[Naruto : Yellow Flash] Chapter 741 - 745

Chapter 741: The Reappearance

"Brother, hurry up, or we'll be late!"

Standing at the foot of the stairs, Chiharu, who had already finished her breakfast, glanced up at Naruto as he rushed frantically from his room.

"Let's go quickly! There's no time to waste," Naruto called out as he bounded down the stairs, clearly having no intention of pausing for breakfast.

"I knew this would happen," Chiharu said with an exaggerated eye roll. She reached for the breakfast she had wisely packed earlier, along with two bento boxes Kushina had prepared.

"Mom, we're heading out!" Chiharu called toward the kitchen where Kushina was busy.

"Be careful on your journey," Kushina replied, casting a sideways glance at her children.

The Namikaze siblings nodded in unison, then quickly dashed out the door.

"The village has been incredibly busy lately," Naruto observed as he and Chiharu swiftly traversed the rooftops. They weren't the only ones in motion at this hour—the streets below were more crowded than usual.

"Of course. It's time for the joint Chunin Exams between Konoha and the Sand Village. Look over there," Chiharu said, pointing.

Naruto followed her gesture. Among the pedestrians below, he spotted a ninja team whose members weren't wearing the familiar attire of Konoha shinobi, but rather the distinctive clothing of Sand Village ninjas participating in the Chunin Exams.

The Sand ninjas noticed the siblings watching them and briefly returned their gaze.

"I'm really looking forward to the Chunin Exams," Naruto said with a chuckle, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Brother, before you can take part in the Chunin Exam, you must at least graduate successfully," Chiharu teased. "Based on your current theoretical results, I'm a little concerned about next year's graduation exam..."

Naruto's expression shifted slightly, and he laughed awkwardly. "Don't worry! There's still a year left—I'll definitely graduate successfully."

"If you say so," Chiharu replied with a shrug, unable to argue with her brother's determined expression.

In the Hokage's office, Minato had arrived early to address matters related to the joint Chunin Examination.

"So much to handle," he muttered to himself.

Just as he was settling into his work, the office door swung open and Jiraiya entered with his characteristic smile.

"Master, you've returned," Minato said, rising respectfully from his seat as he had always done since his youth.

"Seems I've interrupted you," Jiraiya remarked casually, leaning against the desk.

"It's fine. I've already arranged the fundamentals. Only some details remain, and we still have several days before the Chunin Exam actually begins," Minato assured him.

"Good to hear." Jiraiya nodded, then retrieved a scroll from within his robes and tossed it to Minato.

"Though we haven't pinpointed the exact whereabouts of those individuals, this time we made some unexpected discoveries."

Jiraiya had been traveling extensively, continuously gathering intelligence about Orochimaru, the masked man, and their associates.

Minato raised an eyebrow slightly as he unrolled the scroll and scanned its contents.

"As expected of you, Master. I'll dispatch someone to investigate immediately," Minato said, setting down the scroll with a look of mild surprise.

"There's one more matter," Jiraiya added. "Though it has little direct impact on Konoha, I believe you'll find it interesting."

"On my return journey, I passed through the Land of Hot Springs. That evil cult you and Hatake Sakumo helped dismantle in the Hot Springs Village appears to have resurfaced."

Minato's expression betrayed his shock. The Land of Hot Springs maintained an alliance with Konoha, so their ninjas would inevitably report this development. But their communication channels couldn't match Jiraiya's speed.

"This doesn't bode well for the Hot Springs Village," Minato mused. "But surely the cult can't cause significant damage, can it? Their sacred artifact remains secured in Hot Spring Hidden Village, correct?"

That mission had marked the beginning of Minato's ninja career after his rebirth. After defeating Kuriyama Shinzo, they had entrusted the Blood March Sickle to leader of the Hot Springs ninjas.

"The leadership of the Hot Springs ninja never anticipated that after more than twenty years, the Jashin Cult would retain such formidable strength," Jiraiya explained. "The March Scythe was apparently stolen by a traitor within the village—supposedly a devotee of the Jashin Cult."

