Bird

The turmoil in the Land of Waves has subsided, and we are on our way back.

Naruto walked in the middle of the group, checking the system panel as he went.

[Mission: Gathering Righteousness Through Generosity]

Current status: Accumulating...

[Currently available reward: 2 C-grade treasure chests. Would you like to claim them?]

"no."

Naruto refused without hesitation.

In the past, two C-grade treasure chests would have been quite good for him.

But ever since he witnessed the incredible effects of the [Chain of Domination] from the A-grade treasure chest, his appetite has become extremely discerning.

Ordinary rewards could no longer satisfy his desires.

"The Land of Waves is currently in a state of disrepair, and the Foundation has only just taken over the docks."

Naruto adjusted his glasses, pondering to himself:

"Once the port is fully operational and trade routes are open, that country's wealth will grow exponentially."

"Since the rewards are based on the amount and percentage, let's just let this money snowball."

He wants to keep saving until he reaches the limit, and ideally, he wants to reach S-level or higher!

As long as he makes the pie bigger, even if he gives away the lion's share of the profits, the remaining scraps will be enough to make him incredibly wealthy.

…………

During lunch break, by the riverbank.

"Sizzle... sizzle..."

A burst of noisy electrical noise, like the chirping of hundreds of birds, rang out, but it abruptly disappeared after only two seconds.

"hateful!"

Sasuke looked at his charred and smoking hand and slammed it hard against the tree trunk beside him.

The bark cracked, but he couldn't vent the frustration in his heart.

"Why... even though I followed the chakra flow path, it still won't condense?"

After completing the water-treading training, Sasuke's chakra control greatly improved.

After learning that Kakashi was teaching Naruto about lightning nature transformation, Naruto, who possessed the talent of lightning, naturally did not want to fall behind.

Kakashi also shared his knowledge without reservation, teaching the Chidori training method to everyone.

But reality dealt Sasuke a heavy blow.

Chidori, which combines lightning-attribute property changes with form changes, is far more difficult to master than he imagined.

Therefore, Sasuke was not satisfied with his training speed.

"Don't be impatient, Sasuke."

Kakashi leaned against the shade of a tree, flipping through "Icha Icha Paradise" without looking to the side, and lazily said:

"Lightning-attribute nature transformation is one of the most difficult attributes to control. It's already quite impressive that you can generate electric arcs from chakra within a few days."

"For an average Chunin to reach this level, it would take at least six months of arduous training."

Kakashi's words were not meant to comfort him.

Chidori, as an A-rank ninjutsu, has an extremely high learning threshold.

In comparison, Sasuke's talent is undeniable.

"Six months of arduous training...?"

Sasuke felt a little better.

If that's the case, then my current progress is indeed not slow.

Not far away, Naruto, who had been secretly fiddling with something behind everyone's back, suddenly walked over.

He straightened his slightly disheveled cuffs, a hint of humility on his face:

"Um... Kakashi-sensei, could you please take a look at this for me?"

"I just tried practicing, and although I managed to use it, it felt difficult to control, and... my hands are a little numb."

"Oh? Why don't you give it a try?"

Kakashi put down the book in his hand, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Naruto nodded and began to gather his chakra.

He didn't try it with one hand like Sasuke did.

Instead, he extends his right hand and tightly grips his right wrist with his left hand to stabilize his arm.

sizzle-

It wasn't particularly harsh, but a clearly audible crackling sound of electricity rang out.

In Naruto's right hand, a ball of extremely violent light blue chakra was pulsating.

Although its form is unstable, and there are even continuous small arcs of electricity leaking out and hitting the ground.

But that was indeed the prototype of the Thousand Birds.

"this……"

Sasuke's pupils dilated as he stared intently at the lightning in Naruto's hand.

He can't even condense chakra yet, but Naruto is already able to materialize it?

"Although it's barely usable, it's too noisy and has a strong backlash."

Naruto frowned, looking at the lightning that kept leaping in his hand.

His right palm was completely red.

They were occasionally struck by jumping electric currents, and even suffered some minor burns.

