River: With Naruto, Morning…
(7 Days Since Training Began)
After that first day where he learned the Summoning Jutsu, Naruto spent the last five, not counting today, attempting to summon a toad. The results were…
Naruto drew more blood from his thumb and wove the hand signs before slamming his palm on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
…still disappointing. All Naruto summoned was a large, green tadpole who was just on the cusp of being a toad. It's the closest he's ever gotten to summoning an actual toad; however, a toad this was not.
"Gah, be a toad already!" Naruto then looked to Jiraiya who continued 'researching' the girls playing in the water nearby. "Pervy Sage, can't you at least act like you…"
Suddenly, Naruto passed out and fell on his back.
"He collapses again." Jiraiya sighed as he stood. "I suppose it's no surprise since all his guts and determination are squarely focused on getting to Chunin." He collected a bucket of water before throwing it on the blond. "Alright, open your eyes already!"
Naruto gasped as he sat up. "Hey, what was that for?"
"To knock some sense in you." Jiraiya voiced. "I mean, today marks the seventh since you started training, yet you've made the progress of an inchworm. If you continue like this, it's all pointless, and you'll never make Chunin."
"Hey, that's not true!" Naruto yelled. "Give me a break! I'm trying as hard as I can!"
"Maybe you are and maybe you're not." Jiraiya voiced. "If you want to succeed at this, you must do it like your life depends on it."
"What do you think I've been doing?" Naruto lept to his feet frustrated. "I train every day like I'll die while you spend all this time looking at ladies. I thought we had an understanding, yet you've been no help since that first day."
"You want some help, yet I don't know about what I actually have in mind." Jiraiya retorted.
"You know something?" Naruto got close to him. "Come on, you got to help me here. You're my teacher, right?"
"You must put your life at risk." Jiraiya responded seriously. "If you're willing to do that, I'll help you."
"Alright, I've always risked my life." Naruto declared firmly. "To me, there's no point unless you go all the way."
"I see." Jiraiya stood. "Alright, follow me."
Konoha
Jiraiya's first stop for them was the bathhouses.
"Did you bring me here so you could spy on more women?" Naruto asked.
"That's not a bad idea; however, this is about bathing." Jiraiya responded. "We must purify our bodies."
The pair did end up taking another soak, just like the first night they met; however, something seemed off about this time to Naruto. He couldn't put his finger on it though, and he still couldn't figure out what was going on as they left the place.
"Hey, Pervy Sage." Naruto called out.
"I'm the Toad Sage." Jiraiya corrected.
"Whatever you are, what does bathing have to do with the Summoning Jutsu?" Naruto questioned.
…
"Hey, hello!" Naruto called out when he received no response. "I'm talking to you!" His teacher suddenly stopped in place. "Why did you stop?"
"Hey, Naruto." Jiraiya ignored such questions. "Tell me, is there something you love to eat. Whatever you want, as much of it as you can eat will be on me."
If he was offering, Naruto would take him to Ichiraku. Boy, he ate plenty on the insistence of Jiraiya. Unlike the bathhouse, he had ramen to distract from just how weird this all felt. Eventually, after eating his fill and Jiraiya paying the bill, the pair stepped out.
"Alright Naruto, do you happen to have a girl you like?" Jiraiya suddenly asked. "You know, someone close to you."
"Someone close to me…" Naruto knew what Pervy Sage was referring to, but he didn't think that feeling ever hit him. "Someone close…" He crossed his arms. "Someone…"
He closed his eyes to concentrate. After a few moments, he felt like someone was coming to mind. Someone he knew and was close with. It was just on the tip of his tongue…Nope, he suddenly lost it.
"Can't say I do Pervy Sage." Naruto finally answered.
"That's a shame." Jiraiya answered. "What about anything you've wanted to do?"
"What…" Naruto was truly weirded out.
