....
Naruto glanced down, avoiding Sasuke's gaze.
Even though Sasuke's genjutsu abilities were still developing, an illusion was still an illusion. At this point, Naruto hadn't yet reconciled with the Nine-Tails, leaving him vulnerable to such techniques. If he fell for the Sharingan's hypnosis now, he'd never hear the end of it from the more experienced time travelers.
"Humph… So what if you're stronger than me? Do you really have to be this cautious just because of the Uchiha's power?" Sasuke taunted, trying to shake Naruto's focus.
But it didn't work.
A flicker of unease crossed Sasuke's mind. The Uchiha's Sharingan genjutsu was infamous across the shinobi world, yet very few knew how to counter it. For a mere academy student like Naruto to already understand not to meet the Sharingan's gaze…
'Had he studied the Uchiha's techniques just to avoid losing to me?'
Still, Sasuke remained confident. Over the past few months, he had rigorously followed Naruto's training methods...
'Wait.'
His thoughts were cut short as Naruto vanished right before his eyes.
'What...?'
Sasuke's eyes widened as he frantically scanned the area. Then, a cold sensation pressed against his neck.
"You lost."
Naruto's voice came from behind him.
Sasuke whirled around in shock. "When did you...?!"
"What you were chasing was just a clone," Naruto replied with a slight shake of his head.
During the period when the system hadn't issued any missions, Naruto hadn't been idle. He'd taken the time to master basic techniques like the Clone Jutsu and the Body Replacement Technique.
His strategy had been simple: use a clone to draw Sasuke's attention, slip past the crowd, and approach from his blind spot.
"You… cheated," Sasuke muttered, his face flushing with humiliation.
Losing like this was unacceptable.
"A shinobi's job was never about fighting fair," Naruto said calmly. "Victory is all that matters."
His experience during that civilian mission had deepened his understanding of what it truly meant to be a ninja.
With that, Naruto sheathed his kunai and walked away without another word.
That evening, Naruto prepared a modest dinner for himself.
"Even if I didn't do much today, I still deserve a decent meal," he mused, picking up his chopsticks.
But just as he was about to take a bite, a system notification showed up.
[Ding~ System Mission Activated: Rescue the kidnapped Hyūga Hinata within 12 hours.
Reward: Simulation Opportunity +1]
"Bang!"
His chopsticks clattered onto the table.
"What the hell? Hinata got kidnapped? Was this even in the original story?"
But the system never lied. If it said she'd been taken, then it was true.
Still in his pajamas, Naruto bolted out the door, his slippers slapping against the rooftop tiles as he leaped across Konoha's buildings.
From his vantage point, the village stretched out beneath him, dotted with sparse streetlights. But without sensory abilities, tracking Hinata's location was nearly impossible.
"Damn it…"
He had three options:
*Guess the kidnappers' escape route and pursue them alone: Risky. If he failed, Hinata could be lost forever.
*Alert the village and mobilize the Anbu: Safer, but time-consuming. And without the Shadow Clone Jutsu, coordinating would be difficult.
*Ask Kurama for help: The Nine-Tails' perception was unparalleled. If anyone could find Hinata instantly, it was him.
Naruto decided on the third option.
Sitting cross-legged on the roof, Naruto closed his eyes and focused inward.
His consciousness materialized in the sealed space, where Kurama lounged lazily, feigning disinterest.
"Kurama," Naruto said urgently, "someone important to me has been kidnapped. I need your help to locate her, she's a Hyūga."
Kurama cracked one eye open. "And why should I help you?"
"Because I'll grant you your freedom afterward," Naruto replied, deadly serious.
He didn't wait for a response. "This isn't a joke, Kurama. Trust that I can free you but right now, we don't have time to waste."
A smirk curled the fox's lips. "If you want me to sense the outside world, you'll need to loosen the seal. Otherwise, my range is limited."
Naruto strode forward, his eyes locking onto the talisman plastered across the iron gate, the Fourth Hokage's final reinforcement.
Without hesitation, he ripped it off.
A surge of chakra erupted, and in a flash of golden light, Minato Namikaze appeared.
"Hah!" Kurama chuckled. "That girl must really mean something to you."
Minato assessed the situation instantly. "Naruto… you're breaking the seal to save a friend? Let me help."
This was Naruto's first time meeting his father face-to-face. He gave a firm nod.
Meanwhile, Kurama sat back, paws clasped. "The kid you're looking for is in the Forest of Death, already far from the village."
Before Naruto could react, Minato spoke. "I know the way. Follow me."
Their consciousnesses vanished from the seal.
Back in the real world, a golden glow emanated from Naruto's abdomen, Minato's chakra manifesting physically.
As the light solidified into the Fourth Hokage's form, Minato gazed at Konoha's skyline, a wistful smile crossing his lips.
"It's beautiful… To think Naruto's grown up so fast."
The moment Naruto opened his eyes, Minato grasped his hand.
In a streak of golden light, they disappeared.
On a nearby rooftop, the Anbu tasked with monitoring Naruto stood frozen.
"What… the hell?"
His training had taught him to remain composed in any situation.
But this?
"The Fourth Hokage just came back to life."
His professionalism shattered.
"WHAT THE HELL???"
...