Training with Asuma was proving far more intense than Naruto expected. For someone with his absurdly large chakra reserves, most practices were easier than they should be… but this time, Asuma's tone alone made Naruto feel the weight of what was coming.
"Listen carefully, Naruto," Asuma said, arms folded. "Improving sensitivity—true chakra sensitivity—is incredibly difficult. This isn't like hitting something harder or running faster. This level of control means constantly releasing chakra outside your body and maintaining it in precise shapes. It's far harder than any training you've done so far."
Naruto tightened his fists and nodded with determination.
"Of course I'm ready!"
Asuma gave a small, approving smile and gestured for him to follow.
"Good. Then let's begin with something simple… Walking on Water."
Naruto froze. "Walking on… what now?!"
---
Learning to Walk on Water
Asuma led him to a quiet river that flowed gently through Konoha's outskirts. The sunlight scattered across the surface, turning it into rippling silver. To Naruto, though, it looked as intimidating as deep ocean.
Asuma pointed. "This is the best spot. Watch closely."
Naruto watched Asuma gather chakra into his feet—not simply holding it but shaping it outward, forming a stable layer under his soles. With calm, effortless steps, Asuma walked across the surface, reached the other side, then returned without so much as a splash.
Naruto's jaw dropped.
"Whoa! That's amazing!"
"Your turn." Asuma smirked.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, nervous but excited. He had climbed trees before—this couldn't be that different, right?
"Extract the chakra… activate it… gather it in the feet… and… RELEASE!"
He stepped onto the water—
SPLASH!
—and immediately vanished beneath the surface.
"Ah—gurgle—gurgle—!"
Asuma sighed, pulled him out by the collar, and shook his head.
"What did you think? That you'd get it in one try?"
But Naruto was already stripping off his soaked shirt.
"No way! I'm gonna get this down!"
"That confidence is good," Asuma said, lighting a cigarette. "Let's see how long it lasts."
Naruto took a deep breath and tried again.
SPLASH.
Then again.
SPLOOSH.
Again.
BLURB—SPLASH!
Asuma raised a brow.
Hmm? He's improving… and fast.
Naruto stomped back onto the riverbank, drenched yet undeterred.
Asuma narrowed his eyes. "He's adjusting quicker than expected… This kid's chakra reserves really are monstrous."
Naruto failed again. And again. But each failure lasted a few seconds longer, a few steps further, until—
Half a day later—
"Haha! Asuma-sensei! Look!"
Naruto staggered across the river surface, swaying like a drunk man, but he didn't sink.
He was doing it.
Asuma clapped. "Well done, Naruto. Honestly, I expected this to be the most difficult training, but you handled it easily."
Naruto scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Heheh… It was pretty fun!"
Ripples danced around his feet as he bounced proudly on the water's surface.
"Good," Asuma said. "Then we can move to the next stage—Wind Release: Gale Palm."
---
Training the Wind
Naruto almost tripped from excitement.
"Yes, Asuma-sensei!"
Asuma demonstrated the technique, explaining each detail. Naruto created a Shadow Clone, the main body using Gale Palm, the clone performing the Shuriken Technique. The burst of wind boosted the shuriken's speed, doubling its momentum.
But that was only the beginning.
Asuma exhaled smoke through his nose.
"Now listen. You must shape the wind—control it—and use that flow to guide the shuriken's path. Don't try to control the shuriken directly. Control the wind."
Naruto blinked. "Oh! I get it!"
He didn't, not fully. But his enthusiasm was burning bright.
The training intensified.
Naruto swung his arms, controlling the wind like an extra limb. Or rather, trying to. The wind was erratic, like a wild animal refusing to obey him. The shuriken sometimes zoomed in random directions. Once, it nearly hit his own clone.
By nightfall, Naruto lay face-down on the grass, exhausted.
---
Three Days of Struggle
"Hmm? How's it going?" Asuma asked the next day.
Naruto scratched his hair anxiously.
"I can do Gale Palm, and I can boost the shuriken with my clone… but the precision stuff isn't working. I can release chakra outside my body now—but I can't completely turn the wind into an extra limb. It's like… my hands don't listen to me! I can touch the shuriken with the wind, but I can't hold it well enough to hit the target!"
Asuma laughed.
"Being able to do even that is impressive. Precision doesn't come overnight. Honestly? At your age, being able to climb trees, walk on water, control chakra externally, and maintain it—this already puts you on the level of genuine prodigies."
Naruto slumped.
"I'm still not good enough. It's already been three days…"
He rubbed the back of his head, frustrated. He wanted to succeed. No—he needed to succeed.
He wanted to surpass his limits.
He wanted to roll.
He wanted the system to finally acknowledge him.
"Ten days," Naruto muttered. "In ten days, I want to fully master Gale Palm."
Asuma blinked. "Naruto… aren't you being too strict with yourself?"
Naruto didn't answer. Instead, he bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Asuma-sensei. I'll keep working hard."
Then he headed home—ate quickly—and continued practicing late into the night.
Even in his dreams, he sparred against Sasuke and Neji using only Wind Release. He lost those battles over and over, but each defeat sharpened his understanding. His mastery over Gale Palm grew.
---
Hinata Appears
The next morning, as Naruto stretched by the window, he spotted a familiar figure outside—white-eyed, timid, and delicate.
"Hinata!"
He practically flew down the stairs and ushered her inside.
Hinata blushed, fidgeting with her fingers.
"Um… Naruto-kun… I'm sorry I haven't been able to tutor you the last few days…"
"Huh? It's totally fine! Even if you come just once, it helps me a lot!"
Hinata smiled shyly, but as always, she sensed Naruto's hidden worries.
"Naruto-kun… are you stuck on something? You look a little troubled."
Naruto sat down across from her. He trusted Hinata completely—there was never a need to hide anything.
"Well, Hinata… I'm having trouble with precise chakra release."
Hinata blinked.
"Precise… external chakra release?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Like… making the chakra come out and shape itself in the air without going wild. Asuma-sensei says Wind Release depends on controlling the airflow, but I can't fully make the wind act like my hand."
Hinata placed a thoughtful finger on her chin.
"Outside-body chakra control… like the Gentle Fist?"
Naruto leaned forward. "Exactly! Like that!"
Hinata's eyes softened with understanding.
The Hyuga Clan's techniques were built entirely on precise chakra release through the fingertips and palms. If anyone could help Naruto with fine chakra control… it was Hinata.
"Hinata… do you know how to teach that kind of thing?"
Hinata hesitated—then nodded, cheeks pink.
"I… I can try. If it's Naruto-kun… I'll definitely help."
Naruto beamed.
With Hinata's finesse and Asuma's wind mastery—
He might truly break through his bottleneck.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)