(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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Half an hour later, the most ornate building on the island exploded, and the entire structure was destroyed.
It was Colt who was done with his business and had reaped some amazing rewards from the mission this time.
After completing this task, Colt returned home and went back to sleep as if nothing had happened.
He was so good at sneaking around, not even Kakashi detected him.
The next day, when the villagers heard the news, they kept shouting their freedom.
Only Kakashi looked thoughtfully at Colt, who had been smiling brightly since that morning. He was certain that this matter had something to do with his proud disciple.
Without outside pressure, Kakashi finally had time to teach Sasuke and the others.
Under a vigorous tree, Kakashi was explaining the essentials of tree climbing.
Colt, having some free time, simply sat beside him to join in the fun.
"Kakashi-sensei, what I want to learn is ninjutsu, the kind used by Colt," Naruto said, a little dissatisfied, as he couldn't climb a tree.
"Naruto," Kakashi rubbed his head.
"Learning ninjutsu requires strong Chakra control, and your current control is not enough."
"That's right," Colt agreed, speaking from the side.
He had taken out a tea table and chairs and brewed a pot of hot tea for himself. It was a gift from Hinata, sent by Hiashi.
After Kakashi finished teaching the skills, he laid down on the other side, took out "Icha Icha Paradise", and read it comfortably.
"Kakashi-sensei, you've been reading this book for several years. Haven't you had enough?" Colt asked, puzzled by the book that was already in tatters.
Although Colt didn't know much about this book, he was aware of some information.
So far, only one volume of Icha Icha Paradise had been published, with no follow-up works.
Three years ago, Kakashi had this book in his hand, and now, he still couldn't get tired of reading it.
"What do you know? Jiraiya-sama's books get better the more you read them," Kakashi replied without lifting his head, completely immersed in the world of books.
Colt was silent for a moment before asking, "Can you show it to me then?" He was curious about what made Kakashi so enamored.
Kakashi hesitated, considering Colt's age. After a moment, he took out another copy of Icha Icha Paradise from his ninja bag and handed it over.
"Return it to me after reading it. You can't keep it."
Colt was shocked. "You actually brought two copies?"
Kakashi looked at him, "One for reading, one for lending, and one for collection at home. Isn't that normal?"
Colt expressed his admiration and 'appreciated' the book when he received it.
For the entire afternoon, Sasuke and the others practiced desperately while these two read the mature content right there.
After reading it, Colt shook his head in dissatisfaction.
"That's it? It's not exciting at all!"
Kakashi seemed greatly insulted, "You don't find this exciting? It seems you don't understand anything just yet!"
Colt looked at him with pity, realizing the people in the ninja world were still too pure.
As the sun set, the day's training ended. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke dragged their tired bodies toward the village, in stark contrast to the laid-back Kakashi and Colt.
With Gato defeated, the villagers held a huge bonfire dinner that night. The festive atmosphere infected Colt's group, and even Sasuke showed a rare smile.
The banquet continued until late at night. For the next half month, Colt lazed about during the day and visited Naruto's mindscape at night to chat with Namikaze Minato and discuss the [Flying Thunder God] technique.
Every time Colt entered, the Nine-Tails would look forward to it.
Usually, Minato's Chakra was sealed, and only when Colt came could he emerge to get some air. Whenever the Nine-Tails saw Minato appear, he would spit out some curses, then go back to sleep refreshed.
With Minato's help, Colt's second stage of [Flying Thunder God] was perfected, with an 80% success rate.
Minato also gained information about Naruto from Colt. As for being scolded by the Nine-Tails, it had no effect on him at all. Everyone benefited from this arrangement.
Naruto and the others continued training their Chakra control daily. Climbing trees was just the beginning; they later faced steep cliffs and slippery rocks. Sakura, gifted in this area, succeeded without much effort. The other two suffered considerably.
The greater the amount of Chakra, the harder it was to control. Naruto, with the Nine-Tails inside him, had it especially tough. Even Sasuke's Chakra had surpassed the average Special Jonin after awakening his Sharingan.
These two often ended up bruised all over. Fortunately, Colt's presence ensured they were healed for the next day's training. However, Colt didn't lose out, as he gained another benefit from Naruto:
[Uzumaki Physique]!
Unlike Naruto, after obtaining this physique, Colt mastered the [Mind's Eye of the Kagura] technique.
(E/N: The Mind's Eye of the Kagura is a technique that allows one to sense chakra from exceptional distances in great detail.)
Half a month later, the bridge was finally completed.
Witnessed by countless people, Colt and his team became the first to cross it.
"Colt-san, this bridge symbolizes hope. I'd like to name it after you," Tazuna said excitedly, looking at Colt expectantly.
Colt shook his head.
"I'm just here to complete the mission. That's not necessary. If you must use one of our names, use Naruto's."
This time, Colt had not only acquired Gato's assets but also acquired Ice Release abilities.
He felt "The Great Naruto Bridge" was more appropriate.
Hearing his suggestion, Tazuna thought for a moment, then agreed immediately. Naruto couldn't have been happier.
A day later, Colt and the others saw Konoha's gates again. The journey that had taken several days on the way to protect Tazuna now only took a day and a half, thanks to everyone's improved strength and speed. Of course, it was mostly because Tazuna wasn't with them so they could run quite fast.