Chapter 1 : Realisation

Naruto lay on his futon, staring up at the darkened ceiling of Tazuna's home. The faint flicker of candlelight from the hallway cast long, shifting shadows across the room, but none of it helped soothe the storm in his mind. His body was exhausted, muscles aching from the battle on the bridge, but sleep refused to come. Every time he closed his eyes, the same scene replayed over and over in his head—Sasuke's motionless body, pierced by Haku's senbon needles, falling lifelessly to the ground.

Naruto's heart clenched painfully at the memory. He could still see the look in Sasuke's eyes just before he jumped in front of him. The needles had been aimed for Naruto, and Sasuke had stepped in without hesitation, taking the attack head-on. Naruto had watched in horror as his rival and teammate collapsed, blood seeping from the wounds, his body going still.

"Why?" Naruto whispered into the silence of the room, his voice hoarse. "Why did he have to do that? I was right there…"

Guilt weighed heavily on his chest, making it hard to breathe. Sasuke had nearly died—and it was all because of him. If Naruto had been faster, stronger, more capable, Sasuke wouldn't have needed to step in. He wouldn't have had to risk his life to protect Naruto from something he should have been able to handle on his own.

"It's my fault," Naruto muttered, turning over again, restless. The quietness of the house felt oppressive, like it was mocking him for his failure. His fists clenched tightly around the sheets. No matter how hard he tried to justify it, there was no escaping the truth—Sasuke had nearly died because of his weakness.

The thought made his heart pound in frustration. How could he call himself a ninja, a future Hokage, if he couldn't even protect his friends? If he wasn't strong enough to keep the people he cared about safe?

With a sudden burst of energy, Naruto threw off his blanket and sat up. He couldn't just lie here, helpless. He couldn't let this happen again. If he wanted to keep Sasuke, Sakura, and everyone else safe, he had to get stronger—now.

Naruto glanced out the window, where the moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale light over the village. He made up his mind. Quietly, he slipped on his sandals, tightened his headband, and crept out of the room. He needed to train.

Naruto made his way through the dark forest, the same one where he had run into Haku during his last training session. The moonlight barely pierced through the dense canopy of trees, casting long, eerie shadows along the path. But Naruto wasn't intimidated—he was too fired up to notice. He had to get stronger, for his cherished peoples' sake, and for himself.

He reached the familiar clearing and stood there for a few moments, brow furrowed in thought, trying to focus. The stillness of the forest at night gave him a rare sense of calm—until he broke it with a loud groan, scratching the back of his head.

"Ugh! I have no idea what to work on!" Naruto shouted to the trees, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I mean, I'm already amazing at everything!" He puffed out his chest, but the confidence didn't last long, his expression quickly shifting back to one of confusion.

With a dramatic sigh, he plopped down on the ground, arms crossed as he stared at the sky, thinking. Then, like a bolt of lightning, an idea hit him. Naruto's eyes lit up, and he jumped to his feet.

"Ah! Kakashi-sensei said my chakra control needs work!" he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face. "That's it! I'll work on my tree climbing. I'll get so far ahead of Sasuke, he won't know what hit him!" He burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the empty forest as he walked off, scanning the area for a suitable tree to begin his training.

— A Few Hours Later —

Naruto sat slumped at the base of a tree, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face. His legs felt like lead, and his chakra was draining faster than he expected. He looked around at the still, silent forest and sighed.

"It's so quiet in this forest at night," he muttered. For someone as loud and energetic as Naruto, the lack of sound was unnerving. He was used to the hustle and bustle of the village, the noise of people around him. Out here, he felt almost... alone.

With a frown, Naruto formed a hand sign, summoning a Shadow Clone beside him. "Hey, I just wanted some company since it's so quiet and creepy out here," Naruto said casually.

The clone grinned, throwing a mock salute. "No problem, boss!" it said before sitting down beside him, lounging comfortably against the tree while Naruto pushed himself to his feet to continue training. He launched into another attempt at tree climbing, but his concentration wavered as he heard a loud, obnoxious yawn from the clone.

Naruto's foot slipped, and he fell unceremoniously to the ground with a loud thud.

"Hey!" Naruto snapped, glaring at his clone, who was now rolling with laughter. "You made me mess up!"

The clone's laughter intensified, clutching its sides as it pointed at Naruto's fallen form. "You should've seen your face! Priceless!"

Fuming, Naruto pulled out a kunai and launched it at the clone in frustration. "I'll show you priceless!" he shouted as the clone narrowly dodged, its laughter turning into panicked screams. Naruto gave chase, throwing kunai with reckless abandon, determined to get payback for the insult.

The clone, however, had inherited Naruto's knack for pranking and evasion. It ducked behind trees, dashed through bushes, and disappeared into the night, Naruto in hot pursuit. But no matter how fast Naruto ran, his clone always stayed just ahead, laughing and shouting taunts.

After a few minutes, Naruto came to a panting stop, hands on his knees as he glared into the shadows where the clone had disappeared. "Damn it… where did that idiot go?"

Frustrated but tired, Naruto eventually gave up the chase and returned to his training. But just as he was about to make another attempt at tree climbing, a random memory flashed in his mind—he remembered tripping over a root earlier, face-planting into a tree while running. The image was so vivid, so clear, that it made Naruto pause mid-step.

Wait… he hadn't tripped. His clone had.

Naruto blinked, confused at first, but then a slow grin spread across his face as he started to laugh, remembering how his clone had looked running from him. "That idiot tripped!" he said to himself between fits of laughter, wiping a tear from his eye. "Serves him right!"

But after a few moments, his laughter died down. A cold, creeping realization began to settle in. Naruto's expression shifted from amusement to something more serious as his laughter trailed off completely. He stood there in silence for a long moment, the memory playing over in his head again and again.

Slowly, Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second," he muttered, brows furrowing. "How the hell do I know that happened?"

He hadn't seen it happen—he had been too far away at the time. But the memory was so clear in his mind, as if he had experienced it himself. Naruto stood still, the forest now unnervingly quiet again, his mind racing. If that memory wasn't his, but the clone's… then what did that mean?

Suddenly, it clicked. His clones… When they dispelled, their memories came back to him. But not just vague feelings or impressions—actual experiences.

Naruto's eyes widened in realization, his heart pounding in his chest. "That's it…! I can use my clones for training! Everything they learn… I learn too!" He grinned, his exhaustion forgotten, excitement bubbling up inside him. This was it—the key to getting stronger, faster than anyone else!

With this new discovery, Naruto could feel his determination reigniting. He would push himself harder than ever, and next time, he wouldn't be too weak. He wouldn't let Sasuke, or anyone else, get hurt because of him.