To Become A Chunin
Chapter 14
Chakra Training
"Why are we at the hot springs, Boss? My sprains and bruises are fine. I don't think I need to sit and soak. I want to train."
"OK, Konohamaru. I know how to do both at once. Best of all, it won't cost me anything."
Konohamaru hesitated. "You said something yesterday about the training being expensive. I can talk to Homura and Koharu about using the money Grandfather left me for training."
Naruto shook his head. "That's not necessary. After a couple of A rank missions I'm pretty flush. Besides it won't be as bad as Pervy Sage. Jaraiya would leave froggy completely flat every time.
"We're here... I'm taking my jacket off. Take off your scarf. I know Ebisu has taught water walking. Walk out on the pond with me."
"Wow, Naruto. This is way too hot and steamy."
"Now, just follow my lead." Naruto bent down and did a handstand on the water.
Konohamaru did, too, but after two seconds splashed into the water and jumped for the shore. "Oh, oh wow, damn Naruto."
Naruto yelled, "Watch it. That is 60 degree Celsius water you are splashing me with."
Konohamaru yelled back, "I know that. I was just in it! Why are we doing this?"
"Listen up. In water walking you release a constant amount of chakra from the bottom of your feet to balance your weight on top of the water. A handstand on a hot spring requires three things at once. A constant release of chakra from the hands, physically maintaining balance, and a flow of chakra to protect the hands from the heat." (1)
Naruto cartwheeled back to his feet on the steaming water. "Not enough chakra flow and you get burnt. Too much and you disrupt the surface of the water and fall in. If you fine tune the chakra control, 'walking' on water is not necessary." Without taking a step, his body moved around the pond and came back. "This is not a water jutsu, though water type chakra would be helpful. This is direct application of chakra on whatever surface you stand. Those clothes will just make the hot water worse. Let's go rent a locker and change into swim trunks."
Upside down, but far enough away to avoid the worst of the violent splashes, Naruto watched Konohamaru struggle with the training. After two hours he made the one minute mark, but appeared exhausted and his skin was beet red. Naruto called a halt. "That is enough for one day. You are still weak from a night in the hospital. We can meet back here at noon tomorrow. Let's go rub some aloe vera on that skin or you won't get much sleep tonight."
"Naruto, did you find me a good earth teacher?"
"Yeh, I think he is fairly good. I once saw him turn a flat field into a tall waterfall. Is that good enough? Get up to 3 hours by the end of the week and I will introduce him to you."
-- --
Moegi and Ebisu were fighting. As he dodged a punch he said, "Your taijutsu is inadequate. Konohamaru is not going to allow you to walk up and tap him on the shoulder." He threw her to the ground and tried to jump on her, but she eluded him. "Worse luck, he is the most difficult opponent you can have, other than one that is able to just reject your genjutsu." Her flying kick missed his head and he punched her in the stomach as she went by. "There is nobody, and may never be anybody, as familiar with your genjutsu as he is. Don't be overconfident just because he has never broken your gen." She launched a flurry of punches. One landed on his cheek. "Naruto will know that, and if he is doing his job, Konohamaru will be able to break the gen you now have."
"In the next month we will build up your stamina until you have the chakra for more intricate and longer lasting genjutsu." A leg sweep landed her on her back. "That was much better."
-- --
An intricate dance was in progress. Two girls approached each other with delicate movement. Almost too fast to see, each struck sixteen times. Each hand was caught in an open palm and countered. A beautiful ballet of deadly punches and chops, mixed with impossible leaps and wild spins around the Hyuuga compound ensued. Hinata signaled a stop. "That's all Hanabi. We are too well matched. I have nothing else to teach you. If you need more training, you will have to ask Neji or Father."
-- --
Shino was angry, but his tone of voice never changed. "Hotaru, insects are your friends, your shield, and your weapon. They would do as you will, but only if your will and chakra control are precise enough to guide them properly. Without proper direction they are nothing but a swarm of flies to be swatted. Direct them, lead them, and they become a weapon to conquer the strongest ninja."
