Chapter 24: Mikoto and Izumi's Power Bank – Team 7

Sarutobi Hiruzen silently reviewed the mission reports Naruto and his teammates had just submitted.

His gaze lingered on the photograph of Naruto, and for a brief moment, he was lost in thought.

Minato... this child truly resembles you. Not just in appearance, but in talent as well. More importantly, he has grasped the true meaning of the Will of Fire.

If Naruto were to undergo a chakra nature test soon, he would likely possess all five elements.

Exhaling a puff of smoke, the Hokage considered the implications. That would mean he has truly inherited my teachings.

Want to become Hokage? Not yet...

Perhaps it would be best to let him assist Asuma first, though the Ino-Shika-Chō formation was too strategically vital to be disturbed.

"Hiruzen, say something!"

Danzo Shimura, growing impatient, slammed the table, sending the Hokage's cigarette to the ground.

"Danzo," Hiruzen said, his voice calm yet firm, "you seem to forget—I am the Hokage. You don't dictate my decisions."

Danzo's face darkened, as if he had swallowed something bitter.

But this matter could not be ignored.

"Hiruzen, are you—"

"I told you, I am the Hokage."

Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. "And keep your Root forces in check. Do not overstep."

For a long time, he had let his old friend have his way. But there were limits.

"Hmph! You'll regret this, Hiruzen!" Danzo scoffed, realizing this conversation was going nowhere.

"Pick up the cigarette," he ordered a Root ninja before storming out of the office.

Elsewhere…

Naruto arrived at his usual supply point. He extended his hands toward Mikoto and Izumi, who lay before him, motionless.

"You've taken so much of my nutrients," he murmured. "Time to give some back."

A little bit at a time adds up… Even if the improvement isn't huge, having more reserves is better than coming up short at a crucial moment.

He had been doing this for years.

It was second nature now.

"Mmm~"

As Naruto's roots dug deeper to extract chakra, Uchiha Mikoto suddenly let out a soft sound. At the same time, her youthful face twitched slightly.

Naruto, usually unfazed by this process, hesitated for a moment.

"Is she waking up?"

No… shouldn't be possible. Maybe I've been absorbing too aggressively lately?

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought. "Even if she wakes up, she'll have to give more sooner or later."

After extracting a sufficient amount from Mikoto, her lips lost some of their usual color.

Satisfied, Naruto moved on to Izumi.

Both had formidable potential.

Despite her gentle demeanor, Mikoto was a seasoned jonin. And Izumi, having awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan at such a young age, had undeniable talent.

Naruto often mused that, over the years, Mikoto had provided him with enough chakra to rival at least six Fugakus. Izumi, while lesser, had still contributed the equivalent of three.

Suddenly, he noticed Izumi's long eyelashes trembling slightly.

Naruto frowned and pinched her cheek experimentally.

No reaction.

Even after her face reddened under his grip, she remained motionless.

By my calculations, they won't wake up for at least another two and a half years.

That was plenty of time.

After giving them an additional dose of chakra, Naruto activated the Mayfly Technique and disappeared.

As soon as he left, both Mikoto and Izumi's complexions, momentarily drained, regained their usual vitality.

Faint murmurs escaped their throats.

Almost as if they were communicating.

"Wow!"

"Ino, how do you always catch such big fish?"

Ino groaned, glancing at her catch—nothing but a clump of water grass.

Then she turned to Hinata's basket… already overflowing with fish.

Shikamaru, lying nearby with a blade of grass between his teeth, sighed lazily. "Fishing takes patience. Don't rush."

Splash!

Choji suddenly tumbled into the water.

A heartbeat later, Shikamaru dived in after him like a cat pouncing on prey.

Watching the two struggle to recover their catch, Ino pouted and stomped over to Naruto.

"Dear~"

"Hmm?" Naruto glanced at her lazily.

"Can I fish with you?" she asked sweetly.

Chuckling, he handed her the rod.

Yet, as soon as Ino took it, the once-busy fishing float stilled.

"…Never mind," Naruto said. "We should get the fire going."

Before he could act, Ino dashed past him and landed a punch on a massive boulder nearby.

BOOM!

The rock shattered into pieces.

"I'll handle the stove~" she chirped, flashing a dazzling smile.

Naruto grinned. "Your super strength is coming along nicely, but you could improve your chakra control."

Nearby, Rock Lee paused mid-push-up and swallowed nervously.

"N-Neji," he whispered, "can you take a punch from Ino?"

Neji, who was meditating, opened one eye. "I tried last time. Broke a rib. Luckily, Naruto healed me."

Lee fell silent.

"…You could probably take it now," Neji added nonchalantly. "You should test it. Also, bring Naruto another youth uniform."

Lee: "…"

Ignoring their antics, Naruto shifted his focus.

The past few days had flown by, and the long-awaited class division was finally here.

After washing up, he fastened his forehead protector and gathered his ninja tools.

Pausing, he secured a well-stocked ninja pouch to his thigh.

This should be useful.

I have enough money to rival a nation… Soon, I'll take Cardo's fortune. That should be enough to rebuild Uzushiogakure.

Stepping outside, he was immediately met with Ino's disapproving gaze.

Hinata, on the other hand, seemed mesmerized.

Ino clung to Hinata's arm, looking irritated as they walked together.