In Jiraiya's estimation, this so-called evil cult was little more than a third-rate organization compared to the threats they regularly faced in the Land of Fire.

"But the real question is: did the traitor truly achieve immortality?" Jiraiya pressed, his interest piqued by this particular claim.

Minato shook his head. "Nothing in this world is absolute. While he isn't truly immortal, it did require significant effort to defeat him."

"Fair enough," Jiraiya conceded with a shrug.

"Nevertheless, there's considerable history between the Hot Springs Ninja Village and this cult. Given the current strength of the Hot Springs ninjas, they should be capable of eliminating this group," Minato reasoned.

He remembered Yugimoto Kawahiko as a formidable shinobi nearly on par with Sakumo Hatake. In the years since, Kawahiko's younger brother, Yugimoto Yama, had also risen to prominence, earning recognition even among the Five Great Ninja Nations.

With Yama's involvement, the destruction of the Jashin Cult seemed merely a matter of time.

In the Land of Hot Springs, outside a secluded shrine nestled within the forest, dozens of Hot Springs ninjas lay in wait. Leading them was none other than Yugimoto Yama.

"Is this where the high-ranking members of the Jashin Cult are gathering?" he asked quietly.

A fellow Hot Springs ninja nodded. "They should all be inside."

"Something feels off," Yugimoto Yama frowned. They had maintained their position for some time, yet no movement had emerged from the shrine.

His nostrils flared slightly as he detected the faint scent of blood carried on the breeze from the direction of the shrine.

"Wait here," he commanded.

With a flash of movement, Yugimoto Yama rushed toward the shrine. His skill allowed him to reach the roof in mere moments. He approached the vent beneath the eaves, hanging upside down to peer through the opening.

Immediately, a pungent odor of blood assaulted his senses, and he glimpsed several grotesquely contorted faces within.

"What in the—"

Alarmed, Yugimoto Yama instantly drew the long sword from his waist and swung it skyward—the signal for his Hot Springs ninjas to advance.

After giving the command, he flipped forward, slashed through the window with his blade, and burst inside.

"This..."

Before him lay more than a dozen corpses of high-ranking Jashin Cult officials, their faces frozen in expressions of horrific agony.

On the small path at the base of the shrine stood a figure draped in a black robe. From within wide sleeves protruded a scarlet sickle blade, blood still dripping from its edge.

The robed man raised his arm, extending his tongue to lick the blood from the sickle's curved edge.

"All shall be sacrificed to the Jashin!" he proclaimed, his handsome face twisting into an expression both ferocious and fanatical. "Hahaha!"

Chapter 742: Mother's Guidance

"The high-ranking members of the Jashin Cult were sacrificed by a single individual?"

Minato examined the intelligence report just received from Hotspring Hidden Village. The disturbance caused by the Jashin Cult in the Land of Hot Springs had been quelled before the Hotspring Hidden Village ninjas could even execute their planned siege operation.

Yugimoto Yama had discovered the bodies of all the cult's senior members at their gathering place. The causes of death were strikingly similar, and all the corpses had been arranged in a specific pattern outlined in blood—the ceremonial sacrifice ritual of the Jashin Cult.

"It seems someone has completed the immortality ritual, just as Kuriyama Shinzo did years ago," Jiraiya observed with a frown. "Though this individual appears even more ruthless than Kuriyama Shinzo was."

After discovering the cultists' bodies, the Hotspring Hidden Village ninjas had immediately sealed their borders and deployed every resource to locate the person who had stolen the Blood March Scythe. Despite several days of intensive searching, the Hot Springs ninjas had found no trace of the perpetrator within their territory.

This failure had prompted them to send a formal request for assistance to Konoha.

"I'm not certain what we're dealing with, but this warrants investigation," Minato decided.

He summoned an ANBU ninja, who appeared instantly before him.

"Bring me Aburame Shibi."

