A few days later, at the training ground in the small forest.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With Naruto's sharp command, two shadow clones immediately appeared beside him and charged at Shikamaru and Choji, engaging them in a fierce struggle.
When the strength gap is not obvious, numerical advantage becomes extremely important.
Shikamaru and Choji didn't last long; both soon admitted defeat and voluntarily gave up.
Seeing Shikamaru and Choji concede, Naruto dispelled his clones with a smile and took out the lunchboxes he had prepared in advance.
Thanks to their help and the fact that the Nine-Tails did not interfere, he had mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu in just a few days—proof of his natural talent in ninjutsu.
If the original Naruto had been like this early on, he wouldn't have been the worst in his class.
After the sparring session ended, Shikamaru and Choji looked at Naruto like he was some kind of monster, even beginning to wonder if the rumors about the Nine-Tails fox were actually true.
Otherwise, at their age, they were only just learning their clan's secret techniques and the Multi-Body Technique.
But Naruto had already perfected the Multi-Body Technique and even mastered the advanced Shadow Clone Jutsu—a B-rank ninjutsu known for its difficulty.
What scared them even more was how quickly Naruto had mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu in such a short time.
While eating the lunch Naruto brought, Choji said to Shikamaru, "Shikamaru, do you think we'll ever stand a chance against Naruto?"
Shikamaru fell silent. They truly weren't Naruto's match. Maybe if they teamed up with a member of the Yamanaka clan their own age, they'd stand a chance.
But this only proved Shikamaru's judgment was right—Naruto was someone to be friends with, not an enemy.
Reflecting on this, Shikamaru grew curious about Naruto's true identity—could he be the descendant of some big shot in the village? After all, a phoenix rarely hatches from a chicken coop.
But since even Naruto's father was wary of asking too much, Shikamaru decided it was better not to pry.
Lost in thought, Naruto approached Shikamaru and Choji, chatting and laughing with them as they discussed various village affairs. Soon, the topic turned to the recent arrival of outsider ninjas.
Hearing this, Naruto said, "So, from what you're saying, a lot of outside ninjas have come to the village recently?"
Shikamaru glanced at Naruto and explained, "Those are members of the Cloud Hidden Village's envoy. The frontlines of the war are over, and they've come to sign a peace treaty with us."
Choji nodded in agreement, "I heard we and the Cloud Hidden Village suffered heavy losses in this conflict. To prevent other ninja villages from taking advantage, both sides agreed to this."
Shikamaru added, "But this is good for us. In the last ninja world war, even ninja academy students were drafted. We're lucky to avoid such a tragedy since we're all going to become ninja someday."
"You must have gotten your enrollment notice too," Shikamaru said.
"Yeah, the Hokage grandpa brought mine last time," Naruto replied with a slight nod.
But Naruto's furrowed brow didn't ease—not because of the peace treaty between Konoha and the Cloud Village, but because the Cloud envoy reminded him of a painful memory.
From what he remembered, besides signing a peace agreement, the Cloud envoy was also sent with a mission to seize the Byakugan.
This had indirectly caused the tragic death of Hinata's father, Neji, and made the conflict between the Hyuga main and branch families even sharper.
At this moment, Choji paused eating and walked over. "By the way, Shikamaru and I have something to tell you."
Naruto looked at them with curiosity. "What is it?"
Choji scratched his head. "After today, Shikamaru and I probably won't have much time to hang out with you anymore. Our families want us to train with others our age from the Yamanaka and Ino clans, and the training has to be within our clans."
The new generation of the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio?
Naruto glanced at Shikamaru and Choji, then nodded. "Alright, you guys go ahead. I have other ninjutsu to train. We'll meet again after joining the academy."
Shikamaru hesitated, but when Naruto noticed, he simply smiled lightly.
After confirming they'd be apart for a while, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji enjoyed a fun afternoon together and said a proper goodbye. Though they approached him with their own intentions, the joy they shared was genuine.
This was also the Third Hokage's idea—helping Naruto form bonds.
...
After watching Shikamaru and Choji leave, Naruto walked alone down the street. Hearing about the Cloud envoy's visit, he noticed the village seemed livelier than before.
Many dark-skinned Cloud ninja stood by shops, bargaining with merchants.
When passersby saw Naruto, they showed expressions of dislike. But when they looked at the Cloud ninja, their faces shifted to flattering smiles, as if they were seeing saviors.
Naruto chuckled to himself and ignored their looks as he kept walking.
To these villagers, the Nine-Tails brought misfortune, but the Cloud envoy brought peace, so they welcomed them warmly.
But they seemed to have forgotten it was the Cloud Village that started the war.
After wandering a bit, Naruto reached a relatively quiet park, wanting to enjoy some peace alone.
Entering, he found a small figure sitting on a bench—it was Hinata herself.
She held a gift box, cautiously looking around as if waiting for someone. Seeing Naruto, she quickly stood and said,
"Naruto-kun... please accept my gift."
Naruto naturally couldn't refuse Hinata's feelings, but soon asked, "Hinata, how did you find me? Have you been waiting here for days?"
Hinata gasped softly, stammering, "The first day... I didn't expect to run into you by chance."
After some questioning, Naruto was surprised to learn Hinata had secretly come out to give him the gift. Not knowing where he lived, she waited at this park.
By fate's whim, she actually found him and handed over the gift.
Naruto felt touched. Then he looked at Hinata and said, "I accept your gift, but don't sneak out to find me again, especially so late. What if you get lost?"
Hearing this, Hinata lowered her head and explained, "I've been practicing Gentle Fist really hard. I won't be bullied anymore. I just... wanted to see Naruto-kun."
Naruto felt a happiness he couldn't explain.
Then he suddenly sensed a chakra nearby, similar to Hinata's, and relaxed.
The Hyuga clan had finally learned a lesson—after several bullying incidents, they'd finally assigned bodyguards for Lady Hinata. Otherwise, one might have thought Hinata was a foundling.
Remembering Hinata's kidnapping experience, Naruto approached her and whispered, "Hinata, go to bed early. Be careful when walking at night, and always have an adult with you. I'm worried something might happen again."
"Ah..." Feeling Naruto's breath, Hinata blushed like a boiling kettle and almost buried her face in her shoulder. After a few seconds, she nodded, "I'll listen to you, Naruto-kun."
,(End of Chapter)
If you'd like to read advance chapters support me at https://www.patreon.com/YugiroTL