"Thanks a ton, old man Teuchi!" Uzumaki polished off his third super-large bowl of ramen and hopped off the stool. "Master Saitama, where are we doing the training?"
Caped Baldy racked his brains. In that world, the training location hadn't mattered to him. He'd just go outside and push himself to the limit. Here, though, ninjas probably had special spots to hone their skills. But where those places were and if he could even go there without permission—the guy had no clue.
"We can hit one of the nearest ANBU training grounds today. It's usually empty. I'll show you," Seeing Saitama struggling to respond, Anko offered her idea. "Later on, Naruto, you should find out which training ground is assigned to your team. Who's your trio's instructor?"
The blond thoughtfully scratched his head:
"I don't remember. He ended up in the hospital after some mission, so my team's on break for now."
"I see..." Mitarashi drawled. "Alright, let's go!"
Twenty minutes of leisurely walking later, Anko, Naruto, and Saitama reached the empty training ground. During that time, the kunoichi tried to subtly fish for info on her assignment for the day. She wasn't counting on much. But they answered. And how! This Saitama spun such an absurd tale that the tokubetsu-jonin marveled at how anyone could even come up with it: he's a hero from another world who usually fights monsters, and after clashing with one—he accidentally ended up in this world... No, what a cheeky bastard! Who does he take her for? Some hick idiot? And the straight face while pouring ramen in her ears. Brilliant acting. They'd bluntly hinted for her to butt out. Anko wasn't stupid, so she dropped the subject.
The little jinchuriki, meanwhile, was clearly impressed and hung on his master's every word during the walk, mouth agape. Makes sense: kid's a kid. Plus, the answer was probably tailored to wow the boy. Anko, though, was outright amused by the storyteller's yarn. Especially the bit about Saitama's supposedly brutal training—so intense he even went bald. What nonsense. How do you go bald from training?
"More likely grow bushy eyebrows..." flashed through Anko's mind... and where'd Naruto even get the idea this guy's so strong? Sure, he takes a hit well, but to Kage level? Miles away.
"Master, will I go bald too?" Naruto asked anxiously as they passed the fence of training ground number 66.
"Kid, too early to say. Survive the first day first," Caped Baldy grinned.
Uzumaki nodded confidently, but he'd already decided: "Whatever's coming—I'll never back down..."
Out loud, the blond declared firmly:
"Master Saitama! I'm ready for anything to get as strong as you. And after that—I'll become Hokage. So what's your super-awesome training?"
One-Punch Man thought hard. The hero remembered that everyone he'd told about his "special" training hadn't been too impressed; some even thought he was messing with them. But he really hadn't done anything else. A hundred reps per major muscle group and ten kilometers of running daily. Now even Saitama was starting to think maybe the workouts weren't that grueling. But back then—for him, they were pure horror.
Still, right now the hero's main goal wasn't mentoring the kid, but scaring him off. He needed to suggest such an insane regimen that the brat would quit on his own. Rifling through knowledge from movies and manga, Saitama found a way.
The bald guy plastered on the most serious face he could muster and began instructing his "student":
"Alright, Naruto! Heed your teacher's words!"
Uzumaki straightened up like a string and, fists clenched, drank in every word from his sensei. Caped Baldy continued:
"You're in for brutal training. Even if your tendons snap, muscles burst, and bones crack during it—you must ignore it all..."
During his speech, Saitama watched Naruto's reaction. And he didn't like it: sharp, determined gaze, unbreakable will, drive to the end. For a kid, it was weird, to put it mildly, and Caped Baldy started worrying if he'd kill the boy with his super-training. But seeing the unquenchable fire in the kid's eyes, he realized this little demon wouldn't back off easily.
Releasing a bit of yaki, Saitama fixed a stern gaze on the kid and enunciated each word:
"Training starts... ten thousand push-ups, ten thousand squats, ten thousand sit-ups... Then run a hundred kilometers! Execute!"
"Hai!" Naruto immediately dropped for push-ups, and the bald hero sighed in relief.
He figured such loads would definitely kill the kid's training bug. Soon the boy would quit, and Saitama could go hang with Anko. She was supposed to show him Konoha. And there was something else she had to do, but the one-punch master couldn't recall what. Seemed important.
"Got to admit, for a regular kid, that's absurd load. But Naruto's no regular kid, so he'll adjust in time," Mitarashi muttered.
