Author's Note:
Hello everyone. I hope you guys are enjoying the new story of the Had It Not Been for You collection. I have noticed that this story is not getting as much attention as I thought it would. I am wondering if it is because a lot of people are still waiting on an update with the first story. So, in an effort for this story to get a little bit more recognition, I am dedicated to updating this story more often. So, if you are one of the few people who were able to find this second installment from the last Author's Note at the end of Had It Not Been for You, then please refer your friends who are waiting on an update for the first installment.
On another note, if I do get some confirmation that more people are reading this story, then I will offer to do a Q&A. I know that most Q&As are just about the story, but maybe I'll open it up enough to where anything, within reason can be asked. Tell me what you think in the review below.
SIDE NOTE: Before any of you ask, yes I did go back and add that Naruto had another tail in the previous chapter. Also, for the other characters, Naruto already told them about his other tail during the time Sasuke was off fighting Itachi and hanging with Obito and Madara. However, the characters are still not used to him having them, so it might come up on occasion.
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Chapter 14: Learning a New Jutsu
Naruto's P.O.V.
"Sasuke… please don't leave me… my heart can't take it," I whisper against bruised lips.
"Naruto… I… can't…"
"Please stay with me… I love you…"
"I know…" he whispers back.
"I can't lose you…"
I lean down to press my thin lips against Sasuke's. Inside my chest, I can feel my heart wanting to bust. I feel as if I can die right now with Sasuke in my arms. And, as long as he stays here, I can die happy. I wrap my arms around his slightly smaller frame before gasping when I feel nothing there. Looking down, I see that I'm alone, floating in a void. There is only darkness surrounding me. I grab my chest, my breathing is laboring and harder to catch. A stabbing pain hits my heart as I suffocate. I try to keep myself above rising water. The invisible walls are closing in. There is no way out. I reach up, grasping at nothing. When I look up, Sasuke is floating just above me. I smile, thinking that he is here to save me. It's not until I see his Chidori coming towards me that I realize that I'm swimming in a nightmare. His Sharingan eyes stare back at me before the lightning of the Chidori surrounds me. I let out a silent scream as I feel my chest tightening. Soon, everything turns black and my heart stops…
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"NO SASUKE!" I scream as I sit up.
My breathing is labored. Beads of sweat drip down my chest and my forehead. I can feel my wide eyes looking around to see exactly where I am. Familiar objects (my refrigerator, nightstand, and my covers) bring me back to reality.
"Oh, I'm in my apartment. Another dream about him, just fucking great," I say, grumbling.
I fall back onto my bed, trying to calm my breathing. I look down to see my knuckles are white from me gripping my comforter so tight. I slowly release my grip in favor of swinging my legs over the side bed and sitting up.
"What happened last night? Why can't I remember anything besides my dream of Sasuke?" I ask myself as I hold my aching head. "I remember walking around town, meeting up with Kiba, Hinata and Shino. I remember eating at Ichiraku's and having a little sake with Kiba, but not enough to get drunk. So what the hell happened last night?" Trying to recount the events of last night makes my head throb more. "Fuck, my head hurts. Fuck this, I'm going back to bed,"
I try to lay on my back, but stop when I feel a sharp pain spreading along my back. I reach behind me to see if something was stuck on me. When I don't feel anything, I get up and head to the bathroom. I grab my handheld mirror before raising it up and turning around.
"Claw marks and dried blood? What the fuck…?"
I try to use my other hand to whip some of the blood away, but I can't reach. Giving up, I put the mirror down and leave the bathroom. Trying my hardest to remember what happened last night, I look around my apartment for some kind of clues.
"Everything looks the same but something happened last night, I just know it,"
I continue to look around, but nothing comes to mind. Giving up, I walk towards my bed to climb back in bed; stopping when I see something interesting laying on my nightstand. I look over to see two necklaces. One is a fox while the other is a black cat. Never seeing them before, I study them closely with confusion clearly on my face. When nothing comes to mind, I shrug my shoulders and try to lay back down. Just when I climb into bed, I notice something familiar shining on my nightstand. Under both the animal necklaces I see a ruby jeweled necklace hiding. I pick it up and hold it between my fingers. I stare at it long and hard, trying to see if it jogs my memory.
"Why does this necklace look so familiar?" I question before leaning down and sniffing it. "Strawberries?"
After a few minutes of thinking about it, I gasp when my memories come back. I reach over and grab the last set of pictures that Sasuke and I took before he left. I look at each picture closely until I find what I am looking for.
Around a younger Sasuke's neck is the ruby necklace I bought for him. The same one that I am currently holding in my hand. I jump onto my bed, sniffing my sheets long enough until the familiar scent enters my nose. With wide eyes, a smile, and a tear forming in the corner, I come to an exciting realization.
"Sasuke was here?!" I yell excitedly before jumping out of bed.
I land on all fours, my ears and tail are perked up, and I sniff the air for a stronger scent of strawberries. After a few minutes of sniffing around my apartment, my body, ears, and tail slump in depression when I realize that he is no longer here. Leaning against the side of my bed, I bring my knees up to my chest and rest my chin on them while recounting last night's events.
