LIFE IN KONOHA.

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We could reach it this week! And you could get chapters from now till FRIDAY in celebration!

THIS IS CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE!

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'If he really used genjutsu against the clan leader, which is impossible for one who wields the Byakugan. But even so, when I used my Byakugan… I couldn't see any chakra pathway. How is that possible unless he has a genjutsu that actually works on Hyugas,' Neji sat deep in thought.

'But the fight felt too real for that, assuming it was genjutsu. Even when he used his wind nature release, I couldn't even sense the change in his chakra flow. How can he fly? How is he that fast and my age mate at the same time?' Neji furrowed his brows as he remembered and replayed the fight in his mind.

'He mentioned something about being good at sealing jutsu. Could he…? No, I shouldn't increase my expectations,' Neji thought, standing up.

'Tch! If there's a chance for me to be free from this… this… seal! Of course, I would take the chance!' Neji clenched his fists, looking sternly ahead of him, so much so that he didn't notice Hinata moving away from him. The poor girl thought Neji was angry at her again and immediately left his sight.

It was only after she left that Neji noticed someone had passed him.

"Let's see what you can do then," Neji said out loud with folded arms, looking up at the sky.

'How am I supposed to even contact him?' Neji thought.

"Neji, are you talking to yourself again?" a passing guard commented, shaking her head.

'It must be hard for the prodigy of the branch family. He is too mature for his age; he is beginning to lose it. He should learn to take breaks; he is already making us branch family members proud,' the female guard thought and continued her patrol.

"Ugh, I am not talking to myself!" Neji shot back.

"Sure, sure," the female guard's voice echoed back.

---

In the markets of Konoha,

"Ha, it's a beautiful morning indeed!" a citizen commented as she made small talk with a shopkeeper.

"Indeed! The sky's clear!" the shopkeeper beamed.

"No sounds of explosions every other minute from the forests!" the lady added.

"Right! My father gets PTSD each time he hears thunder strikes, rumblings, or explosions from the forest! He jumps up and warns everyone of the Nine-Tails attack, haha," the shopkeeper said, scratching the back of his head.

"Even yours too? Mine's a retired shinobi! You know how these shinobi lead different lives from us common folk. He would immediately jump to the ceiling and reach for his back pocket for his smoke bombs! But he has gotten used to it already," the lady smiled.

"Yeah! I don't know why our shinobi are still practising dangerous jutsu. Aren't we living in peaceful times?" the shopkeeper asked, hoping to get an answer from the lady who had a retired shinobi for a father.

"Ah. I hear it's just a kid causing all that ruckus! Apparently, the kid is on probation," she answered.

"Then shouldn't his seniors reprimand him or stop him from making noise?" the shopkeeper asked once more.

"That I don't know, but my father says they probably can't restrain him," she answered with a finger on her lip as if recalling her father's words.

"Hmm, if you say so! I have lettuce and..."

---

Meanwhile, in one part of the forest in the village, Naruto could be seen sprinting through the vegetation.

Naruto hadn't learned chakra control to run on trees, but he was running through them with proper timing instead, mastering his body and elevating his agility.

Each time Naruto fell, his fall became better. It became better to the point he could just bounce off the ground and continue his run. Without access to ninja shurikens and kunais, he opted for stones and threw them at marked targets on trees while he ran through the forest.

Gilgamesh observed this from above and dived down to interrupt Naruto.

Naruto smiled upon seeing Gilgamesh, but his smile turned upside down as he saw Gilgamesh coming at him with a knee attack. Naruto acted quickly and used his knee as a sturdy tree branch to jump off but missed his landing a little and wobbled before falling.

"Ho? Look at you! You are already moving well without guidance! But you are still lacking, Naruto," Gilgamesh said while hovering above the ground.

"You can even fly now? I guess I have been taking it easy all this time," Naruto said and casually flicked a stone no bigger than his thumb at Gilgamesh with such accuracy that Gilgamesh had to move his head out of the way.

"Do you want to spar?" Gilgamesh offered.

"No. I am not ready yet," Naruto answered.

"You know, I won't always be around," Gilgamesh said.

"It doesn't matter. I will get better fast and come after you. You are my rival, Gil," Naruto claimed.

"How can you say that without understanding the gap between us? Fine. But remember what I said, don't be quick to please anyone. If they want to see a demon, then let them see one. Maybe they will learn to appreciate you after?" Gilgamesh said with a grin.

"… No," Naruto answered firmly.

"That's where you and I differ. If anyone dares look at me without my permission…" Gilgamesh said, making golden flames hover on his palm.

"As expected of you, Gil. You can even control flames already. Now I can't slack off," Naruto said and took off at a speed an eight-year-old shouldn't be running at without chakra amplification.

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"Have you heard of the land of ice in the land of fire?" a masked ninja said to another who took off his mask, eating his packed lunch on a tree that hid their figures.

"Ah… That place has been reported cold for a while now, even when the sun is up! I never ventured further than that when I confirmed that rumour," the unmasked ninja replied after a mouthful of rice.

"You know, it's one person that is the cause of that cold in that area of the forest. I hear whenever he comes out, he comes out to buy ramen and goes back to that cold area," the masked ninja continued.

"And who is this person?"

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