Showing Off His Strength

Kurama's killing intent hanging in the air gradually dissipated.

But that did not make the surrounding ninja breathe a sigh of relief.

Because what lay before them had entered a realm unknown to them.

The chakra of ordinary ninja in this world was blue.

Yet the golden chakra covering Naruto was clearly not his own. It belonged to the Tailed Beast within his body, but it was not the crimson chakra people knew either.

It was precisely this unknown development that made them even more nervous.

"Is this... Nine-Tailed Chakra Mode?"

Only Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, felt a surge of joy upon seeing this.

Konoha's Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki lineage had reached its third generation with Naruto.

The previous two Jinchuriki had both been skilled in Sealing Technique. Though neither had connected with the Nine-Tails and become a perfect Jinchuriki, they had forcibly seized the Nine-Tails' Chakra for their own use and entered Nine-Tailed Chakra Mode.

Its outward appearance was exactly like Naruto's now: his whole body was cloaked in golden chakra, Magatama patterns emerged on his clothes, and his speed, defense, and strength were enhanced across the board. It possessed far greater power than his own chakra.

The previous Jinchuriki had mostly remained in the village as little more than protective talismans. They had rarely had the chance to take the battlefield, so few had seen the Nine-Tailed Golden Body.

But to Sarutobi Hiruzen, all of this was far too familiar.

Naruto's successful entry into Nine-Tailed Chakra Mode was excellent news for Konoha, whose military strength had been depleted after enduring the Nine-Tailed Riot and the Uchiha massacre.

No wonder Naruto had said seven days ago that he was going to undergo the most important trial of his life. He had most likely gone to seize the Nine-Tails' Chakra.

It had certainly been dangerous, and if he had known beforehand, he would have stopped him. But since Naruto had succeeded, it was a very good thing.

Given Naruto's closeness to him, he would surely become an important force in protecting the village.

And the disaster he had worried about before—massive economic losses and casualties caused by the Nine-Tails going berserk—would no longer happen.

Thinking this, Sarutobi Hiruzen approached Naruto with several Sealing Team members, using the Body Flicker Technique to appear three meters in front of him. His voice was gentle as he probed, "Naruto, are you all right?"

"I'm very well, Third Hokage."

Naruto raised his hand and glanced at the Kurama Chakra covering his entire body before replying calmly.

His words were respectful, yet distant.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart sank, because Naruto had always called him Third Hokage Grandpa before.

Did this child find out something?

That thought had barely crossed Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind before he could decide what to say when Naruto continued:

"Why are so many of you gathered here? Did Uchiha Itachi return to the village and try to attack Sasuke and me, so you came to protect us?"

Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could think of how to answer, a startled expression that said, You actually guessed it, appeared on his face. He smiled and said, "Young Naruto, don't worry. Everything is fine now. Come, let Grandpa examine your current condition."

He neither admitted nor denied Naruto's guess.

As he spoke, he stepped forward and reached out to grab Naruto's arm, intending to inspect the state of the seal within his body.

Naruto inconspicuously stepped back, evading the Third Hokage's seemingly casual but wind-swift grab. Pitch-black chakra began gathering above his raised arm.

"There is no need to trouble yourself, Third Hokage. My body has never felt better."

As he spoke, with Kurama's full assistance and Naruto's own efforts, the pitch-black chakra in his hand completely took shape, becoming a basketball-sized black sphere compressed to an extreme density.

After finishing, Naruto gave it a gentle push.

The black sphere instantly streaked over Sarutobi Hiruzen's head at a speed invisible to the naked eye, passed through the ninja surrounding them, and fell into the boundless dense forest behind them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sasuke, Kakashi, Yamato, Asuma, Kurenai Yuhi, Guy, Hyuga Hiashi, the clan heads of the three Ino-Shika-Cho clans, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu...

Many famous Jonin of Konoha, along with countless lesser-known Jonin nearby, instinctively followed the black trail lingering on their retinas and looked toward the direction in which the sphere had vanished.

Boom!

A deafening, earth-shattering explosion rang out.

Endless light and heat flooded into everyone's vision.

The air was forced apart by immense power, forming milky-white shockwaves that rapidly spread outward from the explosion's center.

Trees as thick as a man's body were torn apart inch by inch by the terrifying force as though made of paper, becoming fragments that danced through the sky before being reduced completely to ash by the impact that followed.

Even from so far away, the gale carrying dust through the air made everyone instinctively raise their arms to shield their eyes.

After the storm finally subsided, every ninja who lowered their arms unconsciously opened their mouths wide.

In the distance, a large section of the lush green forest had vanished.

By rough estimation, an enormous crater two or three hundred meters across had appeared before them.

A column of water wide enough for three people to wrap their arms around erupted from the center of the crater and shot into the sky. It then fell back down, flooding the blasted pit and gradually overflowing.

"Th-this must have blown through an underground water vein!"

"That's far too powerful! This is simply not power a human should possess."

"Can an S-rank ninjutsu really have this kind of power?"

Some among the crowd could not help voicing their shock at the sight.

Many Jonin with sufficient composure did not cry out in amazement, but even they could not hide the shock in their eyes.

They had only seen such tremendous power in legends and records of Hashirama Senju, the God of Ninja who had founded Konoha as it existed today—and perhaps Uchiha Madara, who had been capable of rivaling him.

And now, a child barely over ten years old had mastered such immense power.

Besides shock, the Jonin who witnessed it could not help feeling a trace of jealousy. They had trained hard for half their lives to become Jonin.

Yet they were inferior to a child.

No matter how good one's mindset was, such a reality would still stir unwillingness in one's heart.

After their shock subsided, every ninja present turned complicated gazes toward the calm-faced boy standing not far from Sarutobi Hiruzen.