Early the next morning.
At the training ground commonly used by Team 7.
Naruto concentrated intensely as he formed hand seals, practicing the Wind Release technique he had just begun learning.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The stance was correct, the motion decisive—but the wind that burst forward resembled nothing more than a strong household fan, barely stirring the grass.
"Dammit, failed again!"
"The ninjutsu Asuma-sensei taught is way too hard!"
"If only it were as easy as the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu…"
Naruto dropped onto the ground, discouraged, deciding to rest briefly.
The Asuma he mentioned was, naturally, the result of Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrangements the previous day.
Yesterday.
Concerned about Naruto's condition, Hiruzen personally brought Iruka and Asuma to Naruto's apartment.
Only after confirming that Naruto himself—not Lock—opened the door did the Third Hokage finally relax.
What he needed was a controllable Nine-Tails jinchūriki, not an unpredictable variable.
Afterward, he and Iruka offered encouragement and reassurance, emphasizing Naruto's importance to the village.
Finally, Hiruzen introduced Asuma as Naruto's instructor for Wind Release training, explaining that learning elemental transformation would help him grow stronger.
Though somewhat reluctant, Asuma accepted the task.
The next morning, he brought Team 10 to Team 7's training ground. He and Kakashi had agreed to treat this period as joint training between squads.
Conveniently, Team 10 lacked motivation, and training alongside the now Chunin-level Team 7 would push them forward.
Nearby.
Asuma exhaled smoke and walked toward Naruto, shaking his head at the boy's frustration.
"Naruto, pay attention to how much chakra you generate versus how much you actually release. The output just now was too small."
Compared to tree climbing or water walking, ninjutsu demanded far more delicate chakra control.
A beginner had to release chakra at the precise required amount.
Too much or too little disrupted the structure of the technique entirely.
Only experienced shinobi could safely amplify output for greater power.
"Too little?" Naruto looked confused.
"But I used plenty of chakra!"
"Kakashi-sensei said my control already reached normal Chunin level!"
To prove it, Naruto sprang up and ran toward a nearby tree, channeling chakra into his feet and sprinting straight up the trunk.
The demonstration stunned the Ino–Shika–Chō trio watching nearby.
"That idiot Naruto can climb that high using chakra!?" Ino grabbed Shikamaru's shoulders in disbelief.
They themselves had only recently mastered the exercise.
"Hey, Naruto's not an idiot!" Choji said seriously while eating chips.
"He's amazing! He mastered an A-rank ninjutsu!"
Remembering the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique from the graduation exam, Ino hesitated, guilt flashing briefly across her face.
Still unwilling to concede, she muttered stubbornly, "He was dead last before. Must've been luck."
Shikamaru quietly slipped away from Ino's grip.
"What a drag… If Naruto's this good, the others are probably worse monsters."
"Our training's definitely about to get troublesome."
His prediction wasn't wrong.
Asuma himself was momentarily stunned watching Naruto's smooth chakra control.
Their teams normally trained separately, so he had never witnessed Team 7's progress firsthand.
Judging from Naruto's level, he had almost certainly mastered water walking as well.
Asuma took a long drag from his cigarette, feeling oddly conflicted.
Naruto… untalented?
That was what his father had implied.
But this looked nothing like a slow learner.
Was the old man just making excuses to talk to him more?
And Kakashi—who always looked lazy—was secretly this thorough as a teacher?
Suppressing his thoughts, Asuma continued.
"Kakashi helped you build fundamentals. That's not the same as mastery."
"If you want real ninjutsu, you still need focused training."
He began forming hand seals slowly.
"Watch carefully."
"First, combine physical and spiritual energy to create the correct chakra nature."
Blue chakra flared around him as he demonstrated deliberately.
"Next, guide that chakra into your mouth and construct the technique."
He inhaled deeply. The cigarette burned instantly to ash as chakra gathered at his lips.
"Then—release!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A roaring gust exploded forward.
A tornado nearly five meters tall surged across the training field, lifting dust, stones, and grass into the air. The force whipped Ino's hair wildly and forced the trio to shield their faces.
"So cool!" Naruto's eyes shone.
Asuma smiled faintly and lit another cigarette.
"You generated enough chakra earlier," he explained, "but you wasted most of it during release."
"If your output control isn't precise, compensate by producing more chakra at the start."
"I get it!" Naruto exclaimed.
He immediately tried again.
This time, a small spinning gust formed—barely half a meter tall, but stable.
Asuma nodded approvingly.
"Good. Keep going like that."
"When your tornado reaches my level, I'll teach you B-rank techniques and deeper nature transformation."
Great Breakthrough wasn't especially powerful; Asuma himself had refreshed it overnight.
With Naruto's chakra reserves, he could practice dozens—maybe hundreds—of times per day.
Progress should come quickly.
Naruto grinned and resumed training with renewed enthusiasm.
The morning passed swiftly.
Without drawing on the Nine-Tails' chakra, Naruto eventually exhausted himself completely.
After bidding farewell to Asuma and Team 10, he relinquished control of the body to Lock.
This arrangement had been negotiated the previous night.
Lock would handle combat and occasionally assist training.
In exchange, he would control the body for one-third of each day.
"Inhale—now this is refreshing."
Lock stretched, rolling his shoulders. Bones cracked sharply throughout his body.
The subtle shift in posture immediately alerted the ANBU monitoring nearby.
A shadow flickered.
An ANBU operative appeared before him.
"Lord Lock," the masked shinobi said respectfully, "I will now escort you to the Root base."
---
A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San