Orion smiled slightly.
"That's because he knew he couldn't win against both Kakashi-sensei and me."
"If it were just me alone—he wouldn't have run."
Sakura Haruno nodded, half-understanding.
Nearby,
Sasuke Uchiha didn't react much.
After all—
He had already learned several Fire Style jutsu from Uchiha clan records.
To him:
Water StyleFire StyleEarth Style
None of them were truly decisive on their own.
But
Naruto Uzumaki was clearly unhappy.
Because right now—
👉 He only knew one technique.
The Shadow Clone Technique.
And even that—
He learned by stealing the Scroll of Seals.
Not from Kakashi.
So Naruto pouted and said bitterly:
"Kakashi-sensei is obviously biased."
"It's like we're not even his students."
Orion Explains
Orion looked at Naruto.
He understood him.
After all—
👉 Naruto was still just a 12-year-old kid.
Jealousy and comparison—
Were natural at that age.
So Orion spoke calmly:
"Kakashi-sensei wants you to build a solid foundation first."
"He's your instructor jōnin. Since you passed his test, he truly sees you as his students."
"And as a teacher—he doesn't want you to rush things."
Then Orion turned slightly.
"You can ask Sasuke."
"When he learned ninjutsu, didn't he first master a lot of basics?"
Sasuke froze.
He didn't expect Orion to bring him into this.
Naruto looked at him.
Sasuke didn't want to respond—
But this was Orion speaking.
And right now—
👉 Orion was stronger than him.
So Sasuke nodded.
"…You do need to master a lot of fundamentals first."
Even then—
He only gave a short answer.
Naruto clearly didn't accept it.
"What fundamentals?"
"I learned Shadow Clone in one night!"
The Truth About Shadow Clones
Orion smiled.
"That's because Shadow Clone is perfect for you."
"In fact—it's almost made for you."
He continued:
"In the Academy, you couldn't even use the basic Clone Technique."
"You trained for six years and still couldn't do it."
"So how did you suddenly master Shadow Clone in one night?"
Naruto froze.
Orion went on:
"Do you know why your technique—"
"Oh right, yours is actually the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique—"
"—is classified as a forbidden jutsu?"
Naruto blinked.
He had no idea.
He just learned the first technique he saw.
Sakura and Sasuke also looked at Orion.
Especially Sasuke—
He had always wondered about this.
Orion explained:
"Shadow Clone splits your chakra evenly among all clones."
"And when the clones disappear, their fatigue returns to the original body."
"For someone with low chakra or weak stamina—"
"It's extremely dangerous."
"Using Multiple Shadow Clone?"
"That could kill them."
He looked at Naruto.
"But you're different."
"You are the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
"Your chakra reserves are massive."
"And your body is strengthened by the Nine-Tails."
"That's why you can handle the drawbacks."
"And when it comes to learning other elemental jutsu—"
"If you don't understand the fundamentals, forcing it can hurt you."
"Ninjutsu backlash is real."
"And it can be fatal."
"Especially when your theoretical knowledge is… basically zero."
Then Orion asked calmly:
"Why do some people take months to learn a jutsu—"
"While others learn it in days?"
"It's not just talent."
"It's also foundation."
"In your six years at the Academy—"
"What did you actually learn?"
"Do you think your foundation is solid?"
Sakura Adds Fuel
Sakura immediately understood.
She laughed lightly:
"Solid?"
"He didn't learn anything."
"He got zero on every test."
"I still don't understand how that's even possible."
"Even flipping through a book would've helped."
Sasuke glanced at Naruto.
So that's it…
"He learned Shadow Clone because of the Nine-Tails…"
But Sasuke himself—
Didn't fully understand what the Nine-Tails really was.
When the Nine-Tails attack happened—
He was just a newborn.
And after the Uchiha massacre—
No one explained anything to him anymore.
Naruto's Pain
Naruto slowly placed a hand on his stomach.
His expression darkened.
He believed Orion.
Because—
He had experienced it himself.
When he was younger—
He had once lost control.
That power—
DarkChaoticBut undeniably strong
Naruto looked at Orion.
"Why was the Nine-Tails sealed inside me?"
"If it weren't for that fox—"
"The villagers wouldn't treat me like this!"
His voice trembled.
Because of being a Jinchūriki—
Naruto had been rejected his whole life.
Not as extreme as someone like Killer B—
But still painful.
He wasn't attacked.
He wasn't beaten.
But—
👉 He was avoided.
And for a child—
That was enough.
Naruto couldn't understand why.
So he blamed everything on:
👉 The Nine-Tails
👉 The villagers
Orion's Answer
Orion placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"The Nine-Tails is a strategic weapon for Konoha."
"In other words—"
"You are extremely important to the village."
Naruto slapped his hand away.
"I don't want that!"
"If I'm so important—"
"Why does everyone treat me like garbage?!"
His voice cracked.
"You don't know what I've been through!"
"They all treat me like a monster!"
"No one likes me!"
"No one acknowledges me!"
Emotional Break
Naruto finally broke.
Years of frustration—
Came pouring out.
He shouted.
He cried.
Everything—
All at once.
Sakura and Sasuke fell silent.
For the first time—
They truly understood Naruto.
Even Sakura—
Who usually mocked him—
Looked at him with sympathy.
Sasuke…
Felt something deeper.
Because in some ways—
👉 He understood even better.
Naruto lost acceptance.
Sasuke lost everything.
His clan.
His parents.
His brother's love.
Killed—
By the person he admired most.
At that moment—
Naruto and Sasuke shared the same emotion.
Sakura Speaks Softly
Sakura spoke gently:
"Naruto… you're not alone."
"You have friends."
"Iruka Umino-sensei…"
"Shikamaru Nara…"
"Choji Akimichi…"
"Kiba Inuzuka…"
"They're all your friends."
"I used to think you were just annoying…"
"But I didn't know you went through all this…"
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