The Sea Welcomes Me, Jiraiya

Then Rock Lee's speed underwent a qualitative leap. He darted across the arena like a bolt of lightning, and a relentless barrage of attacks finally drew the first flicker of shock onto Gaara's otherwise expressionless face.

Under the storm of Lee's assault, Gaara's sand defense finally crumbled. He was forced to use both hands, intensifying his control over the sand in a desperate attempt to hold back the sudden, ferocious onslaught.

Yet Lee did not retreat. He shouted, "Konoha's Lotus will bloom again!" On the spectator stands, Naruto, his Six Eyes hidden behind sunglasses, witnessed the flow of Chakra within Lee's body, his gaze brimming with excitement and anticipation.

In that moment, Lee resolutely activated the Eight Inner Gates, charging straight through the fourth Gate of Pain. His speed turned almost supernatural, piercing directly through Gaara's Sand Armor.

Finally, Lee unleashed his ultimate technique, the Reverse Lotus, and sent Gaara crashing to the ground.

But that blow also shattered Lee's leg bones. He paid a heavy price.

Just as everyone thought Lee had won the match, Gaara miraculously retained his fighting ability. He once again manipulated his sand to attack Lee.

By then, however, Lee's leg bones were broken, and he had completely lost the ability to fight. He could only lie helplessly on the arena floor.

In that critical moment, Might Guy stepped forward, charging into the arena like a flash of lightning to rescue Lee.

Hayate Gekko then announced the match result: "Winner: Gaara of the Sand."

The final match: Dosu versus Choji Akimichi.

Choji Akimichi lost.

With that, the preliminary selection quietly drew to a close. The horn for the official matches would sound again one month later.

Shikamaru, Sakura, Neji, Sasuke, and Shino Aburame—the genin of Konoha—all threw themselves into an intense month of training, preparing for the upcoming official matches.

As for Naruto, after the matches ended, Hiruzen Sarutobi personally took him back.

Hiruzen Sarutobi showed Naruto great care, not only asking after his well-being but also probing indirectly about the sudden surge in his strength.

With Gojo Satoru's soul inside him, Naruto could naturally see through Hiruzen's probing.

Before his rebirth, Naruto had already held a favorable impression of Hiruzen Sarutobi. In this village, when everyone else treated him coldly, only Hiruzen had silently watched over him, like a grandfather.

So he didn't mind Hiruzen's probing. Instead, an idea struck him, and he decided to use this opportunity to test Hiruzen in return, to see if he could glean more clues about his own origins from the Lord Hokage.

After being reborn as Naruto, Gojo Satoru had always been curious about Naruto's background. Sealing such immense power inside Naruto's body meant his origins were anything but simple. And the Fourth Hokage's identical blond hair and blue eyes had already sparked a vague suspicion in his mind.

He spoke with feigned casualness, his eyes glinting with curiosity and inquiry: "Actually, the reason I've gotten so strong so fast is that a blond uncle keeps teaching me to train in my dreams. Isn't that strange?"

Gojo Satoru's soul stirred restlessly within Naruto's body. Becoming Naruto had filled him with endless curiosity and a desire to explore.

Now, using Naruto's voice, he deftly posed the question, trying to catch some clue from Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction.

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent at the words. His eyes flickered briefly, and a complex surge of emotions rose within him.

Of course, he knew who the blond uncle referred to. The image of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, surfaced clearly in his mind.

But Naruto's origins were a secret of Konoha—a secret not to be lightly revealed.

Naruto's eyes flickered. Though Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't answered his question, he had already gotten the answer he wanted from the old man's expression.

After that, Gojo Satoru, reborn as Naruto, still didn't much care for dealing with old people. Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi had bought his story, he made an excuse and slipped away.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could never have imagined that the current Naruto was a new Naruto—the fusion of Gojo Satoru's soul and Naruto's own.

Naruto strolled leisurely through Konoha, enjoying a rare moment of free time.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering across his golden hair and adding a touch of lazy charm to his demeanor.

He wandered aimlessly, and before he knew it, he found himself near the women's bathhouse.

Just then, the corner of his eye caught an unusual figure.

A middle-aged man with white hair was skulking in the shadows, peeping toward the bathhouse. Naruto felt a wave of speechlessness. He was about to walk away when, to his surprise, the middle-aged man noticed him.