Chapter 29: Uzumaki Naruto Defeated Again! The True Genius of the Imperial Capital!

Chapter 29: Uzumaki Naruto Defeated Again! The True Genius of the Imperial Capital!

"This is... the Fire Breath Technique?"

Naruto couldn't help but exclaim in surprise at the sight.

"Haha! Old man, you know a thing or two! Indeed, this is the Fire Breath Technique!

Now, brace yourself, old man! Fire Style: Grand Fire Annihilation!"

With just two simple hand seals, Asuta Sarutobi exhaled, and a raging inferno erupted, sweeping across the area.

"Woah!" A chorus of cries echoed as the shadow clones were engulfed and reduced to smoke.

In the distance, Yamato, Sakura, and Sai paled in unison.

"What a powerful Grand Fire Annihilation! Its strength has probably increased from B-rank to A-rank, and the range has also improved..." Sakura exclaimed in awe.

"So this is the Fire Breath Technique... It enhances fire-style jutsu and reduces the number of hand seals required," Yamato muttered.

"It seems even more suited to ninjas than the Six Paths of Chakra, and I can't believe a nine-year-old has mastered it," Sai commented in admiration.

Rumble, rumble...

The fierce flames raged on.

Even after the Grand Fire Annihilation ceased, the scorched earth remained, charred and smoking, with billowing clouds rising to the sky.

The lone real body of Uzumaki Naruto stood outside the flames, his face beaded with cold sweat as he stared at Asuta Sarutobi.

This little brat was incredibly strong!

Was this for real?! How could a nine-year-old be so powerful? At his age, Naruto had been playing in the mud! The gap between them was just too vast.

Naruto felt somewhat disheartened.

However, he wasn't ready to admit defeat yet.

Whoosh!!

In the distance, Asuta's figure moved, and he charged towards Naruto at breakneck speed.

Naruto quickly formed the necessary hand seals to create more shadow clones.

But Asuta simply pushed out his palm, and a violent gust of hot wind enveloped Naruto, forcing him to stop.

In that brief moment,

Asuta had closed the distance, throwing a punch.

Rumble, rumble!

Even before the blow landed, Naruto felt his breath catch, his body aching as if on fire. He sidestepped and countered with a right hook.

However, Asuta easily caught his punch with his hand.

Naruto could feel the searing heat emanating from Asuta's body!

The temperature must have been at least seventy degrees Celsius!

"Ugh..."

He groaned softly, gritting his teeth against the pain as he engaged in close combat with Asuta.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The two exchanged blows repeatedly.

Naruto kept retreating, his condition deteriorating until finally, he was struck in the abdomen and painfully knocked to the ground.

"Old man, you really are weak. Is that all you've got?"

Asuta stood over him, looking down with a hint of mockery. He took out the crumpled cigarette that he had put away earlier and placed it between his lips.

"..."

Surprisingly, Naruto didn't respond. He simply stared at the sky, his eyes vacant.

Defeat... He had truly lost to a nine-year-old.

With this level of strength, he dared to consider himself a Konoha elite and protector? It was embarrassing, too embarrassing.

The more Naruto thought about it, the more dejected he became.

"Na... Naruto, are you alright?"

Sakura approached and asked worriedly.

She wanted to comfort him, but the thought of Asuta's young age lodged the words in her throat.

"Don't be discouraged, Naruto.

Asuta was born into the Sarutobi clan, a family of ninjas. He's been trained in the Six Paths of Chakra, the Fire Breath Technique, and complementary jutsu since he was a child.

Even at the age of nine, his true strength is comparable to that of a jounin from the ninja era.

Right now, you're just lacking in chakra. Believe me, everything will be different once you have it."

Iruka came to Naruto's side, helping him up and offering words of solace.

"A jounin? This little brat is a jounin?!"

Naruto stared at Asuta, his eyes widening in shock.

"So strong... A nine-year-old jounin? Is this what the children of the Shenwu Empire are capable of?"

