Chapter 5: Kakashi Actually Teaches Something!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters
Reviews:
Equinoxhun- Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes Naruto will learn the clone trick, I've actually already left a hint or two about it in the chapters. As for his Uzumaki heritage, I plan for him to learn more about it. Although I'm undecided how much he will take after it.
MaxPrime- I'm happy you liked the chapter so much and the Naruhina with it. I think I'm gonna have both girls learn the Rasengan but not use it too often. That seems like the general consensus I saw from people. And yes the Minato one-shot manga is really great and works pretty well to have Naruto follow in his father's footsteps in that way. Also thanks for the recommendations. I have read Uzumaki Tales and I enjoyed it a lot. It probably has some of my favorite moments with Hinata's birthday cake confession and her past with Naruto's presents. Such a shame it never got finished. I haven't read Monster yet but I'll give it a try some time.
UzumakiRamen- I'm glad you're enjoying the story! As for Karin, I don't have any plans with her as of now. I've never been the biggest fan of her but I'm open for any suggestions.
OFARioulu- Yes I do plan to have Hinata and Temari take Naruto shopping. I was never a fan of all the orange either, although shippuden wasn't too bad with it. I still think Naruto looks better in black and red. Maybe just a hint of orange in there since it is his color after all.
Naruto was making his way to training ground 7 with his hands behind his head and a wide grin on his face. 'It was so fun hanging out with Hinata-chan! Maybe after we train tomorrow we can have lunch again' he thought.
Approaching the training ground he saw Sakura sitting down, leaning up against one of the posts. She seemed to be engrossed in a book and didn't notice him approaching.
"Hey Sakura! Good afternoon" he greeted.
Jolting slightly, she looked up to notice Naruto looking down at her smiling. With an annoyed expression she exclaimed "Naruto! Don't sneak up on me like that! Plus you're late!"
His grin dropped some and he replied "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I figured you heard my footsteps." His smile reappeared before he stated "Besides Kakashi-sensei isn't here yet so I'm not actually late!"
"That's no excuse" Sakura countered. "What reason would you even have for being late."
Naruto enthusiastically answered "I was with friends! We had lunch together and it was real fun! You should come with us next time, Sakura!"
Sakura had a confused expression, thinking 'Friends? I didn't know he even had any friends. What would he even hope to gain from lying about that? Maybe he wants to trick me into going to lunch with friends, when really it would just be him and he could call it a date!'
"Nice try Naruto, but I'm not going on a date with you" Sakura stated angrily.
She thought he would look sheepish at being found out or even hurt. Instead he just scowled and said "Jeez you don't need to bite my head off! I was just trying to be nice and invite you."
He then walked to the other side of the training ground and put his hand out in front of himself. She watched confused as he seemed to be trying to gather chakra in his hand but it kept coming out wobbly. Shrugging it off she went back to reading her book.
After a while, she reached a good stopping point in her book. Putting it down she glanced to Naruto who was still struggling. She could tell now that he was trying to form some kind of ball with his chakra, although for what purpose she had no idea.
Even though it was obvious he was trying to form a ball, he couldn't seem to maintain it. She was just about to get up and ask him what he was doing when a poof of smoke drew both their attention. After the smoke cleared, they saw Kakashi standing there with his usual Icha Icha book in hand.
He looked at them and eye smiled "Good afternoon you two. Ready for some training?"
The two of them just puffed up in anger and shouted "YOU'RE LATE!"
Kakashi nonchalantly replied "Oh I had to help a little old lady with her groceries and since it's a weekday I had to take the long way around." Seeing their disbelieving looks, he continued "Well the important thing is that I'm here now so we can get started."
Naruto nodded excitedly but Sakura asked "So you are feeling better now Kakashi-sensei?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade is the best healer in the world. She managed to patch me up in no time" he answered. Turning to Naruto, Kakashi said "Thank you again for helping bring her back Naruto."
Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck "It was no problem Kakashi-sensei! I'm just happy Lady Baa-chan was able to help!"
Sakura looked at them in confusion "Lady Tsunade? Who's that?"
"Huh? What are you talking about Sakura? You already met her" Naruto replied trying to figure out what she meant. "She was the one that woke up Sasuke. The blond doctor lady in his room when you came the other day."
Looking to Kakashi for confirmation, he nodded "Yes Lady Tsunade is a world renowned medic and one the legendary Sannin. She is also our new Hokage."
Shocked, Sakura stuttered "N-N-New Hokage! I didn't know she was so important!" Shamefully she thought 'I didn't even really pay attention to anyone in that room when I noticed Sasuke-kun woke up. I guess I should find this Lady Tsunade and thank her. And from the sound of it, Naruto helped bring her back to the village.'
Turning to Naruto, she said "Thank you Naruto. For bringing her back and helping Sasuke-kun."
Naruto was caught off guard by her apology. He quickly recovered and waved his hands in front of him "It was nothing! You don't have to thank me! Sasuke is my friend too so of course I wanted to help him. Plus both Kakashi-sensei and Bushy Brows needed her help too!"
Sakura smiled "Well thank you all the same."
"Alright now that everyone's all caught up, lets begin your training" Kakashi interjected. He then made a hand seal and a shadow clone poofed into existence beside him.
Seeing their confused looks he stated "I'm going to be teaching you different things today. Using a shadow clone, I can focus on both of you." Addressing Naruto he asked "You know how to water walk, right Naruto?"
Naruto nodded "Pervy-Sage taught me."
