Chapter 501: Prudence

"Honestly, the Main Body has been getting more and more carried away lately."

A voice filled with a clear tone of complaint abruptly rang out from the potted plant behind Eida.

Immediately after, that originally ordinary-looking green plant suddenly twisted and grew, and in the blink of an eye, a "Wood Clone" identical to Young Naruto "grew" out of it.

As this Wood Clone stretched its limbs, it complained in a voice identical to Young Naruto’s, its tone filled with dissatisfaction toward the "Main Body."

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Young Naruto, who was just about to leave, paused in his tracks and turned back in astonishment to look at the other "him" that had "grown" out of the potted plant.

"Hey, hey, Main Body, you’d better watch out that you don’t get ’taught to guard against arrogance and rashness’!"

The Wood Clone stood with hands on its hips, looking like "I’m worrying myself to death for you," as it pointed at Young Naruto.

"I’ve wanted to say this for a long time—how could you just take her charm right to the face?

And another thing..."

"Didn’t I have you sneak in here beforehand to lie in ambush?"

Young Naruto interrupted the Wood Clone’s rambling. "I’m still very prudent in my actions, okay? This is called ’feigning an open path while taking a secret route.’ You were responsible for lying low, observing, and preventing accidents, while I was responsible for drawing attention at the front and wrapping things up quickly. Clear division of labor, maximum efficiency."

"Where’s the prudence in that?"

The Wood Clone retorted bluntly, "If you kick the bucket, I kick the bucket too!

You’d better stay alive for me, you hear? Stop trying to act cool all day. Besides, you weren’t even cool just now!"

The Wood Clone grew angrier as it spoke, even starting to bring up old scores: "An amateur is an amateur. How did you dare to say we Clones weren’t prudent before?

"I think the least prudent one is you, the Main Body! If we Clones die, we just disperse at most. If you die, you’re really gone!"

"Then you could have discussed it beforehand. It’s not like I had you lie in ambush only after we came in. Now that the fight is over, you’re starting to show off your IQ, huh?"

"You’re getting more and more carried away the more you win, aren’t you? Your Spiritual resistance is so low, have you forgotten how you fell into a genjutsu last time?"

The Wood Clone refused to back down, stiffening its neck.

Watching Young Naruto and his Wood Clone bickering like children, accusing each other of being "not prudent," "carried away," and "amateurish," the Seventh Hokage on the side couldn’t help but smile knowingly.

This familiar scene reminded him of his own youth, when his Shadow Clones would occasionally "rebel" like this, arguing with him, complaining, and even undermining him.

However, although Clones might be "unreliable," they would absolutely never betray the Main Body.

They were, in essence, an extension of the Main Body’s will. All the "arguments" and "complaints" were actually projections of certain thoughts or worries deep within the Main Body’s heart.

Clones and the Main Body do not share thoughts, which was why the Seventh Hokage used to play cards with his Clones.

If there is anyone in the world who shares the closest, most seamless bond, it is probably only a Ninja and their Clone.

As for Young Naruto taking away Eida and Daemon’s abilities, the Seventh Hokage did not interfere or question it too much.

After all, the other party would leave this world soon. It was better for these abilities to remain with him than with Eida, an unstable factor.

Moreover, Eida assisting Kawaki made her a de facto accomplice. Stripping her of her abilities could be seen as sealing away her danger, which was a reasonable way to handle it.

After Shinjutsu: Omnipotence was forcibly stripped from Eida’s body by Young Naruto using Amenotajikara, the Shinjutsu: Omnipotence that enveloped the Ninja World also ceased to exist.

"Alright."

The Seventh Hokage spoke up, interrupting the two Narutos who were still glaring at each other.

"The matter has been resolved. Eida and Daemon’s abilities have been stripped, and the Shinjutsu has been dispelled.

Next, I will arrange for someone to properly’settle’ the siblings. Souma, thank you for this time."

Hearing this, Young Naruto stopped bickering with his Wood Clone.

He nodded and gave an "mhm" in response, accepting the Seventh Hokage’s gratitude.

