AN: This was inspired by a free Reddit prompt.

Ebisu was a tutor. He descended from a line of tutors and one day, he knew he'd be the father of one. Ebisu couldn't pretend he was much of a fighter. His strength lay in the wealth of his expertise, which was second only to Hiruzen "The Professor" Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konoha. In Konoha, few held a position such as Ebisu's. Tutors were highly sought after, even by elite shinobi, because of their extensive theoretical and practical know-how. They were the ones a shinobi would consult when trying to come up with a new jutsu. Ebisu's mother, for example, Benten, had helped Minato Namikaze develop his most fearsome ninjutsu. Ebisu's grandfather had assisted Hiruzen Sarutobi when the man had experimented with dual nature-release. Of course, those geniuses had the concept but tutors like Ebisu often held the necessary keys to make them a reality.

The picture of the prodigy inventing a technique completely alone was a myth. The brightest ideas may emerge from solitary reflection but their application comes together from exchanges and confrontations.

Obviously, the role of these tutors was often forgotten, for the best. As relatively average fighters, it wouldn't do for enemies to capture them in order to extract intelligence that ought to remain highly secret. In fact, Ebisu even knew of a jutsu that could obliterate his mind if he ever found himself faced with torture too great to withstand. Anyways. Theirs was a discreet pride, one they knew to put aside.

Hence, when one Naruto Uzumaki knocked him out - using Ebisu's one exploitable weakness against him - Ebisu did not think it was stupid. He wasn't annoyed either - only a smidge but who wouldn't? No. Instead, he thought the boy's move was absolutely brilliant. Shinobi exploited the weakness of their opponents after all and if turning into a horde of scantily dressed girls did the trick, then the trick was good.

Ebisu had no particular love for the boy. He was too intelligent to hold him in the same light as most of Konoha did. Nonetheless, Ebisu found Naruto's behaviour - though understandable - grating. His pranks weren't particularly endearing; Ebisu intellectually understood the boy's cry for attention but it certainly wasn't the way to go. The theft of the Scroll of Seals should have been a step too far but Ebisu obviously heard the rumour, that the boy had been tricked by one of his teachers, who proved to be a servant of Orochimaru. Naruto didn't deserve that kind of betrayal.

He had to admit the pranks were clever. The trick, however, truly caught his attention. People easily dismissed Naruto as stupid. A lesser individual would have qualified this "Centerfold Jutsu" as perverted, childish and whatnot. Ebisu himself saw a remarkable play on a societal taboo, one that was bound to make someone uncomfortable, disgusted, ashamed or in a single word: distracted.

As a new graduate, Naruto had a week of freedom before he'd meet his team and pass the test that would make him a genin or send him back to the Academy. When Ebisu knocked on his door, he had to admit to not knowing exactly why he was there. Sure, he wanted to apologize - the boy behaved crassly but so had he - but what came next, he wasn't sure. He waited a moment under the bright morning sun, in front of the dingy flat, unable to decide. Before he could fix his mind, the door opened.

"M'hello-" yawned the blond boy, scrunching his eyes before he opened them, wide and blue. "Huh?" Surprise painted itself on Naruto's features. "Closet Perv?"

Ebisu pushed on his glasses and swallowed his annoyance. "Hello, Uzumaki-kun. Please do not call me that. My name is Ebisu. I wouldn't call you anything demeaning, respect at least that."

Naruto frowned thoughtfully before he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I guess. You're right."

"Thank you." Ebisu folded slightly at the waist. There was no space in the external corridor for more. "I'd like to apologize to you, Uzumaki-kun. I was less than polite yesterday and I got short with you. There's no excuse for that."

Ebisu saw Naruto's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, bright with sheer astonishment. For a pair of seconds, the two remained silent, the boy seemingly frozen by Ebisu's words, Ebisu wondering what he'd said wrong.

Naruto suddenly looked askance, blinked furiously and shook his frame. He reported his aquamarine orbs - so eerily familiar, thought Ebisu - on the tutor and smiled brightly.

"Thanks! Apology accepted. I'm sorry too! I was kinda rude, 'ttebayo."

The pair lapsed into silence again for a few more seconds until the boy coughed awkwardly.

"Hum, did you… want something, Ebisu-san?"

