Disclaimer: I don't own naruto or any of its characters as they are the property of Masashi Kishimoto.
The author of the cover image is indy-riquez from DeviantArt. You can check the link for the original image in my profile.
Chapter 24: Talent And Hard work
''Kurotsuchi are you there?'' Said Naruto as he banged on the tomboy's door. They were supposed to start their training today and he was ecstatic at the prospect. He was about to continue his incessant knocking when the door suddenly opened to reveal the disheveled face of Kurotsuchi.
''Naruto, it's early in the morning'' Said the girl with a yawn before rubbing the bags under her eyes. ''What are you doing up at this hour?''
Naruto tilted his head in confusion. Did she forget? She had been just as excited by the training as him. ''We were going to train together, remember?''
Kurotsuchi widened her eyes at that. That's right, their training starts today! She had been tripping herself with guilt over her conversation with Sakura the day before that the thought of her new training regime completely slipped her mind. ''I think I overslept. I'll get ready in a moment'' Said the girl as she rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of her drowsiness. ''Still, I didn't expect you this soon. Did you even eat breakfast?''
''Now that you mention it, I didn't'' Said the blond as he scratched the back of his head. He had been too eager to start his training with Kurotsuchi that he didn't even consider breakfast.
Kurotsuchi sighed, it was just like Naruto to neglect such things in his hastiness. ''In that case, come in. I'll make something for both of us''
''Really? You don't mind?'' Said Naruto with a smile, perking up at the offer.
''I have to make my own breakfast anyway, so why not. I can make for two while I'm at it'' Said Kurotsuchi.
''Wow, thanks! In that case, I would love to have anything you want to make!'' Said Naruto with a wide grin.
''No problem'' Said the tomboy before she and Naruto entered the apartment.
After that, Kurotsuchi went into the kitchen, taking a frying pan from one of the cabinets before she went to open the fridge while Naruto sat down at the table in the living room as it was the only one in the entire apartment.
''You like eggs?'' Asked Kurotsuchi as she cracked open some eggshells before pouring the contents on the frying pan. Followed by quickly putting some slices of bread in the toaster.
''Sure'' Naruto responded plainly. ''You know, I'm just realizing that I've never seen you cook before''
Kurotsuchi furrowed her brow thoughtfully. ''You are right, I really never thought about it, not that it matters''
''It matters to me, now you really got me curious to try your food'' Said Naruto with a toothy smile.
''Well, not to brag or anything but I know my fair share of dishes'' Boasted the tomboy with pride.
''Really? Looking at you, I never would have taken you for the cooking-type'' Remarked Naruto.
''What's that supposed to mean?'' Inquired the pink-eyed girl with a raised eyebrow. Was he implying she was not feminine? Well, he wasn't wrong but saying that to a girl wasn't appropriate regardless.
''N-Nothing! You are just so amazing as a Kunoichi that I presumed that you spent all your time training or something!'' Said Naruto quickly once he noticed the annoyed look that the girl had shot him.
Luckily, the Kunoichi's smile returned after Naruto's explanation much to the boy's relief. ''I suppose I understand why you would think that. You see, growing up it was just my father and me, so I took it upon myself to do the chores around the house, cooking included. Eventually, I became very good at it'' Explained the girl. If you spent years doing the housekeeping it was only natural that one became proficient in it.
Naruto nodded in understanding, that made sense. Then, he leaned on the table, cushioning his head with his arms while he contemplated Kurotsuchi. ''So you are a good ninja and housekeeper too? Man, the guy you end up marrying is going to be lucky'' Said the blond in admiration.
Naruto's statement made Kurotsuchi stumble momentarily while she continued to scramble the eggs. She turned to look at Naruto with a flushed face. ''Marry?'' Asked the shocked girl.
''What, you don't want to marry?'' Asked Naruto.
''Is not that but I just...'' Said the girl as she tried to find the words to express herself. ''For me, becoming a good Kunoichi always came first, that and getting to be Tsuchikage in the future. With my aspirations, my mannerisms, and with my grandpa as the Tsuchikage, I always ended up scaring most boys away from me. I Just...I dunno I supposed that I would end up alone'' Admitted the girl with a bit of shame. She had always been fine with being single all her life, she simply never had any rush in starting a family, if it happened it happened, but since it was expected for a girl of her standing to marry, she knew that it sounded pathetic admitting that out loud.
''I think that the boys you've met are just stupid then'' Said the blond with a frown. ''You are an outstanding Kunoichi, the future Tsuchikage, and you are good at doing house chores on top of it. Those guys must be blind for not seeing what an amazing girl you are''
Kurotsuchi was speechless and she promptly turned her head to the side to avoid showing her blushing face to Naruto as she guessed it had to be as red as a tomato. She took the frying pan off the cooker and she pretended to be examining the toaster to keep her back turned to the blond. ''D-Do you mean that?'' She couldn't help herself from asking, though she still kept her face hidden.
''Every word, Dattebayo!'' Exclaimed the Jinchuuriki. ''You would be a great wife''
The still blushing girl brought a hand close to her chest, still processing what the blond had told her. Naruto thought she would be a good wife? Hearing that was surprisingly pleasant, she had never taken pride or interest in excelling in feminine endeavors, she simply didn't consider those things too important, but for some reason hearing Naruto say those words brought forth a pleasant feeling, an emotion she could not quite identify. But in the end, she decided to attribute the butterflies in her stomach to her hunger. ''Breakfast is almost ready'' Announced the tomboy, trying to calm herself as she didn't want to return to the table with a crimson face.
