A cool breeze stirred as afternoon sunlight filtered through the leafy canopy overhead. When Naruto Uzumaki looked up, the scattered rays shimmered like stars—bright enough to sting his eyes.
Clad in a thin layer of lightweight armor, Naruto tightened his protective headgear.
Inside the sealed space, Namikaze Minato watched with a worried expression.
"Naruto… you're already strong. You're only five years old. There's no need to push yourself this hard."
"Father, I'm not rushing," Naruto replied calmly. "I've never neglected taijutsu training, and I've already mastered every sealing technique you taught me."
He didn't mention ninjutsu. In that area, Minato had only taught him several variations of the Rasengan, along with basic techniques such as the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"But testing yourself with live shuriken drills is too dangerous," Minato insisted, hesitation flickering across his face.
"I'm wearing armor," Naruto said flatly. "Besides, didn't you want to test my reaction speed to see whether I'm qualified to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique (Hiraishin no Jutsu)?"
"No one is monitoring me right now. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is conducting inspections at the Konoha Hospital. This opportunity is rare—too good to miss."
Without waiting for a response, Naruto took out two sealing scrolls.
Channeling chakra into the storage formulas, six multi-shot kunai launchers materialized on the ground. Each launcher was capable of firing nine kunai simultaneously.
Naruto picked one up and walked to a stone platform with a bamboo basket full of kunai, carefully loading each launcher.
Once they were prepared, Naruto marked his standing position on the ground and began mounting the launchers onto surrounding tree trunks.
It had been one month since his encounter with Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke.
During that time, Naruto had spent every day inside the Mirror World, repeatedly fighting a data construct of Uchiha Itachi.
Just the night before, he finally received a breakthrough reward.
He obtained Itachi's shurikenjutsu mastery—and Fire Release chakra.
Earlier that month, Naruto had already mastered all of Minato's sealing techniques except one.
The Reaper Death Seal (Shiki Fūjin).
Minato had been absolutely firm: that jutsu was forbidden.
Later, Naruto asked to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique. With his immense chakra reserves and advanced sensory abilities, he believed he met the prerequisites.
Minato neither refused nor agreed.
He claimed Naruto's reflexes needed further evaluation—but in truth, he was hesitating.
Naruto had a vague understanding of why his father was reluctant.
But he didn't press the matter.
Whether Minato was stalling or seeking reassurance, Naruto already had a fallback plan.
The Mirror World had fully collected Minato's data the day they reunited.
And since Minato frequently accompanied him there, it was only a matter of time before Naruto could extract everything his father knew—permission or not.
Still, Naruto wanted to test himself.
If his reaction speed wasn't sufficient, he would simply focus on other paths.
After securing the tripwires that linked each launcher to a single trigger kunai, Naruto walked to three stone pillars beside the platform and planted the trigger kunai beneath his feet.
Minato's expression tightened.
"Naruto—"
"I'm starting," Naruto said calmly. "Please don't distract me."
Without looking back, he double-checked the alignment of each launcher. Then he kicked the kunai at his feet.
Thud—thud—thud!
The tripwires activated instantly.
All six launchers fired at once.
Fifty-four kunai tore through the air like a storm of steel.
Several embedded themselves into the ground.
But at the moment Naruto kicked the trigger, he had already leapt into the air.
His body twisted with precision as he flung out a handful of kunai, intercepting the incoming barrage.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as metal collided.
The interception was only partially successful.
As Naruto braced against one of the stone pillars midair, a sharp sting exploded in his abdomen and shoulder.
Two kunai struck his armor and bounced away.
The pain was minor.
But in that instant, Naruto's mind became razor-sharp.
Beneath the armor, his eyes turned cold—stripped of emotion, reduced to pure calculation.
His movements didn't falter.
His heart thundered. Blood surged through his veins like a raging river.
It felt as though time had slowed—
—but in reality, not even a blink had passed.
Still airborne, Naruto dodged the remaining kunai and landed cleanly on the side of the platform.
"Front-and-rear pincer pattern… If I hadn't intercepted first, I'd be skewered."
"So even without a Sharingan, I still can't fully predict every trajectory?"
"No. Based on my calculations, the shoulder hit was unavoidable."
"The real issue is psychological. Wearing armor subconsciously limited my movements."
As the kunai continued to quiver in the ground, Naruto reset the mechanisms—
—and began removing his armor.
Minato's eyes widened in horror.
"Naruto! Why are you taking off your armor?!"
"I'm trying again."
"Don't be reckless!" Minato's voice cracked. "You're already strong! I don't know why you're so obsessed with power, but you're still a child! You have time—take it step by step!"
Inside the seal, Kurama watched silently.
The Nine-Tails thought coldly:The Fourth Hokage doesn't understand his son nearly as well as I do.
From the moment their chakra first connected—when Kurama glimpsed Naruto's absolute, emotionless logic—it knew.
Every decision Naruto made was final.
Naruto finished removing his armor and planted the trigger kunai once more.
"Father," he said calmly, "I can't slow down."
"I passed that point a long time ago."
His voice held no anger or sorrow—only clarity. His eyes gleamed like unsheathed blades.
Minato's face twisted in anguish. He opened his mouth to protest—
—but froze.
Naruto had already kicked the kunai.
Thud—thud—thud!
Fifty-four kunai screamed through the air once more.
Naruto launched upward, arms flashing as intercepting kunai flew.
The first wave posed no threat at all.
Thwack!
Three kunai pierced his shoulder, blood spraying outward.
But he dodged the frontal barrage completely.
His body burned with adrenaline.
His blood boiled.
And yet his mind—
—was calmer than ever.
With a movement that defied logic, Naruto twisted midair and landed cleanly on the platform.
Raising his head, his blue eyes shone with lethal resolve.
"Father," he said quietly,"no one can make me slow down."
"Because I'm already chasing the right path."
Inside the sealed space, Namikaze Minato stood frozen—speechless, eyes wide with shock.
(End of Chapter)