"Tsunade-sama, you deliberately called Naruto here because he's learned this so-called Martial Arts?"
Shikamaru spoke up, causing the others to freeze in surprise.
Naruto? Martial Arts?
They instinctively turned their gazes to Tsunade.
"Correct. Naruto's two-month disappearance was to learn Martial Arts. The current him… his strength has surpassed all your expectations. At the same time, he'll be your Martial Arts instructor this time." Tsunade said.
"Unimaginably strong? Instructor? Him?"
The group's expressions shifted.
They looked at Naruto's slightly smug expression, recalling his unreliable antics as a kid, and for a moment, they were speechless.
"Hey, what's with those looks? You think I'm not worthy?" Naruto asked, eyes wide.
"Tch. A Genin as our instructor? I'm at least an elite Chunin, you know? I'll be promoted to Jonin soon!" Kiba said mockingly.
"Woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.
"Indeed… having a Genin as an instructor feels a bit odd." Shino said, pushing up his glasses.
"You two, and Akamaru too!"
Naruto gritted his teeth in anger.
"If you're not convinced, go ahead and spar with Naruto. He'll show you how terrifying Martial Arts can be." Tsunade warned from the side.
"We can spar right away? Hehe… this is getting interesting! I've long wanted a rematch with you, Naruto! Three years ago during the Chunin Exams, if it wasn't for your damn fart, how could I have lost? This time, I'll definitely win, Akamaru!"
Kiba rubbed his nose with his index finger, looking excited.
"Woof!"
"Perfect! I've been wanting to teach you a real lesson, Kiba!"
Naruto grinned slyly, his expression mischievous.
"Kiba, you can't possibly beat the current Naruto." Sakura shook her head, warning from the side.
"Don't try to scare me, Sakura! I don't believe Naruto's that strong!" Kiba said dismissively.
"Hehe… I like your confidence, but don't be shocked later, Kiba!" Naruto teased.
"Enough talk, Naruto! Come on! Let's see your strength."
Kiba and Akamaru looked impatient.
Naruto slowly stepped forward.
Standing about fifty meters apart, Naruto suddenly flashed a confident smile, then took a deep breath.
A powerful airflow burst from his nose and mouth, stirring up dust on the ground.
Pale green chakra, mixed with shimmering white airflow, began swirling around his body.
His black-and-yellow tracksuit and black headband fluttered.
An indescribable aura emerged.
"This!" Everyone watching was stunned.
"What technique is this?" Kiba asked, shocked.
"Woof!"
Akamaru barked nervously.
"Kiba, watch closely! This is Martial Arts! The next fight will be over in an instant!"
The corner of Naruto's mouth curled up, his voice brimming with extreme confidence. At that moment…
The ground beneath his feet exploded. Stone fragments flew.
Naruto vanished.
"He's gone!"
"Where?!"
The thought flashed through nearly everyone's minds, except Guy's.
Then, their pupils shrank.
Because Naruto, at some point, had appeared right in front of Kiba and Akamaru.
"When?!"
"Too fast!"
"This speed… even a Jonin couldn't match it!"
"It's… faster than Guy!"
The watching ninjas were shocked to their core.
"Woof!"
"Ghost!"
Kiba and Akamaru screamed, their eyes trembling, minds reeling, trying to dodge.
But at that moment, Naruto's fists—left and right—slammed into Kiba's and Akamaru's stomachs.
"Gale Punch!"
*BOOM!*
An explosion rang out, accompanied by a surge of energy.
Kiba's and Akamaru's eyes bulged, their bodies flying back over a dozen meters, crashing into a large tree. Clutching their stomachs, they collapsed helplessly on the ground.
"It's… over already?" Anko, among the watching ninjas, looked stunned.
"S-so strong, Naruto-kun." Hinata clasped her hands, awed and regretful.
"Is that really Naruto, the loser?" Shikamaru blinked repeatedly, taking a deep breath.
"How can that guy be that strong?" Ino's mouth hung open.
"What's this situation? My bugs sense danger…" Shino pushed up his glasses.
"Ooooh! This is youth! This is passion! Amazing, Naruto!" Lee shouted excitedly.
"Damn Naruto… he's that strong…" Kiba clutched his stomach, looking up at Naruto with a frustrated expression.
"Whine whine whine…"
Akamaru whimpered.
"This is what they call Martial Arts?" another ninja muttered, eyes gleaming.
"Exactly! This is Martial Arts! Before mastering it, even though Naruto defeated Akatsuki members with you all, his overall strength was only that of an average Jonin. But now, he's a powerful ninja on par with me." Tsunade declared, shocking everyone present again.
"What! On par with Tsunade-sama?! Just this Naruto?!"
"No way!"
"Naruto, equal to a Legendary Sannin? Don't joke!"
"Naruto-kun… so strong…"
"Ooooh ooooh! Youth!"
Many ninjas shouted.
"Hahaha… no way. I'm not as great as Grandma Tsunade says." Naruto laughed broadly, basking in the shocked and disbelieving stares, one hand scratching his head, the other waving dismissively.
His expression was smug.
"Hey… he's so smug, could it actually be true?"
Seeing Naruto's face, many began to believe.
"Naruto hasn't fought Tsunade-sama." Sakura said, a bit annoyed.
"As expected… how could Naruto be that strong…" a ninja sighed in relief.
But then Kakashi spoke up: "Though Naruto hasn't fought Tsunade-sama, he easily defeated me."
"Easily defeated Kakashi?" The group was shocked again.
"As easily as he beat Kiba?"
"Of course not!" Kakashi grimaced, rolling his eyes.
"But… it wasn't far off. Point is, the current Naruto is strong enough to compete with powerhouses like Tsunade-sama."
"This… isn't that too strong?"
The group stared at Naruto, sweat beading on their foreheads.
"This is the boost Martial Arts brings! I want you all to learn from Naruto and the others too. Got it?" Tsunade said.
"Got it!"
Everyone shouted, their faces brimming with excitement.
The power of Martial Arts—they'd seen it with their own eyes.
Uzumaki Naruto, once a loser, had become this strong after learning it. If they learned it, how strong could they become? They didn't dare ask! They couldn't even imagine!