'He knows how to water walk? When did he learn to do that' Sakura thought in shock. "Who is this Pervy-Sage" she asked, cringing at the name.
"Oh, just some old pervert that teaches me stuff sometimes" Naruto answered nonchalantly. "He taught me water walking and was the one that let me sign the toad summoning contract. I also learned the Rasengan from him recently."
Looking to Kakashi for an explanation, he sighed and said "He's talking about Master Jiraiya, one of the Sannin and Lady Tsunade's teammate. The Rasengan is the Fourth Hokage's original jutsu. It's very difficult to learn and, as of now, there are only three people that know it, Naruto, Master Jiraiya and me."
'Naruto was trained by one of the Sannin? And learned the Fourth Hokage's jutsu? One that only two people knew before him? How in the world did Naruto turn from the dead last into this' Sakura thought, raking her brain trying to find an answer.
Something stuck out about what Kakashi said though. "You know the Rasengan, Kakashi-sensei?"
He nodded and replied "Yes, Lord Fourth taught it to me as I was his student. Did I not mention this to you?"
Sakura deadpanned and he continued "Huh, I guess Naruto really was telling the truth about not bringing it up." Ignoring Naruto's indignant "I told you so", he held his hand out and gathered chakra in it. After a moment, he had formed a Rasengan.
"Wow, it's pure condensed chakra in your hand" Sakura stated in awe.
Kakashi nodded and said "Yes, it's the highest form of change in shape in chakra manipulation. However, it has a very high chakra cost. That's why you've never seen me use it before. I actually based my Chidori and Lightning Blade off of the Rasengan."
Naruto perked up at hearing that. He was about to ask something when Sakura beat him to it "Does the Chidori and Lightning Blade not take as much chakra as the Rasengan?"
Curious to know the answer, Naruto spoke up "Yeah why do you use them and not the Rasengan." He then got excited and exclaimed "And can you teach me the Chidori and Lightning Blade!"
Kakashi shook his head and answered "The Chidori and Lightning Blade both cost a lot of chakra, don't get me wrong. However, they're easier for me because they share my elemental affinity, lightning. I still can only use them a few times per day though."
Addressing Naruto he said "As for teaching you the jutsus, I don't think it would be a good idea." Seeing Naruto's pouting look he elaborated "For one, you don't have the sharingan. Both of those jutsus require moving at a high speed and the sharingan is almost a necessity to keep track of your surroundings while using it. Also I doubt you have the right affinity to use it."
Sakura gained an understanding look and asked "Is that why you taught it to Sasuke-kun?"
"Yes he meets both the requirements" Kakashi replied. "He has the sharingan and I tested him on his affinity. He has lightning, just like me."
Naruto piped up "Kakashi-sensei! What are these affinities your talking about and how do I know mine!"
Kakashi sighed and shot him down "We're getting way off track Naruto. I'll teach you about affinities soon but not today." Naruto was about to protest when Kakashi continued "Besides you already know the Rasengan and are working at getting better at it right? Between that and what I'm going to be teaching you today, you should be busy for a little while."
Naruto didn't look too pleased but nodded reluctantly. Sakura took that time to interject "Is that why you're splitting us up today? Because he already knows the Rasengan and you're gonna teach it to me?"
Kakashi saw Naruto's eyes widen at that and watched as he grew an unpleasant expression on his face. Before Naruto could say anything, Kakashi replied "No, the Rasengan is not right for you. You don't have enough chakra and I doubt you will ever grow enough to do it reliably." Naruto visibly relaxed at that and Kakashi thought 'I'm sure Naruto also wants to keep it contained in his family. It is his legacy after all.'
"That's why I won't teach it to Sasuke either" he continued. "Even though he has more chakra than you, he'll still be like me and not have enough to use it well. The Chidori fits him much better in that regard."
"Naruto however is the perfect user for it. He has immense chakra so he can use it reliably. That's why he can also make so any shadow clones and not feel much exhaustion afterward" Kakashi finished.
Sakura gave Naruto an appraising look, like she didn't realize what he was capable of until now. Refocusing on Kakashi, she asked "So what are you teaching us today then?"
He eye smiled and answered "Why I already brought it up. I'm going to be guiding you through how to water walk. That's why I'm splitting you up, because Naruto already knows it."
Upset because he was ahead of her, she huffed out "Well what are you teaching him them?"
However Kakashi was undisturbed by her tone and replied happily "I guess you'll just have to find out when he learns it."
Sakura growled and Kakashi's shadow clone took her away to the part of the training ground that had a lake. After she was gone, Naruto spoke up "Thanks for that Kakashi-sensei. I don't really know why but I don't want Sakura to know the Rasengan."
"I understand Naruto, you're under no obligation to teach it to her" Kakashi said. "It's your jutsu by birthright, so you can determine who learns it. I won't teach it to anyone you don't want to know it."
Naruto grinned brightly and Kakashi continued "Speaking of the Rasengan, how's your training coming." Naruto deflated some and answered "I'm trying but I still can't get it. I'm just not able to get both the rotation and compression down at once."
Kakashi looked sympathetic "Well just keep at it. I'm sure you'll get it in no time. It's an incredibly difficult jutsu after all, so you've made great progress already."
Hearing that he was doing good, Naruto's face broke into a smile. Kakashi grew a more serious expression and he asked "How is it going Naruto? I meant to check on you but I wasn't able to yet. Have you been getting along ok with everything you've been told?"
