Konoha, Year 59. March. Early spring.
The ninja training grounds lay quiet, a broad lake stretching out beneath a pale sky. The surface was still, unbroken.
Two figures faced each other across the water.
Uzumaki Naruto.Uchiha Sasuke.
Sasuke hadn't changed much at first glance. His frame was still lean, his expression calm. But two years of disciplined living showed in the details. Proper meals. Regular rest. Endless conditioning and flexibility training.
He stood taller than most boys his age now, solid without excess. His movements were economical. Nothing wasted.
More noticeable was his presence.
Where there had once been sharp edges and restless intensity, there was now balance. His gaze was clear, steady, almost transparent. The result of long meditation, breath control, and quiet repetition.
Naruto, by contrast, looked transformed.
He was still slightly shorter, but his build told a different story. His muscles were tight, coiled, shaped by relentless taijutsu training. Sasuke had given him direction, but Naruto had supplied the stubborn persistence.
And he'd followed the advice about food too.
Naruto's stance was grounded. His eyes carried focus now, not bravado. A hint of the shinobi he would become had surfaced early.
Both of them stood atop the lake, chakra steady beneath their feet.
Naruto raised his hands into a seal. "Don't hold back, Sasuke."
Sasuke nodded. "Come."
Naruto moved first.
Water burst beneath his feet as he charged, a straight punch driving forward with startling speed. Ripples chased behind him, his outline blurring for an instant.
Sasuke met the strike head-on, shifting just enough to absorb the force.
As expected.
Naruto didn't linger. He twisted mid-step, leapt, and snapped out a whipping kick that cracked the air.
"You've improved," Sasuke said, blocking cleanly.
They traded blows in quick succession. Naruto pressed hard, faster than before, heavier too. His stamina showed. His recovery was almost unfair.
But speed bred gaps.
When Naruto overextended, Sasuke stepped in instead of back. A shoulder check drove into Naruto's chest. Before he could regain balance, a rising kick caught his chin.
Naruto spun once, twice, and crashed into the lake.
Sasuke didn't relax.
Hands flashed through seals.
The water churned.
With a series of sharp splashes, eleven Narutos erupted from the surface, spreading out in a wide arc.
"Here it comes!" Naruto shouted. "Naruto Barrage!"
Sasuke inhaled.
His chest expanded, chakra gathering.
"Fire Style. Fireball Jutsu."
A massive sphere of flame roared forward, swallowing the clones in one sweep. White smoke bloomed across the lake.
Naruto barely reacted in time.
"Wind Style. Air Bullet!"
Compressed air slammed into the fireball, forcing it back. Steam exploded outward as flame and wind collided.
For a moment, visibility vanished.
"Did I—"
A calm voice spoke behind him.
"No. You lost again."
Lightning crawled across the water at Naruto's feet.
His body locked up instantly.
"Lightning Style. Ground Walk."
Naruto collapsed into the lake with a splash.
A second later, he surfaced, coughing, wiping water from his face. "Tch. Lost again."
Sasuke looked down at him. "Have you ever won?"
Naruto snorted. "One day."
He pulled himself upright, fists clenched. "This month, double taijutsu training."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Do what you want."
Then, more quietly, he added, "I'll still beat you."
Naruto grinned anyway.
Sasuke turned away, already planning his own adjustments.
He couldn't afford to slow down.
Not even for a moment.