Naruto felt a genuine wave of happiness. Gaining a technique as potent as 'Fire Release : Great Fire Annihilation' within just eight days of his transmigration was a significant leap in potential power. This was the very jutsu he remembered Madara Uchiha using to devastating effect during the Fourth Shinobi World War in the anime. The System provided further details.
[Reward Description : Host can convert a vast amount of Chakra into Fire and expelling it from his mouth as enormous and wide wall of intense Fire.]
[Destructive Power : Incinerates wide areas, capable of destroying large section of forest, building and multiple targets simultaneously, with covering the area of 200 metres wides and 50 meters high and travels considerable distance]
After reading the description and its sheer power level, Naruto spoke softly to himself. "Well I pretty much knows about it, I am just itching to try out this Technique!" He was indeed quite excited to test out the Great Fire Annihilation Jutsu. However, he knew he couldn't. Not yet, at least. "Those rat Anbu's will report of me knowing such a powerful Jutsu, if I were to try it," he thought with a sigh. The consequences of such a report were clear. "and Hiruzen will definitely pay me a special visit or maybe even have a Yamanaka to search every corner my mind to find out about it."
Beyond Hiruzen, there was another concern. "Not only this, but also if Danzo, get's the gust of it," Naruto mused internally. "he will persist Hiruzen to take me into his custody to not waste my potential in academy and make me a perfect weapon for village, oh and obviously FOR KONOHA!" Naruto shook his head, pushing these unproductive thoughts aside. He needed to focus on his immediate goals. He went to sleep, planning for the next day.
...
The next morning, after his usual business, he prepared to practice Water Walking. It had taken him a full week of considerable effort to master Tree Walking. He wasn't expecting to learn Water Walking in just a few days; it was known to be more difficult than Tree Walking.
He did some light stretching exercises. He then stood before Naka river flowing through Konoha, ready to begin. He considered the possibility of Hiruzen Sarutobi showing up if he got a report about Naruto practicing Water Walking.
'Well, I am surprised that he didn't come to meet me when I was Training Tree Walking,' Naruto thought. 'and he even didn't visit me for like a month now, usually that old man pay me quite frequent visits.' He wondered what was occupying Hiruzen's time. In actuality, both Tree Walking and Water Walking exercises were not inherently complex techniques to learn, but they were not taught at the Academy except to students from ninja clans. Naruto was practicing them openly, despite being fully aware that the ANBU were likely monitoring him constantly.
He didn't particularly care. His reasoning was simple, once he obtained the reward of 'Full Control Over Kurama's Chakra', he wouldn't need to worry as much about constant surveillance and would have a considerable degree of freedom to do as he pleased. He focused his attention back on the task. He began practicing Water Walking, gathering chakra in his feet and attempting to maintain a steady flow. He took a few clumsy steps onto the water's surface. SPLASH! His chakra control faltered, and he plunged into the river with a splash.
He quickly climbed back out onto the bank, dripping wet. "Looks like I didn't need to take bath at apartment for next week or more," he commented to himself chuckles dryly. He certainly wasn't under the illusion that he would master Water Walking in just two or three days. He continued to practice diligently, undeterred by the fall. The reward for mastering Water Walking was too significant to miss out on. That same extraordinary reward was a powerful motivation driving his hard work.
...
While he was practicing Water Walking, a report was indeed being delivered to Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen listened to the ANBU's brief. He nodded and signaled for them to leave. He looked out from his office window, gazing over the village. "Looks like Iruka is helping Naruto too much," he mused quietly. "he isn't like that." Hiruzen knew how much Iruka cared for Naruto, which was why he initially suspected Iruka might have been the one guiding him through Tree Walking practice.
But now Naruto was attempting to master Water Walking as well. And Iruka, despite his affection for Naruto, wasn't the type of person to show such overt partiality towards one student. Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, a cloud of smoke briefly obscuring his face. He decided he needed to speak with Iruka and ask why he seemed to be focusing so much on Naruto lately. That same evening, a message was sent to Iruka summoning him to the Hokage's office. Upon entering, Iruka bowed respectfully to Hiruzen and inquired why he had been summoned.
Hiruzen offered a warm smile. "Iruka, I know you cares about Naruto but you shouldn't do partiality like that," he said gently.
Iruka looked confused. "What do means Hokage-sama, I don't understand?" he asked. Hiruzen's smile did not waver. "Naruto has been practicing Tree Walking for last week and now he started Water Walking," he stated. "didn't you advise him about them?" Iruka looked genuinely dumbfounded. "Hokage-sama," he said, surprise evident in his voice. "I didn't tell Naruto about these exercises!"