-- --
Sakana, Himatsu, and Umimaru gathered a huge bulge of water from the middle of the river and sent a tidal wave at Sharinmizu standing on a rock on dry land. With a slash of his hand he cut the wave in two while the torrent ran on both sides of the rock. Without using the river water he shot a stream of water from his mouth which drove Sakana back and knocked down Himatsu and Umimaru.
-- --
"An 11 year old girl, Mubi," Oboro complained as he set his mug down and speared a piece of pork. "When I squash her will anyone give me any credit. They will probably say I was being mean. And that damn referee not even announcing my victory. I'll show her when my sword cuts the brat into pieces."
-- --
Temari reached around Fu-Ai from behind, directing the movement of both fans. "You must feel the wind gathering on the face of the fans. If you try to overpower it you waste energy and chakra. Now gather the air pressure and RELEASE." The fans sent blades of air smashing through the trees.
-- --
The next day Konohamaru was on the hot springs before Naruto arrived. He stood and watched as 2 minutes, then 3 minutes went by before hands slipped below the hot water and he had to scramble out. Naruto clapped, "Very good. That is impressive progress. Take a break while I get changed."
Ten minutes later Naruto was outlining the next step in the training. "Kakashi says I'm the only one who can train like this. I bet he's wrong. Follow me." Twelve clones appeared and ran onto the pond. Konohamaru made two clones which ran onto the water and puffed into smoke.
Two Narutos ran over to Konohamaru. "You can't hold back on the clones for this training." "This isn't like sexy jutsu where they just need enough chakra to exist." "If they don't have the chakra to do jutsu, you won't get anything from the training." "I know what happened in the forest was a shock, but the clones purpose is to do things you can't do by yourself." "They need enough chakra to do that." "If it hurts when they come back, it is better than bleeding yourself."
Konohamaru nodded. "Got it. Put more chakra in." Two more clones appeared and stepped, tentatively, onto the water. One did a handstand and held it. When it fell and puffed, Konohamaru grunted, "Whoa, hot. 35 seconds at one-third chakra, but I see where he lost it. OK, buddy, let's get wet."
The Narutos nodded, upside down, in approval as set after set of Konohamarus splashed, reappeared, and tried again. When he stopped leaving the pond after falling, just climbing up out of the hot water and restarting while standing on the water, one clone popped to let Naruto know. Not normally one for meditation, he found it a useful way to spend the time when doing water handstand exercises. He looked over briefly and was pleased when a clone didn't turn to smoke when it fell. It climbed back up and got back on his hands. He retreated again to a corner of his mind far away from Kyuubi, the fox demon.
When he next drifted back to the outside world, the first thing his eyes focused on was Fu-Ai's nose, fifteen centimeters from his own. He immediately lost concentration and slipped silently into the water with barely a ripple. Eleven clones exploded. He jumped back up onto the water much more quickly, but that left him looking down Fu-Ai's legs to her bikini bottoms, which left him even more flustered. It didn't help that three Konohamarus standing on the water and a crowd of people on the shore were laughing in obvious enjoyment.
Naruto took a step backwards, but the full view of the bikini was even more interesting. "Oh, unh, Fu-Ai. Where did you...? Why...? I'm sorry. I didn't see you come over. Uh, hi. What's everybody doing? Will you stand up or should I come down there?"
"Naruto-san, please excuse my interruption of your meditation. We were enjoying your lovely hot springs when we heard a tale of twelve identical men hanging by their feet above a spring, and of three boys splashing in water hot enough to cook ramen. We all came to see."
Naruto looked at the crowd. "Temari, hello. Shikimaru and Shimagi, you're here too." (If Shikimaru is here, Ino will know. If Ino knows, Sakura will find out. I'm in trouble. Hey, she owes me a clobber from the first test. I'm Really In Trouble.)
-- --
Walking back into town, Naruto finally was able to re-integrate the clones' memories. "I know you are tired. Your chakra did three days work, even if your body only did one. But you got better fast. One guy was over 45 minutes when we were interrupted. Can you feel what he was doing right? I think maybe tomorrow we can meet your tutor."
Next: Chapter 15
Earth Training
(1) The idea for this training method came from the story "Faith in Humanity" chapter 12 by Karrafear.