It didn't really matter when Jiraiya suddenly slugged the Genin in the gut hard enough to render him unconscious. He caught the body before slinging it over his shoulder.
"If danger and emotion are key, then he must experience them until he learns to summon the Chakra on his own." He started walking. "Please forgive me for what I am about to do, Minato and Kushina."
Eventually, Jiraiya found the place and dropped Naruto to wake him. "Uh, where are we?"
"Stand up." Jiraiya ordered.
"What?" Naruto questioned as he stood.
"Naruto, starting now you stare death in the face." Jiraiya declared. "To stave it off, you must unleash an enormous amount of Chakra. Once you experience that, you'll understand how to use the red Chakra. If you don't wish to die, do something about it now."
With one finger, he pushed Naruto's forehead hard enough that he was sent flying through some bushes. Eventually, he came out on the other side…above a vast ravine and was put into free fall.
"Alright Naruto, now we see if the strength which has been given to you is a blessing or a curse." Jiraiya thought.
Naruto screamed as he fell. "If I don't grab onto something, I'll die!"
He concentrated his Chakra and attempted to grab nearby stone; however, his hand slipped.
"It is impossible Naruto, and you must recognize that." Jiraiya thought. "The rocks are much too slippery and falling at those speeds with your limited Chakra Control means you can't possibly cling to the rock. You must depend on the Nine Tails now."
"If I go on like this, I really will die." Naruto's heart was rapidly beating. "Die! DIE!"
Within Naruto
Naruto awoke within a damp sewer, unsure of exactly where he was. He heard growling coming from one direction and could feel the red Chakra that way. He walked towards it and eventually came to stand before a large gate with a seal.
"After taking a taste of my power in that forest, you finally appear before me." A strange voice spoke from behind the bars.
"W there?" Naruto asked.
"Take a closer look, Kit."
Naruto looked closer and could see a large orange fox with nine tails. "You're the Nine Tails!"
"I am, and I see you are in danger at present." The Nine Tails answered. "Fortunately, time does not move out there while you are in here; otherwise, I couldn't offer you a deal. I suggest you listen before you go blowing your mouth off like you normally do."
"What do you want?" Naruto asked.
"To understand my offer, you must understand my past." The Nine Tails declared. "I am one of 9 Tailed Beasts that came into existence ages ago due to the Sage of Six Paths. For a time, we were worshiped until Madara Uchiha used his accursed Sharingan to control me.
"Sharingan?" Naruto asked. "You mean like what Kakashi Sensei and Sasuke have?"
"Yes, eyes like what your teacher and that other brat have; however, they were colder and more powerful." The Fox growled at the interruption. "The First Hokage defeated Madara, and I was sealed within his wife, inventing the idea of a Jinchuriki.
He went onto capture all but the One Tail, Suna already had him, distributed them to the other villages. Once his wife passed, I was sealed within your mother. Then, on the night of your birth, that man reappeared and removed me from her.
I was ordered to attack Konoha, even though I'd have done that anyways. In fact, I did continue to attack it once the connection was severed. Before I could finish, the Fourth Hokage sealed my entire being within you."
"Why me?" Naruto asked.
"I may want to make a deal, but that doesn't mean I'm going to help you like that." The fox laughed at Naruto before he continued. "For over 12 years, I have been trapped inside you."
"If you hate humans, why help me?" Naruto asked.
"Although I don't like the idea of working with you, my attempts at freedom have clearly not been successful." The fox declared. "Despite my dislike of humanity and Konoha, I value freedom more now."
"I suppose that means I shouldn't expect to command you?" Naruto asked.
"You're catching on." The fox retorted. "To put it simply, I will give you the ability to use my Chakra; however, I expect something in return."
What?" Naruto asked.
"You should know from hearing my story." The fox retorted. "I want my freedom from being sealed again after you die, and I want you to help me kill that cockroach of an Uchiha."
"If you get your freedom, what's to stop you from destroying the village?" Naruto asked, concerned over what the fox was asking.
