Naruto hadn't left the chair he had been sitting in the last forty-eight hours, and he had no intention of moving from his spot until Hinata awoke, or he died. He had been hearing good things about Hinata's medical status, so it was more likely the former. Though this was a load of his mind, it only allowed himself to think more deeply about other things. Today he was focusing on the shadow clone jutsu, and theoretically how to improve it.

Like the fact that any memories the original and his clones share merge without any brain power needed. As long as every clone he made dispelled another clone regularly, there was little to no backlash over it. Now he just had to figure out if this was a improvement he had somehow made into the jutsu, if he was just getting used to using the jutsu, or if this was because of his bloodline.


Naruto leapt through the air, his foot flung out in front of him in a very cheesy martial arts move. He yelled as he did so, hoping that would add some sort of intimidation/distraction into the mix of this move. The tree in front of him did not shake in it's boots, though it did appear to be entertained by him, he would see who was laughing, that tree would learn to respect and fear him before it came to the end of its life. He wanted to laugh evily, but there just wasn't time. He lined up and repeated the move. He landed and watched the tree in front of him intently. A leaf had fallen from the tree, it's attempt at sweat dropping apparently. Naruto would show it in the end, he'd show everyone! And so he lined up to deliver another kick.


Naruto was fighting eight Ebisu's at the same time, and he was loosing, badly. Every time he struck at one of the copies, they would replace themselves with a log, and attack from a new angle. "Stop, time for a different exercise." Naruto paused, and then dropped to the ground as a staff flew by over his head. "I see you have finally learned Lesson one. Apparently, you are have to much stupidity in you to figure out lesson seven on your own. So were going to try it again, this time, you will be blindfolded."

Naruto was pissed. "How am I supposed to fight eight people blindfolded?" Ebisu sighed and shook his head.

"Lesson seven, your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them." Naruto put on the blindfold, and waited for the eventual pain as eight people demolished him. A blow to the head set his world spinning, Naruto swiped with a punch hoping to get lucky. Unsurprisingly, he met only air."What do you see?"

Naruto knew this was a trick question. "Uh... I don't see anything sensei." A blow to his kidneys made his legs collapse under him.

"Then why do you insist on looking? Have you no other senses?" Naruto kicked at the voice and felt a connection.

"Good, you are learning. Blindfold off." Naruto took his blindfold off to see himself outnumbered eight to one again. "Begin." Naruto was immediately sent on the defensive, something was off though, and he couldn't figure it out. Naruto continued to avoid all eight, dodging around trying to put some space between him and his attackers. Naruto was more and more hard pressed. "What is it Mitarashi-San is always calling you? Rabbit-Kun? I think your more like a bunny myself, fleeing from me with your fear and fluffy tail right behind you." Naruto gritted his teeth, and went on the offensive. A right hook to the face, a left kick to the side, a spinning roundhouse kick to finish, and Naruto went flying always from Ebisu. "Still havn't learned lesson three?" Naruto stood to withstand the flurry of attacks once more. One dipped down and through dirt towards his eyes. Naruto closed them instinctually, only to realize what he had been been missing. He captured the fist that had been heading towards his chest and struck with his other hand. Ebisu doubled over, and the other seven disappeared. "Good." Ebisu was wheezing as he spoke. "Lesson eight, never start what you can't finish." The fist Naruto had captured grabbed his wrist and flipped him through the air, Naruto had learned this trick and landed facing away from Ebisu. "I believe you have some experience with lesson nine. Never turn your back on your opponent. Ebisu kicked out his knees and brought a kunai to the neck of the now kneeling Naruto. "Here is a sneak peak to lesson ten, Battles almost always escalate." The kunai fell from Naruto's neck and with a gust of wind, Ebisu was gone.

Naruto picked up the kunai and spoke into the air "I could do without the theatrics."


"HEY! IF YOU APPLY LOTS OF HEAT TO SAND IT GETS MELTY!"

Naruto slammed his hand into his forehead in frustration. "DUMBASS HE DOESN"T USE REGULAR SAND!" Lots of progress here...


Naruto dragged himself across the ground, he was hiding at one of Konoha's many waterfall locations, truth be told he didn't have much energy left. He could hear the faint sound of giggling, but he couldn't seem to make himself care. "AHA! MY YOUNG APPRENTICE RETURNS VICTORIUS! AND NOT A SCRATCH ON YOU! YOU HONOR ME YOUNG ONE!

