Inari looks at his mother, his face showing no remorse. He continued his rant, "Mom, they're going to die."
"What did you say, you brat!" Naruto yelled, clenching his fist.
Inari continued, "There's no way you could win against Gatō." He says in a lower tone.
"You Brat! I'll-" Naruto yelled and attempted to launch at Inari, but he was being held back by Sakura. "You idiot, why are you getting angry at a child?!"
Tazuna and Kakashi silently watched as the two argued.
"Hey Inari, listen! I'm a superhero who will one day become an incredible ninja called the Hokage!" He says confidently, "I don't know this Gatō guy, but he's nothing against me!" Inari scoffed,
"Pft… What are you stupid?" He replied, "There's no such thing as a hero." Inari's response was cold, colder than a child his age should be.
"What!?!" Naruto couldn't believe the nerve. Turning away arrogantly, the kid continued, "If you don't want to die, you should leave…" he said, stomping away in anger.
'What is with this kid?' Sasuke wondered,
"Where are you going, Inari?" Tazuna asked,
"To look at the ocean from my room." He said and then slammed the door.
Feeling a little embarrassed by Inari's behaviour, Teuchi apologised, "Sorry…"
Naruto went after Inari, "Damn it! Where is that brat? I'm going to teach him a lesson." He said as he stomped up the stairs. Too used to Naruto's childish nature, Sasuke didn't try to stop him.
But as Naruto got closer, he heard something —a sob coming from the room Inari had just entered. "Oh? Crying?" He stopped behind the door, which wasn't fully closed. It had just enough space for him to peek within.
Inari was in his room, sitting near the window and holding what appeared to be a photo. He cried and muttered, "Dad…"
Hearing this, Naruto's actions were halted; he knew better than to act without consideration. He then walked away after rethinking it.
The next day. Team 7 met in the woods.
Kakashi limped his way into the forest, and when they were far enough, he leaned on a tree.
"OK, now we will start the training." He said.
"He'll, yeah!" Naruto excitedly yelled.
"Before that, I want to talk about the shinobi ability, change in chakra nature and shape," Kakashi said,
"Huh? You mean like fire dragons and stuff?" Naruto asked, "Yeah… almost." Kakashi looks at Sasuke, "Sasuke and Naruto, you explain the components in making a jutsu? Nature transformation and Shape transformation."
Sasuke nodded, accepting his test, though it wasn't even a challenge for the Uchiha prodigy, "Nature transformation is an advanced form of chakra control that entails the moulding and defining of the nature of one's chakra, altering its properties and characteristics for use in techniques."
"And Shape transformation is an advanced form of chakra control, like controlling the form, movement, and potency of chakra, showing the size, range, and purpose of a technique", Naruto added.
"Precisely", Kakashi said proudly.
"Now I know of your rivalry with each other, including Arashi. I won't lie to you and tell you this jutsu will help you be on par with Arashi because that simply is not true."
Sasuke and Naruto both clenched their fists. "He's a few steps ahead of everyone, and that's the reality.
All I can do is help you close the gap. And, I have another lesson planned for you, too, Sakura." He said, looking at her.
"Truth is, all of you have incredible chakra control. Naruto, you're already able to perform nature and shape transformations to make a jutsu. You all have mastered the tree and water walking techniques, which is impressive for rookies. You also learned other techniques.
This is impressive for rookies. However, I'm not training you to peak at that level.
Observe." Kakashi took out a kunai and infused his chakra.
Sparks of lightning erupted from the kunai, and he threw it towards a nearby tree.
The kunai destroyed the tree, creating a gaping hole inside, and then flew through two more trees.
"Woaah…" Everyone had their mouths widened. Everyone except Sasuke.
He'd seen Arashi perform a jutsu even greater than this. 'We're still behind him. Just how far will you go… Arashi.'
Kakashi noticed Sasuke's expression; he knew what he was thinking.
