My Name Is Namikaze Minato

CHAPTER WORDS:- 1076

Chapter 3: The Start of Basic Training

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As the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and the Fourth Hokage's orphan, Naruto was under constant surveillance by the ANBU. While they were tasked with monitoring him, their primary role was to protect him. If the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki were to die, the Nine-Tails would also disappear.

Although it would eventually regenerate, the process would take time, and the efforts required to find and capture it again would cost the village significant manpower, resources, and energy.

Additionally, threats and ambitions from other villages made it imperative for both the Third Hokage and Danzō Shimura to ensure Naruto's survival.

This protective surveillance was one reason why Danzō proposed taking Naruto into the Foundation ("Root")—not only under the guise of nurturing him but also to exploit the opportunity to brainwash him. If successful, Danzō believed he could easily claim the Hokage title for himself.

Given this constant protection by the ANBU, Naruto knew he could safely explore areas like this forest, home only to ordinary wild animals. Even if he ventured into the perilous Forest of Death, the risks were minimal.

Now that he had successfully used chakra, this forest wasn't just a source of food and supplies; it was about to become his most important training ground for the years ahead.

As for whether such open training might be reported by the ANBU to the Third Hokage and potentially cause issues, Naruto wasn't concerned. he needs to focus on acting, and due to his Sensory ability, he can feel when someone believes in him or not.

he tested this, and when someone doesn't believe him, they put on a disappointed feeling or an agigated feeling, if Naruto figures it out, he can lie successfully to almost anyone. 

Simply using chakra and beginning basic training wasn't considered out of the ordinary.

In fact, when Naruto first succeeded in using chakra, the Third Hokage was informed through ANBU reports. After confirming that no outside influence had been involved, the Hokage chose not to interfere.

Moreover, the method of chakra extraction wasn't exactly a secret in a ninja village. While it required innate talent to succeed, the basic concept was widely known. The difference lay in whether or not one could successfully extract it.

This distinction is critical.

The great ninja villages never went out of their way to conceal how chakra was extracted. On the contrary, they encouraged its basic understanding among their population. Even a weak, low-ranking genin could contribute to the village's overall strength, and having more ninjas—regardless of their individual power—was beneficial.

Becoming a ninja, however, required more than just knowing how to extract chakra; it required talent. If simply knowing the method guaranteed success, the world would have far more ninja. Outside the Five Great Villages, how many smaller villages truly had a substantial number of shinobi? And what were the ratios of genin, chūnin, and jōnin in those places?

The basics of chakra extraction, and even early-stage chakra training, were common knowledge. Otherwise, the number of rogue or wandering ninja wouldn't be as high as it was.

That Naruto figured out how to extract chakra and succeeded wasn't strange in the slightest. In fact, in the context of Konoha, it would be stranger if someone didn't know the basics of chakra extraction.

Although using chakra without a mentor and through self-discovery was noteworthy, as long as no external or hostile forces were involved, it wasn't a matter of serious concern.

And, no matter what, Naruto was still the Fourth Hokage's orphan.

As long as he didn't touch on core village interests or matters of national security, the Third Hokage's personality meant he was inclined to let Naruto act freely to some extent.

Naruto didn't fully understand the Third Hokage's reasoning, but he could roughly guess the dynamics at play.

"Alright, let's start with tree-climbing practice today!"

Arriving in his familiar part of the forest, Naruto quickly located a massive tree. Looking up at its towering height, his young face lit up with determination as he nodded in satisfaction.

Chakra extraction, chakra control, and chakra growth were the foundational paths to becoming a stronger ninja.

Although Naruto hadn't read the original "Naruto" story Super seriously, to the point of worship in his past life, he remembered the core details, including chakra control training methods like tree climbing and water walking. These were the most fundamental yet effective ways to hone control.

By channeling chakra into the soles of one's feet, the user could practice controlling the output and stability of their chakra. In the original story, Naruto himself demonstrated this to millions of fans.

For Naruto now, practicing chakra control not only helped solidify his foundation but also made his life significantly easier. Tasks like picking fruits, gathering vegetables, or catching fish and shrimp would become far simpler and more efficient.

Although the interference of the Nine-Tails' chakra added difficulty to his training, Naruto saw this as an opportunity. He believed that mastering control under these challenging conditions would make his chakra manipulation even more refined.

When the time came to meet and deal with the Nine-Tails, neutralizing its influence would instantly amplify his strength.

Recalling the tips and techniques for chakra manipulation from the original story, Naruto carefully began channeling his chakra into the soles of his feet, ensuring the balance wasn't too much or too little. Excess chakra could crush the tree, while insufficient chakra would cause him to lose grip.

"Alright, step one…"Once he felt the chakra control was adequate, Naruto took a deep breath and moved toward the tree.

Crack!

As expected, with no prior experience and the Nine-Tails' chakra subtly disrupting his efforts, Naruto's first attempt resulted in him cracking the tree bark underfoot.

His weight briefly shifted, causing him to wobble. Quickly regaining balance, Naruto performed a light flip and landed back on the ground.

'Too much chakra, huh?' Afraid of falling, Naruto had deliberately used a higher amount of chakra, resulting in the cracked tree bark.

Despite the failure, Naruto wasn't discouraged. He'd expected this outcome.

He understood how difficult ninja training could be.

Even in the original story, where protagonists benefitted from narrative convenience, they still struggled and spent immense time and effort to achieve their goals. Naruto vividly remembered how even his future chakra nature training would have been arduous without the cheat-like Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Progress required steady effort, one step at a time.

(End of Chapter)

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