Chapter 3

The next day, at training ground 7, Sasuke arrived first just after 7am and began working on the tree climbing exercise because at dinner the previous night, which he shared with Naruto at Ichiraku's for the first meal of his debt, Naruto had explained why it was so important. Sasuke was interested to learn that he simply wouldn't be able to progress with most of the higher level ninjutsu unless he kept his chakra control at a sufficient level. Of course, he had known that on a basic level, but he had never thought that control exercises needed to be like his physical training in that if he didn't keep it up it would deteriorate.

Logically he should have realized it, but, like most academy students, once he had mastered the initially difficult task of the leaf balancing, the only chakra control exercise the academy taught, he had never done it again as it didn't seem worth his time.

He'd quickly finished his ramen then because Sakura had shown up and he'd immediately gone home and spent the next 3 hours on the leaf balancing exercise. Now, he thought he might see where those couple hours had helped him as his first attempt at the tree had gotten him 6 feet higher than he'd gotten the day before.

30 minutes later he was exhausted, but he had made it all the way up and then down the tree one time. Panting a little, and smiling slightly, he thought, maybe a little hard work isn't so bad after all. Brother…always…said…, but as his thoughts trained on Itachi he got a second wind and started up and down the tree again several more times.

XXXXX

Sakura had awoken early that morning and, knowing that Sasuke would likely be at the training grounds early, started to prepare to go so she could be with him that much longer, but she stopped as she considered her conversation with Naruto the night before.

She had gone to the library immediately after Kakashi released them and found some beginners level taijutsu scrolls for Naruto, as he admitted that that was currently his biggest weakness, and she, almost, admired his determination to improve himself. …Okay, so she admired it a little, but he'd never be as good as Sasuke…right? After the day they'd had she wasn't so sure, but it didn't really matter. If he got stronger then Sasuke would want to get stronger and she'd have to make sure she didn't hold her crush back.

That was why she'd asked Naruto as he treated her to a bowl of ramen what he thought she should do to get stronger. She'd only asked because he had known something that not even Sasuke had known, and she figured it couldn't hurt to get his opinion as she knew what Sasuke would say if she asked him, and she wasn't comfortable admitting how weak she was to Kakashi-sensei just yet.

Naruto had turned to her with a serious expression on his face and said, "Sakura, right now you're probably the weakest actual genin in this whole village." She was hurt and angry by that, but Naruto held up his hands and said, "Let me finish. You don't come from a clan so you don't have any clan techniques to fall back on, nor any help waiting for you at home to help with training, so it's only natural you'd be at a disadvantage in ninja skills. Also, you've never really practiced outside of class have you?"

She shook her head, seeing where he was going and he'd sighed before continuing, "Right now the only jutsu you know are the basic three, your taijutsu is a little better than mine as mine sucks right now, but you don't have the physical strength or stamina to truly make good use of that. Your aim with kunai and shuriken is good at stationary targets, but moving targets are another matter. Right now you've got the basics and the book smarts, but not much else."

She had fidgeted a bit, thinking she'd really like to hit him about then, but eventually she had to admit he was right so she asked again, "What can I do not to hold this team back then? I don't want to be weak," she mumbled the last as a few tears escaped her control.

Naruto had looked at her and then asked, "Why do you want to be a ninja Sakura?"

Her immediate thought was to answer with 'so I can be with Sasuke', but she didn't think that was what Naruto wanted to hear, so she closed her mouth before saying those words and thought, why did I originally want to be a ninja? I had made the decision long before I knew Sasuke…even before I met Ino. Thoughts of her one time friend hurt, but she quickly closed off that line of thought and focused on why she originally wanted to be a ninja.

She sat like that for a few minutes before she finally remembered and, cursing herself for forgetting, she said, "My parents were both merchants, but when I was three my dad left to get some items they were going to sell at the store. Once, before I was born, my parents would have hired ninja for the job, as the town he was purchasing items from often had…problems. You know, thieves, killers, and just thugs out for a quick buck." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, "It would have been a C-class mission, and, before the nine-tailed-fox attacked they could have afforded the cost, but after all those ninja were killed there were fewer around to do missions and so prices went up. The day my dad left…mom tried to stop him…tried to say they should hire ninja in spite of the increased cost, but dad…he said that everything would be okay, and…," but she couldn't continue as the tears would no longer be held back.

Naruto held her for some time as she cried, and the waitress, Ayame, held her from behind, gently rocking the broken girl before her. Teuchi had heard similar stories before, but he had stopped working to listen to Sakura as well and he only just restrained himself from joining the group hug to support the crying girl. Ayame had also heard such stories before, but hadn't the willpower or desire to stop herself from offering comfort to the girl.

A few minutes went by that way, but eventually Sakura pulled herself together, wiped her eyes and thanked Ayame and Naruto for understanding and offering her what comfort they could. Once she'd recomposed herself, she continued, "My daddy died because he couldn't defend himself and there weren't enough ninja around, so I decided that I'd become a ninja so that, maybe, another little girl wouldn't lose her father so young."

Naruto nodded once and said, "Right now you're ideally suited to begin two fields: genjutsu or medical jutsu. Both require nearly perfect chakra control, which you have, but before you truly can follow either path you need to build your reserves up. I'd say the best way for you to do that is to perform the leaf balancing exercise for as long as you can, and once you can't hold it any longer, rest a bit, and do it again. Each time you do it you should try to hold it a little longer than the time before. It doesn't matter if it's only a couple seconds longer, you need to push yourself."

