AN: the jutsu that Roken used to kill Orochimaru was the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique from Kill Bill Vol 2. some of you may be slapping your foreheads at the moment, but that's okay, I might not have explained it easy enough to get from it's description.
Anyway, on with the fic…
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Chapter 21: Training
The next day Naruto found himself waiting at the bridge for Kakashi. He was late as usual, but, unlike his earlier years, Sakura and Sasuke weren't here with him. Naruto still hadn't found Sakura since the exams began, though, by the time he had gotten out of the forest, night had fallen.
Finally Naruto saw a figure walking towards him, but he knew almost immediately that it wasn't Kakashi. For one this person wasn't reading a book while they walked, and for another, their hair style was different. Finally the figure got close enough for Naruto to recognize it, and it turned out to be…
"Sasuke! What're you doing here?" Naruto asked.
"Kakashi said he had training for me and to meet him here," Sasuke said hopping onto a railing.
"But you're not a ninja again," Naruto said.
"Five more days and I am. So for now we just have to keep it a secret from the elders," Sasuke said shrugging.
Naruto nodded in response, then he realized something, "Hey, why are you so late then? You used to be here first, early that the scheduled time," Naruto said.
"Kakashi's always late. I could show up late and be early by his standards," Sasuke said.
Naruto opened his mouth to respond but at that moment Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke, "Yo," he said with a slight wave of the hand.
"What's the excuse this time?" Naruto asked with arms folded and eyebrows cringed.
"A neighbor asked a favor of me and it took some time to do it…" Kakashi said trailing off slightly.
"Whatever, what kind of training do you have for me, or us I guess?" Sasuke asked hopping off the railing.
"Well, you'll actually just be helping with Naruto's training. And depending on how fast he goes depends on if you do anything today," Kakashi said.
"Great, so I'm getting nothing out of this," Sasuke said sighing.
"What exactly am I going to be doing?" Naruto asked.
"Well, before you fought Kyuubi you had a chakra store this big," Kakashi put his hands an inch apart, "and one this big," he put his heads as far apart as he could. Kakashi dropped his hands to his sides before talking again, "Jiraiya taught you to tap into the larger store, which was Kyuubi's. Now you don't have this store anymore," Kakashi put his hands as far apart again, "but in stead of this," he put them an inch apart, "somehow you got this," he put his hands a foot apart.
"So, I lost a lot of chakra when I lost Kyuubi, but I also gained some?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, before, your small amount of chakra was on the large side comparatively. You have more stamina than anyone I've seen, with the exception of the fourth, and there are very few with as much chakra as you had," Kakashi said.
Naruto's eye's widened, "really, I have all that?" he asked.
"No, you had all that before the Kyuubi. Your stamina was unaffected by the loss, it actually increased from the training. But your chakra, it skyrocketed. What I just said was your ability without taping into Kyuubi. Now, somehow, you've gained more chakra from the loss," Kakashi said.
"How does that happen?" Sasuke asked.
"Apparently, the seal that kept the Kyuubi in needs a constant chakra flow to maintain, which the body does subconsciously. With the Kyuubi and the seal gone, that Chakra isn't tied up anymore, and is now at your disposal," Kakashi said.
Naruto beamed at Kakashi, "does that mean that I'm even stronger?"
"Yes, I've seen a handful of people with chakra stores as large as yours is now, and there is the reason why we're here," Kakashi said.
"Good, what is it?" Sasuke asked.
"Naruto, you are used to controlling that small amount of chakra, but you have no control over what you currently possess. We are here to get you back in control by the time you have to fight, if you're not, you could accidentally use too much chakra and hurt or kill countess people, or not enough and kill yourself," Kakashi said.
Naruto got a grim look on his face, "yeah, I understand," he said.
"Good, first you're going to do the tree climbing, then water walking. Once you've mastered those again, it'll be time for Sasuke to help. If all works out right, it'll take you about five days to do that, then Sasuke will be a ninja by the time we need him and we won't have to worry about being seen in training," Kakashi said.
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By nightfall Naruto had managed to make it halfway up the tree. Though, it was his fifth tree. He learned on his first try what Kakashi meant, the first step he took up the tree decimated it because he unknowingly put far too much chakra into it.
"Alright Naruto that's a good first day. Let's call it a night," Kakashi said.
At these words Sasuke stood up and started heading back, it was obvious that he wasn't going to be needed, "Kakashi, tell me when he masters water walking. I'll be training on my own until then," he said as he walked away.
Kakashi nodded at Sasuke's retreating form and heard the distinct sound of feet running on wood. He turned to see Naruto going up the tree again as if Kakashi hadn't said anything. "Naruto that's enough, we'll continue tomorrow," Kakashi said.
"No," Naruto said as he started to fall. He landed and turned to Kakashi, "I can't give in so easily, I can't quit so readily. If I can stand, I can train. You said I have a lot more stamina and chakra than before, I can make it through this longer, I can keep going," Naruto said before running at the tree again.
"That's true, but you're burning through both at a rate higher than you ever had before. That's why we're here, once you get both of these, you're control will be back to what it was before. It won't be perfect, but it won't be dangerous," Kakashi said and Naruto fell to the ground again, "and speaking of dangerous, you're killing yourself."
"The sooner this is done, the sooner I've got control and the danger will be gone. So I gotta get this as fast as I can," Naruto said standing up and charging the tree again.