With a nod, the ANBU vanished. Minato rose from his seat and sighed. "We have little choice but to send him to the Land of Hot Springs."

"Indeed, no one is better suited for this task," Jiraiya agreed with a knowing smile.

Minato didn't consider the matter particularly urgent. After all, the joint Chunin Exam between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire was currently underway, requiring his full attention.

Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage—who had faced Minato numerous times on the battlefield—was expected to arrive in Konoha shortly.

Deep within the Land of Sound, ripples slowly formed on the wall of Orochimaru's hidden cave. From the distortion emerged a massive pitcher plant.

"So you've managed to locate this place," Orochimaru remarked, casting a sidelong glance at Black and White Zetsu.

As the Akatsuki's intelligence specialist, Zetsu's information-gathering capabilities surpassed even the sophisticated networks of the Five Great Nations, despite apparently operating alone.

"Heh heh."

Zetsu merely smiled without elaborating. After a moment's consideration, Orochimaru continued, "That rogue ninja from Hotspring Hidden Village who slaughtered the Jashin Cult's leadership—he was recruited by you, wasn't he?"

"You're well-informed," Zetsu acknowledged calmly, making no attempt to deny it.

"The Hot Springs ninjas sealed their borders immediately after the incident, and Konoha has dispatched Aburame Shibi," Orochimaru reasoned with a chuckle. "If you hadn't intervened, how could both the Hot Springs ninjas and Konoha have come away empty-handed, especially given that man's eccentric methods?"

"Where is this individual now?" Orochimaru inquired.

"Interested in experimenting on him?" Zetsu laughed. "He's formed a two-man team with Kakuzu. If you're curious, you're welcome to engage them."

Zetsu remained unconcerned. Though the Akatsuki recruited various wanted criminals like Sasori, Deidara, and Kakuzu, they typically operated in pairs with considerable autonomy.

The organization's leader maintained a policy of non-intervention should members come under attack. If they lacked the strength to defend themselves and perished, they were deemed unworthy of membership.

"Perhaps another time," Orochimaru smiled. He studied Zetsu carefully. "You've come to inquire about the progress of 'that plan,' haven't you?"

"Konoha and the Sand Village have only just initiated their joint Chunin Exam this year. The coordination between them remains too rigorous. We should wait a while longer."

The joint Chunin Examination between Konoha and the Sand Village had proceeded relatively smoothly and was now nearing its conclusion.

That evening, in the front yard of the Namikaze residence, Naruto formed a series of hand seals in rapid succession.

"Clone Jutsu!" he called out, his voice determined but hushed.

Pop! Pop!

With a soft sound, a clone with identical appearance to Naruto materialized beside him. The clone maintained its form for several seconds before dissipating with a faint noise.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow, then formed the hand seal for the Clone Technique once more.

"Is your brother still practicing?"

Having finished cleaning the kitchen, Kushina approached the entrance. Chiharu was partially hidden behind the door, peering through a narrow opening to observe her brother in the yard.

"Yes," Chiharu confirmed, turning to her mother.

Kushina moved closer and said, "No wonder he's so concerned. He still has a year before facing the graduation exam."

"With my brother's current abilities, he'll absolutely pass the graduation requirements," Chiharu asserted.

Though Naruto's theoretical knowledge and chakra control lagged somewhat behind his classmates, the gap wasn't insurmountable. In taijutsu and shuriken techniques, Naruto consistently ranked among the top students.

"But you know he'll inevitably compete with Sasuke when the time comes," Chiharu added with a helpless sigh.

Even she couldn't reconcile the intense rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke. Both Sasuke and Chiharu regularly achieved perfect scores in all subjects, though Sasuke's shuriken skills were marginally superior. Consequently, he was widely regarded as the top student in their class.

Emotion flickered in Kushina's eyes. Naruto was her and Minato's son. In terms of raw talent, he was no less gifted than Sasuke. However, the Nine-Tails sealed within him made chakra control and ninjutsu far more challenging for him than for ordinary students.

