the streets, faces lifting to see the impossible sight.
A person. Walking through empty air. Moving as casually as if strolling down a village path.
Recognition spread quickly. That blonde hair, those whisker marks, that distinctive appearance.
"It's Naruto Uzumaki," someone said, voice carrying shock. "The Nine-Tails boy."
"He's walking on air," another whispered. "How is that possible?"
The villagers' eyes showed indifference mixed with shock. Years of hatred and fear couldn't be erased instantly, even by supernatural displays. Their gazes remained cold despite their amazement.
But the aggressive hostility had diminished. Because they'd learned—some through direct experience, others through gossip—about Naruto's strength. About how easily he could kill them if he chose.
He's not the weak child we could bully anymore, the villagers understood collectively. He's become something beyond our ability to challenge.
That realization made them uncomfortable. Made them feel vulnerable in ways they'd never experienced before. The natural order—where they had power and Naruto had none—had inverted completely.
"Don't stare," someone urged the crowd. "Hokage-sama summoned us to the Hokage Building. There's an important announcement. We need to go now."
As the words spread, villagers began moving. Abandoning dinner preparations, leaving unfinished meals, heading toward the Hokage Building with hurried steps.
Naruto overheard their conversations with his enhanced senses. Understood immediately what Hiruzen was attempting.
So you're gathering the villagers, Naruto thought, cold amusement touching his features. Planning some kind of public spectacle? Some dramatic revelation meant to earn my gratitude?
Do you still think I'm a child? Do you believe I'll fall for such transparent manipulation? Maybe the old me would have. The desperate, lonely boy who wanted acceptance so badly he'd forgive anything.
A sneer curved Naruto's lips.
But the current me? I'll disappoint you, Grandpa Third. Those tricks won't work anymore. I've seen through your mask. I know what you really are.
Naruto deliberately slowed his aerial pace even further. Giving the villagers time to reach the Hokage Building. Giving Hiruzen time to set his stage, arrange his performance.
Take your time, Naruto thought generously. I'll allow this. Let you act out your little drama. Then we'll see if it changes anything.
He watched the civilians below rushing through streets, saw ninja moving across rooftops with worried expressions. All of them heading the same direction—toward the Hokage Building, toward whatever announcement awaited them.
The ninja especially looked agitated. Their sharper perceptions had detected Naruto's presence earlier, had been tracking his movement through the village. Some remembered him from the Forest of Death, remembered watching Orochimaru—one of the Legendary Sannin—get obliterated.
That's someone who can easily destroy even Lord Orochimaru, the ninja thought with palpable fear. How strong is he really? What's his upper limit?
They didn't dare approach Naruto to question him. Didn't dare interfere with whatever he was doing. Just followed at a distance, maintaining observation while staying well outside any potential threat range.
When Naruto sat down in midair, actually sitting on nothing as if an invisible chair supported him, the ninja froze completely.
He's waiting, they realized. Deliberately pausing. Giving the civilians time to gather.
The insight didn't comfort them. Because it suggested Naruto knew exactly what Hiruzen was planning. Was allowing it to proceed. Which implied confidence—the kind of confidence that came from knowing no trap or strategy could threaten you.
Fifteen minutes passed. The streets emptied as the last civilians hurried toward the Hokage Building. The village fell quiet, eerily still, like a held breath before a storm.
Time to move, Naruto decided.
He stood from his aerial seat and resumed walking. The ninja below immediately started moving again, shadowing his progress.
Naruto's pace remained unhurried. Steady. Inevitable. Like a tide approaching shore—you could see it coming, could watch it advance, but couldn't stop it no matter how much you wanted to.
Soon, the Hokage Building came into view ahead. Its distinctive architecture rose above surrounding structures, the mountain faces carved behind it providing dramatic backdrop.
The ground before the building was packed with people. Konoha's civilian population, standing in dense crowds, all facing the entrance where Sarutobi Hiruzen stood waiting.
Naruto stopped in midair directly above them. Positioned himself so everyone could see him clearly if they looked up.
Hiruzen stood at the building's entrance, his white and red Hokage robes pristine, his hat bearing the kanji for "fire" displayed prominently. He looked up at Naruto with an expression carefully arranged—concern mixed with grandfatherly warmth, as if worried about a beloved grandchild who'd gotten himself into trouble.
The villagers followed Hiruzen's gaze. Thousands of eyes turning upward simultaneously, focusing on the boy standing impossibly in empty sky.
Silence descended. Heavy. Expectant. Everyone waiting to see what would happen next.
Hiruzen's voice broke the quiet, carrying across the assembled crowd with chakra-enhanced projection.
"Naruto," the Third Hokage said, his tone gentle and welcoming. "You're here."
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