The training ground echoed with the sound of heavy breathing as both combatants circled each other warily. Dust motes danced in the afternoon sunlight, disturbed by the chakra-charged atmosphere that crackled between the two young shinobi. Naruto wiped a streak of blood from his split lip, his azure eyes burning with determination that had been forged through countless battles and hardships.
"It's my turn to fight back!"
The declaration rang out across the training field with fierce conviction. There was a gleam in Naruto's eyes that spoke of hidden depths, of techniques learned in secret and power carefully cultivated. When he finished speaking, the iron-armed toad that had been blocking in front of him disappeared with a distinctive bang, leaving only wisps of white smoke to mark its presence.
Sasuke's crimson Sharingan immediately tracked the subtle shift in his opponent's stance. The three tomoe in each eye spun lazily as they analyzed every minute detail of Naruto's movements. "His chakra is moving towards his legs," he observed internally, his analytical mind cataloging the familiar pattern of chakra flow that preceded high-speed movement techniques.
But theoretical knowledge and practical application were two entirely different beasts.
"Flash of Light!"
The words had barely left Naruto's lips when he simply vanished. Not in the gradual way of a Body Flicker technique, but with the instantaneous displacement that had once made his father a legend across the elemental nations. All that remained in Sasuke's field of vision was a faint golden afterimage, the residual trace of sunlight-colored hair moving at speeds that defied conventional tracking.
"So fast!" Sasuke's pupils contracted to pinpricks, his usually composed demeanor cracking under the weight of genuine shock. In all their years of rivalry, through every spar and training session, he had never witnessed Naruto move with such explosive velocity. His three-tomoe Sharingan, capable of following the wing beats of a hummingbird, had completely lost track of his opponent's movement trajectory.
The realization hit him like a physical blow. "Why do I think this guy only knows Shadow Clone and Rasengan when his father is best at..."
The unfinished thought hung in the air as understanding dawned. Sasuke's perception of Naruto had been fundamentally flawed, shaped by years of watching his rival rely on the same familiar techniques. Yes, Naruto had indeed mastered the art of shadow clones and the spiraling chakra sphere to an unprecedented degree, but that specialization had never precluded him from learning other jutsu.
How could he have been so blind? Naruto's father was none other than Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, whose reputation had spread across every hidden village in the elemental nations. The man who had ended the Third Shinobi War through sheer speed and precision. The legend known throughout the ninja world as the Golden Flash.
Swish!
That ray of light materialized directly in front of Sasuke with the suddenness of a lightning strike. The displacement of air created by Naruto's movement generated a powerful gust that whipped across Sasuke's face, sending his dark hair streaming backwards and forcing him to squint against the sudden windstorm.
Naruto's fist cut through the air with devastating intent, his entire body weight and momentum concentrated into a single, perfectly timed strike. The blonde shinobi had learned more than just the technique from his father—he had absorbed the tactical philosophy behind it. Speed wasn't just about movement; it was about creating openings, overwhelming opponents before they could mount a defense, and ending conflicts with decisive action.
Even with his Sharingan's predictive capabilities, Sasuke found himself caught completely off-guard. His enhanced perception could see the punch coming, could analyze its trajectory and force, but his body simply couldn't react quickly enough to mount an effective counter-attack or evasion.
All he could do was throw his arms up in a desperate defensive cross-block, muscle memory and years of training taking over where conscious thought failed.
Bang!
The impact was tremendous. Naruto's knuckles collided with Sasuke's hastily raised forearms with enough force to generate a sharp crack that echoed across the training ground. The sound wasn't just flesh meeting flesh—it was the protest of bones being pushed to their structural limits, the audible warning of a skeleton being tested beyond its usual tolerances.
Pain exploded up Sasuke's arms as the tremendous force of the blow transmitted through his bones. His feet, which had been firmly planted on the packed earth of the training ground, lost their purchase entirely. His body was launched backwards through the air, arms windmilling as he fought to maintain some semblance of balance.
When he finally landed, his feet carved deep furrows in the ground as he slid backwards, his heels scraping against packed dirt and small stones. The gouges in the earth marked his path like the wake of a ship, a testament to the sheer kinetic energy that had been transferred through that single punch.
His right arm, which had borne the brunt of the impact, began to tremble involuntarily. The tremor wasn't from fear or exhaustion—it was the purely physical response of muscles and nerves that had been shocked by sudden, overwhelming force. His ulna felt like it was vibrating in its socket, and he could taste copper in his mouth where he had bitten his tongue upon impact.