"This would be it." The fox rolled a contract out in front of Naruto, revealing his agreement.
"Hey, I've read about these." Naruto voiced upon seeing it. "This is a Chakra Contract. Provided it's signed by both parties Chakra, it's absolutely binding."
"I have already signed it." The fox nodded. "Basically, it states I will lend you my Chakra, help you become Hokage, if you grant my freedom upon your death. I even promise to leave your village alone unless they try to imprison me again.
Additionally, I will do whatever is within my power to ensure you die of old age rather than battle; however, I do not guarantee if you get in over your head. Basically, keep fighting a battle we cannot win, and that death shall be on you."
"How can you help me?" Naruto asked.
"I accelerate your healing further than your Uzumaki blood already does." The Fox informed. "Additionally, this seal on me allows for a small amount of my Chakra to mix with yours. It is weakening slowly, allowing me to safely flow more Chakra into your system.
I can't just give you all my power now because that runs the risk of overtaxing your body and killing you. If you die, I die and would take ages just to reform somewhere in the world. In fact, the most I can give you right now is one tail's worth of Chakra."
Naruto thought about what the Nine Tails offered and looked over the contract. The terms were exactly as they had discussed; however, he saw a name on the contract that he didn't recognize.
"Who's this 'Kurama' listed on the contract?" Naruto asked.
"Kurama is my true name." The fox answered. "Now, do we have an agreement?"
Naruto took a few more moments to look over the contract and think about what had been discussed. As he understood it, he could demand Chakra right now; however, what he'd gain by working with Kurama seemed better in comparison. He signed the contract with his Chakra.
Konoha
"This is it!" Naruto's eyes snapped open as he bit his thumb and wove through hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Kurama ended up supplying quite a bit of Chakra to this as Naruto pressed his palm down beneath him. A massive red toad wearing a blue robe and with a pipe in his mouth appeared. As he kept himself from falling, Naruto landed atop his head.
"What's this?" The toad noticed what was below him. "Where am I!?"
"Gah, that was close." Naruto sighed. "Whoa, I summoned this with only the Chakra Kurama supplied?" He stood and looked around in amazement. "Makes me wonder if I got the Chakra for this myself."
"Hm, looks like he did it." Jiraiya was proud; however, he wasn't expecting the toad Naruto summoned to be this one. "To have summoned him, that Chakra is more potent than I thought."
Naruto ran towards what he assumed to be the front of the toad and was fortunately right as he was able to leap atop the nose. "Hey there!" The toad's eyes focused on him. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I've summoned you!"
Considering he was able to work out a deal with Kurama, Naruto figured it might be worth a shot to do that with this large toad. As for the toad himself, he stared at this boy critically since this was unexpected.
"Well Naruto Uzumaki, I am the powerful and wise Lord Gamabunta, The Chief Toad." Gamabunta informed. "Why did you summon me down this ravine?"
"Jiraiya put my life in danger to have me draw on Chakra within." Naruto was a bit peeved at that; however, it did work.
"Of course, he would do something like this." Gamabunta declared. "Well kid, I'm already starting to like you over him at this rate, so how about becoming one of my henchmen?"
"What does that mean?" Naruto asked.
"It means that after every time you summon me, I'll eventually send a toad of reasonable size to get one large barrel of sake and good food from you." Gamabunta declared. "If you supply me with that, I'll help you out. Additionally, I'll put in a good word for you with the other toads."
"I can't believe he worked out such an easy deal on the first summon!" Jiraiya lamented. "Where was my easy deal? It took years to get that worked out with him."
Granted, he hadn't been the most agreeable of kids back then.
"That's all you want?" This was a far simpler deal than what he made with Kurama. "Alright, you got yourself a deal!"
"You're rather agreeable." Gamabunta voiced. "I'll tell you what, I'll get you out of here now and in return we'll do a onetime substitution for this summon. All you must do this time is tell Jiraiya I want to talk with him later."