Memories of kissing thin lips, stroking soft, pale skin, and hearing the most sexually satisfying moans that brought me to a powerful climax fill my head. I can feel my cheeks heat up at everything that he let me do last night. It felt like a dream, but I knew it wasn't. The scent of strawberries, the scratches on my back, and the three necklaces left behind prove that it wasn't. I should feel happy that we shared a night like that together, especially after all these years.
"So why do I feel so empty?"
Is it because it was just a one night stand? Is it because I'm not good enough for him to stay? Or could it be because he doesn't see me as an equal after all? I mean, how can he when I act like a love sick puppy around him. But, I can't help it. I just love him so much and will do anything to have him back in my arms.
However, in the same breath, Sasuke has to view me as somewhat close to his level. He has to have some kind of feelings for me. He followed me all the way to my apartment, watched me undressed, confronted me, and let me ravage him as much as I wanted to last night. Hell, he even stayed until I fell asleep. But, Sasuke would never do all of that for a one night stand; at least not the Sasuke I think I know. There had to be a reason he came to me, right?
"Hey Naruto! Would ya stop daydreaming already and listen to me!" a shrieking voice yells from behind me.
I jump in surprise before turning around to see the Toad Brothers: Gamakichi and Gamatatsu sitting on my window.
"What are you two doing here?" I ask with a glare on my face.
"I came for the snacks," Gamatatsu answers.
"Well I don't have any so go away," I say while grumbling and turning away from them.
"Well we also came for you," Gamakichi says as he jumps onto my bed. I turn around with a raised eyebrow, indicating I want him to explain further. "Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade asked us to summon your team to the Hokage Tower. Apparently there's an important meeting happing involving y'all,"
I give a deep sigh before standing up and stretching. "Fine, I'll be there soon,"
"Cool," Gamakichi says, nodding.
"But what about the snacks?" Gamatatsu whines.
"Don't worry, we'll probably get snacks at Kakashi's house,"
"Oh boy! Snacks!"
And with that, the two brothers leave my apartment. I turn my head towards the direction the Toad Brothers take off in and realize that the sun is peaking over the horizon. I breathe deeply while feeling the sunbeams hit my skin, slightly heating it up. My mind is still plagued with images of Sasuke laying in my bed and of me holding him from last night. I try not to let it distract me anymore than usual. However, I use last night as determination for bringing Sasuke back. Last night happened for a reason. Sasuke could have been anywhere else in the world. He was in the village for a reason. He followed me to my apartment and allowed me to make love to him. He would not have done that if he didn't feel anything for me. Sasuke wants to be with me as much as I want to be with him. I made a promise to both Sasuke and Itachi and I will keep it. With my new determination stuck in my head, I head to the bathroom and prepare for today's meeting.
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After finishing dressing myself in my orange jumpsuit, I stand in front of the mirror. Looking myself over to make sure that I am presentable, I walk over to my nightstand to grab my black headband. I stop when I see the three necklaces still laying there. An aching sensation stabs my chest painfully as thoughts of Sasuke continue to plague my mind. I pick the necklaces up and hold them tight in my fist. Bringing them to my lips, I kiss my fist.
"We'll be together soon, Sasuke. I promise,"
I place them back onto my nightstand before grabbing my keys, headband and walk out of my apartment. Locking the door behind me, I make my way through the streets of Konoha. The sounds of people going about their day fill my ears. Friends wave as I pass them. With a slight, awkward, I wave back. With the sun shining above and a light breeze blowing around me, I take everything in.
I lived my whole life in this village, facing hatred, training to become Hokage, discovering love, and growing up. But, with all of these events that have led up to this moment, I can't remember the last time I took the time to appreciate the peaceful moments. Sure, I have always appreciated the moments I was at peace with Sasuke. But this is the first time I've ever had time to look at my life as a single male.
As proud Shinobi, we are taught to live our lives as protectors for the Hidden Leaf Village. In the same token, we are expected to continue to live our lives as if we are normal people. Honing our skills, finding love, starting a family, sacrificing our lives for the protection of our homes, families, and friends. All of these factors go are embedded into the mindset of a proud shinobi that enter into this world. However, I think most of us forget that we're not just shinobi, but that we're people too. We have feelings and conflicts that outside of being a shinobi. As for me, I'm a little different.
Other than being a shinobi, I tried my hand at being a lover while also learning what it is like living as a Jinchūriki for the Nine-Tailed Demon: Kurama. In the eyes of most people, I am the host to the most powerful tailed-beast demon. To some I am Naruto Uzumaki. And, at one point, I was the lover to the youngest Sharingan user: Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke was the only person who, even when he found out who I truly am, saw me as an actual person over a monster. It was thanks to him that I was able to see myself as a person too. Before Sasuke, even though I had dreams of becoming Hokage, I went through life believing that I was the monster most people hated and feared me for. Despite Kurama raising and trying to convince me otherwise, it was hard for me to believe differently.
