I Will Let You See My Strength

The moon hung high in the night sky.

On the rooftop of Naruto's old apartment building, a black-robed ninja wearing a cat mask fell headfirst from the eaves.

He peered into the room where Naruto slept and Jiraiya lay sprawled out.

"Hey."

The ninja had barely heard the voice before he was lifted upside down.

Jiraiya grabbed his ankle, lifting him like a chick, his cold, black eyes glinting under the moonlight.

"I don't really like people spying on me while I sleep, so stay away from me."

With a toss, he sent the ninja tumbling dozens of times in the air before the ninja landed with difficulty on a utility pole, crouching.

"Lord Jiraiya, as a member of the Anbu, monitoring Naruto is my mission. I must obey orders."

Jiraiya's wooden sandals stomped on the roof, sending out a shockwave, "I don't want to repeat myself."

The Anbu ninja fell into the alley and vanished without a trace.

Jiraiya felt a pang in his heart. During their conversation, Naruto had recounted his experiences over the years. Though he spoke of them lightly, his words were filled with a deep sense of abandonment.

The son of a hero, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, struggling to survive under discrimination. He wondered what those former subordinates who had benefited from Minato Namikaze's kindness were doing.

Konoha felt like a prison.

The Anbu were like a lock, ensuring the prison remained secure.

Looking up at the moonlit sky, he murmured, "Naruto, are you waiting to break free from this cage?"

Jiraiya knew that although Naruto was living a seemingly peaceful life now, if he ever tried to escape Konoha's cage, he would face the absolute malice of the entire village.

Daybreak.

Upstream of a waterfall, Naruto walked on water, while Jiraiya stood unmoving in the rushing current.

"Naruto, attack me with the ninjutsu you're most confident in."

Naruto decisively summoned Sword Qi to his hand, charged across the water, and thrust Hell Sword directly at Jiraiya's chest.

Jiraiya's pupils contracted, and he flickered, dodging Naruto's charge. "Ninjutsu?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't have any offensive ninjutsu. No one taught me."

Jiraiya scratched his head. "Stop, don't attack yet. Show me again how you controlled your chakra just now."

Naruto casually condensed Sword Qi.

Jiraiya's previously frivolous gaze turned serious. "How did you do that?"

Naruto demonstrated, explaining the process from rubbing his cells to releasing the energy.

Jiraiya considered himself knowledgeable, yet the way Naruto controlled his chakra was astonishingly simple.

If he had to find a comparison in his memory, the most direct example would be Kushina Uzumaki when she went berserk and transformed into her Nine-Tails form, using the Nine-Tails Chakra to envelop her body and enhance it.

But Naruto was using his own chakra, condensing it locally with a specific amount.

This level of control was undoubtedly that of a genius.

"Naruto," Jiraiya laughed heartily, delighted by Naruto's talent. "I've decided to teach you! The ninjutsu Minato spent three years creating—the Rasengan!"

A confident smile appeared on Naruto's face as he bared his teeth. "Teach me, old man. My learning speed is amazing. Let's see your talent and depth. Don't run out of things to teach in just two or three days!"

Jiraiya felt a spark of competitiveness ignite within him. "Damn it! This Sage will at least be able to play with you for a few years!"

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Time had come for the third round of the Chunin Exams.

The circular, tiered stadium, capable of holding ten thousand spectators, was packed.

Under the eaves of the grandstands sat nobles wearing crowns and luxurious attire.

Magnificent carriages, escorted by rows of samurai, entered through the grand gates. The Daimyo alighted, boarded palanquins, and surveyed the scene, surrounded by ninjas.

The last grand entrance was the Kazekage of Sunagakure, clad in a blue and white Kage robe, wearing a straw hat with the character for "Wind," and a white mask covering his face.

The Kazekage met with the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, on the grand, multi-layered platform above the stadium. They sat in the only two adjacent chairs, overlooking the crowd of ten thousand.

Gongs and drums sounded, creating a lively atmosphere, as if celebrating a grand festival. The Daimyo, holding contestant handbooks, placed bets in public pools and made private wagers with friends.

Naruto, as a contestant from Konohagakure, stood in the center of the arena, which had been set up to resemble a natural forest landscape with hard earth.

Hinata stood beside him, her head bowed, extremely nervous.

She knew she had been lucky to advance by facing Haruno Sakura. Her next opponent was the most formidable member of Otogakure, the hunchbacked, bandaged ninja, Dosu. She had little confidence.

She looked at Naruto, but he wasn't looking at her. He was scanning the Daimyo, as if trying to memorize something.

The proctor was Gekko Hayate. After the opening ceremony, except for Temari and Shikamaru, who were the first to duel, everyone else retreated through a passage to the contestant seats.

Yakushi Kabuto was very enthusiastic, speaking non-stop. Every time he saw Sasuke, he would say with a look of pity, "What bad luck, to face a genius of the Uchiha clan like you. It looks like you'll have to prepare for next year's Eighth Exam."

Sasuke remained noncommittal. His eyes were only on strong opponents. While he didn't look down on typical failures like Yakushi Kabuto, he wouldn't feel proud even if he won.

But Naruto sensed something was wrong.

After Jiraiya's guidance and understanding the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline limit, his perceptive talent became somewhat materialized.

His ability to discern human emotions grew increasingly sensitive.

Deception. Beneath Yakushi Kabuto's sincerity lay overflowing deceit, laced with profound malice.

The same applied to Kankuro and Temari from the Sunagakure trio earlier.

He walked to the railing of the spectator stands. Temari was currently wielding her massive fan, locked in a battle of wits with Shikamaru's shadow manipulation technique. Her expression was anxious and impatient, a stark contrast to her usual aloofness.

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm. "Come with me to the restroom."

Sasuke wanted to refuse, but he found Naruto's grip to be quite firm, so he followed in silence.

As Naruto moved, the further he got from Yakushi Kabuto, the stronger the sense of being spied upon became. It felt like needles pricking his back, even giving him a direct sense of danger.

He was certain this was not an enemy Sasuke could handle.

After turning a corner on the stairs to avoid being seen, Naruto said, "You're going to lose. Forfeit."

Sasuke violently yanked his arm away. "What are you joking about!"

He had undergone arduous training with Kakashi for a month and finally mastered Lightning Release: Chidori, preparing to defeat Naruto. Now, the other boy was telling him to surrender to a veteran test-taker who had failed multiple times.

Naruto stated with certainty, "He's strong. Stronger than this Genin game is meant for."

Sasuke still couldn't accept it. "How do you know?"

"Intuition."

Naruto's mind raced, running through various scenarios before settling on Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, who sought to capture Sasuke and was as famous as Jiraiya.

Sasuke clenched his fist tightly and turned back. "I won't forfeit."

An ominous premonition lingered in Naruto's heart, but without concrete evidence, he couldn't force Sasuke to believe him.

"I'll show you my strength." Sasuke's eyes were fierce, exceptionally determined.

The two returned to the spectator area. The first match had already concluded, with Temari victorious.

Hinata was walking towards the entrance tunnel. Her small face beneath her mushroom cut still had a hint of baby fat, but her gaze held an unusual stubbornness.

Naruto and Hinata made eye contact, then passed each other.

Hinata had tried her best and lost. Upon her return, there was a chorus of boos, yet her face was relaxed.

She had proven with her actions that her talent wasn't suited for fighting. Instead of internal struggle, she needed to find another path.

"Naruto's right. My talent isn't in fighting."