Naruto had a small smile and nodded "I'm still getting used to it but I'm doing better. I talked with Iruka-sensei and Hinata-chan and they both helped me with everything."
Kakashi giggled "Hinata-chan eh?"
Blushing slightly he scratched his cheek and said "Yeah I had lunch with her before this. She's really cool Kakashi-sensei! She said she really cares about me and wants to help me with all this stuff we've been thrust into!"
"Well I'm glad you're happy about that, Naruto" Kakashi chuckled. "It sets my heart at ease knowing you're doing ok. If there's anything you need just let me know."
Naruto nodded and asked "By the way, I invited Hinata-chan to train with me. Is that alright with you if she comes sometimes?"
"I have no problem with it as long as Kurenai doesn't" Kakashi answered. "She could be a good influence on you after all and help you in your training."
"Thanks Kakashi-sensei" Naruto exclaimed.
Straightening up, Kakashi said "Alright we've been delayed enough. Lets start your training. Follow me." With Naruto's cry of "Yeah training" they walked over to the part of the training ground that had targets.
Upon arriving Naruto turned to Kakashi looking confused "Why are we at the target area Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi just eye smiled "Because this new jutsu is going to be practiced using targets. I think it's one that'll fit your skillset well and was in fact invented by the Third Hokage."
At this, Naruto's face became slightly crestfallen and he muttered "Old man" before perking back up. Looking at Kakashi with determination in his eyes he exclaimed "I'm ready to learn, Kakashi-sensei!"
"Watch closely" Kakashi said jovially. Standing in front of a target Kakashi drew a shuriken from his pouch. Concentrating, he threw it towards a target and then made a few hand signs saying "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu." Immediately, the shuriken multiplied into ten and they all sailed towards the target, each one landing with a thunk.
Satisfied, Kakashi turned to Naruto to see his expression. Instead of the look of amazement he was expecting, Naruto instead had a quizzical expression. Naruto said "Um, that's cool and all Kakashi-sensei, but how will this really help me? I mean can't I just throw multiple shuriken instead?"
Kakashi chuckled "Well you can use multiple shurikens, but this jutsu has a few upsides compared to that." Seeing that he had Naruto's attention, he continued "For one, this takes less time than throwing more shurikens. You only have to throw one and then do the hand signs while the shuriken is in transit instead of taking the time to throw multiple."
Waiting to make sure Naruto understood so far, he said "This is also cheaper and takes up less space than having more shurikens. You don't have to carry as many with you if you learn this jutsu which means spending less money. This is especially true if you decide to use chakra metal shurikens, which can be combined with elemental jutsus for more potency but the cost would skyrocket if you had to buy so many all the time."
Naruto started to get excited at the prospect of combining elemental jutsus with his shuriken. He exclaimed "That sounds pretty cool, Kakashi-sensei! Is there anything else it can do!"
Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's head and ruffled his hair. When Naruto started to grumble, he answered "The great thing about this jutsu is the flexibility of it's chakra cost. You can make more or less shuriken based on how much chakra you use. I made ten when I used it and the chakra cost was on the lower side for me. So if someone like you uses it, who has an extraordinary amount of chakra, then you could easily spawn a hailstorm of shuriken any time you want."
Naruto's eyes began sparkling and Kakashi finished "This is why I think this jutsu is perfect for you. Not only could you use it by yourself to great effect, but you can also do it in conjunction with your shadow clones. With the amount of clones you can make, and if each one used this jutsu, the number of shuriken you make would be uncountable."
Starting to hop in place, Naruto asked "Is that everything Kakashi-sensei! Can we get started now!"
Calming him down, Kakashi said "A few more things Naruto. First, while this jutsu is called the shuriken shadow clone jutsu, it can be used with kunai as well. We're going to be practicing with shuriken first though, since they're cheaper and smaller. Because they're smaller, they will be harder to target with your chakra. So if you can do this jutsu with shuriken, it will be a lot easier to adapt to kunai."
Scratching his head, Kakashi mentioned "Now that I think about it, your dad actually used this jutsu with his own kunai sometimes." Naruto grew excited when his dad came up and Kakashi continued "He would use this jutsu to multiply his Hiraishin kunai and spread them across the battlefield."
"The Hiraishin" Naruto said slowly. "That's the jutsu my dad was famous for, right? The one he used to end the Third Shinobi World War?"
Kakashi nodded "Yes, he would be able to teleport to anywhere on the battlefield thanks to his sealing marker attached to the kunai."
Naruto grew a hopeful grin and asked "So can you teach me the Hiraishin too?"
"I can't" Kakashi replied shaking his head. "I don't know how to do it. It's one of the most complicated jutsus to learn. From what I know everyone has to have their own seal formula that's unique to them. It requires the highest level of fuinjutsu mastery available and to this date, only Lord Second and Lord Fourth have been able to do it. Minato-sensei also taught his guard platoon the jutsu, but they are only able to use it in conjunction with each other, and can't use it in quick succession like him."
His mouth wide open, he said in awe "Wow that's awesome! So Lord Second and dad must have been extremely strong!" Thinking for a moment, he inquired "Does that mean Old Man Third didn't know the Hiraishin?"
Kakashi opened his mouth to speak and then closed it back. After a moment of silence he replied "I'm not sure actually. It's said that Lord Third knew all the non-clan jutsus in the village. However he was never seen using the Hiraishin. So I don't know if he never learned it or he just didn't or couldn't use it for some reason."
