Seven days had passed since our team began staying with Tazuna-san's family. During that time, a lot had happened. First of all, it's worth mentioning our progress in training with Kakashi-sensei. Not only did we master the practice of tree walking, but we also learned how to walk on water. Secondly, I finally mastered Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu. Using shadow clones, I practiced it every evening. And thirdly, I managed to improve my relationship with Inari. I also met Haku, and we ended up having a rather interesting conversation… Overall, it was an incredibly productive week.
Still, to keep things consistent, it's better to start with how we mastered not only tree walking, but also the technique of walking on water.
It turned out to be fairly straightforward - Sasuke and I reached the treetops by the second day of training. The foundation of our rapid progress was shadow clones and friendly rivalry. Neither of us was willing to fall behind the other. While I relied on the sheer number of clones, Sasuke made up for it with talent and far superior chakra control.
Kakashi-sensei was genuinely impressed by our progress and praised us for our efforts. Naturally, I didn't miss the opportunity and immediately started pestering him to teach us some really cool ninjutsu. The lazy look he gave us in response was something else… For a moment, I honestly thought Shikamaru was standing in front of me.
Thankfully, I didn't have to push him for long. Kakashi-sensei understood perfectly well that, for our own safety, it would be better to teach us new techniques. I'm sure you've already guessed which jutsu he decided to introduce us to.The Water Walking Technique.
Useful, sure - but to be honest, I was expecting something more impressive. Still, I didn't let myself get discouraged and took the training seriously.
Water Surface Walking Practice is a training method designed to improve chakra control. To use it, we had to constantly emit a steady flow of chakra from the soles of our feet, relying on its repelling force to remain on the surface of the water. Mastering this technique was far more difficult than tree climbing, since the amount of chakra released had to be constantly adjusted due to the instability of the water's surface.
As expected, Sakura-chan mastered the technique faster than anyone else. It took her just one day. Once again, I was reminded of just how exceptional her chakra control really was.
No wonder she'll surpass Tsunade Senju in medical ninjutsu someday. She might even become a master of powerful genjutsu, I thought, watching her run effortlessly across the water.
As for Sasuke and me… we were left behind, as usual. It took us around five days before we could walk confidently on the water's surface. I couldn't even count how many times we fell in. Honestly, I don't even want to imagine how long it would have taken without shadow clones.
Fortunately, my progress that week didn't stop with water walking alone. From the very first day of training - from the moment I realized I could use shadow clones to accelerate my growth - I began practicing the fire-style technique Sasuke had shown me. Every evening, around forty shadow clones would head out to train Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu near the water, far away from the villagers.
Naturally, this didn't go unnoticed. On the very first evening, Kakashi-sensei asked where my shadow clones were going and what exactly I was planning. I didn't bother lying, cuz there was no point. I told him honestly that I intended to use shadow clones to quickly master the fire-style technique Sasuke had taught me. After thinking for a few seconds, Kakashi-sensei gave his approval, though, as always, he limited the number of clones to twenty.
After creating twenty shadow clones, I sent them out to look for a suitable training spot. Once they reached the shore and confirmed there were no villagers nearby, each clone created one additional copy. In the end, forty shadow clones were practicing Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu.
I remembered Kakashi-sensei's warning perfectly well, but I took this step consciously. On the very first day of training with shadow clones, I noticed something interesting - the memories and experience from twenty clones were absorbed without much difficulty. I felt no dizziness or mental overload. That's why I decided to push further and test where my limit truly lay. It was risky, but controlled.
Even so, I couldn't avoid consequences entirely. After the first evening of training, I felt a mild headache, like pressure building in my temples. Nothing critical, but impossible to ignore. There was also a strange sense of internal exhaustion - not physical, but something inner life-force. My body functioned normally, yet inside I felt drained, as if I had gone beyond my usual limits.
Thankfully, this state passed quickly after some rest. After analyzing the sensation, I concluded that the chakra reserves of my shadow clones allowed them to train for roughly an hour. After that, they either dispersed on their own or I recalled them, unwilling to risk serious overload.
With each passing day, progress became increasingly obvious. At first, the fireball was unstable - it lost its shape and dispersed too quickly. But after a couple of days, the flames grew denser, the heat more intense, and the technique far more obedient. I began to better understand the principle behind fire formation: first proper chakra transformation, then compression, and only after that - a sharp release through controlled breathing.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu turned out to be far more versatile than it initially seemed. In its standard form, it's a massive sphere of flame launched toward the enemy, capable of traveling dozens of meters and incinerating everything in its path. But with proper control, the technique could be modified - turning the fireball into a continuous stream of flames, flooding the space ahead with fire. I immediately recalled the battle between Itachi and Sasuke, where their fire techniques clashed head-on… It must have been an incredible sight.
By the fifth day of training, the results finally stabilized. Judging by the flood of memories I received when the clones dispersed, Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu was now being executed flawlessly. The flames no longer dissipated mid-flight, the fireball retained its shape and density, and my chakra control had noticeably improved.
Water walking practice contributed greatly to this as well. As Sasuke and I became more confident on the water's surface, our overall chakra control steadily improved - directly affecting both me and my shadow clones. Chakra flow became more stable, techniques formed faster, and mistakes during fire-style execution were drastically reduced.
This realization didn't come from spectacle, but from experience — dozens of sensations, failures, and successes merging into one. Even so, I had no intention of stopping. There's a difference between being able to perform a technique and truly mastering it. That's why I continued sending clones to train, shifting the focus from basic execution to speed, precision, and reducing chakra consumption.
