Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"Squirtle, squirtle!"

After being transported back home by the system, Naruto looked at the Squirtle in front of him and didn't know what to do for a moment.

He originally wanted a powerful Pokemon, but in the end, he only got a mascot.

After thinking for a long time, Naruto's eyes suddenly lit up, "So what if it's Squirtle? I can train it into a Ninja Turtle."

In the Shinobi World, many Summoned Beasts can be trained to become Shinobi, and Squirtle is no exception.

'As long as it is trained well, Ninja Turtle is not just a fantasy.'

Opening the system panel, Naruto checked Squirtle's properties.

Seeing Squirtle's attributes, Naruto was shocked.

'Is Squirtle really this powerful?'

The system panel displayed Squirtle's evolution chain in detail: Squirtle could evolve into Wartortle, and Wartortle could evolve into Blastoise. After that, Blastoise could even undergo Mega Evolution, transforming into Mega Blastoise. Though its size wouldn't change much, its stats would be significantly enhanced.

However, that wasn't the end.

In battle, Mega Blastoise could also undergo Gigantamax, growing up to 25 meters tall. For reference, Gamabunta, the giant toad, was only 17 meters tall. In terms of sheer size, Gigantamax Blastoise had Gamabunta beat.

Unlike Gamabunta, who needed to wield external weapons, Mega Blastoise's shell was equipped with a staggering 31 water cannons, including 12 main cannons that could be freely aimed, providing 360-degree attacks. Its water moves would also transform into the devastating 'G-Max Cannonade', an immensely powerful attack.

Naruto couldn't help but marvel at this revelation.

After reading through Squirtle's profile, Naruto realized that, while not as powerful as Mewtwo, Squirtle's final form far exceeded his expectations.

At first, Naruto said he wanted to train Squirtle because he didn't want to waste this Pokemon, but now he realized that Squirtle's potential made it more than worth the effort.

"Squirtle, squirtle!"

Hearing Squirtle's cheerful cries again, Naruto's earlier disappointment vanished, replaced by excitement.

"Squirtle, come with me, let's get you something good to eat!"

With the evening drawing near, Naruto figured it was a good time to relax and enjoy a nice meal rather than dive straight into training.

Unlike an ordinary turtle, Squirtle didn't walk on all fours. It walked upright on its two legs, standing about 50 centimeters tall. Walking alongside Naruto, it looked like a small child.

Squirtle had a gentle temperament and was quite intelligent. After a bit of guidance, it quickly learned to use a spoon and fork. Chopsticks, however, were out of the question, given its three-fingered hands, so Naruto didn't push it.

As an omnivore, Squirtle was an easy eater and would happily accept anything Naruto bought, which made things a lot easier.

After a hearty meal, Squirtle's affinity level with Naruto reached its maximum, and it would now obey Naruto's every command.

Although Squirtle could only say 'squirtle', Naruto found that he could somehow understand its meaning, so communication wasn't an issue.

The night passed peacefully, and by dawn the next morning, Naruto was already up and heading to third training ground with Squirtle in tow.

Arriving at third training ground just as the first light crept over the horizon, Naruto thought he was early. However, several other figures were already there, training diligently.

Lee, Neji, Tenten, and Sasuke were all working hard as usual. But to Naruto's surprise, even Sakura was there, training with a fierce determination.

Sakura was going all out just to be around Sasuke, but unfortunately for her, without Naruto's permission, there was no chance of her getting close to Sasuke in this life. If she wanted to blame someone, she should blame herself for treating Naruto badly.

"Naruto, what are you doing here? And what is that?"

Sasuke noticed the small blue creature by Naruto's side and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

Naruto explained, "This is my new pet, Squirtle. Starting today, it'll be joining you in training."

"Squirtle?"

Sasuke examined Squirtle with interest. He'd never seen a blue-skinned turtle before, especially one that walked on two legs, which made it looked different from any ordinary turtle.

But despite its innocent appearance, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder how capable it was in a fight.

"Byakugan!"

Nearby, Neji, ever the silent critic, activated his Byakugan.

Under the scrutiny of Byakugan's vision, he shook his head slightly, "There is no Chakra in its body, it's hardly worth training."

"Neji, there you go again."

Naruto said helplessly, "I've told you so many times… fate can be changed. Who cares if there's no Chakra? With enough hard work, anything's possible."

This time, Before Neji could respond, Lee, looking downcast, muttered, "Hard work alone? No matter how much effort I put in, I still can't compare to natural talent."

Hearing this, Naruto was slightly startled.

'It seems that Lee was still shaken from yesterday's blow.'

Walking forward, Naruto patted Lee's shoulder and encouraged him, "Lee, that's not true. You used to be at the bottom of the class, but now your Taijutsu are among the best of your peers. That's proof of your hard work."

"Really?" Lee asked, a bit hesitant.

"Of course," Naruto continued. "Not everyone is born a prodigy. Most people get where they are through dedication. Take Neji, for instance. He started way ahead of you, but if you open the fifth gate, who's to say who would come out on top? Without hard work, you'd never be as strong as you are today."

Hearing this, Lee began to reflect deeply.

Naruto then turned to Neji and continued to lecture, "And let's talk about you, Neji. You used to think that fate couldn't be changed, but hasn't your own fate changed?"

"That... is true."

Neji admitted, instinctively touching the forehead protector that hid the now-gone Caged Bird. That seal's disappearance was a testament to how fate could indeed be altered.

Seeing that both of them had reflected on it, Naruto nodded with satisfaction and finally brought up his main point, "So, don't underestimate my Squirtle. Sure, it's not strong now, but with hard work, it can become incredibly powerful. Isn't that right, Squirtle?"

"Squirtle, squirtle!"

Squirtle nodded vigorously, looking as adorably determined as ever.

Naruto patted Squirtle's smooth, round head with a grin, "Squirtle, starting today, you'll be training with Lee. Whatever he does, you do it too. You can do this."

"Squirtle!"

With a determined look, Squirtle approached Lee, extending its tiny paw in a friendly gesture.

Seeing this, the thoughtful Lee reached out to shake Squirtle's paw with a smile, and there's a renewed spark of determination in his eyes, "Yosh, let's work hard together! That's what youth is all about!"

"Are you sure about this?" Sasuke asked, looking concerned.

After training here for a day, Sasuke knew full well that Lee's regimen was practically self-destructive. How could Squirtle possibly handle such intense training?

"Relax, it'll be fine," Naruto waved his hand lightly.

Thanks to the system's modifications, Squirtle didn't need to defeat other Pokemon to become stronger. As long as it completed intensive training, it would evolve. When Squirtle eventually evolved into Wartortle, it would start to absorb Chakra and begin Ninjutsu training.

With innate skills at its disposal, Squirtle wouldn't need much special attention from Naruto. It would naturally master its abilities as long as it trained hard enough.

Turning his head to look at Sasuke, Naruto narrowed his eyes and said, "If you have that much free time to worry about Squirtle, maybe you should worry about yourself. If you don't want to train with Neji, I can just give you a personal session."

"No, no, I'll spar with Neji right now."

Sasuke's expression changed. He couldn't help but feel frightened when he recalled Naruto's powerful punch from yesterday that left a huge crater.

Neji was even more so, and immediately began to spar with Sasuke.