"Start repairing the arena. The two competitors in the next match, please take your places!"
The exam official was explaining the rules.
Kabuto's gaze was just as unwilling to leave Naruto.
Could that threatening aura from earlier turn him into Orochimaru's enemy someday?
Kabuto wondered: if Konoha had a genius ninja like Naruto, how could it ever fall?
His thoughts were quietly interrupted.
An old man appeared beside Naruto.
During this break.
The Third Hokage sat down beside Naruto as casually as if they were by a river.
"Impressive, Naruto. You actually managed to use such a difficult jutsu."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled kindly.
"With your current strength, you can hold your own."
If Naruto had been born during the Ninja World War and had gotten more experience, with talent that terrifying, he would have become a Jonin in his teens.
"Whatever you want to say, just get to the point."
Naruto didn't like listening to empty flattery.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had come over for one reason.
The Flying Thunder God Formula.
A Space-Time Ninjutsu even Jiraiya couldn't teach Naruto.
Only Minato Namikaze could have left it behind.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't know what contingencies the couple, both skilled in Sealing Techniques, had prepared.
But Naruto couldn't have learned the jutsu out of nowhere.
"Are you in a bad mood?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled again.
"You've learned about your parents and everything they left behind. That means you've inherited their legacy, too."
"That's the Will of Fire, burning forever!"
"Take up their duty and help protect everyone in Konoha."
The Sannin had probably heard Hiruzen Sarutobi say this countless times.
No telling how many people he'd brainwashed.
No wonder Orochimaru was the only one who'd gone out of his way to see him—and he'd wanted to watch him die.
Naruto was already getting impatient.
Hiruzen had kept quiet about Naruto's parents in the past. Now that he'd realized Naruto had talent like Minato Namikaze and was unquestionably a genius ninja,
he was talking about inheriting their legacy.
"Third Hokage."
Naruto opened his eyes and leaned back, looking completely at ease.
"If it were you, how would you want people to treat Konohamaru?"
"If you died protecting the village, would you want everyone to see him as a curse, just to keep him safe?"
Naruto stared into the Third Hokage's eyes.
The old man's face looked weary.
"Short-lived hatred is no more than a dead leaf obscuring your vision."
"One day, you'll understand that protecting more people means some must give up their lives."
"If your parents were still alive, they would say the same."
As always, Hiruzen Sarutobi played the emotional card.
"Yeah."
One corner of Naruto's mouth curled into a mocking smile.
"I met the Fourth Hokage. He said he hoped I'd live for myself, and live on as the hero who saved Konoha."
He stopped pretending to sleep.
Naruto crossed his legs and ignored Hiruzen Sarutobi.
With a hint of impatience, he said, "Isn't anyone selling popcorn and soda? What a shame."
"Naruto, you're not acting like yourself today!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood to return to his seat.
The next match was about to begin.
His expression turned serious. A Jinchuriki with talent that had suddenly blossomed would be a serious problem if he came to hate the village.
"Am I?"
"Maybe, just like Konoha insists on burning with the Will of Fire, the soul that kept convincing itself to be good has burned away, too."
Naruto spread his hands.
Forget the fact that he'd gotten some of the Nine-Tails Chakra and could enter Nine-Tails Mode at any time.
He was a ninja who could wield the Flying Thunder God Formula.
Unless someone like Tobirama Senju, who'd devote himself to protecting others and stay behind to cover their retreat, stood in his way, who could stop him?
"When the Chunin Ninja Exams are over, I'll take you out for a walk."
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt something was very wrong with Naruto.
A ninja who didn't follow the Will of Fire had to be made to change his beliefs—or eliminated!
"Look after Naruto. He's a little tired."
Hiruzen Sarutobi instructed the Anbu Ninja beside him.
Watching me?
"This old geezer's all talk and no action."
Naruto was faster than anyone else in the arena. Who could keep an eye on him?
Ridiculous!
If the Yellow Flash's Kunai hadn't been pointed away from Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't be acting so self-righteous.