It was thanks to Sasuke seeing me as an actual person that I was able finally start believing in myself. But, I think that it caused me to become obsessed over him. I want him so desperately back in my life that I would give my life for him. In turn, I honestly believe that I can't live without him. Is this how love is supposed to feel? Since I don't know any better, I honestly can't answer that question. Is it supposed to hurt this much to know the one person you love with all your heart loves you back but can't be with you? All I know how to do is train to become stronger. But is there something more for me to learn during all of this? I might have to ask Pervy-Sage on this on.
With all of these thoughts on my mind, enough times passes until I am standing in front of Grandma Tsunade's office door. I place my hand on the door before sighing deeply. Even though bringing Sasuke back is my current mission, I have other things to focus on as well. I need to find some kind of balance or else I'll lose my mind. Shaking my head free, I wrap my hand around the door knob and slowly open the door.
As I enter the room, everyone turns to look at me. I smile slightly while closing the door. Grandma Tsunade is sitting at her desk, Pervy-Sage sits on the couch closest to the wall, and all of Team 7, including Kakashi-sensei, are standing in front of Grandma Tsunade's desk. I join them by standing in between Sakura-chan and Sai.
"Well, it's nice of you to join us, Naruto," Grandma Tsunade smiles while leaning in her chair. "How have you been?"
"Fine. Just training like normal," I answer as I lace my fingers behind my head and cross my ankles with a smile.
She nods. "It's good to see that you're staying consistent with your training. If you keep this up, then you'll become Hokage in no time," She searches her desk for a few moments before finding some papers. "Now, onto what I called you all here for. I know that I assigned the Sasuke Retrieval Mission to your team, but I just received some interesting news about the Akatsuki. So, I'm sorry Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi, but Sasuke is going to have to wait,"
"What?!" Sakura-chan and I yell together.
"But, Grandma Tsunade, you can't be serious?" I question.
"I am very serious, Naruto,"
"Is this because of our last mission? We promise that we'll be better, but we can't give up on Sasuke-kun,"
"This has nothing to do with your failed mission, Sakura. Even though retrieving a fellow Konoha citizen is important, especially with the Akatsuki on the loose. But, there are other more serious matters that need attending to,"
Sakura and I are about to argue further, but Kakashi and Captain Yamato place their hands in front of us to end it.
"We understand, Lady Hokage," Captain Yamato says with a nervous smile.
"What is this new information on the Akatsuki?" Kakashi-sensei asks, continuing the conversation.
"Jiraiya has been the one keeping a close eye on the Akatsuki, so I'll let him explain his findings,"
Pervy-Sage clears his throat as he moves to stand closer to Grandma Tsunade. "From the intel I was able to gather, it seems that the Akatsuki are making moves towards a possible Fourth Shinobi War. It seems that they have gathered more Jinchūriki and have extracted them. I don't know how many they have gathered so far, but they have more than the One-Tail. We need to stop them before they can complete their plan,"
"What do you believe their ultimate plan is?" Sai asks.
"That I don't know yet. If anything, I know for a fact it's to start a Fourth Shinobi War with all the nations. Possibly using the Ten-Tailed Beast as their ultimate weapon,"
"Ten-Tails? What the hell is that?" I ask.
"I'm actually surprised you don't know about it, Naruto. It is where all of the Tailed Beast come from. Long before any of the hidden villages were formed, the world was plagued with never ending wars by mankind. Like most gods the Ōtsutsuki clan, an ancient clan of horned, celestial beings that were believed to have lived on the moon, could no longer stand by and watch as mankind destroyed ourselves. It was believed that there was a tree: The God Tree that bored special chakra infused fruit once every one thousand years. Legend stated that it was forbidden for the fruit to be consumed and that anyone who approached the tree would be possessed by a demon.
Knowing this, the leader of the Ōtsutsuki clan: Kaguya arrived on Earth and consumed the fruit. It gave her tremendous power which she used to end the war and brought peace to our land. It was because of her actions that day, Princess Kaguya was revered as a benevolent deity. Little did we know that she was far from it. After she ended the war and was worshipped by the people, Princess Kaguya ruled the land in peace and harmony. Later, Princess Kaguya would soon give birth to two sons: Hagoromo and Hamura, the first beings to be born with chakra.
Jealous and fearful of her sons' growing abilities, Kaguya infused herself with the God Tree in an attempt to steal away her sons' abilities. In doing this, the Ten-Tailed Beast was created. It is believed that the tree was unaware of Kaguya's motives and it was actually the tree that took on the Ten-Tailed Beast form. However, knowing that the beast and their mother needed to be stopped, her sons joined forces and sealed them both into the moon. Unfortunately, some of the beast's power remained on Earth and ended up being sealed into one of the twins: Hagoromo," Pervy-Sage explains.
"Lord Jiraiya, how do you know all of this?" Kakashi-sensei asks.
"Actually, I heard the story from the Nine-Tails," he answers calmly.
