Why He Chose Naruto

Boom--!

With a deafening roar, a distant hill and boulder were blasted into countless fine dust particles by Naruto's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!

After the smoke cleared, only a bowl-shaped crater, several meters deep, remained on the ground.

And there was the fox at the edge of the pit, its eyes wide as it stared at the scene before it.

"This... I did it?"

He blinked, seemingly not quite understanding, and stood there stunned for a few seconds.

After a while.

"It worked!" Naruto, who had been looking on in disbelief, jumped up excitedly as if waking from a dream.

Jiraiya was startled by the commotion Naruto had caused.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that Naruto was unleashing an incredibly powerful Ninjutsu.

Jiraiya sighed softly.

Did Naruto finally complete the Ninjutsu that Minato never mastered before his death...? Although judging from his training progress, it was a certainty that Naruto would complete this Ninjutsu within the next few days, Jiraiya was still filled with emotion upon seeing Ninjutsu boy in front of him use it Jiraiya.

Did you see it on TV? The Fourth Hokage?

Jiraiya and gazed at the early spring sky. The azure sky was dotted with only a few white clouds, and the sky was as clear as if it had been washed, as blue as a mirror.

Just like the bright blue sky reflected in the cheerful mood of Jiraiya and his apprentice.

"You've worked hard, Naruto!" He walked over, patted Naruto on the shoulder, and said with satisfaction, "You've been doing high-intensity training for a long time now, let's stop here for today! Get some rest!"

As he spoke, Jiraiya and supported Naruto's shoulder.

Looking at his tired dark circles and scarred hands, Jiraiya knew that this was why he chose Naruto instead of Sasuke or Sakura.

It wasn't just because he was the son of the Fourth Hokage.

It was also because of the admirable qualities he saw in Naruto.

Strength, perseverance, and patience.

This is Jiraiya's way of the Ninja Way.

This was also his highest expectation for a ninja.

And every time these precious qualities shone in Naruto, it was as if they were telling Jiraiya that his choice was not wrong.

"What an idiot, he actually fell asleep as soon as he sat down..." Jiraiya said with a laugh as Naruto, who was fast asleep on the ground due to exhaustion, lay there.

He gently lifted Naruto onto his back.

He walked steadily and without any swaying back to the earthen house.

It was dusk.

Naruto was awakened by the aroma of food.

He instinctively sat up in bed. "There's food!"

Then he rubbed his head and asked, "How did I get here? Weren't we still practicing?"

"Idiot... you successfully used that Ninjutsu, but then you fell asleep because you were too tired." Jiraiya glanced at him and ladled out a bowl of milky white fish soup. "I carried you back! And don't drool on my blanket, you bastard!"

Slurp Naruto quickly sucked back the long, disgusting saliva that was hanging down—which made it even more disgusting—then he hurriedly jumped out of bed and strode over to the dining table. "Thanks, Uncle Jiraiya! Wow, fish soup today, that's great!"

"I've been training too hard lately, I need some fish soup to replenish my energy. This bowl is yours!"

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto wolfed down the entire half-meter-long carp.

After eating and cleaning up...

"Ugh... so full!" Naruto, who had just finished eating and was happily sprawled out like a pregnant woman, let out a long burp. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked, "By the way, Pervy Sage, are we leaving the Land of Wind?"

"Well, the main reason we came to the Land of Wind was because it's a good place to train your Wind Release. Now that you've basically mastered it, it's time for us to move on to the next place." Jiraiya, who was also half-lying on the ground, picked his teeth rather unceremoniously. "What's wrong? Are you reluctant to leave?"

"It's nothing..." Naruto hesitated for once, not revealing his true feelings.

However, Jiraiya immediately saw through his intentions.

"I get it! You miss them, don't you!" Jiraiya laughed heartily.

He recalled the matter mentioned in Sakura and Sasuke's letter.

This year's Chunin Ninja Exams are being held in Sunagakure.

The three members of Team 7 — Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura—will all be present at that exam.

Right now, the two of them happen to be in the Land of Wind, not far from the Sunagakure.

In that case, Naruto's thoughts are much easier to guess.

However, to be honest, Jiraiya didn't quite agree with Naruto's idea. In fact, if necessary, he could use the Summoning Technique to send Naruto back to Konoha right now so he could reunite with his teammates.

But if that were the case... the journey would become a vacation, and the effect that Jiraiya hoped for—to temper Naruto's will—might not be so obvious.

So, what should we do?

Jiraiya glanced at Naruto's right hand and immediately made a decision.

