Boom!
With the last thunderclap striking down, the island finally began to return to calm.
Some animals cautiously poked their heads out from their hiding spots. Seeing the rain gradually lessening, they began a new round of hunting.
Different from those animals, Konohamaru, seated at the peak of a certain mountain, let out a long sigh.
"Still haven't mastered it, huh?"
Perhaps because the food in this world was more helpful for development, Konohamaru now looked very much like a teenager of sixteen or seventeen.
If he didn't explain it himself, probably no one would believe he wasn't even ten years old yet.
He stood up from the rock, then gave a full-body shake, sending the rainwater flying off.
The reason for being in this place was that it was the highest point on this outlying island.
In other words, the place most likely to get struck by lightning.
Of course, Konohamaru wasn't trying to get himself killed.
He was following the method taught by Naruto, attempting to master the Lightning Chakra Nature Transformation in the most brutal and direct way.
Aside from special cases like Lee, almost every Ninja inherently possessed one or several basic Chakra Natures to a greater or lesser extent at birth.
For example, Konohamaru was born with Wind and Fire Natures. To master other Nature Transformations, it required years and years of honing.
Depending on each person's affinity for different natures, the speed of mastering other natures also varied.
For instance, Naruto originally only had Wind Attribute Chakra.
But he was highly compatible with the other four common natures. So, even without guidance, he mastered all five basic natures through different methods.
There were many such methods, for example—
Conducting Chakra Training in an environment filled with lightning.
Of course, to avoid being turned into charcoal, Konohamaru made many other preparations.
"Hey!"
He made a few small jumps to a nearby small stone platform and pulled out the long metal rod he had prepared in advance from the rock.
Thanks to the metal rod's lightning-conducting effect, Konohamaru could safely train amidst the thunder.
—Though if meteorologists saw this scene, they'd probably scream sharply on the spot.
Natural lightning couldn't be dealt with by such a crude 'lightning rod'. Both Naruto and Konohamaru were truly daring in teaching and learning.
The quality of this metal rod was pretty good. Even after being struck by lightning several times, it still hadn't deformed or showed any other issues.
Konohamaru tied it up with burlap and slung it on his back. He still needed it for cooking at night.
Thud, thud...
When the last raindrop fell, Konohamaru returned to the foot of the mountain.
Arriving in front of a giant tree, he pushed aside the shrubs in front. There was a decent-sized hollow at the base of the tree.
Konohamaru stored all his supplies and equipment here.
After resting for a short while, he left his shelter again, ready to begin his daily training.
Natural thunderstorms like that were rare opportunities. It was precisely for this reason that Konohamaru delayed his training progress, choosing to first attempt to awaken Lightning Chakra Nature Transformation.
He had been eyeing Sasuke's Lightning Release Chakra Mode for days.
That move, which could greatly enhance one's speed and strength, would be like adding wings to a tiger for the current Konohamaru.
However, when he arrived at his usual training spot, he saw a familiar figure.
"Yo, Konohamaru, how's the training going?"
Naruto sensed Konohamaru's approach, casually threw aside the fishing rod made of branches, then turned and smiled at his little brother.
But upon seeing Naruto after so long, Konohamaru didn't show joy first. Instead, he seemed hesitant to speak.
"Naruto Aniki... your face..."
Konohamaru pointed.
Hearing this, Naruto seemed to remember, offering an awkward smile.
"Fell. I came in a hurry, and accidentally fell."
Meaning: A guy who mastered Six Paths Sage Mode, can fly free from gravity, punches Emperors, and kicks Admirals, got a black eye because he walked too fast?
Great, it's very convincing.
"Was it Hancock-nee..."
His probing words weren't finished before he met Naruto's gaze.
"Sigh..."
With a long sigh, Konohamaru chose not to continue asking.
"Who told you to get involved with two women at the same time, Naruto Aniki... If it were me, I wouldn't be interested in love or anything."
During his days on Amazon Lily, Konohamaru had also witnessed the interaction between Naruto and the two 'big sisters'.
How to put it... it planted a seed of lifelong bachelorhood in Konohamaru's young heart.
Love and marriage? He didn't want any of that.
"What does a brat like you know about this kind of thing... You'll understand when you grow up a bit more."
Naruto, a bit annoyed and embarrassed upon hearing this, reached out and ruffled Konohamaru's tied-up hair into a mess.
After fooling around for a bit, the two finally found a place to sit again.
"So, what is it this time?"
Konohamaru took a new set of clothes from the supplies Naruto brought, changing while asking.
In fact, this wasn't the first time Naruto had come here to 'take refuge'.
"Sigh... it's still about the wedding."
Bringing up this topic gave Naruto a headache.
Hancock and Stussy, neither was the type to willingly compromise.
As a predecessor said: If you want a lifetime without peace, then marry two wives.
Hancock, the [Pirate Empress] who thinks she's above the world, speaks for herself… her tyranny is well known.
Plus, she's currently pregnant. Naruto even had to retract all his abilities as much as possible when being hit to avoid injuring her through counter-force.
As for Stussy, don't be fooled by her outwardly obedient, clingy demeanor.
Someone who could be a mole under the World Government's nose for so many years and even build such a vast intelligence network couldn't possibly be some innocent little flower.
Although her direct combat power couldn't match Hancock's, when it came to scheming, ten Hancocks wouldn't be enough for her.
On the matter of Naruto's wedding, both women's attitudes were very firm.
Either don't hold a wedding, or I go first.
And now that Hancock is pregnant, the wedding can't be delayed any longer.
"Then why not hold it together?"
Konohamaru said somewhat naively.
He was met with Naruto's horrified gaze.
"Do you know what you're saying?"
If he dared say that, who knows how those two women would react?
It's definitely not something as simple as punching his eyes a couple of times.
Rubbing his temples, the bruise on Naruto's face quietly faded, then a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"If only it were that simple... Forget it, let's not talk about this for now."
As if to escape some bad memory, Naruto suddenly brought up another topic.
"Konohamaru, your physical fitness and Chakra Control have both reached the standard."
"I came mainly to start you on the next phase of your training plan this time."
Saying so, he took out several scrolls from his Storage Space and placed them before Konohamaru.
"...You didn't come here to take refuge?"
Konohamaru muttered quietly.
Hearing this, Naruto's expression changed, about to put the scrolls away.
Seeing this, Konohamaru immediately changed his tune.
"Wrong, I said it wrong, nothing of the sort, Naruto Aniki, teach me, please~"
To be honest, if it were the Konohamaru from when he first met Naruto acting all coquettish like this, Naruto would just think he was an interesting kid.
But now, with Konohamaru's current physique, acting like this just felt too jarring to Naruto.
'He's only nine, he's only nine...'
Reciting this in his mind a few times finally made the coquettish Konohamaru in front seem a bit more normal. Only then did Naruto spread the scrolls open again.
"Here, these are Ninjutsu generously provided by kind individuals, along with some I developed myself."
"Next, it's time to learn some more interesting techniques."
Konohamaru's gaze followed Naruto's finger. The lines of text recorded on the scrolls represented powerful, secret techniques not passed on. He really wondered where Naruto learned them all.