Naruto's eyes tracked his opponent's unsteady stance with predatory focus. This was the opening he had been waiting for, the moment when Sasuke's legendary composure had finally cracked. Without hesitation, he began concentrating chakra into his legs once more, preparing to capitalize on his advantage with another lightning-fast assault.
But Sasuke, despite his physical disadvantage, wasn't ready to concede defeat. His analytical mind was already working, processing what he had just witnessed and forming countermeasures. "It seems that he is still unable to use the high-speed teleportation continuously like the Yondaime," he noted internally, his tactical assessment cutting through the pain and disorientation.
The observation was crucial. Naruto's explosive speed was indeed terrifying, and Sasuke had been caught off-guard by the technique's sudden deployment. But unlike his father's seamless mastery of the Flying Thunder God technique, Naruto's version seemed to require a brief recovery period between uses. That limitation, small as it was, represented an opportunity.
His right arm might be compromised, but his left hand was already moving, fingers dancing through the familiar sequence of hand seals with practiced precision. The movements were fluid despite the circumstances, each gesture flowing into the next with the kind of muscle memory that could only be developed through thousands of repetitions.
One-handed seals!
The technique was a mark of truly advanced shinobi, requiring not just exceptional chakra control but also the ability to modify traditional jutsu formulas on the fly. Even Minato, for all his legendary skill, rarely employed one-handed sealing techniques. But Sasuke had been drilling this particular skill relentlessly, driven by the knowledge that battlefield conditions rarely allowed for perfect execution of textbook techniques.
"Chidori Flow!"
The name of the technique was spoken softly, almost conversationally, but the effect was anything but subtle. Lightning chakra began to cascade from Sasuke's body like a waterfall of pure electrical energy. The technique didn't just surround him—it transformed him into a living storm system, with arcs of blue-white electricity dancing across his skin and clothing.
The air around him began to ionize, creating a distinctive ozone smell that made the hair on nearby observers' arms stand on end. The ground beneath his feet showed scorch marks where stray electrical discharges had found purchase, and the very air seemed to vibrate with barely contained energy.
Naruto skidded to a halt, his planned follow-up attack dying before it could be launched. The lightning chakra surrounding Sasuke wasn't just defensive—it was actively hostile, seeking targets for its electrical fury. Getting close to that field of energy would be like grabbing a live wire with wet hands.
"This ninjutsu is so annoying!" Naruto thought, frustration clear in his expression as he watched his opponent's lightning-wreathed form.
But despite his verbal complaint, his tactical instincts were already reasserting themselves. He continued moving backwards, creating distance while his mind worked through potential solutions. The Chidori Flow was devastatingly effective as a defensive technique, but it had to have weaknesses. Every jutsu did.
Sasuke's left hand gripped a kunai with practiced ease, and the lightning chakra immediately began to flow into the metal weapon. The blade didn't just conduct the electricity—it seemed to drink it in, becoming a focal point for the chaotic energy. The metal began to glow with inner light as the lightning extended beyond its physical edge, creating what was effectively a sword of pure electrical energy.
Those blood-red eyes, enhanced by the Sharingan's power, fixed on Naruto with unwavering intensity. Sasuke wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. He wouldn't give Naruto a second opportunity to demonstrate that incredible burst of speed. This time, he would be ready.
The two shinobi faced each other across the training ground, each waiting for the other to make the first move. The tension was palpable, like the moments before a thunderstorm when the very air seemed to hold its breath.
Naruto's mind raced through his options. "Sasuke has been ignoring girls since he was young. The Sexy Jutsu and the Harem Technique should have no effect on him, right?" The thought process might have seemed frivolous to an outside observer, but Naruto's unconventional approach to problem-solving had often been his greatest strength.
His golden eyebrows drew together in concentration as he stared at his aggressive opponent. There had to be another way, some weakness in Sasuke's emotional armor that he could exploit. The Uchiha was strong, incredibly strong, but everyone had pressure points if you knew where to look.
Then, like a lightning bolt of inspiration, the solution struck him.
"Got it!"
The exclamation was accompanied by a sudden brightening of his expression, as if someone had just lit a candle behind his eyes. His hands moved into the familiar seal for the Transformation Technique, fingers weaving through the sequence with practiced efficiency.
Sasuke, seeing his opponent begin to form hand seals, immediately went on the offensive. The lightning blade in his hand crackled with increased intensity as he launched himself forward, determined to interrupt whatever technique Naruto was attempting to deploy.
But he was a fraction of a second too late.
"Transformation Technique!"