That many reps really could be over the top for average genin, chunin, or weak jonin. But for Konoha's Green Beast and his student, it was just light warm-up; those same exercises with weights and log-running on shoulders—that was different.
"Who'd have thought, Saitama, you'd train the jinchuriki Power of Youth style," the girl said, shuddering involuntarily at the thought of Gai.
"Huh? What Power of Youth?" the guy didn't get it.
And Anko had to tell Saitama about Konoha's top taijutsu master, Might Guy, and his strength-building methods, which were pretty much like Caped Baldy's. Then Mitarashi explained what taijutsu was. Next, the girl started schooling the guy on jinchuriki, starting from the backstory...
Saitama was intrigued by the guy with such brutal training. He wanted to spar with the Green Beast—close-combat master. But all the info on chakra fruits, rabbits, some Rikudo, and tailed beasts—he let go in one ear and out the other as usual, pretending to listen while starting to nod off.
"Got it, Anko," the bald guy drawled, yawning widely.
Seeing his reaction, the girl gave up on explanations and pointed at Naruto:
"The boy's wiped. He needs a break."
The little jinchuriki's arms were barely holding him up. He was shaking from strain, cheeks flushed, sweat pouring. He was muttering faintly:
"One thousand seven hundred one... one thousand seven hundred... t-two... th-three..."
Saitama was surprised by the kid's endurance. Good thing he'd said ten thousand reps, not a hundred. That would've been a joke—the little monster hadn't even gotten winded in the first two hundred; no way it'd push his physical limits.
"Enough, Naruto!" the hero said firmly.
Uzumaki wanted to argue, but his arms gave out and he face-planted into the grass. Flipping onto his back, the blond spread his arms wide. Gulping air, he rasped:
"Master Saitama!.. Heh... I... heh... not done yet..."
"Calm down, Naruto," Anko decided to butt into the "lesson." "Saitama didn't say you had to do them all in a row without breaks. Right?" She glanced at the bald guy, who nodded sagely a moment later.
Doing them back-to-back was kinda implied, but technically he hadn't said it. Plus, the hero figured loads should ramp up gradually, or he'd kill the kid. He'd broken his limits as an adult man. Naruto was basically a child.
"So anyway," the kunoichi continued, "you can train strength on your own. But that alone won't get you far."
The boy, a bit rested, sat up to hear what the girl had to say.
"That's not all, right, Saitama? You must have a training plan for Naruto, don't you?" Mitarashi asked, squinting slyly.
"Damn, damn... Where'd you come from with your questions? I wasn't gonna teach the kid jack. Think, think..."
Enlightenment struck Saitama, and he launched into another inspired speech:
"True enough, Naruto. You must understand—strength isn't everything for a shinobi. Sometimes strength won't help. Smarts will. So besides standard training, you'll temper your mind. A dumb shinobi's a dead shinobi..."
"What the hell am I even saying?!" flashed through Saitama's mind.
Anko raised an eyebrow in confusion and asked:
"And how's he gonna do that?"
"Anko! Why you gotta get revenge like this?.. What'd I do? But good question. Yeah, how? What's this kid got that others don't?.."
When he wanted, Saitama could think at advanced supercomputer speed. This was just such a critical moment, deciding his cool-teacher image. Though Caped Baldy had planned to ditch the kid quick, seeing his persistence, Saitama instantly recalled Genos. Comparing them, he realized the little blond wouldn't quit. Needed to keep the kid busy. Rifling memories—especially what he knew about Naruto—he found a solution.
"Hmm..." Saitama began meaningfully. "Obvious, kid. You got that cool technique that makes multiples of you, right?"
Naruto nodded:
"Yeah, Master Saitama. Shadow Clone Technique. I learned it last night..."
Anko was stunned. Learn a B-rank technique overnight. The kid must be lying. That took genius level. And Uzumaki wasn't exactly genius material.
"So, with that technique, you can multitask. Like, make clones—some hit the library for new knowledge, others train with you?"
Uzumaki froze a bit. First, he wasn't sure if you could use the technique like that. The little jinchuriki also straight-up didn't get how reading boring books and scrolls would help. Or get him strongest, then closer to his dream—Hokage. He voiced the doubts to his sensei.
Saitama didn't get why the kid needed it either. He was just spouting nonsense with a straight face, trying to sell it. The question caught him off-guard, but this time Anko bailed him out.
