This Naruto is A Bit Too Evil

"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere."

Naruto quickly formed hand seals in front of his chest and fired several Vacuum Spheres at a large boulder ten meters away.

As soon as the Jutsu was released, Naruto's body surged forward toward the boulder. At the same time, a blue-and-white Chakra Sphere rapidly spun and condensed in his hand. As the sphere rotated, the surrounding air began to swirl violently, scattering rocks and dried leaves, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Wind Release: Rasengan!"

This is a Rasengan that Naruto infused with Wind Nature Chakra. Although it couldn't be thrown like the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, replacing the neutral Chakra with Wind Nature Chakra greatly enhanced its cutting power and destructive potential.

The Vacuum Spheres struck the markers Naruto had previously made on the boulder, creating several head-sized craters.

In the next instant, Naruto reached the boulder and slammed the Wind Release: Rasengan into its center.

Boom!

The Rasengan exploded, releasing countless strands of Wind Nature Chakra that surged outward in all directions. A spherical area two meters in diameter was engulfed by the Wind Nature Chakra, and even Naruto himself was caught in the blast, creating a thick cloud of dust that obscured the scene.

When the dust settled, a perfectly spherical void two meters in diameter was left in the boulder. The Naruto who had been caught in the explosion disappeared with a poof, leaving behind a puff of white smoke.

It had just been a shadow clone.

Bang!

A figure burst out of the ground beneath the hemispherical crater. It was Naruto, with his fist reinforced with layers of Chakra, as he swung it toward the boulder.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the massive boulder shattered from the point of impact, spiderweb-like cracks spreading across its surface before it exploded into countless fragments.

After a year and a half of training, Naruto's time here was coming to an end. Hiruzen had already informed him that he would be enrolled in the Academy. Although Naruto no longer needed to attend the Academy, it seemed Hiruzen still wanted him to further immerse himself in the teachings of the Will of Fire.

---

Meanwhile, in the Hokage Tower.

Through Hiruzen's Telescope Technique, the members of Konoha's F4 watched Naruto's training session and collectively gasped.

The atmosphere in the office grew tense.

"The Jinchuriki already has the strength of an Elite Chunin." Utatane Koharu, the only woman in the F4, said, her expression grave.

Beside her, Mitokado Homura, the spiky-haired, bespectacled elder, asked in a low voice: "Hiruzen, isn't there a risk of the Jinchuriki losing control if he trains like this?"

Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and replied confidently: "Don't worry, Homura. I regularly check Naruto's seal. Minato's seal is holding strong, and there's no sign of the Nine-Tails breaking free."

Kurama, for its part, found the occasional entertainment quite enjoyable. It felt that lying back and watching the show wasn't so bad.

"In that case, there's no need for the Jinchuriki to attend the Academy, is there?" The 'One-Eyed Bastard,' who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.

His single eye gleamed with an eerie light as he stared intently at Hiruzen.

Even Hiruzen, who thought he knew Danzo well, felt a chill run down his spine under that gaze.

"With the Jinchuriki's current strength, attending the Academy would be a waste of time."

Hiruzen frowned. He could guess what Danzo was getting at, but to maintain the appearance of fairness in this meeting, he decided to humor him.

"Then Danzo, do you have a better suggestion?"

A sly smile crept onto Danzo's face, and Hiruzen's heart sank. He wanted to stop Danzo, but it was too late.

"It seems Naruto has a natural talent for Wind Release Ninjutsu. He grasped Chakra Nature Transformation in a single day, mastered the Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere in a few months, and even integrated Wind Nature Chakra into the Rasengan, something even Minato couldn't achieve."

Danzo paused and looked at Hiruzen.

"What are you getting at?"

Hiruzen's expression darkened. He couldn't quite figure out Danzo's angle, 'Normally, Danzo would be demanding custody of the Jinchuriki to train him in Root. But today, he was praising Naruto and even showing a rare sense of camaraderie. Was this even the real Danzo?'

While Hiruzen was anxious, Koharu and Homura watched the exchange with interest.

