The early morning light filtered through the thin curtains of Naruto's small apartment, casting faint shadows on the walls. Sasuke—still going by Izuna—was already awake, his senses alert to the quiet hum of the village. He'd slept lightly, as he always did, attuned to every sound, every shift in the air.

Next to him, Naruto was still deep in sleep, his steady breathing filling the silence. The boy was sprawled out across his bed, snoring softly, completely unaware of the world around him. Sasuke sighed. Discipline wasn't Naruto's strong suit, but that would soon change.

Sasuke reached out and gently shook Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, wake up."

"Mmm… ramen…" Naruto mumbled in his sleep, turning over and pulling the blanket tighter around himself.

Sasuke's patience was already wearing thin. "Naruto," he said, his voice firmer, "if you want to train, you need to wake up."

Naruto only grunted in response, incoherently muttering as he tried to stay in the warmth of his bed.

Sasuke frowned. He didn't have the luxury of waiting for Naruto to wake up on his own. Without hesitation, he lifted a nearby cup of water with his left hand and tipped it over Naruto's head, soaking him instantly.

Naruto shot up, sputtering and flailing. "Ahh! What the—?!"

Sasuke stood at the side of the bed, unimpressed. "Get up, Naruto. If you want to train, you need to be ready when I am. If you're not dressed and outside in the next few minutes, we won't be training today."

Naruto rubbed his face, still groggy but now fully aware. The thought of missing out on training jolted him into action, and he quickly scrambled out of bed. "I'm up! I'm up!"

Sasuke turned and walked toward the door, listening as Naruto fumbled to get ready. The morning was still quiet, only a few villagers moving about outside. As Sasuke descended the stairs, his steps measured and precise, he focused on the sounds around him—the soft shuffle of feet, the distant rustle of trees, the faint chirping of birds. He didn't need his sight to know exactly where he was going.

Behind him, there was a loud thud as Naruto jumped from the second-floor balcony to the street below. The boy landed with an excited grin, already fully dressed and ready. "Come on, old man Izuna, let's go!" Naruto called out enthusiastically.

Sasuke sighed, slightly exasperated at Naruto's volume. "Don't wake the whole village, Naruto," he said calmly.

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Right, right. Sorry." He looked up, his face lighting up with excitement. "So, where are we going?"

Sasuke started walking, gesturing for Naruto to follow. "There's an abandoned training ground near the Forest of Death. It's overgrown now, but we'll have some privacy there. That's where we're going."

"The Forest of Death?!" Naruto's face lit up, even more eager now. "That sounds awesome! It's gotta be some super dangerous place with wild beasts, right?"

Sasuke shook his head, though Naruto couldn't see the faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "It's just an old training ground. Don't get too excited."

Naruto bounced ahead, energy pulsing through him, clearly not listening. "I bet I can clear it in no time!"

The path they took grew quieter as they neared the outskirts of the village. The air was cool, and the scent of the forest grew stronger. As they approached the training ground, Naruto slowed down, taking in the sight before him.

The training ground was barely visible. Tall grass had grown wild, vines wrapped around the wooden training posts, and thick vegetation had spread across the entire area. What once might have been a bustling space for training had turned into an untamed corner of the forest.

Naruto's enthusiasm dimmed as he stared at the mess. "Whoa… this place is a wreck!" He turned to Sasuke, clearly confused. "What are we gonna do here?"

Sasuke gestured toward the overgrown clearing. "Before we can train, we need a space to do it. Your first task is to clear this area."

Naruto blinked, staring at Sasuke in disbelief. "Wait, you want me to… clean it up?"

"Exactly," Sasuke replied, his tone firm. "If you can't handle clearing the training ground, how do you expect to master any techniques?"

Naruto groaned loudly, slumping his shoulders. "Man, I thought we were gonna do something cool, like learning jutsu or something!"

"This is training," Sasuke said simply. "You need strength, patience, and focus. Start with the basics. Then we can move on to more advanced techniques."

Naruto looked at the tangled mess of plants and trees with a frustrated sigh. "Fine… but this is gonna take forever."

