hapter 321: Naruto and Sasuke Sparring
The position of the Sixth Hokage's secretary was highly coveted, but Hinata Hyuga ultimately secured it.
To be precise, the Hyuga clan exerted significant effort and connections to pave the way for their young lady, Hinata, to reach the Hokage Tower.
Of course, whether Hinata could stay in the Hokage office ultimately depended on the Sixth Hokage himself. If he didn't like Hinata, she would be out of luck.
So far, everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Regarding such trivial matters, Dan had a nonchalant attitude. After all, he was often too lazy to even show up at the office, managing to punch in just a few times a month at best. The presence of a secretary was, therefore, irrelevant to him.
However, Dan had a particular interest in Hinata Hyuga. In the original timeline, Hinata was something of a "vase," living solely for Naruto and lacking an independent personality.
In this world, with Naruto having left Konoha and joined the Akatsuki, Hinata had no interactions with him and was likely moving on with her life independently.
This meant Hinata wouldn't have the chance to be a "vase."
Given these circumstances, could Hinata live a different life?
Dan, who enjoyed watching the twists of fate and observing people's lives, found this prospect intriguing.
So, he gave Hinata the opportunity.
---
**Kamui Dimension**
Black Zetsu lay on the ground, bored and feeling as though time was dragging on forever.
Being confined in this large prison, it was barely hanging on, sustained by its longing for its mother.
Suddenly, its vision blurred, and Dan appeared.
**Swish.**
Black Zetsu immediately got up, gritting its teeth internally while putting on an overly joyful and obsequious expression, and called out respectfully:
"Father!"
"Hmm, good son."
Dan patted Black Zetsu's head with his large hand and then shared some good news:
"We've found a solution for the Nine-Tails."
Black Zetsu's face lit up with joy.
It turned out Dan had not deceived it. He was about to gather all the Tailed Beasts.
"However, Orochimaru needs two top-notch sacrifices. You can help with that, right?" Dan continued, asking Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu was taken aback for a moment before quickly reassuring him:
"Of course, don't worry. I can provide two White Zetsu."
White Zetsu, created by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki long ago, had been lying dormant, guarded by the loyal Black Zetsu.
Whether it was Madara or Obito, they only ever controlled a part of the White Zetsu army.
"Very good."
Dan nodded in satisfaction and then opened a portal to the outside world before Black Zetsu's eyes. "The time is right. Come, my good son, witness your mother's resurrection with me."
Black Zetsu was ecstatic.
It could finally leave this wretched place.
Thinking of this, it couldn't help but shout once more: "Yes, Father!"
After the initial awkwardness and reluctance, Black Zetsu found calling him "Father" more and more natural, with less resistance.
Habits form over time.
Dan frowned slightly but then patted Black Zetsu's shoulder, speaking to it earnestly:
"Once we're out, don't call me 'Father' in front of others. My children are still young, and hearing this will confuse them. My wife might also misunderstand."
"Yes, Dan-sama."
Black Zetsu immediately corrected itself.
So, at Dan's request, Black Zetsu donned a grey ninja uniform and a rabbit mask, posing as a member of the Konoha Anbu while staying by Dan's side.
---
**One day later.**
In a hotel, Konan and Naruto sat casually on a sofa, eating fruit and watching the latest TV shows.
Although Konan disliked Konoha, she had to admit she enjoyed the romantic dramas produced by Konoha's TV station.
Usually serious and stoic, she now watched the romantic interactions of the lead characters with great interest, occasionally smiling.
In contrast, Naruto seemed distracted.
He had no particular interest in these shows, but more importantly, he felt anxious.
The thought of his soon-to-be-resurrected father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, filled Naruto with a mix of anticipation, anxiety, and nervousness.
Finally, he couldn't sit still any longer.
"Konan-sensei, I... I'm going out for a walk. I think I ate too much at lunch, and it's not digesting well," Naruto said with an embarrassed smile, trying to find an excuse.
"Uh, do you want me to go with you?" Konan asked, starting to get up.
"No need, you can keep watching TV," Naruto quickly pressed her shoulder down and then hurriedly walked towards the door, leaving behind a, "I'll be back soon."
With a "bang," he shut the door behind him.
Watching Naruto leave, Konan seemed lost in thought.
An hour later, on the streets of Konoha.
Naruto walked slowly through the crowd, his hands in his pockets, occasionally stopping to blankly watch the bustling people and the towering skyscrapers around him.
The places he once knew as a child had drastically changed, causing him to get lost several times.
Moreover, he didn't have many friends in Konoha, making this aimless wandering even more tedious.
"Sigh, I can't even figure out how to stroll around," Naruto chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head, deciding to head back.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a billboard by the roadside advertising a Uchiha ninja tools store. The spokesperson was a cool-looking black-haired boy.
Sasuke.
"I usually hang out at the Uchiha's training ground number three. If you want a match, come find me anytime."
Sasuke's words echoed in Naruto's mind again.
A spar? Naruto suddenly felt an itch all over, as if his body was sending some sort of signal.
At that moment, his overflowing energy and the accumulated pressure of the past few days converged into a desire to find a place to release it all.
It was too uncomfortable to keep it bottled up.
Well, since he had nothing better to do, he might as well check it out.
With that thought, Naruto changed his direction and headed towards the train station.
Ten minutes later.
"Uchiha Clan District, next stop. Passengers disembarking, please take your belongings..."
As the announcement sounded, the doors opened, and Naruto stepped off the train.
The Uchiha Clan's training grounds were not open to the public, but when Naruto explained his purpose, the guards only gave him a couple of glances and confirmed his identity before letting him through.
Apparently, Sasuke had already informed the guards.
From a distance, through the iron fence of the training ground, Naruto saw two familiar figures engaged in a fierce fight inside.