"As we all know, within Konoha, my mastery of Wind Release Ninjutsu is unmatched. If Naruto were to be personally trained by me, even without the Nine-Tails, Konoha would soon gain a new powerhouse on par with the four of us."

Danzo's voice grew louder and more hoarse as he spoke, until he finally stood up, looking down at Hiruzen from above.

"I wish to take Uzumaki Naruto as my disciple."

Danzo stared down at Hiruzen's shadowed face, feeling a rare sense of victory over his old rival.

As for taking the Jinchuriki as a disciple, it was merely a ploy to gain control over him… a tactic inspired by none other than Hiruzen himself.

After all, Naruto possessed an extraordinary talent for Wind Release Ninjutsu, and Danzo was confident that no one in Konoha could surpass him in Wind Release Ninjutsu. This gave him the perfect opportunity to take the Jinchuriki as his disciple.

Moreover, with the excuse of quickly adding another Kage-level powerhouse to the village, even if Hiruzen was unhappy about it, he couldn't outright refuse. After all, this was a way to rapidly strengthen the village.

Danzo glanced at Koharu and Homura, 'These two were nothing more than indecisive old fools. They weren't a concern.'

'My opponent has always been only Hiruzen.'

"Danzo, I've already told you that Naruto will not be handed over to Root," Hiruzen said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. His face was hidden in shadow, and though his expression was unreadable, his low voice carried a suppressed fury.

"Hiruzen!" Danzo suddenly shouted, his usually dull single eye now gleaming with intensity. The other three were momentarily stunned.

"I am one of Konoha's Hokage Advisors!"

'This guy, is this guy trying to step into the sunlight now?'

Hiruzen's expression was inscrutable. He glanced at the other two advisors, who were once again sipping their tea, pretending to be clueless.

He hadn't expected to be cornered by Danzo like this, 'Did Danzo really think I could manipulate him by appealing to some sense of righteousness? I am the Hokage.'

"You can teach Naruto your Ninjutsu, but you cannot become his teacher."

"Why?" Danzo asked on the spot, with an anxious tone. He hadn't expected Hiruzen to remain so stubborn even after all this.

Hiruzen looked up at Danzo and said in deep voice: "Because you are the Darkness of the Ninja World, the Root of Konoha, the leader of Root!"

"What are you implying?"

"Naruto needs a clean political background," Hiruzen said, sweeping his gaze over the confused trio: "Because I want Naruto to become the next Hokage."

He was reminding Danzo of his place.

But upon hearing Hiruzen's declaration, the other three widened their eyes in unison.

'How much longer do you plan to stay as Hokage?'

The thought crossed their minds, especially Danzo's. His visible eye nearly popped out of its socket.

"Hiruzen, you want the Jinchuriki to become Hokage?"

"Why not? The current Mizukage of Kirigakure is the Three-Tails Jinchuriki," Hiruzen replied calmly, unfazed by the question.

" Konoha has never had a Jinchuriki as Hokage before!" Danzo's eyes burned with a predatory glare, his teeth clenched, 'Was Hiruzen really willing to hand the Hokage position to the Jinchuriki rather than give me a chance?'

"Now it does."

"You…!"

"Huruzen, I have no objections to the Jinchuriki becoming Hokage, but his reputation in the village..."

"Yes, Hiruzen, after all, we don't yet know how the Jinchuriki feels about the village..."

Koharu and Homura couldn't help but speak up. After all, having a Jinchuriki as Hokage would be difficult for Konoha to accept.

This time, it was Hiruzen's turn to smile faintly. He addressed the three with solemnity, "I can assure you that Naruto's Will of Fire is pure. Moreover, I firmly believe he will earn the recognition of everyone in the village and become the next Hokage."

Seeing Hiruzen's unwavering confidence, Danzo could no longer argue for taking Naruto as his disciple. He hadn't expected the plan he had spent so long devising to be dismantled so easily.

Unexpectedly, the identity of Root's leader, which he had always relied on as his greatest asset, had now become his biggest shackle.

'There was no opportunity left.'

'At least not for the time being.'

'In that case...'

"In that case, let's test the Jinchuriki once more."