Naruto paid no mind.

Soon, he reached the academy and entered his assigned class.

Glancing around, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

He rolled his eyes.

There's no need. Really, there's no need.

It was best to avoid a repeat of that infamous classroom scene during team assignments.

Now, he was Uzumaki Naruto.

There was no need to dwell on that well-known moment with Sasuke.

When Naruto and his friends entered, they immediately drew the attention of the entire class—including Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and suddenly felt a vague sense of unease.

"Tch!" He scoffed under his breath.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" A pink-haired girl seated nearby asked, her voice filled with concern.

Sasuke ignored her, as always. Yet, this time, she barely reacted.

She didn't even realize it herself, but things were different from the original story. She had never competed with Ino nor fallen out with her. Instead, Ino's presence had subtly influenced her priorities. The girl she regarded as a big sister had inadvertently diluted her obsession with Sasuke.

Years of cold treatment from Sasuke had also taken their toll.

As she turned, she caught sight of Ino sitting close to Naruto. A pang of emotion flickered through her.

Especially since Ino continued treating her like a younger sister.

Still, the biggest shift was knowing that the affection she once coveted had already been stolen by Hinata.

Compared to her, Hinata's status was leagues ahead.

Comparison breeds resentment.

She glanced at the girls fawning over Sasuke.

"A bit ridiculous."

…?

The words escaped her lips before she even realized it, leaving her momentarily stunned.

"Students, please quiet down for a moment."

Iruka arrived right on time, his voice steady as he addressed the class.

"Starting today, you are all officially ninja."

"But remember, you are merely Genin—novices with no experience."

"The village has assigned each of you a Jōnin instructor. From now on, you will be placed into three-person squads, each led by a Jōnin."

Iruka continued his speech from the podium, explaining the significance of their next step.

Then, he pulled out a roster and began reading the team assignments.

"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura."

Sakura was momentarily stunned. She didn't leap up in excitement. Instead, her gaze shifted toward Ino, worry flickering in her eyes.

Ino, too, was momentarily surprised, but when their eyes met, she simply smiled and mouthed a few words—just as Hinata's name was called.

"Great, Sakura! You get to be on Sasuke's team. Congratulations."

"Also… make sure to keep an eye on Naruto for me. Don't let other girls get too close to him during missions."

Sakura: "..."

Meanwhile, Sasuke scoffed again, arms crossed in his usual arrogant posture.

"Team 8: Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino."

…

"Team 10: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, and Yamanaka Ino."

…

"No surprises there."

Ino sighed, feeling slightly disappointed.

"It's okay, Ino. We'll still get to see Naruto-kun during our breaks."

Hinata, though also a little downhearted, turned to console Ino.

Ino, touched by her words, pulled Hinata into a hug and rubbed her cheek affectionately against her.

"Alright, students, wait here for a while. Your instructors will be arriving shortly."

With that, Iruka gave one final glance at the class before exiting.

Soon, the Jōnin instructors began arriving.

"I'm off, Naruto!"

Ino gave Naruto a lingering hug before reluctantly joining Shikamaru and Chōji.

Asuma took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling with a casual grin. "Alright, let's get going."

The trio collectively rolled their eyes.

Asuma looked puzzled but continued the process, leading Ino-Shika-Chō away.

"Alright, Team 8, time to go."

A beautiful figure appeared at the door.

"Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata called out excitedly.

"Mmm."

Yuhi Kurenai gave a slight nod.

"Alright! Our turn, Team 8!"

Kiba whooped with excitement. "Time to show off our skills!"

Shino, as always, remained composed, simply shoving his hands into his pockets and following Kiba toward Kurenai.

"Naruto-kun… I… I'm going now."

"Yeah. If you get hungry, buy yourself something to eat. If you don't have money, just ask me—I know you eat a lot, so don't go hungry."

Before Naruto could finish, Hinata clamped a hand over his mouth.

"D-Don't say that out loud…!"

Instantly, she transformed into a blushing, steaming mess.

At home, she had grown used to it. But in front of their classmates? That was another story entirely.

"Haha, what a remarkable kid. He already has girls wrapped around his little finger at this age."

Hinata, now fully resembling a kettle ready to whistle, scurried over to Kurenai's side.

Kurenai, amused, teasingly ruffled Hinata's hair—only to pause when her gaze landed on Naruto.

Her crimson eyes widened slightly.

Minato-sensei…?

"Sensei, we should go."

Kiba's voice brought her back to reality.

Snapping out of it, she cast Naruto one final, lingering look before leading Team 8 away.

"So similar… Maybe Minato-sensei looked like that when he was young. What a handsome boy."

And so, the waiting began.

Naruto, unfazed, sat cross-legged and meditated.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was quickly growing impatient. His usual cold expression darkened with annoyance.

Sakura, observing the two, couldn't help but smirk slightly.

It was oddly entertaining to watch them interact.

Now that Ino wasn't around, she finally allowed herself to sneak a proper look at Naruto—for the first time.

Guilt gnawed at her, but…

An hour later, the classroom door finally creaked open.

A silver-haired man, his forehead protector slanted over one eye, lazily entered the room.

"Yo. Sorry, I got lost on the road of life."

…

+40 Advanced Chapters: P-com/LordMerlin