Here we are, chapter 3! This one took a particularly long time editing and revising, so I hope you all like the final result.

remingtonduke: "Can't wait for the next chapter. Since it's titled progress i would assume that Naruto gets hiriashin down to a usable combat technique." - Almost. You'll see =)

montana15: "sakura doesnt have potential, she has good chakra control because she barley has any chakra at all" - Not true. While she has very litte chakra, her chakra control is stellar. If her reserves are slowly built up and she retains the amazing chakra control she could be feared. Plus, I don't plan on making her useless in this story.

legendary flash: "nyc chapter but extremely fast paced plot" - Yeah, I noticed. It slows down a bit, though.

Rebmul: "if it ends up a harem id love to see hana added" - I'm not sure either way. In the next few chapters I might post a poll to see whether or not it should be a harem. And depending on the results, another poll to see the top choices. Yugito is 100% guaranteed, though.

Kurama Thunderstorm: "Please no harem for this story and no changing pair.. in this story Naruto much more smarter than the canon. It means he could think more logical. Harem just make him like a jerk, smart, strong and he can having sex with any women he wants like he has no dignity. If it One-sided harem can be accepted, i mean many girls will try to win Naruto's heart after they saw the real Naruto, however Naruto only choose one who will be his true love, that is Nii Yugito.." - Not entirely true, though I do see your point. Naruto is, as you put it, much smarter in this fanfic due to how I wrote it. With that said, it is also this intelligence that could allow him to see reason and begrudgingly accept the CRA, seeing as he knows he is one of the sole survivors for multiple clans, and the loss of any one of those clans could be devastating for Konoha. He wouldn't be a slimy pervert like Jiraiya, don't worry.

G-man:"In the manga Naruto's foolishness and indomitable spirit are what set him apart from the line of Asura/Indra reincarnations. If you take away the first of these two things and make him uber badass right off the bat, it takes away the essence of who Naruto is: someone who struggles and fails but never stops moving forward.

I'm not attempting to bash your story. I just hope you keep this in mind as you keep writing." - I see your point. He isn't an uber badass, however. He still has to work for it, I promise.

Response phase done, enjoy the chapter!

Naruto groaned as he entered his apartment. The past five weeks had been absolutely brutal. Kakashi was correct in his assessment that Team Seven would be hating life. Every single day had been an absolute chore. Every single D-rank mission had left the genin team bruised, battered, bloody and broken. Between picking weeds out of some gardener's fields, babysitting for parents who honestly shouldn't have been parents, going grocery shopping for people who were perfectly capable of shopping for themselves and delivering mail to ungrateful bastards, Naruto was tired of the life of a shinobi already.

On top of that, the usual glares and insults he had thrown his way on a daily basis had seemed to get worse with his induction into the ranks of Konoha's shinobi. It seemed that, no matter where he went, he would find one hateful bastard who would attempt making his life miserable. He hated his luck.

The training itself was good, but Naruto was sore all over. His initial experience with Kakashi's training regimen hadn't been too easy, either. It all started five weeks ago, the day after the bell test…

Kakashi surveyed his new genin team before him, each and every one right on time. They were all shocked that he had kept true to his word and actually showed up on time, even going as far as to try releasing a nonexistent genjutsu – much to his chagrin. The very first thing he had them do was spar him. He was wanted them to go all-out, trying to gauge each and every member of the team to see how far they had to go before he could honestly call them true shinobi. Naruto's spar had been first. He'd fared particularly well in the first few seconds of the match, but it all went south the moment Naruto had failed to read one of Kakashi's swings.

"Well, then Naruto," Kakashi assessed, "your taijutsu is very poor. Your ninjutsu is fantastic from what I can tell and you have great reserves, far superior to that of Hiruzen-sama's. However, your style doesn't complement your physical build. You are limber and lithe, you are quick and you can think well on your feet. The rigid Academy style does not suit you. I am unsure what to do about it, as I don't know many styles that would work well with your build. I'll find you a sparring partner to work with – a taijutsu specialist, actually – and he can work out any flaws you may have."

Sasuke's spar had not gone much better. He had held out for an even shorter time period than Naruto had, going on the offensive immediately with speed that almost matched Naruto's and force that exceeded his. He was on his back, panting like crazy. Kakashi was rubbing his chin, thoughtfully.

"Your ninjutsu is excellent. As far as your taijutsu goes, it's decent, I suppose. You're using that style wrong, however."

Sasuke had gotten offended at this and scoffed, demanding Kakashi explain how he knew what the style worked.

"I fought alongside an Uchiha in the Third Shinobi War. He used the style much better than you did. The Ryū no Jōshō, or as it is more famously known, the 'Interceptor Style', is not about offense, it's about utilizing your Sharingan to the absolute fullest and counterattacking with as much ferocity as you can muster. The style is about defense. The only time you can go on the offensive is when you have broken your opponent's initial attack and have him or her on the ropes. I had wondered what you were doing during the Bell Test, but now I see that you were simply misled."

"I can at least use the style, right?" Sasuke asked, his clan pride once again showing through.

"Of course! I will simply instruct you to use it better. In fact, if I may give my own opinion, the style actually complements Naruto. He can be the sword and you can be the spiked shield, each covering for the other."

Sasuke sat down next to Naruto and sighed, realizing slowly that the pride he had was slowly being whittled away. Perhaps he did need friends...

Sakura's spar had lasted three seconds total before Kakashi picked her apart, but not before he had learned something important about Sakura.

"Sakura, your problem is the same as Naruto's. You use a style that does not suit you. Your body screams agility to me, and it makes me wonder whether or not you would be suited for a rather… unique technique. The only reason I am curious is due to what appears to be a great amount of chakra control on your part. The style I had in mind is called the Chi Mūndansu, a style that is more akin to dancing than fighting. The style – created by a rather fiery woman by the name of Kushina," Naruto's eyes subtly widened, "utilizes agility and mobility. Kushina was renowned as one of the greatest taijutsu specialists in the entirety of Konoha due to her unique taijutsu style. The reason for this is because she was incredibly fluid and quick. Her strength did not come from natural muscle, but rather chakra enhancement. I suspect you are very capable of learning this style and using it as effectively as she did."

"Sensei," Sakura asked, "by 'chakra enhancement', do you mean the same as Senju Tsunade?"

