It was the end of their second year at the academy. Sasuke Uchiha had once again topped the class, his skills and determination shining through. Shino Aburame followed closely behind in second place, showcasing his own impressive abilities. Hinata Hyuga had emerged as the top kunoichi, with Ino Yamanaka right behind her, catching up quickly. Sakura Haruno held the third position, primarily due to her book smarts rather than practical skills.

Naruto Uzumaki, as usual, found himself at the bottom of the class, dead last. However, a select few knew that he could easily surpass everyone in their class except for Sasuke, but they kept that secret among friends. Shikamaru Nara was just ahead of Naruto, second to dead last, as he only ever put in enough effort to pass. It was a constant struggle for Naruto to beat Shikamaru for that position, but he maintained it with his poor attendance.

As the school year ended, the atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation for the summer break. Sasuke and Ino's relationship had blossomed over the past few months. They had gone on numerous dates, and their bond had deepened to the point where they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend.

Naruto was overjoyed for his friends, while Shikamaru called the whole situation "troublesome." Choji congratulated the couple, presenting them with free coupons for the Akimichi Barbeque Restaurant, much to their delight. Hinata and Ino had retreated to a corner, giggling and whispering to each other, leaving the boys confused about what was so amusing. Shino, ever the stoic one, simply congratulated them, expressing his happiness for their relationship.

However, the one who caused the biggest stir was Sakura.

Flashback

Sakura had been watching the interactions unfold, and when she finally confronted Ino, her emotions erupted. "Ino! How could you steal Sasuke-kun from me?" she screeched, her voice echoing through the classroom.

Ino's face fell, and she stammered, "Sakura, I didn't steal him! We just… we like each other!"

Sasuke, standing nearby, crossed his arms and looked at Sakura with an expression of annoyance. "I never liked you, Sakura. You've always been annoying."

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief, and she turned to Ino, her voice filled with anger. "You're betraying me! I thought we were friends!"

Ino felt her heart sink as she realized the depth of Sakura's feelings. "We were friends, Sakura! I didn't mean for this to happen!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to explain.

Sakura's face twisted in rage. "I'll take Sasuke-kun back! You'll see!" she shouted, her voice filled with determination. With that, she stormed off, leaving Ino standing there, heartbroken.

Sasuke stepped closer to Ino, concern etched on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," he said softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Ino wiped her tears, trying to regain her composure. "I just… I didn't want to lose my best friend," she admitted, her voice trembling.

Sasuke felt a pang of guilt. He wanted to be there for Ino, but he also felt frustrated with Sakura's reaction. "You didn't do anything wrong. You deserve to be happy," he reassured her.

Ino looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. I just wish things could go back to how they were."

Sasuke sighed, knowing that things would never be the same. "We'll figure it out together," he promised, wanting to support her through this difficult time. she needed. "You deserve to be happy, Ino-chan. Don't let anyone take that away from you," he said gently, using the affectionate nickname that had become second nature to him.

Ino looked up at him, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. You always know what to say to make me feel better."

Sasuke felt a warmth spread through him at her words. "I mean it. You're important to me, and I won't let anyone make you feel less than that."

As they sat together, the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the training ground. Ino took a deep breath, trying to push aside her worries. "I guess I just need to focus on the positive things in my life, like you," she said, a small smile breaking through her sadness.

Sasuke smirked, feeling a sense of pride. "That's the spirit, Ino-chan. We'll get through this together."

Flashback over

The seven friends stood on Training Ground 8, the same place they had been training for the past year. Each of them felt they had taken great strides since starting their journey at the academy. Naruto, with his usual enthusiasm, announced, "Today, we'll be learning elemental manipulation!"

Sasuke nodded in agreement, adding, "This will be a great skill to have in our arsenal. Most of our clans are known for their unique jutsu, but having elemental techniques will give us an edge."

The group nodded in understanding, and Shino finished Sasuke's thought. "It's logical. If we face an opponent who can counter our clan jutsu, we'll need something else to fall back on."

