Unlike the gloomy situation on Sasuke's side.
With his parents constantly by his side, Naruto felt like the world was completely different.
The sunlight was brighter, the air was fresher, and even the road beneath his feet, which he had walked countless times, seemed to be paved with flowers.
He was no longer alone; his joys, his thoughts, and everything he saw and heard now had listeners and the warmest responses.
"Dad, Mom, let's go see the Hokage Rock!" Naruto suggested excitedly in his mind. "Let's go check out your statue first!"
"Sure! I wonder if it has changed," Kushina responded immediately, filled with deep curiosity and nostalgia.
When Naruto stood beneath the massive Hokage Rock and looked up at the stone carving of his father, which wore a warm smile, a wave of embarrassment washed over him.
He remembered he hadn't held back in "decorating" this statue in the past... He never expected it to be his own father's face. This was embarrassing...
"Hmm... It's carved... reasonably well, it resembles him. This is my first time seeing it this close," Kushina's voice was a bit muffled. "It doesn't feel as good-looking as the real person."
"Being remembered by the Village like this is already a great honor. It's quite nice," Minato's voice was calm.
"Dad is the most handsome!"
After watching for a while longer, Naruto began to take his parents for a stroll around the Village.
He deliberately walked past several important places, such as the mission assignment center, the Ninja Academy, the Ichiraku Ramen, and a few training grounds he frequented.
When they passed the Ninja Academy, Kushina's voice was filled with love and a hint of regret.
"I really wish I could have seen what Naruto looked like carrying his school bag to school when he was little..."
Naruto:...
He recalled his own experiences in school: being a dead last, a troublemaker, and all his various "achievements"...
Naruto scratched his head and quickly changed the subject.
"Look over there! It's Kakashi-sensei!"
At the intersection ahead, the silver-haired Jonin Kakashi Hatake was leaning lazily against a utility pole, holding that icha icha paradise book he never went anywhere without.
Naruto hadn't expected that even with the current high-pressure atmosphere in the Village, Kakashi-sensei would still have the mood to read that kind of book...
"Kakashi..." Minato's voice carried clear gratification and a hint of reminiscence.
"He's grown up. He still looks like he has such a unique personality."
"Eh? Kakashi actually became Naruto's teacher?" Kushina looked him over with curiosity.
"Hmm... It looks like his current strength should be quite good, but his attire and demeanor... why does he feel a bit annoyingly lazy? Minato, was he like this before?"
"Kakashi-sensei is very strong! Don't be fooled by his appearance!"
Naruto stood up for his teacher.
Seemingly sensing Naruto's gaze, Kakashi looked up. His dead-fish eyes turned toward Naruto, and he raised a hand to give a casual greeting.
"Yo, Naruto, you look like you're in good spirits." His gaze lingered on Naruto for a moment longer. He keenly sensed that Naruto seemed to have undergone some indescribable changes; his aura was more restrained, and his eyes were brighter and more determined.
"He sensed something," Minato's voice resonated in Naruto's mind, filled with approval.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto ran over with a smile. "I was just about to go find a good place to Cultivate!"
"Oh? Looks like you're full of energy." Kakashi closed his book, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings as if unintentionally.
"The Village hasn't been peaceful lately, so don't go too far to Cultivate. Also, if you encounter any strange people or things, remember to report it immediately."
"Yeah! I know, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto nodded.
Bidding farewell to Kakashi, Naruto then encountered Might Guy, who was leading a team in Taijutsu training, as well as Asuma Sarutobi, who had just finished patrolling and, though looking a bit tired, still offered Naruto a gentle smile.
Minato and Kushina, through Naruto's eyes and perception, silently observed these "old friends" and "juniors."
"Asuma has also matured a lot; he's starting to look a bit like his father did back in the day," Minato commented when he saw Asuma.
"Is that... Kurenai Yuhi? She's already an excellent Genjutsu Ninja, her Chakra control is very precise."
Along the way, Minato and Kushina took a journey back through fifteen years of time, and also determined the current state of the Village.
They saw the Legacy of Konoha, saw the maturity and changes in familiar faces, and also saw the tension hidden beneath the calm, as well as the vitality of the new generation.
Finally, Naruto arrived at a place far from the Village. The terrain was open, with a stream and a forest, making it very suitable for high-intensity Ninjutsu practice.
"Alright, time to get down to business," Minato's voice became serious. "Naruto, it's time to start adapting to and controlling your newly acquired power. The Nine-Tailed's Chakra is vast and unique; you must adapt as quickly as possible. Once you control this power, I have many things to teach you."
"That's right!" Kushina also set aside her previous nostalgia, her tone serious. "Naruto, first you must learn to wield this power, rather than being dragged along by it. You must learn to control it more precisely and efficiently! This will greatly improve your future strength. Minato, let's begin!"
"Alright!"
Full of energy, Naruto began his intense training.
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