"A hero?"
The double-chinned little boy raised his hand to wipe away his snot and tears, his face smudged, as he looked at Naruto, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Big Brother, so you're a hero! No wonder you're so amazing."
"This is great, this is great! I won't be afraid of monsters anymore; I have a hero to protect me!"
Naruto naturally planted the seed of hero worship in the double-chinned little boy's heart, thus successfully completing the main mission.
The wealthy Agoni would take the lead in establishing the Hero Association, setting the story of the One-Punch Man World on the right track.
"But—I defeated the Crab Monster and saved Agoni's grandson, what about Saitama?"
"Will he lose the opportunity to become stronger because of this, and thus fail to become that invincible bald cape hero?!"
Naruto felt a doubt in his heart and looked around.
Sure enough, among the few passersby watching outside the park, he saw Saitama, who still had a full head of hair.
In the original story, after Saitama entered society, he fell into a state of unemployment and decadence, but during his battle with the Crab Monster, he rediscovered his childhood dream of becoming a hero and began to train his body diligently, continuously growing stronger.
Now, does Saitama still want to be a hero?
After Naruto's gaze locked onto Saitama, he walked over to him.
Saitama saw the young man who had easily defeated the Crab Monster walking towards him, first looking around in confusion, then pointing to his own nose, "You—are you looking for me?"
Naruto nodded: "Do you want to become as strong as me? Do you want to become a hero?"
"A—hero—"
Saitama recalled his school days, when his own weakness made him doubt his future.
"I—I—can I become as strong as you?"
Saitama opened his mouth, and the briefcase he was carrying unconsciously dropped to the ground. He was completely unaware, staring intently at Naruto with a shocked expression, asking with a hint of disbelief.
"That's right, if you become my disciple, I can teach you."
Naruto said with a smile.
While Saitama was still an ordinary person without any powerful abilities, Naruto seized the opportunity to take him as a disciple, gaining a huge advantage.
In the future, if he ever encountered an unbeatable opponent, he could just call on Saitama to appear, which would be better than any cheat.
[Hidden Mission: Taking Saitama as a Disciple]
[Mission Content: Get stronger with Saitama, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, 10 km long-distance run every day, and no air conditioning even if it's hot, for three years.]
[Mission Reward: 100,000 experience points, 20,000 exchange tickets, Remove the human body restraint! (Remove Human Limiter!)]
"A hidden mission was triggered?"
Naruto's eyes lit up when he saw the system pop-up window that suddenly appeared.
Although the mission duration was a bit long, the mission rewards were too tempting for Naruto.
Remove Human Limiter?
It was said that the reason Saitama was able to become so strong was because he had removed his Human Limiter.
Could he also become as strong as Saitama?
He wondered if he would lose his hair.
Naruto, after all, inherited Minato Namikaze's good looks; he was a handsome, sunny blonde. But if he became bald, Naruto wasn't sure if he would still be handsome.
"No pain, no gain. Saitama's price for becoming strong was baldness and losing his emotions. It might not be the same for me."
Naruto's mind raced, constantly weighing the pros and cons.
Saitama, however, was overcome with excitement by Naruto's proposal.
"Apprenticeship—"
"What, unwilling?"
"No, no, no, I'm willing, I'm willing!"
"I'll be able to become a hero too~"
Saitama threw his briefcase into the air and cheered, waving his arms and legs. He hadn't lost his emotions yet, so he appeared perfectly normal, even a bit lively.
Naruto said with a serious expression: "Saitama, every day from now on, you will endure extremely strict and brutal training. I hope you are mentally prepared."
Hearing "strict and brutal," Saitama's heart skipped a beat.
"Master, what kind of training is it?"
"100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km long-distance run every day, and no air conditioning even when it's hot."
"Is it that difficult?!"
Saitama exclaimed.
In his opinion, these were indeed quite rigorous exercises, but in reality, they weren't even enough to fill the gaps for Taijutsu Ninja like Might Guy and Rock Lee.
If Might Guy and Rock Lee knew that Saitama could become stronger than even opening the Eight Gates Formation through such childish training, they would probably be so shocked and envious that their jaws would drop.
"Is it hard? If you don't have this much perseverance and determination, then don't be a hero."
Naruto frowned slightly, dropped his words, and pretended to leave, but Saitama grabbed him.
"Master, I'll learn!"
Saitama's expression became incredibly serious and earnest.
"That's right, people who truly want to become strong don't mess around," Naruto nodded in satisfaction.
For the next three years, Naruto primarily spent his time in the One-Punch Man World and the Fire Shadow World.
Of course, he would also frequently visit friends in the Demon Slayer World, Goblin Slayer World, and Kōtetsujō World.
He hadn't finished devouring the Kabane in the Kōtetsujō World yet, and the Sword Saintess, Witch, and Female Gun God in the Goblin Slayer World were all close confidantes, so he naturally wouldn't abandon or forget them.
Additionally, he also discovered that because his level had reached its cap, even if he gained experience points, he couldn't level up unless he became a god, broke the level cap, or had another opportunity. So, Naruto wasn't in a hurry to kill monsters or do missions, but rather enjoyed three years of peaceful time and focused on his cultivation.
Year One, Spring.
One-Punch Man World, Z-City Park!
Early morning, just as dawn broke.
Cold rain, mixed with the chill of early spring, drizzled down.
"99, 100!"
Saitama finished his last push-up, his arm muscles aching but filled with a sense of power.
He wiped the rain and sweat from his face and looked at the blonde young man next to him, who had already finished his push-ups.
"Naruto-sensei, do we still have to run 10 kilometers even when it's raining?"
Naruto, wearing his iconic orange sports jacket, replied noncommittally: "Of course, I never said that rainy days exempt you from training."
"If you don't finish the run, you won't get breakfast, and you'll be hungry."
"Okay!"
Saitama agreed without hesitation and followed Naruto's pace.
The two, one after the other, plunged into the rain, beginning their 10-kilometer long-distance run around the park.
To be honest, though, this ordinary training had a negligible effect on Naruto's improvement.
He could only wait until three years later, when the hidden mission was completed, and the system rewarded him with the removal of his Human Limiter, to see how much stronger he would become.
Year One, Summer.
Fire Shadow World, Konoha's Back Mountain.
"Hinata, your punches need to be more concentrated! Imagine your Chakra isn't dispersed, but like a Rasengan, a spiraling force!"
Naruto easily blocked Hinata's Gentle Fist with his palm.
"Ino, don't get distracted! Your mental power is strong enough, but it needs to be as solid as an arrow, to be faster and more accurate!"
Under the scorching sun, Naruto, wearing Konoha Village's green vest, diligently guided Hinata and Ino.