Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"Tsunade-sama, I want to say that the great crisis foretold by the Great Toad Sage is fast approaching," Natsuro said seriously.

"This time, the enemies we will face far exceed anything we've imagined. Perhaps even the First Hokage in his prime wouldn't be able to resolve this crisis easily."

As he spoke, Natsuro clenched his fists, a glint of determination in his eyes.

"That's why my current strength is far from enough."

"Are they really that powerful?" Tsunade frowned. She deeply understood the immense strength of her grandfather, the First Hokage.

If anyone else had said this, she might have dismissed it as ignorance of her grandfather's abilities.

But Natsuro was different. From Tsunade's perspective, his strength was already approaching her grandfather's level. If he said such enemies were beyond even the First Hokage's capabilities, it was likely true.

"Yes, all three Great Sages have foretold this," Natsuro said, using the authority of the three great sacred lands to bolster his argument.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair with a sigh. The ninja world had just begun to calm down, so why was another storm brewing?

The attacks by Orochimaru and the disturbances caused by the Akatsuki were bad enough, but compared to an all-out war, they were mere skirmishes.

"I understand. It seems I'll need to allocate more time to my own training," Tsunade said, rubbing her temples.

Even as Hokage, she had not been idle. She had resumed the combat training she had once abandoned during her years of despondency.

Unfortunately, at her level, significant improvement was difficult to achieve.

"Well then, Tsunade-sama, I'll take my leave." Natsuro stood up, ready to go, but then paused as something crossed his mind.

"Aren't you leaving? Why are you still here?" Tsunade asked, puzzled by his hesitation.

"I just remembered something, about Naruto," he said.

"Oh?" Tsunade's interest was piqued. She had always kept a close eye on Naruto, who reminded her so much of her younger brother.

"Since Naruto doesn't have any pressing missions right now, I plan to send him to Mount Myōboku to train in Sage Mode," Natsuro explained.

After some thought, he had decided that it was time for Naruto to begin his Sage Mode training. With the Flying Thunder God technique, he could ensure smooth transportation.

"Sage Mode? Naruto might actually be well-suited for it," Tsunade said after considering the rigorous requirements for Sage Mode training.

She approved of his plan. If it would benefit Naruto, she was all for it.

....

After Natsuro left, Inoichi completed the memory probe on Yamato at the Hokage's office.

The results did not disappoint. Yamato's memories revealed that he had indeed seen Danzo alongside Orochimaru when he was still submerged in a nutrient tank.

This, combined with the evidence in the scroll, was enough to substantiate the claims against Danzo.

Additionally, Inoichi managed to uncover another key detail: Yamato had been abducted by Root for the experiments. This unexpected finding was a bonus.

Tsunade resumed her work with renewed determination. While the revelations were exciting, patience was key in these moments.

In the woods behind Konoha, Natsuro watched Naruto diligently practicing the Rasenshuriken.

Truthfully, Naruto's training progress was slower than in the original timeline, a reflection of the different circumstances.

In the original story, Naruto was driven by urgency as mastering the Rasenshuriken was crucial for the mission against Hidan and Kakuzu, and learning Sage Mode was critical for the survival of Konoha.

Now, most of the immediate dangers had been resolved by him. Without those pressures, Naruto's progress was naturally slower.

Still, he admired Naruto's unwavering determination. The blond ninja always gave his all to any task he set his mind to, embodying an unyielding spirit.

"Naruto," he called out.

"Natsuro?" Naruto stopped his training, surprised, and ran over to him excitedly after dismissing his shadow clones.

"How's the Rasenshuriken training coming along?" he asked, noting how much Naruto had grown.

Naruto's face fell. "Not great. I still can't throw it! Is it even possible to throw this jutsu?"

"If you can't do it, don't blame the technique," Natsuro replied flatly.

"But I've been training forever, and there's no progress at all…" Naruto muttered, frustrated.

"Hmm…" Natsuro thought for a moment before saying, "Naruto, don't resist. Let me control your body and give it a try."

Naruto was a bit confused, how exactly was he planning to control his body? Despite his doubts, Naruto still agreed.

In the next moment, Natsuro used the Spirit Transformation Jutsu to take over Naruto's body.

"Whoa! Isn't this Ino's technique? Wait, how is your body still moving, Natsuro?" Naruto's voice echoed in the mental space, filled with astonishment.

Natsuro didn't respond immediately. Instead, he focused on sensing Naruto's body, and the more he analyzed, the more astonished he became.

