Chapter 4 : Moving Forward

Naruto woke up groggily the next morning, blinking in the soft light filtering through the window. He sat up in his futon, memories of the previous night flooding back. Kakashi had ordered him to stop his extra training. With a heavy sigh, Naruto got up, resigned to the fact that there was no point in moping around. If he couldn't use his Shadow Clone training method anymore, he'd just have to put even more effort into the regular team sessions.

As he prepared himself for the day, he noticed something odd—the house was eerily quiet. No sound of his teammates, no chatter from the others. Confused, Naruto went downstairs, where he found Tsunami in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared a meal.

"Good afternoon, Naruto!" she greeted with a warm smile.

Naruto, still half-asleep, mumbled a sleepy "Good afternoon" back before his eyes widened with sudden realization. "Wait, afternoon? No way, it's still morning, right?"

Tsunami chuckled, shaking her head. "No, Naruto. It's the afternoon. You slept in!"

Naruto's face turned pale. "I-I slept in?! No way!" he shouted, bolting out of the kitchen, tossing a quick "See ya later!" to Tsunami as he sprinted toward the training grounds.

When he arrived, Naruto was horrified to see his team just wrapping up their training session. Out of breath and panicked, Naruto stumbled over to them, hands on his knees as he bowed repeatedly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to sleep in! I—!"

Kakashi waved him off with a casual smile, his eye crinkling in amusement beneath his mask. "It's fine, Naruto. I'm glad you finally got some rest. You needed it."

Naruto, still catching his breath, blinked at Kakashi in surprise. He had expected a harsher reaction, but instead, Kakashi seemed oddly understanding.

"Now then," Kakashi said, turning to face the entire team, "you three, line up. I have something important to discuss with you all."

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto lined up before him, curious about what Kakashi had in mind. The tension in the air was palpable, especially for Naruto, who had been dreading this conversation all morning.

Kakashi stood before them, his tone unusually serious. "As I'm sure you've noticed, one of you has been struggling to keep up during our team's training sessions."

Naruto's heart sank, his gaze dropping to the ground in embarrassment. He knew this was about him.

"But," Kakashi continued, "their reason is not without merit."

Naruto slowly raised his head, confused. He saw Sasuke and Sakura glance at him, their expressions curious but not harsh.

Kakashi gestured toward Naruto. "Naruto has been training—hard. In fact, he's been pushing himself far beyond what any of you may have realized. But in doing so, he's also been causing more harm than good. Naruto, explain what you've been working on during these extra sessions."

Naruto hesitated for a moment, looking at Kakashi for permission. The silver-haired Jonin gave him a reassuring nod. With a deep breath, Naruto faced his teammates. "Well… I found out something about my Shadow Clone Jutsu. When one of my clones dispels, I get their memories."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, intrigued, while Sakura looked puzzled. "Okay… but how's that making you so exhausted?" she asked.

Kakashi stepped in to explain. "Naruto has been using this ability with impressive creativity. Essentially, whatever his clones learn, Naruto learns too. But…" He glanced at Naruto. "He's been pushing himself too hard by using dozens of clones at once, on top of our daily training regimen."

Sakura's eyes widened, and even Sasuke's expression changed to one of mild surprise as the weight of what Kakashi was saying sank in.

"You mean…" Sakura started, her voice laced with shock, "Naruto's been multiplying his training through his clones? Learning that much all at once?"

Kakashi nodded. "That's right. It's an advanced training method, one that could be incredibly effective for someone with Naruto's chakra reserves. However," he said, turning to face Naruto directly, "even with his large reserves, the mental and physical stress of using so many clones has been overwhelming him. That's why I've forbidden him from continuing this extra training for now."

Naruto nodded, his earlier defiance replaced with resignation. He knew Kakashi was right, but it still stung to admit that his method, while effective, was too much for him to handle alone.

Kakashi looked thoughtfully at Naruto before continuing, "That said, I've been thinking. Rather than have you abandon this method entirely, I believe we can implement it into our team's regular training sessions. By doing so, we can help everyone improve while keeping Naruto's progression at a rapid pace—but without pushing him past his limits."

