Looking at his own situation, Akira Uchiha considered himself barely at the entry level of Kage rank. Might Guy, after opening the Seventh Gate, could temporarily boost his strength to the Kage level. So, in total, they had only two Kage-level fighters.
Given that they were both injured and poisoned, it wasn't exactly surprising that they got wiped out by Orochimaru and Sasori of the Red Sand.
Also, it's worth mentioning that back in Konoha, when Akira took down the Third Hokage, he had to open the Eighth Gate and use the Dead Gate.
This information had likely spread throughout the entire ninja world.
So, if Orochimaru and his allies really wanted to take Akira down, it seemed they had already devised a specific strategy to counter him.
As a result, Akira hadn't even managed to open the Eighth Gate before he was killed.
This is why, Akira mused, it's always important to keep a trump card or two hidden. If all your abilities are exposed, others can easily devise a counter-strategy against you.
Sigh, Akira thought. "In the Akatsuki, Orochimaru and Sasori could definitely be called the Poison Duo... or maybe the Science Duo?"
"Yet again, this falls on the shoulders of the Third Hokage and Danzo. They pushed Orochimaru, a top-tier asset, to defect from Konoha!"
If Orochimaru—well, maybe we should call him Aunt Orochimaru—hadn't defected, Konoha might already have a high-speed rail system by now.
Bang, bang, bang!
Just as Akira was analyzing the critical information provided by the life simulator, his thoughts were interrupted by a series of loud, firecracker-like sounds.
Looking around, Akira saw dozens of Naruto Uzumaki's shadow clones popping into existence.
"Ha ha ha! I did it! I really am a genius!"
"A-rank jutsu? It's not so tough after all! Ha ha ha!"
"There are so many of them! With this jutsu, am I basically invincible now?"
Naruto's naturally cheerful personality only heightened his excitement at mastering the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. In one go, he created dozens of clones.
The combined chatter of these dozens of Narutos immediately filled the training grounds with noise.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The commotion was so loud that several Konoha Security Force ninjas, who were patrolling the area at night, used the Body Flicker Technique to rush over and investigate.
However, upon seeing Akira Uchiha present, the members of the Security Force simply saluted him and quietly left without saying a word.
"Already?" Akira muttered to himself as he watched the scene with a peculiar expression.
Even though he knew from the original story that Naruto had mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique in one night, seeing it happen with his own eyes was still shocking.
Given this, how was it that in the original story, Naruto couldn't even perform the simplest Clone Technique and almost failed to graduate from the Ninja Academy?
That really is one of the great unsolved mysteries of Naruto.
"Akira, what do you think? Pretty impressive, right? I learned an A-rank jutsu so quickly!"
Hundreds of shadow clones, each with a proud expression, turned to Akira for validation.
"With your chakra, a mere few hundred shadow clones is nothing. You can create even more," Akira replied.
"Really? I guess I really am a genius! You sure have high expectations for me, Akira!" Naruto wasn't discouraged by Akira's words. Instead, he looked even more pleased with himself and continued to experiment with the technique.
"Wait, Naruto. Next, you should practice tree climbing and water walking."
"Like this—gather chakra at your feet and walk up the tree step by step."
"Most people don't have much chakra, so even saving a small amount isn't a big deal. But you have an enormous amount of chakra. Even if you save 30% on each jutsu, the amount you save is still massive."
"And the principle for water walking is similar."
"Oh, and you can use a few shadow clones to practice simultaneously. When the clones disperse, all the experience will return to you."
"But be careful not to overdo it. If you create too many clones, the accumulated fatigue could be enough to kill you."
"That's exactly why the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique is classified as a forbidden jutsu."
Seeing that it was getting late, Akira had no intention of staying with Naruto throughout his entire training session.
After giving Naruto a brief explanation of tree climbing, water walking, and how to use shadow clones to speed up his training, Akira turned and left the training grounds, leaving Naruto to practice on his own.