Naruto's body truly lived up to its reputation as one blessed with maxed-out physical potential. Even after all of Natsuro's own modifications, he couldn't confidently claim that his body surpassed Naruto's in every aspect. It was simply monstrous.

Moreover, he could sense three distinct chakra sources within this body. One belonged to the Fourth Hokage, another to the Fourth Hokage's wife, and the largest and most potent was, of course, the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Natsuro briefly attempted to probe for the deeper, hidden power within Naruto. The chakra of Asura but found nothing.

As expected, even while inhabiting Naruto's body and sensing from within, he couldn't detect any trace of Asura's chakra.

After his assessment, Natsuro finally spoke. "This isn't the Mind Transfer Jutsu; it's another technique entirely. Of course, being able to do this is due to my unique abilities. I won't explain further, it's a bit complicated, and you probably wouldn't understand anyway."

"Oh," Naruto replied simply, nodding in acknowledgment.

At this moment, Natsuro noticed that the two previously vigilant chakra signatures, the ones belonging to Naruto's parents, were now gradually relaxing. It seemed they had realized that he had no intention of permanently taking over Naruto's body.

This wasn't surprising. After all, they were Naruto's parents. Their primary concern was naturally for their son. Had he lingered too long, he suspected he would've faced the combined wrath of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

"Pay attention and try to feel it, Naruto," Natsuro instructed, taking control of Naruto's chakra. The sheer density of the energy caused the surrounding air to ripple faintly.

In no time, that familiar high-pitched whirring sound rang out. In 'Naruto's' hand, a spinning, white chakra construct took shape, it was the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.

As the jutsu was successfully formed, 'Naruto' let out a long sigh of relief. Natsuro had genuinely been worried that he might fail midway.

After all, it was Naruto's body and Naruto's chakra. So controlling it was bound to feel unfamiliar.

Thankfully, he was already deeply familiar with the Rasenshuriken and had recently been researching ways to shorten its formation time. This deeper understanding played a critical role in his success.

Otherwise, if he had failed, it would've been truly embarrassing.

This experience also served as a wake-up call for Natsuro, helping others 'cheat' like this shouldn't become a habit. If he got too accustomed to someone else's chakra and inadvertently neglected his own, the consequences could be disastrous.

"Try to maintain it; I'm stepping out now," Natsuro said.

"Got it," Naruto replied, his full attention now focused on the Rasenshuriken in his hand.

As Natsuro released the Spirit Transformation Jutsu, the Rasenshuriken in Naruto's hand wavered for a moment but quickly stabilized. Naruto's gaze was fixed on the spinning chakra construct in his hand.

At that moment, Naruto seemed to grasp a faint sense of the technique. He was confident that with continued practice, he would eventually be able to form and control the Rasenshuriken on his own.

With this determination, Naruto finally hurled the Rasenshuriken into an open space. It detonated with a massive explosion, shaking the area.

"I think I've found the feeling!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at his hands with excitement in his voice.

"Good, then make sure to remember that feeling. But I actually came to talk to you about something else today, so hold off on training for now," Natsuro said.

"Huh? Weren't you here to teach me the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken?" Naruto scratched his head, looking puzzled.

"I just happened to see you training with the Rasenshuriken, so I gave you a little help," Natsuro replied, rolling his eyes. Then, he continued, "Naruto, has Jiraiya-sensei ever mentioned something called Sage Mode to you?"

"Sage Mode?" Naruto scratched his head again, thinking hard, but eventually shook his head.

This reaction didn't surprise Natsuro. He figured it was better to leave explaining Sage Mode to Fukasaku, so he decided not to waste time doing it himself.

"Sage Mode is an incredibly powerful ability. If you can master it perfectly, you'll surpass Jiraiya-sensei completely. Even I haven't learned Sage Mode," Natsuro said with a smile.

"Surpass Jiraiya-sensei? And even Natsuro hasn't learned it?!" Naruto's eyes widened in shock. The first part surprised him, but it was the latter part that truly stunned him.

In Naruto's mind, Natsuro seemed capable of anything, someone who could do everything. To hear that there was something he couldn't master? That was hard to believe.

"I want to learn it!" Naruto's eyes lit up, his voice filled with excitement and determination.

If he could learn Sage Mode, wouldn't that mean he had mastered something even Natsuro couldn't?

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Currently on Chapter 274 - Yin Release