New Reincarnation

"An answer that belongs only to me?"

Naruto muttered.

Orochimaru patted Naruto's shoulder heavily again. "I don't know how you see me, but right now I just want to be the wind that blows through the ninja world. Have you ever understood reincarnation, having gone through it so many times?"

Naruto shook his head.

"In the Land of Waves, you killed Zabuza and Haku, and you also let them live and wander the world, but have you ever tried to help them? Help them return to the Land of Water and reform Kirigakure?"

Naruto shook his head.

"You understand the tragic fate of the Hyuga Clan, and you've saved Neji, but even so, Neji lived under the Caged Bird. Have you tried using your infinite life to research a way to break the Caged Bird?"

Naruto shook his head again. He hadn't thought of any of these things.

However, it unexpectedly gave Naruto a very peculiar feeling.

It was indescribable.

So close to the truth, yet he couldn't grasp it!

"Then let's enter reincarnation one more time!"

Orochimaru came up behind Naruto and said in a hoarse voice, "Stop thinking about how to escape reincarnation. Quietly experience everything around you, and change everything."

"You're always on the path to breaking reincarnation, but you've forgotten the many details beneath your feet that you haven't noticed."

Orochimaru, at this moment, seemed to transform from a scientist into a philosopher, speaking earnestly. "Humans are always chasing what they want, forgetting to look back at the scenery worth noticing. They are always running on the path of life, forgetting to stop and admire the scenery along the way."

"Can you truly find the truth on the path of pursuing a solution? Or have you perhaps already missed it?"

After speaking, Orochimaru gently pushed Naruto's back. "Of course, I'm not asking you to feel those unimportant things, but rather what is truly being overlooked!"

Naruto didn't respond immediately, but stood there stunned, carefully savoring Orochimaru's philosophical words.

Perhaps, if he tried again, he could attempt to understand what he had never noticed before?

Thinking this, Naruto smiled slightly. He chose to enter a new cycle of reincarnation.

Even though Naruto himself didn't hold out much hope.

It was more of a "let's try anything, even a long shot" attitude.

Orochimaru felt the same.

He couldn't analyze how to break the deadlock from an idealistic perspective, only from an emotional one.

Year 63 of Konoha.

Konohagakure, Ninja Academy.

The classroom was very quiet.

Naruto Uzumaki stood below the podium, his eyes initially showing indifference.

Then, as if he had become a different person, his expression suddenly shifted to one of understanding.

Before Naruto, Umino Iruka's veins were bulging on his forehead.

Seeing Naruto's attitude, Iruka suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "Naruto Uzumaki! Tomorrow is the graduation exam you failed twice before!"

"At a time like this, you still have the nerve to skip class and run to the Hokage Rock to scribble graffiti? What are you thinking? Huh?!"

Naruto lowered his head slightly, not out of remorse, but because he didn't want his emotions to be seen too clearly.

He was already immune to Teacher Iruka's anger. At this moment, his heart was filled with a heavy sense of inertia.

This time, what should he do?

Orochimaru's words echoed in his mind: "Quietly experience," "change everything," "overlooked"...

Easy to say.

What "overlooked" things could there be in this familiar classroom and scolding?

Did he expect to realize the truth from Teacher Iruka's spittle?

Although he mocked himself inwardly, Naruto ultimately stood here again.

Well then... let's start with the easiest approach.

Naruto subconsciously glanced out the window.

Hmm... perhaps when he gives Mizuki-sensei the Scroll of Seals later, he could try asking a different question?

Did that count as "experiencing"?

Iruka saw Naruto's unyielding demeanor, and even a hint of weary resignation that seemed to say, "Here we go again." The anger in his chest felt even more unbearable.

He swept his sharp gaze across the other students in the classroom who were enjoying the show, and his voice suddenly rose, carrying a killing intent that threatened the entire class. "Now, all of you, get your act together!"

"We'll review one of the exam items: Transformation Jutsu! Everyone, transform like me! Line up immediately!"

"Huh?!"

A wave of despair instantly erupted in the classroom.

Everyone who had just been gloating about watching the show immediately had their faces fall.

A review of the Transformation Jutsu before the graduation exam?

This was practically torture!

Naruto finally lifted his head slightly.

Ah, right, there was this too.