"Sounds good to me!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Alright, hold on tight kid!" Gamabunta declared.
Naruto scurried to the back of the toad before holding onto his robe. Gamabunta then lept out of the ravine…In fact, he lept well above and away from said ravine before crashing back down to the ground. Once they were on solid ground, Naruto lept off.
"Remember our deal Naruto-boy." Gamabunta reminded.
"Right, I'll be sure to tell Jiraiya you want to talk with him." Naruto declared, honestly.
"Smart lad." Gamabunta declared before leaving in a massive poof of smoke.
Once he was gone, Jiraiya, who had rushed over after they landed, jumped down from the nearest undestroyed tree.
"Hey Pervy Sage, Gamabunta wants to speak with you at some point in the future." Naruto informed, already upholding what Gamabunta wanted.
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." Jiraiya voiced. "As for now, how the heck did you manage that deal with him?"
"I got in some sudden practice when I met the Nine Tails." Naruto explained. "It was brief, but he doesn't seem that bad."
"What do you mean!?" Jiraiya shouted. "He's the Tailed Beast who attacked our village!"
"He only wants to attack the village because we sealed him." Naruto informed. "Besides, the last time he attacked wasn't even his choice, initially. He was forced into it by some guy with powerful Genjutsu."
"Powerful Genjutsu?" Jiraiya thought for a minute. "The only one in history who had the power to control the Nine Tails was Madara Uchiha, and he's supposed to be dead."
"According to the fox, he apparently came back over twelve years ago to attack the village." Naruto informed. "He told me something about a guy in a mask controlling him with Chakra that felt like Madara's."
"This is something I'll need to look into." Jiraiya thought before looking at Naruto. "Alright kid, let me make sure your seal is still secure. The last thing we want is the fox getting free and wrecking the village."
Naruto rolled up his shirt, and the seal became visible on his stomach. Everything seemed to check out; however, he would be keeping a close eye on it for the time being.
"Seems the pervert doesn't trust me." Kurama stated.
"Well, you did have the desire to attack the village, and I'm fairly certain you told me you continued to attack after being freed of Madara." Naruto retorted.
The fox couldn't refute that.
"I assume this is new between the two of you?" Jiraiya asked as he put the shirt down.
"Just happened when you launched me into the ravine." Naruto responded. "Though, I don't think I can use it constantly. He says I can only take on about one tail's worth of his Chakra before it stresses my body, and I run the risk of killing us both."
"Alright, everything looks in order." Jiraiya dropped the shirt. "This fox is within you so utilize him as you see fit; however, be careful. Some people, even those within this village, will try to take advantage of you if they know you have control of the Nine Tail's Chakra."
"Understood." Naruto declared.
"With you having summoning and control of the fox's Chakra, we'll now focus on something else." Jiraiya knew what it had to be. "Naruto, how much longer do you have until the finals?"
"A little over three weeks." Naruto replied.
"Do you want to learn a cool new Ninjutsu?" Jiraiya asked.
"Of course, I do!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Alright, watch closely now." Jiraiya held out his palm and created a blue orb of spiraling Chakra before slamming it into the trunk of a tree. "Rasengan!"
The orb bore a hole into the trunk of the tree, leaving a rather nice sized hole.
"With a Jutsu like that, I'd be bound for Chunin!" Naruto exclaimed. "What exactly was that?"
"It's one of the Fourth Hokage's original Jutsu." Jiraiya informed. "It's called Rasengan, and in terms of difficulty, it is an A rank. The Fourth took three years to develop it while it took me a month to learn it. I'll be surprised if you have it before the finals."
"I bet I'll have it down well before the finals." Naruto declared. "Then, you'll have to teach me something else."
"I'll consider it." Jiraiya voiced. "For now, I don't have the proper materials, so we'll call it a day here. Meet me back where we've been training tomorrow morning."
