"That monster... isn't he afraid of being crushed by those iron slabs?"
In a puddle of water on the ground, Hōzuki Suigetsu's head popped out, his expression full of fear as he watched the blond boy doing push-ups under a massive steel block.
He could even see that the sheer weight of the block was enough to sink the blond boy's hands and feet slightly into the soil.
Kaguya Kimimaro's face had gone pale as well.
He couldn't help but recall how, in the past few nights, Naruto had forcefully broken his bones during sparring.
One must understand—he possessed the kekkei genkai Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse). The bones protruding from his body were harder than steel.
Yet that blond youth could shatter those bones with a single palm strike.
"Can I really defeat this monster… avenge Orochimaru-sama?" A sliver of doubt crept into Kimimaro's heart.
"You two, stop slacking and keep training!"
Guren stepped forward and scolded the two who had paused.
Suigetsu could only cry inside as he reformed his body and resumed his half-hearted running around the training field.
Kimimaro grit his teeth and resumed his push-ups with the weighted vest.
Seeing this, the other youths instantly snapped to attention, throwing themselves harder into their basic drills.
Naruto, hearing the noise, looked at Guren in slight surprise.
"Why aren't you training with them?"
The mature woman widened her eyes.
"Me too? I have to train as well?"
"Mhm!" Naruto nodded. "When it comes to taijutsu (hand-to-hand combat), there's no such thing as too much training. Let's start with a twenty-kilometer run."
Guren's face fell into despair as she joined the other young shinobi in laps around the field.
Nightfall arrived quickly.
Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow as he stood up from the ground, murmuring to himself:
"The intensity is still a little low. Next time I'll have the shadow clones train with me. Let's have them start learning the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)."
With his new training plan in mind, Naruto turned toward the other youths.
Suigetsu and Kimimaro trembled, gulping nervously before nodding.
Satisfied, Naruto then turned his gaze to the now-calm Jūgo.
"Jūgo, you ready too?"
The boy, long regarded as a killing machine prone to uncontrollable rampages, seemed a bit hesitant now.
"Menma-dono, I… I don't think this method is working. Maybe we should just forget it…"
Naruto shook his head seriously.
"That's your illusion. I've been watching you. Lately, you've been gaining control. As long as we keep fighting, one day you'll master it."
Jūgo's expression shifted from bitterness to resolve.
Naruto nodded approvingly and was just about to start the next round when his expression sharpened. He turned to glance behind him, sensing the ambush.
"Trying a sneak attack, huh?"
The pale, expressionless youth had already charged in shirtless, shouting loudly:
In an instant, white bones jutted out from his elbows, hands, knees, and ribs—razor-sharp and gleaming cold.
Without retreating, Naruto stepped forward with a grin.
"Busōshoku Haki (Armament Haki)!"
His index finger turned pitch black like forged steel. With a light jab, he struck one of the bones directly.
It shattered instantly.
The rest of the bones followed, breaking apart under Naruto's finger strikes like fragile porcelain.
"I probably didn't even need Haki for this..." Naruto muttered before lifting his right leg and striking down.
"Rankyaku (Tempest Kick)!"
A flash of blue energy exploded from his leg.
Kimimaro's expression changed drastically, and without hesitation, he activated Shikotsumyaku again, generating extra ribs as a defense.
At the moment of impact, Kimimaro was sent flying, crashing into a wall with a boom.
The force of the blow left spiderweb cracks in the wall and blood gushing from Kimimaro's mouth.
Suigetsu's eyes lit up as he slashed at Naruto's head with a massive blade.
"…Kami-e (Paper Art)!" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ No(ᴠ)ᴇlFire.nᴇt
In that split second, Naruto's body thinned like paper.
Suigetsu's blade hit nothing but air.
Naruto appeared at his side in an instant and said calmly, "Too slow. Not enough strength. And you didn't even use Suika no Jutsu (Hydrification Technique) properly."
"As punishment, your training is now doubled."
Flames flickered on Naruto's hand, and he delivered a burning palm to Suigetsu's chest.
Now lying beside Kimimaro on the wall, Suigetsu left a full-body imprint.
"Monster…" Suigetsu whimpered, feeling utterly helpless.
If his technique was Hydrification, then Naruto's must be Cremation.
After easily handling the two, Naruto turned to face the final opponent—Jūgo.
By now, Jūgo's body had transformed—bulging muscles, darkened skin, clawed hands. He looked like a demon.
With a roar, Jūgo lunged at Naruto, eyes full of bloodlust.
Naruto smiled and charged to meet him.
Fists collided, each punch landing with solid, heavy impacts.
Within seconds, Jūgo's demonic form was reduced to a pathetic mess, his face flattened against the ground, Naruto straddling him and delivering blow after blow.
The sheer force shook the earth beneath them.
Suigetsu and Kimimaro sat frozen, pale-faced, watching the one-sided beatdown.
They were filled with nothing but relief.
Thankfully, when Naruto sparred with them, he wasn't this brutal.
Otherwise, they were sure they'd be dead.
Ten minutes later, Jūgo, still in his cursed state, wheezed out:
"Menma-dono… s-stop… I've regained control… anymore and I'm really gonna die…"
Naruto threw two more punches before grinning and getting off him.
"See? Didn't I say so? Training while using your Juinjutsu (Cursed Seal) is super effective for gaining control over it."
Jūgo nearly burst into tears.
He had been rampaging… and somehow Naruto beat the rationality back into him.
With the boys' training finished, Naruto turned to Yakumo and Karin, smiling warmly.
"You two better prepare too. In two days, you'll be joining the training and sparring with me at night."
Both girls immediately paled.
But that expression quickly gave way to surprise and joy as Naruto pulled out the massive corpse of a Sea King.
"Come on, just training won't cut it. You need nutrition too. Eat plenty of this guy's meat—it's super nutritious and will really boost your physical condition."
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