"Naruto, we have a month for this! At the rate you're going you should be ready in a week at the most! Calm down!" Kakashi was on the verge of physically stopping Naruto now.
"I can't let this happen, I can't let my control be this bad. I've hurt my friends before when I lost control, I've hurt Sakura. I won't let it happen again, I won't let myself be a danger to others," Naruto said as he fell back to the earth.
"Naruto! If you keep going like this you'll die! The Kyuubi isn't here to heal you anymore. You don't have a one night recovery rate anymore. Your injuries stay and heal slowly, like the rest of us," Kakashi said.
"Then I won't be a danger. This time if I die the Kyuubi can't get out, and I won't be a danger," Naruto said looking at the base of the tree.
The two were silent for a moment, neither moving. The wind blew causing the leaves to rustle in the trees, the sun had completely set, they were under the waning moon, the stars had yet to come.
"You won't come back either. The jutsu that brought you back was a one time deal. And you're so set on not hurting your friends, what do you think you dying will do? Last time it hit them hard, but a second time? It'll shatter some of them, especially Sakura," Kakashi said.
Naruto turned to face Kakashi with a somber look, "what do I do then?" he asked.
"Sleep. Get rest and tomorrow we'll pick it up from here. You should be onto water walking in no time," Kakashi said.
Naruto nodded and followed Kakashi back into the village. Kakashi walked Naruto home and made sure he went inside. He waited outside for a while, properly hidden, to be sure Naruto wouldn't try and sneak out to keep training. Kakashi finally decided that Naruto was going to bed and left for home.
Once he was gone, however, Naruto escaped through his window, (his door squeaks) and was off to the training ground. He was determined to master tree climbing again before the sun came. He reached the tree and started again. As the hours passed more stars came and Naruto slowly made progress. With each fall he landed harder because of the higher height and less chakra and stamina he had. His body was getting more and more battered, more and more bloody.
It was well past midnight and Naruto was about ten feet from the top. Hours later and five feet left. Another set of hours later and he had finally made it, he had reached the top, first by running then he managed to walk all the way up. He had beaten the sun by half an hour. But he had beaten himself even worse. He barely had the energy to make his fall down survivable.
His hands, feet and face were covered in cuts. His entire body was sore and bruises and impact marks practically covered his body. He didn't have the energy to stand, he just lay at the foot of the tree on his back, staring up at the sky. "Kakashi was right, I won't heal now like I did the other times. But I'm not as much of a danger either. At least everyone else'll be okay," Naruto said.
"Well, that's a nice thought, but what about you?" asked a familiar voice.
Naruto slowly pulled himself into a sitting position to see Sakura standing a few feet away. "Sakura, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I was looking for you. I left for a mission while you were in the first exam, I just got back a few hours ago and I wanted to congratulate you on passing the first two tests," Sakura said walking up to Naruto.
"So that's where you were, I was looking for you," Naruto said.
Sakura kneeled down next to Naruto and started to heal his cuts and bruises, "looking for me? Why, did something happen?" she asked while keeping her eyes on Naruto's hands, which she was currently healing.
Naruto sighed, 'I guess it was just good luck. There was nothing to it at all… of course there wasn't, why would I think there was, Sakura always hated me. Well, at least she's accepted me as a friend now,' Naruto thought.
"There, all better. Or at least, the cuts and bruises are gone, I can't stop the sore muscles without medicine," Sakura said as she moved over to sit next to Naruto, they were both leaning against the tree he had been climbing. "So why are you here?" she asked.
"Oh, when I lost the Kyuubi I gained a lot of chakra so my control is gone. Kakashi-sensei is retraining me to get it back to a manageable point. I just finished tree climbing," Naruto said looking at the stars, he was determined to look anywhere but at Sakura, doing so might cause him to do something that could make Sakura hate him again.
"I'm betting Kakashi-sensei doesn't know you're here now, does he?" Sakura asked with a grin and looking at Naruto.
Naruto smiled to, "No, he thinks I'm home, but I came back here to finish with the tree," Naruto said absently knocking his fist against the tree.
"I guess you got water walking next," Sakura said, her eyes still on Naruto, 'why isn't he looking at me?'
"Yeah, then I'm done with control. At least with Kakashi, I still have a lot of work to master it again," Naruto said his eyes shifting to the trees in front of him.
"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sakura asked.
"Nothing why?" Naruto asked.
"Firstly, you're not looking at me. Also you didn't ask me about my mission, or even brag about how you got through the first two tests," Sakura said, her voice slightly raised.
"I though you didn't like me bragging," Naruto said looking at his feet.
"But you not doing it isn't normal," Naruto said.
"And you talking about your mission is?" Naruto asked coolly.
"Fair enough, but at least you normally look at me," Sakura said.
Naruto didn't answer. He was waiting for her to forget about it and move on to the next topic. He knew the tests and her mission would only worsen the situation, but he couldn't think of any other topic. He'd have to answer. "I haven't looked at you because…because…because I didn't want…"
But whatever Naruto didn't want was never found out, because as he spoke he turned to look at Sakura, and at that moment his words were stopped by the presence of Sakura's lips pressed against his and her arms wrapped around him.
AN: sorry, couldn't resist the cliffhanger. I'll try to update as soon as I can.