Asuma's words were so resolute that Naruto couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Even the system in his mind seemed to agree, reminding him that it was time for dinner.
He could only nod and smile sheepishly.
"Okay, thank you for your help, Asuma-sensei! I'll see you tomorrow!"
Asuma exhaled a long trail of smoke, watching Naruto's retreating figure disappear down the street. For a moment, he smiled faintly beneath the haze of cigarette smoke.
"Maybe," he murmured, "this kid really could become Hokage someday…"
He chuckled softly. "And to think — I don't even have much affection for that title myself."
---
When Naruto returned home, he immediately threw together a quick meal. Within minutes, every plate was wiped clean. His hunger gone, his energy surged back like a wave.
Most people would've rested, but Naruto wasn't most people.
He grabbed his gear, tightened his forehead protector, and bounded downstairs again. The night was still young — the perfect time to keep training.
Asuma had told him to take it easy. But how could he?
He'd finally found a technique that truly suited him — Wind Release: Gale Palm — and he wasn't going to stop until he made it perfect.
He arrived at a deserted street on the outskirts of the village, a place quiet enough not to attract attention. The lamps flickered dimly in the cool night wind.
Naruto stretched his arms and exhaled.
"Alright, let's see what this baby can do."
He pulled out a handful of kunai and shuriken — dull, scratched, and perfectly suited for testing. His idea was simple: if he could combine Gale Palm with projectile weapons, he might amplify their power and speed.
He took a deep breath.
"Shuriken Technique!"
He flung seven, maybe eight shuriken at once, his hands moving in a blur. Then, without pause, he flashed through hand seals.
"Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm!"
A blast of wind exploded from his palms, stirring the dust and leaves — but the shuriken had already fallen to the ground with a sad clatter.
Naruto froze. "…As expected. Too slow."
He sighed and scratched his head. His timing was off. The wind jutsu took too long to activate after the throw.
Thinking hard, he muttered to himself.
"My hand seal speed isn't fast enough. By the time the jutsu hits, the shuriken are already gone…"
He paused, then suddenly brightened.
"Wait — what if I flip the order? If I activate the jutsu first, then throw the shuriken!"
He tried again. This time, he released Gale Palm first, a roaring gust swirling around him — and immediately followed it by hurling the shuriken.
The result? The wind had already dispersed by the time the shuriken flew out.
The weapons dropped limply a few meters away.
Naruto groaned, tugging at his hair. "Argh! Why won't it work together?!"
He paced in frustration, muttering under his breath. "If only I had two of me, one to use Wind Release and one to throw—"
He froze mid-sentence. His eyes widened.
"…Wait a minute."
A grin spread across his face — that mischievous grin that always meant trouble.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"
He slapped his hands together.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
With a puff of smoke, another Naruto appeared beside him. The clone grinned, identical energy radiating from him.
"Ha! I really am a genius!" Naruto declared proudly. "Alright, Naruto Two! Here's the plan: you throw the shuriken, and I'll use Gale Palm at the same time. Got it?"
The clone gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"Got it! You're a genius, me!"
"Obviously!" both Narutos shouted in unison, beaming as though they'd just solved the greatest mystery in the world.
They prepared themselves — one with shuriken ready, the other with his hands forming seals.
"Shuriken Technique!"
"Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm!"
The timing was perfect.
The shuriken shot out like a spray of silver stars just as the roaring wind erupted. The gust caught them mid-flight, spinning them faster, sharper — faster than the eye could follow.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One after another, the shuriken embedded themselves deep into the ground, walls, and even the trunks of trees nearby. The sheer force shattered bark and split stone.
Naruto's jaw dropped. His eyes shone with excitement.
"What… what power!" he gasped. "This is awesome!"
He turned to his clone, both of them grinning like maniacs.
"This way, I don't even have to do it all myself — we can fight together!"
The clone nodded, equally hyped. But after the excitement faded, Naruto frowned thoughtfully.
"Hmm… right now we're just firing randomly. We need to work on aiming. As Asuma-sensei said — if I can control the direction of the wind with chakra, I could hit targets precisely."
And so began another round of experiments.
---
It was easier said than done.
Naruto quickly realized that controlling the shape and direction of external chakra was far harder than simply unleashing it. It wasn't just about chakra control anymore — it was about precision and manipulation.
