Naruto sat cross-legged in the center of his apartment, the singed leaf fluttering to the floor.
"Wind," he whispered, staring at the chakra paper's remains. "I've got wind nature."
Wind was rare. Iruka-sensei once said only a few shinobi in Konoha had it. Most people got fire, earth, or water.
Naruto couldn't help but grin.
> Elemental Affinity: Wind (Unlocked)
Advantage: High cutting power, excels in offense
New Skill Tree Branch Available: Wind Style
Perk Gained: Clone Efficiency (Passive)
→ Shadow Clones consume 25% less chakra and are 10% more durable
→ Training clones yield +10% more XP on dispel
Naruto leapt to his feet. "Yes! I can make more clones and train even faster!"
His hand tightened into a fist.
"I'll master this nature thing before Sasuke even finds out his!"
---
The next morning, Naruto returned to the woods behind the Hokage Monument, breath clouding in the crisp air. It was barely sunrise, the village still asleep — perfect for uninterrupted training.
He stood tall in a small clearing, pulled up his sleeves, and focused his chakra.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In six quick puffs, six identical Narutos appeared beside him.
He turned, pointing to each one like a squad captain.
"Alright. You three—chakra control training. Grab some leaves and stick them to your foreheads. Don't let 'em fall."
The clones nodded and split off to gather leaves.
"You two—run the village perimeter. I want stamina, speed, and better chakra flow!"
The remaining two saluted before vanishing into the treetops.
The last clone stood at attention.
"You and me? We're tackling wind chakra."
Naruto pulled out a scroll from his pouch — one of the many Iruka had given him on graduation. This one was labeled Wind Chakra Manipulation: Basics.
He unrolled it and read the first step.
> "Take a leaf. Lay it flat on your palm. Focus your chakra into it—not raw power, but precision. Shape it like a blade. Thin. Focused. Sharp."
Naruto snatched a leaf from a nearby bush and laid it on his hand.
"Alright, let's try this."
He pushed chakra into his palm.
The leaf twisted… then crumpled.
He frowned. "Too much."
The clone beside him tried, and the leaf turned to dust.
They both sighed in unison.
"This is gonna take forever."
---
Later that morning, Team 7 gathered at Training Ground 3.
Naruto arrived flushed, dirt-smudged, and dripping sweat. He'd already dispelled a few clones and felt the flood of memories hit him like a wave. Dozens of failed attempts — and two near-successes. Progress.
Sakura gave him a suspicious look. "You're late."
Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "Training."
Sasuke eyed him briefly but said nothing.
Kakashi looked up from his orange-covered book. "Good. You'll need that training. We've got a mission."
Naruto groaned. "Please don't say it's another cat…"
"It's not."
He brightened.
"You'll be cleaning the Academy floors and erasing chalkboards."
He deflated.
"C'mon! I'm a ninja, not a janitor!"
Kakashi shrugged. "Everyone starts somewhere."
> Quest Added: Complete 10 D-Rank Missions
Progress: 3/10
Reward: Unlock B-Rank Mission Access, +500 XP
Naruto slumped, dragging his feet as the team walked off. "How does this make me stronger?"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "It teaches patience."
Naruto muttered under his breath, "I don't need patience. I need power."
As they crossed the Academy grounds, Naruto suddenly stopped mid-step.
Something was wrong.
A pulse of heat surged through his chest, deep and unnatural. His vision dimmed.
---
He blinked.
And the world changed.
Gone were the classrooms and desks. He now stood in a vast underground chamber, water lapping at his feet. The air was hot and heavy with chakra.
Before him stood an enormous iron gate, bound with massive paper talismans.
Behind it… two burning red eyes.
The Nine-Tailed Fox.
Kurama.
> System Alert: Unknown High-Chakra Entity Detected
Entity: Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox
Seal Status: Active
Sync Level: 3%
Threat Level: Lethal
Naruto's body trembled.
"You," he whispered.
Kurama's massive snout appeared through the bars. Its growl rumbled like a landslide.
"So. You've finally come to visit."
Naruto swallowed. "This is my mind, isn't it?"
"Yes. And I've been watching."
Kurama's voice crackled with disdain.
"You think that system makes you special? That it makes you strong?"
Naruto glared. "It's helping me train faster. It's helping me grow."
"It's changing you."
A claw tapped the bars.
"It's feeding on your ambition."
Naruto stepped forward. "You don't know what it's doing."
"I know power when I see it," Kurama snarled. "And that thing inside you—whatever grants you this 'system'—doesn't belong in this world."
Naruto's fists clenched. "Neither do you."
The fox bared its teeth.
"But unlike your little toy, I'm a force of nature. And soon… you'll need me."
> Passive Unlocked: Kurama's Presence
→ +5% chakra regeneration while injured
→ Warning: May trigger emotional instability when stressed
"Use your system. Train. Fight. But don't forget what's in here with you."
The red eyes narrowed.
"One day, you will come to me for strength."
---
Naruto gasped and stumbled forward.
He was back in the real world, standing in front of a classroom door.
Sakura stared. "Naruto? You okay?"
He rubbed his head. "Y-yeah. Just spaced out."
But his heart was racing.
> System Alert: Inner Beast Acknowledged
Current Sync Level: 3%
Next Milestone: 25% — Unlock: Partial Tailed Beast Cloak (Locked)
It was real.
The fox. The seal. The power.
And it was his.
---
That night, long after Konoha's streets fell quiet, Naruto returned to the training ground.
He summoned twelve Shadow Clones — double what he usually could.
> Clone Efficiency Active: Chakra cost reduced
Effect: 12 clones created for the cost of 9
Each one immediately got to work — splitting leaves, shaping chakra, and meditating.
The real Naruto focused on the Leaf Splitter again, brow furrowed in intense concentration.
Hundreds of failures played in his mind from the clones he dispelled earlier.
But it wasn't just frustration anymore — it was data.
He knew what didn't work.
He felt the patterns.
Hours passed.
And then—
Slice.
A clean split, right down the leaf's center.
Naruto blinked in disbelief.
Then a second clone got it.
Then a third.
He dispelled them and the success reinforced his mind.
> Mini-Quest Complete: Wind Chakra Control (Part 1)
+150 XP
Chakra Control Increased
New Jutsu Learned: Wind Style – Gale Cutter (Lv. 1)
→ Launch a razor-thin blade of wind
→ Chakra Cost: 20
→ Cooldown: 6 seconds
Naruto stood, grinning ear to ear.
He turned to a nearby training dummy.
"Wind Style — Gale Cutter!"
A wave of air shot forward, slicing cleanly through the straw torso.
The dummy collapsed.
He laughed.
"I did it! My first elemental jutsu!"
> Skill Mastery: Wind Chakra Control – 21%
→ Next unlock: Wind Style – Vacuum Surge (40%)
For a moment, he just stood there, breathing heavily.
But he didn't feel tired.
He felt alive.
The system. The clones. The fox. Everything was accelerating now — faster than he'd dreamed.
---
That night, lying on his mattress, Naruto stared at the ceiling.
Sasuke might've been ahead today.
But tomorrow?
He'd catch up.
And soon…
He'd surpass them all.