Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"Since everyone agrees, let's get started."

Naruto declared, waving his hand and was about to leave.

"Wait!"

Sandaime interrupted, "Naruto, let the Anbu handle this matter. There's no need for you to get involved."

"Leave it to the Anbu?"

Naruto was slightly startled, but soon realized Sandaime's intention.

Clearly, Sandaime was concerned that if Naruto went out and publicized this, it might overwhelm Sakura.

By letting the Anbu handle it, he could control the speed of the information's spread, allowing Sakura time to reflect on her actions.

One had to admit, Sandaime genuinely cared for the villagers, sparing no effort for their well-being.

Naruto didn't mind though. Letting Sandaime handle it would work out just.

Letting things slowly ferment meant the truth would eventually come out. The gradual spread would be even harder for Sakura to bear, intensifying her suffering, which suited Naruto perfectly.

With this thought, Naruto replied easily, "Alright, I'll stay out of it and get back to training."

He waved his hand and left the Hokage's Office.

Kakashi and Guy followed him out.

Seeing this, Naruto asked curiously, "Kakashi, weren't you the one who wouldn't abandon any comrade? Why didn't you stay back to discuss things further with Sandaime?"

Kakashi shook his head slightly, "This situation is different. Sakura needs to learn a lesson. I trust that Hokage-sama knows what he's doing."

Naruto raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

'Knows what he's doing?'

'Kakashi was giving Sandaime too much credit.'

'If Sandaime really handled things too leniently, I wouldn't hesitate to forcefully push the issue.'

In fact, Naruto preferred not to use the Servant Contract unless absolutely necessary. If things could be resolved through communication, why would he need to resort to coercion?

However, as long as he was willing to use it, Sandaime would have no choice but to comply.

When they returned to the training ground, Naruto, Kakashi, and Guy could already hear the sounds of battle from afar.

Ding, ding, ding!

As they got closer, Naruto noticed that Tenten wasn't just throwing shuriken casually. She had taken out scrolls and was unleashing a wide range of Ninja Tools… throwing knives, kunai, darts, shuriken, and other tools Naruto had never seen before.

Not only that, Tenten's attacks weren't just targeting Neji and Sasuke, they were also aimed at Lee and Squirtle swimming around the small lake.

It is very difficult for one person to attack four people at the same time, predict their movements, and avoid hitting their vital parts.

"Very good."

Naruto nodded approvingly.

Tenten's extreme training wasn't only increasing the challenge for herself, but also pushed everyone in the lake to their limits.

What surprised Naruto most was the performance of the others in the lake.

He had assumed that, under Tenten's relentless assault, Neji and Sasuke would struggle to keep their footing on the water, eventually falling in.

Yet reality proved entirely different.

Not only did Sasuke and Neji move adeptly on the water, deflecting Tenten's attacks, but they also found time to engage in close combat with each other.

Meanwhile, Lee and the Squirtle weren't just idling either.

Unlike the simple swimming before, both of them were tied with ropes now, and huge iron blocks were tied to the ropes.

The weights weren't just for resistance training; even the ropes presented a unique challenge. Carrying the weight directly would be simple, but with ropes tugging downwards, the weights created a strong downward pull.

Swimming while dragging the weights required extra effort. In a circular swim pattern, especially at high speeds, controlling the direction of the weights around turns was even trickier.

To perfectly control the iron block requires a meticulous mastery of strength.

"What a bunch of reckless guys."

Naruto couldn't help but comment.

'The training lake I designed already presented a decent level of difficulty, but these people still found ways to make it even tougher.'

'Perhaps this is youth… full of effort and passion.'

'Unlike Sakura, who simply seeks comfort and withdraws at the first sign of hardship, this is what it means to be a true Shinobi!'

"Kakashi, did you see that? This is youth!"

Guy couldn't help but clench his fist and exclaim, his expression brimming with excitement.

Kakashi nodded slightly, his gaze full of relief.

He had initially thought Naruto might, given his strength, be dismissive of his peers and potentially head down a dangerous path. But the scene before him showed Naruto fitting in well with the group, and he'd even become their leader.

This was a good thing, and it also dispelled his concerns about Naruto.

"Everyone's found their own way of training, so I won't stick around any longer. look forward to the official competition in a month. I hope these kids can bring me unexpected surprises."

Kakashi said as he turned to leave.

"Guy-sensei, with you overseeing their training, I'll bow out as well."

Naruto said to Guy before turning to catch up with Kakashi.

He'd done everything he could and saw no reason to waste more time lingering there.

When Naruto caught up, Kakashi looked at him in doubts, "Why are you following me?"

"Come on, I want to take you to meet someone." Naruto replied with a mysterious smile as he led the way.

Kakashi was confused, but followed him anyway.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance to a hot spring house.

Kakashi asked in confusion, "What are we doing here?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Ignoring the main entrance, Naruto walked around to the back of the building.

Sure enough, there was someone lying against the wooden wall, peeking through a crack. A lascivious smile occasionally flickered across his face.

"Jiraiya-sama!"

Seeing the man, Kakashi's body tensed.

Before he could say anything more, Jiraiya, who is still pressed against the wall, made a hushing gesture.

But it was still too late. Upon hearing Kakashi's shout, the women in the bath shrieked, shouting that a pervert was spying on them.

"Let's go, let's talk somewhere else!"

In order to avoid experiencing yesterday's tragedy, Naruto led the group in a hasty escape. After a while, they ended up in a barbecue restaurant.

When the food was served, Kakashi still couldn't regain his composure, his voice trembling as he asked, "Jiraiya-sama, when did you come back? How come there is no news at all? Hokage-sama often wonders about you."

"I have no interest in seeing that old man. This time, I snuck back to avoid any commotion, just to collect some materials." Jiraiya said, sipping his sake.

"Material?" Kakashi was puzzled.

Jiraiya explained, "I'm working on a new book, traveling around to find inspiration. I'd just gotten an idea when you interrupted me… quite the spoilsport."

"Ah... that was my mistake."

As a loyal fan of Icha-Icha Paradise, Kakashi had read it hundreds of times, eagerly waiting for a new release. However, he did not expect that he would become a stumbling block for the new book. This is something he felt genuinely guilty about.

Seeing Kakashi apologize sincerely, Jiraiya turned his head to look at Naruto, and said with a frown, "Kid, you're partly to blame. If you hadn't brought Kakashi along, I wouldn't have had my plan interrupted. Tell me, why did you bring him to see me? What do you want?"

Despite their limited interactions, Jiraiya knew Naruto was the type who didn't visit without a reason, and this unannounced visit surely had a purpose.

Naruto chuckled, "Oh, I was just bored and thought I'd help speed up your inspiration gathering. In fact, I have a good plan..."