A/N: Enter: chapter 5! A bit shorter than the previous couple, but oh well.
Ah, yeah, I don't own Naruto.
Chapter V: Back to Basics
Naruto and Sasuke were awoken by loud knocking on their apartment door. Both groaned as they trudged out of their beds to meet each other in the hallway. Naruto still had his sleeping cap on, while Sasuke had pushed his red sleep mask up to his forehead. They regarded each other with heavy eyes before turning towards the living room to answer the door. Both were grumbling about who could possibly have the nerve to wake them up not long after sunrise.
Naruto opened the door to an out-of-breath Sakura. The two boys turned to each other, each raising an eyebrow.
Naruto sleepily rubbed an eye. "Sakura, what's going on? Why are you so out of breath?" He asked before yawning.
Sakura took a deep breath to try and steady her heart, which threatened to pound its way out of her chest. "Come with me, quickly," she began, as her lungs fought for precious oxygen. "It's Lady Tsunade, she's awake!"
Naruto and Sasuke's eyes bulged as their jaws went slack. The duo turned tail and sprinted to their rooms to throw on their clothes and headbands. Naruto was about to step out of the apartment before Sasuke tapped on his shoulder, holding his sunglasses. Naruto winced and put them on, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. The trio set out, leaping over rooftops as Sakura led the way.
Naruto had found it strange that they were heading towards the Great Stone Faces, but figured that there were parts of the village that were unknown to him. His days as a prankster had meant he found plenty of places to hide from ANBU and other shinobi. Sakura had led her teammates to a hidden entrance below the face of the First Hokage that was guarded by ANBU. After verifying their identities and their reasons for being there, they were granted entry. The ANBU agent channeled chakra into a hidden seal, making the stone give way to a heavy metal door that creaked as it opened.
The door slammed shut behind them as Sakura led her teammates down a stone corridor. Naruto couldn't help but study his surroundings in awe. 'If a place like this exists…I wonder how many other secret locations there are in the village that only Granny and ANBU know about,' he mused to himself. Sasuke kept his gaze straight ahead for the most part, only allowing his eyes to glance at the various doors and hallways that they passed by. He had to admit, the idea of having a location like this hidden in essentially plain sight was impressive. He never would have guessed that the same mountainside that the Great Stone Faces sat upon held a complex like this.
The three chūnin stopped at another door guarded by two ANBU. Once again, they were asked to verify who they were before they were let inside. They stepped into a small stone hospital room, where they were greeted by a flustered Shizune trying to cajole Tsunade, who was standing up and disconnecting herself from her IV drip, back into bed. The trio grimaced at the all too familiar situation. They had joked amongst themselves in the past that Shizune was like Tsunade's babysitter, and scenarios like this only furthered that joke into a sad truth.
"Granny! You're awake! And…standing up," the blond greeted cheerfully, though he ended on a slightly apprehensive note. Sakura and Sasuke bowed, the former glaring at Naruto before grabbing his head and pushing it into a deep bow.
"Oh, come on, you three. Raise your heads. While I appreciate the respect," Tsunade said as she shot a look at her pseudo-grandson. "I'm not in the tower right now, and it's just us and the ANBU outside my door," she finished with a small smile. The three chūnin straightened and nodded, returning her smile, while Naruto wore his signature grin.
"It'll take more than chakra exhaustion to keep me down. Besides, I've got a village to protect," the buxom Hokage stated resolutely. No sooner did the door open once again, revealing the cycloptic jōnin leader of Team 7. Kakashi gave a small bow to the Hokage, which she received with a nod.
"Now then, as good as it is to see you all alive and well, we have a few things to discuss. Unfortunately, the Hokage Tower hasn't been rebuilt in its entirety just yet, so this room will have to do. Don't worry, nothing will leave this room. Not only is it carved into solid rock, but there are soundproofing seals on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Now then. I believe you," Tsunade gestured towards Naruto. "Have something rather…interesting, to show me," she stated coolly.
The blond gulped as he quickly glanced at his teammates, who offered him small nods of encouragement. Naruto took a breath before nodding to his Hokage and removing his sunglasses. Tsunade's features set into a hard, analytical expression as she studied Naruto's newly acquired Rinnegan. She approached him slowly before gently grabbing his chin, tilting his head backwards, left, and right before releasing him.
"Look left…look right," she directed as he did so, revealing the extent of the muted purple and its ripples. Tsunade hummed as she observed. "So, it's true, you've acquired the Rinnegan. Kakashi and Sakura told me that you don't remember what happened, but just to verify: do you remember what happened and how you came to have these eyes?" Naruto meekly shook his head.