"The very same. Kushina was a student of Tsunade's, for a time. Kushina was very gifted and talented, her capabilities only rivaled by those of the Yondaime himself. Tsunade watched this taijutsu technique develop and could not praise Kushina enough. Tsunade never had the opportunity to learn it, however, as by the time Kushina had perfected this style, she was killed on the night of the Kyūbi attack. She left scrolls, but from what I can recall, Tsunade never requested them. She left the village shortly before, upset about something."

Sakura was stunned. "I could become like Tsunade!?" Kakashi smiled and nodded. Naruto grinned and patted Sakura on the shoulder. He was temporarily surprised when she didn't hit him, but he was happy she had found this out.

"Toldja, Sakura-chan. You're amazing and you have tons of potential! Now all we gotta do is train!"

And train they did. The past five weeks had been absolute hell for all three members of Team Seven. Every last muscle ached on a daily basis. When Kakashi had told Naruto he had found him a taijutsu instructor, he did not actually believe that he would be pitted up against Maito Gai's student, Rock Lee. The spars were brutal, Lee absolutely outdoing Naruto in every single aspect in every single spar. Naruto was then worked to the bone, physically. He had thought after his time under Yūgao and Anko that he would've been capable of handling Lee, but he was proven sorely wrong when Lee revealed that he was using incredibly heavy training weights in their spars.

And so Naruto was given the same weights.

His training would consist of being run ragged all across the village – half of the time on his hands – performing a million and a half (well, it certainly felt like it, exaggeration aside) pushups, crunches, squats, pull-ups and leg-lifts with twice that in weight on his back and chest, arms and legs, beating a tree stump until he was bruised all over and then going through the whole process again. All the while he would hear Lee and Gai screaming about the powers of the "Flames of Youth", and Gai and Kakashi talking about an "Eternal Rivalry" that they've fostered since their days in the Academy. What he didn't expect were the incredible results that these insane exercises were churning out. As it turns out, being the Kyūbi heals him at such an incredible rate, his muscle growth is about ten times faster than the average person.

After two weeks of solid training, Naruto could match the speed that Lee was capable of. He wasn't necessarily as strong as Lee was, but he was able to dodge and counterattack to such a perfect extent that Gai had referred to Naruto as a 'natural-born prodigy'. Of course, this only led Lee to proudly stating that his "Flames of Youth" had declared Naruto as his own "Eternal Rival". The only problem was, however, that they still had yet to find a style that actually suited him. He used a very improvised version of the Gōken, but he still didn't feel right using it. He would have to figure something out later.

When he wasn't training with the insane weights, Naruto was being further drilled on chakra control. Kakashi was surprised when Naruto exhibited a great degree of chakra control, something that had been noted as 'absolutely terrible, not even capable of producing a single Academy Bunshin', and chalked it up to Naruto's week-and-a-half boot camp. Sakura and Sasuke were also being drilled quite heavily on chakra control, each having to perform the standard tree-climbing exercise that a shinobi was capable of doing. Sakura, of course, had been a natural at it, completing it in her first try. Naruto also performed it on his first go, explaining to Kakashi that he had been trained to do this during the 'boot camp' he had been put through.

Sasuke took four hours to complete it, and he was livid.

Sasuke hated how far back he had seemed to fall. Sakura, herself, was quite shocked at how Naruto seemed to be ahead of Sasuke at everything. Of course, this only drove Sasuke to work even harder than before, often slipping out of consciousness by the end of the day from sheer exhaustion. Sasuke, too, had been given heavy training weights and his own insane physical exercise regimen. Unlike Naruto, however, his own sparring partner was Kakashi. As he had said, Kakashi was actually a natural at the Uchiha clan's specialized taijutsu, correcting Sasuke immediately on all of the possible applications and uses. Sasuke found himself predicting Kakashi's movements and strikes without his Sharingan, something that surprised him. Kakashi wasn't surprised.

'Relying on the Sharingan is more than likely to get you killed,' he had explained to Sasuke. 'Use it only when you need an edge. Otherwise, don't openly use it in every fight. The more you use it, the more reliant on it you become, and the less your instincts develop.'

After a week had passed, Kakashi had deemed that it was time to test them for elemental affinities. That had been an interesting experience.

"Alright, my cute little genin," the three genin in question flinched, "today is a rather special day. Today I will be testing each of you for your elemental affinities."

"Elemental affinities?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. Each and every shinobi is born with anywhere from one to five elemental affinities. It is standard that a shinobi has one, common that a shinobi gains access to a second, rare that a shinobi is born with three, nearly improbable that a shinobi is born with four and practically impossible for a shinobi to be born with all five. Keep in mind, though, this isn't something genin normally learn. In fact, more often than not, this is something that shinobi training for the Jōnin exam train with. So, as a result, I'm not going to heavily focus on it in your allotted time. If you desire to improve, it will be on your own time." Kakashi withdrew three slips of paper, no more than the size of the palm of his hand.

"You are going to channel your chakra into these slips of paper. When you do, one, or a combination, of five things will happen. The paper can crumble to dirt, signifying an earth affinity. The paper can crumple up, signifying a lightning affinity. It can burn, signifying a fire affinity. It can grow damp, signifying a water affinity. And finally, it could split in two, signifying a wind affinity. Sakura, you're first."

He handed her a slip of paper, and when she channeled her chakra into it, the paper both crumbled to dirt and ignited. Kakashi looked amused.

"And you're from a civilian family, Sakura? You have an affinity for both earth and fire."

"What does that mean, Kakashi-sensei?"

"It means that you not only have the same elemental affinity as Tsunade, but you have the same affinity as Kushina, as well. You are practically destined to surpass them." Sakura was beaming. She couldn't believe she could possibly surpass the two strongest kunoichi of Konoha. But Kakashi wasn't finished. "It also means that you, potentially, have access to a rather unique kekkei genkai. The possibility exists that you could use Yōton, or Lava based jutsu. Of course, I do not know any as I am incapable of using them, but I will look into trying to teach some to you."

Kakashi then handed Sasuke a piece of paper and had him channel his own chakra into it. His paper crumpled up and burned. Kakashi nodded, as if he had predicted this outcome.

"It appears that you have inherited the standard fire affinity of the Uchiha clan. It is interesting, however, that the second affinity you should be born with should be lightning over water."

"Why is that?" Sasuke inquired, curious.

"Because your brother, Itachi, inherited fire and water. It is interesting that you should inherit lightning because, due to how each nature interacts with the others, lightning jutsu tend to complement water jutsu." Sasuke growled at the very thought of his brother's arsenal working with his, but Kakashi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and smiled with his eye at him. "You're in luck, though, as I have a lightning affinity myself! I can teach you a great number of things about that element."

