Chapter 37
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"Naruto-kun, we meet again."
Dou pushed up his glasses, his smile impeccable. "It seems you and Ya are on good terms."
"Ah, Senior Dou."
Naruto showed a perfectly timed look of surprise, which he then switched to the same gentle smile.
It felt as if I had met a respected senior.
"What a coincidence, senior! Are you volunteering here?"
Kabuto pushed the medicine cart in, his gaze lingering on Naruto for a moment behind his glasses.
It wasn't a coincidence at all.
Upon discovering that Naruto had arrived at the hospital, he specifically requested to have his dressing changed on this floor.
I just wanted to get a closer look at this fox spirit that's been making quite a stir lately.
"Yes, Naruto-kun."
While skillfully changing the tooth dressing, Dou smiled and replied:
"I heard you became the top graduate, congratulations!"
"Have you still read the books on the list I gave you before?"
Kabuto asked casually.
"Thanks to my senior."
Naruto adjusted his glasses, speaking modestly:
"I've read most of the books you recommended and benefited greatly from them."
"Oh? What are your thoughts after reading this?"
"I'm curious," said Kabuto.
"After reading the book, I realized... how fragile the human body really is."
Naruto's tone was slightly somber:
"Even a tiny cellular lesion or a nervous system disorder can easily destroy a powerful ninja."
"The more I know, the more terrifying I find this world to be."
"Accidents and dangers can happen anywhere."
Kabuto's hand paused for a moment, then returned to normal.
This kind of insight cannot be expressed without a certain understanding of medical ninjutsu and human anatomy.
and……
This view on the fragility of life seems to coincide with Lord Orochimaru's thoughts.
Is this what they call...being of the same kind?
He turned around to look at Naruto, his smile deepening, a hint of amusement in his eyes:
"That's right. It's precisely because it's dangerous that we must always be vigilant."
"Isn't it about arming yourself through the constant pursuit of truth?"
He pushed up his round-framed glasses.
"The senior is right."
Naruto responded with a smile, and also pushed up his black-rimmed glasses:
"To survive, you can never be too careful."
"Hehe, that's an interesting point of view."
After packing up the medicine changing cart, I prepared to leave.
As he passed Naruto, he whispered something:
"If there's an opportunity, we can have an in-depth discussion... about the topics of truth and survival."
After saying that, he waved his hand and walked out of the ward.
As Naruto watched Kabuto's departing figure, the smile on his face gradually faded.
"Yakushi Kabuto..."
His keen intuition told him that beneath this senior's gentle exterior lurked a cold, venomous snake.
What you just said was both a test and an invitation.
"It seems I've already attracted quite a bit of attention."
Naruto thought to himself.
However, he wasn't worried; being noticed was better than being ignored.
Only by demonstrating value can one be qualified to participate in the game.
It's either on the table or on the plate.
This is the principle that Aizen taught him.
"Naruto-sama, what are you looking at?"
Kiba Inuzuka looked at Naruto, who was in a daze, and asked curiously.
"It's nothing."
Naruto turned around, a smile returning to his face:
"I'm thinking... what kind of surprise should I give Kakashi-sensei for tomorrow's exercise."
"By the way, Ya, come find me after your injury has healed."
"I need to properly train my first underling."
Looking at Naruto's gentle smile.
For some reason, Kiba Inuzuka suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, his hair standing on end.
I have a feeling that the future will be very 'fulfilling'.
……
The next day, at 5 a.m.
As dawn broke, a light mist hung over the training ground.
The three members of Class 7 have assembled on time.
Sakura yawned repeatedly, and her dark circles were quite pronounced, clearly indicating that she hadn't slept well due to excessive excitement.
Sasuke leaned against a tree trunk and closed his eyes to rest.
And Naruto...
"Naruto, what have you been digging in the ground for since just now?"
Sakura rubbed her eyes, looking curiously at Naruto and his shadow clones who were busy like they were working on a construction project.
Naruto used a kunai as a shovel to lift up a patch of turf.
With practiced ease, he carefully slipped an explosive tag inside.
Then cover it with soil and sprinkle some dry grass and leaves for camouflage.
The whole set of movements was fluid and smooth; he was clearly a repeat offender.
"It's nothing, just some preparations."
Naruto didn't turn his head and said without changing his expression.
Sasuke opened his eyes, glanced at Naruto's actions, and his lips twitched:
"That's... an explosive tag?"
"And exactly how many did you bury?"
Since they gathered, Naruto, like a diligent gardener, has led his shadow clones to loosen the soil within a hundred meters radius.
"Not many, just two hundred, consider it a small gift."
Naruto patted the dirt off his hands, his tone as calm as if he were talking about what he had just eaten.
"Only... two hundred sheets?!"
Sakura exclaimed in surprise, "Naruto, are you trying to blow up our teacher?"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Naruto stood up, took two gas masks out of his pocket, and handed them to the two men.
"What is this now?" Sasuke frowned.
"Gas mask."
Naruto explained, "In addition to the explosive tags, I also buried 50 specially made high-potency chili powder smoke bombs and 20 of my own concocted stench bombs."
"This is essential to prevent accidental injury."
"By the way, let me explain the possible situations and solutions that may arise later..."
Sasuke and Sakura stared at the masks before them and fell silent.
They suddenly felt a little sorry for Kakashi-sensei, who had not yet appeared.
Time passed second by second.
Six o'clock... Seven o'clock... Eight o'clock... Nine o'clock...
The sun rose higher and higher, and the fog had long since dissipated.
Sakura, whose stomach was growling with hunger, was too weak to stand.
In an effort to lose weight, she hasn't eaten since last night, and now she's been sitting here hungry for half a day.
So he sat helplessly on the rock and complained:
"Why isn't the teacher here yet? Weren't we supposed to meet at five o'clock?"
Sasuke also looked annoyed, his brows furrowed.
Only Naruto remained calm.
He has completed all the arrangements.
Whether Kakashi comes, leaves, or moves to another place.
He already had a backup plan in mind.
Therefore, you can focus your energy on other things.
At this moment, Naruto was sitting on the ground, engrossed in reading a book titled "Basic Principles of Sealing Techniques".
Finally, when the clock struck eleven, Kakashi arrived late.
"Hey everyone, good morning."
He strolled over leisurely, one hand in his pocket, the other raised in greeting.
His signature dead fish eyes curved into crescent shapes, and his tone was relaxed:
"I'm sorry, I've gotten lost on the path of life..."
Although he said he was sorry, there was no real remorse in his voice.
"fraud!"
Sakura angrily pointed at Kakashi and shouted.
Sasuke also snorted coldly, his eyes filled with hostility.
"Well, you're so young, don't get so worked up."