"Do you want to hear about my journey?" Kazuki asked Naruto, his eyes slightly narrowed in amusement, a playful smile on his lips.
"Yeah!" Naruto eagerly nodded, his enthusiasm shining through. In front of Kazuki, he was as obedient as a puppy.
If Iruka, who constantly had a headache dealing with Naruto's antics, saw him acting this way, he would be so shocked his jaw might hit the floor.
"Well, telling the story isn't impossible," Kazuki said, deliberately teasing Naruto's curiosity. "I've encountered some of those monsters you just mentioned while training outside. I have plenty of stories."
"Big Brother Kazuki, hurry up and tell me!" Naruto pleaded, his face filled with anticipation.
"I'll tell you—but on one condition."
"A condition?"
"You have to train seriously, exactly as I instruct." Kazuki's tone grew firm.
"Training… training?" Naruto's excitement deflated instantly. He hadn't expected Big Brother Kazuki to return and immediately demand this of him. "But training is so hard! I still can't even learn the Clone Jutsu…"
"I can teach you," Kazuki said, patting Naruto's shoulder with the air of an older brother.
"But on one condition—you have to take your training seriously. No giving up just because things get difficult."
Naruto hesitated, but Kazuki continued, his voice calm yet persuasive.
"Naruto, you have me as a friend now. But deep down, don't you want to prove yourself to the villagers? To change their view of you and earn their recognition?"
They arrived at an empty training ground in Konoha.
"Powerful ninjutsu?! Big Brother Kazuki, what kind of jutsu are you going to teach me? Is it stronger than the Three Basic Jutsu?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Of course," Kazuki replied with a smile. "The Transformation, Clone, and Substitution Jutsu are just the foundation of the academy. What I'm about to teach you is a more advanced technique—one far superior to the basic Clone Jutsu. It's called the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"Shadow Clone Jutsu?!"
Naruto's jaw dropped in shock, his expression exaggerated enough to fit an entire egg in his mouth.
"But even the regular Clone Jutsu is hard! I still haven't mastered it! How am I supposed to learn something even more difficult?!" Naruto scratched his head in frustration, looking doubtful about his ability to succeed.
"What are you so afraid of?" Kazuki reassured him with a confident smile. "I'm here, aren't I? Trust me, you'll get it. My teaching method is different from the academy's."
Kazuki pulled out a kunai, channeling his chakra into it before throwing it forward. With a puff of white smoke, three identical shadow clones appeared before them.
"See? This is how my Shadow Clone Kunai works."
He handed the kunai to Naruto.
"Now, try it yourself. Inject your chakra into the kunai and follow what I just did."
With another puff, three Naruto clones appeared on the spot.
"This… this… I actually did it?!" Naruto stared in disbelief before his expression erupted into joy.
"I did it! I can use the Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Kazuki chuckled at Naruto's excitement but quickly corrected him.
"It's not that simple," he said, not wanting to dampen Naruto's spirit but needing to be honest. "You only pulled it off because of my kunai. You haven't truly learned the jutsu yet."
"Eh? Really?" Naruto scratched his head, then grinned slyly. "So it's Big Brother Kazuki's kunai that's special! This thing is amazing!"
Kazuki laughed. "My family runs a ninja tool business, and I'm interested in crafting specialized weapons. That kunai you're holding is one of my personal projects."
His eyes twinkled as he added, "If you take your training seriously, I might consider giving it to you."
"Really?! For real?!" Naruto's excitement doubled. He clutched the kunai like it was his most prized possession.
"Big Brother Kazuki, teach me! I swear I'll train hard!"
Kazuki nodded. "Alright. The process is simple. Just now, you used my kunai, so you've already experienced what it feels like to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Naruto nodded, hanging onto every word.
"Good. Now, I'll teach you how to properly form the hand seals."
…
During the four years that Kazuki traveled abroad with Might Guy to train, he not only honed his basic taijutsu but also learned several ninjutsu and advanced taijutsu techniques from his teacher. Naturally, Kazuki also mastered fundamental ninjutsu, such as the Shadow Clone Jutsu (Kage Bunshin no Jutsu).
