Elsewhere.
Naruto was sitting on the sofa checking his Experience Points; because there were no plot events this time, the Experience Points he gained were much slower.
Fortunately, Hinata, Sakura, and Sasuke were constantly providing Experience Points. Even though the amount was small, it added up over time.
Of course, regarding the major plot of the Chūnin Exams, Naruto had long since been looking forward to it, preparing to make a fortune from it.
"Alright, let's exchange for bloodline first, then continue training, and tomorrow I'll keep leeching experience to earn Experience Points from everyone in Konoha."
With that, Naruto began the bloodline exchange once again.
Soon, a warm current flowed through his body, and the aura around him grew heavier and more explosive.
Naruto clenched his fists and, with a smile, plunged back into training.
Time slowly passed, and several days went by quickly.
During these days, Naruto went everywhere leeching Experience Points, gathering all the experience that could possibly be farmed in the entirety of Konoha.
Aside from Might Guy, who was not in the village, his own class, and Danzo, who lived a low-profile existence, he basically farmed everyone living in Konoha.
Correspondingly, his bloodline received an unprecedented boost, his strength increased dramatically, and even his height grew quite a bit, making him half a head taller than Sasuke and Sakura.
On this day, by the small river outside the village.
Sasuke and Sakura carried bamboo baskets on their backs and picked up trash in the river, while Naruto lay lazily on the grass, leisurely looking up at the sky.
At this moment, Naruto's hair had changed slightly, turning mostly black with only a few non-black strands remaining; however, their quantity was so small and they were so well-hidden within his hair that they were completely imperceptible.