Waterfall & Lake: With Goku, Morning…
(8 Days Since Training Began)
Goku had spent the prior week working through the training Zabuza had for him. Part of that did entail swinging the Executioner's Blade on the lake while being insulted, cursed at, and having rocks thrown his weaker willed Shinobi likely couldn't take it.
Goku was by no means week willed. Beyond that, he spared with Zabuza and Raditz to help refine his Taijutsu while he spared with Haku to up his speed. He even got started on learning one handed Ninjutsu since that could be huge for someone like him.
Goku knew this would take more time than one week to cultivate, but he was certainly interested enough to learn. This week will be dedicated to refining his Chakra and learning the Kamehameha. Upon arriving, Raditz met him.
"Alright Goku, you've learned to walk up trees and on water." Raditz began. "During this last week, you took that up a step through training with a heavy object and dealing with distractions. Now comes something many levels higher."
"I'm ready to do whatever it takes." Goku declared.
"You will utilize your Chakra Control to sit atop the surface of the water underneath that waterfall." Raditz declared. "You must keep yourself afloat until I return. If you fall into the water, we'll have to repeat this step."
"Then, I won't fall in." Goku returned firmly.
He knew being forced to restart would slow his training. With some of the people in this final phase, especially his first opponent, he could not afford to slow down. He had to move at a constant pace, ever growing to be at his best.
As such, Goku rushed over to the waterfall where he took up his position underneath it. He crossed his legs under himself, letting the water cascade down atop him. With Goku situated, his brother left him for the time being.
Forest: With Hinata
Given Granolah's pride in his ability to fight at range, it left his standards being that which Hinata was barely managing to meet by the skin of her teeth. It became clear early on that part of the reason Sasuke maintained his status as Rookie of the Year was down to throwing weapons.
Hinata had only really honed her skills with these to the point she could maintain grades. Granolah had to push the girl hard into developing these skills, lest she not reach his standards. Fortunately, she'd just managed to make the first week's goal he set for her.
The heiress was far more accurate with kunai and shuriken. Additionally, she could now change the directory of shuriken with the amount of spin she puts on them. This would in turn, coupled with her eyes, see the girl capable of weaving shuriken around obstacles to hit the targets.
As Hinata met Granolah today, he stared at her firmly. "Are you prepared to continue putting in the work I've seen from you?"
"Yes Granolah Sensei." Hinata answered.
"Good because there is a great deal of ground you must cover this week if you want to hit my next goal." Granolah declared.
Canyon: With Sasuke
Sasuke was panting while his Sharingan was active, and he collected lighting into the palm of his hand. Once he had it, the boy yelled as he sprinted at the nearest rock. The Uchiha thrust his hand forward only to pull up short as the lighting fizzled out.
"Damn it…" Sasuke grunted.
"You're getting it down Sasuke." Kakashi voiced genuinely. "Don't force it at this stage. Make certain the lightning is fully built before you rush the target; otherwise, you'll be met with the same result."
"Right." Sasuke declared.
Anko watched on knowing it was only a matter of time before she got to teach Sasuke. As things stood, she was once again collecting her thoughts on the past. While she didn't particularly like her past, every story she could tell Sasuke was one more nail of disdain she managed to impart.
That alone was worth every second of reflection. If Orochimaru wanted him, Anko would at least make it hard. At most, she was hoping this month would completely deter the Uchiha from ever being tempted. She managed to resist the Curse Mark and knew he could to.
River: With Naruto
Jiraiya met Naruto bright and early as he plopped down multiple sacks filled with water balloons.
"Water ballons are part of learning the Rasengan?" Naruto asked.
"Just watch." Jiraiya declared, taking one of the balloons.
Naruto watched the Sanin swirl the water in the balloon with his Chakra until it burst. "Whoa!"