"Yes, actually. I wanted to thank you for setting Konohamaru straight." Ebisu blinked. The words had escaped him. Not that they were untrue. After their encounter just yesterday, Naruto had found a way to instil some ethics in Ebisu's youngest pupil, something he had failed to do up until now.

Being one of the best tutors did not mean Ebisu could make people want to learn.

"I was thinking of offering you some of my time. I know a lot and I'm sure I could teach you something."

Naruto had ranked last in his class. While Ebisu could admit to him possessing a degree of cleverness, the boy's poor track record clearly spoke of a talentless individual. Ebisu wasn't deluding himself into thinking he could somehow fix everything that was wrong with Naruto in a mere week. No, such an endeavour would take years which was why he had to focus on something specific. Ebisu had the perfect exercise in mind. He trusted that tree walking would prove to be the ideal task for the boy. Chakra control was obviously very much needed, considering Naruto couldn't do the easiest Clone Jutsu in existence. Being able to defy gravity should be rewarding enough. Finally, given that it should take Naruto about a month to learn it, it should instil the beginning of a work routine that the boy obviously sorely lacked.

Naruto's eyes widened again and twinked in amazement. Bouncing to and fro, the boy couldn't contain the tremor of excitement that pitched a voice a bit too high. "Really?! You'd… you'd do that?"

Ebisu felt his stomach twist uncomfortably at the sight of the young Uzumaki's. He looked like Ebisu had just gifted him the most incredible present. His intelligence was quick - far too quick for his taste - to offer a hypothesis explaining Naruto's behaviour. The foul ashes of shame invaded Ebisu's mouth.

"What did we do to this boy?"

Allowing none of his trouble to appear on his mien, Ebisu merely coughed in his hand to dissipate enough of the guilt he felt to answer. "Yes, I'd really do that. I think I can give you some clues to better yourself."

Naruto - vibrating now and Ebisu had to wonder if the boy wouldn't combust abruptly from air friction - saluted and sped back inside his flat with a cry of "be back in a minute!". And indeed, a minute later, Naruto stood in front of him, pulling a shirt over his head and munching on a piece of toast.

"Let's go, Super-sensei!"

Ebisu pursed his lips. "Super-sensei?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! That's what you are, right?! You're a Super-sensei!"

Ebisu chuckled. He did like the surname, fresher than "elite tutor" that was for certain. "Thank you. If you're ready, let's go."

"Yes! Awesome jutsu, here I come!"

Ten minutes later - and a lot of chatter from Naruto about this, that and ramen - the pair arrived at a training ground. The sun was rising still, in a vibrant sky of blue. The air was cool for now but would eventually become overbearing.

"Stretch, please."

Naruto pouted. "What for? I don't need to stretch to learn ninjutsu."

Ebisu allowed one of his eyebrows to rise. "Who is the Super-sensei here? You or me? And I never said I'd teach you awesome jutsu, I say I'd give you a few clues to get better."

The boy pouted harder. "I'm not sure you're so super all of a sudden."

"Now, I don't want to hear that from the one who was dead-last of his class. You barely made genin, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto scowled. "Well if it wasn't for this stupid Clone-"

"You wouldn't have passed either way," interrupted Ebisu. He believed only the truth could shock people into action. His failure with Konohamaru proved this point, in his opinion. Sugarcoating the situation had certainly not motivated the Sarutobi heir any.

"I've informed myself, Uzumaki-kun. I know that your marks in the theory section were awful. It tells me you never tried because most of what the teachers ask is about memorization. I know and accept that different people have different appetites for different subjects. If you were terrible at mathematics and good at history, I'd understand. But no. You simply didn't care about what your teachers aimed to impart to you. If it weren't for the words you shared with young Konohamaru yesterday, I'd honestly seriously doubt your commitment to becoming the Hokage. As it is, no ignoramus makes a good shinobi."

Naruto's scowl deepened. "What?! I'll become Hokage, you'll see!" His mien twisted and turned into a snarl. "Who cares anyway?!" exploded the boy. Not his teachers at the Academy, they never took any interest in him learning or not, doing good or not. Only Iruka hounded him but mainly so he didn't cause too much trouble, rarely so he could become a better ninja. "It's not like any of this boring stuff is gonna help me become a ninja!" Naruto huffed. "You're lame, I'm going home."

