Saitama looked unlike himself. During their travel along the upper paths, the guy nervously bit his lips, every now and then glancing back towards Konoha. Anko merely cast sidelong glances at the newly appointed tokubetsu-jonin, not understanding what had happened and why the bald man looked so worried…
The previous evening, the guy and the girl had suddenly received a mission from the Hokage. A B-rank mission. The two of them were required to catch up with and provide support to Guy's team, which had its own mission to escort an architect to the Land of Waves. There had been some omissions on the client's part, so an attack by high-ranking mercenaries on Team Three was likely. This information had been extracted from a Mist chunin personally delivered to Konoha by Guy. Thus, Hiruzen sent Saitama with Mitarashi to reinforce Mighto and his charges.
Although, knowing the thick-browed jonin, Anko wasn't sure if he would even need support. After all, the man was called the "Green Beast" for a reason. He was one of the strongest jonin in the Leaf, and his genin team was quite well-coordinated and very strong. But, as they say, better safe than sorry.
As for Saitama, he had initially hoped to somehow get out of this strange assignment. After all, his "going-out suit" was still not ready, plus the bald man had only recently become a tokubetsu-jonin, and he was new to the village anyway. But the Hokage was adamant. Hiruzen even gave Saitama his monthly jonin salary ahead of schedule and half the mission money. Immediately! A truly unprecedented case, because usually shinobi receive mission money only after completing the work.
Actually, after that, Saitama had no reason to refuse going out into the outside world. He even seemed to liven up, and after visiting the Hokage Tower, a blissful smile didn't leave his face for another two hours…
However, today, after leaving the village, the bald man was slightly jittery. Sweat appeared on Saitama's forehead. Considering that the guy didn't even sweat during the afternoon heat, it looked very strange.
— What's with you being so nervous? — Anko couldn't stand it. — First mission jitters? — Mitarashi grinned, surveying the surroundings.
— Huh? — Saitama was distracted from his worries.
The kunoichi rolled her eyes and repeated her question.
— No, — the guy began hesitantly. — I-it's just that yesterday I got money from the old man… but I left it at home under the mattress…
Mitarashi hummed in bewilderment, but after a couple of moments, she realized what Saitama was worried about. The girl chuckled softly.
— What, do you think someone might rob you?
The bald shinobi nodded, casting a worried glance at Mitarashi.
— Saitama, — Anko sighed, — you live in the Sarutobi clan district. Sarutobi Hiruzen is our Hokage. No idiot would try to rob you.
— Hm… — Saitama pondered deeply.
Anko's words calmed him down slightly. But only slightly. Recent memories of his living in an apartment flashed through the bald man's mind. That small room turned out to be a thoroughfare for the local shinobi. Needles would turn up in the mattress, shuriken would jump out of the sink, and a surprise would appear in the toilet. Of course, there was no harm from such pranks, but still…
" I didn't have a single ryō to my name before, " Saitama mentally wailed.
Now he actually had some money. And if one of those pranksters looked under the mattress…
— Anko, let's go back, — Saitama said, jumping to the ground. He was about to turn back and run the old-fashioned way, without stupidly jumping through branches, but Mitarashi's hand gently landed on his shoulder.
— Calm down, Saitama. Your money is in no danger.
Saitama frowned and looked intently into the kunoichi's eyes. It's unknown what he saw in them, but after a couple of moments, the bald man regained his composure.
— Okay, — he nodded, his face returning to its usual aloof expression. — If anything, the old man will reimburse me, right?
Anko just sighed heavily:
— We're on a mission. Let's go faster.
— Aye aye…
After a few minutes, they passed the outer ANBU posts of Konoha. Saitama noticeably sped up. Anko could barely keep up with him. Surprisingly, the newly appointed shinobi was following the course precisely.
— Saitama, where are you rushing off to?
— Well, um… — the bald guy scratched the back of his head in mid-air. — The faster we get there, the faster we complete the mission… And the faster I'll be home.
— Are you still thinking about your pay? How much longer? You're a bijū-level paranoid!
— It's better to be a paranoid with money than…
— Saitama! — Anko hissed, interrupting the bald hero. — We closed that topic!
— Okay then, — the jonin agreed, indifferently surveying the surroundings during one of his jumps.
Saitama decided that he was probably worrying for nothing. After all, he didn't live in a dilapidated little room on the outskirts of the village, but in the clan district of one of Konoha's most influential clans. So, the guy calmed down a bit and decided to change the subject:
— Do you have a bank here?..
***
Naruto was somewhat depressed.
Earlier, Master Saitama had promised to spar with him and scheduled a training fight for today. It was surprising that the sensei had agreed to it; even more surprising that he had suggested it himself. After all, a lot had fallen on him lately: the bald mentor had become a jonin, settled in Konoha, and gotten his own house; Anko-sempai had started teaching him general disciplines, and Saitama-sensei probably didn't like it. Yes, that's right. Apparently, that's why he offered Naruto personal training, to stop studying for at least a while. But whatever the real reason, the little Uzumaki was happy, because he was getting closer to his goal: to become the strongest.