Spin!
Naruto spun the prize wheel.
He'd use ten Goodwill Points first.
[Ding!] [Host, your luck is through the roof! You've earned a consolation prize. Two guaranteed prizes remain: Shuriken*1000, Ration Pills*1000. Please choose.]
Naruto wasn't that hungry, so he chose the Shuriken and added a fair bit to his stockpile.
Again!
Naruto glanced at the match in progress, then spun again.
This was one of the rare times he'd made three draws at once.
Three hundred Punishment Points—he was practically swimming in them.
[Ding!] [Host, you've really gotten what you deserved. Not a single good prize in three draws!] [Summoning Technique: Slug] [Taijutsu: Monster Strength] [Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique (Yin Seal, Strength of a Hundred Seal Release)]
"When did you grow a conscience? You actually gave me Tsunade's whole ninja-art package!"
[Host has sunk into an endless pursuit of power. Degree of Blackening increased.]
Just as he'd thought.
This Turn Back to the Shore System had its own set of standards.
Naruto figured he wanted greater power, while the system wanted him to be a kindhearted do-gooder.
Their standards were completely different.
"WC."
Naruto stood, shoved his hands in his pockets, and headed for the restroom.
Not long afterward, he returned to his seat.
He sat in the same spot as before and continued watching the matches.
Forest Training Ground.
While the Chunin Ninja Exams were still underway,
Naruto had already used a Flying Thunder God Formula he'd left behind to get here.
"That Sasuke's always running late, like Diao Chan riding a horse."
"I might as well keep training while I have the time."
This time, the rewards were fairly balanced. All three were completely different.
Monster Strength was actually a way of using chakra to enhance strength and explosive power, causing destruction by releasing powerful gusts of air.
Creation Rebirth was the unrestricted release of the Yin Seal's stored chakra, a Medical Ninjutsu for healing oneself.
For a Taijutsu ninja, it meant being able to fight to the death without holding back in this state.
The slug from the Summoning Technique excelled at healing. It could even restore Tsunade after she'd been cut in half.
Though that might have had something to do with her already knowing the Yin Seal, its miraculous healing ability was still one of a kind in the Ninja World.
Healing aside, the slug's greatest strength didn't lie in its combat ability compared with toads or snakes.
The slug had only one body, but its fragments could share vision and relay information and chakra.
That gave Tsunade more accurate information about the battlefield over a wider area.
Naruto signed a contract first, then summoned a tiny slug and hid it in his palm.
Before the slug could even figure out where it was, it returned to its main body.
The Nine-Tails in the Sealing Space immediately raised its tails.
A slug?
When had this kid Naruto learned that?
Did the Fourth Hokage and his wife know how to use this?
"Seal a portion of my chakra, then analyze its healing and chakra-circulation methods in depth."
"Storage, release, and full release—the three different levels of the seal."
"Next, Monster Strength."
A Yin Seal appeared on Naruto's forehead.
Hidden beneath his Forehead Protector was the further enhancement Naruto had made to the already powerful vitality of the Uzumaki Clan.
Talent!
Naruto was certain that before he'd transmigrated, he'd never had such astonishing talent.
The system had given him the jutsu, but training was entirely up to Naruto.
And yet he mastered each one at an astonishing speed.
Boom!
He shattered an innocent boulder with a single punch.
Naruto knew he'd mastered Monster Strength.
"WC."
The spectator stands.
Naruto went to the restroom again.
Strange.
Kabuto couldn't understand why a kid so young had to pee so often.
When Naruto returned to the spectator stands, he was in even better shape.
"Uchiha Sasuke still hasn't arrived. He's the only one who hasn't shown up. Should we disqualify him?"
The official was getting nervous.
But plenty of people in the stands clearly wanted to see just how strong the survivor of the Uchiha Clan Massacre was.
"He's here! Sasuke has arrived!"
Whoa.
Naruto thought Sasuke was way too good at putting on a show!
"I've got to be even better at it!"