A/N: Hey everyone. I'm trying out some smaller chapter to see if I can't get them out more regularly. Let me know what you guys think!
Six days away from the Chunin Exams tournament.
The sky above Konoha was blanketed by a pleasant gray. No rain had dropped from the clouds but the ever looming promise was a tease to the somewhat drought plagued land. The citizens' daily lives hadn't changed much with the exception of growing excitement for the Chunin Exams. Conversations filled there are of predictions, thoughts, and concerns people from all walks of life had about the upcoming tournament. Through gossip the tales of a red headed boy from the Sand Village sent a shiver down the spines of many who knew him and renewed a sense of terror for those who did. Others remarked on the curiosity that the Hyuuga clan heir wasn't a part of the finals but someone from the servant branch was.
Along the fields that constituted the outskirts of the village a sensei and his pupil had begun another day of training. Ebisu laid out a plethora of weapons in front of Naruto which the boy had to force himself to not salivate at the sight. Running through each weapon individually, Ebisu instructed on the basic uses for each including some history for more notable weaponry.
"Now this is just a practice katana, which is a lot cheaper than a real one and will suit our needs for the moment very well... Don't look at me like that. If you want me to splurge on these does that mean that you want me to not pay for Ichiraku when you've had a good day of training?"
"..."
"That's what I thought. Now, the katana is a blade that, while ninja have used it, is somewhat ineffective for the jobs that we're supposed to do. To use the blade as it was intended it has to be put out in front of you like this." The sensei started to show a basic sword wielding stance. "But this also makes what you're doing very obvious so stealth is no longer an option. I know that you personally aren't that keen on the art of stealth but no student of mine is going to announce themselves to every enemy combatant in a five mile radius. These are usually weapons used by samurai and..." Ebisu continues to lecture to a surprisingly interested audience.
Naruto leaned forward the entire time only looking away from the speaker to observe the item that the teacher was talking about. The restless boy seemed to be calmed for the moment and began taking information in for the most part. Ebisu smiled to himself though he still did notice that the boy physically couldn't pay one hundred percent attention, Naruto started to yawn an hour into the lecture and his eyelids drooped slightly. The second surprise for Ebisu came in a suggestion from his student.
"Could I do some more chakra control training while I listen? I do better at listening when I'm doing something. If I just sit here I start to feel sleepy." The boy said letting out another yawn.
"Of course, that request is easy enough to grant. Let's head over to that tree over there." Ebisu points to a tall and thick tree just a hundred yards away or so. At the tree he instructs Naruto to walk halfway up it and stay there.
A few attempts go by and Naruto has a great deal of trouble getting up to that point in the tree. First he was unable to create a sticking point on the tree that allowed him to stay up on it. After about an hour of constant retries he was able to walk up the tree. Then came the problem of staying on the tree. As soon as he stopped walking up the tree he found himself sliding down, like a raindrop down a window. Every couple of minutes during his lecture Ebisu would have to stop and assist his student in remaining on the tree. Naruto himself was pouring sweat as he tried his best to attempt the task given. Something about this was just so different for him.
'This should be easier than the water... Damn it, I don't know why I can't just stick myself to this stupid freaking tree!' The boy thought as the lecture was thrust out of his mind by various other pervasive thoughts. One thing he had to note though, was the feeling of accomplishment he was gathering during the exercise. He knew what he had to do and how to do it. All that stood in the way of his goal was the actual training. When he was with his old team, thoughts of either total success or absolute failure rang in his head. This feeling of gradually getting better was the most rewarding sensation since Ichiraku's special 'all you can eat' buffet a year or two back.
"I don't think rambling to you while you're distracted is going to serve much purpose. I will give you more reading material for tonight and you can catch up that way. For now we will continue with your physical training since the tournament is fast approaching. In this next exercise, we will be doing something similar to what we were doing back at the hot springs. You and I both will have a kunai and you will be tasked with deflecting, blocking, or parrying my attacks." Ebisu dutifully deals out the kunai. He takes a position in front of the boy and the tree setting himself in a relaxed stance.
Slowly his kunai travels towards the boy who pushes the sharp metal away with a weapon of his own. As his focus is taken away however, he slips down the tree almost to the bottom. With a grit of his teeth Naruto scurries back up to his original position.