Ebisu landed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder and stirred him back in front of him. He gave Naruto a disappointed look. "After you said that there's no shortcut, that's the extent you're willing to go?" Letting go of the blond, the tutor scoffed. "Lame."

Naruto almost folded, the breath robbed out of his lungs by the harshest punch to the gut he had ever received. Delivered by way of words. A sudden well of shame weighed on him, buried his mind in on itself, forced him to take an abrupt soulful look. Was that all? Was he lame? No way, this four-eyes knew nothing. He balled his fists and glared in defiance.

"I'm not lame! There's no way any of this crap is gonna help me become Hokage!"

Ebisu crossed his arms on his chest. "You must go on a mission to Tsuchi No Kuni. Which direction do you go?"

Naruto scoffed. "I take a map."

Ebisu shrugged. "Fine." He sat on his haunches and with the tip of his fingers and a trickle of Earth-natured chakra, carved the soil into a map of the Great Nations. He internally smirked in pride: the map was perfect. "Where are we?" He asked, his voice even.

Naruto fidgeted.

Ebisu gestured at the map. "Well, come on. You have a map and I can assure you it is perfect and at scale. Where is Konoha? Where is Tsuchi No Kuni?"

Naruto scowled and looked away, hiding his hands in his pockets. He loathed the way his cheeks and neck burned, the way his own guts were screaming at him. Useless! Loser! Stupid! He hated that he couldn't protest these feelings. The truth of Ebisu's words allowed him no target to alleviate this worthlessness weighing on him. There was no bully insulting him, mocking him or deriding him. Just Naruto, face to face with himself.

"Feh. Some ninja you'd make: knowing all these jutsu but not even knowing where to go to accomplish your missions. Is geography still useless yet?"

Naruto felt the bite of shame burn him even harder. He'd never thought of himself as an idiot before but now, it slapped him in the face. He could have done better in the Academy. A part of him immediately protested. What for? The indifference of his teachers, the jeers of his classmates, the cold looks of the villagers? This vague dream, thrown at the world like a challenge more than an actual resolve? The dreadful welcome of his empty, lonely flat? The miserable sentiment hollowed his chest.

Ebisu continued, impassible. "Jutsu are just tools, Uzumaki-kun. Intelligence, knowledge: those are the qualities you'll need to become Hokage. No. Shortcut. But let me explain something else to you, Uzumaki-kun. Do you know what Chakra is?"

The boy grumbled a morose answer. "It's what shinobi use for jutsu."

"Yes, but what is it? How is it made?"

Naruto turned towards Ebisu. "In our body?" He cast his gaze down. "I don't know," he mumbled crossly. For the first time in his life, his anger burned against him and Naruto didn't like it one bit. It strained and pressured him in physically painful ways.

"Chakra is a mix of your physical and mental energies. Meaning half comes from your body and the other from your mind. The stronger you are, the more educated, the more chakra you possess and the more refined it becomes."

Naruto blinked, grasping at the sudden spark of curiosity he felt in order to sweep aside his bout of self-loathing. To dwell upon sorrowful thought was rarely productive whereas curiosity could often be. "You mean if I learn stuff, my chakra grows?"

Ebisu. "The two are directly correlated. Linked. Connected," he explained at Naruto's silent interrogation.

"Oh! That's cool!" Naruto's expression fell. "Why did Iruka never tell me that?"

"He most probably explained this in class," retorted Ebisu, leaving what it meant in suspense. Naruto's features crumpled in shame. "That is not all, however," he continued, not allowing the boy to mope. "The more precise your control over your body and your mind is, the more control you have over your chakra."

Naruto sighed. "This thing again? What does control matter? Jutsu is where it's at." His tone, however, utterly lacked confidence.

Ebisu massaged his eyes and exhaled slowly. "I strongly suspect that you" - he stabbed a finger against Naruto's chest, getting a yelp out of the boy - "failed" - he weighed on the word with all his disdain - "the graduation exam because your chakra control is atrocious."

Naruto opened his mouth in a small, silent "O". He took a step back and idly massaged the spot Ebisu had poked.

"If I don't have control, I can't do jutsu," sighed the boy miserably, as if the world had been suddenly dropped on his shoulders.

Ebisu smiled. "Got it in one, young man. Would you like to get better at it?"

Naruto snapped his gaze up, eyes wide. "You'd still do that?"

"I said I'd help, yes, so I will."