Sasuke pulled an axe and a shovel from a bag he had brought along and handed them to Naruto. "You'll need these. Cut down the trees, dig up the roots, and clear the ground."

Naruto took the tools reluctantly, his fingers tightening around the axe handle. He shot Sasuke a determined look. "I'll get it done! Just you wait!"

Sasuke nodded. "I'll be nearby. Call if you need guidance."

Naruto grinned, his confidence returning as he marched over to the nearest tree. With a loud yell, he swung the axe, burying it into the wood with a sharp thunk. The vibrations shot through his arms, but he didn't let it slow him down. He kept swinging, attacking the tree with everything he had.

Sasuke sat down on a nearby rock, his ears attuned to Naruto's progress. Though he couldn't see, he didn't need to. The sound of the axe cutting into the wood, the rustle of leaves, and Naruto's grunts of effort painted a clear enough picture for him.

Hours passed, the sun rising higher in the sky. Naruto's grunts became more strained, the sound of the axe less rhythmic as his strength began to wane. His hands were blistered, his arms aching, but he kept going. He had something to prove—not just to Sasuke, but to himself.

Finally, Naruto dropped the axe, panting heavily as he stood in the middle of the now-cleared area. Sweat dripped down his face, his clothes soaked through, but a look of pride shone in his eyes.

"I… I did it," Naruto gasped, barely able to catch his breath.

Sasuke stood from his seat, stepping carefully toward Naruto, his movements precise and controlled. "Not bad," he said, sensing the open space around them. "This will do for now."

Naruto beamed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "So… what's next?"

Sasuke's expression remained impassive, though there was a hint of something softer beneath his calm demeanor. "Now we begin the real training."

Naruto's heart pounded in excitement, and despite the exhaustion from clearing the area, he was ready. Ready to begin the journey that would finally make him stronger.

As Naruto stood, still catching his breath from the exhausting work of clearing the training ground, Sasuke, or rather Izuna to Naruto, wasted no time. The boy was eager, and that eagerness needed to be directed before it burned out.

"Before we get into anything else, we need to stretch," Sasuke said, his voice calm yet commanding.

Naruto gave him a confused look. "Stretch? You mean, like warm-up stuff?"

"Yes," Sasuke replied. "Without proper stretching, your muscles will tighten up, and you'll risk injury. We're doing this for you, Naruto. There will be no slacking, no fooling around. This is the foundation of all training. If you're serious about getting stronger, you need discipline."

Naruto nodded, determination written on his face. "Alright, fine. Let's do it!"

Sasuke, despite his missing hand and blindness, moved with the fluidity and grace of someone who had honed their body for years. He began with simple stretches, guiding Naruto with precise words and movements.

"Start with your legs. Bend forward, reach for your toes. Hold it," Sasuke instructed. His tone left no room for argument.

Naruto followed the instructions, his body protesting slightly as he reached toward his toes. "Ow, ow… this feels weird," he muttered, but he pushed through the discomfort.

"Good," Sasuke responded, ignoring the complaints. "Now stand straight and stretch your arms above your head. Hold the position. Feel the muscles in your back and shoulders loosening."

Naruto did as instructed, stretching his arms high into the air. "This isn't so bad," he said, a slight grin forming on his face.

Sasuke shook his head slightly, though his sightless eyes didn't move. "You're just getting started."

They moved through a series of stretches, each more focused and intentional than the last. Sasuke showed Naruto how to stretch his arms, his legs, his back, and even his neck. All the while, he kept reminding him that this wasn't something to rush through. Naruto, eager to move on to the more exciting parts of training, found the process slow but forced himself to stay focused.

After nearly an hour of stretching and mobility exercises, Sasuke finally nodded. "Now that you're warmed up, we begin the actual physical training. Every day, you'll start with ten laps around the training ground."

Naruto blinked. "Ten laps? This place is huge! That'll take forever!"

Sasuke's expression didn't change. "Then you'd better start now if you want to finish before dark."

