Three Months Later—
"Ugh! This is driving me insane! Picking up trash by the river and chopping trees every day—what kind of mission is this? I'm basically a garbage collector!"
Kushina angrily flung the hooked staff in her hand into the river with a loud splash.
The hook sank slowly to the bottom of the river.
Mikoto glanced sideways and sighed gently, "Alright, Kushina, calm down. We just graduated from the academy. It's normal that we can't get C-rank missions yet."
"I'm sure that soon enough, Orochimaru-sensei will lead us on a proper C-rank mission."
Mikoto could only console herself with this thought.
After months of trash-cleaning duty, even someone as mild-tempered as Mikoto was beginning to feel frustrated.
Orochimaru, reclining lazily on a tree branch, closed his eyes and ignored Kushina's fury and Mikoto's complaints. He saw no need to explain his reasons for these tasks to them.
Naruto, on the other hand, neither got angry nor complained. He understood that, despite appearances, these seemingly menial tasks were laying a solid foundation for Kushina and Mikoto.
Training along the river improved their chakra control and precision, while chopping wood built their arm strength and muscular resilience.
As female shinobi, they were naturally at a disadvantage in raw physical strength compared to their male peers. The simplest, albeit most grueling, solution was relentless physical training—strengthening their muscles to a certain threshold. Combined with chakra enhancement techniques, this could enable them to unleash explosive strength that would rival, if not surpass, male shinobi.
After all, one of the legendary Sannin, Tsunade, had walked this very path.
Naruto himself was exempt from the trash-collecting chores. Orochimaru had long since recognized Naruto's exceptional chakra control during their initial battle. Later, after using chakra paper to confirm that Naruto possessed wind, water, lightning, fire, and earth chakra natures, Orochimaru decided to focus on teaching him ninjutsu.
Naruto's progress astounded him. No matter the chakra nature or the complexity of the technique, Naruto could perfectly replicate any ninjutsu after seeing it performed once, with results powerful enough to be combat-effective.
His ability rivaled the legendary Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.
Perched on the tree branch, Orochimaru's sharp gaze remained fixed on Naruto in the distance.
Five shadow clones surrounded Naruto, each launching a different ninjutsu at him.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Lightning Release: Shockwave!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Fire Release: Fireball Technique!"
The five-elemental ninjutsu hurtled toward Naruto, converging with destructive force.
Orochimaru's expression shifted, and he muttered, "Foolish! No matter how much you're training, this is reckless!"
Clang!
Naruto's eyes sharpened as he drew his Zanpakuto. Wind chakra enveloped his body, while lightning chakra stimulated his cells. Activating the Body Flicker Technique at full power, his figure vanished in an instant.
In the next moment, his blade slashed through the necks of all five clones with surgical precision.
Boom!
The ninjutsu collided behind him, erupting in a violent explosion that sent shockwaves rippling through the air, disheveling his blonde hair.
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Ding! Congratulations! Trait Upgrade: Burn LV4]
[Ding! Congratulations! Trait Upgrade: Paralyze LV4]
[Ding! Congratulations! Trait Upgrade: Freeze LV6]
[Ding! Congratulations! Trait Upgrade: Sharpness LV7]
[Ding! Congratulations! Trait Upgrade: Durability LV2]
A smirk played on Naruto's lips. Growing stronger was always an addictive feeling.
Orochimaru stared at the scene in shock, his hands slowly dropping from their meditative position.
"Marvelous… Naruto is the perfect shinobi," he thought.
Dodging the incoming ninjutsu with precision and neutralizing his clones in one swift motion—Naruto's talent was nothing short of breathtaking.
This display cemented a decision in Orochimaru's mind.
Hearing the commotion, Kushina and Mikoto rushed over, only to find the area behind Naruto reduced to rubble.
Mikoto's lips parted slightly as she turned to Orochimaru, her eyes questioning. "Orochimaru-sensei, what just happened here?"
"Nothing," Orochimaru replied, his voice calm. "Just some routine training."
Kushina crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced. "Routine training? What kind of training causes this much destruction? This place was a lush field just this morning! What, do you think I'm a little kid you can fool?"
Naruto noticed the growing annoyance on their faces and quickly stepped in to reassure them.
"Relax! It's just training. There was never any real danger."
"But, but—"
"Enough."
Orochimaru's voice cut through the air, silencing the two girls.
Naruto rubbed his forehead and gave Orochimaru a grateful look. If this went on any longer, he was sure the two of them would break into tears.
Ignoring Naruto's antics, Orochimaru addressed the group in his usual cold, raspy tone.
"Tomorrow, I will lead Team Seven on our first C-rank mission. Rest well tonight and save your strength. Meet at the Konoha village gate at 7:30 a.m. sharp."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"And remember—no one is to be late. Dismissed."
Kushina and Mikoto froze for a moment before breaking into joyful cheers.
"Finally!" Kushina exclaimed.
"Yes! Our first real mission!" Mikoto added, her excitement evident.
Naruto simply chuckled at their enthusiasm, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
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