Chapter 143: Two and a Half Years
Everything had unfolded exactly as Choji had predicted in his role as the strategist.
Everything had also gone according to the plans of Tianyu and Maki.
However, the world is never lacking in accidents—especially when Naruto, the man who is "Number One in Leaf Village Surprises," is involved.
Iruka was overjoyed by the group's visit. They were all familiar faces: Naruto, Choji, and the young Tianyu and Maki. He welcomed them warmly, serving sweets and fruit.
Tianyu and Maki, using their status as toddlers, managed to slip into Iruka's room and spot the photo of the group with their sunny smiles. They stealthily hid the photo inside a cabinet. When they came back out, they claimed they hadn't seen any photos at all.
Everything was going smoothly. Choji and Naruto both thought they had failed and were beginning to brainstorm a new plan. But then, on a sudden whim, Naruto remembered Choji's words and spoke directly to Iruka.
"Teacher, I heard that every student takes a photo with their teacher and teammates after graduation to keep as a memory. Do you have one?"
Iruka didn't think twice. He simply assumed that under his tutelage, they had become very eager about becoming ninjas. He led them into his room to show them his own graduation photo. At first, he was surprised that the photo was missing, but eventually, he pulled open a cabinet and found it lying there. He assumed he had just misremembered where he put it because he had been so busy with school work lately.
And that was when Naruto's explosive scolding of the two children occurred.
"Naruto, why are you yelling at them? Do you need a lesson in discipline?"
Iruka pulled out a whistle, using it as a threat. Feeling his authority was being challenged, he wasn't about to let Naruto bully children in front of him.
"Haha, no, no! I was just a bit loud all of a sudden. I didn't mean to yell," Naruto laughed awkwardly at the sight of the whistle.
Crunch!
Choji was eating happily on the side, watching the interaction. He was delighted; as the strategist, he had helped Naruto find the target. He was truly amazing. He hadn't expected Iruka-sensei's teacher to be that "weird uncle." Choji had seen him many times; because the man was always wrapped in bandages, Choji had a strong impression of him. He occasionally visited Choji's father.
Konoha Main Street.
"Don't run, you two! I'm definitely going to give you a beating today!"
As soon as they left Iruka's house, Naruto immediately began chasing the two toddlers, his eyes burning with fury. However, whether it was Naruto or the two little ones, their stamina was incredible. Choji eventually ran out of breath and had to head home, though he was quite happy with the day's events.
"You aren't allowed out next time, do you understand? You've actually learned how to lie."
Tianyu and Maki stood with messy hair, their pulled-up pant legs showing several red welts. In front of them stood Ayame, holding a bamboo switch. Naruto watched, feeling the phantom pain. He felt a bit guilty; maybe he shouldn't have told Sister Ayame.
"It was Dad's idea," Tianyu whispered intentionally—loud enough for his mother to hear, yet soft enough to seem like a private mumble.
He hadn't expected his mom to have mastered Dad's tricks so well. So, he decided to make things difficult for his old man. If Dad didn't do these things so often, Mom wouldn't have learned them.
The veins on Ayame's forehead throbbed as she gnashed her teeth. Fine, Tonbo Tobitake... teaching the kids this kind of stuff!
Naruto felt a chilling aura and got goosebumps. He took two steps back.
"And you, Naruto... forget it, I won't say anything to you." Ayame's gaze fell on Naruto. She had wanted to scold him, but realizing she had no responsibility to discipline him, she bit her tongue.
"I can't believe Uncle Tonbo is Iruka-sensei's teacher. And I can't believe Sister Ayame has such a terrifying side. So scary," Naruto muttered to himself on the way home.
Then, he pouted. Uncle Tonbo was the culprit who caused them to receive such a painful punishment. When he got back, Naruto decided he had to play a prank on him. He was already thinking about where to buy something truly disgusting to give to Tonbo as a "gift." Courtesy demands a return.
He reached into his pocket but realized he had no money, which dampened his spirits. However, despite the minor setbacks, he was happy today. He had learned that there were many people in the world who didn't care about him being a monster and treated him like a regular person.
Suddenly, he looked back but saw no one. He scratched his head and, carrying the day's excitement, headed home. After he left, a head popped out from around a corner to look at his departing back, a slight blush on her face.
Konoha returned to its normal rhythm. Time flowed by.
After Tonbo Tobitake finished his research and returned home, he was subjected to a mysterious "scolding and lashing" from Ayame. He had no idea what he had done wrong this time.
Naruto's prank, of course, failed miserably, and Tonbo sent him a "return gift" that kept Naruto away from Tonbo's house for an entire week. Naturally, Naruto's dream of gaining recognition through a single piece of intel failed as well. Only a few people thought he had a bit of a brain, but even that was overshadowed by the brilliance of Inuzuka Kiba and Uchiha Sasuke. Their grades were perfect: full marks in theory, taijutsu, and shuriken throwing.
The Hagoromo clan also integrated into Konoha. Under the persuasion of Sarutobi Hiruzen, they became part of the village. According to Konoha's intelligence, the Hagoromo elite had indeed been wiped out in a trap set by Gato.
A deserted wasteland in the Land of Fire.
"Hurricane Phenomenon!"
Hummm!
Wind rose from the flat ground. Countless air currents formed within a short time, and within mere seconds, numerous tornadoes were born. Yellow sand filled the sky. The hurricane swept through the valley, flipping sections of the terrain.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Clumps of dirt and stones collided violently within the gale.
"The ultimate offensive ninjutsu... is complete."
Tonbo Tobitake panted as he watched the scene, feeling immensely satisfied. After two and a half years, he had finally completed the ninjutsu based on the Valley of the Resting Wind.
He could now be called a meteorological expert. He could use special Yin Release nature transformation to deceive the flow of air currents, thereby creating a scene similar to the Valley of the Resting Wind. He could also lower the power according to his needs. As for why he didn't increase it—it was because his chakra wasn't sufficient.
The full version required a massive amount of chakra; his current reserves could only produce a "mini" version.
S-Rank Ninjutsu: Hurricane Phenomenon.
On a micro level, Tonbo felt it couldn't compare to Naruto's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, but in terms of macro-scale power and duration, the Rasenshuriken was no match. To put it bluntly, if a Tailed Beast blundered into this, it would have to tank the damage until the jutsu ended before it could escape.
However, it required support. Casting the jutsu took a few seconds for the air currents to form the hurricane tornadoes. Fortunately, his original intention was to target bosses on the level of the Tailed Beasts, the Ten-Tails, or Obito.
He was still young—only 22 years old. His progress would only get faster. Wisdom comes from accumulating enough experience and knowledge to form one's own unique system of learning and analysis. Now that he had laid a solid foundation in all areas, his understanding of ninjutsu was about to enter a period of explosive growth.
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