"With the Tree Climbing exercise, you learned to gather and maintain Chakra." Jiraiya explained. "With the Water Walking exercise, you learned how to release a steady amount. With this exercise, you'll learn to create a stream of Chakra by spinning it."
"Spin the water?" Naruto asked.
"First, you gather the Chakra in your hand, utilizing the principles of Tree Climbing." Jiraiya explained. "Then, release a steady stream, utilizing what you learned from Water Walking. Finally, use the Chakra to turn and push the water inside the balloon."
"I get it!" Naruto exclaimed. "What I need is to spin the water until it pops!"
"You're catching on." Jiraiya declared. "Now, you'll need two hands at the beginning to control the Chakra. Once you can pop a balloon that way, transition to one hand. After getting that down, repeat it with every remaining balloon. I will only teach you the second step when you achieve the first as I've laid out."
"Then, you better be ready because I'm getting this down right now!" Naruto declared.
Evening…
Jiraiya inevitably went back to his 'research' while Naruto spent the rest of the day attempting to burst even one balloon. The closest he got was managing to create an elongated disk. Eventually, he stopped as if the balloon broke, it wouldn't be right.
The blond was panting as Jiraiya approached him. "Well, got anything to show for today?"
"I don't know what I'm doing wrong!" Naruto exclaimed. "I even started pawing at it with my second hand; however, it just didn't look like yours. Come on, you've got to have some idea on what I could be missing."
"You don't really know how it's done until you've done it; however, in your case, even though you're supposed to master this Jutsu alone, maybe I'll give you a small hint." Jiraiya pointed at him. "Get the water within the balloon spinning again."
"Okay." Naruto retorted.
He did just that, utilizing his bottom hand to make it spin while pawing at it with his top hand.
"Right or left?" Jiraiya posed. "Which direction are you making the water rotate?"
"Huh?" Naruto questioned, taken aback. "I guess to the left."
Jiraiya put a hand on his head and pushed down slightly. "Just as I thought." Naruto looked up at him. "The problem is you're a right rotation type."
"Huh?" Naruto asked.
"A good way to build Chakra is by spinning it in a tight spiral, like a spring." Jiraiya explained. "Whether the Chakra spins left or right depends on the individual. Some are left rotation types while others are right. If you spin it the wrong way, your Chakra counteracts itself."
"How could you tell I'm a right rotating type?" Naruto asked.
"By the way your hair grows." Jiraiya informed. "If it grows to the right, your Chakra rotates right. If it grows to the left, your Chakra rotates left. Now, try rotating the water to the right."
"Alright, let's go!" Naruto declared.
He lept back and repeated what he did prior; however, he had his Chakra rotating to the right this time. The Chakra began swirling in different directions, but rather than form an elongated disk, it did exactly as Jiraiya's had by chaotically moving before bursting."
"I did it!" Naruto shouted.
"Well, you've done one third of the step." Jiraiya voiced, amused. "Come tomorrow, you'll need to begin working on getting it down to one hand. If you manage that, you'll still need to repeat it in popping all the remaining balloons."
Naruto's spirits dropped since he had been hoping to move onto the next stage; however, he now must repeat his success with just one hand. Even then, he'd need to repeat it so many times after.
Lake & Waterfall: With Goku, Afternoon…
(9 Days Since Training Began)
Raditz arrived at the training site thirty hours after he left Goku there, and his younger brother gave off the clear signs of someone who had undergone the training. Indeed, the Genin had sat underneath that waterfall all this time.
Even as the night settled in to chill the water and come the next morning when his Chakra began to falter. Goku kept to the training, determined not to waste even a single day. Raditz helped his brother out of the waterfall and onto dry land.
"Alright, your first Chakra refinement is finished." Raditz announced. "The rest of today and tonight is about rest. We must now focus on refilling your Chakra for tomorrow We will meet back here then to proceed with the second refinement."
To Goku, that meant plenty of food and resting early if he wanted to succeed.
