Both start in hell: but their talents are multiplied a hundredfold.

At the behest of the Third Hokage, the Anbu temporarily suspended their investigation into the disappearances of Konoha villagers.

Since the Third Hokage warned Danzo, no more disappearances have occurred.

Furthermore, the upcoming Chunin Promotion Tournament in Konoha Village has prompted the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to begin mitigating the negative impact of the missing villagers' cases.

Under the Third Hokage's instructions, the Anbu pinned the villagers' disappearance on Akatsuki, the most notorious mercenary organization in the ninja world.

Suddenly, the villagers of Konoha shifted their condemnation from the demon fox to the Akatsuki organization.

Of course, the villagers of Konoha could only huddle inside the village and angrily curse the Akatsuki.

As for causing the villagers of Konoha to leave Konoha and go looking for trouble with the Akatsuki?

That's absolutely impossible.

They will only ask the ninjas they used to bully to seek justice for the villagers of Konoha.

Kakashi recovered from his injuries in a short time, and he had anticipated the Third Hokage's decision to suspend the investigation into the missing Konoha villagers.

The disappearance of villagers has caused widespread panic in Konoha. The Third Hokage, who is keen on stability and order, has no choice but to resort to the dirty tricks of a politician to characterize the disappearance of villagers when he is unable to find the real culprit.

Might Guy's powerful technique, Elemental Magnetic Rotation Nine Heavens, naturally attracted the attention of the Third Hokage.

Colorful flags fluttered in the wind on the streets of Konoha in preparation for the Chunin Promotion Tournament.

The Root ninja used his transformation technique to become Shen Jue and walked among the crowd. He carried the supplies he had just purchased on his back, and his demeanor was calm and his steps were natural.

However, a fine layer of cold sweat was seeping from the back of his neck.

A gentle gaze fell on his back.

The Third Hokage's footsteps were almost inaudible on the bustling street, but to the Root ninjas, they carried an eerie sense of oppression.

Ahead was a corner, the intersection of the commercial street and the residential area, where the flow of people was gradually thinning out. The Root ninja relaxed as much as possible and naturally turned into the corner.

Then his steps froze.

Because the background noise of Konoha disappeared completely around the corner, and he stepped into a vacuum zone that had been stripped from the world.

A hand reached out from behind and patted his shoulder lightly.

The Root ninja's body reacted instinctively.

Within 0.3 seconds, his right hand had reached the handle of the kunai at his waist, his leg muscles tensed, and chakra flowed into the soles of his feet, preparing for a sidestep and a backhand thrust.

The Root ninja's body was completely unable to move.

It felt like every part of my body was being controlled by a uniform force at the same time.

A "shh" came from behind his ear, and an index finger was placed at the edge of his field of vision.

Shen Jue emerged from behind him.

The Root ninja's pupils contracted sharply, but he breathed a sigh of relief.

From the perspective of the Root ninjas, Shen Jue is exactly like Shimura Danzo.

The Yuan Magnetic Rotation Nine Heavens was activated, and the electromagnetic force erased all information that the Root ninjas had sent to the outside world.

In an instant, the corner where the Root ninja was located was completely empty.

He casually raised his right hand, using gravity manipulation to send the Root ninja into the sky, and then flew towards Root's underground base.

When Shen Jue came out from around the corner, he had already returned to his true form.

He bumped into the figure that was slowly walking towards him.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stopped right at this corner.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze passed over Shen Jue's shoulder and looked toward the alley behind him.

The alley was deserted, with only a few beams of sunlight filtering through the gaps in the eaves on both sides, cutting out geometric shapes of light and shadow on the ground.

"Lord Hokage." Shen Jue bowed slightly, his face as indifferent as ever.

"What kind of mission is it?"

The sparks from Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe flickered for a moment.

"It's been a long time, Shen Jue Chunin." He spoke gently, with the slow, deliberate tone characteristic of an old man.

"I have heard that you have developed a very peculiar technique."