'Sasuke's desire to become greater than Arashi will act as a fuel to his flames. However, if Arashi keeps pulling ahead, Sasuke's obsession might push him past safer limits. He'll need us to steer that fire before it burns us all.' He looked at Naruto.
'Naruto sees Sasuke as a rival as well; however, it's difficult to tell just how much fuel he has. Not only does he have the same potential as Sasuke, but also… he's too stubborn to be left behind by much. He'll either be an equal or a superior to Sasuke. He won't stop at Sasuke; he wants everyone to acknowledge him.'
Kakashi stood before his squad, his expression as inscrutable as ever, after demonstrating the new jutsu.
"When I taught you two how to walk on trees," he began, his voice commanding, "I told you that mastering that technique would enable you to master any other, as long as you could concentrate chakra to your feet."
Naruto nodded, understanding dawning on his face. "Yeah, but what's that got to do with anything?" he asked.
"Well… this is the next step toward mastering chakra control and nature transformations," Kakashi explained. "It'll be difficult, but I know you can do it." He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"I'll be over here if you need help." Kakashi jumped onto a nearby tree branch, casually pulling out his well-worn copy of 'Make Out Paradise'. "Use my demonstration as a benchmark. You can't claim mastery until your attack is as efficient as that."
"Alright!" Naruto exclaimed, slamming his fist into his palm with renewed determination. "I bet I'll master this before you, Sasuke!"
Sasuke folded his arms, a smirk playing on his lips. "Are you sure about that?" he challenged.
"But sensei!" Sakura interjected, her voice laced with concern. "What about me?" Kakashi glanced at her. "Oh, right." He pointed behind her. "Behind you."
Sakura, confused, looked around, then jumped back with a start, seeing Kakashi standing there. "Wha!" she exclaimed, falling backwards. "When did you get there? Was that the clone jutsu?"
"You and I will be focusing on genjutsu," Kakashi said.
"Genjutsu?" Sakura repeated, getting to her feet.
Kakashi nodded. "Your chakra control is certainly impressive. You're definitely suited for genjutsu. At least, that's something we can focus on while you train with me." He turned and walked away, leaving Sakura to ponder his words.
"Over the next few weeks, I expect a noticeable jump in all of your skills and abilities," Kakashi muttered to himself, eyes still glued to the pages of his book.
"Let's go!" Naruto and Sasuke immediately sprang into action, infusing their blades with chakra.
Naruto's special white light blade, entrusted to him by Kakashi, began to glow with vibrant blue energy.
Sasuke's custom-made tanto was soon enveloped in a similar blue aura.
They exchanged a quick glance before hurling their blades at the trees.
The two blades slammed into the trees, creating sizeable holes. Naruto's blade made a jagged, tearing cut, splintering the surrounding wood. Sasuke's blade, on the other hand, made a cleaner, deeper cut, splitting the wood with precision. However, neither blade had inflicted enough damage to satisfy Kakashi's benchmark.
Kakashi observed their efforts, noting their progress. 'Infusing chakra into weaponry is harder than it looks,' he thought.
'Naruto must have already realised it. He has greater chakra reserves than Sasuke, that's no secret. What's interesting is his wind release.
His blade will make a sharper, wider cut than Sasuke's. Sasuke's lightning release, however, will always cut deeper and more accurately. It's truly fascinating.
Neither of them, despite their talents, will find this easy… but if they compete as they always do, they'll master this quicker than I expect.'
He flipped a page in his book, glancing into the distance. He noticed a familiar figure watching from behind the bushes.
It was Inari. He clenched his fists, observing their determined efforts. A snort escaped him. 'What a waste of time…' he thought bitterly.
Seeing them work so hard reminded him of someone he once admired. He clenched his fists tighter, a dark mood settling over him, and turned away.
For the rest of their time there, Team 7 practised, each of them working to increase their individual strengths, waiting for another face-off with Zabuza and his mysterious partner. Naruto and Sasuke weren't the only ones who trained. Fearing being left behind, Sakura followed Kakashi's instructions whilst keeping an eye on Tazuna.