''All right, I can't wait!'' Said the excited blond. And sure enough, in just a couple of minutes, Kurotsuchi came back to the table with two plates in her hands. She put one of them in front of the expecting boy before she too sat down on the table with her own meal.
''It looks good'' Said Naruto as he examined the scrambled eggs with toasted bread before he grabbed his utensils. ''Itadakimasu!''
Kurotsuchi looked on with a pleased grin as Naruto started to dig into his food with content, alternating on munching on the toast to the scrambled eggs. She also started taking small bits of food, albeit at a much slower pace. However, her mind kept going back to what Naruto had said and that made her think about something she hadn't considered. ''And what about you Naruto, ever had a girlfriend?'' Inquired the girl tentatively. ''What am I asking?'' This wasn't her business but her curiosity was killing her. After she had told Naruto about her own experiences with boys, or rather the lack of thereof, she wanted to know the same about him.
Naruto stopped eating to look at the girl with a lost look, taken aback by the unexpected question. He swallowed hard before responding. ''A girlfriend, you say?'' Asked the blond which earned him a nod from the Iwa Kunoichi. ''Not really. Back in the academy most girls were crazy over Sasuke and barely paid attention to the other boys. And outside of the academy no one approached or talked to me, so I didn't really speak to many girls save for Ayame-Nee. But maybe Sakura-Chan will accept to go out with me one of this days, though, so there's that'' Finished the boy with optimism before going back to his food. Nowadays he didn't feel the strong need to chase after Sakura as he had done in the past for some reason, but he still said that out of habit.
At the mention of the pink-haired medic, Kurotsuchi froze just as she finished taking a bite from her food. She frowned in guilt at being reminded of how the previous day she had sabotaged Naruto's chances with Sakura and hearing the hopeful and futile wishes of the Jinchuuriki just made it worse.
Naruto stopped eating when he noticed the face that the girl was making. ''Is something wrong?''
Kurotsuchi's thoughts were interrupted and she returned her gaze to the boy in front of her to find him looking at her with worry etched on his face.
''Y-Yeah I'm fine'' Responded the girl with reluctance.
''You sure?'' Asked Naruto, a little skeptic. ''You had this weird almost sad look in your eyes''
''It seems I'm still a bit sleepy. I'm fine, seriously'' Replied the girl, rubbing her eyes once again to make it a bit more convincing.
Naruto nodded, trusting her word before he kept eating while Kurotsuchi kept herself from showing any more of her downed mood to avoid concerning the boy further.
In just a few minutes the blond put down his chopsticks on the empty plate as he gave a satisfied sigh. ''That was good!''
''You finished already?'' Asked the Kunoichi.
''Yep! You really are a great cook! That was the best breakfast I've ever had!'' Exclaimed the boy.
''C'mon it was just scrambled eggs and toast'' Said Kurotsuchi. ''It was nothing special''
''Of course it was!'' Said the blond like. ''No one's ever prepared me breakfast before and yours was very good!''
A look of realization hit Kurotsuchi. Naruto had been alone most of his life, especially growing up. He never had anyone there for him to even do something as basic as prepare him a homemade meal once in a while. Once again she found herself feeling somber at Naruto's past, someone as good-hearted as him didn't deserve to have that kind of life. At that moment, an idea came to her head, but she had to ask Naruto about it first. ''Did you really like it that much?'' Inquired the girl.
''I did!'' Said Naruto, nodding enthusiastically. ''Very much, in fact''
''Then, I was thinking that I could...emmm'' Said Kurotsuchi dumbly, averting her eyes from Naruto, a blush threatening to appear on her face again while she used her chopsticks to play with her food. ''Maybe...every day before training, I could prepare you something to eat. If you want that is''
''Really? You would do that for me?'' Asked Naruto, stunned. Not having expected such offer.
''I mean, if you really like it so much it would be no problem to prepare breakfast for the two of us'' Said Kurotsiuchi, still poking her food. ''I really don't mind''
Naruto beamed at her. ''If it's no problem, I would love to eat more of the meals you prepare. Thanks, Kurotsuchi, you are the best!''
''Well, someone has to make sure that you eat properly each morning since you don't seem to do it as well as you should'' Replied Kurotsuchi, returning the blond's smile with a tender one of her own. Both teenagers stared fondly at each other for a few seconds after that until Kurotsuchi coughed in her hand to break the silence. ''I think I better go take a shower. Wait for me, we'll be on our way when I'm done''
''Aren't you going to finish your food?'' Asked Naruto, noting that the girl's plate still had some leftovers.
''I never eat that much in the morning. Besides, I can eat the toast on the way to the training grounds'' Said Kurotsuchi.
Having said that, the Iwa Kunoichi made a quick stop to her room to grab some clean clothes before going to the bathroom.
Naruto, on his part, decided to at least help Kurotsuchi with the dirty dishes as he started putting away the plates. He looked forward to having breakfast in the future with the girl and knowing that she was going to be preparing his food in the morning made him chipper at the prospect, not to mention that he was enjoying spending time with her more day by day.