Naruto groaned but didn't argue. He took off, running around the perimeter of the training ground. The ground was still rough from being overgrown for so long, and his feet kicked up dirt as he sprinted, determined to prove he could handle it.

As Naruto ran, Sasuke stood in the middle of the clearing, listening carefully. He could hear Naruto's footsteps, the way his breathing quickened as he ran harder than he needed to. The boy was trying to go fast, burning energy too quickly. Typical.

"Don't rush," Sasuke called out as Naruto passed him for the third lap. "You're wasting energy. Pace yourself."

Naruto slowed slightly, frowning as he ran. "But I want to finish fast!"

"This isn't about finishing fast," Sasuke replied calmly. "It's about building endurance. You're training to last, not just to sprint."

Naruto grumbled but adjusted his speed, focusing on steady breathing as he continued running. By the time he finished his tenth lap, he was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving with every breath.

Sasuke could hear Naruto collapse onto the ground, panting heavily. "Good. Now, onto the next part."

Naruto looked up, still trying to catch his breath. "What… there's more?"

Sasuke ignored the complaint. "Push-ups. Sit-ups. Pull-ups if you can find something to hang from. You'll do as many as you can. Then tomorrow, you'll do more."

Naruto groaned again but got up, his arms shaking as he started doing push-ups. He struggled at first, but Sasuke's presence kept him going. Every time Naruto felt like stopping, he remembered Sasuke's calm but firm voice: There's no room for slacking.

For the next few hours, Sasuke drilled Naruto through basic exercises. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, pull-ups—anything that could build up Naruto's raw physical strength. Naruto's muscles burned with fatigue, but he pushed through, refusing to give up. The more he trained, the more he realized how much he'd been lacking. He had always relied on sheer willpower and luck for bad situation, but real strength, real power, required this kind of relentless effort.

Finally, as the sun started to lower in the sky, Sasuke called an end to the workout. "That's enough for today."

Naruto collapsed onto the ground, his body aching in ways he hadn't known possible. "Man… that was intense," he muttered, staring up at the sky.

Sasuke, standing tall and unmoving, nodded. "You did well for the first day."

Naruto managed a grin despite his exhaustion. "Does this mean I get to learn some awesome jutsu tomorrow?"

"Not yet," Sasuke said. "You're still not ready. First, you need to master your body. Without strength, jutsu is meaningless. However, I will teach you something today."

Naruto perked up at that, his tiredness momentarily forgotten. "Really? What is it?"

Sasuke lowered himself into a seated position, facing Naruto. "It's a gesture. A special stance I developed for balance and precision. It's rooted in old taijutsu techniques but refined over time. Watch closely, and I'll guide you through it."

Naruto stood up, curious as Sasuke raised his left hand. Despite having only one arm and no sight, Sasuke's movements were fluid, almost graceful. He slowly moved into a stance, his body balanced perfectly, weight evenly distributed. He explained each movement as he went, detailing how the gesture was designed to control one's center of gravity and direct energy in combat.

"This stance allows you to maximize your body's natural strength and focus. It's not about brute force—it's about precision and control," Sasuke said.

Naruto tried to mimic the movements, stumbling at first, but Sasuke's patient instructions helped him find his balance.

"Hold it," Sasuke said. "This is your base. Every strike, every movement in combat starts from this foundation."

Naruto held the pose, his body trembling slightly as he tried to keep his balance. "This feels… weird."

"It should," Sasuke replied. "But with practice, it'll become natural. This is how you'll build precision. Strength without control is useless."

Naruto nodded, focusing harder. He could feel the strain in his legs, his muscles already exhausted from the earlier training, but he held the stance, determined to learn.

As the day came to a close, Naruto finally dropped out of the stance, exhausted but filled with a new sense of purpose. Sasuke stood quietly, listening to the rustling of leaves and the distant sounds of the village.

"We'll continue tomorrow," Sasuke said. "The training will only get harder from here."

Naruto grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Bring it on. I'm ready."

Sasuke smirked slightly, though his face remained calm. "We'll see."

Author Note:

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