Naruto grew a wide grin and exclaimed "Well I'm going to learn it just like my dad! I'll surpass him and all the other hokages!"
Kakashi just patted his head and said "I believe you Naruto, but it will take you a while to do so. In the meantime let's get started on teaching you this jutsu."
Naruto's face slipped into a determined look and he nodded. Kakashi started "Ok I'm going to teach you the hand signs you need for this. There are two things to be aware of when learning this jutsu. First is the matter of targeting the shuriken with your chakra. Since you're using chakra on something separate from your body, it can be difficult to start with. Especially with how small the shuriken are and how fast they'll be moving."
Kakashi paused to make sure Naruto was following. Seeing that he was, Kakashi continued "Next is your accuracy. While your concentrating on your chakra you also have to make sure you don't miss your target. After all, it's no good if you successfully multiply your shuriken but they are all thrown off target since you put all your focus into performing the jutsu."
"I understand Kakashi-sensei. I'll keep your advice in mind" Naruto said. With an eye smile, Kakashi replied "Good. All that you have to do after that is get a feel for how much chakra to use for the amount of shuriken you want and getting your hand seal speed faster. Both of these will come as you practice. That's enough explanation from me, so let's see you in action."
After showing Naruto the hand seals one more time, Kakashi stepped aside. Naruto drew a shuriken and took his stance. After a moment he threw the shuriken and performed the hand signs shouting "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Instead of multiplying like Naruto expected, the shuriken just continued to sail towards the target and hit the outer ring with a dull thud. Embarrassed, Naruto turned to Kakashi and said hesitantly "Uh, nothing happened."
Kakashi just smiled and stated "That's right. I did tell you how difficult it is to target the shuriken with your chakra. I won't be expecting you to actually multiply your shuriken for a while." Glancing at the target, he added "It looks like your shuriken throwing needs work too. You need it to hit the center of the target and much harder and faster as well."
Naruto looked away and bitterly said "Yeah Sasuke was always better than me at throwing weapons in the academy." Looking at Kakashi with fire in his eyes, he exclaimed "Just watch me! I'll get this jutsu down in no time and hit the bullseye every time!"
When those words left his mouth he took out another shuriken and started again.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Kakashi continued to watch with a grin on his face thinking 'Well he might not have the pure talent of Sasuke but he has more determination than anyone I've ever seen. I'm sure he'll be able to live up to all the expectations Minato-sensei and Kushina had of him.'
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Those words and the thunks of shuriken against the target were all the sounds heard from the clearing for several hours.
With the sun starting to dip down, Naruto could be seen bent over, panting and trying to catch his breath. Kakashi was reading his Icha Icha while watching him from the corner of his eye wondering when he would eventually pass out.
Naruto straightened up and breathed out "One..More..Time!" Clearing his thoughts, he took out a shuriken and adopted his stance. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. As if by some unknown declaration, his eyes shot open and he flung the shuriken forwards.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The shuriken was engulfed in smoke and cleared to reveal two shuriken which embedded themselves near the center of the target.
Naruto was silent for a moment before his eyes widened and he started to jump up and down shouting "I did it! I did it! I di-". In the middle of his celebration, his eyes started to droop and he started plummeting towards the ground. Before he could fall all the way though, Kakashi's hand caught him.
Gently, Kakashi propped him up against a tree. Looking at Naruto's snoozing face he commented "He never does anything halfway, does he? Refusing to stop training until he progresses even if it exhausts him completely."
He then winced as he felt a rush of memories into his brain. It seemed the training session with Sakura went well according to his shadow clone. She had made good progress on water walking and would likely have it down tomorrow. Of course, she was non too pleased with his clone after she spent a good hour getting wet.
However, that anger was quickly forgotten as she got exhausted. Not having the insane stamina as Naruto caught up to her and his shadow clone carried her back home. Kakashi then started to giggle as he got the memories of his clone reading his latest copy of Icha Icha since it had some free time.
'Oh Makoto you dirty girl! Offering to wash Ren's back in the public bath! I didn't know you had it in you' Kakashi thought with a nosebleed.
Shaking his head, he bent down to put Naruto on his back. After gathering him, Kakashi took off to Naruto's apartment. When he arrived he put Naruto on his bed after taking his shoes off. With a gentle smile Kakashi left the apartment intent on arriving back home so he could spend some time continuing his book.
While Kakashi was carrying Naruto to his home, another team was finishing up their training for the day. At training ground eight, Kurenai was overlooking her team as they finished their most recent spar. Kiba was holding his side trying to stay upright while facing Hinata. She was panting but remain locked in her stance and seemed ready to continue.
Kiba shifted his weight and then winced before saying "Geez, Hinata! What's gotten into you? You didn't even hesitate sparring with me today."
Shino, who had been watching from the sidelines, piped up to add his opinion "It may have been caused by your derogatory remarks about Naruto earlier. Why? Because after hearing he returned, I believe you said "So what if he got some training with some hotshot? I bet he's just the same loser, dead last as always!""
Upon being reminded of Kiba's words, Hinata's face changed into a scowl before it went back to her neutral expression. Seeing her quick change in expression, Shino added "However, there is something different about Hinata today. Although I do not know what caused it."
Kiba was about to raise his voice again when Kurenai interjected "Alright, that's enough. Trainings over for today." Turning to Kiba she said "You need to start thinking before you speak. After all, you shouldn't be speaking ill of your leaf comrades, as they might one day hold your life in their hand."