Kushina herself had never excelled at theoretical subjects, so she couldn't assist Naruto in that area. But when it came to ninjutsu, she could certainly offer guidance.

Without hesitation, Kushina opened the door and stepped into the courtyard.

Pop!

The clone that Naruto had struggled to maintain vanished once again after its brief existence.

"Mom," Naruto acknowledged, noticing Kushina's approach.

"Training not going well?" she asked, a slight frown of concern creasing her brow.

"It's fine. It's always like this—I'm used to it. Besides, the Clone Technique is my weakest jutsu," Naruto replied with a broad, forced grin.

"Not good at clones?" Kushina murmured thoughtfully.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, you're my child. The Clone Technique should be the easiest jutsu for you to master."

Naruto was surprised by this unexpected statement. His eyes dimmed slightly as he began, "I'm sorry—"

Before he could complete his apology, Kushina placed her palm on his shoulder, giving him a conspiratorial wink. "Today, Mom will teach you a ninjutsu that you'll definitely learn quickly."

"A ninjutsu?" Naruto responded skeptically. He clearly hadn't even mastered the basic Academy Three techniques.

However, as he voiced his doubt, Kushina took two steps backward and formed a distinctive cross-shaped hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Poof! Poof! Poof!

The courtyard filled with puffs of smoke accompanied by soft popping sounds. In an instant, Kushina had created dozens of shadow clones surrounding them.

Naruto and Chiharu's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Amazing!" they exclaimed in unison.

Chapter 743: Naruto's Training Plan

Though spacious, the front yard of the Namikaze residence suddenly seemed crowded as Kushina's dozens of shadow clones filled the space.

Naruto and Chiharu stared in amazement, their eyes wide and mouths slightly agape.

With another hand seal from Kushina, the shadow clones disappeared in a series of soft pops, returning the yard to its normal state.

"This is the Shadow Clone Jutsu—a more advanced version of the Clone Jutsu you learn at the Academy," Kushina explained. "The key difference is that these clones have physical form, unlike the basic illusions you've been practicing."

"Wow!" Naruto listened with rapt attention, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Kushina had just promised that he could learn this technique quickly—a prospect that filled him with excitement.

"Physical clones?" Chiharu stepped forward, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Wouldn't that be more difficult to master than the basic Clone Technique?"

Seeing the hesitation flicker across Naruto's face, Kushina smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. Your father taught me this Shadow Clone Technique. It was actually the first ninjutsu I ever learned, even before I attempted the ordinary Clone Technique."

"Really?" Chiharu couldn't hide her surprise. In her understanding, the Shadow Clone Technique must be more advanced than the basic Clone Technique. Why would her father have taught her mother the more difficult one first?

As if reading her thoughts, Kushina explained, "Because your father knew that the Shadow Clone Technique was perfectly suited to my abilities."

"Though it's classified as a B-rank jutsu and considered advanced ninjutsu, the practitioner's innate qualities matter more than the technique's inherent difficulty," she continued.

"The most important requirement is a substantial chakra reserve."

Kushina gazed proudly at her children. "You both inherited my bloodline, so learning this technique shouldn't pose any problem for you."

"Yes!" Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Mom, please teach us now!"

He was well aware of his own abundant chakra reserves.

Kushina nodded and began her instruction. "The key to this technique is distributing your chakra evenly among each clone, like this."

She extended her hands and formed the cross seal again, effortlessly creating four shadow clones.

Naruto observed her movements intently, committing every detail to memory.

After Kushina completed her demonstration, he immediately formed the cross seal with his own hands and began marshaling the chakra within his body.

Though only nine years old, Naruto's chakra capacity already exceeded that of most Konoha ninjas.

Pop!

After concentrating his chakra for more than ten seconds, a single shadow clone finally materialized beside him.

Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement at his success.

However, as his concentration wavered slightly, the shadow clone promptly disappeared.

"Whew..."

After completing his first attempt at the Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto showed visible signs of fatigue, his breathing quickened.

