DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (I'M GONNA NEED TO HAVE A WORD WITH SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY THINKS I OWN IT, CAUSE I DON'T)
The Art of Fire
After a while of walking, Kimimaro arrived at their door. He slowly opened it, there he saw his master sitting on a chair facing away from the door. Kushimaru was simply wrapping up his wounds with some gauze, he also noticed Kimimaro's presence even before he entered the room.
"How'd it go?" he asked
"It went without a hitch Kushimaru-sama" Kimimaro calmly answered
"Cut the crap Kimimaro and tell me what he actually said…" Kushimaru told Kimimaro
Kimimaro exhaled through his nose ever so slightly, "Gato-sama said that he won't pay you not until you get rid of those Konoha shinobi" Kimimaro stated.
"Is that so?... Anything else?..." Kushimaru asked once more
"He also said that you're all talk and that he's just wasting money on hiring you" Kimimaro answered
Kushimaru cackled as a response, he found it hilarious that Gato had the gall to belittle him. He could easily kill Gato any day of the week if he wanted to, he just chose not to since he plans on milking him dry. And when the time comes when Gato can't pay him anymore, only would he get rid of him himself. Right now, he was just tolerating Gato which was proving to be somewhat difficult since the man was getting on his nerves now.
Kushimaru then stood up from his chair as he finished wrapping up his wounds in gauze, "I see… Go grab me my sword" Kushimaru ordered Kimimaro. Kimimaro did as he was told at a moment's notice, after which he handed the Nuibaru (Sewing Needle) to Kushimaru.
"Kimimaro, we're heading out" he told him, Kimimaro nodded and followed his master.
"After I'm done with them, you're fucking next Gato" Kushimaru laughed mentally.
- The Next Day -
(Somewhere in the woods)
Ino was slowly waking up from her slumber, she and her team had to camp outside since they could no longer stay in an inn anymore. According to Asuma, the town was sprawling with Gato's men. Sure they could use the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) but Asuma didn't want to take any chances at all which was why their team opted to rest in the forest.
But something felt strange, last night she remembered feeling cold due to the fact that they were sleeping outdoors. And unfortunately for her, she forgot to pack a blanket or something that would keep her warm. But right now, she felt rather warm and cozy. She felt a warmth emanating in front of her, it felt nice and she wanted to remain in that position for a little while longer. Though Ino decided not to because she wanted to get an early start today, she had some things she wanted to do after all. She then opened her eyes only to see Naruto, Ino then realized she was cuddling him. This realization flustered her, luckily for her Naruto was still asleep.
"*Whew*… Good thing he's asleep like a log…" Ino thought to herself, she then realized what if their sensei saw her like that. A flush of embarrassment rose to her cheeks in an instant, she looked around to see if their sensei was there. But alas, he was nowhere to be found. This worried Ino then all of a sudden she felt a presence behind her, she quickly grabbed a kunai from her pouch in an attempt to stab the person behind her.
"Whoa… Easy there Ino… Relax, it's just me" Asuma said as he diverted the tip of Ino's kunai away from his face
After seeing who it was, Ino calmed down as she lowered her kunai and put it back inside her pouch. She then apologized to her sensei for what she did but Asuma said it was fine. In fact, he encouraged it though he told Ino to make sure that the person behind her was an ally and not a foe.
"You're up early… Why is that?... Usually, you sleep for much longer when we're out on missions" Asuma stated, for the past few months he noticed that Ino was fond of sleeping. He also learned that Ino wasn't a morning person either, and he learned that the hard way but that's a story for another day.
"Oh… I just wanted to get an early start today, that's all Asuma-sensei" she answered
"I see… Well then, we'll just wait for a few more minutes. Wake your teammates later, we'll have to change our location pretty soon" Asuma explained
Ino nodded, she then asked a question to her sensei. "Say… Asuma-sensei?..." she said
"Hmmm?..."
"You're pretty good with fire-jutsus, could you perhaps teach me one? I just think that my arsenal is lacking in terms of diversity, all I know are the jutsu that my clan uses. Like the Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Switch Technique) and Shindenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Transmission Technique), I'm still learning more clan jutsus but those two are what I primarily use. I also know the Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique) if that counts for something, as well as the other situational jutsus you taught us" Ino stated
"I suppose it is a good idea to teach you some fire-style jutsu, though the question is what fire jutsu will suit you. You can learn any fire jutsu you want though you'll usually want to opt to learning something that will fit your fighting style. And as I said, you're more of a mid-to-long range fighter due to the nature of your clan's techniques. Add to the fact that most of your clan's techniques require some setting up, so I think something that will either conceal you or hold down your opponent for you will work like a charm" Asuma replied
Ino nodded and listened intently as she waited for Asuma to suggest a jutsu that he knows, Asuma recalled every jutsu he knows of. He also had to account for the rank of the jutsu, Asuma needed something simple yet effective that even Ino could pull it off since she's still a beginner in using fire-style jutsu. It then hit Asuma, "I got it" he said to her.
