A/N: Word is being stupid about footnoting so I'm going to put the translations for the terms that I use in this chapter up here. Katon: Fire Elelment, Amaterasu: Japanese god of the sun (Itachi's black flame jutsu), Katon: Genzon ekitai hinote no jutsu: Fire Element: Living Liquid Blaze technique, Tenketsu: chakra outlets along the chakra circulatory system. I think that's all of the stuff that might not be known to some people. Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 4: Katon
The boulder exploded around Sasuke's chattering, chakra-clad hand as he drove a full powered Chidori into the rock. His Sharingan allowed him to see where the flying shards of rock would be a moment before they were actually there; his head blurred as he deftly dodged the flying fragments.
"Excellent, Sasuke-kun, excellent." Orochimaru chuckled from his place against a tree in the clearing Sasuke was using as a training zone. They had to venture further and further from Orochimaru's complex as Sasuke systematically destroyed all the suitable targets for his Chidori. Using the curse-seal, Sasuke could perform the technique three times each day, and if he transformed, he could just manage a fourth. The damage he was causing with each strike was increasing at an amazing rate as well.
He had discovered that if he forced all of the accumulated chakra in his hand outward after it penetrated his target, the explosive power of the impact was far greater. He grinned as he imagined Itachi's body bursting into bloody fragments, torn apart by the furious chakra of his modified Chidori.
Sasuke turned to survey the clearing, looking for another rock to decimate. Finding a promising candidate, his hands rose to form the seals needed for the first stage of the Chidori.
"Wait, Sasuke-kun," Sasuke let his hands fall as Orochimaru walked toward him, "I want to try something a little different now." Sasuke stood, calmly waiting for Orochimaru to explain. They'd been going into the forest everyday for almost three months now, exhausting Sasuke's chakra as quickly as possible while he practiced the Chidori.
Orochimaru's training regimen was based on Sasuke increasing his stamina by expending it every morning, and then training throughout the rest of the day with techniques that required less chakra than the highly-draining Chidori; pushing the limits of his body's ability to recover and control chakra while already being in the process of expending it.
"The Uchiha clan has always prided itself on its Katon-based jutsus," Orochimaru continued. "You have already mastered several yourself, and your brother has created a most admirable one that he has dubbed Amaterasu. Your natural talents are not to be ignored, and as such, I think we should begin working on a new, unique technique that caters to your abilities. Your Chidori has taught you how to collect a very significant amount of chakra at a single location, certainly more than any of your Katon jutsus require, and you demonstrated quite a talent for infusing chakra into inanimate objects during your time locked in my trapped chamber. With these abilities in mind, I've thought of the basic concept for a technique, you'll need to define the details yourself to maximize the effectiveness of the technique, but I think you will find it much to your liking." Orochimaru stopped a few paces from Sasuke and looked at the now speculative teenager.
"Tell me what this 'basic concept' of yours is, sensei." Sasuke said, genuinely intrigued. What Orochimaru said made sense, and Sasuke had to admit that the man was brilliant when it came to jutsu theory; Orochimaru just lacked the ability to perform the techniques at the same level that he conceptualized them.
"The idea is quite simple: gather as much chakra as possible into your torso, much as you do for your other Katon abilities but with more chakra, and then release it from your mouth as flame. However, instead of allowing the chakra to uselessly dissipate as it's released, channel it into the flame and let strings of chakra remain, connecting you to the fire. Using the chakra still connected to your body, you can then control the flame, keep it blazing, and make it as a living liquid, flowing and burning as you will." Orochimaru grinned as Sasuke's face changed slightly, the Uchiha's mouth quirking at the corners; coming from the young man, it was as expressive as a shout of glee. "The most difficult part of mastering this jutsu will likely be learning to control the flame. It will require you to attempt various combinations of restricting and releasing chakra from many tenketsu simultaneously. Given the practice that it will require, I have decided that we will start today. Begin."
