Konohagakure No sato :
Exclusive Training Ground :
The shuriken tore through the air in a perfect, glowing straight line, striking the wooden target with a resonant thwack.
The sound was heavy, echoing across the clearing and drawing an immediate exclamation from the three boys.
Shino and Shikamaru moved in closer, their eyes fixed on the vibrating piece of steel.
"Was that the 'something' you were mentioning earlier?" Shino asked, his voice tinged with genuine curiosity as he adjusted his glasses.
"You mean the 'something' you're pairing with the hand-seal training, right?" Shikamaru added, his lazy squint sharpening as he appraised the impact.
"Yeah," Naruto replied, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "I decided to add extra rotation to the shuriken right at the moment of release. Standard throwing is okay for accuracy, but it lacks the piercing power I want."
Coming closer to the target to see the result, Naruto inquired about their thoughts. "....So, what do you think? Honestly?"
Shino leaned in, peering at the wood where the metal bit deep. "It's embedded remarkably deep. The force required to drive a blunt-centered object this far into seasoned oak is significant."
"Yeah," Shikamaru voiced his thoughts, tracing the hairline fractures in the wood. "A single edge has gone a full third inside the wooden target. That's enough to bypass leather armor and chainmail."
"....Nothing like the results we see at the academy," Shino noted.
Seeing his friends looking at it with such intensity, Naruto stepped forward and gripped the shuriken. He tried to pull it out, only to be met with unexpected resistance.
The wood had practically clamped down on the metal. After finally increasing the force in his hand and bracing his foot against the post, he yanked the shuriken out.
Looking at the slightly scuffed blade, he replied, "It's still in the trial stage, to be honest. It's not as easy as it looks. Do you guys have any suggestions? Anything you noticed from the outside?"
Hearing him ask for advice, both the silent observer and the lazy strategist were a little surprised. Usually, Naruto was too loud to listen to critiques, but now he stood there with a level head. They both started thinking seriously.
"It flew in a perfectly straight line," Shino pointed out. "Instead of a little curve that usually comes with a wrist flick."
"Yeah, it was very stable," Shikamaru agreed, crossing his arms. "But it was only a little faster than throwing a normal shuriken. If the speed doesn't increase drastically, a skilled opponent will still dodge it regardless of the power."
"That's the problem," Naruto admitted. "I need to concentrate on the rotation and a dozen other things while throwing it. It's not instinctive yet."
"In missions, that delay may be problematic," Shikamaru noted. "A second of 'prepping' your throw is a second your enemy has to slit your throat."
"Practice it more, I guess," Shino said simply. "But I am curious. How did you add that much rotation? Shurikens are pretty sharp on all sides."
"Yeah," Shikamaru added. "It looked dangerous in your hand. A slight carelessness and your fingers may get cut off before the thing even leaves your palm."
"Oh, that?" Naruto grinned. "I add the leaf-sticking exercise to the shuriken. I use my chakra to 'glue' the center to my finger so it doesn't slip."
".....So sticking the shuriken to your hand instead of a leaf...!!!" Shino realized, his voice showing a rare spark of fascination.
".....And adding rotation in an instant when throwing...!! That's a lot of simultaneous chakra control, Naruto," Shikamaru said.
"Yup, that's it," Naruto replied. "Need more practice though. A lot more."
Shikamaru let out a long, weary sigh. "Ugh, troublesome. Just thinking about that much control makes me tired. I'm gonna go take a nap." He turned and started walking toward his favorite shaded spot.
"The idea is simple," Shino added, looking at Naruto. "But to make it effective, you need to throw it fast and without thought. It is a good path for you."
"Hmm, do you wanna try, Shino?" Naruto offered, holding out a shuriken.
"Ummm, no," Shino replied after a pause. "My fighting style is different, and I need to discuss my own specialized training with my dad today anyway."
"Oh, okay then. See ya, Shino!"
Seeing Shino walk away and Shikamaru already snoring under a tree, Naruto went back to his position.
He understood their lack of interest; they both had their own clan jutsu to master. But for him, this wasn't just a shuriken trick. This was the foundation for the Rasengan and the Rasenshuriken of the future.
(Well, for now it's just a shuriken. As long as it can be dodged, it's ineffective, but practicing it like this is leveling my shuriken skill incredibly fast.)
Naruto spent the next few hours grinding. He realized that using new, creative ways to utilize skills was a "hidden" way to level them up faster.
At 3:00 PM, Shikamaru woke up, rubbed his eyes, and he and Shino decided to head home.
Watching their retreating backs, Naruto felt the shift in the air. The "crowd" was gone.
(Time to practice the Lone Wolf skill, I guess.)
As long as he was alone, he gained a massive boost to his self-learning efficiency. He sat down and began to plan his next six months.