The blond didn't even train in the morning for the sake of this sparring match, only did a light warm-up; after all, one should face Master Saitama with full strength. He waited, he hoped, he was ready for real training with his master.
However, the teacher and Anko-sempai were suddenly called on a mission, and how long their assignment would last was unknown… Of course, Naruto had a training plan and plenty of things to do in the near future: he needed to perfect his Fire techniques, master the Wind element, and hunt in the Forest of Death (after all, rabbit and mantis meat would soon run out). He also needed to think about money. Master Saitama treated it with great reverence and was extremely thrifty. Therefore, in Uzumaki's opinion, a student should inherit his teacher's Will. The boy even wrote down a list of holidays in his notebook when there were discounts in stores and the market. The genin decided to save up for weighted training gear with fūin seals; after all, such an acquisition was quite expensive, but training with it would be many times more effective. True, you couldn't earn much money on D-rank missions alone. Maybe he should get an extra job? With his clones, it wouldn't be burdensome…
" Oh, I wish Master Saitama would come back soon, " Naruto thought, slowly approaching the meeting place with his Seventh Squad sensei.
Despite the uselessness of D-rank missions,
Uzumaki had decided to personally appear on the mission with his team today; so to speak, in the flesh. Kakashi had said that such missions served to help genin "gel" with each other and gain teamwork experience. What advantages there could be from cleaning Inuzuka kennels or working in vegetable gardens, Naruto didn't know, but a respected jonin wouldn't lie, would he?
Yes, Uzumaki had super-training hanging over him, but there was a whole day ahead, so he would still have time to do his hellish routine to strengthen his body.
This time, the genin were once again expected to weed the fields. Creating a dozen clones, Naruto and his teammates set to work. At the same time, his copies were diligently studying in libraries and practicing ninjutsu. Periodically, from the dispelled clones and incoming information, the original Naruto would wince, freezing for a while and processing the acquired knowledge and experience. His head ached, his temples throbbed, but his nose wasn't bleeding yet. And overall, he felt much better than yesterday.
" I think I'm getting stronger. Maybe I'm already stronger, dattebayo? " Uzumaki pondered.
" Nah, " it flashed through his mind, " I just haven't trained my body today yet… "
A new massive layer of information on anatomy and the basics of iryōninjutsu made the blond freeze like a statue and sink into a light meditation to better absorb the knowledge. Naruto was so "lost in thought" that he didn't even notice lunchtime approaching, and Team Seven, along with his clones, had completed the task.
— You guys did well, — Kakashi waved his hand, looking over the genin. — You finished even earlier than usual today. Well, see you tomorrow…
— Wait, sensei! — Sakura exclaimed. — What about the money?
Hatake widened his visible eye in surprise:
— What money?
— What do you mean, what money? — the girl began to flare up. — For the missions.
— Hm… — Kakashi scratched his chin, looking at the trio. Sakura and Sasuke looked tired. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed cheerful and fresh, but was in his own world, his gaze looking somewhere into the distance.
— I don't understand what you're talking about, Sakura, — the sensei demonstrated his eye-smile and waved his hand. — See you tomorrow, guys. — The jonin poofed away. And Sakura's eyelid twitched.
— Sensei, bastard! — she couldn't hold back. — Not only does he not teach us anything, but he also held back the money…
Uchiha didn't react to her words in any way, he just gloomily looked over Naruto, occasionally glancing at his clones. The latter was also lost in thought, it seemed the blond hadn't even noticed the jonin leaving.
Sakura, seeing the ignorance from her teammates, pouted and sniffed resentfully, folding her arms across her chest. The little kunoichi had somehow gotten used to Sasuke's behavior. After all, he was an unattainable ideal, a dream. However, the fact that Naruto wasn't paying attention to her… for some reason, it bothered her. She was about to protest, but then the usually silent Uchiha suddenly spoke up.
— Naruto, how about a spar?..
***
Sasuke Uchiha was thinking about Naruto, periodically casting envious, gloomy glances at his clones.
He couldn't understand how that idiot had managed to achieve such results. Haruno was still skeptical about the blond's abilities, but Uchiha understood…
Naruto had changed. And suddenly. Before, in the Academy, they had clashed in taijutsu sparring matches. And in all the encounters, Uchiha had always emerged victorious. The blond had never been particularly bright either, quite the opposite. And in general, Uzumaki was last in everything, the worst student in their graduating class.
However, recalling the bell test, Sasuke was amazed not only by the combat skills but also by the analytical abilities that Naruto had displayed.
