"Oh! You mean Kakashi wants to trade the cultivation method of the Unbreakable Golden Body with you?"
Naruto's eyes lit up with interest as he looked at Lee.
"Yes! But he said 'us'… Could it be that he already knows about our group?"
Lee answered earnestly.
Even Neji and Sasuke grew serious at those words.
"You don't have to worry," Naruto reassured them. "I deliberately let Kakashi notice our traces, but he doesn't know our true strength. Kakashi is someone we can win over. This trade proposal is both a test for us and a genuine sign of his interest in the Unbreakable Golden Body."
A faint smile curved Naruto's lips. The fact that Kakashi had waited until now to reach out in such a cautious manner only confirmed how clever he was.
Of course, what Kakashi didn't realize was that Naruto had long known he was aware of their existence.
"How much do you all actually know about Kakashi?" Naruto asked, his eyes sharp as he studied them.
"Kakashi? Not much. Only that he's considered a powerful Jōnin," Neji replied with a slight frown. Sasuke, meanwhile, seemed indifferent, focused only on his training.
"I know!" Lee suddenly raised his hand. "Naruto once said Kakashi is a white-haired man with great wisdom… and weak kidneys!"
Naruto's face darkened, shooting Lee a glare. "When did I ever say that?" He knew Lee was making things up again.
"I knew none of you had a clear understanding, so let me introduce Kakashi properly," Naruto said, cutting the matter off.
Using Earth Release, he raised several wooden stumps for them to sit on. Once everyone settled, he began, his tone steady and instructive.
"Kakashi's father was Sakumo Hatake—the White Fang of Konoha. His strength was said to rival even the Third Hokage. Far stronger than Kakashi is now. His White Fang Blade Style was unmatched; on the battlefield, he was like a reaper. It was said that shinobi from other villages were permitted to abandon their missions if they encountered him."
Everyone stiffened in shock. In the shinobi world, missions were of utmost importance. For Sakumo Hatake to command such fear was nearly unthinkable.
Naruto continued, "Kakashi, the son of Sakumo Hatake, was considered a prodigy who surpassed all other geniuses of his generation. At five, he became a Genin. At six, he was already a Chūnin. By twelve, he created the A-rank Lightning Release technique, Chidori. At thirteen, he developed its evolved form—the S-rank technique Raikiri, said to be able to cut through lightning itself."
The weight of Naruto's words left Sasuke and Neji stunned.
What kind of monstrous talent was this? To achieve such feats before most even graduated from the Academy!
"Sasuke," Naruto added almost casually, "Kakashi is also Uchiha Itachi's senior."
The words struck like a spark in dry grass. Murderous intent surged from Sasuke.
Naruto immediately frowned and snapped, "Sasuke, calm down!"
The sharp command cut through Sasuke's rage. Gritting his teeth, he lowered his gaze. "Sorry. I lost control for a moment."
Everyone else knew of Sasuke's past, so they didn't press the matter, letting Naruto guide them back on track.
Neji was still puzzled. "But if Kakashi was such a genius, why have we barely heard of him?"
To Neji, Kakashi's reputation was only that of a skilled Jōnin, nothing more. The title 'Copy Ninja' wasn't something they had ever really encountered.
Sasuke frowned as well. "If he was that talented, why is he still only a Jōnin?"
Naruto sighed. "Kakashi's brilliance shone brightest before the age of thirteen. But after the death of his closest friend, he fell into a long period of depression. Since then, he's buried himself in the novels written by Jiraiya."
"Novels? And who is Jiraiya?" Sasuke asked.
Neji gave him a disdainful look. "Idiot. You don't even know Lord Jiraiya? He's one of the Legendary Sannin. But… I've no idea what kind of novels he writes."
Neji frowned, lost in thought, while Naruto scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
"Haha… you really don't need to know about that… haha…"
Naruto gave a couple of awkward laughs.
What writings are they? How could I possibly explain that? If I said it out loud, my reputation would be ruined! Still… I can't deny Jiraiya really does have talent in that field…
Shaking the thought away, he brought the conversation back on track.
"Anyway, I think this trade is feasible. From Kakashi's words, it's clear he already knows about us. And judging by the Ninjutsu he's prepared this time, I'd say it's meant for Sasuke specifically."
Naruto chuckled inwardly. Since Kakashi wants to reach out to me through this method… then I'll play along and grant his wish.
Although the Unbreakable Golden Body was a rare and precious cultivation method, Kakashi's Ninjutsu was extraordinary in its own right.
At present, the Unbreakable Golden Body could only be refined to the level comparable to the Raikage—what Naruto called the Golden Body level.
He was still conceiving the next stage, one that required the use of Natural Energy. But with the current situation, fully grasping Natural Energy would be impossible for at least another year or two.
Even with his innate ability—Heaven Rewards Diligence—creating a completely new path from scratch was no easy feat. Natural Energy was dangerous; if not controlled properly, it could assimilate the user entirely.
That was why Naruto tread carefully in his research. Ever since his last enlightenment, he had learned how to perceive the presence of Natural Energy in the environment around him. But as for how to actually use it—he still had no clear answer.
In the known shinobi world, the Three Great Sage Lands—Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest—each had their own ways of teaching Sage Mode. But the risks were severe.
At Mount Myōboku, failed attempts left one permanently transformed into a frog. At Ryūchi Cave, failures were devoured or petrified into snake-human statues. Shikkotsu Forest was no different—the success rate was always low.
Among the three, only Mount Myōboku's method was considered relatively "gentle," with the highest rate of survival. Jiraiya had learned there, as had Minato, and later Uzumaki Naruto himself.
Once mastered, Sage Mode techniques were classified as Sage Arts, and their users reached combat power estimated to be at Super Kage-level.
But even to attempt Sage Mode, the minimum requirement was already Kage-level strength.
Naruto, however, had no desire to cultivate any of the Sage Modes offered by the three holy places. To him, they all felt… incomplete. The strength they granted was undeniable, but the upper limit seemed low, like a temporary empowerment rather than a perfect evolution.
The sages of those lands enjoyed great longevity, but humans who borrowed their Sage Modes gained no such blessing—only a temporary surge in power, with hidden risks.
And no sage creature taught purely out of kindness. Every intelligent being had desires, and the Sage Lands were no exception.
That was why Naruto refused to risk binding himself to them. Instead, the safest and most promising path was to rely on his own ability, Heaven Rewards Diligence, to gradually create his very own Sage Mode—one free of hidden dangers, and one that truly belonged to him.
...
TN:
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