His previous experience using shadow clones, particularly in combat situations, had already granted him significant proficiency in their application. When the time came for him to formally learn the B-rank Shadow Clone Jutsu under Might Guy's guidance, his learning speed was astonishingly fast. Even Guy, known for his rigorous training, was impressed by how quickly Kazuki grasped and refined the technique.
Later, Kazuki shared his unique training method with Naruto, helping him grasp ninjutsu more effectively. Thanks to Kazuki's guidance, Naruto—who usually struggled with ninjutsu—was able to pick up the Shadow Clone Jutsu much faster than he had expected.
Suddenly, a bright, bell-like laugh echoed from a distance.
"Brother! Brother! Hee hee, I knew you'd be here!"
Kazuki and Naruto turned their heads to see Tenten and Hinata running toward them, hand in hand.
"Hee hee, guess what? Right after school, Hinata couldn't wait to ask me if you were back," Tenten teased, leaning in and whispering into Kazuki's ear. "Brother, do you think Sister Hinata has finally fallen for your charm?"
Her voice wasn't exactly quiet, and Hinata, who had been standing beside her, heard everything. Instantly, her face turned bright red, her blush creeping all the way up to her ears.
"T-Tenten, I… I just wanted to check on Kazuki-kun…" Hinata stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, like a timid little mosquito.
Hinata's eyes briefly met Kazuki's before she quickly averted her gaze, unable to hold eye contact. Then, her attention shifted to Naruto, who was focused on practicing the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Huh? Didn't Naruto-kun struggle with basic clone jutsu? How is he already using the more advanced Shadow Clone Jutsu?
Hinata's sharp mind quickly pieced things together. Could it be that Kazuki-kun taught him?
A thought blossomed in her heart—If only I could become stronger too…
This newfound determination filled her with courage. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly looked up at Kazuki.
"K-Kazuki-kun… could you… could you also guide me in my training?"
For Hinata, making such a direct request was a rare occurrence. Everyone fell silent for a moment, surprised by her initiative. However, Kazuki was the first to respond, offering her a reassuring smile.
"If you're willing to learn, of course, I'll teach you."
"R-really? You mean it?" Hinata's face lit up with excitement.
"Of course."
"I… I want to become stronger too."
Although her voice remained soft, there was a newfound determination in her eyes—like a delicate flower blooming defiantly on the edge of a cliff.
Tenten, noticing the subtle shift in the atmosphere, couldn't help but giggle. Then, grabbing Naruto's wrist, she began pulling him away from the training ground.
"Eh? Eh? Sister Tenten, where are we going?" Naruto asked, completely confused.
Tenten chuckled. "Oh, come on, don't you see what's happening? The two of us shouldn't be getting in the way while my brother personally trains Sister Hinata!"
She cheerfully dragged Naruto off, leaving Kazuki and Hinata alone.
A Few Days Later
The graduation exam at the Ninja Academy had come and gone, and now, Kazuki and his classmates were preparing for the next step. After getting their shinobi profile photos taken, they received orders to return to the academy for team assignments.
When Kazuki and his friends arrived, the classroom was already bustling with excitement. Many students proudly wore their newly earned forehead protectors—some tied them around their heads, while others, like Tenten and Rock Lee, chose to wear them around their necks. Kazuki, however, had his forehead protector fastened around his left arm.
Despite the excitement, most of them were unaware that the real test of becoming a ninja would begin after their teams were assigned.
At that moment, their homeroom Chunin instructor stepped into the room, standing at the front of the class with a warm yet serious expression.
"Congratulations, everyone! As of today, you are all officially shinobi," he announced. "However, since you are still Genin, you will be placed into teams of three and assigned a Jōnin instructor who will guide you through missions."
"The team assignments will now be announced."
As soon as the instructor mentioned teams of three, the classroom buzzed with excitement. Everyone eagerly glanced around, wondering who their teammates would be.
Among all the curious glances, many were fixated on Kazuki. Though he had been away for four years, the memory of him defeating Neji Hyuga and claiming the title of top student was still fresh in their minds. Many secretly hoped to be placed on his team, knowing that being grouped with such a strong teammate would greatly increase their chances of success in future missions.
The instructor began reading out names:
"Inuzuka Hazuki, Aburame Shido, Hyuga Tenki…"
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