"With your chakra reserves, you should be able to create at least a dozen shadow clones," Kushina observed. "But your chakra control is too unrefined. You haven't achieved truly even distribution, which is why the clone lasted only briefly and you could create just one."

She explained that while this was only his first training session, it revealed his greatest weakness.

Yet Naruto showed no sign of disappointment. On the contrary, he appeared even more motivated.

After a short rest, he resumed his practice with renewed enthusiasm.

Kushina turned to Chiharu, who remained standing beside her. "Aren't you going to practice too, Chiharu?"

Chiharu smiled softly. "I've memorized the technique, but I don't think I'm ready for such advanced ninjutsu just yet."

Kushina understood her daughter's consideration for Naruto's feelings. With Chiharu's natural talent, she would undoubtedly master the Shadow Clone Technique much faster.

Though only seven years old, Chiharu already possessed sufficient chakra capacity to perform shadow clones.

Naruto continued training until bedtime. Exhausted from the intense practice, he fell asleep almost immediately after his head touched the pillow.

"Good night, Mom," Chiharu said, retiring to her own room.

With both children asleep, Minato returned home about half an hour later.

Though the Chunin Exams were essentially complete, this period remained one of his busiest as Hokage.

Kushina reheated the dinner she had set aside for him, and the couple sat at the dining table, conversing quietly.

"I taught Naruto the Shadow Clone Technique today," Kushina reported. "He was absolutely thrilled."

She mentioned that it had been Minato who suggested teaching Naruto this particular jutsu.

"Given Naruto's unique circumstances, the Shadow Clone Technique will serve him better than the basic ninjutsu taught at the Academy," Minato nodded, smiling. "Thank you for handling this."

His recent responsibilities had prevented him from personally overseeing Naruto's training, leaving everything to Kushina.

"I only demonstrated the technique. I'm certainly not as skilled an instructor as you, but I am Naruto's mother after all," Kushina replied with a playful wink, her eyes sparkling with the same vivacity she had always possessed.

"However, with his current level of chakra control, he won't master the Shadow Clone Technique properly anytime soon."

Unlike Kushina, who had created ten clones after just a few hours of practice, Naruto's entire evening of training had yielded only a single shadow clone that lasted less than a minute.

"I expected as much," Minato acknowledged. "When he was younger, I couldn't adequately address the complications caused by the Nine-Tails' chakra interfering with his own."

"But practicing the Shadow Clone Technique should significantly improve his chakra control in a relatively short time."

Minato explained that the monotonous process of refining chakra control was inherently slow. Developing specific techniques to practice made the process considerably more efficient.

The tree-climbing and water-walking exercises functioned on this same principle.

"You're only teaching him the Shadow Clone Technique now because you were concerned he might over-consume chakra and lose control of the Nine-Tails' power?" Kushina asked, understanding her husband's thinking better than anyone.

"Yes. He'll take the graduation exam in a year, and knowing his personality, if the gap between him and Sasuke becomes too pronounced, he'll struggle to accept it."

"I see."

A gentle smile spread across Kushina's face. "So, during this final year, the training plan you've designed for Naruto extends beyond simply mastering the Shadow Clone Technique, doesn't it?"

Minato nodded. Though typically humble and gentle, a rare glimmer of pride shone in his deep blue eyes.

"Of course. I'm the Hokage and Naruto's father—how could I stand by and watch my son be outshone by others?"

Chapter 744: Naruto and Chiharu

One month later.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In the courtyard, Naruto formed the cross seal with his hands and called out the technique's name.

Poof! Poof! Poof!

A succession of soft sounds accompanied the appearance of ten shadow clones surrounding him.

As the jutsu completed, Naruto looked at Minato and Kushina with eager eyes, clearly seeking approval from his parents.

"That's pretty good. You can create so many clones now..." Minato said with a warm smile.

Naruto's face instantly lit up with joy.

Kushina reached out and affectionately ruffled Naruto's hair, sharing in his happiness.