The smoke that accompanied the jutsu billowed up around Naruto like a theatrical curtain, obscuring him from view just as Sasuke's lightning-enhanced kunai would have struck home. The Uchiha found himself slashing through empty air and white smoke, his attack meeting no resistance whatsoever.
"Reverse Sexy Jutsu!"
The announcement came from within the dissipating smoke, and Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine that had nothing to do with the electrical energy surrounding him. When the smoke cleared, his worst fears were confirmed.
Naruto hadn't used his usual Shadow Clone technique to create multiple copies of himself. Instead, he had employed a far more sophisticated approach, using the Transformation Technique to split his appearance between two distinct forms while maintaining his singular physical presence.
But when Sasuke saw the two faces with naked upper bodies that had emerged from the smoke, his world seemed to grind to a halt.
"Sasuke."
The voice was a perfect imitation of Itachi's, complete with the subtle tonal inflections that had haunted Sasuke's dreams for years. The second figure bore the unmistakable features of Fugaku Uchiha, his father, rendered with photographic accuracy that spoke to Naruto's growing mastery of the Transformation Technique.
Both figures were looking at him with expressions that were simultaneously familiar and utterly wrong. The frivolous, almost playful tone with which "Itachi" had spoken his name was a complete contradiction to the cold, controlled demeanor that Sasuke remembered from their last encounter.
"It really works," Naruto thought with a surge of satisfaction as he watched Sasuke's normally composed expression crumble into something approaching shell shock.
The psychological warfare was devastatingly effective. Sasuke stood frozen, his lightning blade flickering as his concentration wavered. The Sharingan in his eyes spun rapidly, as if trying to process information that his mind refused to accept.
Bang!
The transformation representing Fugaku suddenly dispelled itself, revealing that it had been nothing more than Naruto's shirt, transformed and animated through clever chakra manipulation. The technique had been improvised on the spot—in his haste to execute the plan, Naruto hadn't had time to create actual shadow clones to perform the transformation. Instead, he had used his clothing as a template, transforming the fabric into a convincing replica of his father's appearance.
"My brother!"
"Naruto," still wearing Itachi's face, picked up the discarded shirt and threw it over Sasuke's head like a hood. The blonde shinobi then proceeded to unleash a barrage of punches and kicks, each blow accompanied by taunts delivered in his brother's voice.
The physical attacks weren't particularly devastating—Naruto was still transformed, and the technique limited his physical capabilities. But the psychological impact was enormous. Each punch carried with it the weight of years of grief, anger, and unresolved trauma.
"You bastard, I'm going to kill you!"
Sasuke's voice cracked as he shouted the words, his usual composure completely shattered. The lightning chakra surrounding his body began to fluctuate wildly, responding to his emotional turmoil. Arcs of electricity lashed out indiscriminately, seeking targets for his rage and pain.
But Naruto had anticipated this reaction. The moment he felt the electrical energy beginning to spike, he executed a replacement technique, leaving behind only a wooden log that immediately began to smolder under the electrical assault.
Bang!
The replacement dissolved into smoke, revealing the deception.
"Clone!" Sasuke snarled, his analytical mind reasserting itself even through his emotional breakdown. His hands moved through seals with mechanical precision, muscle memory taking over where conscious thought had failed.
Ting ting ting!
Lightning chakra began to concentrate in his palms, creating a sound like a thousand birds chirping in unison. The technique was more focused than before, more controlled, as if his emotional state had paradoxically improved his chakra manipulation.
"Chidori!"
His blood-red eyes snapped toward the source of the most intense chakra signature in the area. What he saw made him realize that Naruto's seemingly absurd transformation had been nothing more than an elaborate setup, a distraction to buy time for something far more dangerous.
Buzz!
Naruto and his shadow clone stood side by side, their four hands working in perfect synchronization. Two palms were pressed together, while the other two focused on condensing and shaping chakra into a familiar but enlarged form.
In their combined grip, a massive Rasengan was taking shape. The sphere of rotating chakra was easily three times the size of a normal Rasengan, its surface crackling with barely contained energy. The technique was generating so much force that the air around it was beginning to distort, creating heat shimmer effects that made the entire area appear to ripple.
"Big Ball Rasengan!"
The announcement came with obvious pride. Naruto's seemingly chaotic actions had actually been part of a carefully orchestrated plan. He had used the transformation technique and psychological warfare to create an opening, then exploited that opening to prepare his most devastating technique.
What he didn't fully comprehend was that his method of attack had struck at the very core of Sasuke's deepest trauma. The casual use of his brother's and father's likenesses, the mocking recreation of family bonds that had been violently severed, had touched something in Sasuke's psyche that should never have been disturbed.