He gritted his teeth and kept going. Again and again.
As the night stretched on, his coordination with the clone improved dramatically. The synchronization was perfect; both moved as if they shared the same mind. The power of the combined technique grew stronger with every attempt.
But precision — that remained elusive.
Each shuriken still missed its intended mark by inches, sometimes feet. Naruto refused to give up. Even as fatigue gnawed at him, he kept pushing himself until his chakra reserves finally ran dry.
He dispersed the clone, slumped onto his bed, and fell asleep within seconds.
---
Naruto's Dream
In his dreams, he was back on the battlefield — facing Sasuke once again.
The two of them glared at each other across the cracked earth. Sasuke's eyes gleamed, the Sharingan spinning with two distinct tomoe in each eye. His aura was colder, sharper, stronger.
Naruto clenched his fists, smirking.
"So you've gotten stronger, huh, Sasuke?"
Sasuke tilted his head slightly, his voice low and confident. "You still don't understand what the Uchiha are, Naruto. I'll show you the true power of the Sharingan."
The air between them crackled. Then — they moved.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm—Shuriken Combination!"
Naruto unleashed his new move. The shuriken tore through the air, amplified by the roaring gale. But Sasuke was faster now — his Sharingan predicted every movement. He slipped through the assault effortlessly, his counterattack slicing through the storm.
Naruto blocked, slid backward, and grinned even wider.
"Not bad, Sasuke! This is what I've been waiting for! A real fight!"
Their battle raged across the dreamscape, each strike more explosive than the last. Lightning clashed against wind, fire against willpower. Neither gave an inch.
In the end, both stood panting, grinning — equals once more.
Naruto laughed. "Guess I'll have to train even harder!"
Because for him, training wasn't just about strength. It was about surpassing himself — and someday, surpassing his friend.
---
The Next Morning
When Naruto woke up, sunlight was already spilling through the window. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, stretching like a cat.
Hinata hadn't shown up that morning, which disappointed him a little. But there was no time to dwell on that — his mind was already buzzing with excitement over last night's progress.
He gulped down breakfast faster than humanly possible and bolted out the door, heading straight for Asuma's place.
---
"Asuma-sensei!" Naruto yelled as he burst into the courtyard. "You gotta see this!"
Asuma, sipping his morning tea with a fresh cigarette in hand, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's got you so fired up this early, Naruto?"
Naruto grinned from ear to ear. "Watch closely!"
Without another word, he formed the hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
With a puff of smoke, his double appeared beside him. The clone nodded, mirroring his grin.
Asuma leaned forward, curious. "A Shadow Clone? You've started training already?"
Naruto didn't answer — instead, he and his clone exchanged a confident glance.
"Shuriken Technique!"
"Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm!"
The courtyard erupted into motion.
A storm of wind surged through the air as shuriken ripped forward at insane speed. The combined technique shattered Asuma's training posts, split the trees, and left deep cracks in the ground and walls.
When the dust settled, seven or eight shuriken were embedded in everything around them. The power behind each strike was immense.
Asuma's cigarette slipped from his mouth.
"T-This…" he stammered.
Naruto folded his arms proudly. "Heh! So? Pretty cool, right, Asuma-sensei?!"
Asuma blinked, then burst into laughter. "You're using Shadow Clone cooperation — one doing Ninjutsu, the other handling the weapons… That's actually brilliant."
He nodded approvingly. "Honestly, this kind of thinking — this creativity — is something only you would come up with, Naruto. It's clever… and powerful."
Naruto puffed up with pride, scratching his nose. "Told you, I'm a genius!"
Asuma chuckled, his tone turning a little more serious. "It's a strong combo, no doubt. But remember — power alone isn't enough. Right now, it's a little too wild. You'll need precision if you ever want to land a real hit in combat."
Naruto nodded, his grin never fading. "That's exactly why I came here today! I wanted to ask — how can I make it more accurate?"
Asuma rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He was genuinely impressed. Naruto had already surpassed his expectations.
This kid's growing faster than I thought…
He looked at the young man before him — so eager, so determined — and smiled.
"Naruto," he said finally, "you might just take Wind Release Ninjutsu to a level no one's ever seen before."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)