Naruto sat on a tree stump, glancing over at Tenten to his right before turning his attention back to Kakashi. He held the balloon in his hand, knowing that he was about to learn the third and final step in mastering the Rasengan. He understood that this would likely be the hardest part of the challenge, but the thought of learning and mastering it filled him with his usual excitement.
They still had a few more days before reaching Tsunade, so his goal was clear: master this move and then help Tenten do the same. Naruto knew it wouldn't be easy—nothing worth achieving ever was—but that was what made it so exciting.
As he lightly pressed his fingers into the gray balloon, his blue eyes focused intently on it. Then, he looked up and smiled. "I'm ready, Kakashi-sensei. Go ahead and give us the last step. I want to get started, and I want to work really hard on it. That way, I can get this down. Believe it!"
His voice carried his trademark enthusiasm, a determination that was quintessentially Naruto, ready to face this challenge head on, and master it as fast as possible.
Kakashi gave Naruto an amused look, his single visible eye crinkling with a smile beneath his mask. He casually held up a balloon similar to the one Naruto was holding. "Alright, Naruto-san, Tenten-san, you've both done well so far. You've mastered the first two steps: rotation and power. Now comes the third and most difficult step—containment."
He paused, making sure he had both of their full attention. "The challenge here is to combine what you've learned so far—rotating the chakra and adding power—into a controlled, contained sphere. The trick is to keep the chakra within the bounds of the balloon without popping it or letting it deform too much. If the balloon bursts, or if it bulges out in any direction, it means you haven't fully mastered the control needed for this step."
Kakashi's tone was serious yet encouraging. "This step is all about refining your chakra control to a high degree. This is going to take a lot of chakra control and a lot of power. You can't just overpower it either. You have to do everything in balance. If you are any bit out of balance between rotation and power, it will fail fast. So, you are going to have to figure out how to do rotation and power at the same exact time. It is going to be a challenge, and as you know it is going to be much more challenging then the first two parts. However, I am sure with work you can figure it out, both of you."
He handed each of them a fresh balloon, his demeanor calm and instructive. "Visualize the Rasengan in your mind—a stable, contained sphere of rotating chakra. Once you can keep the balloon intact while performing the technique, you'll have taken a big step toward mastering the Rasengan."
Kakashi looked between Naruto and Tenten, his voice softening slightly with a hint of pride. "While this is hard, you have already overcome the first two challenges, and this is the last one. The last to get the basics of this move down. I believe in your ability, I have seen you work together and if you continue to help each other, I am sure that you will figure this out too."
Naruto and Tenten absorbed what was being said as they took in every word of Kakashi's instructions. The two of them knew this was going to be the hardest, and they had already mentally prepared for that. They knew that they were going to have to put a lot of work in to get it perfect or even at all.
Luckily, they had an early dinner, and they had time before they had to get to sleep a handful of hours actually to work on this third part. The two of them also knew that Neji and Guy were not going to get in the way as they were off doing some training. Guy having demanded that Neji go on some special training with him that night. Kakashi would stay behind to keep an eye on them as they worked.
"Naruto-kun, let's get to it right away. I know we're going to mess up a lot, but the more we mess up, the faster we can figure out what we're doing wrong and make adjustments so we can get it right," Tenten said with a determined smile as she reached out her hand to share chakra with Naruto.
"Okay, let's do it," Naruto agreed, looking at Tenten for a moment as he took her hand. He was about to start transferring and sharing his chakra with her when Kakashi realized something important.
"How about this—for a better sense of how to do it, you try working together," Kakashi suggested, looking between the two of them. "Each of you is working hard to share chakra, which takes a lot of focus and control. Tenten-san, you're getting good with the control element, but you lack the power. Naruto-san, you're the opposite."
Kakashi paused, then continued, "Why don't you both try tackling this challenge together? Each of you can focus on what you're strong at—Naruto-san, you handle the power, and Tenten-san, you focus on control. It'll take some careful alignment of your chakra, but you've already been working well together. Once you get a feel for it, you can start practicing independently with a better understanding of how it should feel."
Naruto and Tenten exchanged determined looks as they took in Kakashi's advice.
Naruto slowly went over it in his mind. Letting it play out in his imagination. He then nodded his head with an enthusiastic smile on his lips. "I think I get it, Kakashi-sensei," he commented turning to Tenten, "Let's do this, I believe we can do this, and we have been working together so much, this should be possible. We are going to totally get this done together, believe it!"
Tenten smiled back, feeling a surge of confidence from Naruto's words. "Right, Naruto-kun," she agreed, squeezing his hand lightly. "We'll combine our strengths and figure this out together."
Kakashi sat back as he watched the two as they took the balloon in their hands. He could see this natural awkwardness between them as it started. He could see that awkwardness was something that had grown a lot over the time they had been training together. He guessed that the two were really growing closer together, and really getting to know each other well.
Kakashi looked as they started, Naruto messing up as he forgot his role the first three times they tried it. Each time both trying to do control and bursting the ball in seconds. They were working well, and he couldn't help but admire the effort Naruto was putting into this. It was the same effort he put into everything. Naruto was in so many ways, just like his mother, he thought to himself.