Accepting Kiba's begrudging apology, she nodded and said "Alright, your dismissed. You've got tomorrow off and then we'll have some more training the day after."
All three bowed at her and replied "Yes Kurenai-sensei." They all started to gather their things and begin to leave. Before they could get too far, Kurenai called out "Hinata! Wait a moment, I wish to speak to you."
Kiba and Shino looked interested but shrugged it off and left saying their goodbyes. When they were gone Hinata tilted her head and asked "What did you need me for Kurenai-sensei?"
Kurenai sighed and replied "Lady Tsunade has informed me of the position you've been thrust into. As your sensei, it is my duty to watch over you. So tell me Hinata, how are you doing?"
Hinata blushed and stuttered "I-I'm doing o-ok Kurenai-sensei. Y-You don't have to w-worry about me."
"I always worry about you Hinata" Kurenai said with a smile. "I may be your sensei but you're more to me than just a student. You're almost like my little sister and I want to be sure you're not suffering in silence."
Hinata looked at her with tears gathering in her eyes and smiled widely "T-Thank you Kurenai-sensei. I-It means a lot that you think that and I love you like a sister too." Hinata took a moment to wipe away the tears before continuing "I'm not suffering with the decision they've made. It's not how I wanted it to happen but it's allowing me to pursue one of my greatest dreams."
Kurenai shook her head and chuckled "I figured you would be happy about that, knowing your crush and all." She took a moment to watch the way Hinata turned redder before saying "I would have thought you would be crushed not being able to be his only wife though."
Twiddling her fingers, Hinata muttered "I-I still am not o-over it. H-However, I am trying to be p-positive about it. B-Besides, Temari didn't ask f-for this either. So I-I shouldn't hate her for s-something out of her control." Hinata grew a fierce expression before she stated "That doesn't mean that I'll just roll over for her though. I finally have Naruto-kun in my grasp and I won't let her take that away. And if she tries to make his life miserable then I will personally see to it that she fails."
Kurenai blinked, taken aback by Hinata's fierce declaration. She took a minute to gather her thoughts before replying "That boy definitely changes you, Hinata. Whenever it comes to him, you seem to have no fear. Why, I've never seen you fight so fiercely as I did today against Kiba."
Hinata blushed slightly but narrowed her gaze "He shouldn't have disrespected Naruto-kun like that. I know they insult each other a lot but I won't have anyone calling Naruto-kun a loser anymore. I might have overlooked it before but I need to be better. After all, what kind of wife would I be if I let someone talk about my future husband like that and not stand up for him."
When she finished speaking, she felt a hand in her hair. Blinking, she looked up to see Kurenai patting her head with an amused expression on. "Well looks like I might be worried over nothing. If you're already like this now, I can't imagine how you'll be when you're actually married to him!"
At Kurenai's words, Hinata's expression fell back into her usual timid one. She started poking her fingers together and seemed to mutter something. Kurenai laughed "There's the cute girl I know! Naruto better realize how lucky he is with the kind of girl he's getting!"
Hinata blushed but then remembered something. Looking at Kurenai she asked "U-Um sensei, N-Naruto-kun asked me if I w-would like to t-train with him. I-Is that alright w-with you?"
Kurenai nodded and answered "Of course, I have no problem with it. As long as you keep up with your current training and show up to our practice, I won't stop you. I think it could be good for you in fact."
"T-Thank you, Kurenai-sensei" Hinata said with a smile and a bow.
Thinking on something, Kurenai grew serious and she told Hinata "Now you have to tell me if he tries anything with you or Temari that neither of you want. I'm sure having two wives can lead to all kind of ideas in his head. I don't want you agreeing to something that you don't like."
Getting mental images of what Kurenai was implying, Hinata's face reached a level of red Kurenai had never seen. Trying to stay calm she replied "I-I'm s-sure N-Naruto-kuns n-not l-like t-that. H-He's v-very r-respectful o-of m-me."
However, inside of her mind, Hinata was having very different thoughts 'You should be more worried about what ideas I have. There's not much I would say no to if he asked me. I might still not be happy about Temari now but it does allow me the possibility for a few fantasies I never thought I could act out with Naruto-kun."
Finally having overloaded her brain, Hinata fainted. Kurenai caught her as she fell back and observed the wide grin on Hinata's face and the streams of blood pouring out her nose. Kurenai sighed "I should have known that would happen. I don't know whether I should kill Naruto or pity him."
Picking Hinata up and putting her on her back, Kurenai started heading towards the Hyuga compound. Hinata meanwhile had blissful dreams of sun-kissed hair and the future it might bring.
The next morning, Naruto could be seen sprawled out on his bed, drooling on his pillow. When the sunlight started to pour inside his room, he groaned and opened his eyes. Taking a few moments to adjust to being awake, he sat up on the edge of the bed. Rubbing his eyes, he thought 'When did I get here? The last thing I remember is training with Kakashi-sensei."
Trying to piece what happened together, he had an epiphany 'I must have passed out from training and Kakashi-sensei brought me home. That's kind of embarrassing but at least I finally managed to multiply the shuriken.'
Satisfied with that fact, he got up and headed to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and got in it, intent on washing away the grime from yesterday. As he was cleaning, he was lost in thought 'What should I do today? I don't know if we have training today since I passed out and I haven't seen Kakashi-sensei or Sakura yet. I could visit Sasuke but I don't know if I could deal with him yet.'