Kakashi then handed a grinning Naruto a slip of paper. Naruto knew exactly what would happen, and when his paper split in half – one half crumpling and the other burning – he couldn't help but smirk at Kakashi's dumbfounded expression.

"Naruto, this is incredible! You've inherited three nature affinities! At so young, too…" Inwardly, Kakashi was thoroughly ecstatic. Inheriting all three possible elemental affinities as your parents… Heh, Naruto, you're going to be an amazing shinobi someday.

Naruto smiled and nodded, knowingly. "Truth be told, jiji already tested my affinities. I knew beforehand."

Sasuke was livid, again. The thought of Naruto being more advanced than he was irked him. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he knew he needed to work even harder to get stronger.

"Sensei," Sakura asked, noting Sasuke's colder demeanor. "I get that each of us have an affinity and all, but what's the point of each element? What are they good for? And I thought we could learn any elemental jutsu…"

"That is true, Sakura. I'll answer your questions in a different order, though, starting with the second question and answering the first question in between. Fire is a very common element here in Hi no Kuni, and for a good reason. Fire is very strong at mid to long range and is considered to be a very strong offensive element. Water is common in Mizu no Kuni, obviously due to their geographic location. Water is considered a very balanced element, being capable of playing as both offense and defense. In Kaminari no Kuni, lightning is the most common element. Lightning is highly offensive and very quick, and is favored in locations where storms occur very often. It can be used as an enhancement to weapons and, as such, is also considered a strong offensive element. Earth, most commonly used in Tsuchi no Kuni, is less versatile than water but easier to use. It is far more common than most of the elements. Earth is highly defensive and can be strong as offense, as well, but it is mostly used to create walls of earth rather than launch earth at your foes."

"Finally, there is wind. Wind is an incredibly rare element and also very difficult to use. Wind is very limited in its applications, but the masters of the element are the most feared individuals in the world. Wind is often found in great abundance over in Kaze no Kuni, but more often than not Sunagakure will use sand based jutsu over wind based jutsu as the sand there is easier to manipulate. Wind is the most offensive element in existence, and as such, it is nearly impossible to fight off one who masters wind. It can literally cut a person's foe to ribbons, deflect any and all thrown weapons and enhance the user's own weapons to deadly sharp edges. However, controlling the wind is one of the hardest things a shinobi can do. Much more difficult to control than lightning and fire."

"So Naruto has three elements," Sasuke muttered. There was obviously venom in his voice as he said it. "How is he so far ahead of me…?"

Kakashi ignored Sasuke's statement. "To answer your third question, Sakura, yes, you can learn any elemental jutsu you desire. However, your elemental jutsu will be stronger depending on whether or not you have an affinity for it. You can even create specialization jutsu, something that many people don't take into account. For example, the Sandaime Raikage of Kumo created a technique called the Raiton no Yoroi, which basically channels electric chakra into the air around him to hyper-stimulate his nervous system. When you're older and master your elements I will be more than willing to help you create your own special jutsu… For now, though, let's begin learning some basic jutsu for each of your elemental affinities."

Each of the three members had begun to learn a jutsu from their element specializations. Kakashi had taken to teaching Sakura Doton: Doryūheki – something she promptly made her own by adding a Sakura flower carving into her technique – and Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu. She immediately took to learning them with vigor, determined to prove she wasn't weak in the eyes of Sasuke. Oddly enough, she also found herself wanting to impress Naruto. She still hadn't come to terms with the idea that Naruto was a genuine friend to her at this point, so she played it off and ignored those feelings. She had been a lot nicer to him, however. Sasuke was just hoping she was finally over him.

Sakura also began learning the Chi Mūndansu. While she wasn't very refined at it, she could at least sort of compete with the boys on her team. She wasn't actually capable of enhancing her strength with chakra yet, but she figured that, when she did, she would finally be able to beat Naruto and Sasuke in a spar. She had also stopped dieting in order to train, much to her displeasure at first. She believed she would gain weight and look fat, to which Kakashi promptly told her the training would burn the extra fat anyway.

Sasuke had begun learning multiple katon jutsu. Sasuke had started immediately by learning Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu to complement his own style. Kakashi drilled the jutsu into Sasuke's head and forced him to be capable of using the jutsu with one hand. It had taken him three weeks to be able to do it, and after Sasuke demanded 'why the hell he needed to perform a melee range jutsu with one hand', Kakashi explained to him that if Sasuke ever found himself in a situation where he was grappling with an opponent with one hand, the other could use the jutsu. Realization dawned on his face and he immediately realized his own Ryū no Jōshō taijutsu style just became infinitely more frightening.

On top of the Ryūka no Jutsu that Sasuke had learned, he had also been taught Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu to use. He took to this jutsu immediately and learned it as quickly as he could, spending day after day until he mastered it. When Sasuke asked why he wasn't learning any lightning jutsu, Kakashi simply explained that he needed to completely master his chakra control. Using lightning was quite dangerous, as incorrectly converting chakra to lightning early could actually electrocute the user of the technique.

Naruto had also been handed the Hōsenka no Jutsu to learn, and learned it within two weeks. Additionally, Kakashi had begun to teach Naruto Katon: Karyū Endan. Because the basic idea was similar to the Endan technique that Naruto already knew, learning the second jutsu was a breeze. Of course, he accidentally added too much chakra to it on his first try and nearly scorched the entire training ground. Kakashi then scolded Naruto for the next two hours on watching how much chakra he puts into a technique, as using too much could do far more damage than help in battle.

In secret, Naruto had been learning both the Hiraishin and his own Fūton no Yoroi technique. Kakashi had given him fifteen Hiraishin kunai to practice with, and Naruto found himself giddy at the prospect of holding kunai that had once touched the Yondaime's – his father's – hand. Of course, it didn't help. He could teleport to them after the kunai had landed, but never during the journey he had sent it on when he threw it. He also still needed a hand seal to perform it. His new jutsu was starting to come along, though. Slowly but surely, Naruto could begin to increase his speed with it. He was beginning to feel the effects of his self-made jutsu, an air pocket forming around him that would ever-so-slightly allow him to move faster and hit harder. He smiled at the thought of its completion.