" Was he pretending in the Academy? But why? "
It was unclear. Many considered Sasuke a genius. But compared to Naruto, he was just a capable kid, nothing more. Uchiha remembered the fight with Kakashi as if it were yesterday. The jonin had clearly shown the difference in their strength, disarming the ravenette almost immediately. Naruto, on the other hand, had given Kakashi a good run for his money, showing truly fantastic skills. Walking on vertical surfaces and water, and doing so absolutely firmly and confidently. A strange cloning technique, thanks to which their sensei couldn't identify the real Naruto for a long time. Fire techniques launched by his copies, although weak, but Uzumaki, apparently, could produce many of them without any problems; the blond's chakra seemed almost infinite. Copying weapons also looked interesting. And the explosion tags in his clones, that was… simply unfair, although incredibly effective; such an idea could only come to an idiot or a genius. If Sasuke had been in Kakashi's place, he would have just died ingloriously from the explosion. The perverted harem technique – definitely a useless jutsu, but even that Uzumaki managed to use extremely successfully.
But most importantly, Naruto had predicted Kakashi's actions and identified the true meaning of the test. From the very beginning. In the training ground forest, he had calculated everything in advance, revealing his insane plan to Uchiha.
And in general, Naruto's behavior had changed lately. He wasn't as noisy anymore. Today, he hadn't even said a word, intently thinking about something.
Could it be that Naruto had gotten a mentor? This version seemed more plausible to Sasuke than the option of pretense and acting in the Academy.
But who? Who possessed enough competence to train even an idiot like Naruto? And would this shinobi agree to take another student? Sasuke, of all people, would definitely be able to achieve his goal with such a mentor. After all, his goal was revenge for his clan; for that, he had to become stronger. Even if he had to admit his own weakness for a while. Even if he needed to put aside the pride of the last of the Founding clan and ask another shinobi to make Uchiha stronger…
" I need to find out how Naruto became so strong… " Sasuke mentally resolved.
— Naruto, how about a spar?.. — this phrase didn't come easily to Uchiha. But he had to say it.
Sakura just blinked her eyes in surprise. Uzumaki, however, was deep in thought and, judging by all appearances, hadn't heard what the ravenette had said, or even realized that he was being addressed.
" Damn Naruto… " flashed through Sasuke's mind.
He moved a little closer to the blond and repeated his question proudly.
— Huh? — Naruto finally turned his gaze to Uchiha. — Sparring?
Uzumaki scratched the top of his head, then broke into a smile:
— Sasuke-durasuke, do you finally consider me a worthy opponent?..
— Naruto-baka, — Sakura interjected into their conversation. — Sasuke-kun is the best at everything. You wouldn't last a second against him.
— Shut up, Sakura, — the ravenette said gloomily. — So?
— I don't mind, dattebayo, — Naruto shrugged. — Since Master Saitama went on a mission and the sparring with him was canceled, fighting with you will be good. Heh-heh…
" Master Saitama? Is that his teacher? "
— This Saitama is your mentor, right? — Sasuke voiced his assumptions.
— Yep, — the blond grinned again, scratching his head. Uchiha mentally called this pose the "Naruto pose." Or the smiling idiot pose. Although now, despite his outward foolishness, Sasuke took Uzumaki quite seriously and wasn't going to underestimate him.
" So that's it, " Uchiha thought, nodding slightly, " that explains a lot… "
Now the boy understood where Naruto's progress had come from. After all, a personal mentor was a good help in training. Sasuke remembered when his father and… brother had trained him.
" Itachi, " he gritted his teeth, forcing away the untimely memories.
For the past few years, Sasuke had been training himself. The teachers had little to offer the last of the Great clan. At least they hadn't tried to teach him anything new, and he hadn't asked because of his pride. The standards required of students in the Academy were simply ridiculous, and Uchiha easily coped with them. However, Sasuke understood that in terms of talent, he was only a pale shadow of his brother. He was called a genius, but compared to Itachi, this "title" was like a mockery…
— Master Saitama is the strongest, — Naruto continued, distracting Sasuke from his thoughts, — and someday I'll become as strong as him. No, wait. I'll become even stronger than Master Saitama! And after that, I'll become Hokage! That's my ninja way, dattebayo…
— Yes, we got it, — Uchiha rolled his eyes almost imperceptibly, mentally adding, " And why repeat it to us hundreds of times? The previous ten were quite enough… but this Saitama. Is he really as strong as Naruto describes? "
— But I have to warn you, Sasuke, — Uzumaki smirked slyly. — I'm not the same as I was in the Academy.
Uchiha only snorted at this, but a thought flashed through his mind:
" I really hope so. Maybe with Naruto's help, I can get acquainted with his teacher… "
***
The trio of genin approached Training Ground 66 with confident steps. It was on this training ground that Sasuke and Naruto had agreed to hold a training fight and test each other's skills.
