Naruto:Reborn into Naruto world with five wishes[Hashirama template]

As soon as the instructor left the training ground, I noticed Izuna Uchiha walking straight toward me.

He stopped just a few feet away, his voice dripping with hostility.

"Watch out in the finals. You better not die from my flames."

I couldn't help but smirk.

"As if your puny flames could hurt me."

That made him flinch. I could see the frustration in his eyes—he wanted to attack, but the no-fighting rule kept him in check.

"You'll see soon enough," he muttered. "If you even *make it* to the finals."

He turned and walked away, but I just laughed.

After that, I made up my mind. I'd head into the forest for some real training—specifically, to refine my Wood Release further. I informed Kakashi and Guy of my plan.

Kakashi nodded. "I'm close to mastering my lightning jutsu. I need a real test now."

Guy clenched his fist with a grin. "My body feels stronger than ever! I've got to test that out."

He didn't know the real reason, though. For the past three days, I'd subtly injected a small stream of nature energy into Guy's system—just enough to help him unlock the **Fourth Gate**. He was on the brink already, and I knew this would push him over. Since he was now training under both me and Tsunade, this was well within reason.

We all split off into different directions.

---

I headed deeper into the forest, focusing on a new technique—**Wood Dragon Jutsu**, an S-rank ability that demanded both precise chakra control and massive reserves.

After five hours of near-constant work, I finally managed to summon a small wooden dragon. I intentionally kept its size compact—it was easier to manage that way.

But what came next surprised even me.

On the second day, I tried infusing more nature energy into the jutsu. The result? The dragon began to show signs of **infant-level intelligence**. It floated in the air above me, spinning around in joy like a child seeing the world for the first time.

I looked up at it and called softly, "Come here."

It swooped down and landed near me, its wooden eyes wide with curiosity and something that almost looked like... happiness.

I released the jutsu. The dragon disappeared—but the next time I summoned it, it came back with the same cheerful behavior. That's when I knew—**it remembered.**

Even after being de-summoned, it retained its memory. That wasn't normal.

I smiled and whispered, "I'll call you... Drake."

Drake responded with an enthusiastic spin in the air.

This was more than a jutsu now. This was a companion.

---

Time passed, and finally, the day of the **Preliminaries** arrived.

Kakashi, Guy, and I stood together inside the central arena. Around us were the other thirty genin who had passed the second round.

Three instructors stood before us, and one of them stepped forward.

"The Preliminaries will be conducted in a **battle royale** format," he announced. "All of you will enter the arena. The **last eight standing** will qualify for the final round."

There was a short pause before he added, "The match begins in thirty minutes. Prepare yourselves."

Perfect. I was glad it wasn't one-on-one from the start. That would've taken too long, and frankly, I had better things to do—like refining Drake further.

Kakashi looked toward me. "So, what's the plan?"

Guy added, "Are we sticking together, or what?"

I shrugged. "Let loose—but don't go all out. Especially you, Guy."

He nodded in understanding. "Got it."

The instructors summoned everyone to the arena. We entered.

As we took our positions, I noticed the different groups forming.

Izuna had gathered the other Uchiha genin and created a solid group formation. The same went for other clans. Makes sense—they wanted strength in numbers. But it wouldn't matter.

I glanced toward Kakashi and Guy. I trusted them. They could handle anything thrown their way.

---

The instructor raised his hand.

"Begin!"

I immediately sat down and clapped my hands together. "Wood Style: *Wooden Dome Barrier*."

Thick wooden walls erupted from the ground and enclosed me completely. I sealed myself off inside and began meditating, focusing on my connection with nature energy.

Outside, chaos erupted.

The instructors' eyes widened as they saw my wooden dome. It was their first time seeing someone use **Wood Release** in front of them—especially not a genin.

Most of the other genin had no idea what the jutsu was. Some thought it was a unique barrier technique. But a few recognized it for what it was—and decided to stay far, far away from me. A few planned to report this to their parents later.

Several tried attacking my dome anyway.

Flames, kunai, explosive tags—it didn't matter. The structure held strong.

Kakashi and Guy, meanwhile, were outside, dodging effortlessly. Some assumed they were too scared to fight, hiding behind my dome—but those people were in for a surprise.

---

Kakashi moved first.

He weaved signs and slammed his hand into the ground. **Earth-style barriers** rose to shield him from attacks. Then he launched a new technique—**Lightning Barrage**, a move I had encouraged him to develop.

Dozens of mini lightning bolts shot from his hands like darts, arcing toward his opponents. He couldn't sustain it for long—his chakra reserves weren't infinite—but the pressure he applied was enough to drive people back.

I smiled faintly within my dome. He was learning fast.

Guy, on the other hand, was a blur.

He'd trained hard in the **Body Flicker Technique**, and now, he used it masterfully. He'd disappear, reappear behind someone, knock them out with two or three precise strikes, and vanish again.

I watched through a small opening in the dome. He was like a storm with fists.

Some of the smarter genin decided to avoid them entirely and just tried to survive. Others formed temporary alliances.

Izuna's group, unsurprisingly, tried to target me. They hurled jutsu after jutsu at the dome—fire, kunai, lightning—but it was all useless.

Eventually, Izuna pulled back and scowled. He muttered something to himself and stopped the assault.

He didn't know what to do if I used the same technique in the finals. But he knew one thing—this wasn't a fight he could win here.

And I? I was still inside, calm and quiet, deep in meditation.

Drake circled overhead in my mental landscape, growing stronger with every breath of nature energy I absorbed.