Chiba lay back against a large tree, the mellow sunlight bathing his face in a soothing warmth.
A gentle breeze brought a hint of coolness.
"Sometimes..."
"You've got to strike a balance between work and relaxation!"
Chiba looked like a salted fish laid out to dry.
"Also, you two need to get a move on with your training!"
"Time isn't something you can afford to waste!"
Two pebbles flew straight toward Naruto Uzumaki's and Sasuke Uchiha's foreheads.
Fortunately, their forehead protectors blocked them. Otherwise, each hit would surely have raised a lump.
"Damn it!"
Naruto Uzumaki never hid his emotions.
"Why does Big Brother Chiba get to lie there being a slacker?!"
He had picked up the word "slacker" from Chiba.
Chiba remained perfectly at ease.
He paid no attention whatsoever to Naruto Uzumaki's complaints.
"Sasuke's made a little more progress, you know."
At those words, Naruto Uzumaki immediately forgot his complaints and resumed training.
To him, Sasuke Uchiha was the first person he wanted to surpass.
Yet Sasuke was improving while he remained stuck in place.
That comparison made the gap between them clear.
To avoid falling even further behind, Naruto Uzumaki had to put in more effort.
What he didn't realize, however, was that his own talent was also extraordinary.
Recalling his memories of his previous life, Chiba shook his head.
Although Naruto Uzumaki had plenty of unfair advantages, his talent couldn't be overlooked either.
Learning ninjutsu quickly, developing new ninjutsu, devising multiple tactics...
No matter how you looked at it, Naruto Uzumaki was a genius through and through.
Perhaps his early pranks had wasted that talent.
But now, he was already beginning to show what he could do.
Watching the marks on the trees climb steadily higher, Chiba's gaze grew a little more serious.
Even with my cheats, I can't afford to slack off!
Although he appeared to be lying on the ground like a complete slacker,
Chiba was constantly molding his chakra, increasing his chakra capacity.
In this world, jonin might seem powerful, but in the end, they were still little more than cannon fodder.
After all, danger lurked everywhere.
Several consecutive days of training put both Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha through the wringer.
Kakashi Hatake focused on recovering from his injuries, which really meant staring at his copy of Icha Icha Paradise, unwilling to put it down.
Chiba practiced molding chakra and increasing the speed of his hand seals.
He had to make full use of every moment.
"Take a break for now."
Chiba spoke up.
"I'll explain a few more little details."
Hearing this, Naruto Uzumaki immediately ran over to Chiba with an eager look.
Even Sasuke Uchiha, for all his prickly pride, couldn't resist the temptation to grow stronger and obediently sat down.
"You both have huge amounts of chakra. Enough to make plenty of people jealous."
Chiba spoke frankly, pointing out their strengths.
Both Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha could be considered people with unfair advantages.
One belonged to the Uzumaki Clan, the other to the Uchiha Clan.
Their chakra reserves were beyond anything ordinary ninja could hope for.
"But that's also become a major obstacle in your training."
"So controlling how much you use each time is what you need to focus on."
Chiba shared everything he had learned with the two of them.
Judging by their expressions, they seemed to understand.
After that, they trained even harder.
Finally, when the moon rose above the treetops, both of them successfully reached the top.
They were utterly exhausted, though.
Ignoring their protests, Chiba picked up one in each hand and headed toward Tazuna's house.
"Hey, hey!"
"Big Brother Chiba, this is embarrassing!"
Naruto Uzumaki pleaded.
"Actually, um..."
"I still have a little strength left. You can put me down."
Even Sasuke Uchiha had softened his tone.
"Oh, don't get hung up on the little details."
Chiba couldn't hide the smile on his face.
Nothing was more entertaining than seeing the two of them humbled.
"Resting after training is important too."
Moving swiftly through the woods, they soon arrived at Tazuna's front door.
"Naruto, open the door."
Naruto Uzumaki pushed the door open with a sour expression.
Kakashi Hatake looked at Chiba carrying the two of them, his expression turning odd.
"What are you..."
Chiba replied casually.
"Oh, I was worried they'd overexerted themselves."
"So I carried them all the way back."
Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha folded their arms and turned their faces away in opposite directions, looking thoroughly sulky.
"Come eat first."
Tazuna urged them, "The Great Bridge is almost finished."
"We'll still need you to protect the workers tomorrow."
At those words, Chiba's eyes immediately lit up.
Was the sign-in mission finally about to be completed?!
Before you continue