"Forget it. Don't overthink. One step at a time," Naruto muttered, shaking his head hard enough to rattle his last two brain cells. "Let's just practice the jutsu from earlier."
He trudged toward a small training pool — his own "special" field, which really just meant somewhere no one would yell at him for breaking stuff.
His hands came together, forming one seal after another. The movements weren't fast, but they were clean — one or two seconds per seal, smooth enough that even Iruka-sensei would've gone, 'huh, that's not bad.'
"Wind Release: Wind Blade Technique!"
Ten seconds later, Naruto inhaled deeply and blew forward.
fwoooosh—
A small gust rippled across the pool. One or two wind blades spun out, slicing the surface and leaving a few shallow cuts — three, maybe four centimeters deep. Nothing dramatic. Nothing flashy.
Naruto stared. "Seriously? I get two sad air-knives and that's it? Where's my A-rank special move from those power-fantasy novels?"
He sighed. "Figures. Real training's nothing like those dumb books."
Still, he didn't quit. He knew better. Most first-timers couldn't even make the wind move, let alone form blades. The fact that he could slice water at all meant one thing.
He was already a genius. A very underwhelming, still-broke, ramen-dependent genius.
"Chakra's still a problem, though," he muttered, staring at his dwindling reserves. After days of practice, he had barely managed to push his chakra past a thousand points. One jutsu like that and half of it was gone. "If this thing were complete, I'd burn out after three uses. Great. I'm the genius of self-destruction."
He clapped his hands again. "Whatever. Let's go again."
He stepped closer to the pool, ready to try when—
Hidden in the trees nearby, Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed.
"...He's using ninjutsu?"
The Copy Ninja stepped out from the shadows, curiosity replacing his usual boredom. "Naruto wasn't taught this. That means either he's copying someone... or something's teaching him."
If this leaked, the elders would go wild. The son of the Fourth using an unknown technique source? Dangerous didn't even begin to cover it.
Kakashi approached quietly. "Practicing ninjutsu, huh?"
Naruto glanced over. "You can see, right?"
His tone was sharp, but he was secretly grinning inside. Perfect. Hook, line, and mask. If Kakashi saw this, there was no way the guy would stay out of it.
The Fourth Hokage had been Kakashi's teacher. Naruto knew exactly which emotional button to press.
Kakashi folded his arms. "Where'd you learn that jutsu?"
Naruto smirked. "Watched other people do it. Then I did it too."
Kakashi blinked. "...You mean, you saw it once and could use it?"
Naruto tilted his head like a clueless puppy, but nodded.
Kakashi's calm broke for half a second. He grabbed Naruto's shoulders. "You're saying you can learn by seeing it?"
Naruto just blinked. "Uh, yeah? You don't?"
That line hit like a thrown shuriken. The legendary Copy Ninja's brain just short-circuited.
After a breath, Kakashi said, "Alright. I'll perform a jutsu. You try to copy it."
"Wait—what?" Naruto stepped back. "You're a jōnin! You can't just throw that at me!"
"Can't I?" Kakashi's tone was light, but there was a sharp gleam in his eye.
Naruto squinted. "You're way too eager about this."
Kakashi shrugged. "I'll go easy. What kind of jutsu do you want to see?"
Naruto thought fast. "Fire Release."
The second the words left his mouth, he regretted it. He wasn't that suicidal.
"Fire Release, huh?" Kakashi nodded as if the idea didn't sound like child arson. "Alright then. Watch closely."
Naruto tensed, heart pounding. And then—
[Rikudō Shingon: Ten'mon activating...]
The divine voice cracked through his skull like a temple bell filtered through sarcasm.
"Host, your curiosity exceeds your brain capacity once again."
Naruto froze. "Oh great, you're back."
"Rejoice. The heavens have deigned to observe your foolishness. Proceed."
"Just don't distract me, okay?"
"Distraction is a mortal weakness. You possess many."
"Ten'mon!"
"Ufufufufu~ The host is angry."
Naruto ground his teeth. If this thing had a face, I'd throw a kunai through it.
Kakashi began forming seals — fast, precise, beautiful. Naruto barely breathed.
"Observation detected: Hatake Kakashi performing 'Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu.' Would you like to—"
"Yes! Learn! Whatever!"
"Learning confirmed. The host shall attempt to digest wisdom far beyond his pay grade."
A flood of information hit Naruto's mind — hand seals, chakra flow, combustion patterns, the exact timing of breath.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
Kakashi exhaled, and three roaring fire dragons burst forward, slamming into the pool. Steam exploded upward, veiling the area in mist.
After several seconds, the fire faded, leaving half the water gone.
Kakashi exhaled softly. "Alright... did you get it?"
Naruto blinked, eyes slightly glazed as the data in his head settled.
He grinned. "Yeah. Got it."