16-20

Chapter 16: High Alert

"What did you say? The Akatsuki have come to Konoha?!" Jiraiya frowned, but quickly recovered, looking at Shiro with disbelief. "Describe what they look like!"

"No need. I know their names!"

"Their names? That makes sense. The Akatsuki always operate in pairs."

Seeing that Jiraiya half-believed him, Shiro quickly continued, "One is called Kisame Hoshigaki, and the other is Itachi Uchiha!"

Jiraiya trembled. If he had only half-believed before, now he was completely convinced.

He knew that Itachi Uchiha was part of the Akatsuki, but he didn’t have much information about Kisame Hoshigaki. However, he had heard that one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kisame, had become a rogue ninja and was missing. Now it made sense that he had joined the Akatsuki.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Jiraiya didn’t dare waste time and prepared to head out.

"Wait! I've already notified others. I'm sure the village will take action," Shiro said.

"I must go! The Akatsuki members are incredibly powerful. If they've come to Konoha, they won't leave easily!" Jiraiya snorted, a trace of anger on his face.

"Don't you want to know why they came to Konoha?" Shiro asked, causing Jiraiya to pause and look at him in confusion.

"Their purpose? You even know their purpose? You’re clearly not an ordinary person," Jiraiya said, narrowing his eyes.

Shiro coughed awkwardly, realizing he had said too much. But if he didn’t explain, he wouldn’t have the chance to leave or learn the Rasengan.

"That doesn't matter. All you need to know is that I mean no harm to Konoha," Shiro said, avoiding the question.

"Fine. Tell me their purpose."

Just as Shiro was about to speak, he saw Naruto Uzumaki in the distance, struggling with a huge backpack.

"Their target is him," Shiro said, pointing toward Naruto.

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he looked at Naruto, his entire body shaking, his face darkening.

"Now, do you still want to go after them?"

Jiraiya stood still, frowning and deep in thought.

"Hey, Pervy Sage, when are we leaving? Pervy Sage! Oh no, he's turned into a statue!" Naruto shouted.

Annoyed, Jiraiya smacked Naruto on the head. "We're leaving now!"

"Yes! Let's go!" Naruto shouted excitedly, attempting to move forward, but his backpack was too heavy for him to lift.

"You idiot! Why did you bring so much stuff? Take it all back!" Jiraiya scolded.

It took Naruto about half an hour to return all his things home. During that time, Shiro took the chance to borrow one of Naruto’s orange outfits, which made him look like a walking orange.

Naruto remained cheerful the entire journey, while Jiraiya stayed on high alert, constantly scanning their surroundings as if wishing for extra pairs of eyes.

After several hours of walking, the sky began to darken, and they arrived at a small village. Although not as bustling as Konoha, it had all the necessities.

Jiraiya let out a sigh of relief, feeling safer in a crowded place. However, just then, two women approached and immediately clung to him.

"Wow, you're so handsome!" one of them said.

"Yeah, your white hair is so unique!" the other added.

Jiraiya's once vigilant eyes turned dreamy as the women flattered him.

"You two go have fun on your own. Just be sure to come back to the inn later," Jiraiya said, laughing as he left with the women on each arm.

"Adults are so annoying. I don't want to be like that when I grow up!" Naruto muttered, his face filled with disappointment as he watched Jiraiya leave.

"You won't. You’re going to become the Hokage," Shiro said.

"That's right! I'm going to be Hokage, but first, I’ll surpass you!" Naruto said confidently.

Shiro chuckled. Naruto’s determination, along with his never-give-up attitude—and some help from fate—would make him a hero in the ninja world. Eventually, he would become the Seventh Hokage.

Suddenly, Shiro froze, remembering that Naruto was about to be attacked by Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. And right before that, Jiraiya had been led away by those two women!

"Hey, Shiro! Put your stuff down and let’s go have fun!" Naruto waved from the inn’s entrance.

