Chapter 139
Kakashi-sensei's actions greatly reassured Naruto... Of course, what Naruto didn't know was that Kakashi's sudden change of heart undoubtedly had a reason.
After the preliminary rounds of the Chunin Examsconcluded,
Kakashi was immediately summoned to the Hokage Office.
Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, "Kakashi, what do you plan to do?"
"Hokage-sama's meaning is..."
"The matter of Orochimaru and the Cursed Seal Power."
Kakashi sighed, "To be targeted for being too outstanding, it's truly ironic..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "It's not ironic at all. The nail that sticks out gets hammered. Geniuses are inherently exposed to danger."
"You, Kakashi, should understand this deeply yourself."
"Hokage-sama, what do you want me to do?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff from his pipe, slowly exhaling the smoke, which diffused into the sunlight streaming in diagonally through the window.
"I'm not too worried about Naruto. He doesn't want to rely on external power to become stronger. In fact, even with the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox inside him, he seems to reject that power, only wanting to change his destiny through his own efforts..."
"But Sasuke..."
"You must have seen it too, the look in his eyes when he defeated Zaku Abumi in the preliminary round..."
Kakashi remained silent.
He had seen it perfectly clearly, of course.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, "Because he wants to kill Uchiha Itachi, he is forced to bear the fate of becoming stronger. This obsession, this immense pressure, could very likely lead Sasuke astray..."
"And the only one who can change him, besides Naruto, is you..."
"Me...?"
"Precisely! Kakashi, to stop Sasuke from following Orochimaru, besides working on his mental and emotional state, the most important thing is..."
"To show him the hope that he can also become stronger by staying in Team 7!"
Kakashi understood Hokage-sama's meaning.
"You mean, the Sharingan?"
"Indeed, no one is more suited for this task than me..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, "Besides Uchiha Itachi, you are the only one who can teach Sasuke to master the Sharingan's ocular power. So..."
"Make him stronger! Although, that is already your duty as his sensei..."
"I understand, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief, smiling as he patted his shoulder.
"My decision to have you leave Anbu and become a Jonin squad leader was indeed the correct choice."
"Not just for Team 7, but for yourself as well."
"Kakashi, you've come to regard them as family, haven't you?"
"That's good, that's very good..."
"Family?"
Kakashi looked up at the sky outside the window, and vivid faces flashed through his mind... Finally, they settled on the smiling faces of the three children: Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata... Kakashiindeed kept his promise with Hokage-sama.
He devised individual paths for all three of them.
Of course, he ultimately spent more thought on Sasuke.
"Naruto, Hinata, I've already told you about your training. Now you must rely on your own efforts."
"As for Sasuke, I will be giving you special, specialized training."
"Just you and me."
Naruto, of course, was unconvinced: "Kakashi-sensei, you're playing favorites!"
Kakashi shook his head: "Naruto, it's normal for you to think that, but I can tell you, this isn't favoritism. It's because the three of you are in different situations."
"Sasuke possesses the Sharingan, just like me, and his Chakra nature is more similar, so naturally, there's more I can teach him."
"However, the training plans I've devised for you all are by no means lenient; they are all meticulously thought out."
Naruto was helpless: "But you don't have to hide to train!"
Kakashi said: "The Sharingan is a very special existence, and it's a secret technique of the Uchiha Clan. Not only would it be meaningless for you and Hinata to hear about it, but this ability itself needs to be kept confidential."
Naruto said: "Alright, alright, you two go!"
Sasuke followed Kakashi's footsteps, turning to leave.
Suddenly, he paused, turning his head slightly to glance at Naruto.
"Naruto, I hope to meet you in the finals."
"Then, I will defeat you with my own hands and prove my strength."
Naruto was startled, then his blood boiled, and he clenched his fists, laughing loudly.
"Then just you wait and see! I will never lose to you!"
Sasuke nodded, for once without sarcasm, and followed closely behind Kakashi, departing.
Hinata, however, grew a little worried.
"Naruto-kun, don't you think Sasuke has changed a bit...?"
"Has he? He still looks like a pompous jerk..."
Hinata said: "He didn't argue with Naruto-kun, and his attitude just now was so serious..."
