Although Naruto Uzumaki still did not quite agree with Shihōin Naraku, he did believe that Naraku was a pretty formidable ninja.
"Big brother Naraku, do you think I... I can become a ninja as strong as you?"
Naruto Uzumaki stammered out his question, then stared wide-eyed at Shihōin Naraku, waiting for his answer.
"You, huh-"
Putting on an act, Shihōin Naraku looked Naruto Uzumaki up and down. Naruto could not help straightening up and perking up.
"You're a long way behind me, but you do have the potential to become an outstanding ninja."
"Hehehe..."
Hearing Shihōin Naraku's assessment, Naruto Uzumaki was so delighted that he almost laughed a snot bubble out of his nose. As the dead last, he had never expected anyone to praise him like this.
Watching Naruto Uzumaki beside himself with joy, Kakashi Hatake asked quietly, curious, "You're that sure?"
"Obviously!"
Shihōin Naraku also answered quietly, "He's the child of the Fourth Hokage and a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan. How could he lack talent?"
Recalling the dazzling brilliance of his teacher, Minato Namikaze, Kakashi Hatake nodded in agreement. He knew all too well how powerful his teacher had been-a ninja whose name alone could send enemies fleeing.
"Believe it or not, if this kid could mold chakra right now, even you wouldn't measure up to him."
Shihōin Naraku raised his eyebrows provocatively, a teasing smile on his face.
Wow, aren't you looking down on me a little too much?
But thinking of Naruto's Uzumaki Clan bloodline, Kakashi Hatake knew he could not compete with the boy in chakra reserves.
While the two chatted, Naruto Uzumaki, who had been happy for quite a while, suddenly grew dejected.
That was quite rare. After all, Naruto Uzumaki had always been optimistic and confident.
"What's wrong? You suddenly look so down."
"Big brother Naraku, can I really become a ninja? I'm the dead last at school!"
Although he said he did not care, being the dead last still left Naruto Uzumaki a little discouraged.
"The dead last?"
"Naruto, you need to know that the truly strong rise all the way up from being the dead last!"
Shihōin Naraku's expression became utterly serious. Looking at Naruto Uzumaki, he reached out, patted his shoulder, and said:
"Among Konoha's jonin, there's a ninja like this."
"He isn't good at ninjutsu, and he can't use genjutsu at all. His only talent is in taijutsu."
"The Ninja Academy nearly gave up on him, too, because everyone thought he could never become a ninja. But he never gave up. Since he couldn't master ninjutsu or genjutsu, he poured all his blood and sweat into taijutsu."
As soon as Kakashi Hatake heard Shihōin Naraku's words, he knew who he meant: his good friend, Might Guy.
Beside them, Naruto Uzumaki listened to Shihōin Naraku with such rapt attention that he could not bear to blink.
"Then... what about him now?"
Naruto Uzumaki could not imagine how someone who was poor at ninjutsu and genjutsu and knew only taijutsu could become a ninja.
"Now..."
Shihōin Naraku raised a thumb and smiled. "Now he's Konoha's strongest taijutsu ninja. His taijutsu is stronger than anyone else's. Even the Third Hokage is no match for him in taijutsu!"
"He's already an incredibly powerful jonin. He's rendered outstanding service to Konoha and defeated countless enemies!"
Kakashi Hatake nodded in agreement. In the past, he had thought Might Guy had a talent for taijutsu. Only now had he realized that Might Guy alone had talent for taijutsu!
Having fought Might Guy many times, Kakashi Hatake knew all too well how heavy his punches and kicks were. Every head-on battle inevitably left him covered in injuries.
In the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi was very pleased as he watched Shihōin Naraku encourage Naruto Uzumaki. He liked this approach to teaching; it could foster better qualities in Naruto.
Might Guy was also a very fitting example. He truly was someone Naruto Uzumaki could learn from.
"Naruto, do you know how this man succeeded?"
Naruto Uzumaki shook his head, then eagerly awaited Shihōin Naraku's answer.
"Through tireless effort!"
"Through the will to never give up!"
"Through unmatched confidence!"
"If running a thousand meters won't make you stronger, run ten thousand!"
"If throwing a thousand punches won't make you stronger, throw ten thousand!"
"That's the answer!"
With every sentence Shihōin Naraku spoke, Naruto Uzumaki's eyes shone a little brighter. By the end, his whole body seemed to burn, and the last trace of his earlier discouragement had long since vanished.
Kakashi Hatake could not help giving Shihōin Naraku a thumbs-up. Those words really got the blood pumping.
"I understand!"
"I'll be just like him and never give up!"
"I'll keep my word and keep training until I become a ninja!"
"That's my ninja way!"
The fighting spirit blazing within Naruto Uzumaki spread to everyone present.
Shihōin Naraku was surprised, too. So I was the one who inspired Naruto Uzumaki's ninja way!
In that case, I've got a bit of talent for talk-no-jutsu, too.
Brimming with fighting spirit, Naruto Uzumaki excitedly swallowed the food in his mouth, his blood boiling with enthusiasm that he did not know how to vent.
"Big brother Naraku, I'm going to use my original Transformation Technique to show you my will and determination!"
Unable to resist showing off in his excitement, Naruto Uzumaki jumped into an open space nearby and formed hand seals.
"Huh? Wait..."
"Sexy Jutsu!"
With a poof, smoke rose, and a curvaceous blonde beauty appeared before everyone.
The blonde beauty struck an extremely seductive pose and blew a kiss at Shihōin Naraku and Kakashi Hatake.
"What do you think? This is a transformation ninjutsu I created myself!"
"Even Iruka-sensei fell to this move!"
In that instant, all the soaring fighting spirit vanished, and an awkward atmosphere settled over the area.
The corner of Kakashi Hatake's mouth twitched. He had absolutely no idea what to say.
Was Naruto Uzumaki really the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki?
Could there have been a mix-up at birth?
Bam!
Seeing the blonde beauty Naruto Uzumaki had transformed into walking toward him, Shihōin Naraku sent him flying with a kick.
"Aaah!"
Naruto Uzumaki landed straight in a dense patch of bushes, startling a flock of birds into flight.
"What a pointless ninjutsu!"
That was Kakashi Hatake's assessment of the transformation ninjutsu.
Hearing that assessment, however, Shihōin Naraku thought of something and was thoroughly amused.
Who could have imagined that this ridiculous transformation ninjutsu, which appeared right at the beginning, would save the world in the future!
From the romance-obsessed Sakura Haruno all the way up to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Progenitor of Chakra, they had all fallen to this ninjutsu.
The Mangekyō Sharingan, the Rinnegan, Wood Release, Nine-Tails Chakra-none of them were worth mentioning before the Harem Technique.
In this respect, Naruto Uzumaki was unquestionably a genius!
Sasuke Uchiha and the like were nowhere close.
Before you continue