While Naruto was at home contemplating what had occurred the past five weeks, Sakura was idly walking the streets of Konoha. She had no real destination in mind, she simply wanted to walk. She was currently confused about a great multitude of things. The first and foremost, of course, were her feelings regarding the ever-mysterious Uchiha on their team. Sasuke had made it very clear to her that he did not feel anything toward her. Yeah, the past five weeks he had slowly opened up to them, but she knew that, in the end, he would only view her as a sister. For some strange reason, though, she didn't mind.

And that's what worried her.

Her second concern was how terribly she had treated Naruto – the boy who seemed to be able to make her smile. He had admitted to her earlier in the week that he realized what he felt was a sibling connection. She didn't mind that, either. Truth be told, she was overjoyed that Naruto could be such a close brother figure to her. Her parents – both of whom had withdrawn from the council after his sixth birthday with disdain toward the other civilian council members – were content with Naruto occasionally coming over and helping her with some of her more personal issues. She could trust him and confide in him – something she had missed since her fallout with Ino.

Speaking of the platinum-haired Yamanaka…

Sakura looked up, drawn from her thoughts by the familiar sound of Ino's voice. She realized quickly that she had wound up at the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Burning with new-found determination, she stepped inside. Ino was engrossed in a magazine, and from what it looked like, it was a 'Kunoichi Fashion' magazine. Some things died hard…

Sakura approached the counter and rung the bell. Ino was shocked from her stupor with the magazine.

"Forehead," she greeted, a little bit of ice dripping from her voice. Sakura smiled and waved. Ino was slightly caught off guard, but she retained her harsh glare.

"Ino!" Sakura greeted. "Just the person I was thinking about. How've you been? Things running smoothly in the shop?"

"What's this about, forehead…?"

"Ah, nothing. I was just… caught in my thoughts, I guess. You were actually among them…" Sakura frowned and looked at the ground. "I was… thinking, you know? What ever happened to our friendship? I mean, I know Sasuke happened," Ino's brow raised at the absence of a certain honorific, "but a boy shouldn't tear us apart so much. What happened to our dreams of becoming great kunoichi?"

"Where are you going with this, Sakura?" Ino asked, bewildered at the sudden change in Sakura's attitude.

"I miss our friendship, Ino. I've given up on Sasuke. He's like… a brother to me. Besides, he confessed to me that he wouldn't ever think of me as more than a friend. While I was put off at first, I realized slowly that I didn't mind it. As I've gotten to know him, I know Sasuke would only have his clan's best interests in mind. I wouldn't be among them. You might, but I don't think he'd be remotely interested in any relationships with anyone until he achieves his goal."

"S-Sakura!? Are you feeling alright? Do you have a fever or something!?"

"No, Ino, I've simply come to a realization that I don't want to argue over affection that won't ever be reciprocated. I want our friendship back. And I'm formally withdrawing from the race to Sasuke's heart."

Ino nearly fainted. Here was Sakura, the only girl she knew who had as strong a love for Sasuke as she did, the only girl who could compete with her, withdrawing from the race.

"There's more, Ino." Ino's eyes widened. "Naruto… He's… He's actually a pretty cool guy! I don't know what happened but… he's really awesome now. He's calm, he's collected and he's mature. He, too, has become like a brother to me. We've been training together outside of scheduled sessions for the past two weeks and the results are amazing! I've never felt more confident in my abilities before. You should join us, you know."

"Are we thinking of the same Naruto, Sakura? The Naruto we both know wouldn't ever grow up."

"But he has! I was shocked – thoroughly shocked – when he actually started to keep up with Kakashi-sensei during our bell test."

"…okay I'll bite. But would Naruto be cool if we trained together?"

"Of course! He even told me to come ask you three days ago. He said it was a way we could reconnect. At first I was skeptical, but now I see he was right. He's come such a long way since the Academy, and it's only been five weeks." Sakura was beaming. Ino could literally feel Sakura's satisfaction at how her team had turned out. Ino couldn't help but smile as well.

"So you're out of the running for Sasuke?" she inquired.

"Yup. He's all yours if you can nab him. Anyway, meet us at Training Ground four tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. And eat up! Naruto is a slave driver when he's in charge… you'll need all the energy you can get!" Before Ino could protest ruining her 'perfect diet', Sakura had already run out the door. Ino frowned and shook her head. That forehead…

Sasuke was staring at a mirror, grinning like mad. What he saw in his reflection was his primary focus – his Sharingan had finally awakened. And not just a single tomoe, as he had feared would happen. Instead, two tomoe were staring back at him. Two weeks ago he was paired against Naruto for a two hour spar. Sasuke had quickly realized that he wasn't fast enough to keep up. He was getting beaten back by Naruto, of all people! It irked him, at first. Then, slowly, he calmed down.

And that's when everything started slowing down. Naruto's strikes were visible. He could read them like an open book! It was incredible with the sudden shift in the battle. Where he was incapable of tracking Naruto's movements before, Sasuke could watch and block every single strike. Naruto had been shocked. At first, he thought Naruto was simply shocked Sasuke could keep up. Then he said the four words that Sasuke had been dying to hear. 'Your eyes are red.' Sasuke had immediately rushed to a source of water to gaze at his reflection and, when he saw what Naruto had meant, turned into an absolute madman, dancing around, cheering and laughing like he had just been made Hokage. It was such a sudden shift in attitude that Naruto had tried dispelling some genjutsu.

And that was when he realized very quickly that the only way for him to get stronger was by having friends. Naruto had become a very close friend, someone incredibly important to him. Sakura had become a little sister to him. Yeah, she was upset at first, but then he told her that – for her to be considered family after the massacre – it was a huge deal. They were both closer to him than any romantic interest could possibly get. Kakashi noted quickly that the dynamic of Team Seven changed almost immediately. They were a well-oiled machine. They were brilliant. They were absolutely perfect.

Sasuke had originally thought that being on a team like this would be a drag, a hindrance, that it would hold him back. But as he watched his teammates grow, he couldn't help but feel pride at how amazing he felt their teamwork was. He was proud at how quickly Sakura had developed. She wasn't an annoying fan-girl anymore. Instead, she was a rational, logical thinker with some of the most insane dexterity and agility that he had ever seen. When he would spar with her she would avoid every one of his strikes fluidly and land solid blows on him. Sure, they weren't that painful, but he also knew she was still learning to hone her chakra control to a razor's edge.