Everyone in the room gasps at this. I step forward in shock. "You actually talked to Kurama?"
Pervy-Sage nods. "Yes Naruto. He and I have had many conversations while you slept," he smiles while placing his hand on top of my head. "But, that is neither here or there,"
"If everything that you're saying is true, then how did the Ten-Tails split into the Nine-Tailed Beasts? And better yet, how did people like Gaara and Naruto become Jinchūriki?" Sakura asks.
Everyone turns to her in surprise. "Sakura-chan… you know that I'm…"
She nods with a slight smile on her face. "It was unbelievable when I first heard about it, but yes Naruto. I know that you're the Nine-Tail's vassal,"
"We'll be discussing how you know about Naruto later, Sakura," Grandma Tsunade says.
"But, to answer your question, Sakura, I will continue my history lesson. After becoming the first Jinchūriki, Hagoromo used his powers to give birth to the Shinobi world, abilities, and techniques that we know today. However, Hagoromo knew that when he dies, the Ten-Tails would be released into our world again and continue its rampage in an attempt to reclaim its stolen chakra. To prevent this from happening, Hagoromo separated the chakra from the Ten-Tails' body and used his Creation of All Things Jutsu to create the Nine-Tailed Beasts. After doing this, Hagoromo then used the Chibaku Tensei Jutsu to seal the Ten-Tails' husk into the moon. And, well, here we are,"
"Wow, that's amazing to know. But, what does it all mean?" I question.
"It means that if we don't stop the Akatsuki soon, then we're not only going to have the Fourth Shinobi War on our hands but also the recreation of the Ten-Tails to deal with. Hence the reason we have to abandon Sasuke's retrieval for now. For now, we need to gather as much info on the Akatsuki and their plan as we can. To do this, I will be assigning Team 10 on a mission to possibly capturing an Akatsuki member. While they're busy doing this, I want you all to be preparing for the upcoming battles and missions I will be sending you on. I plan on using your team for the forefront for much trougher missions. Sakura, of course you will be training with me. Sai, you already know what you have to do until you are needed,"
"Yes ma'am," Sai and Sakura say while saluting.
"Good. You are dismissed," she announces.
Sakura, Sai, and I turn to leave her office. I allow Sakura and Sai to go first before I go to leave.
"Naruto, wait," Pervy-Sage says. I turn around to see what he needs. "We have something important to discuss with you. As you already know, there are many other techniques and jutsus for you to learn. But, one thing that you need to learn first is your Nature Transformation,"
"Nature Transformation? What is that?"
"It is an advance form of chakra control that every shinobi learns at one point or another. It is the foundation for a shinobi's lifestyle and is the foundation for all elemental ninjutsu. When a shinobi learns their native Nature Transformation, then they'll be able to develop, enhance, modify, or even give birth to their own jutsu,"
"Awesome," I cheer while pumping my fists into the air. "Wait, how am I going to learn that?"
"Oh don't worry, we have that covered," Kakashi-sensei smiles.
"Lord Jiraiya, Kakashi, and I will be your instructors for this lesson. So, if you would like to follow us," Yamato says before walking towards me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "We'll begin your training,"
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I follow the trio to the Training Field where we stand close to a rushing waterfall. Pervy-Sage, Kakashi-sensei, and Captain Yamato are currently standing in front of me. I stand with my back to the waterfall with my fingers laced behind my head and my ankles crossed.
"You ready, Naruto?" Kakashi-sensei asks.
"Let's get started,"
"Alright, first let's start with the change in Chakra Nature," Kakashi-sensei starts explaining. "When you learned how to form your Rasengan, you were able to master the change in Chakra Form. Chakra Form is the ability to harness chakra and manipulate it into any form the user chooses. For instance, you creating Rasengan is your ability to harness your chakra and make it spin rapidly in various directions while also expanding and compressing it is just one of numerous ways to do this. However, there are some ninjutsus that have an element added to it. Take my Chidori for example," Kakashi forms the Chidori hand signs before holding out his hand. A small Chidori appears in his palm. "To create a Chidori, you must combine a change in Chakra Form and a change in Chakra Nature. By doing this, I am able to shift the form in a way to where I can discharge the electricity by determining the range and strength of the attack. But, that is easier said than done," Kakashi-sensei says before dismissing his Chidori.
"There are five Chakra Property types," Pervy-Sage continues from there. "Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning. Typically, every shinobi's chakra will fall under at least one of these properties. With each element there is one that it prevails against and one where it is weak against. For instance, Water is strong against Fire, but weak against Earth,"
"So, if someone who uses Water faces off against someone who uses Fire, then they'll always win?" I ask.
"Not necessarily," Captain Yamato answers before continuing. "Yes, even though Water is stronger against Fire, it can win even if they are at the same level. However if the user were to combine Fire and Wind together, then they can easily prevail over Water. On the other hand, if two users of the same element and strength go against each other, then their techniques will cancel out. This is called counterbalancing. However, if one of the users' power level is higher than their opponent, then not only with the stronger technique will prevail, but it'll also gain strength from its interaction with the weaker technique,"
"But, none of this will actually apply to you unless you understand and master your own element. And since we don't know yours, we'll use these papers to find out," Pervy-Sage pulls out five pieces of paper and hands them to me.
