Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 157

"Who are you calling a coward?!"

Sasuke abruptly stopped, turned around abruptly, and a familiar, provoked flame ignited in his dark eyes: "Who's afraid of an idiot like you! Let's fight! Don't cry if you lose!"

"Hmph! We're not sure who'll cry yet! You just wait and see!"

Naruto, full of fighting spirit, immediately picked up a stone slab and carefully placed it on the tip of his earthen cone.

The rivalry between the two was instantly ignited!

However, the ideal is full, and the reality is very skinny.

Naruto, imitating Jiraiya, carefully jumped onto the stone slab.

The moment my foot touched the edge of the stone slab, the slab shook violently!

Naruto struggled wildly for less than three seconds before collapsing with a thud, stone slab and all.

He fell flat on his back and got a mouthful of mud.

On the other hand, Sasuke's situation is slightly better.

Using his Sharingan's powerful dynamic vision and subtle control over his body, he managed to maintain a cross-legged position on the stone slab.

But his body swayed like a candle flame in the wind, constantly moving left and right and back and forth, with fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

He only managed to hold on for a dozen seconds before losing his balance and, with a "thud," he and the stone slab tumbled to the side and fell.

Although his landing was more elegant than Naruto's, it was still just as awkward.

"Damn it! Again!"

Naruto stubbornly got up, dusted himself off, and tried again.

Sasuke remained silent, his face dark, and stepped onto the stone slab once more.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The light and shadow in the forest changed slowly as the sun moved.

The voices of failure rose and fell.

Two hours passed.

Their best performance was barely managing to stay upright on the stone slab for a few dozen seconds, swaying and staggering like they were drunk.

Then they will inevitably fall down in various ways, getting covered in dirt.

The ground around the earthen cones was riddled with holes from their smashing.

"Ugh! This is so hard!"

Naruto lay sprawled on the ground, looking at the blue sky above him, which was fragmented by leaves, and irritably grabbed his blond hair.

"How exactly does the lecherous sage manage to remain completely still? Is he made of stone?"

Inside the sealed space...

Naruto's consciousness was also exhausted, collapsing next to Minato: "Dad, you're so amazing, do you have any secrets? At this rate, I could fall and break my butt and still not learn!"

Seeing his son's dejected look, Minato smiled helplessly and gently patted Naruto's consciousness on the head: "Naruto, there's really no way Dad can help you with this training directly."

"It requires you to experience it yourself, to control every muscle in your body, and to feel the subtle changes in your center of gravity."

"This is the ultimate training in body control and mental focus; there are no shortcuts."

He paused, looking at Naruto's still confused expression, and added, "However, my advice to you is to try to calm yourself down completely the moment you sit on the stone slab."

"Don't be impatient, don't think about how long you have to sit, and don't think about winning or losing."

"Focus all your attention on your breathing, feel the airflow into your body, and then exhale slowly."

"Imagine your heart as a calm, still lake. Any distracting thoughts are like pebbles thrown into the lake; let them sink, and the lake will remain clear and tranquil."

"When you truly calm down, your body will naturally find that balance point."

Naruto nodded, seemingly understanding, "Hmm... as calm as a lake... don't be impatient... okay! I'll try again!"

Inspired by his father's words, Naruto got up again.

This time, instead of jumping up in a hurry as before, he stood in front of the earthen mound.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then slowly exhale.

Try to dispel the anxiety and competitiveness in your heart.

Then, he carefully stepped onto the stone slab again.

Sasuke watched Naruto's actions from the side, seemingly lost in thought.

Although he didn't hear what Minato said, he realized that blindly going all out and competing with others didn't seem to work.

He adjusted his breathing and tried again, his eyes becoming more focused and calm.

However, it is easier said than done.

Inner peace is not achieved overnight.

The slightest disturbance in the outside world, physical fatigue and soreness, and the shadow of failure can easily shatter that fragile tranquility.

Chapter 177 Minato: I don't know him!

The number of failures did not decrease significantly, but the way the two fell no longer seemed so pathetic, and there was a hint of calm resilience in their eyes.

Two more hours passed in a series of attempts and failures.

