Mystical Palm Technique

Winter days were short. By four or five o'clock, the sky had already darkened. Two small figures walked hand in hand along Konoha's streets, their shadows stretching long beneath the setting sun.

"Aunt Muzi is amazing!" Samu Kokaze exclaimed as he walked out of the hospital gates, touching his face, where not even the slightest swelling remained.

"Of course! Aunt Muzi is a Special Jonin of Konoha!" Ino wore a proud expression on her little face, looking as though she were the one Samu Kokaze was praising.

"Really? That's incredible!" Samu Kokaze deliberately shouted in surprise, while secretly thinking:

A Special Jonin? No wonder she knows the Mystical Palm Technique! But that works out well for me. I got a bargain out of it!

In the Naruto World, whether it was the most basic Three Body Technique or an advanced forbidden technique, all of them required chakra to activate.

And for Samu Kokaze, who possessed absolute control over his body through the Nano Core...

As Muzi used medical ninjutsu to repair Samu Kokaze's body, every change her chakra made within his body was firmly committed to memory. It was like copying and pasting on a computer; he instantly stole Muzi's mastery of the technique.

Having secretly learned an advanced ninjutsu, Samu Kokaze inwardly rejoiced. Although he could not use it yet because all his chakra was being supplied to the Nano Core, obtaining his first ninjutsu still thrilled him.

After all, this was the first ninjutsu he had acquired since crossing over.

"What are you grinning like an idiot about?" Ino, standing beside him, looked displeased at Samu Kokaze for ignoring her and foolishly smiling as he walked. She placed a hand on his forehead.

Feeling the cool little hand against his forehead, he froze for a moment.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about what birthday present to give you tomorrow, Ino. Is there anything in particular you want?" Samu Kokaze changed the subject as he looked at Ino, who had puffed out her cheeks with an expression that plainly said she was unhappy.

At the mention of a gift, Ino's cheeks flushed red. She lowered her head shyly and said softly, "Whatever you decide is fine! But..." Suppressing her embarrassment, she raised her head and said firmly, "It has to satisfy me!"

"Ah, ah, Ino, you're really unreasonable. You won't tell me what you want, but it still has to satisfy you. You've given me quite the difficult problem." With both hands behind his head, he looked at the lingering glow of the sunset ahead while teasing Ino softly from the corner of his eye.

"Hmph! I don't care! The gift you give me has to satisfy me, otherwise... otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Samu Kokaze asked teasingly, amusement in his eyes as he watched the blushing Ino fail to speak.

"Hmph..." Ino snorted and turned her head away. "You only know how to bully me!"

"Haha!" Samu Kokaze laughed several times as he looked at the turned-away Ino. "Don't worry! You're my best friend, and I've already thought of your gift! You definitely won't be disappointed tomorrow!"

"You always say such nice things. If I'm not satisfied then I'll make you...!" Ino was speaking bashfully when her words abruptly stopped. She pointed at the entrance to Samu Kokaze's family shop and said in surprise, "Feng, look ahead!"

"What is it?" Samu Kokaze, whose attention had been entirely fixed on Ino's adorable face, shifted his gaze forward.

"Naruto? Why is he sitting there?" Samu Kokaze asked in surprise as he looked at the curled-up figure outside his home.

"Who is he?" Ino asked.

Samu Kokaze paused briefly before replying, "Ah, he's the one I told you about today, the guy who got bullied. Let's go take a look."

As soon as he finished speaking, Samu Kokaze's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the figure ahead, and he quickened his pace.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Ino took a few quick steps to catch up with Samu Kokaze, shouting unhappily from behind him.

Konoha's Hokage Building, the Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, looking at the crystal ball placed before him. The scene displayed on its surface was precisely the area in front of Samu Kokaze's family shop.

"Let me see what kind of person you really are. I hope Naruto can make a child his age who truly wants to be his friend."

Smoke filled the Hokage's office. With a pipe between his lips, the Third Hokage stared blankly at the image and murmured to himself.

Samu Kokaze and Ino arrived at his doorstep. By now, the sky had grown dark, and the brightest stars were already visible overhead.

Standing at the door, thoughts raced through Samu Kokaze's mind, but his hands did not stop moving. He gently nudged Naruto, whose mind had grown muddled from the cold, and called, "Naruto! Naruto!"

"Huh?" Naruto, still somewhat dazed, sensed movement behind him and suddenly jolted, turning around.

"It's Feng. I came to find you at noon because I wanted to treat you to ramen, ha... ha..." Naruto looked up at the darkened sky and gave an awkward laugh. He said nothing more, his frostbitten, purple-blue hand tightly clutching a wad of bills.

Samu Kokaze lowered his head slightly. When he saw Naruto's hand clutching the money, his expression froze, and a trace of emotion rose in his heart.

It was obvious from every detail that Naruto did not live well, yet even so, he had brought the only money he had to find him. That proved Naruto sincerely regarded him as a friend.

Yet all of this was the result of his calculations. He had even harbored some dark thoughts toward Naruto. The same went for Ino beside him, who trusted him completely. Compared to them, he really was a scumbag.

After mocking himself inwardly, he glanced lightly at the two beside him. However, his face showed an apologetic expression as he said, "I'm really sorry. Since tomorrow is Ino's birthday, I went to the hospital this afternoon to deal with the injuries on my face. I made you wait for nothing!" As he spoke, guilt appeared on his face.

"Ah! Achoo! It's fine. Tomorrow works too." Naruto wiped his nose, then looked at Ino beside Samu Kokaze, who was watching him warily. His expression tightened as he prepared to leave.

Naruto was afraid—terrified that the girl beside them would say he was a monster. He was even more afraid that his only friend would distance himself because of it. Closing his eyes, he staggered forward into a run.

Slap...

Naruto, who had been running forward with his eyes closed, lowered his head to look at the wrist that had been grabbed, then raised his head to look ahead.

With a bright, sincere smile, Samu Kokaze said, "You wanted to treat me to lunch, but I stood you up. So let me treat you tonight! Come taste my cooking and see how it is."

"Feng!" Ino cried anxiously. She leaned her little head toward Samu Kokaze's ear and whispered in her crisp, pleasant childish voice, "I heard people call him a monster, and Dad told me not to get too close to him either. We should be careful!"

Naruto's excited expression gradually darkened as he heard the faint, intermittent whispers beside him. He lowered his head, struggled against the hand holding his, and tried to leave.

"Hm?" Naruto tugged but could not pull free. Seeing that Samu Kokaze was still gripping his hand tightly, Naruto suddenly raised his head excitedly and looked at Samu Kokaze, who still wore that sincere smile.