Yoruha chuckled and said, "That's because Zabuza thought facing Kakashi-sensei and me together wouldn't end well for him. If it were just me, there's no way he'd have run."
Sakura nodded in half-understanding.
Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't feel much about the situation.
After all, he himself had already mastered a few Fire Release techniques, all learned from the Uchiha clan's jutsu archives.
Sasuke didn't believe Yoruha's Water Release techniques were significantly stronger than Fire Release techniques.
In Sasuke's opinion, whether it was Water Release, Fire Release, or Earth Release, none were decisive jutsu.
Naruto, however, was quite displeased.
At the moment, aside from the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he didn't know any other techniques.
The Shadow Clone Jutsu wasn't even something Kakashi taught him; he'd learned it by stealing the Scroll of Seals before graduation.
Right now, Naruto hadn't mastered a single combat jutsu.
So he pouted unhappily and muttered, "Kakashi-sensei really is biased. It's like we're not even his students."
Yoruha glanced at Naruto and could somewhat understand him.
After all, at the end of the day, Naruto was just a twelve-year-old kid.
Jealousy and competitiveness were especially pronounced at that age.
"Kakashi-sensei actually wants you to build a solid foundation before learning jutsu," Yoruha said gently. "He's your jonin instructor. Since you passed his test, he truly sees you as his students."
"As a teacher, he certainly doesn't want you to become overly impatient."
"Why don't you ask Sasuke how he learned jutsu back then? Didn't he have to master a lot of basics first?"
Sasuke froze for a moment.
He hadn't expected Yoruha to bring him into this.
Naruto looked up at Sasuke.
Sasuke didn't really want to say anything, but since Yoruha brought it up, he reluctantly obliged.
Although Sasuke saw Yoruha as someone to surpass, for now, Yoruha was far stronger than him.
So Sasuke listened to Yoruha on some matters.
Sasuke nodded slightly. "You do need to master a lot of fundamental knowledge."
Even with the explanation, Sasuke kept it brief.
Naturally, Naruto didn't take it to heart.
"Fundamentals? I learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu in just one night!" Naruto retorted.
Yoruha smiled. "That's because the Shadow Clone Jutsu is uniquely suited to you. Or you could say it's practically tailor-made for you."
"Back at the academy, you couldn't even master the Clone Jutsu. After six years, you still couldn't do it. How did you suddenly learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu in just one night?"
"Do you even know why the Shadow Clone Jutsu—or rather, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu you learned—is classified as a forbidden jutsu?"
Naruto looked completely clueless. Back then, he had just learned the first technique he saw in the scroll without considering whether it was forbidden or not.
Let alone understanding the restrictions of the technique.
Sakura and Sasuke also turned their eyes to Yoruha.
Sasuke, in particular, was curious about how Naruto had suddenly mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
After all, Naruto couldn't even manage the Clone Jutsu before.
The Shadow Clone Jutsu was far more advanced than the basic Clone Jutsu.
Yoruha explained, "That's because the Shadow Clone Jutsu evenly distributes the user's chakra among the clones. And when the technique is released, any physical or chakra depletion experienced by the clones is returned to the original body."
"For ninja with low chakra reserves or poor stamina, using the Shadow Clone Jutsu is extremely dangerous, even more so with Multiple Shadow Clones."
"Not to mention the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu," Yoruha continued.
"You are the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. With an immense chakra reserve and a strong physique enhanced by the Nine-Tails, you're able to withstand the drawbacks of the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"However, when it comes to learning other elemental jutsu, attempting them without mastering the basics could easily lead to injuries."
"The backlash from a failed jutsu attempt can be deadly, especially with your lack of theoretical knowledge."
"Why do some people take a long time to learn a single jutsu, while others master it in just a few days?"
"Beyond differences in talent, the key factor is their foundational knowledge."
"Think about your six years at the academy. What exactly did you learn? Do you think your foundation is solid?"
Sakura giggled, "Solid? He didn't learn a thing! He got zeroes on every exam. I don't even know how he managed that. Even a little studying would've helped."
Sasuke glanced at Naruto, thinking, So, the reason he mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu is because of the Nine-Tails.
However, Sasuke didn't know much about the Nine-Tails.
When the Nine-Tails attacked the village, Sasuke was just a newborn.
And after the Uchiha massacre, there was no one left to tell him about it.
Naruto rubbed his stomach, his expression darkening.
He believed Yoruha's explanation.
When he was younger, Naruto had experienced a brief rampage once.
That incident had been quickly suppressed, leaving no significant impact on the village.
As a result, not many people in the village knew about it.
But Naruto remembered.
That power—while malevolent—was undeniably immense.
Naruto looked at Yoruha and asked, "Why was the Nine-Tails sealed inside me?"
"If it weren't for the Nine-Tails, the people in the village wouldn't treat me ."
As the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, Naruto had been ostracized from a young age. While his situation wasn't as harsh as Killer Bee's, being an orphan had made him emotionally vulnerable.
Even though no one tried to assassinate him or threw things at him, the mere act of being shunned was enough to make Naruto feel deeply hurt.
At his age, he couldn't understand why the villagers treated him that way.
He could only blame it all on the Nine-Tails inside him and the villagers' apparent dislike of him.
Yoruha placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and explained, "The Nine-Tails is Konoha's strategic weapon. In other words, you are extremely important to the village."
Naruto slapped Yoruha's hand away and angrily retorted, "But I don't want it! If I'm so important, then why does everyone in the village treat me ?"
"You don't know what I've been through all these years. The villagers all see me as a monster. No one likes me, no one acknowledges me."
Perhaps Yoruha's words had triggered Naruto's emotions, causing him to pour out all the grievances he'd bottled up over the years.
He even started crying.
Sakura and Sasuke both looked at Naruto. For the first time, they began to understand the weight Naruto had been carrying.
Even Sakura, who often teased Naruto, now looked at him with sympathy.
Sasuke, meanwhile, felt a sense of empathy.
Although he had never been ostracized by the villagers—quite the opposite, as his Uchiha lineage made him popular in Konoha—his entire clan had been massacred.
Watching his parents die at the hands of his most admired brother had inflicted a pain far greater than Naruto's experiences.
At that moment, Sasuke and Naruto shared a similar pain.
Sakura spoke softly, "Naruto, it's not true that you don't have friends. Iruka-sensei, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba—they're all your friends, aren't they?"
"I used to see you playing with Shikamaru and the others and thought you were just annoying. I had no idea you'd been through so much."
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