However, faced with the Nine-Tails' chakra and the Uzumaki clan's powerful physique, the wound was healing at a visible speed, only to be torn open again.

Repeatedly.

"Before even attacking the opponent, I've already nearly killed myself. The side effects of this technique are too great."

Naruto shook his hand, dispersing the chakra in it.

"Compared to your perfect form when you release it, teacher, mine is at best... only a half-finished product."

Naruto said with shame:

"It seems I still have a long way to go in terms of morphological changes."

"..."

The scene was deathly silent.

Kakashi's dead fish eyes widened in disbelief.

"Naruto, have you trained in Lightning Release nature transformation before?"

"I haven't had a chance yet; this is the first time."

Naruto answered honestly.

"I used to focus most of my energy on sealing techniques and medical knowledge."

"You've only been exposed to this kind of change before, and you've already achieved this level of proficiency in just a few days?"

Kakashi felt that his common sense had been challenged.

Even someone like myself, who has been hailed as a genius since childhood, probably couldn't achieve this level of skill.

"It's probably because I've found an efficient method for cultivation."

Naruto explained:

"I have a lot of chakra, so I created a hundred shadow clones."

"Let these one hundred clones undergo nature-changing cultivation simultaneously with the original body."

"Although each clone can only last for a short while before disappearing due to electric shock, the experience will be transferred back."

"As long as these hundred-plus clones keep stacking..."

Naruto pushed up his glasses, his tone matter-of-fact:

"I now have a cultivation speed a hundred times faster."

"By forcing the body to remember the feeling of being pierced by lightning in a short period of time, it will naturally be used."

As he spoke, Naruto glanced at his still slightly trembling right hand and said with a wry smile:

"The downside is... the moment I deactivate the clone, it feels like every cell in my body has been electrocuted hundreds of times."

After hearing this explanation, Kakashi and Sasuke fell silent.

The principle behind using shadow clones to accelerate training is quite simple.

But the problem is... who can create a hundred shadow clones to cultivate?

Moreover, one must endure the pain and fatigue of being electrocuted hundreds of times.

"You bastard..."

Sasuke looked at Naruto's slightly trembling arm, and the jealousy in his eyes gradually faded.

Instead, I felt a deep sense of powerlessness and admiration.

It's not just a matter of talent and effort, but more importantly...

He's still training like his life depends on it.

"What a reckless brat."

Kakashi sighed, stepped forward, grabbed Naruto's hand, and examined it:

"As expected, your meridians are slightly damaged. Don't practice this technique for a while."

"but……"

Kakashi's gaze towards Naruto was somewhat complicated:

"Since you were able to barely condense it, you have indeed reached the threshold of this A-rank ninjutsu."

"What you lack now is more intense morphological training, to compress lightning, and then compress it again."

"When the current in your hands no longer leaks out and you can cut through rocks like tofu, then you've mastered it."

"Understood."

Naruto nodded obediently, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

Once you master Chidori, you can combine it with his perception and speed.

He has now added another trump card to his arsenal.

The biggest problem for Naruto right now is that he has too many trump cards, so many that he doesn't even have time to practice.

…………

The group stopped and walked intermittently.

It took another two days before we finally saw the familiar gate to Konoha.

Sakura let out a long sigh of relief and stretched out a big yawn.

"Ah—I'm finally back."

"It feels like a year has passed since I left home this time."

She subconsciously touched the scroll in her ninja tool pouch, a confident smile spreading across her face.

I haven't learned any ninjutsu these past few days.

However, under Naruto and Kakashi's guidance, she was able to draw a few basic sealing techniques in a crooked manner and apply them to traps.

This made her feel that she was no longer a useless burden.

"Alright, let's call it a day."

"You all go home and rest. I'm going to report the mission to the Hokage."

He glanced at the three transformed students, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his mask:

"You've worked hard these past few days, enjoy this well-deserved holiday."

"after all……"

Kakashi's voice suddenly became somewhat meaningful:

"Konoha is likely to become very lively in the future, and there won't be a chance to rest."