Naruto blinked in surprise, hope rekindling in his chest. "Wait… you're saying I can still use the clones?" he asked, his voice tinged with cautious optimism.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, but under more controlled conditions. You'll use fewer clones, and we'll integrate them into our team training. This way, you can still use the advantage of the Shadow Clones without risking burnout."

Naruto felt a wave of relief wash over him. He wouldn't have to give up on his progress entirely, and with Kakashi's guidance, maybe he could find a way to grow even faster—safely.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, his usual competitive smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Don't think this means you'll catch up to me, Naruto."

Naruto, now more energized, shot back a confident grin. "Oh, just watch, Sasuke! I'll surpass you in no time!"

Sakura, though still processing everything, smiled at Naruto's renewed enthusiasm. "Just don't overdo it again, okay? We don't need you collapsing on us during missions," she said, her tone both teasing and sincere.

Naruto nodded vigorously, his determination restored. "You got it!"

Satisfied with their reactions, Kakashi clapped his hands together. "Alright, now that today's training session is over, it's time to head back to the bridge. We're overseeing its completion as usual."

The three Genin straightened up, preparing to leave. The bridge was nearly finished now, and tomorrow they would finally return to Konoha. As the Genin started to walk toward the bridge, Kakashi called out, "Naruto, stay behind for a minute. We need to go over your new training schedule."

Naruto approached Kakashi, waiting eagerly for instructions. "So, what's the new plan, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked, his voice full of anticipation.

Kakashi turned to him, his tone more serious. "First off, Naruto, the max number of clones you'll be using for now is twenty total. I want to ease you into this so you don't overwork yourself again."

Naruto's enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "Twenty? But I was using way more than that before."

Kakashi nodded. "I know, but for now, it's more important to focus on refining your basics. We probably won't have another full training session until we're back in Konoha, but until then, you'll only be using your clones to practice the essentials."

Naruto let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping. "The basics, huh?"

"Exactly," Kakashi confirmed. "You need to catch up on the fundamentals since that's where you're currently lacking the most." He held Naruto's gaze as he spoke, his tone firm but not harsh. "Even if you're only using five clones at a time to practice something like projectile throwing, that's still five extra days of practice every single day. And when we add that to what you'll be doing during our daily team sessions, it won't take long for your skills to catch up to your peers."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue. He wanted to say that he was already on par with the others—maybe not Sasuke, but at least some of his classmates. But then he stopped himself. He thought back to his academy days and the constant struggle to keep up. There was a reason he'd been labeled the dead-last. Sure, he might be able to outlast some of his old classmates in stamina, but he knew deep down that Kakashi was right. His basics were lacking.

Naruto let out a quiet sigh of resignation and nodded. "Alright, Kakashi-sensei. I'll focus on the basics."

Kakashi's expression softened slightly. "Good. Now, you're probably wondering how this training is going to help your teammates as well, right?"

Naruto nodded, curious. He couldn't exactly share the memories from his clones with Sasuke and Sakura, so what could they gain from this?

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Simple. We'll be using your clones as mock enemies. You'll use them to create life-like battle scenarios. I'll instruct your clones on how to fight and what tactics to use, and then you, Sasuke, and Sakura will have to work together to deal with the situation."

Naruto's eyes widened in excitement. "Whoa! That sounds awesome! So it'll be like real battle practice!"

Kakashi nodded. "Exactly. It'll give you the experience of fighting multiple enemies, which is a skill you'll need to hone as a ninja. Plus, it will help sharpen your teammates' teamwork and strategy."

Naruto's excitement returned in full force. He couldn't wait to test it out. The thought of being able to use his clones in actual team scenarios, and not just as training tools for himself, made him feel like he was contributing something valuable to his team. "This is gonna be so cool!" Naruto grinned.

Kakashi chuckled softly at Naruto's renewed energy. "Right. Now that that's dealt with, let's go join the others on the bridge."

Naruto nodded eagerly, falling into step beside Kakashi as they headed back toward the bridge. The excitement bubbling within him was tempered only by a quiet determination—he was ready to move forward, one step at a time, and catch up to the rest of his team.