Naruto was a stamina demon. He could go for hours on end without breaking a sweat. When Naruto had been queried about this, he told them simply that it had to be some special kekkei genkai. Sasuke figured there was more to it, but he didn't mind it. What was weirder is how Naruto seemed to be able to heal almost instantly. Naruto justified it again with some strange and obscure bloodline, but, like before, Sasuke suspected there was more to it. He didn't care, though, so long as Naruto was on his side. He had become a formidable opponent – one that actually rivaled him even with his Sharingan active.

His own training had gone perfectly. He'd been trained proficiently in a number of bukijutsu to complement his dōjutsu. He was mostly trained in Fuma Shuriken, but he also learned to use a tantō as well. He had gained increasingly precise chakra control. It was when both he and Naruto had the required chakra control that Kakashi had begun teaching them Raiton techniques. What happened next actually did make Sasuke jealous…

"Alright, Sasuke, Naruto. Today I am going to be showing you a B-rank lightning jutsu." Kakashi explained, looking at his two genin. "It's a rather potent long-ranged lightning attack that has incredible destructive power. It is one of the few I know that has high killing potential outside of A-rank jutsu. There are five hand seals to use it, though once you master chakra control you can get it down to one. Observe."

Kakashi turned to face a large tree and performed the hand seal sequence – Tiger, Ram, Rat, Horse and Snake – and aimed his hand at it. "Raiton: Gian!" A spear of lightning erupted from his fingertips and surged toward the tree at high speeds, slamming into it and creating a sizeable hole in the trunk. He turned to Sasuke and Naruto, nodding at them, "Your turn!"

Sasuke was up first. He took a few tries, but eventually he got it. The result wasn't as explosive or flashy as Kakashi's, but the look of approval was evident. Naruto, on the other hand, performed it in one try. And his results were far more shocking. His lightning had presence and obvious power alone. But that wasn't the sole factor that made it incredible. No, his lightning was gold. Pure gold. The tree he used his jutsu on was destroyed almost instantaneously and completely. His lightning was far stronger than Kakashi's.

"Naruto! That… That was… Amazing! It seems you've inherited a very special kekkei genkai! That, Naruto, was Kin Kaminari, something I never thought I'd ever see…" Kakashi exclaimed, still impressed by the results.

"What's so special about that, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked, intrigued by the sudden outburst.

"Kin Kaminari is one of the most powerful lightning-based kekkei genkai around. The lightning is incredibly dense and utilizes the very energy of the air around it to amplify it. Unlike your lightning and my lightning, which are formed on chakra alone, Kin Kaminari is formed from an almost magnetic chakra that pulls in the natural energy around it, hyper-condensing that power and amplifying it to be almost ten times the strength of chakra-based lightning. It travels faster, hits harder and uses less chakra than normal. One could say that it is a superior elemental kekkei genkai to almost everything else."

Sasuke frowned. "Yet another way he's surpassed me…"

"I wouldn't worry about that, Sasuke. The Sharingan still grants you incredible capabilities. You may not have an elemental kekkei genkai, but when you two are even in taijutsu, you will always win. You just need to have the reflexes to avoid it." Kakashi explained, smiling. Sasuke cheered up immediately. Though, he was still massively jealous that Naruto had such a strong affinity for lightning. Sasuke then realized something.

"Say, Kakashi-sensei, where does it come from? Obviously due to Konoha's nature, kekkei genkai are a clan thing. So who else uses it?"

Kakashi tapped his chin thoughtfully. "To be honest, Sasuke, I'm not sure if it is a clan thing. Though, the only other person in our recorded history who used it became our Yondaime Hokage."

"The Yondaime had a kekkei genkai?" Sasuke inquired, suddenly inspecting Naruto. Come to think of it, he mused, Naruto does look kind of like him…

"Of course! You don't think he was known as the Kiiroi Senkō because of his hair color, did you?" Kakashi asked, grinning under his mask. Sasuke deadpanned. "Possibly…" he muttered. Naruto, however, was beaming. I'll make you proud, dad. I promise.

From that day forward, Naruto tried increasingly hard to master his own chakra control. He would create hundreds of clones and focus entirely on his chakra control. Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura were both given the task of nurturing their elements by burning, crumpling, and crumbling leaves in the palms of their hands. It had taken a bit, but they got it down. While that was happening, Naruto would be splitting boulders with his wind chakra, igniting trees with his fire chakra and creating an electric current in water with his lightning chakra. Naturally, he completed this stage in a day with the massive use of shadow clones. His chakra control became so precise that Kakashi joked he should learn Iryō jutsu just for the hell of it.

What Naruto would learn he would pass on to Sasuke and Sakura, both of whom then took to their respective tasks with newfound determination. It became a team effort for them all, something Kakashi was incredibly proud of. He knew his genin team was fantastic. It was possibly the rookie team of the year.

The next morning came rather early for Naruto, as he wanted to get in some of his own practice before training with Sakura. He had a distinct feeling he'd also be training someone else today, though he couldn't imagine who it was. In terms of his own progress, he had made quite a bit. The previous Friday had seen a rather interesting occurrence in which he had summoned the Chief of the Toads, Gamabunta. That was an interesting experience. The toad boss was surprised that the kid was Minato's son and, as such, had decided to immediately grant him the ability to summon other toads. This wasn't without a cost, however. Gamabunta still wanted to have some fun.

That 'fun' consisted of hanging onto Gamabunta's blue haori for dear life until dusk. Naruto was incredibly sore after that.

As far as other progress, he felt as if he were close to making a breakthrough with the Hiraishin. He had been able to teleport in mid-air once, but failed in his subsequent attempts after that. It had helped, though, that he had approached the Hokage about getting the scrolls and journal entries from his father…

Naruto entered the Hokage's office grinning ear to ear about what he was about to ask. Hiruzen was doing paperwork again, but Naruto was always someone he would be willing to set aside time for.

"Naruto-kun!" he greeted. "What brings you here, my boy?"

"Ah, just a few things. I also wanted to talk a bit, you know? All this training has me worn out and I haven't visited you for a while." Naruto replied, scratching his cheek idly.

"How is your training going, anyway?" Hiruzen asked, knowing full well what the answer was.

"Pretty good, actually! I'm curious, is this whole Kin Kaminari thing a kekkei genkai like Kakashi-sensei said, or is it something else? Because, as far as I can tell, no one other than tou-san was ever recorded using it, and even he rarely displayed ninjutsu like that. As far as I can tell he used hand-seal free jutsu."