The night passed without incident, and the next morning, Akira was already up and at the village gate.
Kakashi, Might Guy, Hiashi Hyuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, and Shikaku Nara had all gathered there, one after another.
"Akira, are we waiting for someone else? Everyone's here, but you don't seem ready to leave the village yet," Kakashi asked curiously.
"Yeah, we're waiting for one more person," Akira nodded, glancing back toward the village, wondering if Naruto had overslept after training late into the night.
"Seems like someone who likes to be late, huh?" Kakashi muttered under his breath.
Akira gave him a peculiar look. Of all the people in their group, Kakashi was probably the least qualified to complain about lateness.
In the original story, didn't he always use excuses like getting lost on the road of life or helping old ladies cross the street—excuses he basically copied from Obito Uchiha?
Fortunately, Naruto didn't have a habit of being late. After only a few minutes, Naruto came running up, a large backpack slung over his shoulder and various supplies piled on top.
"The villagers were so enthusiastic! When they heard I was leaving the village, they gave me so much stuff. Sorry I'm late!" Naruto apologized.
Having been shunned by the villagers for so long, Naruto now found their sudden warmth a bit overwhelming.
"Naruto Uzumaki? He's coming with us?" Kakashi was stunned to see Naruto and looked at Akira with questioning eyes.
Likewise, Hiashi Hyuga and the others also showed expressions of surprise.
Sure, Akira was only seven years old.
But not every seven-year-old could be as exceptional as Akira.
Everyone present was among Konoha's top-tier fighters. So why bring along a "burden" like Naruto?
"I'm the captain of this squad, and I believe Naruto Uzumaki is qualified to join us," Akira said to Kakashi, not bothering to explain further.
Well, rank has its privileges.
Kakashi was just a squad leader in the Anbu, while Akira was the head of the Anbu, making him Kakashi's superior.
If Akira believed Naruto was qualified, what could Kakashi say?
"Shikaku, what do you think?" Choza Akimichi asked in a low voice, turning to Shikaku Nara.
When in doubt, ask Shikaku—that was a habit Choza had developed over many years.
"Naruto Uzumaki... If he joins us, it could indeed have some unique benefits. Let's not forget, he has the Uzumaki clan's special chakra and is also the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki," Shikaku replied after some thought, nodding in agreement.
The Nine-Tails' jinchuriki?
Well, although they didn't know how well Naruto could use the Nine-Tails' power, if they were bringing him along, it must have some significance, right?
Thus, the eight of them set off, heading toward the border of the Land of Wind.
Back in Konoha, a force of 3,000 ninja was quickly assembling.
"Akira, last night, I mastered tree climbing and water walking, and I'm now really skilled with the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Do you have any other powerful jutsu to teach me?"
After a night of training, Naruto was feeling accomplished and motivated, so he asked Akira eagerly.
"Since you've mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, it's time to teach you how to create a Rasengan," Akira said, glancing at Naruto.
A Naruto who can't create a Rasengan doesn't have a soul!
"Rasengan?" Naruto looked at Akira curiously.
The name didn't sound particularly impressive.
"The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu developed by the Fourth Hokage over three years," Akira explained.
"An A-rank jutsu? Developed by the Fourth Hokage—my father?" Naruto's eyes lit up at Akira's words.
He didn't need to be told how powerful an A-rank jutsu was; the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique had already proven its worth.
And considering that this was a jutsu created by his own father, Naruto was determined to master it.
"Wait, Akira, you know how to create a Rasengan?" Kakashi, who had been listening to their conversation, couldn't help but ask, surprised.
"No, I don't, but that doesn't mean I can't teach him," Akira replied, shaking his head as he looked at Kakashi.
True, Akira didn't know how to create a Rasengan—he had never learned.
But in the original story, Jiraiya had taught Naruto how to master the Rasengan step by step, explaining every detail clearly.
So, just because Akira couldn't create a Rasengan himself didn't mean he couldn't teach it, right?
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 136 at patreon.com/Emik01.