(I need at least a month to digest the memories of the 4th Year Academy Student skill. I don't have an eidetic memory, so I need to make these memories mine without jeopardizing my physical training. Then there's the 5th and 6th-year skills... 25 days and 36 days respectively. Technically, one month for each.)
He threw another shuriken, his mind racing.
(Six months. Once I am satisfied with the 4th-year skill, I should complete the rest within half a year. Physically, I'll be a monster, and my Ninjutsu should finally catch up.)
He stopped the shuriken training and switched to hand-signs. Hand-signs weren't just about moving fingers fast; they were about the chakra moving with the signs.
(So hard... despite my progress in chakra control, it's still this difficult. No wonder 'Canon Naruto' only used Rasengan. But I won't be like that.)
He focused, moving his fingers through the twelve basic signs, feeling the energy hum through his pathways.
(Thank goodness I have the Inner Strength skill. Without that mental fortitude, I would have quit this tedious stuff weeks ago.)
As the sun began to dip, Naruto packed his things and headed back. Approaching the Academy gate, he saw a familiar girl with long hair standing there, looking around expectantly.
Seeing him, she waved her hand excitedly and ran toward him. "Naruto-kun! How are you?"
"Good! What about you, Shizuka?"
"Busy these days! I had a bit of time, so I came to meet you," she chirped.
"Were you waiting for me at the gate? You could have just met me at the training ground, ya know," Naruto said, smiling.
"Hehe, but I don't want to disturb your training," Shizuka replied with a silly smile. (Naruto-kun looked so cool while training... I just stalk- I mean, admired him from afar!)
They started walking together toward the commercial district.
"What are you doing nowadays, Shizuka?"
"Aahhh, I am now an intern at Konoha Hospital!" she said proudly.
".....That's fast.....!!!!" Naruto's eyes widened.
"Hehe, I was already preparing for this with my Dad over the years. Passing the exam was easy once the opportunity came up."
"Woah.... so Shizuka is actually awesome," Naruto said, genuinely impressed.
"Yup! How about it? Did you fall for me yet?" she teased, bumping her shoulder against his.
"Ha... it will take a lot more than that," Naruto laughed.
"...Haaa! What a difficult road. It's a good thing my ninja way is to never give up!"
Naruto's eyes twitched as they walked. (Sometimes, I feel like she's just teasing me with my own personality...)
"Ne, ne, Naruto-kun," Shizuka said, leaning in. "I heard something."
"Humm, what is it?"
"You defeated Uchiha Sasuke today!"
"..... Did news travel so fast?" Naruto asked, surprised.
"Yup! It's about an Uchiha, after all. The village thrives on that stuff."
"What did the rumors say?"
"Hehe... 'The Demon Fox defeated the Invincible Uchiha in an instant!'"
Seeing her teasing face, Naruto rolled his eyes. "So troublesome. Everyone's saying that now."
"Hahaha! But really... how does it feel?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean becoming number one in the class! The whole academy is buzzing. You're the talk of the town, Naruto-kun."
"Is it really that big of a deal?"
"Yup! No one expects an Uchiha to lose to... well, anyone. So... how is it?"
".....It's okay, I guess," Naruto said, trying to divert the topic. "Where are the others?"
"Gian is training with his dad and learning Ninjutsu. He was pretty pumped up when he heard about your win. He said he's not gonna let you stay ahead for long!"
"Really?"
"Yup! And Suneo had an appointment with his instructor, but he specifically asked me to congratulate you. It really is a big deal, Naruto-kun. Hardly anyone can defeat an Uchiha one-on-one unless they're from the Hyuga or another famous clan. For a student without a bloodline to do it... it's very, very rare."
Naruto finally understood the gravity of it. No wonder the classroom had been so silent.
"Let's go to Ichiraku to celebrate then," Naruto said, feeling a surge of generosity. "My treat!"
"Really?! Is it a date, my prince?"
".....Haaa... are you coming or not?"
"Of course! Let's goooo!" Shizuka grabbed Naruto's hand and started pulling him toward the ramen stand.
"What about Nobita? What is he up to?" Naruto asked.
"Studying, studying... He wants to pass the Police Force exam, so he needs to learn all the rules and regulations. He takes it seriously for a day and then goes back to his lazy ways as soon as he gets a passing grade."
"That sounds exactly like him," Naruto laughed.
"Nobita will cry if he hears he missed free food," Shizuka giggled.
When they arrived at Ichiraku, to Naruto's surprise, even Uncle Teuchi and Ayame had heard.
"I heard the big news, Naruto!" Teuchi roared from behind the counter. "Beating the top student? That deserves a special bowl!"
He got free Ramen from Teuchi, and Ayame kept teasing him and Shizuka about their "date" the whole time. Eating his fill and bidding them farewell, Naruto finally headed back to his apartment, the weight of the day finally settling into a satisfied exhaustion.