"Perceptive, Naruto-kun. Truth be told, it is not a kekkei genkai, but rather an incredibly high affinity for lightning. It actually stems from your Senju blood. As you are aware, the Senju were capable of doing incredible things – Tsunade with super strength and deadly chakra control, Tobirama with his incredibly high affinity for suiton jutsu and Hashirama with his famous mokuton. The Senju do not have a kekkei genkai, but rather it is that their affinities for their elements are so high that they can do things that others cannot. Your father and you are two examples with this Kin Kaminari. Later on down the road, should you apply yourself to the same training I did and inherit doton and suiton affinities, I have no doubt you could possibly recreate a natural mokuton. However, that could take years, even with your insane Kage Bunshin training regimen."

"I get it." Naruto said, looking thoughtful for a second. "That's interesting. I never actually thought about it like that. Though, I do have something else I was here for."

"And that would be?"

Naruto grinned. "Anything and everything my dad ever recorded on the Hiraishin."

Hiruzen chuckled a bit, and then it turned into full hearty laughter. "I see, Naruto-kun! I must admit, I did not expect this request, but seeing as you are your father's son… Heh, I'll also give you any notes on the other jikūkan ninjutsu that he had. I must say, I never expected you to be growing so fast." Hiruzen stood up and moved over to a wall with Minato's portrait on it. He removed the portrait, revealing a seal on the wall. "Naruto-kun, I cannot open this. It is a blood seal that will only respond to the blood of the one who created it, and by extension, any children he or she has."

Naruto nodded and moved toward the seal, biting his thumb to draw blood. In one fluid motion, he swiped the bloody thumb across the seal. It glowed, briefly, and then popped, revealing four scrolls. One was marked 飛雷神, Hiraishin. The second was marked 時空間忍術, jikūkan ninjutsu. The third was marked 風遁、火遁と雷遁, Fūton, Katon and Raiton. The fourth and final was marked封印術, Fūinjutsu.

"Wow. There's a lot of stuff here," Naruto mused, looking at the new training scrolls. "Think I can learn it all by the Chūnin exams?"

Hiruzen smiled, one of the genuine smiles he graced someone with when he had the utmost faith in them. "I believe you can, Naruto-kun. Especially with your Kage Bunshin. Although, I must say, if you keep this up, I'm afraid the exams themselves will be quite boring. But, I have something else I would like to share with you…"

"Yes, jiji?"

"I believe that, if you do manage to, ahem, abuse the Kage Bunshin routine to the point where you are at your father's level, I will simply have to announce your heritage after the exam. On top of that, if you show the progress that I believe you are capable of, I will promote you to Elite Jōnin right out of the gate and grant you the Uzumaki clan seat on the council." Hiruzen explained, watching Naruto's reaction. It seemed that fear was the most prominent emotion on his face.

"Jiji, I… I don't know about that. The civilian council will-"

"-just have to deal with it." Hiruzen interrupted, silencing Naruto. "You are a hero to this village, the son of another hero and the great-great-grandson of one of the two most legendary heroes this village has ever seen. Once your heritage is announced they will practically beg for your forgiveness." Hiruzen grinned, a perverted gleam twinkling in his eyes. "On top of that, we might have to enact the Clan Restoration Act on you."

"What is that?" Naruto asked, suddenly feeling like he should run for his life.

"Basically it means you must take multiple wives to restore your clan." Naruto gulped, fear overtaking him.

"And if I refuse?" Naruto asked, weighing the possibilities.

"I'm not so sure that you can, to be honest." Suddenly Naruto wanted to faint.

Oh boy, he thought, glumly. This is the last thing I need…

And so Naruto left, working on the Hiraishin to perfect it to the absolute fullest. He had to set aside his fear of the CRA, of course, but he would deal with that when it came.

He had also worked on his Shunshin. Kakashi had taught it to him upon request. Naruto saw the battle possibilities of using it, but he wasn't anywhere near capable of using it to such an extent. It was frustrating. On top of all of that training, he used upwards of two-hundred Kage Bunshin to speed through the learning process of fūinjutsu. The rate of progress was astounding, and Naruto supposed that his Uzumaki heritage had a hand in how fast he was learning it. At the current rate he was learning, it was almost a guaranteed thing that he'd be on a level above his Father and Mother in two months' time. He also spent a little bit of time on the jikūkan ninjutsu and elemental affinity scroll, but not nearly as much as the fūinjutsu scroll. He was, of course, making leaps and bounds.

But at the moment, Naruto was currently hurling kunai at trees fifty feet off, attempting to recreate what had happened the last time he had succeeded in performing the incredibly precise Hiraishin: Ni no Dan that made his father so famous. The scroll had worked wonders, and he was simultaneously learning about the Hiraishin formula in order to create his own kunai. Concentrate… he thought. Concentrate!

There was a light pull in his stomach, and he held up the hand seal that was required of the jutsu. He found himself soaring through the air toward a tree, soon after. Yes! Naruto exclaimed. Ha-ha! I did it! Now I know what I'm looking for! Alright… When Naruto landed he summoned fifteen clones and handed them each a Hiraishin kunai. They know what to do. Now I just need to get it to become second nature… And I need to do it without a hand seal. Look out, dad. I'm coming for you.

While his clones set off to the task of mastering the Hiraishin, Naruto decided it was time for him to finally meet his bijū, despite Kakashi's warning. He sat down in a meditative pose, closing his eyes and concentrating.

He felt a slight pull in his stomach and the breeze around him died down. When he opened his eyes he was staring at a long stone corridor flooded with water. A sewer? Naruto wondered, standing slowly to walk down the hallway. When he reached the end he was greeted by the sight of a massive gate. Attached to what he assumed was the keyhole was a piece of paper, 封 inscribed in the center. It was the kanji for 'Seal'.

As Naruto approached the gate, he heard breathing. More specifically, the breathing of something massive. "H-hello?" he called out. "Anyone home?" A sudden silence was his answer. He slowly approached the gate to peer inside, only to immediately jump back as a razor sharp claw twice his size gouged the spot that he was standing not but a moment before. That thing is huge! And if that's just his claw…

"Hn… And so my jailor finally decides to pay his charge a visit." The voice was dark and malicious. Naruto quivered in fear from the raw power that emanated from the being within. "To what do I owe the pleasure, human? Are you here to demand my power? Or are you simply here to admit you are too weak to contain me?" The voice chuckled. "If that's the case… come closer… Step closer to my cage so that I may rip you to shreds!"

