Regret! Shadow! Bang!

This was the happiest day of his life!

Not only had he found a partner to train alongside, he had also earned that man's recognition...

Might Guy!

"Naruto, Teacher Guy..."

"I'll work even harder, no matter what it takes!"

Beneath the moonlight, Rock Lee continued his grueling training, again and again...

Back home, Naruto had gradually gotten the hang of preparing his own dinner. He wolfed it down, quickly filling his stomach.

Then came the system prompts...

Use the Chakra Refinement Technique one hundred times!

Use the Clone Technique two hundred times!

Naruto didn't dare disobey and immediately resumed his training.

Inside the Mental Space.

The Nine-Tailed Fox had witnessed everything from beginning to end, and couldn't help feeling a few stirrings in his heart.

"Sure, he's doing it to avoid getting shocked, but..."

"That brat's got a fair bit of perseverance after all..."

"Hmph."

He shook his head, his long fox ears twitching. Then, as if he'd noticed his own feelings, he scoffed and closed his eyes again.

Late at night.

Konoha, the Hokage's office.

After a day of grueling work, Third Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his eyes, looking utterly exhausted.

"I really am getting old..."

"To think all this tedious daily work could wear me out so badly..."

He lit his pipe, took a deep drag, then blew out a large smoke ring. He felt much more relaxed.

"Cough, cough..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed, his gaze unconsciously falling on the Crystal Ball at the corner of his desk.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, right. I haven't checked on that Naruto kid in days..."

"Might as well have a look now."

"But it's so late. He must already be fast asleep, right?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a wry smile and performed his ninjutsu.

"Telescope Technique."

The Crystal Ball immediately showed Naruto's room.

"Hmm? Something seems different. Is it just me?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brow slightly. Naruto's room seemed a lot tidier and cleaner.

Naruto had tidied up a little himself, but Hinata had helped, too.

While Naruto worked on his exercises, she'd cleaned his room.

Of course, that wasn't the main thing as far as Sarutobi Hiruzen was concerned.

Soon, the main subject appeared in the Crystal Ball: Naruto...

"Hmm?"

"Th-this is..."

Naruto was still standing in front of the mirror, struggling to practice his Clone Technique!

"Clone!"

"Damn it..."

"Clone!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Am I seeing things?"

He rubbed his eyes, squinted again, and leaned closer to the Crystal Ball.

But there was Naruto, still training hard in the middle of the night.

"What's gotten into Naruto?"

"Is this really the same Naruto who's always goofing off, playing pranks, and neglecting his studies?!"

Chapter 17: Regret! Shadow! Bang!

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Naruto training in the middle of the night, his face filled with utter shock.

This was nothing like the Naruto he remembered...

After all, in the past, reports from the ninja came in every few days about whatever trouble Naruto had caused or what kind of mess he'd made in the village...

Come to think of it, no one had reported on Naruto for several days now...

Sarutobi Hiruzen scratched his head, dislodging a few more wisps of his thinning gray hair.

"Anbu."

"Here, Lord Hokage!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Several figures wearing strange masks appeared before Sarutobi Hiruzen in a flash.

"You're in charge of keeping an eye on Naruto. These past two days, has he..."

"Done anything out of the ordinary?"

The Anbu glanced at one another, exchanging confused looks.

"Lord Hokage, how should we put it..."

"It's not just out of the ordinary. It's like he's been possessed!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned. "Oh? What happened?"

The Anbu described all the changes in Naruto, and the more Sarutobi Hiruzen heard, the more astonished he became.

"Really?"

"He changed this much all of a sudden?"

"What exactly happened to the kid..."

The Anbu shook their heads, too.

"Nothing seems to have happened..."

"But, Lord Hokage, it's not really that strange. Boys that age can suddenly start working hard for all sorts of reasons."

"Of course, most of them are full of ambition now and then, but spend the rest of the time loafing around."

"Very few can stick with it. It's usually just a passing burst of enthusiasm..."

"True. Given Naruto's personality, I can't believe he'll keep it up for long..."

The Anbu weren't looking down on Naruto.

In fact, no one knew Naruto better than they did.

After all, they'd been secretly watching over and protecting him all along.

Their conclusions were entirely based on their deep understanding of Naruto from past experience.

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, too. "That's true..."

But just then.

A figure silently emerged from the shadows in the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned slightly and immediately guessed who it was.

"What is it?"

"Danzo."

The man lurking in the darkness was none other than Darkness of Konoha, known as Pot Kage, and the Third's longtime partner...

Shimura Danzō!

The Anbu fell silent at the sight of him.

Shimura Danzō said coldly, "Hiruzen, what do you intend to do about this?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned deeply.

"Do about what?"

"You mean Naruto?"

"Exactly!"

Shimura Danzō's voice was dry and biting.

"Even though he's still a child, he's ultimately the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki!"

"Now that all these sudden changes have appeared, shouldn't we do everything we can to investigate?"

"Or do you want to repeat the Nine-Tails Incident?!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen replied in a low voice, "Danzo, just because Naruto suddenly started working hard, you've jumped to all these conclusions?"

"Isn't that being a little too paranoid?"

"Paranoid?"

"Hmph. You're the one who's too naive, Hiruzen!"

Shimura Danzō raised his voice. "Look at Sunagakure! How do they treat their One-Tail Jinchuriki?!"

"They're both children, both sons of a Kage, but Kazekage Rasa has never gone easy on that Gaara!"

"Jinchuriki are the village's strategic weapons, but they also carry immense risks. We can't just leave them unmanaged!"

"If you handed that brat Naruto over to me..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression changed instantly.

"Shut up, Danzo!"

"I'll never hand Naruto over to you!"

A sinister, ruthless glint flashed in Shimura Danzō's eyes.

"Hiruzen, that's nothing but a sign of your naivety and weakness!"

"I have to remind you..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice turned stern as well.

"Danzo, I'm the Hokage!"

Shimura Danzō froze, his expression turning even darker.

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"

His figure disappeared into the darkness once more, and then...