Bloodline Limit, Shikotsumyaku

Fifty meters apart.

Naruto immediately opened from the Space Gate to the Gate of Life.

He planted his feet and shot forward like a bolt!

The agitated air acted like a sharp blade, slicing the lake water apart.

Naruto was like a projectile fired from a cannon, intent on shattering the obstacle in his path with a single strike.

"So strong."

Kimimaro let out a loud shout: "Dance of the Larch."

Dozens of bones rapidly sprouted from Kimimaro's body, interlocking to form his most confident defense before him.

At this moment, Kimimaro resembled a bristling hedgehog.

"My Dance of the Larch possesses the strongest defense and is covered in sharp bone spurs. If you charge head-on, you will undoubtedly be the one to get hurt," Kimimaro said confidently.

Focus.

Naruto's gaze was firm; he didn't slow down, instead pouring more energy into his charge: "Is that so? One should know their own limits."

Explosion.

Naruto pushed his fundamental taijutsu abilities to the absolute limit.

The surface of the lake beneath them collapsed instantly.

The churning water, driven by inertia, rushed back to fill the void, colliding at the center to erupt into a pillar of water.

Kimimaro was like a kicked soccer ball; the bones in front of him were shattered again and again by the force of Naruto's onslaught, only to regenerate through Kimimaro's sheer persistence.

"You have no time to adjust. Passive defense is a precursor to ultimate defeat." Naruto's figure reappeared, managing to keep his eyes locked on Kimimaro even at extreme speeds.

Kimimaro possessed the Kaguya Clan's kekkei genkai, Shikotsumyaku, which allowed him to manipulate his own osteoblasts and osteoclasts at will, and even control calcium concentration to form bones. These bones possessed the hardness of steel, capable of blocking even the most powerful impacts.

The Kaguya Clan viewed Kimimaro as their secret weapon. For this annihilation of Kusagakure, the entire clan had mobilized their combat strength, bringing Kimimaro along and stationing him on the edge of the Land of Grass, leaving it to his own discretion whether or not to join the fray.

Under a blur of fists and kicks, Kimimaro was battered by Naruto like a shuttlecock, skipping incessantly across the water's surface.

"Damn it, you can't break my defense!" Kimimaro had indeed withstood all of Naruto's fierce and rapid attacks under the Gate of Life, but he understood that his physical strength was rapidly waning.

Naruto was also consuming chakra at a staggering rate: "There's no need to break it. I find it quite meaningful to witness a taijutsu style that uses one's own bones as weapons. My goal isn't to kill you, just to beat you until you're powerless."

Fighting on the water also hindered Kimimaro from fully unleashing the potential of his Shikotsumyaku.

"Five Hundred Combo." Naruto drove Kimimaro into the mud at the bottom of the lake, then broke the surface, scattering a chain of explosive tags: "This should keep you uncomfortable for a while when you come back up."

Naruto flashed away.

"We can go now."

Karin's mother had also witnessed Naruto's overwhelming power during the battle; even the Kaguya Clan had been beaten into total submission. How could such a person be a mere nobody in the ninja world?

Perhaps, this man could truly protect her and her daughter.

"Yes!"

Their hearts no longer held any resistance.

Naruto smiled faintly and led the two into the borders of the Land of Fire.

Notification.

Check-in mission complete.

Completion rewards: Activation of the Uzumaki Clan's super-regeneration ability; Wind-style chakra nature transformation (100%); full set of Rasengan ninjutsu instructional videos.

Super-regeneration ability: Even if only a remnant of cells remains, one can be resurrected; self-healing time depends on the severity of the injury.

Naruto marveled that the Uzumaki Clan possessed such a formidable ability; no wonder the members of the Uzumaki Clan were almost all powerful medical ninjas.

Swish, swish, swish!

Naruto did not slow his pace.

Kimimaro leaped out from the bottom of the lake in a disheveled state. As he touched the surface, he triggered the chain of explosive tags, the blast throwing up layers of water curtains and sending Kimimaro crashing back beneath the lake.

Konoha.

The home of the Fourth Hokage.

The couple could hardly sleep due to their worry for Naruto.

"Is Naruto with Guy?" Kushina Uzumaki asked.

Naruto was still a child, and according to their plans, he would be attending the Ninja Academy in Konoha in a short while, embarking on the most normal path for a ninja.

Minato Namikaze shook his head: "Guy and Kakashi went on a mission; he wouldn't take Naruto out for training alone. Naruto has been having his own ideas more and more lately. I've observed that his taijutsu is progressing very quickly."

Kushina Uzumaki pinched Minato Namikaze's waist lightly: "You aren't worried about Naruto at all, are you? There's been no news from him, and he just said he was going on a long journey—isn't this just reckless? He's far too bold. When he gets back, I will definitely give him a serious talking-to."

Minato Namikaze stirred: "There's movement. Could it be that Naruto is back?"

Minato Namikaze hurriedly diverted Kushina Uzumaki's attention, as her grip was becoming increasingly painful.

If she kept pinching, Minato Namikaze really wouldn't be able to take it anymore.

If the Yellow Flash of Konoha were to throw out his back, that simply wouldn't do.

When Naruto snuck back into Konoha, he found it strange that he wasn't stopped or questioned by the night patrol, reaching his own doorstep without a hitch.

The door opened.

The first person he saw was Kushina Uzumaki.

Naruto offered a flattering smile and said, "Mom, there's a reason I'm back so late. Guy-sensei taught me to broaden my horizons and not restrict myself to the small confines of Konoha, but to seek out and learn from taijutsu practitioners across the entire ninja world."

"So I did just that, and to my surprise, I ran into some distant relatives of our Uzumaki Clan during my travels. After talking with them, I felt both saddened and sympathetic, so I took it upon myself to bring them back."

Naruto briefly finished recounting his experience, then shamelessly handed Karin and her mother over to Kushina Uzumaki.

Naruto didn't have the capacity to handle the housing arrangements for the time being.

Minato Namikaze looked at Naruto with a suspicious gaze; his son seemed to have many secrets.

"I'm so tired! I want to go to sleep, goodnight." Naruto immediately bolted into his room.

Naruto had forgotten that Minato Namikaze's house only had two rooms.

Consequently, Kushina Uzumaki arranged for Karin and her mother to sleep in Naruto's room, while Naruto had to curl up with his bedding in the living room.

Minato Namikaze certainly valued survivors of the Uzumaki Clan; recruiting capable people to strengthen the power of Konoha did not conflict with the village's policies.

Upon seeing Kushina Uzumaki, Karin's mother burst into tears of excitement.

The backbone of the Uzumaki Clan had been found, and she believed that she and her daughter could finally lead a stable life.

The pursuit of a happy life is something no one would refuse.

There were no problems at all!

Kushina Uzumaki arranged for Karin's mother to work as a nurse at Konoha Hospital.

After sleeping in the living room for two days, Naruto finally returned to his own room, sleeping much more soundly.

As the days went by, the Ninja Academy in Konoha began selecting new students.

Naruto was forcibly dragged from his home to the Ninja Academy by Kushina Uzumaki.