Naruto: Heaven Rewards Diligence

Naruto carefully demonstrated each movement for Hinata, suppressing his strength so that it matched Neji's level.

Even so, Neji quickly realized he was at a disadvantage. The longer they sparred, the more unsettled he became. Naruto's motions seemed slow and deliberate, yet somehow, he always struck first. Each step and each turn dragged Neji further into Naruto's rhythm, as though he were sinking into quicksand.

Neji knew full well—had Naruto not been holding back to show Hinata the technique, he would have already lost.

The thought stung. If not for Naruto clearly intending to pass this method down to Hinata, Neji might have conceded outright. He had never felt so powerless in a fight.

Still, he played his part, pushing through the demonstration until Naruto finally stopped.

"Alright, that's all the moves."

As Naruto addressed Hinata, Neji let out a long breath of relief. His limbs felt foreign, his body no longer under his control—completely bound by Naruto's flow.

"...Naruto, so this is that Tai Chi you spoke of? This feeling is downright unfair!" Neji admitted, eyes wide.

"Neji," Naruto replied calmly, "Tai Chi is about turning your opponent's force against them. One gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things. It reflects the balance of Yin and Yang, the foundation of everything."

He gave them both a faint smile. "Compared to your Hyūga Clan's Gentle Fist, Tai Chi is the truest Gentle Fist. Gentle Fist relies on softness with hidden hardness, but in the end, it's too aggressive. Tai Chi flows beyond that—it's soft and hard in harmony. You should have felt it just now. And remember, I still held back the more dangerous applications for Hinata's sake."

Neji and Hinata listened intently as Naruto explained, his words simple yet layered with meaning.

"Tai Chi embodies the principles of Yin and Yang. Yin is soft, Yang is firm—together, they complement and complete each other. It reflects the transformations of the Eight Trigrams, the endless cycle of creation and change. Where it can ultimately lead… even I don't know."

Hinata glanced at Neji, who was already deep in thought. For someone who had independently mastered the Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation, Neji's insight was remarkable. As Naruto spoke, flashes of realization flickered in Neji's mind. He could already see flaws in his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

Naruto nodded to himself. As expected of Neji. A true genius.

Still… I've got a cheat.

Moments later, Neji raised his head. "Naruto… how far can this complete form go?"

"You mean when it's fused with chakra, right? Watch carefully."

Naruto's expression sharpened. His hands moved slowly, deliberately. A soft current of wind rose around him, and then a calm, steady wave of blue chakra enveloped his body.

He shifted, and in an instant, the chakra flared violently—yet without losing its balance. The pressure of his aura pressed against them both.

[Ninja Art: Tai Chi +5...]

Heaven Rewards Diligence surged within him, feeding strength into his every motion.

Naruto's palm drifted forward, and a concentrated blast of chakra shot out. It slammed into a distant tree, splitting its trunk and shaking its leaves into the air.

"This… this is ninjutsu?" Neji murmured, eyes wide.

The slow, graceful movements from before had seemed harmless. But fused with chakra, the technique unleashed devastating force.

It surpassed even the Hyūga main family's secret arts.

Neji's heart pounded, but he forced down his excitement and kept watching.

Naruto's movements flowed on. Each transition seemed to carry the cycle of the seasons, the birth and death of all things. Hinata watched with shining eyes, entranced.

Yin and Yang intertwined. The Eight Trigrams unfurled.

A glowing diagram of Yin-Yang and the Eight Trigrams spread beneath Naruto's feet, and a powerful airflow spiraled outward.

Neji instinctively stepped back. "What is this?"

Naruto's voice was calm but resonant.

"This is the ultimate secret of Tai Chi—the Tai Chi Domain. Within it, defense becomes absolute. At close range, it's invincible. The rhythm, the flow… everything is mine to control. Against this domain, no one at the same level could break through."

The words rang like thunder in Neji's mind. At the same time, Naruto's body trembled as if struck by inspiration—an epiphany overtaking him.

[Tai Chi Domain +3, Tai Chi Domain +5, Tai Chi +4, Tai Chi Philosophy +25…]

Naruto's consciousness burned with newfound clarity, and the sheer momentum of his enlightenment swept Neji and Hinata along. Though it was Naruto who had grasped the breakthrough, the rhythm of his insight resonated with them.

Whether they could absorb it fully… depended entirely on their own comprehension.

...

The distant Land of Wind…

Here, one of Naruto's shadow clones had already been teaching Gaara for half a month.

Naruto's plan wasn't simply to make Gaara stronger—he wanted Gaara as a subordinate, someone who could eventually take control of the Hidden Sand Village. Such things couldn't be rushed.

Gaara lacked more than just raw strength; what he truly needed was ideology. Half a month under Naruto's guidance had changed him greatly. Having been immersed in Naruto's vision, Gaara found himself admiring him more and more.

Naruto's ideals were startling. He didn't just want to change a village—he intended to completely reshape the shinobi world. His ambition was to unify the nations, to bring about true unity and order.

Gaara suspected that what Naruto revealed to him was only a fraction of his true plan. And he was right.

Naruto's first priority was Gaara's mindset. Before power came self-control. He taught Gaara to temper his violent impulses, to cultivate patience, and to quietly accumulate strength without exposing his true hand.

Naruto's ultimate design was clear: after the "Konoha Crush" plan, Gaara would rise to take full control of the Hidden Sand Village. In the original timeline, Gaara had only earned the people's trust years later, during Shippūden. Naruto intended to accelerate that by at least three years.

The Sand was one of the Great Nations, but compared to the other Five, it was the easiest target. The village was in disarray, held together only by the will of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

The elders like Chiyo were old and half-retired, their influence fading. In a few years, Gaara would become the village's strongest combatant. With Naruto's support behind him, his rise to Kazekage would be all but assured.

Naruto also had leverage. Through the Seven Colors Trading Company, his influence had already seeped into the Land of Wind, forming a growing industrial chain.

If Gaara somehow failed to secure the title of Kazekage, Naruto could simply withdraw his industries. The resulting collapse and unemployment would shake the nation, forcing the people to rally around Gaara as their savior.

Naruto trusted Gaara's potential. The boy could grasp deeper truths from the smallest hints, but his life until now had left him ignorant of such knowledge. To avoid suspicion from Gaara's sudden change in behavior, Naruto carefully laid out a gradual transformation—one that the people of the Sand would slowly come to accept.

As for Gaara's strength, Naruto ensured its steady growth by striking a deal with Shukaku, the One-Tail.

At first, the beast resisted. But when Naruto calmly recited the names of all Nine Tailed Beasts, Shukaku faltered—and agreed.

The terms were simple: Shukaku would stop fighting Gaara for control of his body and would lend chakra when needed. In return, Naruto promised that in ten years, Shukaku would be freed.

...

TN:

Hope you Enjoy~😊

⚒️ Support me on P-com/LordMerlin.

I'm grateful for your support! 🙇 ️