superior naruto

Do You Want to Learn the Eight Gates?

After Kurama's outburst, Naruto's consciousness retreated from the seal space. He decided to visit the ninja tool shop to look for equipment to help him train in the Eight Gates technique.

The shop had a variety of weights for sale. For beginners, there were simple ten-pound iron sandbags, priced at two hundred ryo per pair. For more advanced training, there were heavy metal blocks—ten pounds each—that allowed for adjustable weight. These cost two hundred and twenty ryo per block.

The shop also had specialized metal blocks infused with chakra-reactive materials. According to the shopkeeper, these blocks could change their weight when chakra was injected into them. However, their price was astronomical—thousands of ryo each. Naruto couldn't afford even one at the moment, so he decided to wait until he received his inheritance.

Next, Naruto looked for the type of scroll Hinata had given him. The price tag shocked him: 50,000 ryo.

It's true what they say—it's hardest to accept a gift from someone you care about. Naruto knew Hinata was the heiress of the Hyuga clan, but he doubted she could spend money freely. It was more likely that she had saved up for years to buy that scroll.

As Naruto stared at the scroll, the shopkeeper approached him.

Shopkeeper: "Is this the scroll you're looking for?"

Naruto: "No, only a fool would buy this scroll."

The shopkeeper was taken aback by Naruto's bluntness.

Naruto: "Uncle, what would you recommend as a gift for a girl?"

Shopkeeper: "It depends on the girl. If she's ordinary, flowers are fine. If she's a ninja, I'd recommend this."

The shopkeeper pulled out a thin vest from the shelf.

Naruto: "Underwear?!"

Giving a girl underwear would definitely get me killed.

Shopkeeper: "This isn't ordinary underwear. It's a high-grade, close-fitting soft armor. Its defensive capabilities are incredible—dozens of times stronger than the standard gear issued by Konoha."

It sounded impressive.

Naruto: "How much is it?"

Shopkeeper: "Just six nines."

Six nines? That meant 999,999 ryo—just one ryo short of a million.

Naruto forced a smile. "I'll come back when I have the money."

While he couldn't repay Hinata's 50,000 ryo gift with a million-ryo armor, Naruto felt it was worth it. Of course, whether he could afford it depended on how much money his inheritance would be.

Next, Naruto looked at ninja swords. He was considering training in the Leaf Style Swordsmanship from the Forbidden Scroll. However, ninja swords were far more expensive than weights.

A standard-issue ninja sword, like the ones used by ANBU, cost 500,000 ryo. Higher-quality swords, made from special materials or crafted by renowned swordsmiths, ranged from millions to tens of millions of ryo.

Naruto's eyes landed on the most expensive sword in the shop—a blade priced at 50 million ryo.

The shopkeeper, noticing Naruto's interest, approached him again.

Shopkeeper: "If you're looking for a sword, don't buy these off the shelf. Take a look here."

He pointed to a sign that read: Custom Orders.

Shopkeeper: "If you provide the materials and a small fee, I can craft you an excellent sword."

Naruto: "Custom-made? Shouldn't that be more expensive?"

Before the shopkeeper could answer, Naruto noticed a note on the sign: "Crafted by the shopkeeper himself."

So, the shopkeeper is a swordsmith?

Naruto: "I'll come to you for a custom sword after I pass the exams."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up. "You won't regret it!"

Naruto added, "But I'll only pay if the sword meets my expectations."

The shopkeeper grinned. "You'll be satisfied."

As Naruto left the shop, the shopkeeper turned to the most expensive sword on display and whispered, "Father, someone finally asked me to make a sword. This time, I'll create a blade that will satisfy any customer!"

If Naruto had seen this, he would've reconsidered and opted for a standard-issue sword instead.

The Next Day: Ninja School

When Naruto entered the ninja school, he immediately attracted attention.

Student 1: "Look, it's that loser."

Student 2: "I heard he's been held back two years. This is his third try."

Student 3: "If I were him, I'd just drop out. It's embarrassing."

Student 4: "Hey, his face looks bruised. Did someone beat him up?"

The whispers were loud and unapologetic. Despite his resolve to ignore them, Naruto felt a flicker of irritation. Combined with his exhaustion from staying up all night memorizing the Forbidden Scroll, his patience was wearing thin.

He glanced at the group of students mocking him. None of them were familiar faces—just a bunch of nameless bystanders.

I should teach them a lesson, Naruto thought, but he pushed the idea aside and headed to the classroom.

The whispers continued behind him.

Student 1: "Did he just glare at us?"

Student 2: "Forget it. Let's deal with him after class."

Deal with me? Naruto smirked. I'm looking forward to it.

Inside the classroom, Naruto spotted someone else who shared his misfortune: Sasuke.

Naruto: "Good morning."

Sasuke glanced at him and replied indifferently, "Morning."

The classroom fell silent. Since when were Naruto and Sasuke on speaking terms?

The confusion only grew when Sakura walked in.

Sakura: "Naruto? What are you doing here?"

Naruto: "I passed the graduation exam."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You passed?"

Naruto: "Yeah, I took a make-up test and passed."

Just then, Hinata entered the room.

Hinata: "Naruto-kun!"

Naruto waved her over, and she sat beside him. He felt a pang of guilt. In the original timeline, Sakura was supposed to be in Sasuke's team. Now, because of him, Hinata had taken her place.

I hope Sakura still ends up with Sasuke, Naruto thought. Otherwise, this is going to get awkward.

Soon, Iruka arrived and congratulated Naruto on passing the exam. He then began roll call.

Iruka: "The following students will form Team 7: Hyuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke."

Hinata's face lit up with joy. "Naruto-kun…"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, who had mentioned the team assignments the day before. Now it was confirmed.

So, our team will have someone with the Sharingan as our leader? Naruto thought. This should be interesting.