Meanwhile, Kurotsuchi was in the bathroom preparing to take her shower. She had just finished rinsing her teeth as she stared at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. ''A good wife, huh?'' Thought the girl, examining her appearance. She could not picture herself as a wife at all, heck, she had never even dated anyone before. Still, she could not help but smile as she remembered Naruto's compliment. Now that she thought about it, Naruto would make a good husband too; he was very attentive and supporting, he was kind, protective, positive, and good hearted. But speaking of which, she supposed that Naruto and she were going to resemble a married couple after they started eating breakfast together every day. That mental image didn't bother her, and in fact, she found it amusing. She grinned as she imagined herself and Naruto, living together as they smiled happily at one another, glad for each other's presence as a couple of pink-eyed blond kids circled them while they laughed loudly...When she realized what she had just been thinking, Kurotsuchi widened her eyes in shock, resisting the urge to slap herself. ''This is what I get for reading Icha Icha before going to bed'' concluded the tomboy before she finished undressing and entered the shower, deciding to take a cold bath.
-Konoha's Training Grounds-
When the two teenagers reached the training grounds, Kurotsuchi was surprised to find Kakashi in there, but she also noticed that he was accompanied by another man. Said man had short spiky brown, dark almond-shaped eyes; he was wearing the standard Konoha uniform but his forehead protector was like a helmet that framed his face but only on the front side of his head.
''Hi guys, I was expecting you'' Said the copy ninja amicably with a wave of his hand.
''Kakashi? What are you doing here?'' Inquired Kurotsuchi. She hadn't expected to see the Sharingan user today.
''Yesterday I asked Kakashi-Sensei to give us a hand with our training'' Explained Naruto. ''Actually, I'm surprised to see him on time''
Now Kurotsuchi understood why Naruto had left the day before to find Kakashi. Not that she minded, Kakashi was supposed to be a genius and having someone of his caliber as an instructor could only benefit them. However, a part of her was disappointed that it wasn't going to be just her and Naruto.
''Hey Kakashi-Sensei, who is this?'' Asked Naruto as he glanced at the unknown man.
''Naruto, Kurotsuchi, this here is Yamato'' Said Kakashi, introducing the man. ''He will be accompanying us in our training''
''Hi Naruto, I was sent by Tsunade-Sama to help you should the Kyuubi give you trouble'' Said the man now known as Yamato. ''Pleased to meet you''
''You can help me with the fox?'' Asked Naruto. ''How is that?''
''Yamato has a set of very special abilities only available to him'' Explained Kakashi. ''One of them is the ability to suppress the Kyuubi's Chakra''
''Really?'' Said Naruto with glee. Not having to worry about the fox was a great relief, however, he still didn't want to depend on Yamato entirely, the man would not be by his side forever, so Naruto needed to train himself to do it alone. Now the blond knew what Tsunade had been talking about when she mentioned that she had an idea to keep the Kyuubi at bay.
''That's right, as long as I'm here the fox won't get in the way of your training'' Said Yamato before he turned to look at Kurotsuchi. ''You must be Kurotsuchi-San, nice to meet you too''
''Pleased to meet you too, sir'' Said Kurotsuchi politely. She didn't enjoy having more strangers around but if it was for Naruto's benefit she was okay with it, and even if she wasn't there was nothing she could have done about it so she might as well just accept the man's presence.
''Don't worry, I won't get in the way of your training at all'' Said Yamato before he put his hand on his chin in a thoughtful manner. ''Actually, if you need additional help I would be more than happy to give you assistance''
''Thanks for your help, mister Yamato'' Said Naruto casually with his hands behind his head.
''Okay everyone, I think is time to start your training if you are ready'' Said Kakashi, getting serious.
Now both teenagers knew that playtime was over, so they followed Kakashi's example and directed their full attention to the copy ninja, earnestly waiting for his directions.
''The failsafe way to get you stronger is to improve your Jutsu. While we could focus on your Genjutsu or Taijutsu I feel is better to focus on your Ninjutsu, at least for now. We can strengthen the other two once you have progressed a bit'' Said Kakashi. ''So in my opinion, the best way to start is to work on Chakra Nature Transformation since most Jutsu will become easier from mastering that''
''Uh? Nature Transformation? What's that?'' Asked the puzzled Jinchuuriki.
''That's when you manipulate your Chakra to turn into the element of the technique you want to use, Naruto'' Explained Kurotsuchi. Normally, she would be more surprised that Naruto didn't know about this but she had already gotten used to Naruto's ignorance. In Kurotsuchi's opinion, it was kind of admirable how far Naruto had come without knowing such things, it just served to show the power of his determination.
''For example, if you use a fire Jutsu you have to make your Chakra change into fire'' Added Yamato. ''Or if you use a water Jutsu you change it to water, and so on and so forth''
''So if I want to use a cool fireball like Sasuke's I need to make my Chakra into fire?'' Inquired Naruto.
Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes at the mention of Sasuke but at least Naruto had the right idea.
''Yes, that's how it works basically'' Said Kakashi. ''But there is a method to it and it varies depending on the Chakra type you are using. Naruto, because you are a beginner at this it would be best that we focus on the Nature Transformation of your Natural Affinity''
''Right, my Chakra Affinity, of course!'' Said Naruto, pretending to be knowledgeable about the topic. ''I should use that...thing...''
After a few seconds of silence, Yamato decided to speak again. ''You don't know what that is either, do you?''
''No...''Replied Naruto with a dejected face.