"Ah, that, it's nothing. We've never really gotten along anyway."
Hinata sighed: "I'm just afraid that Sasuke, with his intense desire to become stronger, might truly be tempted by Orochimaru's Cursed Seal Power. If that happens..."
Naruto smiled: "Don't worry, it won't happen. Even if it really does..."
"I will do everything in my power to stop him!"
Hinata looked at Naruto's bright smile, and the gloom in her heart was swept away.
She smiled sweetly: "With Naruto-kun's words, I'm relieved..."
Naruto looked at Hinata's sweet face and couldn't help but pat her head.
"Let's start our training right away too!"
Hinata was instantly struck as if by lightning, retreating several steps, her small face flushing crimson, and her heart pounding wildly.
"What's wrong, Hinata...?"
"I... I'll go home to train instead..."
"Since Kakashi-sensei isn't here, and... Father rarely says he wants to personally guide my training..."
Hearing Hinata's words, Naruto's expression immediately darkened.
But he still forced a smile.
"Okay! With your father's personal guidance, Hinata will definitely become much stronger!"
"Mm... Naruto-kun, see you tomorrow..."
Hinata covered her flushed face and ran off as if fleeing... Naruto watched her retreating figure, feeling both envy and loss... He sighed, shaking his head.
"Forget it, even if no one teaches me, I can still become stronger on my own!"
Since joining Team 7, Naruto hadn't felt this sense of loneliness in a long time.
But suddenly, with Sasuke undergoing one-on-one special training with Kakashi-sensei, and Hinatareturning home for personal guidance from her father, Naruto abruptly re-experienced the loneliness of his past... However, he quickly cast aside these distracting thoughts and immersed himself in training once more.
"To counter genjutsu, besides forcibly breaking it with powerful Chakra and mental strength, you can also use external forces, such as intense pain, to keep yourself awake. Of course, the best method is a companion's help, but there are no companions during the Chunin Exams..."
Kakashi taught Naruto methods to counter genjutsu... First, to disrupt or regain control of his own Chakra flow.
For some low-level genjutsu, this would allow him to break free.
Second, to master the basic hand signs for "Genjutsu Release." Of course, this is usually used in conjunction with the first method.
Third, to use external stimuli like pain to forcibly keep himself awake.
Of course, there were other methods besides these, but they were beyond what Naruto could master at his current stage.
Naruto didn't know who his opponent in the finals would be, so he had to master all aspects of training.
Just as he was training alone in a secluded spot,
The sound of rushing water came from afar, and a commotion broke the silence... Naruto looked back and saw that there seemed to be many people bathing in the distant river, and judging by the sound, they were all young girls.
And a lewd voice was coming from a bush not far from him.
It was a burly man with white hair, squatting there, peeping!
Naruto was instantly furious. Peeping was one thing, but he was also disturbing his training... This was intolerable!
"I absolutely cannot allow such shameless behavior!"
"You perverted scoundrel, stop it right now!"
Naruto instantly kicked out!
However... the man let out a surprised sound, turned his head slightly, and then with a gentle hand, easily countered Naruto's taijutsu!
He even grabbed Naruto's ankle directly and lifted him upside down!
"Nani?!"
Naruto, caught off guard, didn't dodge and was actually humiliated like this. This was an unprecedented disgrace for him, who was known as a genius Ninja!
"Bastard! Who... who exactly are you?!"
Naruto, like a wind chime, was swung back and forth by the man, unable to struggle free, and couldn't help but shriek.
The man laughed loudly: "Who am I, you ask?"
"To not even recognize me, today's children truly lack knowledge!"
"Alright then, I'll tell you..."
He tossed Naruto aside, stood on one foot in his wooden clogs, spread his arms in a strange pose, and declared proudly in a loud voice.
"One of the Legendary Sannin, the White-Haired Hermit, the Toad Sage, the Sage of Mount Myōboku, the handsome man who can instantly silence crying children, the man whose name echoes throughout the entire Ninja World..."
"It is I, Jiraiya-sama!"
Naruto squatted on the ground, staring at the newcomer with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded.
"So many people came?!"
Chapter 117: Jiraiya's Shock! The Abandoned Nine-Tailed Demon Fox! Please give monthly votes!!!