"But... if you want to practice, why do you bring us here?"
Half an hour later, both Sakura and Ino were bewildered, eyeing Naruto with a hint of skepticism.
After leaving the hospital in Konoha, Naruto had led them to a hot spring and reserved a private room. The funds for this indulgence were provided by Ino.
Admittedly, the money came from Ino.
Naruto had only a few coins on him from his time-traveling days. Breakfast was manageable, but the hot spring was too extravagant.
He'd have to go back to the Third Hokage to ask for more funds.
Sakura and Ino remained in a daze. They couldn't fathom what kind of training could take place in a hot spring.
But they're all girls, and Naruto is a boy!
Naruto, however, remained unfazed by their stares. He turned to Sakura and announced calmly, "Your next training session is here."
"Ah?" Sakura was utterly confused. "Aren't you going to teach me medical jutsu? How can I learn that here?"
Ino interjected, surprised, "Does Naruto know medical ninjutsu?"
It's quite unexpected!
The future Seventh Hokage was tall, handsome, and had a gentle disposition. He was truly a promising prospect!
Moreover, seeing Naruto today, clean-shaven and cheerful, looking so much stronger than before, she might have taken a second glance if it were their first meeting.
What Ino was thinking at this moment was that even though Naruto had said that Hinata would be his future wife, that time hadn't arrived yet.
So, why not just go ahead and win him over?
Naruto remained oblivious to Ino's thoughts. He continued explaining to Sakura, "To learn medical ninjutsu, you first need to master the art of precise Chakra control. The stronger your control, the more quickly and effectively you can learn."
"Before I teach you medical skills, I want to enhance your Chakra control ability."
Sakura understood the concepts well and agreed in her heart.
But she still couldn't grasp what the hot spring had to do with it.
If she didn't get it, she might as well ask. Sakura voiced her doubts.
Naruto elaborated, "Do you remember when Kakashi taught us to climb trees in the Land of Waves?"
"Of course, I learned it quickly!" Sakura said with a smug smile.
Chakra control had always been her strong suit.
"So, you want to teach Sakura to water walk?" Ino, who had just snapped out of her thoughts, immediately grasped what Naruto was getting at.
Sakura stared at him strangely.
"Water walking?" she echoed, unconvinced.
Ino, seemingly aware of Sakura's thoughts, began forming hand seals. She concentrated chakra on the soles of her feet before gracefully stepping onto the water's surface. She remained perfectly balanced, floating atop the hot spring pool.
"You see, this is water walking!" Ino exclaimed with pride: "Tree climbing practice involves condensing Chakra on the soles of the feet to create an adhesive force, allowing the body to adhere to the tree trunk and ascend vertically. Even when hanging upside down, one won't fall."
"But a tree is solid and stationary," she continued, "Water is different; it's flowing. The same method won't work. This requires higher skills."
"Am I right, Lord Seventh Hokage!"
Ino looked at Naruto expectantly, hoping for his approval.
"Ino is correct!" Naruto nodded and praised her: "And you are quite skilled at it. You're not much inferior to Sakura in terms of Chakra control."
"Hehe, of course!" Ino beamed with pride.
"What's there to be proud of!" Sakura rolled her eyes, unconvinced.
But she had never attempted water walking without learning it first. After all, Ino had just said that water walking requires more advanced skills than tree climbing.
As smart as Sakura is, she wouldn't rush into something she wasn't prepared for.
If she failed, it would only make Ino more smug.
And when that happens, she would be embarrassed in front of everyone, especially Ino.
"There's really nothing to be proud of!" Ino said with a smile, "But since I'm ahead of you in this, why don't you teach me how to practice first, Naruto?"
Naruto offered to train with her. It seemed like he had something to impart.
Though Ino wasn't particularly interested in activities outside her family, she was indeed curious about what Naruto could teach her.
Moreover, maintaining a good relationship with the Seventh Hokage was crucial.
"Ino pig!!" Sakura couldn't help but interject angrily: "You're the one who's shameless. It's mainly because of me that you're practicing today. Do you still want to steal the spotlight?"
"What do you mean by shameless?" Ino retorted, unwilling to back down. "Naruto isn't yours exclusively!"
"Okay, okay, stop arguing," Naruto intervened quickly. "Ino, please wait for a moment. Let me teach Sakura to water walk first. Once she starts, I will teach you again."
Sakura felt a surge of pride and made a triumphant scissor gesture at Ino.
Ino pouted but didn't argue with Naruto. She was mostly concerned about leaving a poor impression on him.
"Okay," Ino agreed and stepped aside obediently.
In reality, the concept of water walking is quite simple. Even if Sakura was slow to learn, it wouldn't take Naruto long to explain it.
And she wasn't slow; she was quite clever.
It's just that mastering the skill requires patience and practice.
Since Ino had learned it at a young age through diligent practice, she knew Sakura couldn't master it in a day.
So, she wasn't in a hurry, knowing she would have plenty of time with Naruto later.
Ignoring Ino's thoughts, Naruto began explaining the principles of water walking to Sakura.
"Because water is flowing," he said, "once you condense Chakra on the soles of your feet, you must continuously release it while sensing the water's flow rate and fluctuations to maintain equilibrium."
"Where this equilibrium point is," he added, "it's hard to describe in words. You'll need to find it through trial and error."
Practice repeatedly, making small adjustments, and get a feel for it.
In the future, when faced with various water currents, you can adjust the Chakra output accordingly.
It's likely that Ino had learned to water walk at a young age, which made it seem simple to her.
But for Sakura, who was a top student, understanding the concept came quickly.
"But do we have to practice in a hot spring pool?" Sakura inquired, puzzled. "Can't we just find a place with water?"
Or is there something unique about hot spring water that aids in spiritual practice?