And just like that, the bell test ended rather unceremoniously.
Kakashi walked along the street, his mind already drifting back to the details of the bell test.
Although there was an element of him underestimating them, one could even say he was going incredibly easy on them.
Many of his powerful, lethal ninjutsu, and even his Sharingan, had remained unused.
But failure was failure; there was nothing to argue about.
"That Kekkei Genkai," he murmured softly, his eyes filled with gravity. "If developed properly, Naruto could perhaps become Konoha's most outstanding illusion-type ninja. Illusions combined with visual manipulation would be impossible to defend against; opponents wouldn't be able to distinguish between illusion and reality at all."
"However, I wonder how effective this Kekkei Genkai would be under the Sharingan's insight." Kakashi gently touched his covered eye, a nostalgic look in his own. "This was Obito's final gift, after all."
"Currently, Naruto seems a bit too reliant on his Kekkei Genkai. This is a significant drawback."
"Naruto's strength is considerable, and his personality is stable and gentle, but in battle, he's prone to underestimating enemies and becoming arrogant. It seems I'll need to assign him more character-building missions."
"As for those missions involving bloodshed... let's postpone those for a while."
"Given Naruto's personality, he should complete those boring missions perfectly. With him around, Sasuke and Sakura certainly won't have any complaints. That makes things easier for me too; I can be a hands-off manager."
"It's just a pity I didn't get to see Sasuke and Sakura's abilities." He chuckled softly and began to plan the team's role distribution with extreme seriousness.
"It seems necessary to find an opportunity to understand their strengths."
"From what I've seen so far..."
"Naruto, skilled in illusions and Taijutsu, is practically an all-rounder and can take on any role in combat. Sakura currently has no particular strengths, but it's said her chakra control is excellent. Perhaps she could become a decent medical ninja? Sasuke's Ninjutsu and Taijutsu are both good; like Naruto, he can be a primary attacker."
"I should be able to teach Sasuke Raikiri. As for Naruto... perhaps I can teach him the Rasengan."
Kakashi mused as he walked.
In the past, his sensei, Minato Namikaze, had invested immense effort in him.
Now, it was his turn to repay that to Naruto.
Within the seal space.
"Congratulations on passing the bell test, Naruto. Your performance was very impressive." Facing Naruto, Minato flashed his signature sunny smile.
"Thank you." Naruto nodded gently.
Initially, Naruto had harbored a trace of hatred for this father who had arbitrarily sealed the Nine-Tails within him.
He had buried this hatred deep in his heart, showing Minato only an indifferent, completely unconcerned attitude.
But Naruto was human, after all. Humans have the five emotions and six desires; naturally, they don't easily forget a painful past.
Regardless of Minato's original intentions, the fact that Naruto was hurt was indisputable.
It was like the complex relationship between a father and son.
Clearly knowing the other party is doing it 'for your own good.'
Yet sometimes, this so-called 'for your own good' seemed so ridiculous to him.
Thinking about it carefully, what parent would want to harm their own flesh and blood?
Perhaps the situation back then was urgent, and sealing the Nine-Tails within him might have been the best choice.
What was past was ultimately past. For Naruto, it was precisely because of past suffering that he had forged his current strong self.
He no longer hated Minato.
But he wouldn't be bound by familial affection either.
Because he understood.
The path he had to walk was destined to be a solitary one, a path leading to the heavens.
The strong are not bound by emotions; their only goal is ever to become stronger. "How is your Reiatsu cultivation progressing?" Naruto asked Minato.
Is Naruto concerned about me? He should still care about me in his heart. There's still a chance to repair our relationship, Minato thought, a flicker of joy in his heart.
Then he replied, "Progress is a bit slow, but I can already materialize a body. I think... I might be able to leave the seal space soon."
After cultivating Reiatsu, Minato could feel the connection between his body and the seal space weakening.
He had a premonition that he could leave Naruto's body and appear in the world in an entirely new form.
Perhaps that was what Naruto called a Shinigami.
"How does your current strength compare to before?" Naruto continued to ask.
"My current self should be able to exert about fifty percent of my peak strength," Minato said after a moment of thought. "But I can't fight for more than five minutes. My total Reiatsu isn't enough. If my Reiatsu is depleted, I'll dissipate directly."
Hearing this, Naruto fell into deep thought.
Minato was, in a way, his first subject for Shinigami transformation.
From the current situation, several years had only allowed Minato's body to stabilize and possess a certain degree of combat capability.
Fifty percent combat strength was completely insufficient; the current Minato likely couldn't even defeat Kakashi.
According to Aizen-sensei, mortals couldn't see Shinigami.
But with the existence of chakra, the situation might be different.
From the current situation, there were still many unknowns.
"Continue cultivating your Reiatsu. There might be things I'll need your help with in the future," Naruto's tone softened considerably.
In just a few short years, his own strength had grown decently, but compared to Konoha, it was undoubtedly like an egg striking a stone.
To completely break free from Konoha's control, he would inevitably need more leverage.
"Shinigami," Naruto murmured softly to himself, his eyes profound.
Perhaps the Shinigami plan could begin to get on track.
To form a troop sufficient to contend with the top fighting forces of the ninja world.
"Aizen-sensei, did you see my battle earlier?" After leaving the seal space where the Nine-Tails resided, Naruto asked Aizen.
"Naruto, your progress is truly significant." Aizen was as gentle as ever, with a hint of gratification.
"Maintain this rate of progress, and you'll soon be able to establish yourself in Konoha."
After these few years of observation, Aizen had also gained a general understanding of Konoha.
He had also witnessed some rather interesting ninjutsu.
In his view, the upper limit of ninjutsu wasn't low, and it was precisely because of this that he had already begun chakra-related Shinigami experiments.
"I still have to thank Aizen-sensei for these years of guidance," Naruto's tone was neither servile nor overbearing.
"No, in truth, I am merely a guide. The strength you've obtained is all due to your own efforts. Naruto, remember what I've said: from now on, I will not interfere in any of your decisions. Your growth is yours to command." Aizen stood up, facing the howling cold wind, the thick lenses of his glasses glinting.
"Fledglings always bring surprises because they are fearless."
"Do what you want to do, do it freely. That way, you will show me something wonderfully different."
The corners of Aizen's mouth curled up slightly, and a sharp glint suddenly flashed in his originally gentle eyes.
He felt the blood dormant within him finally showing signs of awakening.
Reiatsu + Nine-Tails + Chakra.
In the future, Naruto might truly become an existence equal to himself! He had been waiting for far, far too long.
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