Kurotsuchi decided to give a hand to her training partner. ''Chakra Affinity is the type of Chakra that you are naturally inclined to use. Everyone has one. For example, mines are Earth and Fire but that is an exception, I have two only because of my Kekkei Genkai, so unless you have one too that gives you more than one Affinity you are stuck with the one you were born with'' Explained the tomboy wisely. ''Simply put, I can learn Earth and Fire Jutsu more easily. While I can learn other Nature Transformations it would be harder because those are not of my Affinity''
''Wow, Kurotsuchi that's awesome! Man, I wish I had a Geke Kenkai'' Said the blond.
''it's Kekkei Genkai'' Corrected Kurotsuchi with a deadpan look. She hoped that this wasn't a bad omen of how difficult it was going to be training with Naruto. She liked the guy, she really did, but boy was he thick.
''But how do we know what my Affinity is?'' Asked Naruto.
''I'm glad you asked'' Said Kakashi before he pulled what looked to be pieces of paper from his vest. ''With this''
Naruto eyed the pieces of paper in wonder. ''What's that gonna do?''
''This is a special paper that reacts differently to the types of Chakra you channel into it'' Explained the cyclops. ''If your Chakra is fire it will ignite and turn to ash, if is water it will get wet, earth it will crumble away into dirt, lightning it will wrinkle, and wind will split it in two''
Naruto looked at the paper in amazement, he didn't know that paper could do that. ''Can I try using one?''
''That's the idea. Here'' Said Kakashi as he handed the blond a piece.
Naruto eagerly took the piece of paper before he closed his eyes to focus his Chakra into it, and in just a moment he reopened his eyes when he felt the paper move to see that it had split into two.
''A wind Affinity'' Remarked Yamato. ''That's rare in Konoha. Is a very good Affinity for fighting too. It can severe and slice almost anything of you are good enough with it''
''Perfect! I'm astounding'' Declared Naruto with pride.
''Don't get ahead of yourself, you dunce. You still have to master it first'' Kurotsuchi scolded him. ''If you don't know how to use it it won't do jack''
''Sorry, that's true'' Said Naruto. Then, his eyes lit up in curiosity when a thought crossed his head so he turned to Kakashi again. ''Hey Kakashi-Sensei, what would happen if Kurotsuchi channels his Chakra in the paper? You said she had two affinities, right? So would it become dirt or ash?''
Kurotsuchi was glad that Naruto had been paying attention and on top of that he was making a good question. So she decided to humor him as a reward. ''Can I?'' Asked Kurotsuchi at the copy ninja, extending her hand, requesting for some of that paper.
''Sure, go ahead'' Said the Sharingan user as he handed the girl a piece of the paper. It would be a good demonstration to show Naruto the differences between Affinities.
Kurotsuchi channeled some of her Chakra into the paper, much faster than Naruto had done, and the boy could only stare in amazement when he saw the paper crumble into dirt shortly before turning into a bright orange hot mass as it spilled on the ground, resembling a lava-like substance.
''That's so cool! It even did something completely unexpected!'' Exclaimed Naruto. Kurotsuchi just kept surprising him more by the minute, he was starting to feel the difference in their skills even further, but rather than disheartening him it just motivated him to catch up to her.
Kurotsuchi smiled proudly at the positive reaction of her display. Even if it wasn't a big deal in her opinion, it still felt nice to be praised.
Kakashi cleared his throat, prompting the two teenagers to pay him attention again. ''Now that we know Naruto's affinity, the first order of business is to train his Chakra to become wind'' Said the cyclops as he held a leaf in his hand for them to see. ''Naruto, the first step of your training will be to cut this leaf using only your Chakra. Place it between your palms and try to use your Chakra to cut it in half''
''That's is? That's all I have to do?'' Said Naruto, taking the leaf from Kakashi's hand.
''Naruto, it may sound easy but is anything but'' Said Kurotsuchi. ''This is step one in Chakra Transformation training. For the average person finishing this stage takes around six months, give or take''
''What?!'' Shouted Naruto, causing the rest of the people present to flinch. ''I can't wait that long just to cut a stupid leaf!''
''Well, I'm sorry but that's just how things are!'' Said Kurotsuchi, losing a bit of her patience at Naruto's childish behavior. ''If you want to learn wind Jutsu you'll just have to suck it up and do it'' Even if one could technically learn how to perform elemental Jutsu without undergoing the Nature Transformation training it was not recommended, not only would learning those techniques would be exponentially harder but they would not be nearly as strong if you skipped the training.
''Actually, I have come up with a training method that will dramatically cut the time it would take Naruto to learn it'' Said Kakashi.
Naruto and Kurotsuchi turned to look at Kakashi, curious to know what the man was talking about. Kurotsuchi was especially puzzled, to her knowledge there was no way to cut corners when learning this, so she wanted to know what Kakashi meant by that.
''We'll use Naruto's Kage Bunshin'' Said the copy ninja.
''My Kage Bunshin?'' Asked the boy. ''I don't understand''
Kurotsuchi, on her part, widened her eyes at the revelation. She didn't know why she didn't think about that before! If they used that, Naruto could become a powerhouse in no time!
''Naruto, remember our mission back in The Land of Frost?'' Said Kurotsuchi.
''Yeah, what about it?'' Responded the confused blond.
