"Uzumaki Chiana is avoiding me?"
When Naruto saw the selector's prompt, confusion flickered in his blue eyes.
Ever since the Nine-Tails had been transformed, he had only given her a name. He hadn't done anything inappropriate, nor had they communicated again after that.
So why was she avoiding him?
He even wondered if the system was bugged—or just plain stupid.
But the truth was undeniable: he really hadn't seen Uzumaki Chiana around lately.
In other words, she was indeed avoiding him.
Why?
Naruto looked down, hoping the selector's choices might offer some clues:
[Option 1: Stay friendly] – Kneel and beg her to come back. Reward: [Talent: Coward]
[Option 2: Be rational] – Let her go, move on with your luxurious life. Reward: [300 Days of Vitality and Energy]
[Option 3: Act aggressively] – Find her, punish her, and show her what a real master is. Reward: [10% Control over the Nine-Tails]
[Option 4: Be ruthless] – Find her, dismember her, and feed her to the dogs. Reward: [Summoning: Mount Myoboku Series]
Naruto's gaze lingered on the second choice. There was a possibility hidden in that line of thought.
Was she hiding because his lifestyle had become too indulgent?
Maybe she was shy. Maybe she was upset. Or maybe she felt unworthy to disturb her "master."
"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Uchiha Izumi noticed his distracted expression.
"Don't talk for now. Let me think." Naruto hugged Izumi by the waist, nestled into her arms, and rested his chin lightly on her shoulder.
In Izumi's soft embrace, Naruto said nothing, his mind instead occupied by another woman—Uzumaki Chiana. Her presence had been so unique that he couldn't help but care.
Time passed slowly, and Izumi's warm fingers gently traced the lines of his face.
"If anything's bothering you, tell me, Naruto-kun. I'll help you," Izumi said softly.
"It's nothing." Naruto smiled faintly. "I was just wondering why you smell so good."
Then he leaned forward and gave her smooth shoulder a playful bite.
"Pfft." Izumi chuckled, knowing he was teasing her to lighten the mood. Still, her heart warmed. She pinched his cheek and said, "Because I smell like Naruto-kun. That's why it smells good."
Her gentleness was like water—calm, tender, and reassuring.
Naruto inhaled her fragrance deeply. In this moment, wrapped in her warmth, he felt safe, almost nostalgic.
Really…
Izumi was right here in front of him—why was he letting himself overthink things?
He'd make a decision about the choice after he properly spent time with the girl before him.
"Sister Izumi, are you hungry?"
"I'll treat you to something delicious."
After preparing a feast and letting Izumi eat to her heart's content, Naruto left her satisfied and content.
Right now, it was rest time for the returning troops. Everyone was busy recuperating. As long as Naruto returned before assembly, no one would notice his brief disappearance—or sudden reappearance.
No one... except Mabui, who had quietly been watching him from the shadows.
She had been waiting for Naruto, intending to teach him a powerful ninjutsu.
When Naruto suddenly appeared before her, Mabui froze in surprise.
Only when he waved his hand in front of her face did she snap out of her daze.
"What are you daydreaming about?"
"Naruto-kun... was that just now... the legendary Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Mabui's voice was filled with awe. She had mistaken his sudden appearance as the infamous teleportation jutsu.
As the former secretary of the Fourth Raikage, she knew well that he and Killer Bee had once been defeated by the Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze.
The most fearsome technique of the Yellow Flash... was the Flying Thunder God. It had shocked the entire ninja world.
In fact, the five great nations had once declared:
"If you encounter Konoha's Yellow Flash on a mission, you are permitted to retreat without penalty."
If Naruto had mastered that technique, Mabui would easily understand how the Raikage had died.
Noticing the gleam in her eyes, Naruto smiled and said:
"It's not Flying Thunder God. I used another space-time ninjutsu. I'd love to learn that technique, but I don't know how."
Mabui accepted his explanation. Now that she had pledged herself to him, there was no need for him to lie.
Still, she felt a little let down.
She had secretly hoped that if he truly knew Flying Thunder God, then after teaching him Tensou no Jutsu, she might be able to learn something from him in return.
She still couldn't forget how poorly Kumogakure had treated her—especially the Black Faction. They had used her, then cast her aside without explanation.
Worse, they had tried to kill her.
Had Naruto not eliminated Darui that day, she might've already been dead.
She would take revenge—eventually.
Seeing the hatred flash in her eyes, Naruto gently said:
"Don't think too much. Things are heading in a better direction, right?"
Mabui scoffed: "Better? I'm your servant for three years. You call that good?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Tch. You say that, but you don't even call me 'Master.' What kind of servant are you?"
Mabui crossed her arms. "Says who? Since when do servants have to say 'Master?'"
She glanced at the sky and mumbled under her breath:
"Besides, I'm the one teaching ninjutsu here. Some pervert just wants to be called master for kicks."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "If you're just going to mouth off, be quiet."