In truth, given Naruto's chakra reserves, he could potentially create many more clones. However, his chakra control still needed refinement. Creating too many clones would significantly reduce how long he could maintain them.

"Brother is awesome," Chiharu said, genuinely happy for Naruto's progress.

"It's just that..." she continued, turning to look at her parents, "my brother is learning the Shadow Clone Technique, but it probably won't count toward his assessment at the Academy."

After mastering the Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto's abilities had undoubtedly strengthened. However, the training they needed to focus on now was preparation for the graduation exams less than a year away.

Throughout the past month, Naruto had devoted himself to practicing the Shadow Clone Technique, hardly spending any time on his Academy subjects. Chiharu worried this might affect his grades.

"That's true..." Minato acknowledged. Then he smiled, turning to Naruto. "First, dispel your shadow clones, and then try the regular Clone Technique."

"Um..."

Naruto hesitated momentarily before nodding and releasing the Shadow Clone Technique.

Then he formed several hand seals in sequence—the signs for the basic Clone Technique.

Poof! Poof!

Three identical clones suddenly materialized beside Naruto.

"Three clones? When did brother practice this? They're much better than before!" Chiharu exclaimed in surprise.

Just a month ago, Naruto could barely create a single clone, and even that would quickly dissipate without careful concentration.

"I... I don't know either!"

Even Naruto himself appeared bewildered. He stared at his hands in disbelief.

Kushina glanced at Minato, who wore a broad smile but showed no surprise whatsoever. Naruto's progress had fallen precisely within the scope of his plan.

"Although each ninjutsu has its unique execution, all techniques share the same foundation," Minato explained. "That foundation is chakra control."

He elaborated that for someone with Naruto's innate bloodline advantages, the Shadow Clone Technique wasn't particularly difficult to master. During his practice with Shadow Clones, Naruto's chakra control had improved exponentially compared to conventional training methods.

Therefore, even without specifically practicing the basic Clone Technique, Naruto's enhanced chakra control made performing it significantly easier.

"I don't really understand what Dad's saying, but it's great to be able to learn the Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

Creating three clones was already considered excellent performance for their class. This development had substantially narrowed the gap between Naruto and Sasuke.

Chiharu listened carefully to Minato's explanation, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes as she processed the implications.

Looking at their children with their distinctly different approaches, Minato and Kushina exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting shared joy.

"With your current chakra level, you should maintain around a dozen clones for optimal results," Minato advised Naruto. "In your next training session, focus on increasing the strength of each individual clone."

"Strength?" Naruto asked, slightly confused.

"The Shadow Clone Technique distributes your chakra evenly," Minato explained. "Though this doesn't mean each clone is as strong as your original body, if the clones are too fragile, they serve little purpose."

"Fragile? No way!" Naruto shook his head confidently.

"Very sure of yourself, aren't you?" Minato said with a knowing smile. "Then use your shadow clones to try and catch Chiharu."

"Dad?!"

Chiharu shot her father a surprised look, caught off guard by his sudden suggestion.

"Minato..." Kushina's eyes held a questioning expression.

"It's just simple sparring," Minato assured them. "I'm only asking you to catch Chiharu because I don't want either of you getting hurt."

He gave Chiharu a reassuring glance, silently communicating that she shouldn't worry.

"Okay." Naruto didn't overthink the challenge. He knew Chiharu's abilities were only slightly below Sasuke's. Defeating her might prove difficult, but catching her shouldn't be too challenging.

Chiharu, understanding Minato's intention, nodded and walked toward an open space to face Naruto.

Naruto and Chiharu stood opposite each other, and Naruto's expression gradually shifted to one of serious concentration.

Swish!

Suddenly, Naruto's speed increased as he lunged directly at Chiharu.

Naruto's taijutsu, taught by Minato himself, made him remarkably fast for his age.

However, Chiharu moved even faster. Before Naruto could make contact, she retreated with fluid grace.

Naruto missed his target.

