A Single Whack Was All It Took to Kill an Elite Jonin

Qiushui hadn't forgotten why he'd come here.

"Naruto, your room's a mess. Let me teach you how to tidy it up." Qiushui rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning Naruto's room.

As he stuffed trash into a bag, he said casually, "You see, when a room's this messy, little bugs can sneak in. They hide during the day, then crawl out while you're asleep and carry off all the snacks you've hidden, eating them up one bite at a time."

Naruto's eyes widened. He slapped his forehead as realization dawned. "No wonder I sometimes find things have mysteriously disappeared!"

Seeing how seriously Naruto took it, Qiushui couldn't help smiling. He remembered watching the anime in his previous life: when Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba first visited Naruto's place, the scene had been a disaster. Bugs had swarmed out of every corner, covering everything.

Fortunately, Naruto's home hadn't gotten that bad yet. Otherwise, Qiushui felt he'd have no appetite for days after cleaning it.

He decided that cleaning with just Naruto would take too long, so he immediately made three Shadow Clones to help.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood to one side, watching the scene with a gentle gaze. He'd wanted to lend a hand, but on second thought, he decided it was better to let Naruto do more himself and enjoy a little more of this rare moment.

While cleaning, Qiushui ran a quality check on Sarutobi Hiruzen.

[Name: Sarutobi Hiruzen]

[Chakra: 126000]

[Quality: S+]

[Evaluation: Proficient in ninjutsu of all five nature transformations—Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Water. His strength has declined severely with age. He can still kill a few Elite Jonin with a single staff strike, though, and with a few more strikes, he could just about kill someone at Kage Level.]

Qiushui looked at the numbers on the panel and couldn't help marveling to himself.

One hundred and twenty-six thousand chakra.

A ninja's strength was known to decline rapidly with age.

Especially after passing the age of fifty, physical fitness, reaction speed, and chakra reserves all ebbed away bit by bit, like the tide going out.

It was a universally acknowledged rule in the Shinobi World. No one could escape it.

And Sarutobi Hiruzen was already sixty-five years old.

To still have such astonishing chakra reserves at that age, and to be judged by the system as strong enough to kill someone at Kage Level...

"As expected of the strongest Hokage in the early setting..." Qiushui couldn't help sighing.

The room wasn't large. With help from the three Shadow Clones, the whole place was spick-and-span two hours later.

The floor was clean enough to reflect their faces, gleaming under the light. Everything on the table was neatly arranged, and the freshly washed clothes hung on the balcony. The mixed odors in the air had faded, leaving only a faint smell of cleaning solution.

Qiushui stood in the middle of the room and looked around, feeling a little satisfied.

Naruto was still inspecting what looked like a brand-new home. Qiushui told him, "It's getting late, so I'll head out. Remember to be at the training ground sharp at eight tomorrow morning."

Naruto snapped out of it, reluctant to see him go. "Okay."

He felt that these short two or three hours had been more fulfilling than the past several years.

Qiushui said seriously, "I've cleaned it up for you this time, but from now on, you have to tidy it yourself once a week and keep it this neat. I'll drop by to check from time to time. If I find it's gone back to the way it was, I'll come over less often."

Naruto immediately said, "Don't worry, Sensei. Next time you come, it'll be just like this. No, even cleaner."

He made up his mind that starting tomorrow, the first thing he'd do when he got home every day would be to clean. Qiushui-sensei had said he'd check from time to time, which meant he'd come home with him again. If Sensei really thought his room was too messy and stopped coming, Naruto wouldn't even have anywhere to cry about it.

[Daily Mission: Improve the cleanliness of the living environment of the SSS-grade high-quality talent, Uzumaki Naruto (Completed)]

[Reward: Innate Wind Nature Chakra]

Qiushui felt a lightness in his mind, and his chakra seemed to flow more smoothly and swiftly.

A ninja's chakra nature could be innate or acquired through training, and the difference between the two was like a gulf.

When people with an innate chakra nature learned ninjutsu of the corresponding nature, that chakra was already part of their bodies. It flowed smoothly when they performed Hand Seals, needing only a thought to emerge naturally.

Those who acquired a nature through training, on the other hand, had to spend several times as much time and effort sensing it, adapting to it, and forcibly changing their chakra's habits.

When performed by someone with an innate nature, the same ninjutsu had greater power, wider range, and lower chakra cost.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Qiushui walked out of the building. He suddenly stopped and said slowly, "Qiushui, can you tell me why you're so good to Naruto?"

Qiushui repeated, word for word, what he'd told Naruto earlier when the boy had asked why he treated him so well.

Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent for a moment, then nodded gently.

He didn't suspect Qiushui's motives. He simply thought of it as a return for what Minato had done.

First, Qiushui's reason was simple and sincere: he couldn't repay a life-saving favor, so he'd decided to return that kindness by caring for the child who looked like the person who had saved him.

Second, Qiushui came from a family with an impeccable reputation. His ancestors had all been Konoha ninja, and most had sacrificed their lives protecting the village.

Finally, Qiushui's Will of Fire was beyond reproach. Someone like him could never be a spy from another village, much less harbor ill intentions toward Naruto.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took out his pipe and packed it with tobacco. "Actually, you weren't wrong. Naruto really is the child of Minato and Kushina."

Qiushui hadn't expected him to be so direct. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, so he gave the surprised expression anyone would have.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep drag and exhaled. Then he said solemnly, "Qiushui, I'm entrusting Naruto to your care from now on. If you need anything, you can come to the Hokage Office anytime."

Meeting his gaze, Qiushui answered earnestly, "You can rest assured, Lord Third. Even if you hadn't asked, I'd have done the same. It's not just because I owe him a favor. I feel like I get along well with the little guy, too."

He didn't ask Sarutobi Hiruzen why he hadn't made Naruto's identity as the son of a hero public.

In his previous life, Qiushui might have believed the conspiracy theories about the Third Hokage, thinking it was all for power and to control Naruto more effectively. But after truly coming to this world and experiencing things firsthand, he understood that the truth was far from that simple.