Naruto shuffled from foot to foot, eyes riveted on a patch of fascinating grass. His voice came as a whisper. "B-but… I was rude again. I'm sorry. Super-sensei."

"You can question your teachers, Uzumaki-kun. It is a good habit to take. But it is true that you must stay polite about it. People are doing you a favour when they teach you so the least you can be is respectful. It goes for everyone."

Naruto nodded apologetically and saluted. "Yes, Super-sensei! So, what am I supposed to do?"

Ebisu walked towards a nearby tree then on the tree then up the tree and Naruto's jaw dropped when he saw the man defy the most obvious law of Nature, the one that causes objects to fall.

"H-How?!" He cried out in bubbling awe.

Ebisu whirled easily, still somehow stuck horizontally to the tree trunk by the soles of his feet and smiled. "Chakra, of course."

The tutor climbed down, a leaf in hand. "Now, Naruto. I would like you to put this leaf on your forehead."

Ebisu saw annoyance flash on Naruto's face but the boy smothered it. Instead, he shuffled on his feet awkwardly for a second.

"Hum… Super-sensei? I… huh, I never got the point of this."

Could you explain? went unsaid but Ebisu naturally picked up on it. He snatched the leaf between two of his thumb and index.

"What did I say Chakra was made of?"

"Physical and mental energies!" replied Naruto eagerly.

"Good. Where do these energies come from?"

"Body and mind, in order."

"Excellent. How do you control them?"

"By controlling my body and my mind!"

"Exact. How do you think it translates, practically speaking? It's okay if you don't know."

Naruto fell silent for a couple of seconds, one hand on his chin, scratching it, his eyes hardened by reflection. Ebisu readied himself to give him the answer when the boy snapped his fingers.

"Hand seals!"

Ebisu blinked. "Good deduction. How did you come to it?"

Naruto bounced up and down. "Every time I want to do a jutsu, I do the ram seal! It's super helpful."

"Very good. Very good, indeed. But hand seals only control the physical energy." Could the boy guess what he was getting at?

Naruto blinked once, twice, thrice before his eyes widened. "Oooh, the focus exercise! The leaf, the leaf helps you focus so you can control your mental energy." He bounced excitedly, "is that it?"

Ebisu minutely frowned. This boy was supposed to be dead-last? What had happened? He plastered a smile on his lips and gave the boy a thumb up. "Perfect. I would like you to place this leaf on your forehead to help you focus and fold your hands in the ram seal. Then, I want you to send a little bit of chakra to your feet. Too much and you'll break the bark, too little and you won't stick. Go slowly, one step at a time. What do you say?"

Naruto almost blinded him with his smile - his grateful, grateful smile and Ebisu didn't like that the boy felt so obviously indebted - and nodded enthusiastically. "I'll have it down in no time!"

"Remember to stay focused!" Shouted Ebisu at the genin's back. "And don't get discouraged if you don't get it immediately, it's not an easy task!"

But already Naruto was busy balancing the leaf between his eyebrows, his hands folded in the ram seal, moulding his chakra to stick to the tree. With a sonorous "crack!", the bark shattered.

"Again," said the boy flatly, determination hammering his voice into steel.

That evening, when Ebisu got back to the building that housed most of his family - close and distantly related - he didn't climb the flight of stairs that led to his flat. Instead, he remained on the first floor and knocked at a door. It opened to reveal an old man, who immediately smiled.

"Ebisu, son! What gives?"

Ebisu smiled at the older man as he pulled his glasses off his face. They shared their slightly elongated chin and hollow cheeks. "Can't I visit my parents?"

"Of course but you're the kind that warns before you do. Come in, come in; your mom will be happy."

"Jiro, who is that?" quavered a voice.

"Your son, Ten."

"Oooh, that's good." A squeaky sound preceded the arrival of an old woman sitting in a wheelchair.

Robbed of her legs by the Kyubi, all these years ago. The Catastrophe had actually crippled many more people than it had killed. To think it was caged in such a bright boy. He shook himself out of the thought.

"Evening, Ebi-chan."

Ebisu smiled, folded at the waist and kissed his mother chastely, on the cheek. "Good evening mom."

"What brings you?"

"I just wanted to visit!"

"Except you warn us when you visit."