"You're wrong, Naruto. Let me explain step by step. The Second Hokage's technique is made for getting info from clones. Shadow clones are usually for recon: when they dispel, they send intel to the original. Pure theory—you could use it for fast learning, but only with huge chakra reserves. Using them for strength training's a waste of time, though—no muscles, bones, etc.; they're pure chakra, though they look identical to the original." Mitarashi paused to let the kid digest.
"That's cool, dattebayo, but I still don't get why study scrolls in the library..." The blond grinned wide, scratching his head. He hated reading and studying. Wanted to know if those subjects were really necessary. They weren't cool techniques or his new teacher's absolute power. So what's the point?
Saitama agreed with Naruto—he'd mostly read manga his whole life, light novels occasionally; so keeping a straight face, he waited for the kunoichi's answer too.
"That's what I was about to get to," Mitarashi smiled. "As your new teacher said, not everything in a shinobi's life is solved by strength. To be Hokage, you need to know tons. General subjects: master history, geography, math, economics, psychology, political science, tactics... lots to learn. And that's just a fraction of what a village leader needs. For shinobi-specific..."
Anko paused briefly. No need to overload the kid yet, so she suggested what'd definitely help:
"For starters, theory of chakra, jutsu history, physiology. Academy covers basics, but not all. Bottom line: general subjects help as future village leader; knowledge of ninjutsu varieties, seal properties, taijutsu styles, chakra channel structure, tenketsu locations—that preps you for future fights. Sometimes to win, you need not just jutsu mastery, but knowing your enemy. Strengths, weaknesses..."
"Hrrr... pfiii..." Saitama's snoring cut off her lecture.
Mitarashi's eye twitched. The bald shinobi had dozed off right next to her! Standing up! She wanted to whack his smooth dome when she heard soft snores from the kid. He was asleep too, sitting.
"Kami! Are you kidding me?!" Anko hissed. "Who am I even talking to here?"
Was she really that bad a teacher? Or were these guys just awful listeners?
"Rise and shine, Saitama!" she yelled in the bald ninja's ear.
The guy jolted awake, and Naruto, rousing, looked around in shock.
"Why yell, Anko? Discount time? Or lunch already?"
The kunoichi sighed heavily, trying to tamp down her irritation. Men often got under her skin, but this bald punk was next level. She told herself he was just playing dumb, really just acting dim or outright stupid. After all, Saitama had said some pretty logical, convincing stuff recently. Like the shadow clone training for learning new things. Sure, the technique had nuances and dispel side effects, but whatever.
"Bijuu, Saitama! Can you at least act serious and normal for a bit?" Anko pleaded.
"Sure," the guy nodded.
The hero didn't get the specific accusation, but decided to play dumb and not stand out; though he asked one last thing:
"Who's Bijuu?"
Mitarashi dropped her gaze wearily. She'd just explained tailed beasts and jinchuriki. Started from the backstory even...
The girl decided she wouldn't pay attention to the bald shinobi's "jokes" anymore. Her nerves were too frayed to take them seriously.
"I'm not worried about that, forget it. So, what's up with Naruto's training?" the Kunoichi decided to return to the main topic.
"What about it?.. Oh, right," the guy slapped his forehead.
Gathering his thoughts, Saitama continued, addressing Uzumaki:
"Listen carefully, my student. Your goal is to become not only the strongest, but also the smartest shinobi. To do that, you'll create as many clones as possible right now, and they'll scour every possible and impossible textbook, scroll, reference book…"
"Huh? What kind of reference books?"
"I'm sure Anko will help you figure out the main directions and tell you what to study. Leave some clones here for training."
"But training with clones in strength exercises is pointless—they're made of chakra!" Mitarashi wailed. This guy just wouldn't listen to her at all. She wanted to tear out Saitama's hair by the roots, but that was impossible for perfectly obvious reasons.
The hero let the Kunoichi's remark go in one ear and out the other. After all, the result wasn't what mattered to him—he just wanted to occupy the kid with something so he wouldn't bug him for a while, at least. What happened next would be seen in due time.
"There are no pointless trainings," Caped Baldy stated firmly. "Leave the clones, and they'll practice basic punches in the air. As they say, better to train one punch a thousand times than a thousand different punches once. Meanwhile, you'll do your daily quota—ten thousand reps for each main exercise, plus a thousand kilometers of running!"
"Master Saitama, but you said to run a hundred kilometers," Naruto reminded the bald guy.