He told her about his conversation with Nagato and how he told him that he could bring about peace, but that he would face hatred, pain, and death in the future. After that, the world spun, and he was out like a light. Sakura and Shizune had informed her of the state of Naruto's wounds when he was first brought back by Kakashi. Naruto had mentioned Nagato's friend, Konan, in passing. She silently noted that this Konan could possibly be connected to Naruto's acquisition of the Rinnegan, and she would follow up on her suspicion later.
Tsunade pursed her lips before taking a deep breath, speaking with a soft voice. "Naruto, do you understand what those eyes are capable of?" Naruto stared at the ground before shaking his head.
"The most I remember is what Katsuyu explained to me, what I saw during the fight, and what happened with the jutsu that revived everyone. Other than that, I'm pretty clueless," Naruto dejectedly explained. He snapped his gaze up to meet Tsunade's honey-colored eyes, determination burning in his own. "But that's not gonna stop me from training to use them as best I can. I asked Kakashi-sensei and he said he would help me. That counts for something right?"
A smirk tugged at the corner of Tsunade's mouth. She ruffled her pseudo-grandson's hair. "That's the spirit, brat." The others couldn't help but smile at Naruto's resolve.
Kakashi stepped forward. "Lady Tsunade, regarding Naruto's training, I'd like to request permission to use Training Ground 44 in addition to Training Ground 3. Given the circumstances, I think it's best that as few people are aware of Naruto's dōjutsu as possible," he stated. Tsunade placed a hand on her hip, considering the jōnin's request.
The Hokage shook her head after a pregnant silence. "While I completely understand your line of thinking, I'm afraid I'm going to have to deny your request. As you said, given the circumstances, it's best that as few people as possible are made aware of Naruto's eyes. Training Ground 44, while outside the village and away from prying eyes, is almost exclusively used as a stage for the Chūnin Exams. Using it as an actual training ground might indirectly draw unnecessary attention from…certain parties," she answered, her voice dripping with disgust at her last words. Kakashi caught her drift, and any protests he had thought to make were shelved. He had heard of Danzō and his meddling ways. He had witnessed it in the way he had defied Hiruzen, the way he operated ROOT, and the way he had proposed turning Naruto into a weapon like Suna had done to their own jinchūriki. The war hawk learning of Naruto's Rinnegan could only lead to bad things for his student.
Kakashi bowed his head. "I understand, Lady Hokage."
Tsunade hummed in response. "Now then, I'm going to go with Shizune and see to some of the patients personally. Sakura, you take the day off. From what I've heard, you, Haku, and Ino have done a superb job in assisting Shizune. I'll have to let them know that they should take today off as well." Sakura gave her master a relieved smile and bowed her head. "Naruto, you'd best head off and start figuring out those eyes of yours. Just be careful, alright?" The older blonde said with a warm smile. Naruto nodded with his signature foxy grin before he replaced the sunglasses on his face. Team 7 bowed once more to the Hokage before setting off.
The sight of Training Ground 3 was a welcome one for the members of Team 7. It being just outside the village proper had left it untouched from Pain's attack. Sasuke, Sakura, and a sunglasses-clad Naruto walked alongside their sensei towards the familiar stream, memories drifting back to them with each step. Their first bell test, the long hours of training before the Chūnin Exams, and the second bell test after Naruto and Sasuke's return from their respective training trips had all taken place here.
The group came to a stop just shy of the banks of the stream. "Now then. Naruto, I know this might seem bothersome at first, but just trust me," Kakashi began. Naruto gave a firm nod. "I'd like to start with basic chakra control exercises. We can't be too sure how your Rinnegan has affected your chakra network since it wasn't acquired through conventional means. First, try climbing one of the trees. If you make it to the top, head to the stream and walk on the water. If you find you're able to walk on the water just fine, then try running on the water. Sasuke and I will be observing you with our Sharingan active to see if there's anything unusual with your chakra. Sakura will be on standby in case something does happen. Go ahead when you're ready," Kakashi instructed as he lifted his headband to reveal his other eye.
Naruto gave a quick nod before jogging over to a decently sized tree as Kakashi and Sasuke activated their Sharingan, carefully observing Naruto's chakra flow. Naruto channeled chakra into his feet and took one step, then another up the tree, climbing it with ease. After reaching the top, he jumped down and jogged towards the bank of the stream. He once again channeled chakra into his feet and took a step onto the surface of the water, finding himself able to walk with no problems. He started jogging back and forth over the water's surface, going so far as to sprint and dodge as though he were dodging hits.