"That is also the reason why I came here."

As a ninja who had witnessed the three Shinobi World Wars, Hiruzen Sarutobi was carefully observing the young man's expression.

With a cold expression but a gentle touch hidden in his eyes, this Konoha ninja named Shen Jue must be a gentle person.

"I am willing to offer this technique to the village, but I hope to be able to learn more difficult ninjutsu," Shen Jue said softly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not surprised. As a seasoned veteran, he had read all the information about Shen Jue.

Shen Jue completed numerous missions, and he used most of his merits and silver taels to exchange for the village's ninjutsu.

"No problem." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with satisfaction, not surprised by Shen Jue's request.

"It is because of ninjas like you that Konoha continues to prosper."

Hiruzen Sarutobi remarked with emotion, "Where the leaves dance, the Will of Fire lives on."

He seemed to be lost in a beautiful fantasy.

Shen Jue lowered his head slightly, looking somewhat tense.

To be honest, he didn't believe in the so-called Will of Fire at all.

The living standards of the Konoha ninja can only be described as tragic.

These ninjas, who possess extraordinary combat abilities, all acted like punching bags.

Even a dog could bark at these ninjas.

Moreover, Konoha's bullying culture is so developed that it has created countless inhuman lunatics and extremists.

Previously, Konoha's White Fang, whose combat power was set above that of the Sannin, was bullied to the point of committing suicide.

Later, Itachi Uchiha was pelted with stones by the Uchiha children because he disagreed with playing with the children of his own clan.

In addition, Obito Uchiha, who was bullied since childhood, wanted to create a world where Rin existed.

Konoha is truly brimming with talent.

"Furthermore, I would like you to also serve as an examiner for the Chunin Exams."

"This Chunin Exam is not simply a ninja promotion test."

"It's also a demonstration of the fighting strength of Konoha's new generation," Hiruzen Sarutobi said sincerely.

"Therefore, I would like to ask you to teach Naruto about your technique."

Shen Jue nodded upon hearing this and said, "No problem. Naruto should learn some techniques that will allow him to protect himself in the ninja world."

However, Shen Jue found it even harder to stay calm.

What's the difference between putting him in the Chunin promotion exam and putting a cat in a hamster cage?

Shen Jue was determined to obtain the experimental samples from ninjas from various countries.

Time flies by, and Naruto's Team 7 has resumed their mission journey.

Until the mission to the Land of Waves is completed.

The deaths of Zabuza and Haku did not cause any disturbance, and the Naruto Bridge was successfully completed.

On the evening Team 7 returned to Konoha, the village streets were already adorned with colorful flags to welcome the Chunin Promotion Tournament.

Shen Jue stood at the entrance of Ichiraku Ramen, looking at the four giant faces on the Hokage Rock in the distance, which were dyed orange-red by the setting sun.

Over the past period, Shen Jue has mastered all the basic to advanced ninjutsu of the five nature transformations: Fire Release, Water Release, Earth Release, Wind Release, and Lightning Release, and has continuously innovated upon them.

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was also a ninjutsu expert, was still struggling with how to cultivate Shen Jue's Yuan Magnetic Rotation Nine Heavens.

He couldn't bring himself to ask Shen Jue questions like a student, so he could only secretly study the cultivation scroll of Yuan Magnetic Rotation Nine Heavens by lamplight.

Inside Ichiraku Ramen, steam was rising.

Shen Jue invited Class 7 and Kakashi to eat noodles.

Naruto devoured three extra-large bowls of miso char siu in one go, sweating profusely as he ate, and exclaimed that Brother Shen Jue was the best.

Sakura ate her salted ramen in small bites, occasionally stealing a glance at Sasuke.

Sasuke ate his soy sauce ramen quietly, holding his chopsticks properly with a cold expression, only occasionally glancing at Shen Jue across from him.