''Remember what we found out about the Shadow Clones? How when they dispelled, everything they had learned returned to you?'' Said Kurotsuchi, hoping that the boy would catch up to what she was trying to say.
''I do remember that, yes'' Said Naruto, still not comprehending the point of this.
''Okay, let me put is this way: When you sent them to look for Kabuto's base and they got destroyed you immediately knew where to look. Now, Imagine that instead of sending them looking for a hideout you had sent them to learn a new Jutsu, the moment they dispelled you would have known everything they learned on it'' Explained Kurotsuchi. She smiled when she noticed Naruto's eyes lit up, seemingly starting to understand what she was getting at, so she continued. ''If you were to put a hundred clones to learn a new technique you would learn it a hundred times faster! With this method, you could learn anything you want in a tiny fraction of the time!''
''Hell yes!'' Said the blond, giving a small jump and smiling ear to ear. ''I will be unstoppable with this new training method. I can teach Kurotsuchi the Kage Bunshin and she will learn with me just as fast! We will be invincible!''
''I'm afraid that can't be'' Said Kurotsuchi. ''The Kage Bunshin takes too much Chakra just to keep active and when you use it you split your Chakra among the clones, so you have even less energy to maintain it''
''I didn't know you had small reserves'' Said Naruto innocently, not realizing that he sounded a bit rude.
''My reserves are just fine, thank you very much'' Responded Kurotsuchi, crossing her arms over her chest.
''Naruto, is not that Kurotsuchi's reserves are small, it's just that yours are gigantic'' Said Kakashi. He could attest to that, he had already taken a look with his Sharingan at Kurotsuchi's Chakra and the girl had a lot of it, even more than Kakashi in fact. ''You are a Jinchuuriki, you have more Chakra than most Kages. Due to that, you can keep the Kage Bunshin active for a long time but the rest of us aren't so lucky''
''I see'' Said Naruto. It was a shame that Kurotsuchi could not train the same way as him, but she was talented, a lot more than him. He was sure that she would learn quickly enough even without using Shadow Clones.
''Kurotsuchi, I take it that you have already done Nature Transformation training?'' Asked Kakashi. Not only was the girl a Jounin, which they needed to use at least two chakra Natures to be one, but she appeared to know about the process already.
''I have. I finished earth and water both in a month at the same time'' Said the tomboy, not being able to keep herself from showing off her accomplishments.
''A month for both?! That's insane'' ''That is unbelievable!'' Though Kakashi and Yamato at the same time.
Kakashi now knew why Kurotsuchi was a prodigy and why she was the prime candidate for Tsuchikage. Learning Nature Transformation in such a quick time was unheard of. Even Sasuke, who was a prodigy, had taken him close to two weeks to learn lightning. Sure, Kurotsuchi did it in a month but it was two of them and one wasn't even of her affinity!
''And what about fire?'' Asked Kakashi. ''You have an affinity for it, right?''
''That...I have yet to learn'' Admitted the pink-eyed girl. At the time of her training, she had refused to learn anything that had to do with fire Jutsu since that was Konoha's specialty and she had wanted to distance herself as much from Konoha as possible. ''I mean, I know how to use the Yoton just fine but I learned how to use it through trial and error. It took me a long time to get down as I only knew earth until I eventually started to get a feel for it''
''This girl is something else indeed'' Thought Yamato. As the only remaining Mokuton user, which was a mix between water and earth, he understood how perfect the balance between Chakra had to be to use a Kekkei Genkai based on mixing two affinities. Just using normal Jutsu without learning the proper Nature Transformation first was hard as hell, using Kekkei Genkai Jutsu without learning one of the elements that composed it was next to impossible and still this girl had managed it. If the girl's claims were true, Yamato had a newfound respect for her. With talent like that, there was no doubt that she would go far.
''That is...very impressive, Kurotsuchi. If I was in your place, I don't think I could manage that. Iwa should be proud of you'' Said Kakashi with an eye-smile.
Kurotsuchi crossed her arms and beamed at the praise. She loved the recognition she was getting, and from the famous Kakashi the copy ninja no less!
Naruto noticed the looks that the two adults gave Kurotsuchi and he could not help but feel a bit envious. Even if he couldn't fully understand what they were talking about, he knew that what she did had to be something extremely hard to pull off if even Kakashi said he could not replicate it. This just served to remind him of how far apart they were in their skills and talents. He had this feeling of déjá vu, it was the same situation as Sasuke. When he had been around, everyone always noticed his accomplishments and ignored Naruto's and he feared that the situation would repeat itself. And while he was happy for Kurotsuchi it made his own prowess feel lackluster in comparison.
''Then, we will focus on your fire element'' Said Kakashi to the girl. ''Even if you already are able to use the Yoton, I can guarantee that your mastery of it will improve in leaps and bounds when you get your fire affinity down''
Kurotsuchi could not disagree with Kakashi, that seemed to be the logical place to start. She had refused to develop her fire affinity when she had hated Konoha with a passion, she still didn't like Konoha of course, but she was already living there so what the heck. ''Okay, what should I do?''
''The same leaf exercise as Naruto, but you will burn the leaf to a crisp instead of cutting it in half'' Informed Kakashi.
''I can do that'' Said Kurotsuchi, completely confident in her ability.
''Okay, you already have your tasks so let's get started'' Ordered Kakashi.
''How many clones should I make, Kakashi-Sensei?'' Asked Naruto.