Sakura marveled.

Yamato remained silent.

He thought of Kakashi, the record-breaking Kakashi, who had become a jounin at the age of twelve! And Yamato was certain that Kakashi, at that age, had not been as strong as Asuta Sarutobi was now.

"Huh? What's so surprising? My strength is decent compared to ordinary people, but compared to those real monsters, it's nothing."

"Asuta Sarutobi looked at Team Asuma with disdain.

His gaze seemed to be looking down on country bumpkins. "What do you brats mean by that? Are there really kids stronger than you?"

Naruto asked, incredulous.

"Of course," Asuta replied. "The strongest ones here are Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi. They're about the same age as me, but their strengths far surpass mine."

"Uchiha? Hatake?" Yamato exclaimed in surprise.

"Uchiha Sasuke is the child of Uchiha Itachi," Iruka explained. "And Hatake Kakashi is the son of Kakashi-senpai."

"Kakashi-sensei has a son?! I didn't know he had a child!" Naruto and Sakura cried out together.

"What's so surprising about that?" Imperial Iruka asked, confused.

Then, as if realizing something, he continued, "Kakashi-senpai was incredibly strong and handsome. He used to be one of the most popular men in the Imperial Capital, with a lot of girls admiring him. But in the end, it was Rin-senpai who won his heart. They got married and had Kakashi."

"Kakashi-sensei's wife, Rin?" Naruto murmured, a smile tugging at his lips.

It seemed that in this world, Kakashi-sensei had found happiness, and he couldn't help but feel glad for him.

"Uchiha Itachi..." Yamato murmured, seeming to pay particular attention to the name.

"Do you know him, Yamato-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Itachi... he must be an exceptionally brilliant genius of the Uchiha clan, right?" Yamato didn't answer Sakura directly but instead directed his question to Iruka.

"Indeed," Iruka nodded. "Itachi is one of the few geniuses in the entire Uchiha clan, and Sasuke has inherited his talent and is also renowned for his genius."

"So... just how strong are these two kids?" Yamato asked, his curiosity piqued.

He wanted to learn more about the empire's strength and the extent of their geniuses' powers.

"How strong? Well... by now, they should be approaching the level of a Kage from the shinobi era... His Majesty has praised them both, and unless something unexpected happens, they will surely attain the level of Kage before they turn twelve." Iruka smiled as he spoke.

"Twelve years old... a Kage?" Team Asuma was stunned into silence.

The answer was outrageously shocking.

A Kage was the pinnacle of power in the five great shinobi villages, and their numbers were few across the entire shinobi world. They were the epitome of power.

And in the Shenwu Empire, a twelve-year-old child could attain such a level? The gap was staggering.

"That's right," Iruka continued, "and it's precisely because of their extraordinary talent that they've earned His Majesty's praise."

"You bunch of hicks, are you shocked out of your wits now?" Asuta looked at Team Asuma's astonished expressions and mocked them again. "You're so old and yet so weak. Do you really think you can compare yourselves to geniuses?"

"You damn brat, don't get too cocky! Just you wait, once I master the Six Paths, I'll definitely beat you!" Naruto muttered angrily, feeling both annoyed and helpless.

"Oh? You've got quite the ambition there, old man. So you think you can beat me, huh? Well, I accept your challenge. I'll be looking forward to it." Asuta said, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

"You just wait, you little brat!" Naruto continued to threaten, but soon after, he was healed by a medical ninja and rejoined the training.

This defeat seemed to have lit a fire under him, and he applied himself with renewed vigor.

He was far more focused during training than before.

Even after school ended for the day, he stayed on the field, practicing for a long time by himself.

Finally, he dragged his tired body back to his residence and began assimilating the memories of the Shadow Clone he had left training with Mizukage.

The Shadow Clone hadn't engaged in any training but had instead focused on memorizing breathing techniques and acquiring knowledge.

The next day, Team Asuma continued their training with a group of children, channeling their Qi throughout their bodies.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end