Before long, Team 7 arrived at Tazuna's home.
The moment he got back, Tazuna began discussing the specifics of the bridge construction with the local villagers.
"Tazuna, if we keep working with you on the bridge, Gato will target us too. One day we might just get assassinated."
"Yeah, we're just ordinary people. There's no way we can fight someone as rich and powerful as Gato."
"Guess we're just unlucky. Who told us to cross paths with that bloodsucker?"
Hearing their words, Tazuna's resolve to finish the bridge only grew stronger.
He knew these people had already been stripped of their backbone by fear.
Finishing the bridge was the only way to help them regain their courage and confidence.
Off to the side, Team 7 listened to the villagers' complaints, feeling equally disheartened.
Tazuna had traveled all the way from Konoha to return home and build the bridge, only to be met with cold indifference from his own people.
"If these are the ones benefiting from the bridge, then I say we don't bother building it!" Naruto said angrily.
These people only stood by and watched when someone was in trouble, too afraid to take responsibility.
But when there was something to gain, they'd push and shove to get ahead.
Just then, Tazuna's grandson piped up, "The Land of Waves doesn't need heroes! Heroes are the most laughable thing in the world!"
With that, the boy bolted out the door.
Tazuna could only give a helpless sigh.
The longer Shinju and the others listened to the bickering, the more it grated on them. So they headed upstairs to rest.
Once upstairs, Shinju began to think.
If Wood Release could build houses, then… could it also build a bridge?
...
The next day.
Kakashi gathered the three members of Team 7 in an open area outside Tazuna's home.
"Alright, training starts now!" Kakashi shouted with energy.
"Finally! Training time!" Naruto said excitedly, eyes full of anticipation.
"Before we start," Kakashi said, "I'll go over the basics of a ninja's abilities and chakra again."
Sasuke curled his lip. "What a pain."
"We already know that stuff—let's just get to the point!" Naruto complained.
"If you already know," Kakashi replied, pointing at him, "then why don't you explain it to us, Naruto?"
"…##%#@" Naruto mumbled.
He only vaguely knew that chakra was the energy inside a ninja's body, necessary to use jutsu.
But explaining it systematically? Yeah, that wasn't happening.
Kakashi, unsurprised, turned to Shinju. "Alright, Shinju. You explain."
Shinju recited the textbook definition word for word:
"Chakra is… (two hundred words omitted) … and can be activated through the act of forming hand seals."
Kakashi gave him a thumbs-up.
"As expected of Iruka's top student."
"All that talk is pointless. As long as you can use it, that's enough. We can already do jutsu," Naruto said with slight irritation.
"For once, I agree with Naruto," Sasuke added.
Kakashi scoffed. "All you can do is use jutsu—you can't control your chakra efficiently.
"Listen up. Like Shinju just said, training chakra means extracting physical and spiritual energy, mixing them inside the body, then drawing on the precise amounts needed for a specific jutsu.
"You can train to have a huge amount of chakra, but if you can't control the balance, your jutsu will be weak.
"So today, you're going to learn to maintain that balance for finer control."
"And how exactly do we train for that?" Shinju asked.
"Simple—tree climbing." Kakashi held up one finger.
"Tree climbing? That sounds shady!" Naruto said.
"I'll demonstrate."
Kakashi walked over to a nearby tree.
He lifted a foot—and simply stepped onto the trunk, body parallel to the ground and forming a perfect ninety-degree angle with the tree.
It looked as easy as walking on flat ground.
Not only that, but he used his masterful chakra control to hang upside down from a branch with both feet.
"Whoa, that's amazing!" Naruto clenched his fists in excitement.
Finishing the demonstration, Kakashi jumped down. "Alright, your turn."
Shinju remembered Kakashi's emphasis on "balance," took a calming breath, and stepped forward.
One step… two steps… ten steps…
Huh… not that hard.
"Kakashi-sensei, I did it!" Shinju called out excitedly.
Kakashi was just leaning against a tree root, pulling out his beloved Icha Icha Paradise, when Shinju's voice made him stand up in surprise.
"Already?"
Looking up, he saw Shinju casually hanging upside down from a branch with only his feet.
After a brief thought, Kakashi relaxed.
Right—yesterday, when Shinju used the Water Prison Jutsu on Zabuza, he was already standing on water.
Climbing a tree with chakra wasn't much of a leap from that.
"Alright, Shinju, you're done. You two—keep going."
His tone toward Sasuke and Naruto was much colder.
Naruto had just managed two steps before slipping and crashing to the ground, the back of his head smacking a rock and raising a huge bump.
"Shinju's way too strong!" Naruto groaned.
Then he hurried over to ask, "Hey, how'd you do it?"
"It's simple—focus chakra into your feet, then calm your mind…"
After Shinju's short explanation, Naruto's eyes lit up with understanding.
Sasuke, watching, itched to ask too, but his pride kept him silent.
Shinju then wandered off to practice ninjutsu.
With Shinju's tip, Naruto's progress skyrocketed—from only two steps at first to twenty or thirty in no time.
Kakashi, watching, was quietly shocked.
Did Shinju give him some kind of miracle pill? ┌(.Д.)┐
How could just a couple of sentences make him improve this much?
Or was Shinju some kind of born teacher who could make even the dumbest student learn?
Seeing Naruto's progress surpass his own, Sasuke finally swallowed his pride and sidled up.
"So… what exactly did Shinju tell you? Mind telling me?" (◔◡◔)
(◍ ´꒳` ◍) Naruto thought, Sasuke, you're always acting so cool—never thought I'd see the day you'd ask me for help.
But since they were teammates, Naruto shared what he'd "figured out."
"You just do this, then that, and then this—and you're up."
Sasuke stared blankly. (°ー°〃)
"Shinju said… that? He's capable of such low-level advice?"
Naruto nodded firmly. "Yup!"
(▼皿▼#) Sasuke seethed.
If Shinju really said that, I'll eat this tree!