"What do you think so far, Sasuke?" The silver-haired jōnin prompted.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, from what I can tell. Are you seeing a slightly denser concentration of chakra around his eyes or is it just me?"
"No, I see it, too. It doesn't seem like it's a big drain on his chakra reserves, though. It almost seems like…" Kakashi trailed off.
"Like his body is adapting to it," Sasuke finished. Kakashi hummed in acknowledgment.
Having felt like his chakra control was still where it was before, Naruto stepped off the water's surface and jogged back towards his team. Kakashi and Sasuke examined the blond, looking for anything abnormal aside from the way his chakra was concentrating around his eyes.
"Well, looks like your basic chakra control is about where it was before. We'll go over your elemental chakra after we get through some other things," the copy ninja explained. "I want you to try and channel chakra into your eyes, like you're trying to activate them."
Naruto raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his sensei's instruction. "But I thought you said I couldn't turn the Rinnegan on and off like the Sharingan?"
"That's true. Based on what Sasuke and I saw, it looks as though your chakra is passively concentrating around your eyes, which could account for your improved eyesight that you mentioned when you first woke up," Kakashi explained. Naruto's brows raised in realization. "However, what I'm referring to is actively channeling chakra into your eyes, similar to how I channel chakra into my Sharingan eye to take advantage of its abilities."
Naruto absorbed the words of his sensei. He knew Kakashi's Sharingan was a transplant, so it was different from Sasuke's in that it technically couldn't be turned off in the same way an Uchiha could turn it off. Naruto nodded, formed the Ram seal, and focused on channeling chakra into his eyes. He looked at his teammates and sensei and let out a yelp.
"Holy crap! Is that chakra?! I can see your chakra?!" The blond cried. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes were as wide as they could be, his face was contorted in an expression of horror and bewilderment. The now visible chakra looked like a blue fire raging beneath his team's skins. He could see that chakra was concentrated around both of Sasuke's eyes and Kakashi's left eye, like what the two Sharingan users had described to him.
"Calm down, blockhead. Just stop actively channeling chakra to your eyes and you won't be able to see ours," the Uchiha heir explained with an exasperated sigh.
The blond heeded his teammate's advice and cut the flow, his vision returning to normal. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead.
"Well, can you tell us what it looked like, Naruto?" Kakashi prompted. Naruto explained that he could see the concentrated chakra in Kakashi's and Sasuke's eyes as they mentioned, and how it was visible beneath their skin.
This time Sakura spoke up. "Were you able to see the full network with the tenketsu? Or just the chakra itself?"
"Just the chakra, it kinda looked like blue fire. Ya know, like how raw chakra looks," Naruto explained.
Sakura nodded as Kakashi cleared his throat to get his blond student's attention. "I know I told you to ease into training, but I'm curious; do you think you'd be able to spar with Sasuke, Naruto? Taijutsu only. It's perfectly alright if you don't feel up t—"
"Of course I'm up to it! I have to prove that my dōjutsu can be just as good as that duck-haired jerk!" Naruto squawked, cutting off Kakashi. The jōnin gave a nervous masked smile as Sakura groaned. Sasuke simply harrumphed as he strode over in front of his boisterous teammate before falling into his taijutsu stance, his Sharingan blazing.
Kakashi raised a hand to pause and address Naruto. "Try fighting while channeling chakra into your eyes. I'll keep observing with my Sharingan to see how it changes things," the silver-haired ninja instructed before he and Sakura put some distance between themselves and the two eager combatants. Kakashi raised his arm as Naruto channeled chakra into his Rinnegan, causing Sasuke to light up like a blue torch while the blond fell into his own taijutsu stance.
The two charged at each other as soon as Kakashi dropped his arm. Sasuke was fast. His first strike was a feint for Naruto's face. The real attack came not a second later: a quick jab aimed at his unguarded midsection. The blond was already moving, parrying the jab with a knee aimed for Sasuke's chest. The Uchiha quickly blocked with his free hand, halting Naruto's momentum before narrowly dodging a blow from the blond aimed for his head.
Sasuke's Sharingan gave him the ability to see everything as though it were in slow motion. Combined with his speed, he was nearly untouchable; this meant he could sneak jabs when openings presented themselves. The two pushed off each other, creating some distance. Sasuke eyed the blond, wondering how he was able to see his blow coming.