"…Argue with the master, and you'll do ten times more!" the hero declared without appeal. "Clear?"
"Yes!" Uzumaki nodded like a proper bobblehead and formed the seal for the jutsu. "Shadow Clone Technique!.."
Konoha was sinking into twilight. The sun had almost disappeared behind the horizon, leaving only a small scarlet streak in the sky. Sunset rays also filtered into the village leader's office, illuminating the room with truly fantastic colors.
"Crimson—the color of blood," Hiruzen murmured faintly, packing his pipe.
The Third was troubled by an indefinable feeling; most likely, it was a premonition of impending danger. He wasn't sure where the threat was coming from. He'd had similar sensations before the Second and Third World Wars. What could it mean? Was another war brewing? Possibly. The fragile peace observable now wouldn't last long. However… this bijuu-like feeling was bothering him much more strongly than before. It seemed the danger threatened not only Konohagakure…
The door opened, and a skinny black-haired old man with a wooden cane entered the Hokage's office. Bandages covered his right eye, and the other was patched. One arm rested under a black robe thrown over a white shirt.
"Hokage-sama," the newcomer nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Leave us," Sarutobi told the subordinate ANBU standing in the corner. The man silently obeyed and left, closing the door behind him.
"Sit down, Danzou. What did you want to talk about?" the Third asked, forming the seals for a soundproofing barrier. Once the technique was activated, the Hokage lit his pipe.
The elder silently walked to the nearest armchair and sank into it softly, placing his cane on his knees.
"According to my information, the subject has made contact with the jinchuriki," the man rasped. "The boy even considers the outsider his teacher… Hiruzen, what were you thinking bringing this shinobi into Konoha?"
His face usually betrayed no emotion. He was always cold and calm. But now the head of Root ANBU was barely containing his bursting indignation.
"He's not a shinobi," the Third replied. "He's just…"
"Please, stop talking nonsense," Danzou interrupted the Hokage. "Do you really believe his fairy tale about traveling between worlds? A hero? Not even funny. It's obvious even to an ostrich that a spy has infiltrated us."
"You see conspiracies everywhere," Hiruzen said, exhaling a spinning smoke ring from his mouth. Unlike his interlocutor, the Hokage remained absolutely calm. "I trust him. So don't even think about harming him, Danzou. It's better to befriend such a powerful person. You have no idea how dangerous he can be."
"On the contrary," the elder objected. "I realize the degree of danger from the outsider. That's exactly why he needs to be eliminated. He could cause problems…"
"No!" Hiruzen stated firmly. "You won't touch him. That's an order!"
Danzou narrowed his eyes. It seemed to him that the Third had lost his mind. Letting an enemy disguised as a civilian into village territory was the height of idiocy. The lack of chakra proved nothing. The guy had effortlessly taken down a dozen ANBU. No ordinary person could do that. Maybe experiments had been performed on him, or he had an unknown Kekkei Genkai that blocked sensor abilities or gave him supernatural powers like enhanced strength and speed.
But the most dangerous thing was that the bald ninja had gained influence over the jinchuriki on his very first day in Konoha. Unthinkable! The village's weapon had to be under village control, not an unknown shinobi's. That was another reason to eliminate the bald guy.
Even before talking to the Hokage, Danzou had been pondering a poisoning or covert assassination plan for the outsider. Moreover, treasonous thoughts had arisen that Sarutobi had overstayed his position. Most likely, he'd have to remove the Professor too—of course, not with his own hands. The Chunin Exams were coming; that would provide an opportunity to stir up chaos, or rather a small local war, during which one slippery acquaintance could be helped into a trap for the "God of Shinobi"… or at least not interfere with the teacher-student reunion.
Even if Hiruzen survived, he wouldn't be Hokage anymore. He'd retire "for health reasons." Yes, there would be casualties, and plenty. But it was all for the village's good. In this case, the end justified the means…
"Sorry, but I have too much paperwork. Is that all you wanted to discuss, Danzou?" Hiruzen asked.
A tense silence hung in the office for a moment.
"I won't keep you any longer, Hokage-sama," the elder hissed, rising from the armchair. Tapping his cane, he limped to the exit. Sarutobi quickly canceled the soundproofing technique and returned to his papers, though his mind was still on the recent conversation with the head of Root…
"I hope you won't do anything stupid, Danzou. Now's not the time for internal strife," the Hokage thought.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: patreon.com/Granulan