"The Chunin Ninja Exams are in July, right? I understand..." He took a sip of sake that he'd pulled out from somewhere, leaned casually against the wall, and said calmly, "You'll have a chance to meet then."

"Great!" Naruto's eyes lit up, and he jumped up, his excitement even greater than when he had successfully executed Ninjutsu.

However, Jiraiya wasn't in the mood to share his joy.

He glanced at Naruto's right hand again.

Naruto used this hand to perform that move before...

There were still unhealed wounds on my hands.

Even the Nine-Tails' healing abilities couldn't heal this wound?

The danger of this technique exceeded his imagination... so he decided to take the opportunity to have Tsunade show it to him.

Furthermore, the only safe way to obtain information about Akatsuki is through face-to-face communication!

Jiraiya downed the sake in his cup in one gulp. "Alright, let's rest tonight. We'll set off tomorrow to leave this place!"

"Yes! Uncle Jiraiya!"

After a brief stay in the Land of Wind, Jiraiya and Naruto embarked on another journey.

Meanwhile, the other two members of Team 7 also embarked on a long journey to the Land of Snow.

This time, however, they didn't travel by luxury cruise ship like before—while comfortable, it took too long.

Of course, they didn't use the "ninja foot" technique commonly used by ninjas to travel. Even the advanced techniques used by the Anbu couldn't be used on water—that technique was better suited for land.

Sakura Haruno directly created an ice ship, and then Water Release to drive the water flow to propel it forward.

She has indeed been relying more on Ice Release in combat lately, and her use of Ice Release Ninjutsu has become increasingly skillful, but ultimately it still can't compare to her unparalleled affinity for Water Release.

And the ocean is her ultimate home turf.

Sakura doesn't feel overly tired when using Water Release here, even if she uses Haku repeatedly.

Therefore, if you see an ice ship carrying two people sailing at sea at speeds of dozens or even hundreds of knots, there's really no need to be surprised...

That's just economic speed.

This isn't driving a boat, it's driving a sports car on the water!

Two days later, a boy and a girl appeared on the streets of the largest port city in the Land of Snow.

The boy's face was ashen, and he began gagging incessantly as soon as he got ashore, looking extremely unwell.

"That's lame, Sasuke! You're a ninja, how can you get seasick!" The girl patted him on the back and mocked him.

"Hmph, is that what you call sailing? What boat can reach speeds of over 180 kilometers per hour compared to a canoe!" After gagging for a while, Sasuke finally caught his breath and argued, "Cough cough... Where am I?"

"Geographically speaking, this should be Asakusa," Sakura said with certainty after taking out a map and looking at it.

"Asakusa? Naruto and I were here once before..." Sasuke looked at the street before him, which felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar, and was a little surprised. "It's changed so much, I almost don't recognize it at all!"

The buildings are still the same buildings; almost nothing has changed.

However, the city and its people have completely changed in spirit and energy.

The streets have become clean; the snow has been swept away and piled to one side, no longer littered with garbage and flowing sewage, no longer so dark and impossible to walk on.

There are more pedestrians on the street now. Many are wearing new clothes, and most of them have smiles on their faces, their expressions are lively, and their eyes are natural, unlike the numb, dull, and unresponsive people they used to be. The whole street is full of life and vitality, and you can occasionally hear the joyful laughter of children playing. It is no longer as lifeless as it used to be.

Shops have sprung up, bustling with activity as the festival approaches, and brand-new signs are displayed.

On the other hand, the heating system left by the Kazahana Sōsetsu is still functioning steadily, isolating the city from the outside world into two separate worlds: one is the warm city and villages with spring-like weather all year round, and the other is the perpetually cold suburbs.

When she left, although she had thoroughly investigated the Land of Snow and cleared away the lingering poison left by the Kazahana Dōtō, showing signs of this positive change, the Land of Snow was still very poor. Sakura did not expect that such results could be achieved in just half a year.

People and people's hearts have changed... The Land of Snow has become vibrant and full of life.

If it weren't for the tight schedule, Sakura would have been quite interested in taking a walk around the streets to see what changes she and Yuki had brought to the place.

If she can bring about positive changes for the people here, then it proves that her efforts were not in vain.

However, the important matter at hand is more pressing.

"The snow seems to have dried quite well." Sakura Haruno smiled slightly, seeing that Sasuke had recovered from his seasickness, and said, "Let's go find her!"

With a whoosh, the two ninjas used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared into the distance.

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(An extra chapter for Xiang Bangbang.)

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