She looked confused and was about to ask how a chakra control exercise was supposed to help her reserves when he said, "Think about it Sakura. Chakra reserves grow each and every time you use your chakra, it's just that it's usually by such a small amount that you can't notice. Doing a chakra control exercise like this is a work out for your chakra coils and at the same time will keep your control high, but because your current reserves are so low, they should grow slightly faster than your control. Also, when you stop noticing improvement, do the tree climbing exercise a bit to get your control up again and then go back to the leaf balancing. I won't lie to you, this will be slow going, but, where you are now, anything more strenuous could be dangerous."

She had nodded, smiled, and thanked him, but before she could go he said, "Once your reserves are high enough I'd talk to team 8's sensei and ask if she thinks you are ready to begin learning genjutsu, she'd know best. Also, use that brain of yours and study anatomy in the library a bit." He shrugged and said, "After all, it doesn't do to specialize too much, so I suggest you try to learn both genjutsu and medical jutsu. I mean, I might never have that level of control, and I don't think either field really interest Sasuke."

With that she bowed slightly and thanked him for his advice, and once she was home she began trying what he had suggested.

Now it was morning, and, just to check, she tried the exercise again. The night before she'd held the leaf only a couple minutes, but now she went almost five straight minutes before she really felt the drain. It was improvement, and she couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face.

XXXXX

After Sakura was gone Ayame gave Naruto a big hug and a kiss on the cheek before going back to work and Teuchi smiled his big smile and said, "Well done," before he too went back to work.

Embarrassed, Naruto quickly finished his ramen and said goodnight before scampering off at top speed, not for his apartment, but for one of the parks near his apartment. He had a scroll to study and practice, so that maybe, he could get his taijutsu where it should be, and while his apartment had light to study by it didn't offer the space to work out in. Similarly, a training ground had the space, but not the light to study the scroll from, thus the park with lit lampposts was ideal for both light and space. Also, the park nearest his home rarely had visitors due to its' close proximity to his apartment, and the good people of Konoha wouldn't willingly risk their children being anywhere near him.

He studied the scroll a bit, then summoned 5 clones to make sure his form looked right. After an hour he dispersed his clones and re-summoned 5 more and had them do the forms while he looked at the scroll. He repeated this process well into the night before he felt he had made a good start. He knew he wouldn't get far studying this way, but for now it was the best he could do.

The next morning he had made a decision, but sought Kyuu-chan's approval before he began. Kyuu-chan, he thought.

Groggily Kyuubi responded, what is it Kit?

I think I should use my shadow clones for chakra control now that I've got the three control lessons down.

Kyuubi was silent a minute before, do as you wish Kit, but don't go overboard or you'll get caught, and, right now, that would mean questions you can't answer. …Actually, as long as you keep it low key you should be able to master everything you know in this way, but I still want you learning on your own before you use your clones, okay?

Smiling brightly, Naruto thought, thanks Kyuu-chan!

It was 7am and so Naruto summoned 5 shadow clones into his apartment and they all cleared a space in the living room and he had one with the scroll, one moving through the forms and the other three take up chakra exercises. One got some leaves and practiced floating multiple leaves from various points of its' body, one took one leaf and balanced it while walking on the walls and the ceiling of the bedroom, and the last filled the tub and stood on that water while balancing its' own leaf. It was all pretty simple stuff, but Naruto felt that you've got to start somewhere.

He figured he had a few hours before Kakashi would show so he summoned and sent one clone to training ground 7. It was to focus on sensing chakra, hopefully it would sense Kakashi with enough time to disperse and give Naruto enough time to get there.

You should send another so your teammates think you're there, the Kyuubi then yawned and it was clear she was going back to sleep.

Naruto thought it strange the Kyuu-chan should go back to sleep as she usually stayed awake if he was, but he shrugged it off for now and did some stretches followed by some quick exercises, and then left his apartment to begin jogging around the village while also practicing his stealth skills, so as to avoid drawing attention.

XXXXX

The next few hours had Naruto run several laps around Konoha after his initial jog and Sasuke progress in tree climbing to the point where he could simply stand there at his ease, which while harder than running up and down the tree, was no longer a challenge. Thus he turned to the clone of Naruto and observed him standing on his own tree and balancing a leaf above his head. Sasuke nodded, satisfied that he knew what to do next and that he hadn't had to ask.

At some point during his training Sakura had shown up, but, to his immense relief, she left him alone for once. After a few minutes though, he became curious what she was doing so he stopped the joint chakra control exercise he had been attempting and hopped down beside her to ask, "What are you doing Sakura?"

She was so flustered that she lost concentration and glared at Sasuke a moment before realizing it was him and flushed before stuttering out, "N-Naruto re-recommended that I build up my chakra reserves," she finished in a rush.

Sasuke was surprised and looked to where Naruto was to find the blonde smiling a small smile and Sasuke had to admit he was grateful, as he was sure she was going to be the weak link and hold him back.

Around this time the real Naruto arrived and switched out with the clone and seconds later Kakashi showed up and found his three students all looked ready to go, but with clear signs that they'd been training as well. He smiled a bit, though all his students saw was his uncovered eye form the characteristic 'u' shape.

Still smiling, Kakashi said, "I hope you're ready for your first official mission as real ninja of Konoha," and getting an enthusiastic nod from Sakura, a grunt from Sasuke, and a slightly hesitant nod from a pale faced Naruto, he led them to the Hokage for their first team mission.

He was confused by Naruto's reaction though, but it would have been clear if he could read his mind. Then he would have heard the repeated mantra of 'Please not Tora, please not Tora…' to the background nose of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's barking laughter.

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AN: Sorry this took so long for me to post and it didn't go as far as I wanted (didn't even get the first mission), but I felt that was a good place to stop for now. Anyway, for my timeline, team 7 has a little less than 2 months now until Wave, which could start next chapter or the one after that. For now I guess that's it, TTFN.