Hiruzen was taken aback. He questioned Iruka further, seeking confirmation. After the inquiry, he decided to believe Iruka; it seemed unlikely that a person like Iruka would lie to him about such a matter. After sending Iruka back, Hiruzen sat in his chair, contemplating. 'Naruto has been changed a little for last few days,' he thought, reviewing the reports and his own observations. 'he hasn't been doing any pranks in village, neither he was responding to any of villagers insults and curses and started doing isolated training and stop going to academy, just what happened to that kid suddenly?' The shift in Naruto's behavior was stark and perplexing.
...
The next day, as Naruto was once again diligently practicing Water Walking by the riverbank, Hiruzen came to pay him a visit. Seeing the Third Hokage approaching, Naruto's mind raced. 'Do I need to address him the same way as original Naruto did like Grandpa Hokage or Old man Hokage?' he wondered. He felt a reluctance, disliking the idea of forcing a smile or showing false warmth towards Hiruzen. Hiruzen approached Naruto, a familiar warm smile gracing his face. Naruto, who had been preparing to adopt a pleasant expression, felt his face muscles freeze. His expression went completely blank.
He cursed inwardly. 'This old shit still audacity to smiles at me after Making me go through all of this,' he thought, the 'all of this' referring to the systemic ostracism and suffering he endured in the village. He knew actually that while Danzo's Root had been instruments in spreading the rumors about him being the Nine-Tails' reincarnation, Hiruzen, as Hokage, possessed the authority and power to suppress such things, even something as seemingly insignificant as village rumors. His choice not to intervene, his passive allowance of the situation, felt like a deliberate act.
Hiruzen, noticing Naruto's unusual blank expression, asked, "Naruto, you didn't look quite happy to see me. What's the matter?" Naruto replied with the same flat, blank expression, his voice devoid of any warmth. "No old man Hokage, I am very happy to see you, just can't show it on my face." The sarcasm in his words was thick, though delivered with an almost unsettling calmness.
Hiruzen chuckled lightly, seemingly misinterpreting Naruto's tone. He moved on to the reason for his visit. "Naruto, I see that you have been training hard for last week," he said. "but how did you know about these exercises, academy didn't teach these."
Naruto was genuinely shocked by the bluntness of the question. He had considered that Hiruzen might find his training strange, but he hadn't expected such a direct inquiry. The straightforwardness of it left him feeling slightly dumbfounded. 'Did he really comes here to ask me just this?!' he thought.
He continued his internal cursing and contemplation. 'Did this old shit wants me to not train and only remain just a weakling, or is it that he only wants power of Kurama but don't care anything about my potential,' he mused. 'I mean I am fucking Uzumaki and son of 4th Hokage Minato, aside from me who in the village has high talent naturally.' He thought further about the original Naruto's journey. 'Now that I thinks about it even in anime Naruto never knew particularly anything about Fuinjutsu, despite him Uzumaki, neither Kakashi and not even Jiraiya ever taught him any Fuinjutsu.'
Realizing this felt like a small, sharp pain. He felt a pang of sympathy for the original Naruto, whose immense potential seemed to have been utterly wasted in the anime narrative. Even without Kurama or Asura and the Sage of Six Paths' chakra, the original Naruto naturally possessed the potential to become a Kage-level shinobi based on his heritage and sheer life force alone. He looked at Hiruzen again. He decided to offer a simple, direct lie. "I saw a Shinobi of village practicing them," he said with a plain, unreadable expression, "so I also started practicing them." There was no outward sign that he was fabricating the story.
Hiruzen slightly narrowed his eyes, studying Naruto's face. After a moment, he sighed lightly, recognizing that Naruto was unwilling to divulge the truth. "Alright If you don't want to tell me," he conceded. He then launched into his well-practiced, warm, grandfatherly smile and delivered the familiar lines. "When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew.."
"Hehe.." Naruto couldn't help but chuckle softly at the speech. 'Now I personally get to hear the most legendary and manipulative speech, which is equal to like of Kotoamatsukami and Infinite Tsukuyomi.' Hiruzen looked at Naruto, surprised by his reaction. "Why are you laughing?!" he asked.
"Nothing, nothing.." Naruto quickly replied, suppressing further amusement.
They chatted for a few more minutes, the conversation remaining somewhat superficial. Eventually, Hiruzen departed, heading back towards the Hokage office. Naruto watched him go. He felt he understood Hiruzen's actions now. It wasn't that Hiruzen necessarily wanted him to remain weak, but rather dependent on the Hokage. By allowing the villagers to ostracize him, Hiruzen positioned himself as the sole source of comfort and acceptance in Naruto's life, thereby ensuring his loyalty and dependence.
'Atleast Danzo is good at this case,' Naruto thought, comparing the two higher ups of village, 'he didn't bother showing double face personality to people, the way Danzo speak or talk and his face literally everything of him is screaming 'I am Fucking Evil', unlike Hiruzen.' Danzo's overt villainy, in a strange way, felt more honest than Hiruzen's calculated grandfatherly facade.
He shook his head, clearing the thoughts. He turned back towards the river. It was time to return to practicing Water Walking.
***