But Sasuke, despite his emotional turmoil, remained a prodigy. His tactical mind was already analyzing the threat before him, calculating odds and formulating countermeasures. The Chidori in his left hand was powerful, but it wouldn't be enough to match the concentrated force of Naruto's enhanced Rasengan.
He needed something more.
Sasuke's right hand suddenly shot out, grasping his left wrist in a grip that was as much about control as it was about support. The additional stability allowed him to pour more chakra into the technique, but more importantly, it gave him the focus needed to attempt something he had never tried before.
"Thunder Eagle!"
The name came to him spontaneously, as if the technique had been waiting in the depths of his mind for exactly this moment. The lightning chakra in his palm, which had been producing its characteristic chirping sound, suddenly erupted into something far more primal and powerful.
SCREEEEECH!
The sound that emerged was no longer the gentle chirping of birds. It was the fierce cry of a raptor, amplified and distorted by electrical energy into something that seemed to shake the very foundations of the training ground.
The Chidori began to undergo a fundamental transformation. The lightning chakra didn't just intensify—it began to take on a new shape and character entirely. As the electrical energy raged and expanded, the vague outline of wings began to form in the air before Sasuke.
The wings weren't just visual effects. They were composed of pure lightning chakra, and as they spread wider, they seemed to generate their own electromagnetic field. The air around them began to ionize, creating a distinctive crackling sound that was entirely separate from the technique's audible component.
At the source of the wings, where they joined together, a pair of eyes began to materialize. They weren't human eyes—they were the sharp, predatory gaze of a hunting eagle, rendered in brilliant blue-white electrical energy. When those eyes opened fully, they seemed to focus on Naruto with an intensity that was almost physical.
The transformation was complete. What had begun as a simple Chidori had evolved into something entirely new, a technique that represented the fusion of Sasuke's natural talent, his emotional state, and his desperate need to match his rival's power.
"This battle ends here!"
Swish!
The authoritative voice cut through the electrical storm like a blade through silk. In the space between one heartbeat and the next, a figure materialized directly in front of Naruto. It was Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, his white hair streaming behind him as he moved with the fluid grace that had made him famous across the ninja world.
"Naruto, this technique is not to be used casually, have you forgotten?" Jiraiya's voice carried the weight of genuine concern as he glanced sideways at his student. The Big Ball Rasengan was a technique of tremendous destructive potential, suitable for warfare but far too dangerous for a simple training exercise.
But even as he spoke to Naruto, Jiraiya's experienced eyes were drawn to the incredible display of chakra manipulation occurring just meters away. His expression shifted from concern to something approaching awe as he took in the details of Sasuke's transformed technique.
"This is not Kakashi's jutsu," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the crackling of electrical energy. "Did he develop it himself?"
The implications were staggering. Kakashi's Chidori was already classified as an A-rank technique, a jutsu that required exceptional skill and control to execute safely. But what Sasuke had created went far beyond his sensei's original work. The power radiating from the lightning construct was easily S-rank in its intensity, and the level of shape manipulation required to create those wings and eyes spoke to a degree of chakra control that was truly extraordinary.
"Sasuke's talent is not necessarily inferior to Itachi's," Jiraiya realized with growing amazement. "To be able to change chakra form to this extent..."
"Get out of the way!"
But Sasuke was beyond reason at this point. His emotional state, combined with the incredible power flowing through his technique, had pushed him past the point of rational thought. He shouted his defiance at the legendary Sannin, his voice carrying all the rage and pain that had been building inside him for years.
The Thunder Eagle in his hand seemed to respond to his emotional state, its cry becoming even more fierce and primal. Without hesitation, Sasuke launched himself forward, the lightning construct leading the charge like a living weapon.
Jiraiya's expression hardened. He had hoped to de-escalate the situation through words, but it was clear that Sasuke was too far gone to listen to reason. The young Uchiha was attacking with genuine killing intent, and his technique was powerful enough to pose a real threat even to someone of Jiraiya's caliber.
There was no choice but to respond with equal seriousness.
His hands moved through seals with practiced efficiency, each gesture flowing into the next with the kind of fluid precision that could only come from decades of experience. The moment his palms touched the ground, the earth began to respond to his will.
The solid ground in front of him began to shift and change, packed dirt transforming into something altogether different. The change spread outward from the point of contact like ripples in a pond, but instead of water, the medium was the earth itself.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
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Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more early access chapter of this fanfic or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
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