Naruto: The New Beginning

29. Growth

The information Kimimaro received that evening was overwhelming, making it hard for him to calm down.

He never expected such a powerful monster to reside within Naruto.

Kimimaro clenched his fists. Starting tomorrow, he resolved to intensify his training, aiming to match the energy of his three teammates.

He needed to grow stronger quickly. Whether it was the Nine-Tails or any other threat, he would never allow anything to harm his family.

The next day, life returned to its usual rhythm. Naruto attended class, while he sent a clone, controlled by Kurama, to explore the village.

Disguised with the Transformation Jutsu to avoid drawing attention, Kurama wandered the streets, mindful of Naruto's well-known presence in Konoha.

In the afternoon, Naruto had an idea and asked the Nine-Tails clone to buy snacks. Initially disdainful of human food, Kurama was swayed by Naruto's playful threat: "Try it, or I'll dismiss the clone." Soon, Kurama found himself enjoying the food.

It turned out this fox was a hidden foodie. He sampled fruits, meatballs, grilled meat, and more as if discovering a new world; his favourites were grilled meat and grapes, which he ate without spitting out the skins.

Once the money was spent, Kurama had Naruto release the clone, returning to the sealed space to sleep. Before drifting off, he set a small goal: to taste all the food in Konoha.

Unbeknownst to Naruto, Kurama reflected on his past: "What was I thinking, wanting to destroy such a place? It's all Uchiha Madara's fault!"

****

Time passed, and nearly three years later, Naruto's class was nearing graduation.

According to Kimimaro, Gai left Team Four last year. Naruto imagined the scene: the four green-jumpsuit-wearing members hugging and crying, while Kimimaro stood awkwardly to the side, hearing slogans about the youthful world. The image was both amusing and heartwarming.

Naturally, Kimimaro became the "brain" of Team Four, although his strength was nothing to scoff at.

Since the "Nine-Tails Incident," Kimimaro had trained diligently, even learning some of the Eight Gates technique from Gai.

Currently, Team Four is among the strongest in Konoha. Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku, combined with the Eight Gates, and his teammates' Sharingan, enhanced by their own Eight Gates training, made them formidable.

These three peculiar Uchiha members, despite their clan's traditional focus on fire ninjutsu, dedicated themselves to taijutsu, causing Fugaku some concern.

Gai had moved on to train a new team: Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee. Naruto was curious whether Neji's character had changed over the years, especially after his father's death.

Hinata had become more outgoing, no longer stuttering when speaking to Naruto and excelling in taijutsu. She is the strongest girl in the class.

Sakura and Ino continued their rivalry. After Naruto jokingly said, "Sasuke likes strong girls," the class's fangirls threw themselves into training with renewed determination.

Naruto was puzzled by Sakura's ability to keep pace with Ino despite her civilian background, speculating that she might have hidden talent.

Kiba had recently boasted about learning animal ninjutsu, claiming newfound strength.

Akamaru barked in agreement, but Naruto remained sceptical, waiting to see the results.

Shikamaru and Choji had diligently studied their family's secret techniques, feeling the pressure from Naruto and Sasuke's progress.

Even the typically lazy Shikamaru didn't want to be left behind by his friends.

Sasuke had advanced significantly, mastering shuriken techniques and several fire jutsu.

Recently, he had also been learning genjutsu and body flicker techniques from Itachi and Shisui.

Naruto had made great strides as well; his knowledge of sealing techniques had advanced to the point where he was close to learning the Flying Thunder God jutsu.

Also, his chakra reserves increased significantly, allowing him to use the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu effectively, and to wield the Adamantine Sealing Chains in combat, making even the Nine-Tails wary.

Kurama, feeling indebted for all the food Naruto had provided, also agreed to let Naruto use his chakra to offset the debt, giving Naruto plenty of pocket money in the process.

Naruto had been learning water jutsu from Kushina, though his techniques were not as powerful as hers.

Kushina proudly claimed this was natural since she was his mother, while Minato explained that Naruto's growing body limited the power of his jutsu.

Naruto, however, suspected Minato was just trying to console him.

Despite these challenges, Naruto's water jutsu was already stronger than that of an average ninja, his fire jutsu, which countered Sasuke's due to its elemental advantage, was also impressive.

Compared to his portrayal in the original series, this Sasuke was an enhanced version, thanks to the guidance of his brother and cousin.

Three years of growth had brought many changes. Now, Naruto's primary focus is on graduating.

On the day of the graduation exam, the test covered multiple subjects, including transformation, clones, and shuriken throwing, by Minato's rigorous standards.

Naruto passed with flying colours. As he received his forehead protector, he bowed deeply to Iruka. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka, taken aback, waved his hands modestly. "It's nothing."

Despite not being the strongest, Iruka was a dedicated teacher who always cared for his students. Naruto respected him deeply.

One thing that puzzled Naruto was the absence of Mizuki, who had been the first villain in the original series.

"Mizuki?" Minato's expression grew serious. "He attempted to kill an injured comrade during a mission to escape the enemy's pursuit. Fortunately, Team Four intercepted him. Mizuki's actions were reprehensible, and he is now in prison."

Naruto felt some sympathy for Mizuki, who had crossed paths with the wrong team. But overall, things had turned out for the best.

Naruto's journey as a ninja was about to begin.

****

Thank you for reading