The sun was already setting in the west, its orange-red rays painting half the sky red, while the light in the forest became soft and dim.

A loud sound broke the silence of cultivation.

Naruto clutched his stomach, looking miserable. "I can't take it anymore! Sasuke, I'm starving! Let's go find the Perverted Sage first! We can eat before we train!"

Sasuke also felt hungry and exhausted. He glanced at the sky and nodded, "Okay, let's go. To Maple Leaf Town."

The two dragged their tired bodies along the forest path.

Before long, a bustling town of considerable size, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, came into view.

At the entrance to the town stands a large stone with the words "Maple Leaf Town" engraved on it.

It was evening, and lanterns were hung on both sides of the street. Various food stalls and restaurants emitted tempting aromas, and pedestrians bustled about, creating a lively atmosphere.

Walking on the streets at dusk, the fatigue from my earlier cultivation seemed to be somewhat relieved by the lively atmosphere of the city.

Naruto immediately perked up, like a playful puppy, looking around at the dazzling array of food stalls on both sides, his mouth practically watering.

"Haha! Takoyaki! Grilled dumplings! Oden! Sasuke, what do you want to eat? It's on me today!"

Naruto patted his chest, exuding heroic spirit.

Sasuke walked coolly to the side with his hands in his pockets. He glanced at Naruto with a hint of distrust and said, "Hmph, you better remember to bring money, or I'll have to pay for it again."

He was well aware of Naruto's forgetfulness.

Last time, he said he was going out for barbecue, and halfway through the meal, he generously invited Class 10 to join him. But when it came time to pay the bill, he realized he hadn't brought his wallet, so he had to pay for it himself.

He was so heartbroken at the time that he wanted to hit someone.

The time before last, when Team 7 went to buy ninja tools, this guy didn't bring enough money and had to pay for it himself.

"Don't worry, don't worry! I've definitely brought it this time!"

Naruto confidently reached into his pocket for his toad-shaped wallet.

However, after rummaging through his pockets several times, the smile on his face instantly froze.

It immediately turned into unbelievable shock.

Immediately afterwards, a piercing wail, loud enough to shatter the heavens, echoed throughout the entire street:

"My wallet!!!"

Naruto froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, his face turning deathly pale.

He frantically searched all the pockets on his body, even his ninja tool pouch, but found them empty!

His bulging toad wallet, which contained a month's allowance, has vanished!

Sasuke was startled by his shout, looking at Naruto's expression as if the sky had fallen.

He sighed helplessly, "I knew it... When are you ever going to get rid of this forgetful habit? Oh well, I..."

As he spoke, he habitually reached into the hidden pocket inside his ninja tool bag, which was specifically for his wallet.

However, after rummaging in the hidden pocket for a few seconds, the helplessness on his face froze instantly.

Then, just like Naruto, they were filled with shock and disbelief!

He abruptly pulled open the hidden pocket—it was completely empty!

His wallet, which was full of money for emergencies, also disappeared!

"Mine... is gone too!"

Sasuke's voice carried a rare hint of loss of composure and coldness.

Given his and Naruto's current level of vigilance.

An ordinary thief could never steal the wallets that two people keep close to their bodies without them noticing!

Naruto recovered from his initial shock and, seeing Sasuke's equally empty hands, instantly understood what was happening.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Could it be... that we've encountered the legendary King of Pickpockets?"

Sasuke's eyes were sharp as knives as he scanned the bustling crowd around him, but he did not find any suspicious figures.

He frowned, quickly regaining his composure as he analyzed, "Impossible. Even the most skilled pickpocket, with the most exquisite techniques, couldn't possibly steal from both of us simultaneously without arousing the slightest suspicion... unless..."

An extremely unreliable yet perfectly logical suspect instantly came to mind for the two of them.

Just then, a very familiar, lewd and smug laugh rang out, mixed with a woman's giggles.

The sound came from a brightly lit shop not far away, with a sign that read "Izakaya Kaede no Koi" (Izakaya, Maple's Love) hanging at the entrance!

"Hahaha! My beauty, another drink! Tonight we're not leaving until we're drunk! I've got plenty of money! Hahaha!"

That voice... they'd recognize it even if it were ashes!