As he reached the main gate.
Boom!
Marissa was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the iron fence, her face making intimate contact with the wire mesh.
Fortunately, her tough skin seemed to have spared her from any serious harm.
"Huh, what are you doing here?" Marissa asked, wide-eyed, peering through the fence at Naruto.
"I was just passing by and decided to stop in," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head with an awkward smile.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you finally came," Sasuke's cold voice sounded from behind Marissa. His sharp gaze fixed on Naruto, his eyes still brimming with battle spirit.
Thud.
Marissa jumped down from the fence, looking between Sasuke and Naruto, then curiously asked Sasuke, "Cousin, I heard that last time you almost got killed by this guy. Is that true?"
Real smooth.
Sasuke's face twitched, saying nothing, which was as good as admitting it.
"I'm really sorry about what happened before..." Naruto began, his face full of remorse, but Sasuke cut him off sharply.
"Uzumaki Naruto, haven't you humiliated me enough? Do you have to emphasize it over and over?"
Seeing Naruto's "sincere" demeanour infuriated Sasuke even more, nearly making him explode with rage.
Naruto quickly waved his hands in apology, "I didn't mean it that way, you misunderstood."
"Cut the crap! Since you're here, let's have a rematch, or get lost," Sasuke said impatiently.
"...Alright," Naruto sighed, thinking for a moment before agreeing.
Haha, this is going to be good.
Marissa looked back and forth between the two, rubbing her hands together in excitement, her eyes gleaming mischievously. She had managed to provoke her cousin, and it was really fun.
However, Marissa didn't seem to realise that her instigating behaviour was an inherited trait from a certain someone's troublemaking nature.
What's the saying?
Like father, like daughter.
Sasuke and Naruto stood about seven or eight meters apart inside the training ground, staring each other down.
Their gazes met in the air, sparking intense flames.
"Let me make this clear. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you lost the Rinnegan and the Nine-Tails. If you've become a weakling without those powers, you deserve to be beaten."
Before the fight began, Sasuke coldly warned Naruto not to expect any mercy.
Hearing Sasuke's words, Naruto was momentarily taken aback, but his competitive spirit soon ignited.
Naruto laughed heartily, responding with an innocent expression:
"Sasuke-kun, don't worry about me. I'm from the Uzumaki clan. Although my chakra isn't as much as the Nine-Tails', it's still several times more than an average ninja's."
The implication was clear: Uzumaki Naruto could still take Sasuke down even without the Nine-Tails and the Rinnegan.
Of course, this was what Sasuke inferred from Naruto's words.
Sasuke's eyes sharpened, and he said coldly:
"Then let's do this."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Sasuke launched at Naruto like a lightning bolt.
Seeing this, Naruto's gaze intensified, and he quickly formed hand signs, shouting:
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, several identical Narutos appeared on the training ground, surrounding Sasuke and launching an attack.
For a while, the two exchanged blows fiercely.
It turned out Naruto had been modest.
The Uzumaki clan's chakra was indeed several times that of an average ninja, but Naruto, who could suppress the Nine-Tails from birth and was a rare genius, had a chakra volume dozens of times that of a normal ninja.
Even the Nine-Tails had often remarked that Uzumaki Naruto was a human-shaped tailed beast, a natural monster.
Additionally, in the original timeline, Naruto had suffered from malnutrition as a child and hadn't received proper ninja training until he became a Genin, wasting his potential early on.
But in this world, after being taken by Konan, Naruto was taught everything she knew over eight years.
While his peers were still playing at the Ninja Academy, Naruto had been active for years as the leader of the Akatsuki in the underground ninja world, engaging in countless battles.
Therefore, even without the Rinnegan and no longer being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto's strength was not to be underestimated.
His potential was beyond anyone's imagination.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
After blocking Sasuke's attack, Naruto formed a one-handed seal and exhaled a powerful gust of wind towards Sasuke.
Sasuke quickly distanced himself from Naruto, his Sharingan seeing through the technique. He mirrored Naruto's actions, performing the same jutsu.
The Sharingan's ability to copy was on display.
But within a second, Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.
The Wind Style: Great Breakthrough was a basic C-rank jutsu, easy to learn and usually moderate in power. The resulting gust could easily topple ancient trees in the hands of a skilled Jonin like Sasuke.
Naruto's technique, however, was more than just a gust—it was a level ten hurricane, a natural disaster.
As their techniques clashed, it was clear who had the upper hand. Sasuke was lifted off the ground, and hurled through the air by the sheer force of Naruto's wind.
Under the assault of the hurricane, the training ground's wire fences collapsed, and trees were uprooted as Sasuke was blown back hundreds of meters, finally crashing to the ground in a daze.
"So strong."
From the stands, Marisa watched in shock, eyes wide. Even she had to cling to the pillars and be protected by Star Platinum's strong arms to avoid being blown away.
"Seems like I overdid it a bit."
Naruto scratched his head, looking at the wrecked training ground and the missing Sasuke.
This was his first time using his full strength since being revived.
Naruto hadn't expected that without the need to suppress the Nine-Tails or sustain the Rinnegan, the immense energy within him could finally be unleashed.
It felt pretty good.
After a satisfying fight with Sasuke, Naruto felt much better, and his negative emotions from the past few days fully vented.
However, Naruto's relief meant Sasuke was even more frustrated.
"Damn it!"
With an angry shout from afar, a dishevelled Sasuke charged back into the training ground, immediately summoning his strongest power.
Susanoo.
"Wait."
Naruto called out, not wanting to continue the fight, but Sasuke wasn't listening, determined to settle the score today.
With no choice, Naruto resumed the battle.
As their fight intensified.
The ritual to revive the Fourth Hokage had begun in the underground chamber of the Naka Shrine, which was not far from the training ground.
(End of Chapter)