After a moment of thought, Shiro decided to stick to the original plot. By doing so, he could at least anticipate everything and be fully prepared for whatever came next.

Shiro steeled himself and walked over, entering the inn while staying on high alert. For the first time, he truly understood what Jiraiya had felt earlier. When someone is extremely focused, every cell in their body works at full capacity, and exhaustion quickly sets in.

Only now did Shiro realize how difficult it was for Jiraiya, who had been in this heightened state all along.

Sometimes, knowing everything in advance wasn’t necessarily a good thing. If you knew something was coming but couldn't handle it, it would place immense psychological pressure on you. If someone wasn’t mentally strong enough, they might break down before anything even happened.

Facing these challenges required strength. Shiro knew he had to improve his abilities before Madara’s plan was put into motion.

Staying in Konoha any longer was unnecessary. He had learned most of the jutsu he wanted, and it was time to go to other ninja villages to study more techniques and combine them into more advanced jutsu.

"Hey, what’s wrong with you? You’re acting just like that Pervy Sage! He won’t teach me jutsu, and now you won’t even play with me!" Naruto complained, pouting.

Shiro forced a smile. He was on edge, but Naruto seemed unfazed by the looming danger. According to the plot, Naruto would be fine, but Shiro wasn’t part of the original story, so anything could happen to him!

Although he had already made peace with Itachi, he still worried that Itachi might "teach him a lesson" like he did with Sasuke, and that would not be fun.

"Hey! Are you listening? I heard you were training Sasuke earlier. Why don’t you train me too?" Naruto asked, snapping Shiro out of his thoughts.

Shiro’s eyes lit up, and he smiled slightly.

"Alright, but only if you teach me that forbidden jutsu you used to beat the Third Hokage. Then I'll help you train."

"Deal!" Naruto cheered, immediately making hand signs.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Author's Note: Thank you for all the comments, votes, and support! I really appreciate it! Please continue to support me in the future!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 17: The Rematch with Kisame Hoshigaki*

Naruto Uzumaki, without any caution, complained as he rushed to open the door.

Shiro's pupils shrank to pinpoints, realizing it was too late to stop him!

As the door opened, a black cloak with red clouds blocked the entrance.

What stood out the most was a pair of blood-red pupils, catching immediate attention.

“I didn’t expect the Nine-Tails to be sealed in such a small body!” Kisame Hoshigaki stepped forward with a smile, but when he spotted Shiro inside the room, his brows furrowed.

“I almost forgot about this guy! Itachi, you keep an eye on the Nine-Tails. I need to see how strong you really are at twelve years old!”

“Don’t make too much of a scene,” warned Itachi.

“Leave it to me!” Kisame grinned smugly, drawing his Samehada sword and charging toward Shiro.

Shiro’s face twitched.

His presence had clearly altered the storyline! Originally, Sasuke Uchiha should have appeared shortly after their arrival, but now Sasuke was nowhere to be seen!

Ding dong! Task choice triggered!

1. Subdue Naruto Uzumaki! Reward: Intermediate Sage Body!

2. Escape with Naruto Uzumaki! Reward: Intermediate Taijutsu Mastery!

3. Defeat Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha! Reward: Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan!

Shiro’s face twitched again. He usually chose tasks based on the rewards, but this time, even though the reward was an Intermediate Sage Body, he couldn’t claim it!

Subduing Naruto would be easy, but Jiraiya would arrive soon after and surely kill him!

As for defeating Kisame and Itachi, that wasn’t even worth considering. Escaping was the best possible outcome!

“I choose number two!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shiro’s muscles began to ripple as if they were breathing, absorbing the chakra around him.

In an instant, Shiro felt a surge of power fill his body. With one punch, he could easily shatter rock.

Kisame had already closed the distance.

Without hesitation, Shiro ducked and launched a 45-degree kick upward.

Kisame didn’t have time to react. The kick landed squarely on his stomach, forcing him back several steps before stopping.