Their next few attempts continued to be rather rough. Naruto, full of enthusiasm, accidentally burst the balloon each time as he forgot to focus on power and not on control. Tenten, though better with control, found it difficult to match Naruto's raw power, causing the balloon to pop prematurely. Each failure only fueled their desire and their effort to get this figured out. They worked hard not giving up on this attempt and not holding back no matter how badly things started. Kakashi watched them talk, keeping mostly calm as neither one blamed the other and they shared information, making sure to correct each other with a sense of understanding that this was a team effort and not just about one person's power and ability.
As time went on, they got more and more into it. Their natural chemistry was starting to shrine through with each moment that passed. Naruto adjusted sometimes too fast as he was getting a read on Tenten and her movements and vice versa. Their rhythm of working with each other was improving quickly and the trust that was obvious there was deepening.
Kakashi watched these changes, his one visible eye on them as he leaned forward his elbow on his knee as he leaned against his hand. He could see this partnership grew each of the days they had been out on the mission. Kakashi wondered if Naruto just worked better with Guy and his team. He hadn't worked with Neji, but he was sure he could. He had a feeling that he would work perfectly well with Lee when the time came, and this blossoming relationship with Tenten said a lot too.
"Okay, Naruto-kun," Tenten said, taking a deep breath. She was tired but still focused as they had been working at this for a while, with the sun about to set. "I want you to put your energy into this and focus only on the energy output. Don't worry about my control; have faith that I will get it done this time and believe in me," Tenten declared loudly, almost mirroring Naruto's usual charisma.
Naruto nodded, taken aback, but then smiled happily with a huge grin on his lips. He took a deep breath. "Okay, let's try it, Tenten-chan. I do believe in you. You've already come so far with me on this journey; now let's finish it off together," he declared with his usual excited and energetic tone.
Naruto focused on his power, needing to trust Tenten to handle her part. He wanted to worry and cover for her, but he held back. He looked at her and smiled, seeing her focus before they even started, which gave him confidence. Naruto began pushing his chakra at a steady pace, aiming not to overwhelm her while keeping things under control. He watched the ball start to spin and move quickly, concentrating on the task. He couldn't let himself get too excited and had to stay focused. It was challenging, but Tenten was counting on him.
Tenten worked quickly, using her hands and applying the control techniques she had been practicing. She moved her hands rapidly to create the rotation with Naruto's power. His energy made it difficult, but she couldn't let him down. She knew how much this meant to him and was determined to do it right for both him and her. She wanted to prove that she could be more than a weapon specialist, aspiring to become a legendary ninja as she had dreamed of since childhood.
Kakashi watched them figure it out together. It was special and revealed a lot about their bond and the effort they had put in. The ball's rotation stabilized, and he could tell that a rasengan was likely forming inside the balloon. He was impressed, knowing this new generation of ninjas was exceptionally talented. He had always believed in Naruto's potential and ability to bring out the best in others. Now, he saw that Tenten was having the same effect on him.
The ball continued to spin smoothly for a few minutes before Tenten lost her focus, exhausted from her efforts, causing the balloon to burst again. Tenten fell forward, worn out, but Naruto caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground. His face turned red as he held the dark-haired girl close. "Well, um, that was interesting. You did great," he whispered, catching his breath with a bit of sweat on his brow.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I think we were close, Naruto-kun," Tenten said, feeling down as if she had let him down.
"Don't," Kakashi said, looking at the two. "You held the rasengan inside the balloon for over two minutes. You did great, and I think you both managed to pull it off. Naruto, you felt what it was like and can work with Tenten more under control tomorrow. For now, get some sleep and rest. You both did well today."
"See, you did great," Naruto said, looking down at Tenten. He was still blushing, as this was the first time he had held a girl like this and worked so closely with anyone for such a long time. He felt a strong sense of partnership, as if together they could accomplish anything. It wasn't what he had expected when he started this mission, but it had happened.
"Um, why don't we get some sleep?" he suggested, helping her back to her feet.
Tenten looked at Naruto, tired and a bit sweaty, but feeling great. Her heart was beating quickly in her chest. "That sounds like a smart idea, Naruto-kun. I can't believe we managed to pull it off without even realizing it," she said with a chuckle. "Tomorrow, let's work on getting you to do it alone and using it while we're sure we've got it."
As they prepared to head back to camp, Tenten reached for Naruto's hand, not to transfer energy but just to hold it firmly.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly as Tenten reached for his hand. He felt a rush of warmth at her touch, and a soft smile spread across his face. His heart raced a bit, a mix of excitement and a newfound sense of closeness.
"Yeah, that sounds like a great plan," Naruto replied, his voice steady despite the fluttering in his chest. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, feeling a surge of confidence and camaraderie. "We're going to nail it tomorrow, Tenten-chan. I'm really glad we're doing this together."
By the next morning the two of them were working hard, as they walked, holding hands the whole while as the town they were heading to came into view. They had a good idea of how to do the jutsu. However, the mission was about to take precedence, to find Tsunade and to talk her into returning back to Konohagakure so that she could heal Lee and let him return to chasing his dream of being a great ninja with only taijutsu.
Guy had a determined look in his eyes, this was what he had to do. He had to give his student back that dream. He was taking the lead, Neji walking behind him and Kakashi, Naruto and Tenten behind at the back. The town they were going into was rather nice, it had a number of stone buildings including a rather fancy casino. The place that if rumors were to be believed would be where they would find Tsunade.