Kakashi seemed to think it over for a moment before he pointed at a tree a few yards behind him. ''As many as the leaves on that one''
''You got it!'' Said Naruto as he made his favorite hand seal. ''Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!(Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)'' In the blink of an eye, the clearing was filled to the brim with copies of Naruto who charged at the tree, jumping and climbing at it to grab a leaf.
Kurotsuchi was speechless, she had never seen that many Shadow Clones in her life. She knew that Naruto could do a lot of them but this was insane, she couldn't even count them!
Once all the blonds had a leaf they didn't waste any time to put it between their palms and started focusing their Chakra on it, furrowing their brow in concentration as they did so.
Kurotsuchi had already shaken off her the daze that the sight of the clones had caused her and she went to fetch her own leaf, following Naruto's example she put it between her hands as she too channeled Chakra to it.
Kakashi knew that they were going to be at this for a while, so with that in mind, he pulled out his newest Icha Icha book from his pouch to pass the time while Yamato sat at the base of another tree, ready to use his restraining Jutsu if Naruto lost control of the Kyuubi.
They stayed like that for a couple of hours, and fortunately, there were no issues with Naruto losing control but what did startle the two Konoha Jounin was when Kurotsuchi came up to them with a victorious grin.
''I'm done'' boasted the girl.
''What!?'' Inquired Kakashi with a wide eye.
Even Yamato was staring agape at the girl. ''No way! It has only been two hours!''
''Show me'' Said Kakashi, still having difficulty believing it.
Kurotsuchi proceeded to hold a leaf with her index finger and thumb before the entire thing burst into flames and fell to the ground in ashes.
''Don't be so surprised'' Said the tomboy as she noticed the looks of shock everyone was giving her, even Naruto and his clones had stopped their own training to stare at her. ''As I said, I already got a feel for it when using the Yoton, yeah it wasn't perfect but is not like I didn't manipulate fire in some form''
''Even so, completing the first stage in just two hours is nothing short of amazing'' Said Kakashi. ''But seeing as you are finished with the leaf exercise we can go to stage two'' Declared the copy ninja.
''Which is?'' Inquired the tomboy.
''Now you have to light a whole tree in flames with just a single burst of your Chakra'' Said the cyclops.
Kurotsuchi nodded in understanding, she had already expected something like that. ''What if I light the whole forest on fire by accident?'' Asked the Kunoichi. She didn't want to end up in the Hokage's office for committing arson.
''Yamato and I will be on the lookout, if the flames get out of hand we'll help you put them out'' Reassured Kakashi. Not to mention that with Yamato here they could replace the trees.
''I'll get to it then'' Said the girl before going to find another tree.
After witnessing Kurotsuchi's surprising progress, Naruto and his doppelgangers returned to their own exercise with renewed vigor in an effort to catch up to his friend.
''Kakashi-Senpai, are you sure this is a good idea?'' Asked Yamato in a whisper to the Jounin at his side.
''What do you mean?'' Responded the copy ninja, diverting his eye from his book to look at Yamato sitting beside him.
''Is it a good idea to be training the girl? She is an Iwa Kunoichi and a very exceptionally talented one at that. Is like we are doing Iwa's job in training one of their best weapon, at least the best one they still have after they lost their Jinchuuriki'' Said Yamato with concern. He didn't mind the girl personally, she seemed to be a good kid, well, as good as a Shinobi kid could be anyway, but they still had to consider the implications of strengthening an enemy ninja, if she were to turn on them in the future when she became Tsuchikage they would have made their own grave by training her now.
''I wouldn't worry about it. This could actually help us in the long run. If she becomes Tsuchikage this could help the relationship between our villages, I don't think she will forget our role in her development'' Said Kakashi. ''I would have thought that you would have asked your friends in the ANBU about her, they have been watching over her for a while now. They can attest that she had not tried anything against us so far and her friendship with some of our ninja seems genuine, the one with Naruto especially'' He could ask them right now even if Yamato so chose, they were always around Kurotsuchi so they had to be hiding among the trees somewhere in the training grounds.
''I hope you are right, Kakashi-Senpai'' Said Yamato. He had in fact talked to his ANBU comrades about the girl beforehand and they all said the same thing: She had never done anything out of line save for a couple of discussions with Naruto here and there but nothing major, still he couldn't help but feel some reservation about the prospect of making a powerful and influential enemy ninja even stronger.
''Kakashi speaks the truth, Tenzou-San''
Both men turned to look at the source of the voice and found Yugao approaching them along with Sai.
''Yugao-San? I didn't expect you to show up'' Said Kakashi in surprise.
''We just changed shifts in the ANBU and it was my turn to watch Kurotsuchi'' Explained the woman as she stood beside Kakashi and Yamato with Sai right behind her. ''I already hang with you lot so there is no point to hide''
''And Sai too? You should know we don't have any team exercises today'' Said Kakashi to the pale boy.
''I know, I just wanted to see the progress of Naruto-Kun and Kurotsuchi-San'' Said the ROOT member with a smile. He didn't mention that he also wanted to learn more about the strange relationship the blond and the Iwa girl shared.
''By the way Yugao-San, it's Yamato now not Tenzou, so please refer to me by that name'' Said the Mokuton user.
''So overly concerned by etiquette as always'' Said Yugao. Tenzou, or rather, 'Yamato' had always been one to greatly respect rankings or codenames.