Naruto tried to contain his excitement. He knew just how fast Sasuke was, but he had seen his attack coming and blocked it; something he was hardly ever able to achieve. As soon as they charged each other, Naruto felt the world slow down. Sasuke's normally blindingly fast movements had slowed considerably, giving Naruto time to react to the feint and block Sasuke's attack.
The two charged head-on once more. Naruto's right arm pulled back, ready to deliver a crushing punch. Sasuke let the attack barely miss him before he found his opening. He brought his fist upwards, gunning for Naruto's solar plexus. Sasuke's breath hitched as Naruto caught the fist meant to knock the wind out of him. The blond went for an uppercut, only for it to be caught by the Uchiha. Sasuke leaned backwards, positioning himself to smash both of his feet at Naruto's chest. The blond grunted as the blow connected with a resounding thud, sending both flying from each other once again; Sasuke landing more gracefully than Naruto did.
Naruto grit his teeth as pain spiderwebbed from his sternum. Sasuke simply stood back, studying his teammate and opponent. Both panted as adrenaline coursed through their veins, their hearts pounding in their chests. The Uchiha was dumbfounded as to how Naruto was able to block another of his attacks, especially after telegraphing such a heavy first move. Naruto cursed under his breath at the fact that Sasuke was able to land that hit.
Naruto and Sasuke barreled towards each other. Sasuke aimed a knee at Naruto's thigh. This time, rather than block, Naruto took the hit, wincing as the blow connected. The blond swung right; Sasuke dodged the left hook, feeling knuckles graze the tip of his nose. The Uchiha aimed a punch at Naruto's kidney. The blond saw it coming and parried, swinging his right fist at his opponent's head. Sasuke ducked forward to avoid the hook. Suddenly, pain rang through his skull as Naruto smashed his head into Sasuke's. The sickening crunch of the collision echoed through the combatants' and spectators' ears alike, eliciting a grunt from Sasuke and a wince from Sakura.
The rivals pushed off once more, both clutching their heads in a daze. Sasuke groaned as he got his bearings, while Naruto shook his head to make the stars he was seeing go away. They stood and glared at each other for a moment before dropping back into their respective taijutsu stances.
Fists clenched before the ninja launched themselves at each other. Dominant hands cocked back to deliver a final, decisive punch. A roar erupted from both as they closed the distance. They anticipated their blows connecting with the other's head, only for their fists to be caught by their silver-haired sensei. The opponents screeched to a halt, each staring at their jōnin sensei, dumbstruck.
"I think that's enough," Kakashi stated flatly. Sasuke's blazing crimson eyes faded back to onyx, while Naruto cut the chakra flow to his own concealed eyes. Kakashi released their fists after the two chūnin visibly relaxed, lowering his headband to cover his Sharingan eye.
"Not bad, whiskers," Sasuke praised with a smirk.
Naruto shot a scowl that was chased by his own smirk. "Not bad yourself, slowpoke," he sneered. Sasuke only scoffed at Naruto's jab.
"It was definitely interesting watching the two of you spar," Kakashi began before turning to Naruto, his tone even. "I had expected your Rinnegan to enhance your perception, but keeping up with a Sharingan user was surprising, to say the least."
Sakura jogged towards her team, immediately looking over her teammates for any serious injuries. "Neither of you broke anything, did you?" She prompted. Naruto and Sasuke shook their heads as Sakura let out a small sigh of relief. Her teammate's spars could get intense, even for those that were watching. Their rivalry was such that it hindered their ability to hold back during their matches. While it made for effective training, one or both often walked away with something broken, fractured, dislocated, bleeding, or badly bruised. Naruto had joked that it was practical exercises for her medical ninjutsu; a remark that had earned him a smack to the back of the head.
"I might not have a Sharingan, but from the sidelines, it was impressive watching you two duke it out," Sakura said, a proud smile tugging at her mouth. "Naruto really gave Sasuke a run for his money, especially with that headbutt," the kunoichi pointed out. Naruto beamed at the praise from his pink-haired teammate.
Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, I gotta hand it to you, blockhead. You really surprised me when you blocked that first jab. Also, that headbutt hurt, jerk," he admitted, muttering the last few words. Naruto gave a foxy grin before Kakashi spoke up.
"There's something else I think would be worth trying. Try creating a few shadow clones," he instructed.
Naruto gave a quick nod before throwing his hands into the familiar hand seal. Three shadow clones popped into existence in clouds of smoke, clad in the same orange and black jumpsuit and sunglasses as the original. Naruto and his copies immediately started stumbling, as though they had lost their sense of balance. The shadow clones disappeared in puffs of smoke as Naruto fell onto his behind, dazed.