After a few hours of the training flew by as both teacher and student were completely enraptured by the relatively simple practice they were engaged in. The sun had drifted notably in the sky. Passersby took note of the odd scene throughout the day. A couple of them chuckled and pointed but neither of the duo even noticed. Eventually Naruto slipped off the tree completely drenched in his own sweat and breathing heavily on the ground.
"That-That was.. AWESOME!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fists up in the air and then letting them fall limply back on the ground.
"You are improving at an adequate rate. I am impressed. Although, I would like to understand exactly what is making chakra control so difficult for you. You have access to your chakra and can physically mold it but it seems like something is connecting or something is interfering with the end product." Ebisu mused aloud before losing himself in his thoughts.
'Could it be some sort of mental block that's causing this. Maybe a sense of anxiety or fear that is affecting the flow of chakra through specified points. That could be, maybe it could be some sort of physical trauma? I'm sure that the boy has been through a lot but I have now idea if that's something that is even possible without a kekkei-genkai like the Hyuga clan possesses. Perhaps...'
"Naruto, have you encountered a member of the Hy- Where did you get that bento from?" The man asks slowly to Naruto as the student is sitting up, hunched over eating from said bento box.
"...backpack."
"You didn't bring a backpack!?"
"...You can't have any."
"Ugh." Ebisu gripped the bridge of his nose as he breathed deeply. "As I was trying to ask initially, have you ever encountered one of the Hyuga-clan before outside of your classes, missions or the exam? In a place that might be.. Uncomfortable to recollect?"
Naruto gulped down the food as he looked back to Ebisu. His eyes drop to the ground, then look over at something in the middle distance, then slowly trace back to his teacher. "I really haven't had any kind of experience. I think I might've seen Hinata when I was younger but I don't know if that was real, or just my head playing tricks on me." The boy responds casually, but uncharacteristically shy.
"Nevertheless, let us continue. I will get you into fighting shape for the exam. Again, I'm not promising you that you will get promoted, that is on you. I will however provide you all the tools to make it necessary." Ebisu changes the subject by giving Naruto an almost challenging look to accompany his back up to his feet the boy let out a loud cheer which gave pause to a few passersby.
The day went on without much more than the planned routine. By the end, Naruto was huffing on the ground again, his brand knew kunai clenched firmly in hand. Everything seemed to go quiet for the boy, his master had wished him a safe travel home and only the sound of twilight winds occupied his ears. With every passing second the soft grass underneath felt even softer. A sustained wind caressed his cheeks like a loving mother doting on her child. The fading sun's warmth fucked him in like a cool blanket. His eyes grew heavy until they introduced Naruto to a self-imposed night.
Then he woke up. He woke up to more darkness however. Then he felt his feet move in an odd way. Like they were lighter than before and colder. At that point he realized they were submerged in water. Naruto froze in place putting together pieces to a puzzle in his head. He didn't want to turn around. He didn't have to turn around, but at the same time the fear of knowing what laid behind him was overwhelming. Slowly his head craned back over his shoulder. Behind him, revealed like a stage behind the slow draw of a curtain, was the still porcelain white remains of the demon nine tailed fox. It's gargantuan frame absolutely dwarfing Naruto. The sound of a heart beat echoed in the chamber and against the bones like a scream reverberating through prison cell bars. His legs shook weakly underneath his frame. Water rippled from Naruto and stopped dead at the massive structure that laid inert. He fell to his backside breathing heavier than before. Eyes like dollops of the sea dilated to pinpoints as he started to crab walk away from the sight. Further and further away he traveled, not removing his eyes for a single second while the corridor got darker and darker until it was another all encompassing pitch.
With a start the boy awoke in the same spot he had drifted off. A patch of grass bore the imprint of his sleeping frame, some insects clutching onto his clothes as he stood up. None of that caught his attention as the only one thing was weighing on his mind at the moment. To call out for his sensei was a desire even now he had to fight to keep down. But why fight it at all? Hadn't he already been through enough with his new sensei to feel like he can rely on him. What was this inner conflict about? How could he answer a question when he doesn't even know what it's asking for in the first place. Naruto cries out again, this time clenching the hair on the sides of his head almost pulling them out.
Several hours later, middle of the night:
Naruto stares at the ceiling of his room. The thoughts of a dead demon dances devilishly in his dome. Slight traces of Gaara, Team Seven, and Neji every so often additionally pop up but quickly fade into the ether. When his fear finally did subside his mind felt empty and free for a few moments. It was like floating but this time on air. He had to trust in his teacher, but he had no idea if he knew how.