“Itachi! This kid really is a genius! This morning, he wasn’t nearly this fast, but now he’s improved so much in just one day!” Kisame wasn’t angry; instead, he looked thrilled.

Even Itachi turned his head slightly, his eyes flickering with thought.

“Kid! You’ve made great progress, but facing me is your biggest mistake!” Kisame grinned confidently and dashed right up to Shiro!

Just as Kisame was about to strike, Itachi, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.

“Kisame! Come back!”

Kisame, just inches from striking Shiro, was baffled by the sudden command but, trusting Itachi completely, he immediately leapt back.

Boom!  

Shiro’s body swelled up like a balloon before exploding!

Kisame’s eyes narrowed in seriousness.

If Itachi hadn’t warned him, he would’ve been caught in that explosion!

Though the blast wouldn’t have killed Kisame, given his tough physique, no one wanted to deal with unnecessary injuries!

“Damn, I underestimated this kid. He even knows your Explosive Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

“This kid isn’t ordinary. He managed to take the Nine-Tails while causing the explosion!” Itachi remarked.

Kisame quickly looked down.

Naruto Uzumaki, who had been cornered earlier, had vanished!

“Damn it, go after them!” Kisame growled, irritated.

He couldn’t believe one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was being toyed with by a mere kid. If word got out, it would be humiliating!

“No need,” Itachi said calmly, without a hint of emotion.

Not far away, around a corner, Naruto and Shiro were retreating, their eyes filled with reluctance.

Moments later, a young man in a black cloak with red clouds emerged from the shadows. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Itachi Uchiha!

“Hahaha, I was worried for nothing. Who can escape your eyes?” Kisame laughed, shouldering his Samehada. “That Uchiha kid is mine; you take care of the Nine-Tails brat!”

Itachi said nothing, signaling his agreement.

With that, Kisame rushed toward Shiro again!

Shiro forced a bitter smile. In such a confined space, Kisame’s Samehada couldn’t unleash its full power.

But even in this tight space, Kisame’s abilities far surpassed Shiro’s, leaving him with little hope but to fight to the death!

“Damn it! I’ll have to gamble!”

After studying the synthesis system, Shiro discovered that no matter how techniques were combined, their basic properties wouldn’t change!

For example, the Reverse Flow Wall was a combination of Earth and Water!

Even if they weren’t synthesized, the Earth Dragon Bullet and Water Dragon Bullet would just create a muddy mess, but after synthesis, their power increased several levels!

The signature jutsu of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the Flying Thunder God Technique, used a tag on kunai for spatial jumps!

By that logic, if Shuriken Jutsu was combined with the Body Flicker Technique, wouldn’t that result in the Flying Thunder God Technique?

Synthesize! Body Flicker Technique and Shuriken Jutsu!

Ding dong! Custom jutsu being identified!

Ding dong! Identification successful! Synthesis success rate: 7.5%, failure rate: 92.5%. Remaining synthesis attempts: 1. Proceed with synthesis?

Shiro’s face turned dark.

Previously, his lowest success rate for jutsu synthesis had been 60%, with most at 100%!

But now the success rate wasn’t even 10%!

However, he had no other choice.

“Synthesize! Do it now!”

Ding dong! Synthesis in progress!

Ding dong! Synthesis successful!

Ding dong! Jutsu obtained: Flying Thunder Break Technique!

When he heard the word “successful,” Shiro was ecstatic!

But when he saw the jutsu description, his face darkened again.

“Flying Thunder Break? What the heck?!”

Ding dong! Flying Thunder Break allows the user to jump short distances by marking a shuriken as a coordinate. However, due to temporary blockages in the body’s chakra pathways, the technique cannot be used consecutively in a short time!

Shiro’s lips curled into a smirk.

This was essentially a nerfed version of the Flying Thunder God Technique!

It just added casting range and cooldown limitations!