Ebisu sighed. Beyond the small entrance hall, the flat parted into three rooms. On the left, a bedroom next to a bathroom. To the right, a wide combined kitchen-living room. He passed the counter and fell on the couch like a sack of potatoes. With another sigh, he massaged his eyelids.

"Alright, son, you're worrying us now,' said Jiro with a touch of concern in his tone below the mirth.

Ebisu grunted. "I taught a kid today."

"Konohamaru-kun?"

"No. Naruto Uzumaki."

His mother stiffened for a single second but relaxed so quickly, Ebisu could have as well imagined it. Jiro showed no outward reaction save for a raised eyebrow.

"And? Kid got you all turned inside out? How come?" His father asked jokingly.

Ebisu gestured aimlessly in front of him. "Because… Because he is like a fish we judged for being unable to climb trees!" He exclaimed angrily. Tearing his bandana from his closely cropped hair, he massaged his forehead. "What the hell did the Academy do?"

"Alright son, context please," asked his mother soothingly. "What happened?"

"I… Naruto basically set Konohamaru straight and I wanted to thank him so I decided to teach him today. I thought I would just give one or two pieces of advice and try to convince him to learn what he skipped in the Academy." Ebisu paused, gasped for air, fell silent and glared at the low table occupying the centre of the living room. "I fully expected a buffoon, to be honest."

"And?" Prodded his father, who had taken a seat next to the special jounin.

"He got three walking in a day," muttered Ebisu. "Okay, he hasn't got it down yet and he is far from it but he can walk up and down a tree. It's slow, wobbly, it's not mastered but he got it. In. A. Day. No fresh genin learns the manipulation that fast!"

"So he is prodigious at chakra manipulation. Not that much of a big deal," concluded Jiro. "Tsunade-sama was one too. Her control was instinctual."

"Father, he is supposed to be dead-last. No prodigy in chakra manipulation is the dead-last of their class. So, what the hell happened?"

"Ebi-chan, you told me Konohamaru-kun has a chip on his shoulder. That he feels crushed by the shadow of his grandfather. It makes him impatient, unfocused, unwilling to truly learn."

Ebisu hated when his mother did that. He had long come to the obvious conclusion, he knew what happened in the Academy, why Naruto was so poorly prepared. If Konohamaru had a chip on his shoulder, then Naruto had an entire collection. It was easy to pretend the boy's behaviour was intrinsic, spontaneous, to pretend Naruto wasn't shaped by his circumstances but was fundamentally a delinquent. Ebisu had the distinct and unpleasant feeling he had just eaten a faceful of his own shit.

"The Kyubi," he muttered. Was that shame twisting his guts slowly?

"Yes..."

Ebisu heard the hesitation in his mother's voice.

"But not merely."

"Benten," warned Jiro. "If Ebisu deduces it, then he does but there's no need-"

"Fine, fine," grumbled Benten.

"Wait, what is it about?"

"Nothing," answered his mother mirthlessly, in a voice that allowed no further question. She sighed. "Anyways. I'm happy you helped the lad, Ebi-chan. I'm sure Yondaime-sama would be happy to know some in the village finally follow his wish."

Ebisu blinked. "What does that mean?"

"How was the Kyubi stopped, Ebi-chan?"

"Well, obviously, Yondaime-sama sealed it in- Oh."

"After those nasty rumours started to run amok, Sandaime-sama told the village that Yondaime-sama wished the boy to be seen as a hero. Naruto is a cage, Ebi-chan and he keeps our worst nightmare at bay."

"Yondaime-sama's seal does that!" Protested Ebisu.

"Without Naruto, the seal does not exist," admonished Benten. "No Naruto, no seal. No seal…"

"And the Kyubi is free to rampage," concluded Jiro. "The kid does us a great service," he said with a nod and grimace of regret.

Ebisu groaned. He really didn't need the guilt he felt crawling under his skin right now.

"What are you thinking about son?"

The next day, Ebisu knocked on Naruto's door bright and early. Unlike the day before, the boy's surprise promptly turned into delight when he recognized Ebisu.

"Super-sensei! What're you doing here?"

Ebisu swallowed thickly and coughed in his fist. "Well… I was wondering if you'd like some lessons again today, Uzumaki-kun?"

Naruto's aquamarine orbs sparkled like clear sapphires under the morning light. "For real? Yes, of course! Wait here, I'm getting dressed!"

