Chapter 07: Rapid Improvements

Chapter 07: Rapid Improvements

Disclaimer:

"Dialogue" for new novels

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 07: Rapid Improvements

"And... you say he's been doing that for a week?" the worried Hokage asked.

"Yes... every day for a week already. He comes here first thing in the morning, visits the library, spends several hours reading books and scrolls in silence, and then he comes to the yard for practice..." Iruka explained the strange behavior he noticed in Naruto since the previous week, when he came to visit.

"Mmm..." The old man peeked from around the corner.

Naruto was currently practicing the Bunshin jutsu in complete focus.

He realized that the resulting clone was very much perfect.

"I thought he was incapable of using that jutsu..."

Iruka nodded. He also found it strange. "He could do the other two, but the Bunshin always came out wrong because he didn't have enough control over his chakra... this has always been the one thing that held him back."

"But now he can do it with no problems. How is that possible?" The Hokage asked.

"On the first day, he spent several hours practicing the leaf exercise. And I must say... by the end of it, he had perfected it completely. He could hold a dozen leaves on his body with no problems."

"So, he had been practicing his chakra control..." The Hokage knew well enough why Naruto had problems controlling his chakra flow. He always had to work with a big handicap after all...

"It wasn't just his chakra control..." Iruka whispered. His face filled with worry.

"What is it?" The old man asked.

"I have looked through all the books Naruto has been reading over the last week. There are a few missing, but for the most part, he had gone through the entire academy curriculum. And not just the theory but also the practice. Other than the leaf exercise... Naruto had perfected his taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, and the three academy ninjutsus, among other things."

'In any case... my purpose at this academy is now complete.' He had learned as much as he needed for now.

It was time to take the next step.

Naruto pretended not to notice the two adults hiding around the corner and made his way outside the academy.

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By the time he left the academy grounds, it was already getting dark.

His stomach grumbled in complaint.

For the past week, he had been so focused on the task at hand that he had neglected some of his other needs a bit.

The only food he had in his small apartment were dried noodles since that seemed to be the only thing the previous owner of this body ate.

'Maybe I should go do some shopping...' He looked down at his orange jumpsuit. 'And not just for food. I need more clothes too. I still can't believe that this is the only piece of clothing he had, other than those ugly pajamas.'

The Hokage had left him a decent amount of money so it should be enough to get a few necessities until he finds another way to earn money.

"Naruto?! Where have you been?"

He heard someone calling his name and turned around.

There was a young woman wearing a white apron right next to a food stall.

There was something very familiar about that stall... its looks and the smell that came out of it.

As for the girl...

"Ayame," Naruto said.

"So you didn't forget about me, huh?" The girl waved her hand at him.

"Well?...what are you waiting for? Come in. My dad will prepare something for you. I'm sure you are hungry."

Just in time, his belly grumbled again. "I am indeed hungry..."