Omni-Anime: I Stand at the Forefront of Popularity

Chapter 164: Chapter 165: Naruto—If You Agree, I’ll Show You Something Really Good!

”That eyebrow-less guy—I mean, that Gaara—Naruto’s really going to be okay against him?”

After hearing that the other boy had a monster inside him too, Sasuke had started to worry. And he’d slipped without thinking into Naruto’s own nickname for Gaara.

”Relax, it’s fine. If Naruto manages to fully master the Adamantine Sealing Chains, he’ll have a complete counter to him. The Adamantine Sealing Chains are the best method there is against the Tailed Beasts. In fact, every anti-Tailed Beast method in the world can be traced back to the Uzumaki Clan’s sealing techniques.” Hanabi’s words let Sasuke breathe again.

Still—were the Adamantine Sealing Chains really that hard to learn?

Hanabi continued: ”As for the peeping tom just now—don’t worry about him. He’s not a bad person. If it comes down to it, Naruto can handle him just fine with the Sexy Jutsu.”

”Is he really that strong?” Naruto tilted his head.

”Mm, stronger than Kakashi—on par with Orochimaru.”

Hearing that, Naruto’s expression turned serious.

He hadn’t understood most of what was said today.

But Naruto genuinely knew that Orochimaru was strong.

”Alright, that’s enough for today. I pushed things a little too fast. If we head back now there’s still time to rest properly.”

After saying her goodbyes, Hanabi left with Karin. Sasuke and Naruto went their separate ways home.

The night passed like that.

”Huh?”

When Naruto woke up the next morning, he still felt a little off.

Lately, that ”demon fox” had been making him breakfast every day.

The food wasn’t much to speak of at first—for a while Naruto had actually wondered if she was trying to poison him.

But little by little, the breakfasts had gotten better.

There was a warmth to it.

Today, though, Naruto got up to find nothing at all.

Come to think of it, ever since yesterday, the fox seemed to have gone quiet.

Why was that?

Even though he was always out of the loop, Naruto had been slowly picking up on something—the ”demon fox,” maybe, wasn’t really a demon fox at all.

Inside him, he could feel three kinds of chakra.

One was his own. Another was sparse but violent—familiar somehow, as if that invisible, untouchable chakra had been with him for all twelve years of his life. The third was warm and comfortable, wrapped around him like protection, and being held by it gave him a sense of peace.

But since yesterday, the other presence had gone silent. No response.

It was strange.

Naruto had been meaning to ask who she really was—but if she wasn’t responding, there was nothing he could do.

”Should I go find Kakashi-sensei for training?”

Naruto thought about it.

But he couldn’t drum up the motivation.

”Nah, forget it. If I’m there, Kakashi-sensei can’t properly train Sasuke anyway.”

Sasuke had to fight Hanabi. She was a harder opponent than anything Naruto was facing.

Naruto being around would just make him feel like the extra wheel.

But then who was supposed to help him train?

Hanabi?

But Hanabi had her own things to take care of, didn’t she?

Wandering aimlessly through the streets, Naruto felt lost.

Since yesterday, it was like everything had started to shift.

Was it because of the Tailed Beast?

”That Gaara guy—he’s got something like the Nine-Tails inside him too, right? So that’s why he’s so strong. But he always looked so unhappy.”

Hands laced behind his head, Naruto stared up at the sky.

”Training... training... training... how am I supposed to beat a guy with no eyebrows... Whoa—! That was close!”

Because he’d been staring straight up, he nearly stepped off an edge, and almost plunged into the pool below.

Well, he did plunge in, actually.

Fortunately Naruto had the presence of mind to release chakra and walk on the water’s surface, narrowly avoiding becoming a drowned rat.

”Ow, hot hot hot!”

Even the steam alone was scorching.

Naruto glanced down at the ground.

”Oh. It’s a hot spring.”

Without realizing it, he’d wandered all the way to Hot Spring Street.

He vaulted up from the boiling water and landed at the entrance.

”Speaking of which—when I was training the Sexy Jutsu earlier, I dragged Konohamaru along here, didn’t I.”

And got beaten up so badly his face swelled like a pig’s head.

”Hmm—ah!”

There was a man at the hot spring entrance, peering inside, letting out a creepy laugh.

”It’s that perverted old geezer from last night!” Naruto shouted.

”Excuse me—I am not some perverted old geezer!” The man turned around, visibly annoyed at having his mood ruined.

”You were literally just doing something wrong. By any definition you’re a criminal.”

Naruto stared at him with open contempt.

”Not at all! I’m a Great Author—this is research! Research!”

Jiraiya announced this while fishing a yellow-covered book out of his pocket.

”Ah—! That book is—!”

The instant Naruto saw it, he recognized exactly what it was.

That was the Make-Out Paradise that Kakashi-sensei was always reading!

”Oh, you know it too!” Jiraiya looked pleased with himself. ”So my work has achieved that level of fame already!”

”That’s just a perverted novel! What research—you’re just here to peep!”

”Ah!”

Naruto yelled loud enough that the women inside the hot spring heard every word. There was a chorus of screams, and then they were all gone.

Jiraiya stared. ”Idiot, idiot, idiot—now you’ve blown the whole thing!”

”Ugh...”

Naruto’s expression curdled.

”I’m simply generating inspiration through this method in order to produce great works of art!” Jiraiya argued.

”That makes you a criminal!”

”Does not!”

”What are you, then, if not a criminal.”

”Hmph! Excellent question!” Jiraiya preened at that. A toad appeared beneath his feet with a pop.

”I am the hermit sage of Mount Myōboku—commonly known as the Toad Sage!”

”Ah—Pervy Sage.”

Naruto landed on the perfect nickname instantly.

”It’s the Toad Sage!” Jiraiya corrected him.

”You were the one spying last night, weren’t you! You’re so shameless!”

Naruto remembered this guy. After taking a Sexy Jutsu to the face, he’d toppled right into the bushes—except the man had bolted so fast there’d been no chance to drag him in.

”Impossible. I was so far away last night—there’s no way you could have known it was me!”

”But you just admitted it!”

”Ah—?”

Jiraiya stared blankly.

Oh. He had answered like that, hadn’t he. Which meant—he’d just confessed.

[Lmao—one dares ask, one dares answer]

[No-Brain and Grumpy]

[Both equally missing a few screws]

[Hahaha]

”Hold on.” Just then, something clicked for Naruto.

—This guy was apparently as strong as that Orochimaru person.

”Hey, Pervy Sage!”

”What now?” Jiraiya yawned.

”If you promise to help me train, I’ll let it all go!”

”No.” Instant refusal.

”Then I’ll let you see something real good!”

”Something good?” Jiraiya smiled, eyes curving into half-moons.

”Yeah yeah yeah, guaranteed good!”