In a minute-long whirlwind, Naruto stormed through his dingy place, throwing his pyjamas off him to pull his clothes on, splashed a bit of water on his face, grabbing a slice of bread as he left, stuffing his mouth with it.

"'Am ready, shenshei!" He exclaimed through his mouthful, crumbs flying from his lips.

Ebisu smiled. "You shouldn't talk with your mouth that full, Naruto. It's honestly a bit disgusting."

Naruto slapped both hands over his face and chewed with renewed vigour until he swallowed. "Sorry," he offered sheepishly.

"Remember it for next time. Let's go?"

"Yeah!"

They walked leisurely, enjoying the relative quiet of the early morning. Most of the population wasn't awake yet but those who had to work with the coming of dawn. Konoha stood still, peaceful. A cool breeze danced around the pair, redolent of freshly baked goods, burnt wood and dew. A few shadows dashed from roof to roof, too fast for Naruto to catch them clearly. Shinobi on their way for a mission, he supposed. The thought swelled his chest with excitement; soon, it would be his turn to go on missions.

"Say, Ebisu-sensei?"

"Yes?"

"What was your coolest mission ever?" Naruto flailed his arms for a second. "If you don't mind me asking!"

Ebisu hummed. "I don't think we have the same view of what is cool and… My missions revolve around teaching and helping others get better."

"But like, when you were a genin then?"

Ebisu snorted. "Genin missions are D-ranked, Uzumaki-kun. They are the opposite of cool. Though I learned a few things out of them."

"Huh? D-ranked? What's this about?"

"You're a fresh genin, Uzumaki-kun. The Hokage will not send you on any dangerous mission yet. You'll have to develop your skills and learn to work with your teammates first before you can receive any assignment with an actual level of threat. D-ranked tasks aim to do just that."

Naruto's expression fell. "So they're boring?"

Ebisu shrugged. "I'm not going to lie, they are not the most exciting. But," he weighed on the word, "it's up to you to make them interesting. You should always ask yourself, 'how can I work better with my teammates' or 'how can I work on my skills while accomplishing the mission'. It's extremely important. The more you do, the more you'll progress and the faster you'll receive your first C-ranked assignment."

"What's a typical D-ranked mission?"

"Painting a fence," answered Ebisu with utmost seriousness.

Naruto didn't pick on it. "No way! We're ninja! They can't make us paint fences!" He protested.

"That's where you're wrong, Uzumaki-kun. You will most probably paint a fence at some point of your career as a genin. But think beyond, Uzumaki-kun. Let's imagine you're a jounin."

"He he, I'd be higher in rank than you."

"Certainly. That is if I don't become Hokage just to keep ordering you around."

Naruto pouted. "Sorry, it was just a joke."

"I know, I was joking too. So, you're a jounin. You have a mission to Tsuchi No Kuni-"

"I'm going north!" Exclaimed Naruto before he blushed under Ebisu's gaze. "I opened my geography scrolls last evening," he mumbled.

Ebisu tousled the blond's hair. "That's very good!"

The pair abruptly froze. Suddenly, Ebisu withdrew his hand, as if bitten by a snake, alarmed by the sudden familiarity he was showing. He coughed. "I'm sorry, Uzumaki-kun, I didn't mean to-"

Ebisu interrupted himself at the look Naruto was giving him. The boy lay both hands on his locks. Confusion, a measure of fright and an entire cart of surprise swirled on his features before Ebisu saw the boy's cheeks colour a bright, happy red as a smile blossomed on his mien. The grin Naruto graced him with bedazzled him.

"Thanks, Ebisu-sensei," said the boy, quivering through a choke-full of troublesome feelings.

Ebisu quickly averted his eyes when Naruto wiped his own. He coughed.

"Anyways. As I was saying, you're on a mission to Tsuchi No Kuni. You went alone; it happens sometimes when you're a good jounin. You must kill someone."

Naruto visibly grimaced at the thought.

"Or steal something," softened Ebisu. "In any case, you're alone and your target is very, very well guarded. You need to stay in the vicinity for a few days but you don't want to be suspicious."

Naruto jumped in front of Ebisu and crossed his arm to signal him to keep silent. "Let me guess, let me guess, please!"

Ebisu internally grimaced. So eager to work hard given a crumb of attention, he thought bitterly. "What did we do to this boy?"

The snap of Naruto's fingers pulled the special jounin of his troubled mind. "I pretend painting fences is my job?"