But the core effect remained the same!

“There’s a chance!”

Kisame was closing in on Shiro, but when he heard Shiro mutter to himself, he shivered and quickly retreated!

“Damn it! Another Explosive Shadow Clone Jutsu?!” Kisame grumbled, glaring at Shiro.

But after a while, the explosion never came.

Realizing he’d been tricked again, Kisame was furious.

“You brat, I’m going to kill you!”

Shiro chuckled nonchalantly and took out a kunai from his pouch.

After forming several hand seals, the black kunai emitted a golden glow, flickering brightly.

“Success!”

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 18: Foolish Little Brother*

With the Flying Thunder Blast Technique in hand, Shiro's confidence soared.

Two Kage-level ninjas? So what? Even if he couldn't win, surely he could escape, right?

But the Flying Thunder Blast Technique only had one use, so Shiro didn't dare to waste it carelessly.

After all, who throws a bomb right at the start of a game of poker?

Holding a kunai in one hand, Shiro began forming hand seals with the other.

"Earth Style! Mud Wall Technique!"

In an instant, the hallway of the building began turning into a muddy mess, bits and pieces starting to crumble and fall.

He could faintly hear someone shouting from downstairs, "Who the hell is tearing down my house? This is just too much!"

"Single-handed seals! This is getting more interesting!" Kisame Hoshigaki licked his upper lip, his face filled with excitement.

"Kisame! Finish this quickly. It'll be troublesome if that guy returns!"

"Alright! No holding back then! Water Style! Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

In a ninja battle, the terrain is incredibly important.

For example, in the narrow confines of a hallway, a jutsu like the Water Dragon Bullet is practically unavoidable!

And since the floor beneath was hollow, Shiro’s Mud Wall Technique had little effect. At most, it could only create a hole in the hallway.

But that hole was precisely Shiro's goal!

The enormous dragon head of the Water Dragon Bullet took up the entire hallway, tearing through walls and leaving gaping cracks in its wake, while screams echoed from the rooms behind them.

"What kind of people are they?" Naruto Uzumaki stared in terror at the chaos, collapsing onto the floor and muttering to himself.

Shiro glanced at Naruto, disappointed by his fear, and seized the moment to throw his kunai into the hole below.

Grabbing Naruto just in time, Shiro activated the Flying Thunder Blast Technique the instant the Water Dragon Bullet touched them.

"Hahaha, in such a cramped space, no matter how skilled that kid is, he can't possibly dodge! Now we just need to capture the Nine-Tails!" Kisame laughed heartily.

"Wait, where did those two brats go? They’ve vanished!" Kisame searched frantically, but there was no sign of Naruto or Shiro.

"Flying Thunder God Technique? That brat knows the Flying Thunder God Technique! Who is he? Could he be Konoha's secret weapon?" Uchiha Itachi, usually expressionless, showed genuine surprise.

"Flying Thunder God? You're talking about the Fourth Hokage’s famous jutsu, the Yellow Flash! How could this kid possibly know it?"

Kisame’s fury flared even higher after being outwitted by Shiro once again. His hand gripped his sword, Samehada, so tightly that it cracked.

Naruto stared around in disbelief.

They had been inside the inn just moments ago, but now, with a blink, they were outside.

"What just happened..." Naruto was utterly clueless and turned to Shiro for answers.

"No time for explanations! They’re still nearby! Go find Pervy Sage!"

"Yeah, right!" Naruto sprang to his feet, but before he could go, a familiar figure appeared in the distance.

"Naruto! Where is he?" Sasuke Uchiha shouted, eyes blazing with anger.

"Oh, so you’re all here. And you've even got another brat with you! Judging by your looks, you seem related to Itachi," Kisame sneered as he and Uchiha Itachi appeared, their cold eyes fixed on the trio.

"Itachi Uchiha! I’ve followed your words, hated you, despised you! Today, I will kill you and avenge our clan, avenge our parents!" Sasuke, consumed by fury, lost all reason.