Ino's face brightened up, "What is it Asuma-sensei?" she said
"I'll be teaching you two jutsus, one is the Katon: Hinotama no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fireball Technique), and the other is the Katon: Hi no Naka ni Kakureru no Jutsu (Fire Release: Hiding in Fire Technique)"
"What do those do Asuma-sensei?" Ino asked
"The first one is a slightly smaller version of the more well-known Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique), the Uchihas are fond of that jutsu. I would have opted to teach you that one though I worry that it'll deplete your chakra reserves quickly, that is something you're going to have to work on in the future. The other one is a means of concealment, with this jutsu you can hide inside a flame. And don't worry, it won't hurt you not unless you screw up the jutsu but I think you can handle it. So… Any questions before we begin?" Asuma asked Ino.
"So let me get this straight, the Katon: Hinotama no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fireball Technique) will either be used as an offensive tool or a way to create a fire so that I could use the Katon: Hi no Naka ni Kakureru no Jutsu (Fire Release: Hiding in Fire Technique). Is that right Asuma-sensei?" Ino returned
"I've got to hand it to you Inoichi-san, you've got yourself a smart daughter" Asuma thought to himself. "Exactly, I'm impressed that you understood my rationale for choosing those two jutsus without me telling you. But anyway, we should probably find a more suitable location so that you can practice those two" Asuma said as he eyed his two sleeping students, he didn't want to run the risk of setting those two on fire.
- Moments Later -
Naruto awoke from his rest, the reason for this was because a ray of sunlight shined on his head. He opened his eyes to the best of his abilities only to be greeted by a bright light, Naruto closed his eyes once more and faced against the light. Naruto was still a bit sleepy and he still had some sleep in his eyes. He quickly wiped it off after which he realized that both Ino and their sensei were missing, and the gears in his head began to turn. Naruto then wondered where they could possibly be, he then decided to look for them
With this in mind, Naruto left a clone behind just in case. Naruto stretched his body before leaving so that he would feel more lively and less sleepy, Naruto then decided to use the jutsu that Iruka taught him. He recalled the steps on how to perform the Echolocation no Jutsu (Echolocation Technique). After a while, Naruto finally remembered what he needed to do.
Naruto amassed chakra in his system, he then released said chakra in a form of a wave. The wave of chakra traveled in all directions, and then a rough image formed in his mind after a few minutes. He then faced the direction where there were two chakra signatures, "That's probably them" Naruto thought to himself as he went into that specific direction.
After a while of walking, he then heard voices from afar. He recognized those voices, it was Ino's and Asuma-sensei's. He wondered what they could possibly be doing, Naruto went to get a closer look and there he saw Asuma training Ino. He saw that Asuma was teaching Ino some fire-style jutsus, Naruto also noticed that the platinum blonde was somewhat having a difficult time nailing down the jutsus that Asuma was teaching her.
"Again… You already understand the part where you gather chakra in your system but instead of spewing out the fire in a steady stream, you have to gather it first and THEN release it" Asuma explained to Ino
Ino was panting and sweating, she nodded and tried once more and this time she was determined to get the jutsu down. Ino amassed chakra once more, she performed three hand seals which were the following: Snake – Ram – Monkey.
"Katon: Hinotama no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fireball Technique)" Ino said as her cheeks puffed up, she then let out a smaller-sized Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique). Once Ino finished the jutsu, he saw how happy she was to nail down the technique.
"I did it! And only after what? Six attempts?" Ino said
"It's actually eight Ino" Asuma corrected her but she didn't care, Ino was just happy that she can finally perform a new fire jutsu. And now, it's only a matter of mastering it so that she could learn more fire-style techniques.
Naruto was impressed with Ino's rate of learning, she may not show it but Ino is really intuitive and intelligent. This was a fact that he admired about her, he also like that she was also determined in improving much like him. Naruto smiled at the sight of how happy she was, he decided to go back to sleep now that he knew where Ino and Asuma were but he stepped on a twig.