The blond ninja groaned. "Okay, ow. But also, what the hell?"
Kakashi raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "What happened?"
"I have no idea. Once my shadow clones appeared, it was like I could see what they were seeing. Except I saw everything at once," Naruto explained, rubbing his temples.
Kakashi raised a hand to his chin. "Interesting. It seems that the shared field of vision that Pain had with his bodies is present with your shadow clones."
Naruto considered his sensei's words as he felt the throbbing pain begin to subside. "I guess that makes sense, since I don't have those bodies like he did," he reasoned aloud before a realization hit him. "Wait a second, this means I won't be able to use shadow clones to learn stuff faster!"
The jōnin shrugged, offering his student a sympathetic expression. "I'm afraid not. It seems that's one of the unintended tradeoffs. But, you have quite a strong work ethic, so I have complete faith that you'll make up for the lack of ability to use shadow clones to learn jutsu," he placated. Naruto pouted, grumbling about his secret technique being ruined by his eyes. "That, or, you'll find a way to work around it," the silver haired jōnin offered, his eye crinkling in its distinctive manner. His students returned the expression, Naruto offering his signature toothy grin.
Naruto rose to his feet, scratching the back of his head pensively. "I guess the first step would be to figure out how to use my shadow clones with this whole shared field of vision," he thought aloud. Kakashi nodded sagely.
"I'll keep helping you with matters regarding ninjutsu and chakra manipulation. I think Sasuke would be a great sparring partner, and can help improve your taijutsu, given that both your dōjutsu give you enhanced perceptive abilities. Since Sakura will be busy in the coming days assisting Lady Tsunade and Shizune, we'll need to hold off on including her in your specific training," he explained, noticing the kunoichi's face drop slightly. "But, I do have something in store that involves her Kekkei Genkai," he offered with a light tone, causing Sakura's eyes to snap to her sensei, a smile spreading across her face.
Kakashi gave his students a masked smile. "Now then, I think that's enough for today. Naruto, you're free to do some individual training with your shadow clones and getting used to the shared field of vision, but don't overdo it. We don't know how that will affect you just yet," he advised. Naruto nodded. "Great, let's try and meet tomorrow at 9am. I'm off to help oversee construction of the Hokage Tower." With that, Kakashi left with a wave of his hand and a swirl of leaves.
Naruto had elected to stay behind, determined to acclimate himself to at least one clone's shared field of vision. He reassured his teammates that they could head back home to relax, but they refused to leave him by himself. Sakura cited that he would need her should something happen, since she was a medic. Sasuke had teased that the blond needed a babysitter, which made Naruto scowl while Sakura giggled.
Sasuke and Sakura mostly observed, offering suggestions here and there to their teammate. Sasuke broke the news to the pink haired kunoichi that he moved in with Naruto, giving her the same explanation for his decision that he gave his new roommate the first time. Sakura squealed with joy, causing Sasuke to turn as red as the tomatoes he so enjoyed. Naruto's focus broke momentarily, but he remained vigilant in his quest to master one aspect of his Rinnegan.
Team 7 remained at the training ground until sunset, parting ways at the midpoint between Sakura's apartment and Sasuke and Naruto's. Sakura felt like her day off was well spent. It had been awhile since she had gotten a chance to spend time with her friends, particularly to sit and talk with Sasuke. She had been impressed with how well Naruto had done in his spar against Sasuke and found herself in awe of his work ethic. She and Sasuke had lost count of how many times Naruto had created a single shadow clone. Eventually he was able to hold it and keep it from dispersing immediately, but he was still getting used to simultaneously seeing what his clone saw on top of what he saw. It was disorienting, to say the least. Sasuke had been impressed that Naruto had progressed as much as he did in just a few hours; a true testament to his resolve. The two young men discussed their options for refining Naruto's taijutsu further over a dinner of miso soup. The Uzumaki had whined about the lack of ramen, but he secretly enjoyed Sasuke's cooking, and the miso soup was tasty. Though, he found Sasuke's side dish of tomatoes to be a bit odd. Sasuke vehemently insisted that his roommate simply didn't understand.
A/N: Sharingan versus Rinnegan! Sasuke versus Naruto! Thanks for reading; I'll try sticking to updating weekly. If I don't update after exactly one week: fret not! It just means there's more work to be done to make the chapter better! As always, fav/follow if you enjoyed, and leave a review if you feel like it! (I love reading reviews, so don't be shy!) Thanks again for reading! Chapter 6 in the works!