With a single hand shaped like an eagle's claw on the ground, blue arcs of electricity began jumping, crackling with the sound of chirping birds.

Itachi frowned slightly and turned to Kisame, saying, "Leave this guy to me. You keep the Flying Thunder God brat busy."

Kisame scowled.

Itachi had said to "keep him busy," not "kill him," which was clearly a slight.

But thinking of Shiro’s Flying Thunder God Technique, Kisame eased up. After all, with such an extraordinary jutsu, Shiro could escape a thousand miles away in an instant, making killing him nearly impossible.

"You brat! You’ve toyed with me over and over again. Today, I’ll make you regret it!"

Kisame swung Samehada, slashing through the air with a sharp, cracking sound.

Shiro tensed up.

He hadn't expected his arrival to cause such a massive butterfly effect! Sasuke should have shown up long ago, but here he was, while Jiraiya was still nowhere in sight!

But for now, Shiro had to deal with Kisame.

If Kisame went all out, no one could hold him off unless Jiraiya showed up!

"Naruto! Go find Pervy Sage!"

Naruto snapped out of it and quickly started running.

As Shiro spoke, Kisame had already appeared before him with Samehada in hand.

"You’re strong! If I gave you more time, I definitely wouldn't be able to beat you! So I’m sorry, but today, you have to die!"

Being praised by an enemy should have felt nice.

But the fact that this was bringing him closer to death wasn’t something Shiro could easily accept!

Even though Shiro had a beginner’s Sage Body, intermediate speed mastery, and intermediate taijutsu mastery, his speed was still lacking in Kisame’s eyes.

If not for his Three Tomoe Sharingan, he might have been killed by Kisame already!

"Damn it, time to go all out!"

Suddenly, Shiro stopped in his tracks and stood there, frozen.

Kisame was startled and instinctively halted his movements, then immediately became furious.

"Trying to fool me again! Die!"

He swung Samehada down, slicing right through Shiro’s body.

But Shiro didn’t react at all.

"A clone? Am I under a genjutsu?" Kisame muttered, lifting Samehada to strike again.

But just as Samehada was about to touch Shiro, Kisame's heart began pounding rapidly.

It was as if striking this blow would cause him more pain than Shiro.

"Kisame... Take Samehada and kill Uchiha Itachi!"

"Yes."

That voice, like a heavenly chant, pierced his ears, and Kisame’s body moved without the slightest resistance, slowly turning.

"Kill Uchiha Itachi... Kill Uchiha Itachi..."

"Kisame! Snap out of it!" Itachi’s voice cut through, instantly bringing Kisame back to his senses.

"I was caught in a genjutsu?" Kisame blinked, confused, then tore off his red-clouded black cloak in a fit of rage.

"I swear, I’m killing this brat today!"

"Enough! Give me three seconds. I’ll handle this kid myself!" Itachi sneered, turning to face Sasuke with cold eyes.

"Foolish little brother, let your hatred for me grow even stronger. Live with the sole purpose of killing me!"

Ding! Recognizing Dojutsu: Tsukuyomi (Bloodline Limit not activated)

---

*End of Chapter*

*Chapter 19: Battle with Uchiha Itachi*

With a scream, Uchiha Sasuke collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably. Uchiha Itachi slowly turned around.

"Your opponent now is me!"

Shiro trembled. Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame were completely different types of opponents. Kisame mainly relied on taijutsu (hand-to-hand combat) and water-style jutsu. If Kisame underestimated his opponent and didn't use his water techniques, Shiro still had a chance to sneak in some attacks.

But Uchiha Itachi was entirely different.

Itachi's greatest strength wasn’t his genjutsu (illusionary techniques), fire-style jutsu, or shuriken techniques—it was his intelligence. Only after that came his eye techniques. Compared to Itachi, Shiro’s abilities felt insignificant.