I look them over and rub each one between my fingers before asking about them. "What are these?"
"These are Litmus paper strips. Litmus paper is harnessed from a tree that is grown and fed with charka, making it easier to react to chakra. Watch this," Kakashi-sensei holds up on of the paper strips. I watch closely as the paper crinkles between his two fingers. "See how it crinkles when I apply some of my chakra to it? This means that my native chakra element is lightning. By adding some of your chakra to this paper, we will find your affinity,"
"How will I know which element I posse?"
"The paper will react to it," Captain Yamato answers. "Fire will burn it, Lightning will crinkle it, Earth will transform it to dirt and it will crumble, Water will wet it, and Wind will spilt it. Now, take one of the papers and focus your chakra towards it,"
I do as he says and focus. Closing my eyes, an image of the paper appears. Taking deep breaths, I focus my chakra into the paper as hard as I can. I can feel the wind around me stir as I continue to focus. After a few moments, I hear something rip. I open my eyes to see the paper split in two pieces.
"Alright!" I cheer.
"Congratulations, kid. Your element is Wind," Pervy-Sage says with his arms crossed. "Now, onto learning to control it. Usually, it takes years to master this, but since we don't have that kind of time right now I've come up with a more efficient way to cut down on time. Summon your Shadow Clones,"
"How many?"
He points to a nearby tree. "Enough for them to each have a leaf from that tree," I nod before doing what he asked. I summon about one thousand Shadow Clones and command each of them to grab a leaf off the tree. "Now, I want all of you to put a leaf between your hands and focus your chakra until you split the Leaf in half. Just remember, trying to split the leaf is going toi be harder than the paper, so try to remain calm,"
"Yes Naruto," Captain Yamato says as he moves into a crouching position with his hand out. "Even though I am also here to help with your training, I will be here in case you lose control. All of us here know that you and the Nine-Tails are close and he is not trying to feed his chakra in an attempt to control you. However, it is easy for its vassal to access its chakra in anger. Like in the past, if this occurs, you could lose yourself. Remember that you control its chakra, not the other way around,"
"He's right, kit. Please be careful. I will try to hold it back as much as I can," Kurama warns.
I nod at both warnings before getting to work. In unison, all of my clones sandwich their leaves into our hands. We focus our chakra into our hands as hard as we can. With each passing minute I can feel beads of sweat drip down my face and body. The sun's rays beat down on me, heating my body to an uncomfortable point, but I don't let it distract me. I need to stay strong. Not only am I strengthening my body, but I also need to strengthen my mind. If I'm going to get strong enough to save Sasuke, then I have to endure it all. With that in mind, I continue to push myself.
"C'mon, you stupid leaf, rip!"
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"Naruto… do you wanna take a break…?" I hear Pervy-Sage ask.
I look over to see the three of them sitting under a shady tree. I glare at them before turning away.
"No! I'm going to rip this leaf before the sun sets today!"
"Well it's only noon, so you have time!" Kakashi-sensei calls back.
"Good! Then I'll keep going!"
I push myself until I feel myself become exhausted. My vision blurs right before I fall onto the ground. My Shadow Clones disappear while I lay on the ground panting. Feeling over heated, I unzip my jacket and let the breeze cool me off. In the distance I see Team 10 approaching me. I give a lazy wave.
"Hey guys. What are you doing here?"
"Lady Tsunade just assigned us to go after a nearby Akatsuki party," Choji says while eating a bag of his favorite chips.
"But, we wanted to stop by and check on you before we go. Heard you were doing some intense training," Shikamaru adds.
"Yeah, so what's this intense training you're doing?" Ino asks with her hands on her hips.
"He's practicing harnessing his Wind Nature Manipulation," Pervy-Sage answers.
"Hello Master Jiraiya!" all of them say while bowing to him.
"Wait, did you say that Naruto is a Wind Element? How exciting," Asuma smiles with his cigarette hanging off the corner of his mouth. "It's nice to finally meet another Wind Element in the village,"
"You're a Wind Element too, Asuma-sensei?" I ask as I sit up straight. He nods. I jump up and run to him. "Will you please help me?"
"Of course. I don't mind giving you a few pointers before we leave," Asuma pulls out his chakra blades and holds them towards them out for everyone to see. "These are my Chakra Blades. They are made of a special kind of metal that absorbs its user's chakra and reacts to their nature," he adds his chakra to one of the blades and holds it out. "See how you actually see my chakra surround the blade? That is the metal absorbing my chakra and adding it to the blade itself. Here, take one and add your chakra to it," I take the blade and do as he says. "Good, now listen to what I have to say. The best technique to use for Wind Elements is to picture your chakra splitting into two halves that rub against one another. While they are split, they will sharpen each other into thin, fine pieces. While they are in this state, you will need to rejoin them back into one," He looks around before focusing on a nearby tree. "There. I want you to stand by me. Together, we're going to throw the blades at that tree so I can show you something,"
I nod before standing beside him. We focus our chakra into the blades and release them into the tree's trunk. My blade hits its mark, but Asuma's pierces the trunk and embeds itself into the boulder behind it. We all gasp at the difference between where the blades landed.
