Sasuke’s New Path

"You go back first."

"Let's wait until tomorrow comes."

"Good."

Naruto said this without looking back, taking Hinata's hand and stepping through the light door to disappear.

He was a bit surprised by Sasuke's sudden approach. Given Sasuke's previous arrogance, Naruto had expected him to prefer solitary training over seeking assistance.

But Naruto was in need of teammates. If Sasuke's strength couldn't keep up, Naruto would face the Akatsuki Organization and eventually the Ōtsutsuki clan alone. Why struggle in isolation when a team could tackle challenges together?

Given Sasuke's current state, he could be molded into a powerful ally without much effort. Naruto envisioned a future where they'd face even the strongest foes together—Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki and Kinshiki included.

Upon arriving at the Hyuga compound through the space gate, Naruto was met with Hiashi Laoden standing imposingly at the gate, arms folded. The tension was palpable.

Hiashi's gaze was fixed on Naruto, and the entire Hyuga clan stood outside, their eyes rolling with the Byakugan. The atmosphere grew heavy, and Hinata felt a weight on her chest.

Naruto had the uncomfortable feeling of having wandered into a hostile territory, though thankfully, there were no weapons involved.

"Father... Father."

Hinata approached her stern father with lowered eyes, glancing back at Naruto nervously.

Naruto sensed the temperature around him drop considerably.

"Where did you go?"

Hiashi's words were directed at Hinata, but his eyes remained on Naruto. In Hiashi's eyes, Hinata had gone out with this "yellow guy" and had only returned as darkness fell.

If it weren't for the clan leader's orders, the Hyuga clan would have already dealt with Naruto.

"Me..."

Hinata was at a loss for words in front of her father's stern expression.

"Hinata went to practice with me."

"You'll be with me after school from now on," Naruto explained with a smile, trying to sound innocent.

Hiashi's reaction was a roll of his eyes. "Let's go back."

"Your mother is waiting for you in the living room."

Hiashi glared at Naruto before turning to leave with his daughter. The rest of the Hyuga clan followed, their expressions filled with regret at not being able to act against Naruto.

Hinata managed a shy smile and a wave before following her father, careful not to attract his attention.

Naruto returned the smile and then threw open a space door, heading home for dinner.

That night, he spent hours cleaning up the trash in the grove. He planted oak and spruce trees from the system space, planning to use them as training equipment. Trees were versatile—perfect for training both strength and Chakra control.

By midnight, the once-disturbed forest east of the village was restored. Thanks to the system's adaptation rules, Naruto's new trees blended in perfectly with the surrounding environment.

The Third Hokage received a report from Anbu about Naruto's swift reforestation, comparing his efficiency to the legendary First Hokage. The Hokage was amused but concerned about Naruto's peculiar penchant for "farming."

He found himself increasingly bewildered by Naruto's unconventional methods and unique bloodline abilities. Deciding to rely on Anbu reports rather than direct observation, the Third Hokage hoped that this approach might reduce his stress.

The next morning, Naruto attended class as usual. Despite his exhaustion from the previous day's activities, he found himself unable to skip training. His abnormal physique seemed to recover too quickly for him to avoid training.

Teacher Jiu, noticing Naruto's unwavering commitment, contemplated making training more challenging.

Naruto's contemplation was interrupted when he noticed Sasuke standing in front of his seat, the classroom empty except for them.

It appeared that class had ended.

Sasuke was looking for him, and Naruto wondered if he wanted to skip class.

"You want to skip class with me?"

"Well, there's nothing left in Ninja School that can make me stronger," Sasuke replied. He had already mastered the basics and theoretical knowledge.

"Okay, let's go."

Naruto agreed, said goodbye to Hinata, and led Sasuke through the space door to the grove by the river.

Sasuke was curious about Naruto's technique and hoped to learn something from it. He tried using his Sharingan as they entered the light door but didn't detect any Chakra fluctuations.

Sasuke knew his talent in Time and Space Ninjutsu was lacking compared to Naruto. He wanted to surpass Naruto but knew it would require his Sharingan to evolve further.

For now, Sasuke was focused on observing Naruto's training routine.

"How should I train?"

"Punch the tree."

Naruto pointed at a large tree and demonstrated by punching it with a "bang bang."

Sasuke nodded and began hitting the tree in the same manner. The rhythmic "bang bang" echoed along the river.

Nearby, Anbu members and Kakashi, monitoring Naruto, were exasperated by the sight of two children beating a tree. They struggled to understand why Naruto was dragging others into his rigorous training.

Kakashi considered resigning from Anbu, contemplating how he might escape from this daily grind.