"That isn't why I'm here. You're the Kyūbi, correct?" Naruto asked, feigning confidence in order to mask the terror that was wracking him.

"Perceptive. Perhaps you aren't as stupid as I believe you humans are… So, what is your purpose for being here?" A massive crimson eye opened behind the gate. Naruto gulped, silently. He quickly shrugged off the ki that was being released and directed toward him.

"I have a question, first. Why is this place a sewer?"

"It is your mind. I do not know why this place is so foul and despondent. Although, perhaps it has to do with how the village you claim is your home has treated you."

"You saw all of that?" Naruto asked, quietly.

The being within the gates chuckled a bit, as if Naruto had told a funny joke. "Bits and pieces. I do not have full access to your mind, though I can see what you unconsciously allow me to see. I must say, if they believe that I am the monster, I wonder what they would consider themselves…"

"Well, regardless… If this is my mind, obviously I have control over how this place works and what it looks like. Let's test it, shall we?" Naruto snapped his fingers. The stone walls of the sewer fell away, replaced by what looked like a tunnel of tree branches and vines, some glowing an orange-red and others glowing blue. The gate that was originally made of iron and looked reminiscent of a prison door was replaced by a beautiful red torii – a Japanese archway – sealed by an ornate red interlocking gate, the style that would be used to guard a powerful and important kingdom. The water at Naruto's feet dried up and revealed a beautiful forest path. But it was what was behind the gate that changed the most.

The darkness behind the gate was illuminated by a faux sun, and the wretched appearance of a cage was replaced by a wide open field. From what it appeared, it was a massive and nearly endless expanse, large mountains off in the distance. Cherry Blossom trees grew around new rivers that formed around the area. Tall grass grew rapidly around the field, covering it in a sea of green. Off in the distance, small foxes could be seen playing with each other. The ceiling fell away to reveal an infinite sky above. The Kyūbi was revealed in all of its splendor, nine massive orange tails suddenly swishing around in excitement. It stood up to examine the massive new living space granted to it. As soon as the inspection was done, the massive crimson eyes once again locked with Naruto's cerulean blue eyes.

"You… why would you grant me this?" the Kyūbi asked, taken aback by the sudden showing of generosity.

"If you're going to be living inside my mind I figured I might as well be as hospitable as possible. You might despise mankind, but I doubt it is because you were born in such a state. If I had to take a guess based on empirical evidence, you've been used your whole life." The Kyūbi's eyes widened at the deduction. "I'm also going to hazard a guess that you don't have many friends. Possibly eight or nine at most, correct?"

"Why would a runt like you care about me? You know history. You obviously know your heritage. You know I took the lives of your parents and destroyed the village twelve years ago. I am the sole reason why your life is a living hell. You know all of this, yet you would treat me with kindness? I cannot decide if that makes you weak or strong…" Naruto winced at the comments, but didn't show any visible distress. He quelled his own anger at the blatant disregard for his feelings that the entity in front of him just made.

"Because the 'history' I know has been a lie from the beginning. The Academy I attended taught of your death at the hands of the Yondaime, my father. They teach that you just suddenly decided to attack the village. They teach that you're a being of malice," Naruto replied, watching the Kyūbi's reaction. "However, based on the fact that the first two lessons are clearly wrong, I'd guess that the third lesson is also wrong. So tell me all about you. I'd like to get to know the truth. Everything. Your name, your history, your birth… All of it."

The Kyūbi was silent for a while, but then shook its head. "This is the first time that my jinchūriki has even attempted to befriend me… This is quite an interesting experience, to say the least. The very thought that you would go as far as to make this place nice and cozy for me is a foreign concept. Tell me, before I begin to explain my existence to you, why do you not hate me?"

Naruto smiled. "The villagers hated me for something out of my control. Why should I hate you for something out of your control? I doubt you attacked the village of your own volition. If I resorted to hate I would be no better than the ignorant people who've done nothing but make my life 'a living hell', as you put it. I live by the idea that one should do unto others as they wish done to themselves."

"An interesting response…" the Kyūbi responded, seeming satisfied with the answer. "Very well, human… I will humor you. My given name is Kurama. I am, obviously, the Kyūbi no Kitsune, Lord of the Fox Spirits and strongest of the bijū. I was – I suppose the best way to describe it would be 'created' – by the Rikudō Sennin."

"Rikudō Sennin?" Naruto interrupted.

"You are honestly not taught about the progenitor of your 'shinobi' culture? That is surprising. You humans have always valued 'history' as part of your culture. Heh, I suppose I was misguided."

"Jabbing at my kind aside, who was the Rikudō Sennin?" Naruto asked, irritated.

"He was the founder of your shinobi world. Long ago, approximately two millennia prior to this era, the world was at war. You humans were an utter nuisance. Chaotic and monstrous, bloodthirsty and savage. There was one human, though, who sought peace. Her name was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. She was a princess from a foreign land far from this one. In order to achieve her goal, she approached the Shinju – the God Tree – and consumed its fruit. This fruit granted her power equal to that of a God. She brought the world peace with this godly power, becoming hailed as a goddess herself. She was called the 'Rabbit Goddess', if I recall the lesson correctly. Over time, however, she became corrupted. While her intentions were still pure, the means she used were barbaric."

"Kaguya was paranoid. She believed the world was her nursery, and that you humans were monsters who were incapable of being civilized. In order to prevent humans from going to war once more, Kaguya placed the world under something called the Infinite Tsukuyomi, an ultimate illusion that puts everyone that it affects into a permanent coma. This would ideally prevent the world from going to war. However, before you interrupt and tell me that is a good thing, those who are under the influence of this illusion are slowly mutated into mindless husks – zombies, if you will. Humanity was quickly on the brink of extinction."

"It was around this time that Kaguya gave birth to two children – presumably twins – named Hagoromo and Hamura. Both children were granted the same godlike powers as their mother, split in half. Kaguya became frightened and infuriated when their powers manifested, believing her children had power that was rightfully hers. In a drastic turn of events, Kaguya merged herself with the Shinju in an effort to reclaim her power. The entity that was created from this merging became known as the Jūbi, a ten-tailed bijū of absolute and incredible powers. This merging process took four years, and the year after it was completed, the Jūbi rampaged across the land, destroying and killing everything it came across. The world looked bleak."