Ino and Asuma heard the sound and turned their attention to the direction where Naruto was, there they saw Naruto watching from afar. Ino waved to Naruto and asked him if he saw what she did earlier, Naruto nodded and said that he saw it and thought it was cool. Ino's face brightened up after hearing Naruto's praise, Asuma then intervened.
"Now that you know how to perform the first part, you can do the second part of it. I told you earlier that the Katon: Hi no Naka ni Kakureru no Jutsu (Fire Release: Hiding in Fire Technique) is similar in nature to the Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Hiding with Camouflage Technique), only this time you have to apply it to fire. Think of the fire as a wall and that you have to blend in, understood?" Asuma asked to which Ino nodded and began working on it. Asuma then turned his attention to Naruto, he still wondered if Naruto has two nature affinities. Asuma was eager to put it to the test but decided not to for he wanted wait for them to return to Konoha so that the Hokage can see it himself as well.
Asuma thought that while Ino was working on something he thought that it would be best to train the other two as well, "Naruto, go ahead and wake Shino up. I think the both of you should squeeze in some training, could the two of you also pack up our stuff while you're at it" Asuma told Naruto. He nodded in response but asked a question before leaving.
"Hey Asuma-sensei, is it possible for me to send thoughts to my clones, or is it just a one-way thing where they can send their memories to me?" Naruto asked
"Hmmm… I haven't really thought about that, as far as I know you can only receive memories from your clones. That's about it though that is a good question, you should probably ask Hokage-sama about it" Asuma answered, this wasn't the answer Naruto was hoping for but it at least satisfied his curiosity. He then sprinted back to camp in order to wake Shino up, Naruto was rather ecstatic since he was looking forward to learning a new jutsu or two.
- Five Minutes Later -
Both Shino and Naruto have arrived at where Asuma and Ino were training, Ino was still practicing the Katon: Hi no Naka ni Kakureru no Jutsu (Fire Release: Hiding in Fire Technique) though she was surely making progress. Asuma was also helping her by providing the fire himself so that Ino's chakra reserves won't be depleted quickly.
"Oh good, you're both here. Now you two can start your training as well, and while you two were away I have decided to teach you guys some nifty jutsus that will suit the existing jutsus in your arsenal. Are you sure you two packed everything?" Asuma asked
"Yep! Though we tried to get rid of the campfire entirely but there's still some soot and ashes there" Naruto reported
"Don't worry I'll take care of it, training comes first for now" Asuma returned
"Yes! What jutsu will you be teaching the both of us Asuma-sensei?" Naruto asked enthusiastically
"Well you two would be learning separate jutsus since you have an affinity for fire while Shino has one for earth, just give me a second will ya?" Asuma said as he formed the hand seals for the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique), he formed one clone to help Ino by creating flames by means of fire-style jutsus.
"Alright, first is you Naruto. I'll be teaching you two jutsus as well, the first one would be the Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) and the second one would be the Katon: Moeru Ken no Jutsu (Fire Release: Burning Fists Technique). You decide which one you want to learn first. As for you Shino, I don't know much earth-style jutsus since that's not really my expertise though I do know one that will suit you well. Since you guys reported the events of your battle the other day, I was quite impressed with your Hijutsu: Mushitatsumaki (Hidden Jutsu: Insect Tornado). And I think the Doton: Tsuchi Kairo (Earth Release: Earth Corridor) would greatly work with it in conjunction, the idea behind it is that you'll contain the tornado inside of it thus concentrating the tornado's force inside of it. It'll also prevent your opponent from escaping the tornado in the first place" Asuma explained.
Naruto then tapped Asuma's shoulder, Asuma turned around and asked Naruto if has already decided. "Done deciding?" he asked
"You bet, dattebayo!" Naruto replied with a foxy grin, Asuma was betting that Naruto would want to learn the Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) first.
"So which one then?"
"I want to learn the Katon: Moeru Ken no Jutsu (Fire Release: Burning Fists Technique) first hehe" Naruto answered
Asuma was rather surprised about Naruto's decision, he then wondered why he chose the second jutsu rather than the first one. He then decided to ask Naruto's rationale behind his choice, "So Naruto, tell me why you decided to go with your choice?" Asuma wondered
"Well… As much as I would love to learn the Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique), I think it's better for me to learn the Katon: Moeru Ken no Jutsu (Fire Release: Burning Fists Technique) since it would probably work well with my Nebaiken style. I also know the Katon: Housenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu) so I'm fine for now in terms of projectiles. Plus I don't want to steal Ino's spotlight since she's learning her new jutsus that are offensive in nature" Naruto grinned whilst explaining.