''Hey Yugao-San, Sai, what's up'' Said Naruto once he spotted the purple-haired woman followed by several similar greetings from his clones.
When Kurotsuchi heard the ruckus that Naruto and his clones had been making, she too noticed the ANBU and gave her a wave from the distance, but upon seeing Sai waving back along with Yugao, the girl frowned in distaste and went back to putting her hands on the tree she had been trying to burn for a while now.
''Please guys, don't stop for us!'' Yugao shouted to make the army of blonds return to their training.
Sai for his part, just found himself a nice patch of land and sat down before pulling out his sketchbook and started drawing.
''How is the training coming along?'' Asked Yugao casually. At first, she had been rather surprised at seeing such a large number of Shadow Clones but after thinking about it for a moment she realized what they were trying to accomplish, she had to say that it was pretty smart to use the Kage Bunshin to speed up the learning process.
''It has been going fine. Kurotsuchi already completed the first part of the Nature Transformation training'' Said Kakashi earning him a surprised look from the ANBU woman.
''What, already?! Didn't you guys just start a few hours ago?'' Said the shocked Yugao.
''The girl is incredibly talented, even more than we anticipated'' Said Yamato with seriousness.
Yugao often forgot that Kurotsuchi was a prodigy, the best one in Iwa if their intel was correct. However, it was easy to forget that since they had never seen the girl learning anything new until now.
''I think this is long enough'' Muttered Kakashi as he closed his book, after that he walked up to Naruto. ''Naruto, stop. Is time to dispell the clones and compile what they have learned''
Naruto and his clone army quickly halted what they had been doing as they looked unsurely at each other. ''Are you sure this is a good time, Kakashi-Sensei?'' Asked one of the blonds among the crowd.
''I'm sure, just do it'' Repeated Kakashi.
Obeying his Sensei's orders, all the boys, save for the real Naruto, made a hand seal which caused them to dispell, filling the training grounds with smoke.
''How do you feel?'' Asked Kakashi once the smoke had cleared.
Rather than answering right away, Naruto kept staring silently at the leaf in his hand. It was a weird feeling having information from a lot of different sources entering his head all at once, but when he finally assimilated everything he learned, he grinned with confidence. ''I think I got it, I can do this'' Said the boy with optimism. Then, suddenly Naruto's eyes rolled back into his head as he stumbled to the ground, luckily Kakashi was able to grab him before he hit the floor.
''Naruto, are you okay?!'' Asked Kurotsuchi as she quickly made her way to the unconscious blond being held in place by Kakashi. She had been paying attention to see what happened when Naruto dispelled his clones, but as soon as she had seen the boy stumble she immediately rushed to his aid.
''Naruto will be fine'' Reassured Kakashi. ''The Kage Bunshin not only transfers what the clones know but also the mental stress they each have''
So Naruto had fainted due to pent up stress? Despite that, knowing the cause didn't make Kurotsuchi worry any less. However, before they did anything else, Naruto started groaning in discomfort as he started to stand up.
''Wha-What happened?'' Asked the boy as he brought a hand to his head. Now that he could stand again by his own, Kakashi let go of his student.
''You fainted. It seems like you also gather you clones stress along with their memories'' Explained Kurotsuchi. ''How do you feel?''
''My head hurts but other than that I'm good'' Said Naruto as he rubbed his brow.
''I think this is a good point to rest'' Declared Kakashi. ''You should rest your mind until you can try the exercise again''
Kurotsuchi agreed to that idea, with Naruto like this it would not be a good idea to keep going. ''Let's go, Naruto'' Said the girl as she grabbed Naruto's shoulder, prompting him to follow her.
Naruto didn't object to the idea and he let the girl drag him along.
The two teenagers slowly made their way to the other side of the clearing until they finally came across a tall tree that was thick enough so that the both of them could lean comfortable against it.
Naruto sighed contently as he sat down against the tree trunk and Kurotsuchi followed his example sitting right beside him. Even If Kurotsuchi wasn't as tired as Naruto she didn't want to leave the blond by himself while he rested his aching head. Also, she could always use a moment to enjoy his company in peace.
''You were amazing today, you know'' Said Naruto, shooting the girl a tired grin. Despite his best efforts, his mind felt heavy and somber. That's what having the accumulated stress of hundreds of people did to you.
''Thanks, you weren't half bad either'' Responded the girl, looking at the boy and returning his smirk. She thought that Naruto would have preferred to rest in silence until his head felt better but if he wanted to talk it was fine by her.
''I wouldn't say that'' Said the blond with a dejected look. ''I still can't cut the damn leaf''
''Naruto, you have made great progress in such a short time. This training would usually take months and you are almost halfway through in just a few hours'' Said Kurotsuchi.
''But you managed to finish with your own already and you aren't using any clones like I do'' Said Naruto.