"That's amazing! How did yours pierce through the trunk and hit the boulder, but mines only hit the trunk?"
"That's because you're still new at controlling your element. When you are able to master controlling it, you will be able to manipulate it in a way to where you can create small, precise strikes or more devastating damage. Out of the five elements, Wind is a rarity so there are very few who know how to defend against it when they're faced with it. Keep practicing Naruto and you'll become a powerful adversary. See ya guys when we get back,"
"See ya," we all wave as Team 10 leave the Training Field.
"Alright, let's give this another try," I say before summoning my thousand Shadow Clones again.
We focus our chakra into our hands again to try and cut the leaves in half. With new determination rejuvenating me, I use all of my strength aid me. While focusing on this task, my mind wanders back to Sasuke. The few times he would smile for me, all of the times we fought as comrades, hearing him say 'I love you', the future we tried to plan fill my head. Hokage may be my ultimate goal, but having Sasuke back with me is what I desire the most. I promised him that I would do whatever it takes to protect him and don't plan on going back on my word.
"I need to get stronger. I need to become good enough to save him. I need to be the one he can count on. I want to be his everything. I will become his everything, just like he's mine,"
Lost in my thoughts, I am brought back when I feel something move within my hands. I move my shaky hand to revile a leaf split in half.
"I DID IT!" I cheer along with my clones.
"Well, well that was fast. I'm impressed," Pervy-Sage says as they make their way towards me.
"Yes, now it's time to move to the next step. Would you like a break?" Kakashi-sensei asks.
"Nope, let's keep going," I smile, but the growling of my stomach says otherwise. "Maybe some lunch would be nice first,"
"Agreed. Come on, lunch is on me," Captain Yamato announces before leading us into town.
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After lunch at Ichiraku's, the four of us return to the Training Field and back to my training.
"Alright, now that I've eaten, I'm ready for the next step,"
"The next part is to use your new ability on something bigger,"
"What do you mean bigger, Kakashi-sensei?" He points behind me. I turn around and stare at the waterfall behind me. I look at him in confusion. "You don't mean the waterfall?" He nods with a smile. "What?! How the hell do you expect me to split a waterfall in half?!"
"Just like you split that leaf. Mastering your element gives you the ability to manipulate it in almost any form you need to. With that being said, just how you focused your chakra to cut the leaf in half, I want you to split the waterfall horizontally. You can use your Shadow Clones, but you won't need as many. Ten should be enough for this exercise,"
"Alright, but how do you expect me to get up there? Run up it?"
"No, you won't have to do that. Yamato, if you please?"
Captain Yamato nods before putting his hands together. The tree growing on the side of the waterfall extends and creates a path across the waterfall. Sighing, I strip myself of my jacket and fishnet shirt before running towards the waterfall and climbing to the wooden bridge. Once I am on the bridge, I look down to see Yamato creating a holding barrier for me before sitting down with his arm stretching out.
"Start whenever you're ready, Naruto. We'll be down here, watching," Jiraiya calls out.
I turn to the waterfall and take a deep breath. Summoning my Shadow Clones, I prepare myself. The water is cold against my hot skin as I place my hands onto the water. My clones follow and we focus our chakra onto the water. I form a mental picture of my chakra cutting the water and use that as a reference.
"Let's go!" I call out to my clones.
"Right!"
…
…
…
I don't know how much time passes before I finally get frustrated. My clones and I lean off the water and fall onto the wooden bridge, panting heavily.
"Ready to give up, kid?" Jiraiya calls out.
"Shut up! Of course not!" I yell back.
"Well keep this up and you might suffer from chakra exhaustion,"
"Why don't you offer some advice instead of taunting me?"
"Think if it this way. The leaf is a smaller target, so you don't need to hold your chakra that long. Because the waterfall is much larger, you need to concentrate on holding your chakra longer than you're used to," Kakashi-sensei calls out.
I think about what he says for a little bit before coming up with a strategy. I close my eyes and focus on contacting Kurama.
"Hey, wake up,"
"Are you done yet?" he asks, yawning.
"I need your help. I have to split this waterfall, but I don't think I have enough chakra to do it,"
"I thought he said that you're not holding it long enough?"
"I thought you were sleeping?"
"Doesn't mean I'm not listening,"
"Pay attention. Anyway, I think that if I had more chakra to hold, then I'll be able to do it easier. I'm running out of chakra and I need to borrow some. So, I figured that if I borrow some of yours and combined it with mine then, not only will I be able to split this waterfall, but I'll also be able to learn how to manipulate both of our chakras, Will you help me?"
