Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or this idea as it is a challenge fic by Narutoenthusiast
Chapter Six
The next day Naruto was up before dawn as he prepared for the day ahead. After eating, bathing, and dressing he did his usual ten laps around the village. That took him all of an hour, which made him happy as his normal speed was really improving. Then he used his 'Jinton: Mueishō – Swift Release: Shadowless flight' he did another twenty in two and a half minutes. To anyone watching it would look like he had only taken a couple of steps forward before falling to his knees a few minutes later panting for no reason.
Then after a ten minute break he began exercises designed to build up his strength. Thanks to his Kekkei Genkai he would never be a powerhouse like Might Gai, but that didn't mean he wanted to be a total weakling either. Thanks to all the push-ups, sit-ups, squats, use of regular civilian weights, and swimming, not to forget all the running he did Naruto had a body he was sure most civilians would die for. He was both lean and slightly muscular with the extra definition showing in his abs, pecks, arms, and legs.
After swimming a few last laps around a pond in Training Ground Three Naruto watched as the sun began to rise from between two mountains bathing the area in an orange glow that reminded Naruto of just why orange was his favorite color even if he no longer wore his childhood favorite orange jumpsuit. Naruto still wore orange it just wasn't visible any more as he hid it underneath the blues, greens, blacks, and tans of his everyday clothes or shinobi attire. Looking at the rising sun Naruto relaxed as he floated on his back for a bit before his day would truly start.
An hour later Naruto was in his team's usual training ground Training Ground Twenty-Three. He had arrived a little early to think about how he would go about asking his sensei for information on elemental manipulation. His thoughts were broken as his teammates and sensei came into view. They weren't really surprised to see the whiskered blond already at the Training Grounds, because it happened quite a bit already.
"Alright team, show me how far you have gotten with the tree climbing exercise. If you can make it to the top I might teach you something else before we do another mission" Hayama says.
An hour later Fuki had finally reached the top, but Hayama made her continue going up and down the tree which she did ten times before needing to stop. Naruto had also made it to the top and on Hayama's orders kept going up and down the tree twenty times before Hayama told him to switch up and try it walking on his hands. This had the effect of adding more difficulty as now Naruto had to split his focus between maintaining his chakra and balance at the same time. Tomaru however was still working on completing the exercise. He didn't have Naruto's reserves, actually he had less chakra than Fuki whose reserves were big for a girl her age. His reserves were about average, but it was clear it would take another day or two for him to catch up to Fuki and Naruto.
"Alright guys … and girl" he added feeling Fuki's glare at his back. "Bring it in. That's enough of that for today, but I encourage all of you to work on your chakra control when you are alone. I know I gave each of you a list of exercises, but remember to be careful and not to jump ahead. These might just be chakra control exercises, but even the simple ones can be dangerous if you don't do them right or goof around" Hayama lectures.
All three nodded, but inwardly groaned as he had been telling them that everyday since they started on the Tree Climbing Exercise.
"Alright, Tomaru you still seem to be having trouble with the exercise. If you need some help you can always come to me or ask one of your teammates. I am sure they would both be willing to help you out" Hayama says.
Tomaru looks at both of his squad mates. Fuki gave him a nod and Naruto gave him a thumbs up with a big grin spread across his face which Tomaru returned.
"Thank you sensei, but I'll be alright. I just need a little more practice and I'll have it down cold or I won't be the next Hokage" Tomaru responds confidently.
Hayama had to chuckle at the boy. He certainly got a spirited group and he had no doubts a talented group. It was something that bothered him when he had time to reflect on his groups growth since they began training. Fuki was well on her way to being a solid all around kunoichi. She might never be the next Tsunade, but with time she had the makings of a solid Tokujō perhaps even a full jōnin if she put her mind to it.
Tomaru could be a bit over the top, a dreamer, and had more energy than he knew what to do with at times, but he was a good kid and was willing to listen when you could get him to calm down. He admired how persistent the boy was. It didn't matter if he failed to get something or not because he would keep working hard until he did. Tomaru might never become Hokage, but Hayama was sure the boy was on his way to being a good solid ninja.
Naruto decided now was a good time to ask his question.
"Hayama-sensei, could you teach me elemental manipulation?" Naruto asked.
"That would be so cool, can you sensei!" Tomaru shouted already over his failure to get tree walking.
Hayama looked at his genin and noticed even Fuki look interested in learned how to manipulate her element.
"That's something that's usually reserved for chūnin or those who have been in service for several years" Hayama says.
He then notices the slightly down trodden looks on their faces.
"But … there is nothing that says I can't teach you elemental manipulation …" he was cut off from further speech by an excited Naruto.
"Thank you so much sensei! I promise I'll do my best and listen too everything you say" Naruto says excitedly.
Hayama had to hold in his chuckle at Naruto's display of emotion. The boy was far from an emo, but without Tomaru around he was very … reserved. The only group he had seen as reserved as Naruto had been so far were the Aburame's and he wouldn't admit it, but that clan secretly creeped him out.