I wasn't the only one striving to grow stronger. My gloomy teammate, Sasuke, had no intention of standing by while my shadow clones made me stronger day after day. He trained just as relentlessly, though there was one major difference between us.
Unlike me, Sasuke needed significantly more time to recover his chakra after morning training. My enormous chakra reserves, combined with Uzumaki vitality and my status as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, gave me an overwhelming - and frankly unfair advantage.
After nearly exhausting my chakra practicing water walking, I could recover in one or two hours at most. Sasuke, on the other hand, was forced to slow his pace or take breaks, while I could continue almost nonstop.
Sometimes we trained together, sparring against each other. It was during these fights that the results of our chakra control training became most apparent. Sasuke grew faster, sharper, and far more unpredictable than before. I still struggled to keep up with his tempo and ended up taking quite a few hits.
But I wasn't standing still either. I could feel my own progress - recovering faster after losing balance, staying steadier on my feet, and adapting better to Sasuke's fighting style. With every fall, I got back up stronger. I never took the same hit twice.
Outside of training, I managed to lift Inari's spirits a little. On the third day, we had a meaningful conversation. After one of our sparring sessions, Sasuke and I returned to Tazuna's house battered and bruised. Sitting at the table, we devoured dinner greedily - training burned through an enormous amount of energy.
"That won't help you! No matter how much you train, Gato's men are stronger! No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try… the weak always lose!" Inari suddenly shouted, tears streaming down his face as he stared straight at me.
Sasuke responded with his usual cold silence. From his expression alone, I could tell he had no kind words for the boy.
Sakura-chan was clearly upset, disagreeing with Inari, but unsure of how to respond.
Kakashi-sensei took the words painfully - which was understandable, given his past.
Tazuna and Tsunami-san were hurt the most.
"Good. I was worried you'd completely given up hope," I replied calmly, meeting Inari's gaze.
"What hope?! There is none!" he screamed through tears, denying my statement.
"Then why are you crying?" I asked quietly. "If you'd truly given up and accepted your fate, you wouldn't be shedding tears."
Inari froze.
Kakashi-sensei looked at me strangely. It was a little awkward.
Everyone else at the table was stunned.
"I promise you, Inari - I will protect your grandpa. That's a promise from me - Uzumaki Naruto, the future greatest Hokage!" I said with a grin.
Kakashi-sensei gave me"that" strange look again.
Inari said nothing more. But when I stood up from the table, I noticed he was still watching me - not with despair, but with expectation.
That was probably the hardest promise I made that day.
From then on, things began to change. Gradually, Inari opened up and started talking about the pain he carried. In return, I told him about mine. By opening up to each other, we built trust. From that moment on, Inari was ready to fight for his future again.
Tsunami-san was sincerely grateful for the change in her son. Tazuna thanked me as well, later that evening.
On the sixth day, after another sparring session with Sasuke, I lay on the ground. This time, he had beaten me far worse than before. The reason soon became clear — Sasuke had somehow awakened… or rather, reactivated his Sharingan.
You should have seen his smug face when he realized it.
For now, his Sharingan had only one tomoe. But even that was more than enough. His movements became more precise, his gaze sharper, and his reactions faster. He seemed to perceive my actions a split second before I made them. Not full precognition - but a clear advantage in close combat.
I couldn't help wondering why it awakened so early. Perhaps it wasn't just the training, but our constant rivalry. Day after day, we pushed each other without rest. I relied on numbers and persistence; he relied on talent and cold determination. That pressure might have been the trigger.
"Ugh… couldn't you go easier on me?" I groaned from the ground.
"Stop whining. You can recover very fast. In ten minutes you'll be back up, annoying everyone," he replied flatly.
"F*ck you…" I muttered tiredly.
"…Need help getting up?" he asked after a short pause, feeling awkwardly.
"No. Go tell our lazy sensei about it. He has a Sharingan too - maybe he'll give you some advice. I'll rest here. I'll be fine in half an hour."
After he left, I closed my eyes… and fell asleep.
Soon, I felt a gentle touch on my cheek.
"Wake up. You'll catch a cold sleeping here."
I opened my eyes and saw a beautiful, gentle face filled with kindness.
If I didn't know he was a guy, I might have fallen for him on the spot, I thought.
It was Haku.
We talked quietly. He had been gathering medicinal herbs and offered to show me. We walked along the shore while he calmly explained which plants healed and which should be avoided. He casually asked if I was a shinobi. I told him the truth - that I was a ninja from Konoha and that I aimed to become Hokage.
Then he asked why I sought strength.
I answered honestly: I didn't want to be powerless when the people I cared about were suffering.
Haku smiled softly and said that true strength is born when you have someone to protect.
When we parted, he thanked me and then casually added: "By the way, I'm a guy."
I watched him leave, feeling a strange heaviness in my chest.
Haku wasn't evil. He was like me. Cast aside. Labeled a monster. Saved by someone who gave him purpose - even if that purpose was twisted.
I didn't want him to die.
I had to do something.
When I returned to Tazuna's house, I saw Sakura pestering Sasuke, who tolerated it only because he was in a good mood. Kakashi-sensei stood nearby, explaining something to them.
"Kakashi-sensei. I need to tell you something," I said firmly.
"…I'm listening, Naruto."
A very serious conversation awaited us.