Canyon: With Sasuke
Sasuke took a deep breath before his eyes suddenly snapped open revealing the Sharingan. Lightning began collecting into the palm of his hand, and once he knew for certain he had it, the Uchiha sped forward at the neatest rock.
He thrust his hand forward. "Chidori!"
The attack struck true leaving a hole. The Genin gave a smile of satisfaction as he was finally able to pull off an effective Chidori while Kakashi eye smiled at his student.
Then, Anko came in. "Alright, my turn."
"Hey, no you don't." Kakashi approached. "Just because Sasuke has the Chidori, doesn't mean he's perfected it."
"I waited patiently for him to learn it." Anko retorted. "Now I'll make good on my word."
Sasuke was starting to get frustrated.
"Wait a little longer because we still got training to do." Kakashi declared.
"I've upheld my end of the bargain, so I'm cashing in my time." Anko retorted.
"Enough!" Sasuke yelled, annoyed. "I trained eight days with you, so the least I can do is eight days learning from Anko, whenever she's not busy upholding her end of the deal. At those times, I'll come back to the Chidori with you."
He left no room for debate, so the pair relented.
Lake & Waterfall: With Goku, Morning…
(10 Days Since Training Began)
Goku made his way back to the training spot, having recovered his Chakra, where his brother was once again waiting for him.
"Welcome back." Raditz nodded. "The second refinement is to repeat the prior refinement, except you shall do it while standing on one leg. You will start on your less dominant leg, transition to the dominant at night, and switch to your less dominant as the sun rises."
"With all the training my teammates and the others must be putting in, I got to do this." Goku had the resolve to go the distance, no matter what. "Right, I got this!"
He moved underneath the waterfall and stood on his left leg to start. With Goku once more in place, Raditz took his leave again.
River: With Naruto
The day after Naruto managed to pop the water balloon, he spent the next getting it down to one hand. Once he got the feel for the proper control and release of Chakra, he managed to work through every balloon Pervy Sage had brought him.
Jiraiya then decided to call it a day early since he had to find the required item for the next step. Naruto wasn't complaining since his hands were really burning that day from the constant release of Chakra. Still, 2 days to get the first step down made Naruto feel good.
"Alright, what's step two?" Naruto questioned.
"Here you go." Jiraiya tossed him a hollow rubber ball.
"A rubber ball?" Naruto questioned, disappointed.
"We'll see if you can pop this one." Jiraiya picked out one of his own to demonstrate himself, stunning his student. "Let me tell you, this is harder than any water balloon. Similar rules apply here as they did for the prior exercise if you want to see the third step.
Jiraiya produced multiple sacks filled with rubber balls.
"I wonder if the same skill set as the last step applies here?" Naruto pondered.
"Now, I'll let you work on it." Jiraiya informed, returning to his 'research'.
"Come on Pervy Sage, you got to give me another tip like the last time." Naruto pleaded.
"At times, you need to be able to depend on yourself." Jiraiya retorted. "If you are incapable of working this out, then how can you ever hope to become a Chunin. Sure, you'll often be the leader of a team; however, solo missions are a thing."
"Right." Naruto suddenly regained his resolve. "I'll get this down."
I took the contract idea from The Uzumaki Tales: Return of the Whirlpool which was written by jbriz. Go read that story, it's fantastic. I attempted to contact the author for permission to use this, yet they have not returned my message. Now, the reasons I did this is because every decision I make must have some form of reason. Kakashi better trains his team because the Hyuga have enough pull to make even his life harder should he fail their heiress.
Addtionally, he has two boys, three though so few actually know who Naruto's father is, with a lot of heritage on their side. Zabuza knew they were completely outmatched, and the chance of death was far too great for an employer they did not respect. As we know, he did value Haku. This situation made him evaluate that without Naruto's Talk no Jutsu. This led to them surrendering and joining the leaf after Goku, who is all about turning enemies into allies, suggested they should.