Naruto continued to think on what he could do until he stood ramrod straight. Smacking himself in the head he thought 'I can't believe I forgot that I have training with Hinata-chan! I should hurry up and get ready! I don't want to leave her waiting!'
With a spring in his step, Naruto quickly finished showering and throwing his clothes back on. He rushed to finish getting ready and a few minutes later appeared in the kitchen. He quickly made some toast and put it in his mouth before opening his door and leaving the apartment.
He started running through the village, taking bites of his toast whenever he could, trying to make it to the training ground as fast as possible. When he finally arrived, he slowed down and finished the rest of his breakfast.
He walked towards the clearing looking for Hinata and froze when he saw her. In the middle of the training ground he watched as Hinata was going through katas for her taijutsu. Mesmerized, he thought 'Wow that's some pretty cool moves she's got! Has she always been that graceful? I don't think I ever really noticed.'
He kept watching and was confused when she seemed to shift in her style. 'Is she attempting something different? Before she seemed rooted in one place but now she's flowing around everywhere. I don't know what it is but she's strangely hypnotic like that.'
Realizing he was staring, Naruto shook his head 'I shouldn't be staring at her like that. She'll think bad of me and I don't want that!' Head clear, he started making his way towards her.
Hinata, hearing the approaching footsteps, turned towards where he was walking from. When she saw him she froze and a blush creeped up on her.
"Hey Hinata-chan! Good morning" Naruto greeted with a smile and wave.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Hinata softly smiled back and replied "G-Good morning Naruto-kun."
Upon reaching her, Naruto said "I'm glade you showed up! I'm looking forward to training with you!"
Trying to resist the urge to faint, Hinata stammered "O-Of course N-Naruto-kun! I-I wouldn't miss it f-for the w-world!"
With those words, Naruto's grin grew wider. After a moment he asked "Hey Hinata-chan, I was wondering what you were doing earlier? I mean I recognized the first fighting style as your normal one but I've never seen the second one before."
Embarrassed at being seen, Hinata pushed her fingers together before answering "W-Well it's a w-work in progress. Y-You're right t-that the first stance w-was my g-gentle fist."
Before she could continue, Naruto interrupted "Gentle fist is that thingy where you poke people and close chakra points right?"
Hinata puffed her cheeks at that "I don't just poke people!" Realizing she raised her voice, she continued in a timid manner "I-It does close chakra p-points though. I-I use my Byakugan t-to see a p-person's tenketsu and I c-can use the gentle f-fist to close them."
"Whoah, that's awesome, Hinata-chan! If you can use such a strong taijutsu style, why are you working on another one" Naruto asked excitedly.
When he said that Hinata looked down shamefully. In a small voice, she stated "I-I am no g-good with the g-gentle fist. E-Everyone else in the c-clan can use it m-much better than me. N-Neji is a prodigy w-with it and my y-younger sister is a much f-faster learner than I am. B-Because of this I am t-trying to make my o-own taijutsu style t-that will compliment me b-better. B-But I don't know if I c-can be s-successful" she finished with a few tears in her eyes.
"That's dumb!" Naruto's voice shook her and her head shot up to look at him. He took her hands into his and said "I don't believe for one second your no good! I saw you fighting against Neji in the Chunnin Exams and you were amazing! Even if you didn't win, you never gave up and that counts for more than anything in my book!"
Seeing the amazed look in her eyes, he said softer "If you want to make your own taijutsu style, then go for it. You might not believe you can do it but I do!" Naruto grinned widely, one of his true smiles he rarely gave, and stated "Show your clan and everyone else just how awesome I know you can be, Hinata-chan!"
Hinata couldn't take it anymore. She shot forwards and threw her arms around Naruto, burying he head in his neck. Sniffling, she cried out "T-T-Thank y-you Naruto-kun! Y-You believing in m-me makes me so h-happy! I-I'll do my b-best to do y-you proud!"
Naruto squeezed her tighter and replied "You're welcome Hinata-chan." After a minute, Hinata stopped sniffling and slowly separated from him. When she pulled away, Naruto smiled and asked "Are you feeling better now?"
Hinata blushed realizing how close she had been to him but nodded regardless. "Good, I'll help you anytime you need me to." Naruto then got an idea and he said "Maybe I can help you with your new style! I don't know much about taijutsu but I can at least be a testing dummy! Even if I'm not very good, you might can learn something with a spar against me."
Reluctant to hurt him, Hinata bit her lip "I don't know Naruto-kun, are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."
However, Naruto waved her concerns off stating "Don't worry, I can take your hits. And I can always make a shadow clone so I won't get hurt if you need to test something."
Feeling slightly better, Hinata agreed "Ok Naruto-kun."
"Great! We'll both get stronger together" Naruto exclaimed. "With you sparring with me and Kakashi-sensei's new jutsu, I'll be better in no time!"
Hinata tilted her head and asked "New jutsu?"
"Yeah! Let me show you" Naruto brightly said. He quickly pulled Hinata over to where the targets were. Placing her behind him, he pulled out a shuriken and focused on the target. Throwing it he shouted "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
As the shuriken was flying through the air, a puff of smoke engulfed it. Out of the smoke, two shurikens emerged and sailed towards the target, hitting the edge.
Naruto turned towards Hinata and puffed his chest out "That's my new jutsu I learned yesterday. It lets me make shadow clones of my shurikens and kunai." He deflated a little before admitting "Although it's supposed to make more than just two and my aim still needs work."
