"Our first official mission as Team 7 will be a C-rank assignment—escorting a bridge builder from the Land of Waves back to his home."
Kakashi's voice was calm as always, but his words made Shigure's eyes narrow slightly.
"Due to certain circumstances," Kakashi continued, "there's a chance our client may be targeted. Our job is to protect him and ensure he arrives safely in the Land of Waves."
Sasuke and Naruto didn't react much—on the surface, it sounded like a pretty standard mission.
But Shigure?
No way this is normal.
In the anime, Team 7 went through a whole month of D-rank chores—catching cats, weeding gardens, cleaning up garbage—before they were even considered for anything more serious.
And now they were jumping straight into a C-rank escort mission?
Is this because of me? Did my presence shift the timeline somehow?
It was hard to tell, but the possibility couldn't be ignored.
Kakashi continued, "The person we're escorting has just arrived in Konoha. He'll need a day to rest and finalize some arrangements regarding construction materials."
"So," he added, "we'll be departing tomorrow morning."
"That's it for today. Go home, rest, and be ready to meet at 8 a.m. sharp."
As he spoke, Kakashi's one visible eye casually drifted toward Shigure.
"I hope no one will be late tomorrow. I won't wait."
His gaze lingered.
"…Shigure, you don't think anyone would be late tomorrow, do you?"
Shigure gave a dry smile and shook his head. "Nope. Not at all."
"Good," Kakashi replied, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
The rest of the team slowly began to disperse.
Shigure sighed. Seriously? Kakashi… actually showed up on time today? The king of tardiness is suddenly punctual? What is happening to the universe?
"Hey, Shigure!"
Just as Shigure turned to leave, Naruto called out behind him.
Shigure turned back. "Hm? What is it?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uhh… could you maybe… teach me another ninjutsu?"
"I mean, only if it's not too much trouble or anything!"
Shigure blinked, a little surprised—but not too much.
I did teach him the Shadow Clone Technique before. Guess that planted a seed.
And really, what kid didn't want to learn more ninjutsu?
Especially after that bell test, where Naruto had to watch Sasuke casually spit fire and Shigure dance around with that overwhelming swordsmanship. Naruto, on the other hand, could only spam Shadow Clones.
Compared to us, he probably feels way behind.
Shigure glanced at Naruto, who looked like he was bracing himself for rejection.
He let a beat pass, then smiled.
"Sure. I'll teach you."
Naruto lit up like a bulb. "Really?! You're the best, Shigure! Thanks a ton!"
The next thing Shigure knew, Naruto was half-tackling him in a hug.
"Alright, alright, ease up. No need to get sappy—we're teammates, remember? Helping each other out is part of the deal."
"Let's go find a quiet place where we won't be disturbed. I'll show you a new ninjutsu."
Naruto's chakra nature was wind.
Shigure didn't have many Wind Style jutsu under his belt, but he did have one reliable technique: Wind Style: Beast Wave Palm.
It wasn't flashy, but it was practical—low chakra consumption, decent power, and perfect for someone just starting out with wind release.
If Naruto could master it, it'd add much-needed variety to his toolkit.
After all, right now his whole arsenal consisted of Shadow Clones and… well… rolling balls.
Shigure sighed.
Man, just a shadow clone and a glorified ball-rolling machine. It's way too basic.
Though, admittedly… that "ball" would someday evolve into something terrifying.
Rolling balls into gods…
…Wait a minute.
"Rolling balls"…
Shigure's thoughts paused as something clicked in his mind.
Oh no.
It really does all start with the ball.
Shigure frowned slightly.
With my current level of chakra control, forming a chakra sphere shouldn't be that difficult… Maybe I can give it a try.
They didn't go far this time—no trip to the waterfall like in the original story. Instead, Shigure simply led Naruto to a quiet forest clearing just outside the village.
Time to begin.
The first technique Shigure decided to teach Naruto was:
Wind Style: Beast Wave Palm.
Step by step, Shigure patiently explained the sequence of hand seals and the flow of chakra necessary to activate the jutsu.
Even though Naruto hadn't yet learned how to manipulate wind chakra nature precisely, he was naturally attuned to it. As someone born with wind chakra, his chakra already carried the element's properties.
Nature transformation was more like an advanced layer of training—necessary to unlock a technique's full potential. But for now, that wasn't a blocker.
"You get the hang of the hand signs and chakra flow?"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Got it!"
"Alright then. Give it a shot."
Naruto stepped forward and formed the hand seals. He concentrated… but nothing happened.
First attempt: failure.
Second attempt: still nothing.
Third, fourth, fifth… not even a breeze.
Naruto's excitement began to waver, his shoulders drooping with each failure. But Shigure wasn't concerned.
He had expected this.
In the background, he activated his internal system.
Great Sage, calculate the Rasengan based on my chakra control and intention.
[Great Sage: Calculation in progress]
[10%]
[20%]
[30%]...
With Shigure's refined chakra control and theoretical knowledge, forming a Rasengan wasn't out of reach—it was only a matter of shaping and rotating chakra in precise layers.
Still watching Naruto struggle, Shigure finally gave a helpful nudge.
"Try using Shadow Clones," he said. "Let them train alongside you."
"Huh? Shadow Clones?"
"Think of them as training hacks," Shigure explained. "Whatever progress they make, you'll gain the experience back instantly once they dispel. You'll improve ten times faster—maybe more."
That was all Naruto needed to hear.
In the next moment—POOF!
A massive cloud of smoke exploded around them.
The entire forest clearing filled with hundreds, no—thousands of Naruto clones.
Shigure's eye twitched. This guy really is the protagonist…
And just like that, what was previously slow and painful training turned into rapid-fire progression.
Each clone worked through the hand seals, experimented with chakra control, and tested the technique. Moments later, the forest echoed with wind-charged bursts.
One of the clones finally succeeded—
Wind Style: Beast Wave Palm!
A gust of cutting wind slammed into a nearby tree, carving a sharp groove into the trunk.
Naruto dispelled the clone—and grinned as the experience rushed back into him.
"YES! I did it!"
Shigure nodded approvingly. "Good. You're picking it up faster than I expected."
"And now…" he smiled, raising his hand.
"I'll teach you something even more impressive."
Naruto blinked. "Even more impressive? What kind of jutsu?"
"This one doesn't require hand signs."
"No hand signs?" Naruto's jaw dropped. "Is that even possible?!"
Shigure grinned.
"This technique is called—"
[Congratulations! The host has mastered the new skill: Rasengan.]
"Rasengan."
As he said the name, chakra instantly surged in his palm. In less than a second, a swirling blue orb of condensed chakra materialized—the Rasengan.
Without hesitation, Shigure turned and slammed the Rasengan into a tree trunk.
BOOM!
The tree cracked clean in half, blown apart from the spiraling force of the sphere.
Naruto stood there wide-eyed, mouth agape.
"I—!! I wanna learn that too!!"
Shigure chuckled. "Of course. Let's begin right away."
...
TN:
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