Forget It, I Can't Be That Cruel

Five-year-old Naruto had grown quite a bit taller.

A regular routine, a balanced diet, and a year of relentless training had made him taller and sturdier than children his age.

His constant studying had also greatly matured Naruto's mind, leaving him without the childishness typical of ordinary kids.

He had become highly proficient in the Three Body Technique, Ninja Tool Throwing, and Taijutsu—the foundations of a ninja—and could fully put them to use in actual combat.

For the current Naruto, the feats of running across rooftops and scaling walls that had once filled him with envy were now things he could perform with ease.

By the Ninja Academy's standards, Naruto already possessed the strength to become a Genin.

Of course, his theoretical knowledge was still far behind.

During this year of training, Naruto's most outstanding achievement had been the growth of his Chakra. Less than half a month after he began refining Chakra, he had already surpassed the Chakra reserves of an ordinary Jonin.

By now, Naruto could no longer estimate what level his Chakra reserves had reached.

He only knew that there was a lot of it.

So much that Naruto had never known what it felt like to run out of Chakra.

For a child of only five to achieve such results within a year was already exceptionally remarkable.

Even the Third Hokage, after testing Naruto's training progress, had praised him as a genius who would surely become an outstanding ninja in the future.

That recognition made Naruto very happy.

However, Naruto did not grow arrogant or become lazy because of it.

He knew that this level was still far from his goal of becoming a ninja no one dared look down on.

That was why, even though it was already winter—

Snowflakes still drifted from the sky, blanketing everything between heaven and earth in white, while the air brimmed with bitter cold—Naruto continued training as always.

After finishing a round of physical conditioning, Naruto unusually did not enter the Learning Space to read while resting.

He sat beneath a tree and sighed worriedly.

A year had passed since he began trying to win over the Nine-Tails and make it stop interfering with his Chakra control, yet there had been no major progress.

Since that day, Naruto had shown the Nine-Tails a new TV drama every day. Sometimes, worried that it might forget exciting parts it had already seen, he would replay old episodes to deepen its impression.

On top of that, every few days, he would suspend the broadcasts a few times under the excuse that watching TV every day was bad for its eyesight.

Although the Nine-Tails was displeased every time, it had never once bowed its head to Naruto.

It would keep watching the dramas, but making it stop causing trouble was out of the question.

With that attitude, the Nine-Tails and Naruto had fallen into a stalemate.

This could not go on forever.

Naruto felt miserable in this state where training ninjutsu took twice the effort for half the result, while the Nine-Tails felt uncomfortable every time it watched TV, leaving it in an intensely conflicted state of pain and pleasure.

How about playing basketball videos for the Nine-Tails twenty-four hours a day? I could switch to a cinema-sized giant screen, turn the volume all the way up, make it impossible to shut off, and forcibly brainwash it. If we're going to hurt each other, we might as well go all the way!

Forget it. That's too cruel. I'll think of another way later.

In an instant, Naruto snuffed out that thought.

Over the past year, although the Big Fox still uncooperatively allowed its Chakra to disrupt his own—

The boy and fox had spent nearly every day watching TV together. Occasionally, they would discuss what they were watching. Sometimes they agreed, and sometimes they argued when their opinions differed.

Even if they could not be called friends, they were at least acquaintances.

As for this only acquaintance Naruto had besides the Third Hokage, he felt there was no need to be so cruel to it.

After resting a while longer, Naruto rose once his strength had mostly recovered and began Tree Climbing.

He coated his feet in Chakra and ran upward along the tree trunk from the ground.

This was a new training method the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had taught Naruto a few days ago after testing his ninjutsu training progress and Chakra reserves. It could effectively improve his Chakra control.

After Tree Climbing came Water Walking.

By now, Naruto had practiced Tree Climbing for three days and could already reach the upper portion of this tree, which stood over twenty meters tall.

After repeatedly reviewing his successful attempts and failures, Naruto's proficiency had steadily improved. Complete success was not far away.

He estimated that he should be able to complete his Tree Climbing training by tonight.

The Third Hokage had promised Naruto that if he learned Tree Climbing and Water Walking, he would teach him several powerful ninjutsu.

Because of that, Naruto's motivation to train was even stronger than usual.

He smoothly ran fifteen meters up the tree trunk, but at that point, Naruto began to grow nervous.

Though the treetop was not far away, this was already the limit of his Chakra control.

From this point on, Naruto could make a mistake at any moment, so he needed to take precautions in case he fell and hurt himself.

Yet, to his surprise, Naruto made it all the way to the top of the tree in one go without encountering another problem.

"That Big Fox... it doesn't seem to be interfering with me???" Naruto cried out in astonishment.

For Naruto, the greatest obstacle when practicing ninjutsu and Taijutsu was not whether he could learn them, but the need to constantly guard against the Big Fox's Chakra interference.

Only when he could successfully perform ninjutsu or Taijutsu amid the other's Chakra disruptions did it count as successful training.

Thus, after their long struggle, Naruto had become extremely sensitive to the Big Fox's Chakra.

And now, while climbing the tree, he had not felt the Big Fox's Chakra causing trouble at all!

He tried again, but still did not sense the Big Fox interfering.

Naruto's eyes lit up, and he rushed into the Sealing Space!