After confirming it again and again, Naruto let out a long breath.
'My goodness, ever since the system absorbed that turtle system, it has become much more generous.'
This latest reward completely satisfied Naruto's love for showing off:
[It is detected that the host has stayed in the air for one hour. Sign-in successful. Reward: Sky Dance Technique!]
[Sky Dance Technique: A secret skill from the Crane School that allows one to fly in the air. After using it, the user can move freely in the air without being restricted by gravity.]
In simpler terms: Naruto could now fly.
This was true, literal flight.
While the Sky Dance Technique didn't provide any offensive or defensive bonuses, the ability to soar freely through the air was something Naruto had always dreamed of.
Previously, he had relied on the impact force from the Sixth Gate to temporarily stay in the air, but it was far from true flight.
Now, he could fly freely.
Naruto originally thought that he had to sign in at the location, but he didn't expect that he could also sign in under special conditions.
'Does this mean that if I soak in water for an hour, get stuck in the soil for an hour, or burn in the fire for an hour, I will get special rewards?'
Daring to think and act, Naruto wasn't one to hesitate. So he turned to Kisame and Itachi and said, "I have an experiment in mind. Step back a bit so you don't get caught up in it."
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, Kisame and Itachi retreated several hundred meters.
In their opinion, if Naruto said to step back a bit, then he meant to move step back far away.
'Takeoff!'
The moment Naruto willed it, a stream of air gathered beneath his feet, lifting him effortlessly into the sky.
Unlike his previous method of stepping on air, he now completely defied gravity, gliding freely and changing direction without effort.
"This feels amazing!"
Words couldn't fully capture the sensation, it was pure freedom.
After flying for a while, Naruto returned to his experiment. With a focused expression, he shouted, "Gate of Death, open!"
He obviously couldn't conduct the experiment by burying it in the soil right now, so the best place to conduct the experiment now was in water.
As the eighth gate opened, Naruto's body emitted steaming red energy. Knowing he had only five seconds, Naruto didn't hesitate. He immediately unleashed a flurry of punches toward the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The compressed air blasts, resembling invisible cannons, slammed into the earth with a series of heavy, echoing thuds.
Rumble!
Even when they are several hundred meters away, Kisame and Itachi could feel the tremors. The ground beneath their feet began to crack.
"Hiss!"
Itachi sucked in a breath.
'It was already incredible that Naruto could open the sixth gate, but now he had opened the eighth gate? What kind of monster was he?'
'Moreover, the eighth gate was known as the 'Gate of Death'. Was it really necessary to risk his life for a mere experiment?'
Yet soon, Itachi knew the answer.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto, who is hovering mid-air, returned to his normal state. And apart from his shirt being blasted to pieces by the pressure, there was no sign of injury. He looked completely at ease, as if nothing had happened.
'Opening the eighth gate without any injuries?'
Itachi couldn't believe his eyes. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he would have thought it impossible.
The shock didn't stop there. Beneath Naruto, the once grassy plain had been transformed into a massive crater, 300 meters in diameter and over 30 meters deep.
"Uh… this…" Kisame stammered, unable to find words. All he could do was gulp audibly.
In their earlier battle, if Naruto had used this level of attack, Kisame wouldn't have just lost… he would have been obliterated, leaving nothing behind.
'Is this kind of power really something a human can unleash?'
Kisame and Itachi exchanged a glance, silently thankful that they had retreated several hundred meters just now. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous.
Of course, they were overthinking it.
If they hadn't stepped far enough back, Naruto would have warned them again.
After closing the eight gates, Naruto quickly formed hand seals, "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
By mobilizing the Kyubi's Chakra inside his body, the resulting water dragon was monstrous in size, at least ten times larger than a standard Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
Yet, this dragon wasn't for attacking. Just like back during the previous team training, it had a simpler purpose… filling the massive crater with water.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
As the water dragon poured into the crater, it quickly transformed into a small lake.
Plop!
Naruto dove headfirst into the water, commencing his one-hour experiment for a new sign-in reward.
"He went through all that... just to swim?"
Seeing Naruto enter the water, Kisame couldn't help but complain.
Itachi, maintaining his characteristic stoicism, replied coldly, "If you don't want to get beaten up again, shut your mouth. Otherwise, no one will save you."
"Y-Yeah... fair point."
Kisame nodded thoughtfully, a shiver running down his spine as he vividly recalled Naruto's earlier 'experiment'.
Their mission was to capture Biju or Jinchuriki and bring them back to the Akatsuki. Now that the Jinchuriki was standing right before them, already agreeing to cooperate, what more could they ask for?
Waiting quietly was the best option.
An hour passed quietly, and the system prompt sounded in Naruto's mind again, causing his heart to race with anticipation.
As long as the one-hour condition was met, the sign-in would be successful. Now it was time to see if his theory was correct… would special environments trigger unique rewards?
[It was detected that the host stayed in the water for one hour. Sign-in successful. Reward: Turtle Breathing Technique!]
[Turtle Breathing Technique: Allows the user to minimize bodily function consumption, enabling long periods without breathing.]
"Hiss!"
Naruto couldn't help but gasp when he saw the description of his new reward.
'Sure enough, signing in in a special environment will give relevant special rewards.'
While none of these abilities directly increased his attack or defense, they significantly enhanced his versatility.
This one, in particular, was a game-changer.
Naruto immediately thought of his next plan. The only reason he hadn't tried signing in underground earlier was the risk of suffocation from lack of oxygen.
But with the Turtle Breathing Technique, that problem was solved, turning previously impossible locations into viable sign-in spots.
With a quick thought, Naruto ascended into the air, retrieving a fresh set of clothes from the system's inventory.
Thanks to the Artifact Clone Costume, the attributes tied to his clothing wouldn't disappear even if the previous set was destroyed. Putting on new clothes simply reactivated the bonuses.
Whoosh!
Naruto flew swiftly to where Kisame and Itachi were waiting.
"Finished with the experiment?" Itachi asked calmly.
Naruto shook his head and said, "Nope. I have a new experiment in mind… it'll take another hour."
Upon hearing this, both Kisame and Itachi instinctively began stepping backward.
Naruto waved his hand and said, "Why are you running? Relax. This time, you don't need to move."
Who would've thought that these two fearsome Missing-nin would one day be so startled by the mere mention of 'experiment'.
After scanning the pair, Naruto suddenly said, "Kisame, come here. I need your help with this one."
"Huh?"
Kisame's body trembled slightly, and he unconsciously took half a step back. His instincts screamed at him to refuse.
He had witnessed Naruto's earlier experiments firsthand. If Naruto decided to throw a punch as part of this 'help', Kisame might be sent straight to the afterlife.
"What 'huh'? Just use your big sword to dig me a hole." Naruto was a little speechless.
Kisame blinked in confusion, "Dig a hole? For what?"
The more Kisame thought about it, the more suspicious he became.
He wondered if Naruto was planning to bury him in the hole after testing his strength. Or worse, this was some twisted form of 'help' that involved Kisame digging his own grave!
'Maybe it was time to sneak away while I still could…'
But just as Kisame was about to entertain the idea of fleeing, Naruto's response left him completely dumbfounded.
"Why else? The hole's for burying me, of course..."