Sasuke turned from Orochimaru, thinking about exactly how he was going to perform this new technique. He was also thinking about the potential this new jutsu could have. If it worked as Orochimaru claimed it would – and Sasuke couldn't see why it would not – then it would not only be an excellent offensive ability, but it would also serve as an absolute defense, not unlike that of Gaara or Neji. If he could make the flames burn intensely enough, they could incinerate shinobi or projectile weapons instantly.
Excited with the prospect, he began to gather chakra in his stomach as his hands began forming the seals that would be needed to perform a Katon jutsu, to put his chakra into the flame, and to keep that chakra connected to his chakra circulatory system.
"Katon: Genzon ekitai hinote no jutsu1." Sasuke named his new technique, and quickly expelled the collected chakra. Flame burst from his mouth, streaking toward the rock outcrop that he had previously decided to be a target for his Chidori. The flame was laced with his chakra, connecting the fire to his body. Sasuke exulted in the success of his first attempt at the technique…and then realized that despite the fact he was connected to the fire, his control of it was almost not-existent; he could increase or decrease the intensity of the flame, or make it move, but he had no ability to move it where he wanted. Just as he realized this, he also noticed that the rock had begun to melt; lava was now flowing in a slowly expanding puddle. He immediately withdrew his chakra from the fire, dousing the flames.
He stood staring in surprise at the glowing puddle that had been a boulder less than a second before. The lava spread slowly, the surface cooling back to a state of solid rock, but the underside of the shifting mass remained liquid. The surrounding brush was instantly charred by the intense heat, most of it crumpling into fine ash leaving small piles of dust in place of lush undergrowth. Sasuke began to worry at the potential for an uncontrollable brush fire and was quickly analyzing options on how to contain the threat.
He felt a swell of chakra behind him, and heard a few muttered words. Just as he turned to see what Orochimaru was doing, a malevolent vortex of ice and wind lanced past him, engulfing the super-heated rock.
Billows of steam erupted from the lava and ice, and deafening cracks echoed through the forest as the rock cooled and fractured. Fragments of rock flew through the clearing, still hot enough to leave a patch of charcoal on the trees and bushes as they ricocheted through the woods.
Sasuke dodged the bits of stone easily; it was far more difficult to avoid the aftermath of a Chidori. Orochimaru was having more trouble, but he seemed to be weaving between the flying fragments without too many problems. The man was a genius, and brilliant with jutsus, but in a purely physical sense, Sasuke had seen much better.
Sasuke saw three larger chunks of stone, still retaining orange veins of lava on their surface, streaking through the air toward his sensei, and there was no way that Orochimaru was going to avoid them. Sasuke launched himself at Orochimaru, drawing Sakura from the sheath on his leg as he poured chakra from his feet to add speed to his movements. In one motion, the kunai was out of the sheath, spinning around his index finger, gaining momentum and then cast toward the closest of the incoming rocks. Sakura sailed into the rock and sent it careening into the furthest of the flying fragments, knocking both onto courses that would send them harmlessly into the forest. The final burning stone was intercepted by Sasuke's kick as its heat charred a protruding fold on Orochimaru's kimono.
The last of the fragments broke free of the rapidly cooling rock and the two shinobi dodged the final barrage, Sasuke intercepting two more pieces of stone before they could find his sensei. Sasuke returned to a calm, but ready, stance; leaning slightly on his left leg, ready to push off into a quick burst of speed if the need arose.
Orochimaru was panting slightly as he turned to survey his protégé. "Very well done, Sasuke-kun, very well done. And thank you. Having to deal with those annoying rocks myself would have been a nuisance, but I will emphasize that I could have done it on my own. I am not nearly so helpless as you seem to believe. I did kill the Sandaime myself, and he was by no means weak."
Sasuke looked at the older man skeptically, but after a moments thought, decided to believe him. A shinobi capable of finishing the Hokage would definitely be able to avoid a few chunks of rock. However Sasuke didn't like admitting that he had underestimated his sensei so he let it pass with a quiet, and dry, "Of course, sensei."