The sun was scorching mercilessly. As luck would have it, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Sakura trudged behind the boys, her disgruntled gaze fixed on Naruto's back. She had decided to watch the genin fight. And although she was certain of the outcome of the sparring match – Uchiha was her standard in everything – the girl still couldn't just leave the object of her adoration behind.
Her stomach periodically emitted rumbling sounds, hinting to its owner that it was lunchtime. But Haruno stoically endured these inconveniences. Even general weakness – after work and from hunger – couldn't deter her desire to follow her beloved.
— Well, here we are! — Uzumaki announced in a cheerful voice.
— What the… — Sasuke's voice was heard.
Uchiha stopped dead in his tracks. Because of this, Sakura almost crashed into the ravenette's back but stopped just in time.
" Or maybe I should have "crashed" into him after all, and then fallen? Then Sasuke-kun would have helped me up… taken my hand… " The girl blushed from the fantasies that had visited her head. But, shaking her pink hair, she dismissed the daydreams and peered out from behind Uchiha's back.
— Ah… those are my clones training. Don't mind them, — Naruto said casually, continuing to walk towards the center of the training ground.
Sakura's mouth involuntarily opened at the sight, and her eyes widened in amazement.
There was a pile of Naruto clones on the training ground. Roughly about a hundred were practicing fire jutsus; the smell of burnt grass wafted across the area, even though most of the blond's techniques went upwards. Another fifty or so were sitting in the lotus position; near each of them were piles of leaves. Upon closer inspection, one could see Naruto's replicas taking a leaf from the pile and cutting it with willpower, then taking the next leaf and cutting it again… and so on endlessly, or rather, until they ran out of leaves or chakra. In addition, several dozen blonds were divided into pairs and sparring on the surface of the lake…
— Is this some kind of illusion? — Uchiha frowned.
Uzumaki laughed merrily at this question.
— No, Sasuke, — he turned to his teammates. — The clones aren't illusory, they're shadow clones. Saitama-sensei suggested this training method to me. It turns out that shadow clones can transmit knowledge and experience to the original. Kage Bunshin is the best technique, dattebayo…
Sakura only listened to the blond out of the corner of her ear, surveying the surroundings of the training ground. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. After all, Naruto was traditionally considered the worst graduate. But now the genin was demonstrating something supernatural. Training in Katon and Fūton jutsus, walking and fighting on water. And such a number of clones… it would require an unimaginable amount of chakra.
" Sakura, out of the three of us, you are the weakest and most useless. I don't know why you even became a shinobi… " Sakura remembered her beloved's words. These words and Uchiha's contemptuous gaze had deeply wounded her then. The girl had thought that Naruto was the most useless of the three of them. However, what she saw here was no illusion; even Sasuke was stunned. And what the blond had shown during the bell test wasn't a fluke either. Haruno came to an unsettling conclusion: she was the weakest and most worthless of Team Seven, despite all her achievements in the Academy.
However, what could Sakura do? How could she become useful and strong? After all, she was clanless, she had no personal mentors, and Kakashi-sensei didn't teach anything and most likely wasn't going to. The girl herself trained every day for half an hour, and sometimes even an hour, to maintain her figure. She also had no access to any special techniques; moreover, Sakura had a relatively small chakra reserve, so ninjutsu was definitely not her path. Although the teachers in the Academy often praised Haruno for her good control, she had nothing else besides that and excellent knowledge of academic subjects.
Naruto distracted the little kunoichi from her self-flagellation:
— Well, Sasuke, shall we warm up?
Uchiha snapped out of his surprise and just nodded gloomily:
— Aren't you going to dispel your clones? — the ravenette snorted, looking at the training crowd of clones at the other end of the training ground. — Are you really that confident?
— No, — Uzumaki grinned expectantly, — we agreed on a taijutsu sparring match. But if you want to use everything, I won't hold back either…
— Taijutsu is enough for now, — Uchiha interrupted the blond. — After all, I don't want to accidentally finish you off.
Naruto laughed good-naturedly, scratching the top of his head. Before, he would most likely have gotten angry and jumped into a fight upon hearing such a taunt. However, Sakura had noticed that Naruto had changed a lot in the last ten days. And she was no longer so sure of her beloved's victory.
Uzumaki moved a little further away, beckoning the ravenette with his hand to follow him.
— Tch… — Uchiha said, following his teammate.
Sakura stood clenching her fists and biting her lip.
" That idiot won't be able to defeat Sasuke-kun, will he? " flashed through her mind.
" Of course not. Sasuke-kun is the best, " her alter ego echoed.
Naruto stopped. His body was relaxed and seemed completely open. Uchiha, on the other hand, froze in an unfamiliar fighting stance a few meters away from the blond.
— Alright, Sasuke, — Uzumaki grinned carnivorously, sizing up his opponent. — Attack…