Naruto continued, explaining the two forms of transformation: shape and nature. "Most ninjas have an element they're most compatible with, which makes it easier for them to learn jutsu of that element, and their jutsu will be more powerful."

Choji raised his hand, curiosity evident on his face. "How will we find out our elements?"

Naruto pulled out several slips of paper from his pocket. "This is chakra paper. You'll put your chakra into it, and it will show your elemental affinity based on how it reacts." He demonstrated by channeling chakra into one of the papers. The paper shredded, half crumbling to dust while the other half became water.

Shikamaru pointed out, "That means you have wind, water, and earth."

Ino looked puzzled. "How do you have three elements?"

Naruto shrugged, grinning. "It's rare, but shinobi can have more than one element."

Sasuke chimed in, "Three is almost unheard of. Two is rare but not very common." He took a slip of paper and infused it with his chakra. The paper turned to ash on one side while the other crumpled into a small ball.

Shino observed, "So you have fire and lightning."

Sasuke nodded, continuing, "Even if you have one element, you can always practice another. It just takes more effort. I want you all to learn a second element after you become Chunin to have more tricks up your sleeve."

Naruto handed each of them a sheet of chakra paper. "Alright, let's find out what elements you have!"

Choji went first, concentrating as he infused his chakra into the paper. The sheet crumbled to dust, and he exclaimed, "I have an earth affinity!"

Naruto's eyes lit up. "That's great! Just think about how advantageous that could be for your fighting style!" Everyone turned to him, intrigued. Sasuke asked, "What do you mean?"

Naruto continued, "If you could have stone spikes erupt from your body while rotating in the Nikudan Sensha (Human Boulder Jutsu), or even rotate underground, you could turn your skin to stone, increasing the strength of your jutsu a hundredfold!"

Everyone stared at him, speechless, while Sasuke shook his head in disbelief. Naruto's intellect in jutsu theory surpassed even his own.

Shikamaru stepped up next, his paper crumpling as well. "Looks like I have a lightning affinity," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

Sasuke started this time, stating, "That's useful for you, Shikamaru. You could channel lightning chakra into your shadow jutsu, paralyzing your enemy and stopping them from escaping your technique. You could even create lightning variants of your clan jutsu."

Shikamaru's eyes widened, already trying to figure out the technique. "Thanks, Sasuke! I'll definitely look into that."

Next was Shino, who infused his chakra into the paper, which turned to ash. Sasuke continued, "Since fire is your specialty, I know your insects can absorb chakra. Can they out chakra too?"

Shino looked thoughtful. "I'm not too sure. Why do you ask?"

Sasuke explained, "If your insects could absorb fire chakra and transfer it into the enemy's chakra coils, you could burn their chakra coils internally, causing them immense pain and disabling them from using their chakra."

Shino nodded, thanking Sasuke for the idea, but the rest of the group couldn't help but sweatdrop at the intensity of the suggestion.

Hinata stepped up next, her paper turning to water. Naruto smiled, saying, "I suspected this! The Hyuga clan is full of earth-style users, which makes their Gentle Fist more rigid. But your water affinity allows for more fluidity, which could work perfectly with your new Jyuuken."

Hinata's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I could create a water variant of my Jyuuken, or use water whips to block chakra points, or even use Kaiten with water chakra to create a water dome!" she exclaimed, her confidence growing as she imagined the possibilities.

Ino was the last to go, stepping forward with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. As she infused her chakra into the paper, it cut cleanly in two. "Wait, why didn't mine shred?" she asked, puzzled.

Naruto grinned widely. "That's because I have a very strong affinity! But don't worry, I have been training it for years now. Anyway, the Yamanaka clan is filled with sensors, right? Are you one too?"

Ino nodded, though she looked a bit shy. "I am, but I'm not very good at it yet."