Fortunately, Itachi still held some loyalty to the Hidden Leaf Village, so Shiro didn’t fear him going all out to kill.

Itachi extended his arm from his cloak, pulling off his red-clouded black cloak and tossing it high into the air. In an instant, a large flock of crows flew up, and Itachi’s figure vanished completely.

*Ding! Identified jutsu: Crow Clone Technique!*

*Ding! Identified jutsu: Bubble!*

Shiro shuddered and immediately leaped backward. Suddenly, the crows in the air transformed into shuriken, targeting Shiro's anticipated landing spot. In an instant, Shiro was struck by dozens of shuriken.

Poof! Shiro’s body dissolved into a cloud of smoke and vanished.

"It seems, Uchiha Shiro, you’re quite strong! But still, not enough." The first part of Itachi’s sentence echoed from afar, but the next part was spoken right behind Shiro.

"Explode!"

Boom! Shiro's body detonated, forcing Itachi back several steps. "As expected, you’re much stronger than my foolish little brother. But this game ends now."

*Ding! Identified genjutsu: Pre-set Illusion!*

Shiro trembled again. This genjutsu was one of Itachi’s masterpieces. Because Itachi didn’t trust anyone in the Akatsuki, he would always cast a pre-set genjutsu on those he interacted with. Normally, the genjutsu had no effect, but if a specific condition was triggered, it would activate fully. Very few people could withstand it.

Since Shiro was already trapped in the genjutsu, his only option was to continuously release jutsu to avoid getting assassinated.

"Fire Style! Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

"Water Style! Water Dragon Jutsu!"

"Earth Style! Earth Dragon Jutsu!"

...

Shiro unleashed a series of jutsu, one after another, causing Itachi to frown slightly.

"This kid has an astonishing amount of chakra. He’s definitely not a nobody. Why have I never heard of him?"

"Itachi, what should we do?"

"The Jinchuriki escaped. That person should be arriving soon. There’s no need to waste any more time here."

"But we could easily kill this kid," Kisame said, clearly irritated.

"Kisame, remember our mission!"

Frustrated, Kisame donned his red-clouded cloak again, giving Shiro one last glare.

"Uchiha Shiro, I’ll remember your name!"

With that, Itachi and Kisame vanished, just as Jiraiya and Naruto rushed over from the distance.

"Kid, where are those two in red-clouded cloaks?"

"They were just here," Shiro replied.

"Ugh, you’re unreliable. Let me ask Shiro instead," Jiraiya sighed, glancing at Naruto before noticing Shiro still relentlessly casting jutsu. His eye twitched.

"Genjutsu? Break!" Jiraiya attempted to dispel it, but it didn’t work. "Looks like I’ll have to knock you awake!" He charged at Shiro.

Though Shiro’s jutsu were powerful, they weren’t specifically aimed at anyone, so Jiraiya was able to dodge them with ease.

"Gotcha! Time to wake up!" Jiraiya shouted, raising his fist to punch Shiro in the face.

Suddenly, Shiro’s body began to swell.

Bang! Jiraiya was caught off guard and was blasted back several meters before regaining his footing.

"Damn it! Since when did he learn this jutsu? And doesn’t he run out of chakra?!" Jiraiya grumbled, now wary of getting close again. He then moved to check on Sasuke.

"Aren’t you going to help Shiro?" Naruto asked.

"You can help if you want! Besides, once he runs out of chakra, he’ll stop."

"I’m not leaving my friend! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In an instant, the street was filled with hundreds of Naruto clones.

"Go! Wake up Shiro!"

*Ding! Identified jutsu: Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!*

Shiro paused for a moment. This jutsu was made famous by Naruto. Due to Naruto’s enormous chakra reserves and strong mental resistance, he could withstand the emotional feedback from his clones when they were destroyed. That allowed him to use the technique limitlessly in battle.