Undeterred, he continued his pursuit, his movements becoming increasingly aggressive.

After several attempts, circling the yard multiple times, he still couldn't touch Chiharu or catch her.

Naruto paused, then formed hand seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

He created five shadow clones. After a moment of silent coordination, they dispersed in different directions, attempting to trap Chiharu between them.

"Though you may not fully grasp the concept I explained, you're applying it effectively in combat," Minato observed with approval.

He had previously explained to Naruto that the more clones he created, the weaker each individual would become. By using only five clones, Naruto maintained a balance where each clone retained significant power while still allowing him to block all of Chiharu's potential escape routes.

Chiharu appeared slightly surprised as Naruto and his shadow clones surrounded her. His real body charged directly toward her.

Observing this, she frowned slightly. After a moment's hesitation, determination shone in her eyes.

Minato, watching from the sidelines, noticed every subtle detail and smiled knowingly.

Facing Naruto's frontal approach, Chiharu didn't dodge as expected but instead moved to meet him head-on.

Naruto grinned, glancing at his remaining clones.

As Minato had noted, Naruto's battlefield judgment was impressively quick.

Chiharu's direct confrontation created the scenario with the highest probability of success for him.

The four clones sprang into action, closing in from different angles and further restricting Chiharu's escape options.

Her space for maneuver grew increasingly limited, yet a confident smile appeared on Chiharu's face.

"This is..."

When that smile formed, both Kushina and Minato sensed what was coming. Chiharu instantly concentrated a significant amount of chakra in her legs.

Chapter 745: Half a Year of Progress

"Body Flicker Technique?!"

Kushina exclaimed in surprise, turning to Minato beside her. "Did you teach her that?"

Minato simply smiled and shook his head.

Swish!

Confronted by Naruto and his clones closing in from all sides, Chiharu suddenly accelerated to an astonishing speed and broke through their encirclement.

Naruto felt only a blur pass before his eyes before colliding with his own shadow clones.

Meanwhile, Chiharu, having successfully escaped, attempted to halt her momentum. It was evident she had only recently begun practicing the Body Flicker Technique—her feet left shallow marks in the ground as she struggled to stop.

"She must have learned it from one of my ninjutsu scrolls, though she hasn't quite mastered it yet," Minato explained to Kushina.

It wasn't particularly surprising to him. Both he and Shisui had mastered the Body Flicker Technique at around the same age. After all, Chiharu was the daughter of Konoha's Yellow Flash...

The collision between Naruto and his shadow clones resulted in a series of soft pops as they dispelled, leaving only his real body.

"Ouch," he groaned, rising to his feet. As he regained his composure, his eyes widened slightly as he stared at Chiharu. "That was so fast..."

Until today, Naruto had never realized just how swift his sister could be.

"Your shadow clones are still too fragile," Minato observed, appearing between Naruto and Chiharu. "With stronger clones, even Chiharu's unperfected Body Flicker Technique wouldn't have allowed such an easy escape."

"I'll keep practicing hard," Naruto nodded with a determined smile.

Minato shifted his attention to Chiharu. "The reason you can't fully control the Body Flicker Technique is your reaction speed. Starting tomorrow, you should begin training to improve your neural response time."

Unlike Naruto's enthusiastic reaction, Chiharu's delicate features formed a distinctly unenthusiastic expression.

She raised her bright eyes to Minato and said, "Dad, I haven't even graduated from the Academy yet. Isn't this training a bit premature?"

"Well..."

Minato, Kushina, and Naruto all exchanged surprised glances, their eyes widening at her response.

A curious smile formed on Minato's face. "That's true. If you don't want to train, I won't force you."

The fact that Chiharu had managed to learn the Body Flicker Technique at all was impressive. With her current abilities, as long as she maintained her performance, she would undoubtedly rank among the top graduates.

Regarding Chiharu's apparent reluctance to train intensively, neither Minato nor Kushina felt they should pressure her.

