Sasuke's Provocation

"Have you all learned it already?"

Naruto Uzumaki looked at the people around him and asked curiously, seeing that none of them seemed in a hurry.

"No, the old man never taught us."

Shikamaru explained.

As Naruto Uzumaki spoke, the group began to chat casually.

They didn't have any particular opinion of Naruto Uzumaki, nor did they know his true identity.

Moreover, Shikamaru and the others had been reminded by their parents that Naruto Uzumaki's parents were friends with theirs.

With Shikamaru's intelligence, he naturally understood his father's meaning: help out when possible. Plus, Naruto Uzumaki's maturity set him apart from the other brats, which suited Shikamaru's tastes quite well.

Only then did Naruto Uzumaki understand their situation.

No one understood the nature of chakra better than their clans.

These were all families with centuries of heritage; in the past, they had no choice, but now, in a time of peace, there was naturally no need to rush.

Overworking a child's body was detrimental, so none of them were learning or refining chakra yet; even Hinata was only practicing basic skills.

Naruto Uzumaki nodded after hearing this; as expected, none of them were fools.

Wartime was one thing, but in times of peace, there was naturally no need to push the body to its limits.

As for the students entering the academy, they had all been tested for aptitude, so there was no such thing as someone who couldn't refine chakra.

Even someone like Rock Lee possessed chakra within his body; it was just that his spiritual energy was insufficient, making it impossible for him to release ninjutsu.

Therefore, how quickly one could refine chakra was essentially a measure of a person's aptitude.

Because for those without bloodline limits, the amount of chakra was irrelevant to them.

Refining chakra was simple, and soon, some people began to succeed.

"Aren't you going to try, Naruto Uzumaki?"

Shikamaru looked at Naruto Uzumaki with some curiosity.

"Not interested."

Naruto Uzumaki shook his head. His chakra was already stored in his dantian; he just needed to release a tiny bit later.

"Don't tell me you can't refine it?" Sasuke Uchiha mocked.

For some reason, seeing Naruto Uzumaki's pretentious attitude made him feel very annoyed.

Naruto Uzumaki couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind.

Of course, he knew that due to the influence of Indra, Sasuke Uchiha was destined to be entangled with him.

Naruto Uzumaki had no desire to get involved in such drama with him.

As for the Asura chakra within his own body, possessing the Twin Palms, he had already located it.

But because of the Sage of Six Paths, Naruto Uzumaki didn't dare to take any action yet, fearing he would be discovered by the Sage of Six Paths.

"What's with that expression? How about a contest?" Feeling ignored, Sasuke Uchiha was somewhat enraged.

Shikamaru was speechless and subconsciously took a few steps back; he didn't want to be part of such a boring affair.

"Sasuke-kun is so cool."

"That Naruto Uzumaki is also quite handsome."

On the other side, a few girls had gathered in a small group.

Sakura felt that Sasuke Uchiha was handsome the moment she saw him.

And the current Sasuke Uchiha was cold, proud, and dashing, without any sense of gloom.

Ino also noticed Naruto Uzumaki.

Even though Naruto Uzumaki looked quite ordinary on the outside.

The aura of a cultivator was truly difficult to hide. Naruto Uzumaki himself had noticed this, but unless one reached the state of returning to simplicity, such an aura was hard to change.

Naruto Uzumaki felt helpless, but fortunately, the people here lacked the experience to notice, so it hadn't drawn any unwanted attention.

"Fine, you win."

Naruto Uzumaki couldn't be bothered to argue with him.

"Bastard, what do you mean? Are you looking down on me?"

Sasuke Uchiha remained relentless.

Naruto Uzumaki was left speechless.

Naruto Uzumaki raised a finger.

He released a sliver of the chakra within his body.

In an instant, a gale swirled up from the ground, the blue chakra visible to the naked eye.

"Damn it, how is this possible?" Sasuke Uchiha's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

This scene also drew the attention of others.

"How is this possible? Such massive chakra!"

"How could there be such powerful chakra?"

"Impossible."

Everyone stared at him with expressions of shock.

Even Shikamaru and the others were somewhat stunned.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage was observing the scene through his crystal ball.

Seeing the chakra Naruto Uzumaki erupted with, he nodded in satisfaction.

"This child is impressive; he is truly the son of Kushina and Minato."

The Third Hokage took a satisfied puff of his pipe.

Possessing this level of chakra was normal for someone with the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan.

Not to mention that both Minato and Kushina were Kage-level ninjas.

Minato's chakra reserves were small, but that was only compared to normal people; one must remember that Minato could enter Sage Mode.

And the fundamental requirement for mastering Sage Mode was having a massive amount of chakra.

"Excellent aptitude. Hiruzen, leave this child to me to train; he will absolutely become the finest weapon."

At this moment, Danzo, who was sitting in the corner, could not help but speak up.

With their level of insight, they naturally understood where the advantage of such massive chakra reserves lay.

It could be said that this was Kage-level potential.

"Don't even think about it. Naruto Uzumaki is Minato's son; it is impossible to hand him over to you for training." The Third Hokage rolled his eyes at him.

He knew exactly what his old comrade was thinking.

Not to mention Naruto Uzumaki's status, the Nine-Tails alone was a nuclear weapon; how could he possibly hand a nuclear weapon over to someone else to manage?

From the first generation of jinchuriki to the third, it was clear that the Nine-Tails had always remained in the hands of the Hokage lineage.

"Hiruzen, the Nine-Tails will eventually be wasted in your hands. A qualified weapon does not need emotions."

Danzo's face turned gloomy; in his heart, the Nine-Tails was merely a weapon.

The Third Hokage couldn't be bothered to say more, feeling nothing but contempt for his old comrade in his heart.

Those who cannot see the situation clearly will never reach the highest positions.

Back at the academy, Naruto Uzumaki retracted his chakra.

He glanced at his opponent indifferently.

Sasuke Uchiha's face was flushed red, but he couldn't utter a single word.

A loss was a loss; there was nothing to say.

"Don't get cocky. Next time, I will definitely defeat you."

Sasuke Uchiha left a bitter threat, unwilling to accept the outcome.

Naruto Uzumaki ignored him; he had no interest in such childish antics.

Time passed quickly, and school ended in the afternoon.

Naruto Uzumaki left the premises.

Upon returning home, Naruto Uzumaki began to cook.

At the same time, he pondered whether he should start researching other things.

Should I stir up some trouble? Having Twin Palms and not doing anything feels quite unsatisfying.

Naruto Uzumaki narrowed his eyes, his mind racing.

He had sensed the surveillance earlier today.

His first thought was that the old man, the Third Hokage, was still far too idle.

He had to find something to keep him busy.

And right now, the only thing that could give the Third Hokage a headache was the Uchiha clan.

Should he go and stir up some trouble for him?

Konoha could not be too stable, or else the eyes of those people would turn toward him.

As long as the Uchiha clan remained a threat, no one would pay attention to the Nine-Tails jinchuriki.

Thinking of this, a plan already formed in his mind.

Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha returned home, feeling quite unhappy.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?"

Seeing his younger brother's expression, Itachi Uchiha immediately grew tense, fearing that his brother had been bullied at school, and his brows furrowed instantly.