Mabui shrugged indifferently and turned away with an expression that screamed 'Come at me.'
"...Hmph, I'll let it slide."
Naruto muttered. If he didn't still need her guidance for the Tensou Technique, he would've made her kneel and sing Conquer on the spot.
"Let's begin. We don't have much time before we move out."
Naruto began circulating his chakra, releasing it into the surroundings.
Mabui had explained earlier: The Tensou Technique required using chakra to open a mysterious channel—one that connected to the real world and allowed matter to move at the speed of sound or light.
The essence of Tensou no Jutsu was not teleportation, but high-speed physical movement.
Naruto hadn't even completed the first step yet. He still couldn't feel the mysterious energy Mabui spoke of.
One had to detect it, open it, enter it, reach the deepest part of the tunnel, move, and then exit exactly where the caster wished.
That was the Tensou Technique.
"Everyone can detect it if they try hard enough. I'll help you."
Mabui moved closer to him, their shoulders nearly touching, and together they closed their eyes, releasing chakra.
Naruto could smell the faint scent from her skin.
Honestly, he had once thought all black people smelled weird. But after meeting Mabui, he realized how wrong he was.
Anyone smells good if they shower and use soap regularly.
Suddenly, Mabui whispered:
"Left!"
Naruto immediately shifted his chakra to the left.
Though his eyes were shut, he saw a brief white flash in the darkness.
Was that the channel?
It vanished before he could touch it.
"Above us!" Mabui shouted next.
Naruto again shifted his chakra upward—but failed.
"Something's wrong," he muttered. "My perception isn't weak. How come you can see it but I only sense it after?"
Mabui grinned: "That's talent. Some people pick up space ninjutsu instantly. Others never do."
Naruto: "..."
Yeah, okay. That was smug.
"So once your chakra touches the channel, you've completed the first step?"
"Yes. But again—most people can't even find it," Mabui said. "Even I needed over a year to get that far."
Naruto smiled. "Then I get it."
Mabui smiled too. "Don't be discouraged. You're young and powerful. Maybe in a year or two—"
Boom.
Naruto suddenly erupted with a massive surge of chakra.
It was equivalent to 100 Rasengans being formed simultaneously—or the total chakra of 20 elite jonin.
If Kakashi was the measuring stick, it was like 10 late-stage Kakashis exploding at once.
But Naruto didn't flinch. He didn't even sweat.
And in that instant, he found the white flash—he completed the first step effortlessly.
"Done." Naruto opened his eyes, grinning. "What's next?"
Mabui was stunned.
Naruto waved his hand in front of her face.
Still stunned.
After a moment, she stammered, "You… you used that much chakra... just to catch it?"
"Is that a problem?" Naruto asked, genuinely confused.
Mabui's mouth twitched. "You don't think that's a problem?"
Oh.
Naruto smirked, finally getting it. "Well, if you can't find the target gently, why not just blast the whole area? Seems efficient to me."
"That's not efficient—it's reckless!" Mabui nearly screamed. "You're wasting chakra!"
Naruto shrugged. "Says who? It's not like I'll run out."
Damn this guy's smug face.
Mabui nearly believed him… but couldn't ignore how absurdly unfair it felt.
She was like a poor student who studied for years to enter a top university—only to find that the lazy rich kid waltzed in with money and charm.
Naruto poked her cheek. "Come on, what's next?"
"Ughhh…" Mabui resisted the urge to flip a table.
Damn Jinchūriki.
That power's not even yours—it's the tailed beast's!
Naruto: "??? Are you brain-dead?"
"You're brain-dead!"
Mabui took a deep breath, calmed herself, and glared at him.
"Next—wrap your object in chakra and send it through the channel. Your chakra will anchor the object and feed back the destination to your mind. Then, just throw."
She demonstrated by sending a branch through the white dot. The branch appeared five meters away, splintered.
"One flaw of this technique," she said, "is that ordinary objects can't handle the velocity. They get torn apart."
Naruto nodded and clapped his hands, releasing another massive surge of chakra.
He wrapped a stone in golden chakra, flung it through the white dot, and instantly saw an image flash in his mind.
The stone landed ten meters away—completely intact.
Mabui gasped. "That's not possible...!"
"Looks like the strength of your chakra affects the damage, too," Naruto said smugly.
Mabui: "...I can't take this anymore!"
"Your chakra isn't even as refined as the Fourth Raikage's—but your body can use Tensou Technique?"
Naruto grinned. "Really?"
"Yes!"
Mabui raised her head defiantly. But in the next moment, Naruto vanished before her eyes in a flash of golden light.
She froze.
A strong gust blew past her, lifting strands of her pale hair.
Her mind cleared, and a terrible memory returned.
There was a secret she had never told Naruto—her teacher had once entered the channel… and never came back.
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Are you trying to die?!"
But Naruto didn't hear her scream.
Because at that moment—
He was already inside the channel. Traveling.