Naruto's excitement was palpable. "I'll personally train you! Wind style could be very beneficial for your sensory abilities. If someone is able to conceal their chakra, you could pick up slight variations in the wind. Plus, you could use wind to speed up your techniques. I know the Mind Transfer Jutsu is relatively slow, but with wind, you could make it faster!"

Ino's face lit up with hope and determination. "That sounds amazing, Naruto! Thank you!"

Sasuke observed the group, feeling a sense of pride in their progress. "Between Naruto and me, we have all five elements covered. We can help you learn them," he said, his tone serious. "The first step for each element is to do what you did with the chakra paper, but this time, you'll do it on a leaf. The chakra paper automatically converts your chakra, but the leaf will be much harder since you'll have to convert your chakra yourself."

Naruto nodded, adding, "And I'll give you some tips to complete this exercise. For wind, imagine your chakra as sharp and grinding against each other, like a blade. For water, think of your chakra as fluid. For fire, channel aggressive chakra. For earth, make your chakra stiff. And for lightning, visualize it vibrating and oscillating."

The group listened intently, each of them feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about the challenge ahead. As the training continued, Choji looked over at Naruto and Sasuke, curiosity evident in his eyes. "How do you guys know so much about elemental manipulation?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

Naruto grinned, his usual enthusiasm shining through. "Well, Sasuke and I have been practicing our own elemental manipulation for years now. We're actually on the third stage of each element, just started it last week."

Sasuke nodded, adding, "To move on to the second stage, you have to master the first stage. That means being able to perform the first stage almost instantly. For example, you should be able to hold the leaf between two fingers and make it combust almost instantly."

The others watched in awe as Sasuke demonstrated. He held a leaf delicately between his fingers, focusing his chakra. In an instant, the leaf ignited into flames, turning to ash before their eyes.

"Whoa!" Ino exclaimed, her eyes wide. "That was amazing, Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto chuckled, "See? That's what you're aiming for! Once you can do that, you'll be ready to move on to the next stage."

"Alright, let's get to it!" Choji said, determination in his voice. The group resumed their training, each of them focusing on mastering the first stage of their elemental manipulation.

Training by the Lake

After a while, Naruto turned to the group. "Sasuke and I are going to train by the lake for a bit. We'll see you all later!"

As they made their way to the lake, Naruto felt a surge of excitement. He had been looking forward to this training session. Once they arrived, he created 400 clones; his chakra having expanded significantly since the pre-academy days.

"50 of you work on each of the elements, the other 50 continue our work on the intermediate stances from the taijutsu scrolls and combining them, 50 on sealing, 50 on kenjutsu, 50 on mastering the new elemental jutsus, and 50 on sensing things around us.

Sasuke was used to naruto abusing his Kage Bunshin, but he didn't complain, since his Sharingan helped him learn jutsus far faster than Naruto.

Naruto then pulled out Shisui's scroll from his bag and tossed it to Sasuke.

"What's this?" Sasuke asked, catching the scroll and examining it closely.

"It's Shisui's jutsu on the Shunshin, Shisui sent it to my house the day he died, along with his vest." Naruto explained, his expression serious.

Sasuke's eyes widened in recognition. He knew how skilled Shisui was with that jutsu. "You went through the scroll?" he asked sadly, intrigued.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, nodding. "I haven't started practicing it practically yet, but I thought it would be useful for you to learn too."

Sasuke looked at the scroll, feeling a mix of excitement and respect. "What does it say?"

Naruto continued, "There are three stages mentioned in the scroll. The first is the regular Shunshin, which uses a smoke cloud or leaves to mask your movement. The second is the elemental Shunshin, which is faster than the regular one and uses an element to mask your movement. The third is Shisui's version, the Teleportation Jutsu."

Sasuke's interest piqued. "And you're not going to teach me the Teleportation Jutsu?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. Shisui left that to me, and I wouldn't want to disrespect his wish by teaching it to anyone else, even if that someone else is you."

Sasuke nodded, understanding the weight of Naruto's decision. "I get it. I will focus on the first two stages then."