You get the point. I attempt to utilize the characters to influence the change I want. The problem with that is the fact that Jiraiya was transfixed on Naruto learning to utilize Kurama. While Naruto did get stronger after the time skip, a lot of people just do not view that as enough. Here Goku, Hinata, and Sasuke, no matter what route he goes down, stand to drastically outpace Naruto if Jiraiya's main goal is to get him to use Kurama.
I couldn't erase that desire, by how I've already utilized character to influence change. Honestly, I was struggling for a way to do this until I looked into the story mentioned above. Now, the half of Kurama Naruto got would never make any sort of deal with Naruto. Minato could not differentiative what half he was shoving in his son, and as a result our favorite blond got the half with all the heightened negative emotions. While I do not erase character, I can erase a concept.
As such, Minato did not divide Kurama here. With a balanced Kurama, a contract can be struck. Honestly, all dividing the Tailed Beast did was give Minato a power buff for the war arc. Sasuke didn't have a Tailed Beast to revive him from death, I might be wrong but I think they were trying to get Naruto to Minato for that other half, yet he was still resurrected my Hogoromo all the same. The point stands this is the best way, in my opinion, to ensure Naruto does not fall behind greatly.
With Naruto's heightened desire to be Chunin, Jiraiya goes shoving Naruto off a cliff earlier. Honestly, the least the guy could have done was pay for that 'last meal' rather than leave the bill to Naruto. Here Naruto doesn't have a crush on Sakura, and he's too dense to release that Hianta likes him. As such, no kiss attempt on the Hyuga. After making a deal with Kurama, Naruto would be more than willing to do the same with Gamabunta.
It might just be me; I feel like if you don't go in like Naruto did and I feel Jiraiya had, you'd get a fairly easy deal. Besides, Naruto's rolling in money. Back during the Wave Mission, the team got a 30 percent cut of Gato's assets. Now, Naruto is moving onto learning the Rasengan. With only a promotion on the line, no Akatsuki potentially swinging back around any time soon, Jiraiya has time to ensure Naruto gets this down right.
Additionally, this is now showcasing just how good Naruto's early Chakra Control training was here, given Kakashi had the time to ensure his team absolutely had that down. This is cut between Sasuke getting the Chidori down early, Hinata starting to get down how to fight at range, and Goku taking on the brunt of what the Kamehameha entails being Chakra refinement. This is training that even someone with the Byakugan would need to utilize the Kamehameha.
Dontus -not Donut- Powerus: Alright, let's truly discuss the Kamehameha & Rasengan. Both are arguably the main thing you associate with Goku and Naruto. Granted, you might think Sexy Jutsu or Shadow Clone when you think Naruto; however, Rasegan is the one I more often see as the main attack associated with Naruto. Roshi spent 50 years making the Kamehameha while Minato made the Rasengan in 3. There are multiple people who can utalize whichever one depending on which series you are looking at.
Jiraiya, Minato, Kakashi, Konohamaru, Boruto, and Naruto know Rasengan. Far more than I want to list know the Kamehameha. Both have multiple different variations to them. So, by the ground rules I set on chapter 1, Rasengan and Kamehameha should all be roughly equal to each other by the sheer fact they share a lot in common. As for naming, Kamehameha is also known as the Turtle Destruction or Devastation Wave. Roshi's form of martial arts is the Turtle School, so calling this the Kamehameha fits.
After all, Roshi invented it. Rasegan is Spiraling Sphere in literal English, yet the English Dub still calls it Rasengan. This means I don't have to call it Turtle Destruction Wave, I can call it Kamehameha. As for why Kamehameha is treated as a first stage, do you know just how many variations and improvements there are to the Kamehameha? Bending Kamehameha, Final Kamehameha, 10xKamehameha, Buu Kamehameha, One-Handed Kamehameha, so on and so forth across Dragon Ball. I think first stage is apt.