Knowing Naruto was here, Shiro decided to stop his relentless jutsu spree. He then cast a release on himself to break the genjutsu.

The streets were now covered in mud and water, with Naruto lying on the ground, eyes rolling back in fear.

Jiraiya sighed, "With that level of jutsu intensity, even I’d struggle to stay standing. These youngsters are reckless."

Shiro gave a bitter smile, realizing he had unintentionally knocked out Naruto. Fortunately, it wasn’t fatal—Naruto had just swallowed too much mud and water.

"Uchiha kid, tell me, what jutsu hit him?" Jiraiya asked seriously.

"Tsukuyomi."

Jiraiya trembled. He had heard of Tsukuyomi but had never seen it until today. He didn’t expect that such a jutsu could break a ninja's spirit in such a short amount of time.

"It seems I have no choice but to find her."

Jiraiya sighed and was about to stand up when a green blur suddenly kicked him in the face.

*Ding! Identified taijutsu: Leaf Whirlwind!*

Jiraiya was sent flying several meters before looking up to see Might Guy, standing awkwardly.

"What’s wrong with you?!"

"Sorry! I left too quickly and forgot my mirror. I used my headband as a substitute, and there was a slight miscalculation!"

As Jiraiya and Guy bickered, Shiro finally exhaled in relief. At least the story had returned to its normal course, though the butterfly effect was already in motion. Who knew how the plot would change next?

Before that, he needed to get stronger.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 20: Learning the Rasengan*

After sending Might Guy and Sasuke Uchiha on their way, Shiro finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, it was time to learn the Rasengan!

"Hey, Pervy Sage! When are you going to teach me some jutsu? Next time there's a fight, I want to help out too!"

Jiraiya glanced at him, raising his right hand to gather chakra, but suddenly turned to Shiro.

"Shiro, why don't you go run an errand for me and buy some supplies?"

Shiro let out a wry smile. As expected, Jiraiya still didn't fully trust him.

But Shiro didn’t mind. After all, in the future, Naruto Uzumaki would be throwing Rasengans around all the time, so he’d have plenty of chances to learn!

Taking the money, Shiro wasn’t particularly excited about actually buying things, so he found a spot under a tree, closed his eyes, and rested.

About an hour later, Shiro bought a basket full of balloons as a token effort, then pocketed the rest of the money.

"Shiro, you're finally back. I’ve already used up all the balloons," Naruto complained.

Shiro handed Naruto a water-filled balloon without a word. Naruto took it eagerly, stood in a stance, and started focusing his chakra.

Ding dong! Jutsu recognized: Rasengan!

Shiro froze for a moment. He didn’t expect to be able to recognize the jutsu just like that, and his previously lazy attitude suddenly turned into excitement.

Ding dong! Jutsu recognition: Rasengan (Progress 3%).

Shiro chuckled to himself. It wasn’t going to be that easy, after all.

But if there’s progress, it means more practice will lead to success!

"Naruto, are you using chakra to rotate and pop the balloon?"

Naruto was startled, hesitation written all over his face.

"The Pervy Sage said he could only teach this jutsu to me."

Shiro shrugged indifferently. "I get it, I'm just giving you some advice!"

He grabbed Naruto’s other hand and placed it on the water balloon.

"If you want to pop the balloon with chakra alone, it would take months of training. But if you use your other hand to help, you can pop it instantly!"

Naruto, still doubtful, put his other hand on the balloon and quickly started rotating his chakra.

Due to the different directions of chakra flow from both hands, the water balloon began to shake violently.

Pop!

The balloon burst, splashing water all over Naruto's face.

Naruto jumped around in joy like a little kid.

Ding dong! Jutsu recognition: Rasengan (Progress 7%).

Jiraiya returned, and when he saw Naruto celebrating like a child, he couldn’t help but smile too.

"What’s got you so happy?"

Hearing Jiraiya’s voice, Naruto eagerly ran over with a secretive grin.

