Monster Strength and the Eight Gates Released Formation

Kazan had probably earned this achievement because the Uchiha and Hyuga were direct descendants of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Hamura Otsutsuki, so defeating them counted as a single achievement.

The achievement raised his Garp Template fusion rate by another 10%.

He felt as though his fists of iron were utterly indestructible now!

The only disappointment was that even at 20% fusion, Kazan still had not awakened Haki.

"By rights, 20% of Garp's power should be enough to start training Haki."

At 20%, Garp could have beaten Luffy during the Summit War without a problem.

After all, even in the anime, Garp still had Admiral-level strength at the age of seventy-six to seventy-eight.

"So I definitely meet the requirements to train Haki now."

Once he made up his mind, Kazan decided to start training Haki the next day.

After finishing the house, Kurenai went with Kazan to the Forest of Death for another unusual dinner.

The Forest of Death was eerie at night, with fierce beasts roaring now and then, but Kurenai Yuhi was no longer afraid.

Watching Kazan devour his food, Kurenai edged a little closer.

It would be nice if life could always be like this.

Unfortunately, the Shinobi World had seemed unsettled lately. From her parents' recent conversations, she sensed a storm brewing.

"Full?"

"Yeah, I'm full."

"Good. I'll take you home, then."

"Okay!"

Kazan brushed the dust off his backside, picked up a pile of enormous antlers, and left the Forest of Death with Kurenai.

"Did it hurt a lot?"

During the hunt that day, Kazan's clothes had been torn open. Finding them a nuisance, he had ripped them off, exposing scars of every size across his body. He had gotten them fighting beasts in the Forest of Death since childhood.

They looked pretty striking, actually. Like Luffy, he had a huge cross-shaped scar on his chest.

But to Kurenai, the sight was horrifying.

"Probably. I've forgotten what it felt like."

Kazan really had forgotten. At the time, he had seen red and known only that his opponent was a lion.

"This is me. See you tomorrow, Kazan."

"Yeah."

Kazan left as soon as he had seen her home. Kurenai watched his back until he disappeared, then turned around—only to find her parents at the door, watching her with knowing smiles.

"Dad? Mom?"

"Was that the boy who beat the Uchiha and Hyuga?"

"Yeah. That's Kazan."

"He's a lively-looking boy. Not bad at all. Our Kurenai has excellent taste! He'll be handsome when he grows up."

Kurenai's mother sized him up so enthusiastically that she almost wanted to go talk to Kazan herself.

Strength aside, he certainly looked full of spirit.

And her husband had said the boy practiced Taijutsu. That made him all the more reassuring.

"Mom, what are you talking about? I'm not talking to you anymore."

Kurenai Yuhi blushed, squeezed between her parents, and ran into her room, locking the door behind her.

"Ah, to be young."

"Mm."

"So, tonight, shall we..."

"Ahem. I have a mission tomorrow. Let's talk about that when I get back."

Shinku Yuhi tried to use his mission as an excuse to dodge the needle, but he still could not escape his wife's iron claws.

The next day.

Hokage Building.

As usual, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at his office early to handle official business.

Today, though, was different.

The quiet surroundings sounded as if a demolition crew had moved in. Heavy impacts kept ringing in his ears.

At first, Hiruzen Sarutobi remained perfectly calm and focused on his work without looking up.

But as the noise kept assaulting him, a vein began to throb on his forehead. Finally, he could take no more.

"Is that brat Kazan still not done training?!"

"No, Lord Hokage... He's still punching the Back Mountain..."

Sweat trickled down the ANBU member's forehead.

It was Kazan. After gaining another 10% fusion with the Garp Template, hitting trees no longer satisfied him. He had gone behind the Hokage Building and started pounding the mountain with his fists.

How strong was 20% of Garp?

It was certainly Jonin-level strength. Kazan's fighting style was simply straightforward, relying on his fists of iron without the unpredictable tricks Ninja employed.

Two hours!

He had been at it for two hours. Wasn't he worried he would train himself into ruin?

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi had never seen such an outrageous training method.

"Lord Hokage, should I stop him?"

"No. Let him keep training."

Despite what he said, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to go check on Kazan in a little while.

He worried that training this way would ruin the boy.

Setting down his pen, he returned to an old habit and used the Telescope Technique to spy on him.

In the image, Kazan was hammering the mountainside with punch after full-force punch.

Every punch came at exactly the same pace and with exactly the same force.

Hiruzen could not help wondering whether, if Kazan kept growing stronger, Konoha might produce a peerless fighter like the Third Raikage.

Konoha did not possess Lightning Release Chakra Mode or the Ninjutsu that followed it. Those were Kumogakure's Secret Techniques.

But Konoha was the foremost of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. It had other techniques that could serve in their place.

The Senju Clan's Monster Strength Fist, and the Forbidden Technique, Eight Gates Released Formation!

Perhaps they could raise a fighter who was every bit the Third Raikage's equal.

The Sannin were his disciples. Hiruzen Sarutobi had his own understanding of how to cultivate talent.

There was no need to force someone to study Ninjutsu. Only by teaching according to their strengths could their potential be realized.

"I should go see the boy."

Hiruzen Sarutobi set his work aside and decided to visit Kazan, to see if he could offer him some guidance.

He knew a thing or two about winning people over.

In the original story, he had not stopped Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki from becoming public knowledge. He had also concealed the fact that Naruto was the only child of the Fourth Hokage, a Hero. As a result, Naruto had grown up surrounded by cold looks and ridicule.

At only a few years old, Naruto had already experienced much of the darkness the world had to offer.

And Hiruzen Sarutobi had become the only light in Naruto's life. No matter how much trouble Naruto caused, Hiruzen had accepted it all like a kindly grandfather.

There were many similar examples.

He had used duty to the village to pressure Shisui Uchiha and Uchiha Itachi into working for him.

He had made Kakashi a team leader, helping him resolve a burden he had carried for years.

Now he intended to play "grandfather" again and become the person Kazan was closest to in Konoha.

But...

Before he could leave, a Ninja from the Intelligence Department brought a Scroll to his office.

"Third Hokage, intelligence from the Frontline!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took it at once.

Konoha's intelligence transmissions all used special codes that required specialists to decipher them.

The intelligence Hiruzen Sarutobi received had already been decoded. He could read it immediately.