Kakashi sat on the far side, holding a bowl of miso ramen in one hand and flipping through Icha Icha Paradise with the other, his mask falling down so fast that no one could see it.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Shen Jue paid the bill, got up, lifted the curtain, and stepped out of the shop. Night had already fallen over the streets of Konoha.

Naruto patted his round belly, preparing to go home, when Shen Jue pressed down on his shoulder: "Let's go to the training grounds, the moon is nice tonight."

"Huh?" Naruto asked in confusion.

He looked up at the moon, which was mostly obscured by clouds, and thought to himself, "What's so great about it?" But he still followed along excitedly.

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a glance and silently followed.

Kakashi sighed, reached into his ninja tool pouch for the "Make-Out Paradise" (a reference to a popular Japanese ninja tool), and followed after him.

He had a bad feeling.

When the group arrived at the training ground.

Shen Jue revealed the purpose of his trip.

"Lord Hokage, please allow me to teach Naruto how to rotate his Yuan Magnetic Force through the Nine Heavens," Shen Jue said in a deep voice.

"In fact, he is a descendant of the Uzumaki clan and the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails."

"Naruto, there's no need for you to cultivate the Nine Heavens of Magnetic Rotation right now."

"What I want to see is more possibilities regarding chakra."

"If the ninja world were full of ninjas who had cultivated the Nine Heavens of Yuan Magnetic Rotation, it would be far too boring."

"Brother Shen Jue, what are you talking about?" Naruto asked, shaking his head. "What do you mean by the Uzumaki clan and Jinchuriki?"

"You'll learn these things later," Shen Jue said softly. "But for now, let me help you unleash your talent."

"Let that fox do its job as a weapon."

"Close your eyes," Shen Jue said.

Despite his confusion and bewilderment, Naruto obediently closed his eyes.

Shen Jue placed his right hand on Naruto's head.

The chakra within Naruto reacted instinctively the moment Shen Jue's palm touched him; the chaotic chakra mixed with the Nine-Tails' aura surged about like a startled snake.

Shen Jue didn't guide it; he simply suppressed it.

In that instant, Naruto's consciousness was pulled out of his body by an irresistible force. He felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him downwards.

Darkness, an endless feeling of falling, and the whistling wind mixed with a deep, loud breathing sound.

Then his feet touched solid ground in a dark, damp corridor.

Naruto looked down at his hands, then at the mottled walls and the thin layer of water on the ground.

This is the sealed space where the Nine-Tails is imprisoned.

The massive iron gate at the end of the corridor was just ahead. The sealing talisman on the gate emitted a faint light, and the gaps between the iron bars were wide enough for an arm to fit through.

Behind the door was a bottomless darkness, and something was breathing in the darkness. Each breath carried a wave of chakra that was like a heat wave, blowing fine ripples on the surface of the water.

"Kid." The voice came from deep within the iron gate, deep, hoarse, and filled with undisguised malice and contempt, each syllable sounding as if it had been crushed and spat out from the depths of a throat.

"You actually came in?"

Naruto instinctively took a step back.

Then a hand reached out from behind and firmly pressed down on his shoulder.

Naruto suddenly turned around.

Shen Jue stood behind him.

Naruto froze, opened his mouth, then opened it again, before finally managing to squeeze out a jumbled sentence: "Brother Shen... Brother Shen Jue?! What are you doing here?"

"Where is this place?"

"The space of consciousness," Shen Jue finished speaking for Naruto.

He released his hand from Naruto's shoulder, walked past him, and headed towards the iron gate.

In the darkness behind the iron gate, a pair of eyes opened.

Huge, crimson beast eyes, the vertical pupils resembling a chasm in a deep abyss.

Those eyes were taller than Naruto himself, the blood vessels on the surface of the eyeballs were intertwined like tree roots, and the center of the pupils surged with a hundred years of hatred and tyranny.

Kurama's gaze passed over Naruto and was fixed on Shen Jue.

"Interesting." The Nine-Tails' voice echoed in the sealed space, causing dust to fall from the walls.

