Inner Peace

Sakura didn't stop Sasuke from trying. In fact, she decided to try it with him.

"The Sealing Jutsu my master uses is different from ordinary Sealing Jutsu. It can affect multiple targets. Once it's set up, it makes no difference whether there's one person or two."

Naruto said, "I'll remind you both one more time: since my master said this training would be somewhat 'brutal,' the actual experience will definitely be even more terrifying than you expect."

Sasuke and Sakura were both prepared, and Naruto's words didn't scare them.

Two days later, the Sealing Jutsu was complete. Naruto brought Sakura and Sasuke to the secret base—the oddly shaped little house.

"Uh, why does it feel so... spacious in here?"

Sakura looked around inside, ran outside to check, then hurried back in. "It really is bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside!"

Naruto said, "This is the secret base my master built himself. The village has barriers set up everywhere, so it's only natural that my master would add a few layers of special Sealing Jutsu to the secret base."

"Sealing Jutsu can do that?"

Sasuke was intrigued, but his attention was quickly drawn to the center of the room. The floor was covered in densely packed formulas arranged in a large circle.

Sasuke pointed at the floor. "Is that the Sealing Jutsu we'll use for training?"

"Yeah."

Naruto pointed to the center of the circle. "Lie down in there, and I'll activate the Sealing Jutsu."

Sakura and Sasuke lay down.

Naruto said, "Before we start, I'll ask you one last time. Are you mentally prepared?"

"I am," Sakura replied.

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Let's begin."

Naruto placed both hands on the floor, channeled chakra, and activated the sealing formula.

Sakura and Sasuke lost consciousness instantly.

I hope this doesn't leave them with any lasting trauma.

Naruto dusted off his hands, left the house, and began his usual training.

At dusk, when the sun was about to sink below the horizon, Sakura and Sasuke woke up.

Neither of them hurried to get up. They continued lying there, slowly steadying their breathing, until Naruto came into the house. "Hey, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Great, but awful."

Sasuke sat up, his expression and voice calmer than ever before. There was little expression on his face, but he no longer seemed as cold as he once had. "My master was right. It really was an exceptionally brutal ordeal. Several times, I wondered if I was going insane."

"Same."

Sakura sat up, holding her forehead. "That was the most effective training I've ever experienced, but I absolutely never want to do it again."

"Why do you two suddenly seem like adults?"

Naruto scratched his head. "How long were you in the Sealing Space?"

"I don't know."

Sasuke said, "There was nothing in the Sealing Space to use as a reference. My sense of time passing became blurry very quickly."

"Even though it was blurry, I still felt like I'd lived through an entire lifetime."

Sakura sounded wistful as she asked Naruto, "How much time actually passed?"

"We got here at seven this morning, and it's five now. Exactly ten hours."

Naruto said, "You two haven't eaten all day. Let's go back and have dinner!"

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged a glance, then nodded calmly. "Okay."

After dinner, Sakura and Sasuke both headed home without a word.

Uchiha Clan compound.

Sasuke walked alone down the street, his gaze passing over one house after another. His emotions remained calm, but his black eyes kept changing:

One-Tomoe...

Two-Tomoe...

Three-Tomoe...

Hexagram...

Finally, a smaller black Hexagram appeared in the center of the Hexagram.

Now that I think about it, there are plenty of things worth questioning.

I'll ask my brother next time I see him.

Haruno Household.

"Dad, could I see our family tree?"

"Sure, but why do you suddenly want to see it?"

"I just want to know if there were ever any impressive ninja in our family."

"Ha, then you're in for a disappointment. Your grandfather and great-grandfather were both ordinary people."

"What about my maternal grandparents?"

"They were ordinary people too."

"But I remember your grandmother telling me when I was a kid that she came from some ninja clan. She didn't have much talent, though, so she never became a ninja."

"What was the ninja clan called?"

"I don't know. How could I remember something from so long ago?!"

"That's okay if you don't remember~ Mom, don't be mad. I'll help you with the dishes."

The next day, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura continued their daily training as usual.

At dusk, the three of them finished their training and passed a hot spring bathhouse on their way back. Suddenly, Naruto heard his father speak: [Naruto, could you check out the hot spring bathhouse over there?]

"Dad, you can't take a hot spring bath right now, can you?"

[I sense a familiar chakra. It should be Jiraiya-sensei.]

"Your teacher, Dad?"

Naruto said, "I remember Mom saying that man was a lecherous old guy. She even told me to stay away from him."

[Well... Jiraiya-sensei was a bit of a pervert, but he was an excellent ninja. He also looked after me a lot back then.]

Naruto said, "Mom?"

[Go ahead.]

Kushina said, [But once you're inside, if you see a lecherous old man peeking, don't hesitate. Punch him!]

Naruto said, "Okay!"

Minato let out a wry laugh.

"Sasuke, Sakura, you two go on ahead."

Naruto stopped and pointed at the hot spring bathhouse beside them. "I'm going in to find someone."

Sasuke and Sakura were a little puzzled, but they didn't ask any questions. They nodded and went on ahead.

After entering the bathhouse, Naruto looked around at the interior. "Come to think of it, I've never been in a hot spring before. Since I'm already here, I might as well take a bath before I leave."

Following Minato's directions, Naruto soon found a suspicious white-haired old man at one corner of the hot spring pool. He had his face practically pressed against the divider and was giggling, "Heh heh heh."

"He really is peeking!"

Naruto decisively gathered chakra in his right hand, rushed toward him, and threw a powerful punch.

Hearing movement behind him, Jiraiya reluctantly turned around—only to see a fist rapidly growing larger in his field of vision. Thud!

"Ow... That hurts!"

Jiraiya soaked in the hot spring, gently rubbing the swollen spot on his face as he looked at Naruto. "You really are just like Kushina..."

Naruto grinned. "I'm her son, after all!"

Jiraiya said, "You're Minato's son too. Why don't you learn more from him?"

Naruto said, "My dad listens to my mom."

"...Minato was the one who sent you to find me, wasn't he?"

Jiraiya quickly changed the subject. "I haven't been in Konoha all these years. I thought the old man would take good care of you, but... I let Minato and Kushina down. I deserved that punch."

"You did."

Naruto nodded solemnly and said, "Peeking is wrong."