Hinata just gave him a shy smile and softly said "I-I think it's great, N-Naruto-kun. You l-learned how to do i-it in just one d-day."
Rubbing the back of his head, he sheepishly replied "Thank's Hinata-chan." Pumping his fist, he exclaimed "Just watch me! I'll get it down in no time!"
She giggled in response to his determined declaration but did not contradict him. Like a lightbulb going off, Naruto shot up and said "Oh yeah! I need to show you that cool jutsu I promised you."
Not waiting for her response, he formed a shadow clone and the two of them each put a hand close together. After a moment of the clone rotating his hand, a ball of chakra formed in Naruto's hand. When it was finished he proudly held it up to Hinata and declared "This is the Rasengan! It's an A rank jutsu that Pervy-Sage taught me!"
Hinata was entranced by the power of the chakra she felt coming off the ball. Activating her Byagukan, she gasped when she got a look at it. 'It's pure chakra, perfectly compressed in his hand! I've never seen such a jutsu! I can only imagine the things this could do! It's so beautiful' she thought in wonder.
Before she could continue gazing at it, Naruto cut it off and started looking straight into her eyes. Embarrassed, she turned off her Byakugan and asked Naruto "W-What are y-you s-staring at me f-for?"
Naruto just leaned back and grinned "I was just getting a good look at your eyes. I've never got a close up look at them with your Byakugan active before."
Hinata threw her hands over her eyes and looked away. Downcast, she replied "T-They're ugly a-aren't they. P-People have a-always said h-how creepy they l-look."
Seeing that he upset her, Naruto started waving his hands back and forth in front of him. "No, No, No! They're not ugly, I think they look cool! It makes you look fierce with your Byakugan active" he stated frantically.
Slowly lowering her hands, she gave Naruto a disbelieving look. "A-Are you sure? Y-You're not j-just telling m-me that to m-make me feel b-better" she hesitantly asked.
Naruto nodded his head rapidly. "Of course! I think your eyes are really pretty!"
Turning red, Hinata covered her face again but managed to squeak out "T-Thank y-you, N-Naruto-kun." Inside her mind, she was a mess 'He said my eyes were pretty! Does that mean he thinks I'm pretty? No that's not possible, he just said I looked fierce. I can't be both fierce and pretty! Oh what do I do, what do I do?'
Unaware of her private thoughts, Naruto just tilted his head. "Um, so what do you think of my jutsu, Hinata-chan" he questioned.
His question stopped her thoughts from derailing anymore. She managed to tear her hands away from her face and took a deep breath. After deciding she was calm enough to answer, she replied "I-I think it's a r-really neat j-jutsu, Naruto-kun. D-Do you k-know how your t-teacher came up w-with it?"
Naruto grew a small smile and looked to where the Hokage monument was. Following his gaze, Hinata was confused until he spoke "Pervy-Sage was the one who taught it to me, but he didn't make it. The inventor of the jutsu was actually the Fourth Hokage."
Chuckling at her stunned look, Naruto continued "Yeah, my dad made it. He really was a genius for making such a cool jutsu. That's why it's so important to me, because it feels like I have part of his legacy. This jutsu helps me feel closer to him in a way."
Hinata gently grabbed his hand and brought it up to hold it between her hands. Seeing Naruto turn to look at her she gave him a kind smile and said "I think it's wonderful, Naruto-kun. But remember, even if this jutsu is his legacy, so are you. In fact, you are the greatest legacy he could have and I am forever grateful for it."
Naruto didn't know what to say but settled for giving her a genuine smile. He then took his hands to grasp hers softly and said "Thank you, Hinata-chan. It makes me very happy to hear you say that."
After a moment, Naruto had an idea that he started to like the more he thought about it. Deciding to ask her, he spoke up "Hey Hinata-chan?" With her focus on him, he asked "Would you like me to teach you the Rasengan?"
Not expecting that, Hinata recoiled back as if struck. Sputtering, she tried to give voice to her thoughts but was unable to. Taking a second to calm herself, she finally managed to stammer "T-Teach m-me! B-But that's y-your father's j-jutsu! Shouldn't it s-stay with you?"
Shaking his head, Naruto denied her protests "It is my father's jutsu but it was entrusted to me. I don't want it to just be given out to anybody, but you're not just anybody. You're going to be my family and I want you to know it too. I'm sure my father would be happy to know his jutsu is in your hands and helps to protect you."
Hinata turned more red with every word he spoke and struggled to not start hyperventilating. Hearing him say she was going to be his family gave her more joy than she could ever express. She was about to answer him when she thought of something. Somewhat reluctantly, she replied "I would love to Naruto, but I think we should wait." Seeing him about to question her, she continued "It's not just me you're m-m-marrying, but Temari as well. I shouldn't get so much favor from you when she doesn't even have an opportunity to learn it as well. You should wait until she's here to ask her as well."
Slightly disappointed but understanding where she was coming from, Naruto nodded his head. "I understand Hinata-chan. I want you to have it to protect yourself but I shouldn't forget about Temari either. Besides, I want her to be able to keep herself safe as well" Naruto said getting a little happier towards the end.
Trying to cheer him up a little more, Hinata added "Don't worry, I'm sure she would like to learn as well. Besides, I'll learn it when you ask her, no matter what she chooses."
Perking back up, Naruto grinned and nodded "Alright! We'll set that aside for another day then!" Naruto then asked Hinata "Hey Hinata-chan, can you help me with something?"