I can hear him sigh. "It's all yours, Kit,"
I smile as I feel his chakra adding to mine. I focus on combining both of our chakras into one before adding it to my hands. With our chakras on our hands, my clones ready into position. With enough focus in our hands, the water splits in half. We all cheer at seeing the bottom half of the water fall below us.
"Alright, Naruto! Good job!" Jiraiya calls to us.
I dismiss my clones before giving them a thumbs up. Captain Yamato releases his wood jutsu and I ride with the tree back to the right side of the waterfall. When the tree stops moving, I climb back down and meet up with my three senseis.
"You're learning quickly. Impressive," Yamato compliments.
"Thanks. So, what's next?"
"The final step, but we should save it for later. Looks like it's going to rain," Kakashi suggests.
"No! I'm this close. I'm not stopping now!"
"As you wish," He sighs before pulling out his hand and forming a Rasengan. "Let's start with this,"
"How the hell did you do that so easily? And with one hand?" I question.
"Actually, that leads into my explanation. Do you remember when I said that the Rasengan is a form of Chakra Form? Well, in order to create an elemental ninjutsu, then you need to learn how to add your element to it,"
"Can you show me?"
"I can't," Kakashi admits. "No one, not even your father: The Fourth Hokage the inventor of the Rasengan could do it. He tried teaching me, but I couldn't do it. However, in trying to accomplish this, I was able to create the Chidori. And, as you know, the Chidori is an A-Class jutsu. So, if you are able to do this, then you will have surpassed both your father and me. If that motivates you, then take that as you will,"
Surprised by what Kakashi said, I immediately summon my Shadow Clones and get to work. My first step us to summon my Rasengan. After doing that, I try adding my Wind element to it, but it fails.
"Damnit! Again!"
I try again but the same thing happens. When I add Wind to my Rasengan, it disappears. Thinking that maybe I need to try it the other way, I create the Rasengan but focus more the Wind element. I smile as it seems to work before gasping when the Rasengan disappears again. Not letting it discourage me, I keep trying.
…
…
…
"Damnit! Why can't I get it right?!" I scream inwardly.
I stare down at my empty hand in frustration. No matter how I try to do it, my jutsu keeps failing. I have tried it from both perspectives. And even with Kurama's chakra mixed with mine, I can feel myself run out of chakra. I look to the sky when I feel a few droplets hitting me. Gray clouds cover the sky and more rain begins to pour downward. Not letting the rain distract me, I try to focus on my hand again. With the Rasengan forming in my hand, I concentrate my Wind into my hand once more only for it to disappear in front of me again.
With the rain falling on me, I fall to the ground as my clones disappear around me. Exhaustion rolling over me like the rain, I lay on the ground. My eyelids feel heavy. My body is heavy. My breathing slows and I feel myself slipping away.
…
…
…
I slowly open my eyes and look around. A familiar scent engulfs me. I look down to see a figure sleeping on my chest. I angle my head awkwardly to see a younger Sasuke sleeping on me. Confusion overcomes me as I look around to see that we're in his old room in his house. Slowly and carefully, I slide from under Sasuke and out of the bed. I immediately run into the bathroom and flip on the light. I stare in the mirror and gasp at seeing a younger version of myself staring back at me.
"What the hell happened? Why am I younger? Why is Sasuke here? Why are we back at his house? What the hell is going on?"
I back into the open door to the bathroom while gripping my chest. I try to calm my breathing only to hold my breath when I hear Sasuke call for me.
"Naruto? Everything ok?"
I look to the right of me to see a confused and worried Sasuke looking back at me. I slow stand up with my hand still gripping my chest. I release the breath I am holding before straightening myself.
"Yeah, I just had… a nightmare…" I finally answer.
"What was it about?" he asks.
I walk over to him, reaching my hand out timidly. Fear of him disappearing spreads over me. I slowly touch the top of his head before my hand travels down to his cheek. Convincing myself that he is not going anywhere, I smile and grip his chin.
I lean down until our faces are close with a soft smile. "Nothing. It was about nothing," I say before leaning in to kiss him. When I do not feel anything, I open my eyes to see darkness surrounding me. "What the~ Sasuke?! Sasuke?! Where are you?!" I call out.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flash of white and blue running away from me. I turn to follow him. I run as hard as I can, but no matter how fast or hard I run, I can never catch up. Nothing but darkness surrounds me, but all I can see is Sasuke right in front of me. I reach out to grab him, but he just disappears. I suddenly stop. Everything around me stops. Time stops. Soon, I hear laughter but I don't see anyone.
"You're too weak. You think you can save him? Every day he grows stronger while you don't. Poor Naruto. You'll never catch up to him. You'll never be his equal. And above all, you'll never save him. You're a failure! And you'll always be!"
I grip the sides of my head to block out the demonic voice. My head pounds as I try not to listen to the voice. The laughter gets louder and louder. Soon it's all I can hear. It surrounds and engulfs me. It's everywhere. I feel lost. I feel helpless. I close my eyes tighter as the laugher continues. But, after a minute, the laughter stops. I open my eyes to see nothing there but I also do not hear the laughter. Even though the laughter has stopped, I can still hear the words swim inside of my head. I feel weightless but heavy at the same time. With nothing to do, I close my eyes and fade away.