"What the hell, Ero-Jiji, I almost died, or worst, they almost caught me. I don't even have the energy to yell at you anymore. If I hadn't spammed fifty clones and escaped in the resulting chaos, I'd be dead. I better get something good out of this crap." Jiraya started poking him with a stick. Naruto grumbled but didn't move to stop him. Jiraya's face took on a more serious look. He picked Naruto up and placed him against a nearby tree.

"Oh you will kid, trust me. On the plus side I don't have to teach you anything about evasion tactics. That one was pretty high on my list of very important priorities. In truth I planned on visiting Anko-Chan later tomorrow to recover what was left of you for training and possible medical treatment. We'll begin training tomorrow kid, in the meantime, get some rest." Naruto decided to take his advice and laid his head back against the tree, letting the sound of water falling and the occasional giggle send him to sleep.


A/N! AH MY READERS! YOUR ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE DOES ME MUCH HONER! DUE TO YOUR MASSIVE RESPONSE AND MY LACK OF THINGS TO DO I HAVE DECIDED TO GRACE YOU ALL WITH RESPONSES TO YOUR REVIEWS!

Brown Phantom – I sure hope the Naruto in the hotsprings was a clone, or else that is going to hurt.

This story provided quite possibly the most reasonable reason for Kakashi to prioritize Sasuke this month, without using the cliched 'Kakashi likes Sasuke more than Naruto so there' motive, or the 'Sasuke sharinganed the chidori now Kakashi has to make sure he doesn't kill himself using it' idea either. Good way to be unique and fitting.

It may be, It may not be. As to the second part, that has always been my reason for why in my mind. It was the only reason that made sense without thinking horrible things about Kakashi, well the only reason I came up with.

Master DK - like it

did Naruto every make the third pillar?

Very glad to hear it, and Consciously, no. But his sub-conscious did, so as to allow him the ability to protect his friends from Sasuke. Now his bloodline is locked until he can discover just what he made into the third pillar.

Jayley - wow, it's very interesting that that was supposed to be at the same time! i definitely have no idea which one he is, although i'd guess the one who was supposed to meet kakashi as that one got kicked in the gut and didn't dispel...

A very real possibility, but you forget that the hotsprings one hit the water painfully, that brings up the question, is hitting the water so hard it hurts the same as getting kicked?

Rose Tiger - Please keep going.

The Great Prodigy of war stops for no one and nothing. Well, no one except hot girls, and nothing but necessary functions to continue living with a partially intact sanity.

Ladygoddess8 - I can't wait to see what happens next. If Naruto is properly taught by Ebisu as well as learning a trick or two from Jiraya and the vast amount of knowledge from his shadow clones, I think everyone is in for a big surprise.

I hope this chapter surprised people, but the real surprise will come on day thirty one.

Inuyonas - the one with hinata is the real one...or the one with ebisu...

but man oh man...this is awesome! hinata kissed naruto! and didn faint! shes pretty badass in ur fic...

I love narutos bloodline. does it have a name? if not u could call it "cerebrum" or "hyper drive" or "super mode" lol on the last one

I believe I've said enough maybes to last till the end of this chapter at this time. Hinata is a bad ass person, when stuck in the right situations, she is just constantly stuck in situations that don't work well for her. I think a high likely hood of death can give you a liquid shot of courage. When I last answered your review, I said I didn't think it needed a name, but gave you one anyway. Days later, I realize that maybe it does. So from this point on, It will be called Overclocking.

Dragon Man 180 - I'd say the Naruto in the hospital is the real one, if something happens with Hinata he would want to be right there, plus he's sitting and being calm, so he can keep track of all his clones. But Jiraiya's ambush of him at the hot spring argues that one was the real one. Poor Naruto, having all those kunoichi out for his blood.

If I get one more review saying which one is the real one before the end of the chapter, I'll break down and tell you guys. Also guys, whether he's a clone or not, every male must feel some pain for that one's existence.

Vallavarayan to many syllables dude - heh-awesome man!

though i felt that, sasuke really is not the leader type...

the few areas where you had him give orders...hes too quite and lone wolf to be the leader...

Sasuke is Sasuke, sometimes he gives orders, and sometimes he goes off on his own. It's because he can't decide if he really does just want to be alone, or if he is actually a part of something bigger than himself. He can't make up his mind if his team mates actually help, or if they would just get in the way of Itachi, that and a over inflated ego of his own skill makes it hard for him to actually work as a team. Thankfully, Kakashi has partially slammed the importance of team work into his head.

Alright, Until next chapter guys.