"Let me show you my jutsu! Rasengan!"

Naruto used the same technique to make the water balloon spin rapidly, and in no time, it burst with a pop.

Ding dong! Jutsu recognition: Rasengan (Progress 15%).

"No way!"

Jiraiya quickly pulled out another water balloon and threw it to Naruto.

"Do it again, quickly!"

Naruto rubbed his nose with his finger and began channeling chakra again.

Within ten seconds, the balloon exploded once more!

Ding dong! Jutsu recognition: Rasengan (Progress 20%).

"Ah, I see now! You used two different chakra flows to burst the balloon! Naruto, you're a genius!"

Even though Jiraiya praised him, Naruto didn’t seem as happy, awkwardly smiling as he admitted, "Actually, Shiro-kun taught me that."

Jiraiya frowned and turned to Shiro.

"Who are you really, to even know the principles behind the Rasengan?"

"I’ll say it again, I have no ill intentions toward the Hidden Leaf Village!"

Shiro felt a little angry. He had helped the village numerous times, yet Jiraiya still didn’t trust him.

"Pervy Sage, Shiro-kun is definitely not a problem! If it weren’t for him, I would’ve been captured by those two guys!" Naruto quickly came to Shiro’s defense.

After hesitating for a moment, Jiraiya smiled faintly.

"Naruto, why are you so worked up? I was just joking!" Jiraiya said, grabbing a balloon and holding it in his hand.

Pop!

The balloon burst in less than three seconds!

Ding dong! Jutsu recognition: Rasengan (Progress 40%).

Shiro was stunned. Naruto could only increase the Rasengan’s progress by a few percentage points with each use, but Jiraiya’s casual demonstration raised it by 20%!

The closer you are to mastering the Rasengan, the more progress you make with each attempt!

After finishing his demonstration, Jiraiya took out another balloon, tossing one to Naruto and another to Shiro.

"The second stage of Rasengan training is to pop this balloon with chakra. There’s no water inside, so it’s harder because you don’t have any leverage. Relying on rotation alone to pop it is very difficult!"

Mid-sentence, Jiraiya turned to Shiro. "You’re a genius. You probably figured out the first stage already. Now, let’s begin!"

Naruto glanced at Shiro with excitement, and then, using the same method as before, he began channeling his chakra into the balloon.

Although the balloon twisted and turned, it showed no signs of popping, no matter how much he tried!

Ding dong! Task activated!

1. Complete the Rasengan using Shadow Clone Jutsu! Reward: Monster Strength!

2. Complete the Rasengan using two hands! Reward: Wind Release Chakra!

3. Complete the Rasengan using one hand! Reward: Chakra Shape Transformation!

Shiro instantly understood after looking at the rewards!

In this age of big data, even this system worked the same way.

Since he just started learning the Rasengan, the task was related to it.

"I choose option three!"

Although chakra shape transformation isn’t the most powerful, it’s the most practical.

With chakra shape transformation, you can modify jutsu infinitely! The more jutsu you know, the more useful it becomes!

As for completing the Rasengan, Shiro only needed to watch Naruto practice. Once the progress hit 100%, he could use the Rasengan immediately!

"Hey, Pervy Sage, can you show me again?"

Jiraiya shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed another balloon for another demonstration.

Pop!

Ding dong! Jutsu acquired: Rasengan (Progress 60%).

"Did you catch it that time?"

"Uh, can you show me one more time?"

"What’s your deal?"

"If you do it again, I’ll show you that forbidden jutsu Naruto’s been practicing!"

Jiraiya was taken aback, and his nose started bleeding slightly.

"Alright, but this is the last time!"

Ding dong! Jutsu recognition: Rasengan (Progress 80%).

"Did you see it clearly? When are you going to show me that forbidden jutsu from Naruto?"

"How about one more demonstration?"

"Get lost!"

(End of Chapter)