"Of course Naruto-kun, whatever you need" she replied eagerly. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and said "So you saw the Rasengan I made but the truth is I haven't really mastered it. You're supposed to be able to make it with one hand but I can only do it with a shadow clone. I've tried to do it with one hand but I just can't seem to do it."
Tilting her head, Hinata asked "I understand, b-but how am I s-supposed to help you?"
Naruto grinned and answered "Well I thought you could use your Byakugan to help. It lets you see chakra right? So I figured you can watch how I form it with and without a shadow clone and see what I'm doing wrong."
"That's a w-wonderful idea, Naruto-kun! I s-should be able to s-see the fluctuations, s-so maybe I can point out w-what you need help with" Hinata replied excitedly. Activating her Byakugan, she focused on Naruto's hand and said "Whenever your ready, Naruto-kun."
Summoning a shadow clone, Naruto repeated the process of creating the Rasengan. After letting it linger for a second, he dissipated it and looked to Hinata "Did you get that?" Seeing her nod in the affirmative he then began to attempt it without a shadow clone.
He started to create the ball of chakra using only one hand. However, when it almost reached the normal size, the ball started to wobble and he dissipated it before it could explode, grumbling while he did so.
He turned to Hinata and waited to see what she would say. She stayed silent for a second before turning off her Byakugan and answering his unspoken question "I-I think I see what you're doing w-wrong. When you use your s-shadow clone, you have one t-take care of the rotating and the o-other taking care of the compression."
Naruto nodded and said "That's right. I just found it too hard originally to do both at the same time. The idea of the shadow clone was so we could each focus on one task."
"H-However, with only one hand, your f-focus was split. The p-problem came because y-you were doing both a-actions at different times. I-It seemed like you would rotate y-your chakra and then p-push it down, switching b-between the two constantly. M-Maybe if you tried rotating it a-at a slight angle, that w-would take care of the compression f-for you."
Naruto pressed his lips together before replying "Hmmm, I could try that. It wouldn't hurt at the very least." Holding his hand back out he attempted it again, rotating his chakra the way Hinata recommended to him. The ball formed slower but seemed to be more stable than last time. When it had almost reached the right size, it started to wobble again and Naruto stopped the jutsu.
Hinata had a crestfallen look on her face and she said "I-I'm sorry Naruto-kun. It s-seems that I was w-wrong. M-Maybe you should k-keep trying your way."
"What are you talking about Hinata-chan? That was great!" Hinata's eyes shot up towards Hinata who was looking at her with a toothy grin. "Sure it wasn't quite stable, but it felt a lot closer than what I had been doing! I'm sure with a little more practice I can get it down in no time!"
Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he crossed the distance between them in no time and gathered her into his arms. Jumping up and down with her in a hug he exclaimed "It's all thanks to you Hinata-chan! You're the best friend a guy could ask for!"
Hinata was sporting an atomic blush and felt like she was fighting the hardest battle ever trying not to faint. 'He's so happy! He called me his best friend! And he feels so good holding me! I wonder if he would hold me like this all the time if I asked him too?' Trying to control her thoughts before they got too out of control, she breathed deep and gave a small smile.
When Naruto finally stopped jumping around and let her go, she happily said "I-I'm glad I was able t-to help you, Naruto-kun."
Naruto pumped his fist into the air and yelled "Alright you helped me, now it's time I help you! Let's try out that new taijutsu of yours!"
"R-R-Right now? B-But it's not r-ready" Hinata stuttered. "M-Maybe another d-day will work!"
Shaking his head frantically, he shot her down "Nonsense! The best way to improve it is in a good, heart-pounding spar! So come at me with everything you've got!"
Hinata still looked reluctant but eventually nodded "O-Ok Naruto-kun, if y-you're sure."
"You bet I am" he exclaimed. Running back to get some distance from her, he turned to face her. He watched as Hinata slipped into her stance and grew a smirk before making three shadow clones. "Hope you're ready Hinata-chan, because here I come" he yelled out before rushing to her with the thought of the glorious spar they were sure to have running through his mind.
A.N. Here we go with the actual start of some new training. I always thought the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu would fit Naruto, so here he is learning it. It also helps to have Kakashi teaching something because I love Kakashi but he was a pretty terrible teacher. While helping Naruto with his wind chakra in part 2 was really cool it's a pretty big letdown to realize he didn't really do anything for Naruto and Sakura in part 1. Just gave them some advice about climbing trees and that was it. So I hope to make him a little more helpful this time around.
Also part of the reason this chapter took longer was because I'm finding out how I have a hard time writing Sakura. I don't want to bash her but her characterization changes so much and so fast it makes it difficult to work with. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon.
As for recommendations this time, I'll go ahead with one that was mention with the reviews. The Uzumaki Tales: Return of the Whirlpool by jbriz. It's an incredibly well written fit that has Naruto come into contact with Kurama early. It sets him on a road to become stronger than canon but it's at a believable pace so it doesn't feel like he becomes godlike right away. It's a naruhina of course, although it does have a bit of a slower start in that regard. But it pays off in really satisfying ways later. Just a warning though, that it is unfinished and seems unlikely to ever be finished.
Anyway, as usual, tell me what you think about this chapter and what you would like. I'll take your comments into consideration. Also, in regards to the chapter size, what would you guys like. I've been aiming for 6k to 10k words each chapter, but does that work for ya'll. Tell me if you prefer shorter chapters that I can make faster, or longer ones with less updates. Or if they're perfectly fine like they are. Thanks as always for your feedback! Later!