In stark contrast to Naruto's relentless drive to surpass Sasuke, Chiharu—despite her exceptional talent and academic excellence—viewed training merely as an entertaining way to pass time.

Though such an attitude might prove dangerous for an active ninja, Chiharu remained an Academy student for now. They would let her follow her own path.

"Thank you, Dad," Chiharu replied with a genuine smile.

She recognized her natural aptitude for becoming an exceptional ninja, but for Chiharu, living happily alongside her family and friends held greater importance.

Though her father stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world as its strongest shinobi, she had no desire to replicate his path.

That would be far too exhausting.

Under Minato's guidance, Naruto continued training with tremendous enthusiasm. His chakra control, once his greatest weakness, gradually became one of his strengths.

Almost imperceptibly, nearly half a year passed. Less than six months remained before Naruto and Chiharu would face their graduation exams.

At the Academy training ground, Naruto's class was engaged in simulated combat training.

Sasuke, as always, drew considerable attention, with admirers cheering enthusiastically for him.

However, unlike years past, Naruto now had his own supporters among the crowd.

On the training field, Naruto and Sasuke stood facing each other, their eyes locked in mutual challenge. Even their breathing seemed to synchronize as they prepared to spar.

"Begin!" Iruka announced.

Swish!

The moment the word left Iruka's lips, both figures vanished from their positions, moving with lightning speed and leaving only swirls of dust where they had stood.

Thud!

An instant later, Naruto and Sasuke collided, their forearms pressing against each other as they measured one another's strength.

Their movements changed almost simultaneously—each shifting their free hand from open palm to closed fist before striking at their opponent.

Sasuke's body trembled slightly upon impact. In terms of raw physical strength, he couldn't match Naruto, who had inherited Kushina's Uzumaki vitality.

A year ago, Sasuke might have compensated for this disadvantage through superior chakra control.

But in recent months, Naruto had made remarkable progress. His chakra control had improved dramatically, narrowing this gap significantly.

Swish!

Sasuke retreated strategically, but Naruto pursued him aggressively, unwilling to surrender his advantage.

With a flick of his wrist, Sasuke produced a kunai that gleamed with a pitch-black luster—not the wooden training weapons typically used at the Academy, but an authentic shinobi tool.

Abruptly shifting from defense to offense, Sasuke lunged forward, stabbing directly at Naruto with his kunai.

Naruto's reaction proved equally swift. He pulled a kunai from his sleeve and met Sasuke's attack head-on.

Clink! Clang!

The blades collided with sharp metallic sounds.

Though Academy regulations stipulated students should use wooden kunai during practice, most students in the graduating class had begun using real weapons during their sparring sessions.

Naruto and Sasuke, particularly, had advanced well beyond typical Academy students.

Across the training field, the two figures continued to clash repeatedly, their offensive and defensive maneuvers displaying remarkable discipline and technique.

The spectating students watched with wide eyes. Naruto and Sasuke had clearly outpaced most of their peers by a considerable margin.

From the sidelines, Iruka nodded approvingly. The combat skills demonstrated by Sasuke and Naruto matched or exceeded those of many Genin who had graduated a year earlier.

Their taijutsu prowess surpassed even what their teacher could demonstrate.

The close-quarters battle raged fiercely, with neither combatant gaining a decisive advantage.

However, as the match continued, Sasuke's movements and strikes gradually lost some of their initial power and speed.

Competing with Naruto in a contest of physical endurance clearly wasn't Sasuke's optimal strategy.

Finding a momentary opening, he created distance between them with several backward steps.

Whoosh!

Naturally, Naruto pursued him, but Sasuke had already launched a shuriken from his free hand.

Clink! Clank!

Naruto deflected the shuriken with his kunai, but this brief defensive action gave Sasuke the time he needed. When Naruto looked up, Sasuke was already forming hand seals at remarkable speed.

Recognizing the danger, Naruto attempted to retreat, but before he could create sufficient distance, Sasuke completed his sequence.

Drawing a deep breath, Sasuke exhaled a series of small fireballs.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"