"Her sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, united and battled her, using their incredible Godlike powers together to halt her rampage. Upon her defeat, Hagoromo took it upon himself to seal the Jūbi within himself, becoming the first jinchūriki in existence."

"You're telling me that Uzumaki Mito was not the first jinchūriki?" Naruto cut in, surprised. He had recalled the lessons given to him personally by Hiruzen about his lineage and both clans, as well as the village founders.

"No. She was the second. Upon sealing the spirit of the Jūbi within himself, Hagoromo created the moon to trap the body within it using his powerful dōjutsu, the Rinnegan. Hagoromo then created ninshū, the very first ninjutsu. He created the shinobi world. He introduced chakra to the human populace. This is when he was granted the title 'Rikudō Sennin', as well as the title of 'Shinobi no Kami'. However, like all humans, he knew he would die from old age eventually. It was on his deathbed that I was born. Knowing that the Jūbi would be freed upon his death, Hagoromo split the entity into nine spirits. These spirits were the bijū."

"This was my birth. Hagoromo taught us the history of the world prior to our creation and left us to make our own way in the world. However, you humans remembered history poorly, and as such, decided to turn Hagoromo's teachings into weapons. It is from this belief that war began anew. This time, however, there was no Rikudō Sennin to fix the problem your kind created. Humans grew bold and approached us bijū, seeking to use us for their own personal gains. And that is the rest of my life. Constantly being hunted by hateful and spiteful beings who only sought power. Chief among them was the most detestable human I've ever met – Uchiha Madara. He used me with that damn dōjutsu of his, the Sharingan… It was despicable to be used like that! It was after Madara lost to your Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama, that I was sealed within Uzumaki Mito. The rest should be obvious."

When he was completed with his history lesson, Kurama frowned. "Well then, human. You have your answer. What will you do now?"

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "Well, Kurama, I'm not going to demand your power. If you desire to grant me extra strength, I will not object. But taking power from you forcefully certainly won't help cultivate a friendship."

Kurama scoffed. "A friendship? You would trust me that easily?"

"Why not?" Naruto asked. "You obviously weren't created to be evil. You're a hero, Kurama. You exist to prevent the Jūbi's return, no? I trust you fully."

Kurama felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. A warmth within his chakra-manifested heart. Was this… respect? Even… hope? "Tell you what, brat… I'm willing to give you a little help. Step up toward the seal, place your hand on it and channel your chakra into it."

Naruto did as he was told, being raised to the level of the seal paper by the ground beneath him rising. He placed his hand on the paper and channeled a bit of chakra into it. The seal glowed a bit, and four kanji burned into existence. In the upper left corner, 接触 appeared, the kanji for 'Touch'. In the upper right, 思想 appeared, the kanji for 'Thought'. In the lower left corner, 響き appeared, the kanji for 'Sound'. Finally, in the lower right corner, 視力 appeared, the kanji for 'Sight'. When the process was complete, Naruto was gently set down. He looked thoughtfully at the new seal.

"What'd that whole process do?" Naruto finally asked.

"It granted me the ability to see, hear and feel what you do, as well as communicate with you at all times. It wouldn't do for you to be pulled here in the middle of combat. While it isn't exactly reinforcing your chakra and granting you my power, it gives you a second set of eyes as well as a light sensory ability. If I grow to trust you more I might allow you access to my infinite power." Kurama then scoffed a bit. "Regardless, your seal is draining my energy and slowly assimilating yours and mine. You're getting some from the seal whether I want to give it to you or not." Kurama explained.

"Thank you, Kurama. I promise I won't do anything to violate your trust."

"Hn, get going, human. I sense two new chakra signatures approaching you." When Naruto faded from the spot he was standing on, Kurama allowed a small smile. That kid is interesting… He reminds me of the old man, a little bit. I sure hope he means everything he says…

When Naruto opened his eyes again he found himself sitting where he had sat down before. The only difference was the two female figures standing before him. One he immediately recognized as Sakura. The other could only be Ino from the familiar platinum blonde hair. He noted that she had shifted her appearance a bit. She had ditched the short purple blouse in favor of a tight purple tank top that still revealed her stomach. Underneath the tank top was a mesh shirt. She still wore the purple apron skirt, but also wore tight black shinobi shorts underneath those. She had shifted from wearing arm warmers to wearing tight black fingerless gloves that extended from halfway down her upper arm to her hand, similar to the ANBU style. Black shinobi boots were her chosen footwear and her hitae-ate was attached to a black sash around her waist.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! Right on time. And I see you brought Ino with you! Good. I'm glad. Let's get that friendship rebuilt, shall we?" Naruto rambled, smiling.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Sakura said you're mature and pretty strong now. I mainly came because I wanted to see if it was true or not. If it is, then we'll see. If not, I'll spend my time elsewhere."

"Shrewd as ever, Ino-chan! Ah well, I figured I'd have to have a little demonstration of my current power level to convince you I'm a decent teacher." Naruto turned to face the tree behind him. "Observe." Naruto ran through five familiar hand seals, electricity crackling a bit around his fingers. "Raiton: Gian!" A powerful spear of golden lightning arced through the air at incredible speeds, exploding on impact against the tree. When the dust cleared, the tree was split in two, the impact point splintered and charred. He turned back to look at Ino, grinning. Her mouth hung agape.

Oh, Kami, that was amazing! Ino quickly thought. That was Sasuke-kun level amazing! Is… Is Naruto on his level? Her eyes shifted to gaze at Naruto in a new light. I think I might just be in love all over again!

"Well, Ino-chan?" Naruto asked, amused at her silence.

Ino shook off her stupor, her blue-gray eyes locking with Naruto's cerulean. "Y-yes! That was… that was more than enough proof!" She calmed herself internally, trying to avoid embarrassing herself. "I mean… You proved that Forehead here was right. So where do we start?"

"First," Naruto grinned evilly, "we work on your chakra reserves." Naruto pointed to another tree nearby. "Climb that tree using only your chakra and, once you reach the top, I want you to continue doing that every day with light weights on until you can do it ten times in a row. Sakura-chan, care to give a demonstration?"

Sakura nodded and obliged, performing what Naruto asked of Ino without breaking a sweat. Ino's jaw dropped. Forehead is much better than I remember… Has she been training seriously? Is Naruto actually that good a teacher?

"Your turn, Ino-chan!" Naruto exclaimed. Ino winced. This is going to be a lot of work… she thought glumly.

I certainly hope you enjoyed chapter 3! Next time: Trouble comes in Waves...