If he didn't apologize properly now, Teacher Iruka would, like countless past reincarnations, get so angry that he'd make the entire class suffer with him.

Forget it, it's not a big deal.

Naruto habitually took a step, just like countless past reincarnations, and walked straight to the very front of the line, stopping.

The wailing in the entire classroom suddenly ceased.

Uchiha Sasuke, standing directly behind Naruto, immediately showed a displeased expression on his cold face.

What was this dead last trying to pull?

Wasn't causing this much trouble enough? Now he had to hog the first spot and cause more disruption?

Did he think everyone hadn't suffered enough because of him?

Inuzuka Kiba, who was behind Sasuke and had Akamaru on his head, felt a surge of anger rush to his head. He was just about to speak, "Hey..."

Before Kiba could even voice his complaint.

Meanwhile, Naruto, at the very front, seemed to have already guessed what Kiba would say.

He casually waved a hand behind him, his voice laced with the laziness of someone who had just woken up, and slowly said, "Ah, I'm really sorry, Kiba. This won't happen again, it should be the last time."

"?!"

Inuzuka Kiba froze completely.

The words "Hey, what trouble are you causing now? Haven't you messed things up badly enough for us this time?" were swallowed back down his throat.

Akamaru in Kiba's arms also let out a confused whimper.

Naruto, did he just... call my name?

And that tone... why is it so much like...

Like he heard exactly what I was about to say and gave a perfunctory answer?

But I haven't even said those words yet!

The most bewildered was Iruka.

He clearly saw that when Naruto spoke, his eyes swept over Kiba, and the look in them was not one of mischief or anticipating someone's words.

It was more like... a perfunctory apology from an elder to a child.

This kind of expression was absolutely impossible to appear on the face of a prankster like Naruto.

"What's gotten into this kid today?"

Iruka's anger was instantly suppressed by a greater doubt.

Today's Naruto Uzumaki, ever since a moment ago, carried an indescribable mature aura about him.

Naruto paid no mind to the uncertain gazes in the classroom.

He directly faced Iruka, quickly raised his hands to his chest, and skillfully formed hand seals.

"Transformation."

As Naruto slowly uttered these two words.

Poof!

A not-so-dense cloud of white smoke rose, instantly obscuring Naruto's figure.

The smoke dissipated just as quickly, almost in the blink of an eye.

When the smoke cleared, standing in Naruto's place was an exact replica of "Umino Iruka"!

The same clothes, build, facial features, and even the faint scar on his nose were all identical.

"..."

This time, the classroom fell silent once more.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Sasuke stared at the "Iruka" Naruto had transformed into, finding it unbelievable.

The Transformation Jutsu was an E-rank jutsu, and achieving this level of perfect replication wasn't impossible.

It was just that he was unwilling to believe a dead last could do it.

Shikamaru Nara leaned lazily against his desk, yawning. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes before returning to his usual "what a drag" laziness.

Choji Akimichi's crunching of potato chips was the only background noise in the classroom at that moment.

His chubby face showed no particular expression; he just felt like Naruto had always been good at the Transformation Jutsu, or was it called the Sexy Jutsu?

But the snacks in his hands were clearly more important.

Inuzuka Kiba tilted his head, stunned. Akamaru, cradled in his arms, also tilted his little puppy head and let out a confused "woof~".

Kiba felt his worldview had been shaken once again.

He remembered that Naruto should have been at the bottom when it came to both the Clone Technique and the Transformation Jutsu before.

Especially one time when Naruto used the Transformation Jutsu to create a particularly clumsy Third Hokage.

It made Kiba unable to help but laugh.

But now he was using it so skillfully. When did he learn it?

Although he had occasionally heard Shikamaru and the others say that Naruto had been practicing some kind of jutsu.

Hinata Hyuga shrank back behind the crowd, her fair little face already flushed red.

She quickly stole a glance at the identical "Iruka" and immediately lowered her head like a startled rabbit, her two fingers nervously tapping against each other.

She thought to herself, Naruto-kun... you've finally become stronger.

Naruto wasn't deliberately showing off; he simply had no intention of hiding his abilities.

He had even less intention of becoming the center of attention, as he had experienced all of that before.

This was just a casual, ordinary use of the Transformation Jutsu.

However, due to his previous reputation as a slacker, it had caused a small commotion.