Its enormous head slowly emerged from the darkness, its orange-red fur shimmering like burning flames in the darkness.

"An outsider I've never seen before."

The nine-tailed creature's massive head emerged completely from the darkness. It grinned, and a low growl emanating from deep within its throat caused ripples to spread across the surface of the water.

"Human, you have quite the nerve." The Nine-Tails' voice, carrying a wave of scorching chakra, rushed towards Shen Jue.

"The last person who dared to look me in the eye like that was torn to pieces and swallowed by me. I savored his taste for three whole days~"

Shen Jue quietly glanced at the Nine-Tailed Fox.

The Nine-Tails' voice abruptly stopped, as if it had been severed by a sword.

In those crimson beastly eyes, taller than a man, contempt, savagery, and mockery—all these emotions were replaced in the same instant by something older and more instinctive.

fear.

It's like a tiger that has lived a life of sagacity in the mountains and forests, suddenly seeing a natural disaster under the moonlight that shouldn't exist in this world.

It didn't even know what it was, but every hair, every muscle, and every drop of blood in it was sending out the same signal at the same time.

Lie down.

The Nine-Tails' massive body collapsed with a crash, its front paws bending uncontrollably, and its huge orange-red head slammed heavily into the water, splashing water all over Naruto.

Its fangs struck the ground with a dull thud, and its ears were pressed tightly against its skull, like a large dog terrified by thunder.

A low, weak, almost pleading whimper escaped from the Nine-Tails' throat.

Then Shen Jue walked to the iron gate.

This is the prison where the Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed.

The Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique is the strongest sealing technique performed by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, at the cost of his life.

The sealing talisman paper affixed to the iron gate emitted a golden light; it was an absolute barrier formed by the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan and the power of the contract between the corpse demon and the seal.

Theoretically, no one can open this door unless the caster releases the seal or the Jinchuriki's chakra is completely devoured by the Nine-Tails.

Shen Jue reached through the iron bars.

The sealing power that made up the iron railings disintegrated the moment it touched his fingertips, and after he passed through, it reformed into its original form behind him.

The so-called ninjutsu composed of chakra was no longer a secret to Shen Jue.

This seemingly powerful sealing technique was full of flaws in Shen Jue's eyes.

Nine-Tails witnessed this scene.

Its whimper suddenly rose a notch, and its massive body desperately tried to shrink back, its back slamming against the wall at the deepest part of the prison, with nowhere left to retreat.

Its nine tails were all tucked between its hind legs, and its orange-red fur was puffed up into a ball, making it look a whole size bigger than usual.

Shen Jue stopped in front of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

He was only three steps away from the enormous orange fox.

The scorching breath exhaled by the Nine-Tailed Fox was enough to turn an ordinary person into charcoal, but Shen Jue's hair didn't budge at all.

He looked down at the Nine-Tailed Fox, which was desperately pressing its massive head to the ground, its chin pressed against the waterlogged surface, its two beastly eyes rolled upwards, looking up at Shen Jue at an extremely humble angle.

It kept emitting that low, ingratiating whimper from its throat, like a big dog that knew it had done something wrong, trying its best to express, "I'm good, I'm really, really good."

"Huh? Big dog," Shen Jue said, stretching out a hand and placing it on the tip of Nine-Tailed Fox's nose.

After all, foxes are also a species of canines.

The Nine-Tailed Fox froze for a full three seconds. Then, the most ferocious of the tailed beasts, one of the most terrifying natural disasters in the history of the ninja world, the Nine-Tailed Fox that strikes fear into the hearts of countless ninjas, carefully rubbed its nose against Shen Jue's finger.

Its movements were incredibly light, creating an absurd contrast with its enormous size.

Shen Jue smiled gently, lightly patted the tip of Nine-Tails' wet nose, then withdrew his hand, turned around, and returned to Naruto's side through the iron gate.

Naruto remained in a gait with his mouth open and eyes wide the entire time, unable to utter a single word.