"Heh… Already thinking about Ino's feelings, are we?" Asuma thought to himself, he then thought back to Naruto's decision. Coincidentally, Naruto chose the easier jutsu to learn since the Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) takes quite some time to nail down. Asuma took out a cigarette from his case and lit it, he took a puff for he knew today was going to be a long one.
"Alright then, let's get down to business then" he said to both Naruto and Shino as he prepared them for their training for the day, he was not expecting them to master these jutsus but now is a better time to start for them to expand their jutsus since he's planning on entering them into the Chunin Exams soon enough.
- After Training -
After training for approximately three hours, Asuma decided that was enough training for now. He then gathered his students once more to tell them that they needed to relocate once more, they felt like nomads these past few days. They also took care of removing any trace of their presence in their makeshift training ground to ensure that none of Gato's henchmen would be able to track them down, it was also a good time to get a move on since it was getting dark.
As they were walking, Asuma was briefing them on what they needed to do next. Asuma planned on striking both Kushimaru and Kimimaro first since a battle is always about control. A battle fought on their terms is a battle they better stand to win.
"So, we're going to-" Naruto's sentence was cut-off because he tripped on something, he then got up and dusted himself. "Hehe… Sorry, my bad" he said as he scratched the back of his head with a goofy grin on his face. Ino rolled her eyes in response whereas Shino didn't react, "What were you saying Naruto?" Asuma asked
"So we're going to find them Asuma-sensei?"
"Precisely, this time we'll get the jump on them now that we've strategized a new plan. But always keep your guards up, just because they've shown their cards doesn't mean they don't have any aces left up their sleeve" Asuma explained
All three of his students nodded, they were a bit anxious about the idea of facing Kimimaro once more. But now that they've seen some of the things he can do, they felt a bit more confident about how to approach their battle against him now that they weren't going in blind. They just hoped that their new plan would work on Kimimaro.
Team 10 has been walking for about half an hour by now, they've traveled quite a great distance from their previous location. This time they were heading back in the direction where Gato's fort is located, Asuma then gestured for his students to halt.
"This is far enough, you guys know the drill" Asuma said to his students. Like clockwork, they already knew what they needed to do. Naruto and Shino were tasked to gather firewood while Ino tidied up all their stuff in one convenient spot.
Naruto and Shino then made a campfire in the shape of a teepee, Naruto then lit it on fire using the same jutsu he used the other day. "Katon: Hoteri Ougigata no Jutsu (Fire Release: Flash Fan Technique)" Naruto said as he lit the wood on fire, they then ate the food they packed and after that, they called it a day since they were pretty much exhausted from all the training they did earlier. Since Asuma took the first watch and Shino took the second watch yesterday, it was now Naruto's turn to take the first watch that night and Ino with the second.
It didn't take too long for the three of them to fall asleep, this left our blonde-knuckled head alone with his own devices. He then recalled the events of their previous mission, the one on the ranch. Naruto remembered the fact that it was a close fight, he then wondered if they even stood a chance against the likes of Kimimaro let alone Kushimaru. But Naruto remained strong-willed, there was no way he was going to just give up and back down. He reached this far, so why stop? This was just another hurdle for him, and he would go to great lengths to do so even if he has to claw his way out.
- Meanwhile: Somewhere in the woods -
Kushimaru was sitting against a tree while he was cleaning his sword, he then felt a signal from the ninja wire he placed throughout the forest. Kushimaru smirked because now he knows where his prey is and he plans to have a little bit of fun this time they were not getting away, he then got up from his seat and turned his attention to Kimimaro who was waiting as well.
"Kimimaro, we're going. Our guests have returned, but this time they're not going anywhere" Kushimaru cackled maniacally, he and Kimimaro then set out to meet their guests.
(A/N: Well that's it for this chapter, and wow I didn't expect the challenge fic to receive that much attention right away haha. Also, this was the chapter that was supposed to be called "The Art of Fire" due to the amount of fire-style jutsus in this chapter haha, I hope you guys are still enjoying this fic, and thank you for the continued support. Show me some love and RnR if you'd like haha, that's all cheers! ^^ )
(A/N#2: F*ck haha, I forgot to copy the last part from the document file. I'm so forgetful sometimes. That's all XD)