"Whoa! Hold up there Naruto. I am not going to teach you guys something as advanced as elemental manipulation yet. It's something that could take years even a decade before you get a complete grasp of it"
"But … you said …"
"I said that there was no rule or law that said I could not teach you elemental manipulation. You are getting ahead of yourself here Naruto. You have only been genin for eight days and you want to jump to something even jōnin find difficult to learn" Hayama says admonishing not only Naruto but all of them.
The looks on their faces told him they got it, but still wanted to learn.
"That said I will give each of you a challenge. If you finish the scroll of chakra control exercises I gave each of you and complete each mission we have without fail … I'll teach you the first stages for manipulating your element and I'll even let you see what element you have right now" Hayama says.
The kids all jumped to attention eager to find out. Naruto was disappointed at not being able to learn it all right now, but he was happy his sensei said he would if they showed him they could handle it and he was going to learn what his element was so maybe he can snag a few low level jutsu to work on in his own time anyway.
"Unfortunately … I don't have the means to test you with me so we'll have to find out tomorrow" Hayama says scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
All three genin groaned at their sensei, but the man just pushed on ignoring the sour looks he was receiving.
"Anyway we still have that mission to get to and remember it all counts towards me teaching you about your elements" Hayama says getting them to focus.
"Hai, sensei" they said in unison.
With that team 4 left the training grounds and went to get their second D-rank mission. This time it was painting an old man's fence. Afterwards Naruto would leave his team and continue his bloodline and other training until it was dark out and he would head home.
This would be the way the next month would pass with little change. During the month all members of Team 4 had managed to complete the Tree Climbing Practice as well the Water Surface Walking Practice. Hayama even had them combine both with the Leaf Concentration Practice they learned at the Academy and when they got that he made them do both while doing battle simulations against against each other for an hour and then him.
In the end he could say without fail Team 4 had mastered all three of the basic chakra control practices, but he made sure they started everyday continuing their practice and even gave them tips on how to enhance all 3 practices individually. This really helped Naruto and Fuki the most as they both had large reserves with Naruto having the most of any genin or chūnin he could recall, but he knew there were jōnin that held less chakra than Naruto.
Tomaru wasn't to be left out though. Thanks to all the practice he did with his team and at home when he could get away from his family his reserves had grown. He now could keep up with his team mates in all of the exercises and still have enough chakra to not be totally drained.
As a reward for their hard work and having successfully completed all 3 practices Hayama began them on the road to Nature Manipulation by showing them what their elements were.
Naruto had a strong affinity to for wind, which surprised Hayama since wind users were rare in Konoha with there only being him and Sarutobi Asuma. However, Naruto also had a strong affinity for water which further surprised Hayama since he knew there were few people with two strong elemental affinities. He wondered if perhaps Naruto might have a kekkei genkai, but decided to hold off on such thinking as he hadn't seen any signs of him having one.
Fuki had an earth nature, which Hayama thought suited the girls personality. It was Tomaru that delivered a second surprise as he also had an affinity for wind although not as strong as Naruto's. Having two wind users on his squad definitely surprised Hayama and made him further believe he made the right decision in passing this team.
With their natures known Hayama taught Fuki and Naruto two jutsu for their elements and Tomaru one. Tomaru was upset, but Hayama explained that the wind's nature was almost exclusively offensive and therefor most of the jutsu he knew of were B-ranked or higher and there was only 1 C-rank he could teach him. Tomaru quieted down after that as at least he was getting to learn a C-rank jutsu and his team mates would also only get one C-rank jutsu and a D-rank.
Naruto after listening to how rare wind element techniques were decided to for now focus on his water nature and come back to wind later. So Hayama gave Naruto two suiton jutsu, Kirigakure no Jutsu - Hiding in Mist Technique and Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu - Water Clone Technique.
He gave Fuki the Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu - Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique and Doton: Dochū Eigyo no Jutsu - Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish Technique. Tomaru received Fūton: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough along with instructions on how to strengthen the technique.
He also made each of them aware that when they became chūnin they would have access to higher ranking techniques in the Shinobi section of the Library, but that he would teach them a C-rank technique if or when he thought they merited it. He actually planned to teach them one more after their first C-rank mission, but he didn't feel the need to tell them that as he knew they would then beg to go on one sooner than he felt they were ready for.
As it was he felt they were close and would wait a few more weeks before asking for one.
Hello everyone! I hoped you enjoyed the latest chapter of Speed Unlimited. Next chapter will be Team 4's first C-rank and sorry, but it won't be Wave.
So again thanks for reading, sorry if I don't reply to your review for a bit. I'm trying to update a number of my stories. So, until next time dear reader :)
And For those looking for a good challenge look up Narutoenthusiast, Challenger, or Dracohalo117.