Ebisu offered his temporary charge a smile and a nod. "Got it in one. But painting fences is not all that you will learn. You'll get to learn a lot of skills, unrelated to the shinobi life but plenty useful on their own."

Ebisu didn't have the heart to tell the boy that being able to repair or outright build a fence was precious knowledge in times of war. Only, it was a palisade rather than a simple fence that he would build then. Some realities, however, did not need to be taught too early. Instead, he smiled teasingly.

"For example, you'll have to babysit, which will help you when you're a grown-up with kids on your own."

Naruto blushed at the thought, as Ebisu hoped.

"That's not happening soon anyways. In conclusion, D-ranked missions can seem boring but they have a purpose. And you'll get some very nice money out of them so that's a plus."

Naruto nodded, the picture of seriousness he was trying to compose diminished by his receding blush. "I see. Thanks for telling me all that, Ebisu-sensei. I'll try to do my best, even if it's boring."

"Remember, one of the goals is to make them not boring. In a clever way."

"Sure, I'll keep that in mind too."

Having said that, the two entered the training ground they had occupied yesterday. Naruto immediately started to stretch.

"Good. Remember, Uzumaki-kun. Stretching will help you build a strong and flexible body, which is very important for a shinobi. I'll even say that flexibility and speed are much more important than brute strength. Though again, all three attributes are correlated."

"Linked, dependent on one another," completed Naruto, answering Ebisu's interrogative tone.

"Good. As I told you yesterday, if there are words you don't understand, ask. Not knowing is not a fault but remaining ignorant is."

"What are we doing today?"

"Well, I say you keep up with tree walking until noon. Then, once it starts to get too hot, we'll hide in the forest to enjoy the shadow and work on your geography."

Naruto weathered the sting of disappointment and couldn't help but ask. "No new jutsu?" Damn it, he sounded whiny to his own ears.

"I promise I'll do my best to make geography and history interesting. If you think it's still super boring after a while, then we'll see but you have to try."

That… seemed quite fair to Naruto. He could definitely do that. He nodded his assent. "Sure!"

"Good. Keep stretching and once you feel limber enough, start walking."

For half an hour, Naruto ran through a complete routine that left him feeling like he had grown an inch and had replaced his articulation with rubber. Once Ebisu gave him a satisfied nod - and a request to start estimating when he was ready by himself - Naruto took a leaf and approached a tree.

The contact of the leaf on his forehead tickled him slightly. He supposed that there lay the entire point; it gave him a sensation to focus on and from there, dompt his mental energy. He folded his hands in the ram seal.

Once, during the Academy - he had been relatively little - Naruto had visited a forge. He still remembered the deep rumble of the furnace, the deafening fall of the hammers, the way the fire cracked and grumbled like some dangerous creature, the manner in which the pump startled it awake and made it roar.

Moulding chakra felt exactly like this except there existed no fire in the forge but a howling chaos of wind instead. His mental and physical energies swirled around one another and, for a split second, repulsed each other like the same poles of two magnets before they merged in a maelstrom. His hands almost went slack and his focus haywire but Naruto tightened the seal and gripped the sensation of the leaf on his forehead. He excluded everything else until only the leaf, the ram and he were left. He pushed the energies to fuse in a counter-clockwise spiral - and each passing moment felt like he was pushing a heavy door on rustier and rustier hinges. Under his impulse, chakra streamed in his keirakukei - the vessels that coiled around the body and carried the energy - and flared outside the tenketsu - the vents chakra could escape from - of his soles. The boy opened blue eyes that burned with a fiery will and lifted his left foot. Slowly, carefully, he leaned against the tree and lifted the other foot.

One step up. He inhaled, softened the grip of his left foot and sent it higher up the trunk. It stuck to the bark as he exhaled. Naruto blinked a few beads of sweat away. Two steps up. He inhaled, softened, exhaled and stuck. Three steps up.

Inhale. Soften. Exhale. Stick. Another step. Another step. Another step. His thighs and calves burned. He sat on a branch and gave Ebisu a dazzling grin.

"I did it sensei!" He exclaimed proudly, wiping the sweat marring his brow.

"Nice. Again, down and back up. It must become instinctual."

"You got it!"

AN: Anyone is free to take it further. I'll not focus on it right now. Do what you do.