The Nine-Tails didn't believe Naruto could leave the Hidden Leaf Village, but that didn't stop it from letting its imagination run wild.
As a tailed beast capable of sensing good and evil, it despised the complexities of human nature found in cities. The ever-present malice irritated it deeply.
If there ever came a chance to venture outside with this brat, it might not be such a bad idea.
But could a tailed beast ever truly be free? Even the Nine-Tails wasn't sure.
The next morning, Naruto arrived at a secluded forest clearing in the village with the Wind Release scroll.
After thoroughly reading it, he formed hand seals and summoned five or six shadow clones.
Unlike taijutsu, ninjutsu benefited greatly from shadow clones. Using them was undeniably the best way to accelerate training—thanks to the unique feature where the clone's experiences and memories returned to the original upon dispelling.
However, fatigue also returned with those memories. Most ordinary ninja couldn't train this way, making this one of the many benefits of the Uzumaki lineage.
With an abundance of chakra, Naruto could afford to push limits.
After assigning different training tasks to his clones, the original Naruto sat cross-legged with a water-filled balloon in hand, attempting to train the Rasengan.
Commonly referred to as the "chakra ball," the Rasengan was Naruto's signature jutsu in the original story. He had no reason to give up this advantage in favor of more complex techniques.
More importantly, it was one of the few high-level jutsu for which he knew the complete training method.
Stage One: Learn to control and concentrate chakra in the palm.
Stages Two and Three: Use chakra to rupture a water balloon, then a rubber ball.
Stage Four: Successfully form a Rasengan.
Naruto was currently on Stage Two. He needed to control chakra well enough to burst the water balloon.
But the process wasn't as easy as expected. Despite several attempts, the balloon remained intact.
While his chakra control far exceeded his peers, he still lacked the experience to manipulate it with precision.
In contrast, training basic Wind Release techniques came more easily.
With swift movements from his clones, Wind Release jutsu shot across the clearing, striking the surrounding trees. The larger ones shook violently from the impact, and a sapling, as thick as a bowl, was cleanly sliced in half by a Blade of Wind.
Observing the clones' training, Naruto seemed lost in thought.
Soon after, the clones dissipated as they ran out of chakra.
Receiving their experiences, Naruto closed his eyes—and when he opened them again, the balloon in his hand burst with a splash of water.
Watching the water droplets scatter, Naruto had a realization.
Knowing the method alone wasn't enough. Without thorough experimentation, blindly following instructions would only lead to a dead end.
Training in various Wind Release techniques gave him fresh insights and improved his control over others.
Having now succeeded in bursting the water balloon, the next step was to rupture a rubber ball using rotating chakra. That would mark initial success in his Rasengan training.
With a clear goal in mind, time flew by.
One week later, at the same clearing, Naruto pressed his palms together and formed a spinning chakra sphere in his hand.
"Rasengan!"
With a low shout, the Rasengan slammed into the designated tree, carving out a semicircular crater.
Naruto was thoroughly satisfied with its power. Though his palm ached from the impact, it was a small price to pay.
This minor pain was one of the Rasengan's drawbacks—not everyone was built for close combat or could tank enemy attacks head-on.
Still, the Rasengan had strong growth potential. As Naruto grew stronger, he could develop more variations with different effects.
Just as Naruto basked in the joy of his breakthrough, the Nine-Tails scoffed:
"Isn't that just a knock-off of the Tailed Beast Bomb? A poor imitation. In terms of power and size, it's laughable. I only need one Tailed Beast Bomb to obliterate a mountain."
Naruto responded with a sheepish but polite smile. "Yeah, yeah… But you're still stuck in a cage."
The Nine-Tails was already used to their banter and didn't bother arguing. But it did comment curiously, "Your Rasengan has some bite. Aren't you worried the Hokage might start fearing you?"
Naruto perked up. "You think the old Third would be wary of me now?"
The Nine-Tails quickly poured cold water on that thought.
"You're still far off. I don't care about the gap between ants. But your chakra has indeed grown. You're probably at about one percent of my power now—more than those little tagalongs of yours. As for combat ability? Who knows."
It had sensed Naruto's chakra and made its own evaluation—a standard metric among tailed beasts.
But even among tailed beasts, environment played a role. For example, the One-Tail could briefly hold its own against the Nine-Tails in the desert, but only barely.
With this feedback and his experience in defeating Tenpū, Naruto could roughly assess his own strength.
He was confident against Genin and could likely defeat most Chūnin. Even regular ANBU weren't untouchable anymore. But elite Jōnin were still out of reach—they were the village's true powerhouses.
As for whether the Third Hokage feared him, Naruto wasn't concerned.
A genius was still just a genius. Until one became a true powerhouse, few would take them seriously.
That's why, despite knowing he was under ANBU surveillance, he still chose to train openly in Wind Release and the Rasengan.
Once his apparent strength reached the point where he could detect ANBU presence, the Third would naturally withdraw close monitoring.
All he needed to do was keep training, show talent without appearing too strong.
As long as he didn't expose the truth about his relationship with the Nine-Tails, the Third would never see him as a threat.
On the way home, Naruto once again endured the "friendly" gazes of the villagers, striding down the street confidently.
There was no point trying to change their minds—he had long given up hope in this village after the attack by the Fourth's former subordinates. So, he chose to live life on his own terms.
As he passed through a certain district, Naruto noticed something unusual: the malice directed at him had lessened.
He didn't believe the villagers had suddenly had a change of heart. Their hatred had likely found a new target.
Looking into the distance, he saw members of the village's police force blocking the road, seemingly conducting some sort of enforcement operation. They were shouting angrily at the villagers.
Faced with this harsh treatment, the villagers could only glare in resentment, not daring to resist.
"Uchiha Clan ninja, huh... They're still as unwelcome as ever."
Naruto didn't stop to watch the commotion—he had no interest in such things, nor did he have time to waste.
The conflict between villagers and the police force was a daily occurrence. It never truly stopped.
The root cause wasn't just the Uchihas' strict enforcement, but also the political tension between the Uchiha clan and the Hokage faction.
When it came to internal strife, the Leaf Village always seemed to have unmatched talent—just not so much when facing external threats.
Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails, upon sensing the presence of Uchiha clan members, recalled unpleasant memories and muttered, "I hate those Uchihas. I hate the Sharingan."
Also witnessing the scene were Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi.
Sasuke watched the police force with admiration, while Itachi frowned slightly. He also glanced at Naruto as he quietly walked away. He remembered this kid visiting their home once—he was the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, after all.
That solitary figure reminded Itachi of the Uchiha clan's own experience of being alienated by the village.
Sasuke didn't think too deeply. He was still basking in the joy of being out with his brother.
As a devoted brother's fan, he wanted nothing more than to go out, hunt, and train with Itachi every day.
Itachi turned back to his younger brother. "Did you have fun tonight, Sasuke?"
"Very much! As long as I'm with you, I'm happy. Will you take me out again tomorrow? I want to practice my shuriken skills!"
Itachi shook his head. "Maybe next time. I have a mission tomorrow."
"Mission, mission—always missions! Why can't you join the police force, big brother? Then we could train together every day!"
Sasuke puffed up his cheeks in protest.
If only it were that simple…
Itachi sighed silently. The arrogance and prejudice within the clan had already disillusioned him. If not for his close friend Shisui, he might have already given up on life.
That's why—for the village, and for Sasuke—he chose to join the ANBU.
Only within the ANBU could he understand the true meaning of the Will of Fire.
(End of Chapter)
If you'd like, I can help with further chapters or support me at https://www.patreon.com/YugiroTL