Kurotsuchi frowned at the way Naruto was acting. ''Don't tell me he is feeling inadequate'' ''Naruto, just because I was done with my part faster doesn't make your own accomplishments any less amazing. You can't go around comparing yourself to others, you are you and not someone else''
Naruto took a deep as he diverted his gaze to the training ground. ''I didn't mean to take it out on you, It's just...for most of my life I had been compared to other people that were better than me in every way and it always appeared that no matter what I did I never could be as good and in result no one ever expected anything great from me. Since I was alone until I joined Team Seven I never had anyone to help me through. I know that I have trouble learning stuff that other people pick on pretty quickly and is frustrating not being able to. I just want to be better that's all''
Kurotsuchi hadn't known that Naruto harbored these kind of insecurities. She guessed that in his tiredness he was revealing a side of him that he didn't let himself show often, and in a way, she felt honored that he felt comfortable enough being with her to show his vulnerabilities. ''That's not true, we do expect great thing from you, me included. I know that you can manage almost anything you set your mind to and you never give up. Also, you are not alone, not anymore or ever. At the very least I'll always be there to help you along, and so will Kakashi and Sakura. Even just now remember that we are training together and we'll help each other grow stronger just like we promised'' Said the girl with a reassuring, warm smile. Even if she knew that Naruto's mental exhaustion was the one doing most of his talking, it was good to remind him that he wasn't alone.
Naruto turned his tired eyes towards the girl and gave her a tender smile in appreciation. ''I'm sorry, you are right. My mind is still fuzzy, I didn't mean to be such a downer''
''I know, don't worry about it'' Said the girl warmly.
''Sooo, any tips on my problem with the leaf?'' Asked Naruto with a toothy grin, trying to get rid of the somber atmosphere he had caused previously. Also, he knew that Kurotsuchi was going to be able to help, she was a genius, he was sure she would think of something.
Kurotsuchi bit her lip thoughtfully as she pondered on how to aid the blond. She wasn't sure if she could help him with that since their affinities were different, but the eager and expectant face of Naruto gave her the resolution to do her best. ''I'm not a wind user but I guess I can tell you what I do. Whenever I'm using my earth Jutsu I mold my Chakra to be as dense and sturdy as possible, you know, so it better resembles earth. Back when I was burning my leaf I applied the same principle, I visualized my Chakra as if it was boiling, causing it to heat itself. Maybe you have to do something similar with wind. Wind is supposed to be the sharpest of the affinities, so I would recommend visualizing it as some sort of knife or as a congregation of small blades, that's what I would do in your place''
Naruto perked up at the explanation and he thought about it silently before he rested the back of his head against the tree trunk. ''visualizing it as small blades, uh? That sounds good'' Replied Naruto as he gave a loud yawn. ''I will try that...'' And just like that, his mental exhaustion finally took its toll on him and he fell asleep soundly against the tree.
Kurotsuchi glanced at him with an amused grin, glad that Naruto was getting some proper rest at last. She decided to imitate him and she too leaned her head against the tree, closing her eyelids. However, she opened her eyes in shock when she felt something touch her, and she turned to look at Naruto who in his sleep he had slipped and caused him to support his head with her shoulder.
Kurotsuchi blushed at the intimate action but she could not blame the boy as he wasn't even conscious. She considered waking him up but the peaceful face of Naruto made her reconsider. She clicked her tongue, wondering what to do. But now that she thought about it, she didn't mind too much the contact, even if it made her stomach feel like it had a hundred butterflies flying around it also felt strangely soothing. ''Just letting him this one time it's fine, right?'' Concluded the girl as she closed her eyes again, doing her best effort to calm her beating heart. After several minutes, Kurotsuchi also managed to fall asleep, a content smile gracing her lips as her own head leaned against Naruto's.
''Is this normal behavior between them?'' Yamato asked Yugao and Kakashi. Even if they were at the other side of the training grounds they could still clearly see the two Shinobi they were training.
''More or less'' Said Kakashi casually while Yugao imitated the concerned face of Yamato.
''I don't know if letting them do this is right'' Commented the Mokuton user with a stern look. He didn't know if letting their Jinchuuriki be so intimate with the Tsuchikage's granddaughter was a good idea.
''Is is not our business how they handle their personal relationships'' Said Kakashi as he flipped a page from his favorite book. ''Besides, would you go up to them and disturb them without any real basis?''
Yamato could not argue with that. He would not feel comfortable interrupting them, it would just make things awkward. Also, they pretty much lived together as far as he knew, even if they tried putting restrictions on them it wouldn't work with them living so close and they had to interact daily.
Yugao was glad that for once people understood the dilemma she had while dealing with the teenagers.
Meanwhile, as the adults looked on with different levels of astonishment, Sai just kept drawing. He was just finishing his sketch but he wanted to get the scene in front of him just right. He didn't know why he was so interested in the friendship that those two had, but he was willing to learn more about it and if he could he would help his new friends to nurture it, but in the meantime he hoped that with these sketches he would understand better the kind of relationship Naruto and Kurotsuchi shared. As soon as he was done he glanced down at his work, which was the image of Naruto and Kurotsuchi sleeping together at the base of the tree. ''I think I'll name this one: Fondness''
Author's note:
Damn it! I so wanted to have this up yesterday! You see, Yesterday was the first year anniversary of my fic. That's right, exactly one year(and a day) ago I posted this story. I wanted to upload the very same day I first shared this fic with you all. It sounds silly but I'm proud of myself. I never expected that I would stick around this long with the story, I thought that I was going to get bored of it sooner or later like I do every time I start doing something on a whim. Having made it this far feels good and like an accomplishment!
Also, I finally reached 200K words! I remember when just reaching 100k seemed so far away, now I'm just like 'fuck that, I have double that now' and I still have so much left to write!
Ahem! Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and please review or PM me if you have the chance :)