Then, he glanced at the limp, soul-shattered Eida and the still-terrified Daemon on the ground, before looking at his Wood Clone, who was still making a face at him, and shook his head helplessly.

"Let’s go. I have something else for you to do in a bit."

The Seventh Hokage patted Young Naruto’s shoulder.

"Get some rest early."

Young Naruto nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave the room with his Clone.

The night wind blew in through the open window, carrying a hint of chill.

After leaving the residence where they had met Eida, Young Naruto and his Wood Clone traversed through the quiet night together, quickly returning to the backyard of the Hyuga Compound, standing before the three-story wooden building sprouted by Wood Release.

After entering the Hyuga Compound, the Wood Clone patted Young Naruto.

"The acting was a bit stiff. Pay attention next time."

Young Naruto clicked his tongue and handed over the abilities obtained with Amenotajikara to the other.

He was also just a Clone. The Main Body was playing this save much better than in his previous life, so he wouldn’t risk himself.

"You don’t even trust the Seventh Hokage? That’s incredibly prudent."

"The strong don’t die, the weak don’t die, only the careless die.

Eida’s abilities are too bizarre, especially ’Shinjutsu: Omnipotence,’ which can even alter perception.

Who knows if she has any hidden trump cards?

We must ensure that nothing goes wrong."

After receiving the four abilities, the Wood Clone extracted a small portion of the Nine-Tailed Chakra from the "Young Naruto" in front of him and then dispelled him.

Then, he returned to the room and transferred that Nine-Tailed Chakra along with the four abilities to the true Main Body.

After dispelling the Wood Clone, Young Naruto let out a sigh of relief.

He had returned after dealing with Kawaki.

It wasn’t that he felt he couldn’t resist Eida’s charm, but rather he believed he was a normal man.

It was always better to play it safe.

To make it look real, he even had the Nine-Tailed separate a portion of its Chakra for his Clone.

, , , , , , , , , ,

"Hey, hey! What were you screaming about last night?"

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Otohime aggressively knocked on Young Naruto’s door.

She was clearly still brooding over Young Naruto’s earth-shattering roar from last night.

Moreover, she hadn’t used Kamimusubi to briefly rewind time that once, which caused her full-health hundred-win streak to break at thirty games.

She didn’t come to knock on Naruto’s door now to give him time to rest, but because she had relied on her own raw strength to complete the full-health hundred-win streak again.

The door opened, and Young Naruto was already fully dressed. He looked to be in decent spirits, though a trace of fatigue and coldness still lingered deep in his eyes.

He looked at Otohime at the door, who had put on her hat and stood with hands on her hips, looking displeased, as his eyes carefully sized her up.

Today, Otohime had styled her long silver hair into a slightly complex bun, secured with a hairpin.

After putting on that brown hat, the only parts left exposed were two neatly braided pigtails hanging down from both sides of the hat, swaying with her movements.

And the pair of wooden horns on her head, which looked like little deer antlers, were cleverly partially hidden by the hat. At first glance, they actually looked somewhat like decorations on the hat.

The image of Chopper flashed through Naruto’s mind.

This hat, without a doubt.

It was Otohime in the Reindeer Fruit: Chopper Model form!

"Did that Kawaki steal your wallet?"

Seeing Young Naruto open the door, Otohime didn’t stand on ceremony either. She squeezed right into the room, tilting her small face up to size him up suspiciously.

"Otherwise, why did you get so angry?"

"No."

Young Naruto answered succinctly, closing the door behind him.

He walked to the window, looking at the sky gradually brightening outside, seemingly not wanting to talk much about last night’s events.

"Then why did you curse him? And so harshly too."

Otohime refused to let it go, leaning in close to Young Naruto.

"I heard it all, things like ’damn it’... Tsk, tsk, I didn’t expect you, the Hokage, to be so vulgar."

To be fair, when someone is cute, even their cursing sounds adorably fierce.

Naruto stole another glance at Otohime.

"He killed Boruto."

"Oh, so he just killed... Huh?"

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