"Kit. Kit, wake up,"
"Kurama? Is that you?"
I open my eyes to see the humanoid version of my "father" standing in front of me.
"Dad?"
He smiles at me with one arm in his kimono and the other resting at his side.
"Hi Kit. Good of you to join me,"
"What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Where are we?"
"You were having a nightmare from the Chakra Exhaustion you forced on yourself,"
"I passed out?"
He nods. "You pushed yourself to the point of Chakra Exhaustion and passed out. But don't worry, you're safe. You started having a nightmare, so I had to pull you out. Everything alright?"
I sigh before answering. "No. I'm frustrated that I can't combine my Wind with the Rasengan. Maybe, I'm not as great of a shinobi as I think I am," He gets closer to me and hits me on my head. "Ouch, what was that for?"
"Well someone had to knock some sense into that hard head of yours. I will hear nothing of you doubting yourself. Everyone believes that you are a great shinobi and you need to believe that too. You let your fears and insecurities get the best of you when you think you're not succeeding. Stop it and pay attention to what you're doing. Let's take your current task at hand. You need to combine your Wind element with your Rasengan, right? Have you tried doing it another way?"
"What do you mean?"
"How do you form the Rasengan?"
"I use an Shadow Clone to help me form it,"
"Alright. So how would you go about adding Wind to it?"
"That's what I'm currently trying to figure out," I say, grumbling with my arms crossed over my chest.
"Ok, let's try it another way. You use a Shadow Clone to divide the responsibility when you need to form a Rasengan, right? So…"
I think about what he is saying before an idea dawns on me. "So why don't I use another Shadow Clone to further divide the responsibility! I've got it!" I cheer to myself. He nods at what I say while smiling proudly. "Thanks for the help,"
"Now, get up and show me that you can actually apply this,"
I nod before closing my eyes one more time. A soft light engulfs my body as I feel myself being pulled back into reality.
…
…
…
"I've got it!" I yell as I sit up, making everyone in the room jump in surprise.
"Don't do that! I'm an old man! You wanna give an old man a heart attack?!" Jiraiya says, scolding me.
"There's no time for that! I've got the technique figured out! To the Training Field!" I yell in excitement. Everyone looks around in an awkward manor. I look around too and see that we're still on the Training Field. "Oh well, never mind," I stand up and get into position.
"You sure you sure you want to continue? You've been out for about twelve hours," Yamato asks.
"Yes! I'm rested and ready to finish this jutsu! I don't have time to be sitting around!"
"Alright then. How many Shadow Clones are you going to use this time?" Kakashi asks.
"I only need two,"
I summon the two Shadow Clones. We nod at each other before getting into position. I hold out my hand and focus my chakra into my hand while the other two merely help my form my Rasengan. After a few moments, a Rasengan forms but I can see the Wind adding to it. With a little more focus, I am able to maintain the jutsu in my hand.
"You did it!" Jiraiya says, cheering.
"Well, I'll be,"
"See, Yamato. I told you that he could do it," Kakashi smiles.
"I never doubted it, Kakashi," Yamato nods in approval.
"Yes! I have created my new jutsu: Wind Release: Rasengan!" I announce with the jutsu spinning within my hand.
I release the jutsu and take a step towards them. I stop suddenly when I feel pain shooting down my back. I hunch over and fall to the ground. A similar pain overcomes me as I scream in pain.
"Naruto?!" All three males yell as they approach me.
I raise my hand, stopping them. "Don't worry… this is fine…" I say, grunting. After a few moments, a third tail emerges from the base of my spine. After the pain subsides, I stand up with a smile on my face. "See."
They all look at me in shock and amazement. "Well, that also explains the other second tail we've been meaning to ask you about," Jiraiya says.
"Yeah remembering me telling you guys this? Apparently I'll gain more tails the harder I train. They'll only stop when I get all nine. So, I guess I have six more to go," I explain, chuckling.
"Naruto, you truly are the most unpredictable ninja I have ever met," Kakashi says while running his fingers through his hair.
I was about to say something else, but stop when I see Sakura and Sai running towards us.
"Guys! Lady Tsunade~ Naruto? How do you have three tails? I'm sorry, I know that you've told us why you have a second tail, but now you have three?!" Sakura-chan asks.
"We'll talk about it later. What did Grandma Tsunade say?"
"She said that we need to leave the village. Team 10 is endanger!"
"Then we don't have time then. Let's go!" I say.
"Did she tell you where we need to go?" Kakashi questions.
"She gave us their coordinates. She said that if we don't hurry, then they could all die," Sai informs us.
"You guys go ahead. I'll help Tsunade get everything ready here. Bring them back safe," Jiraiya says with his hands on my shoulders.
I nod. We watch as he takes off towards the Hokage Tower before we turn toward the direction we have to go.
"Alright guys, lead the way!"
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To Be Continued…