The morning air was crisp, washed clean by dawn. Mist still clung to the trees as the sun climbed slowly, spilling gold over the rolling hills and dirt path that stretched away from Tanzaku Quarters. The city's noise had faded into a dull murmur behind them, swallowed by cicadas and the sigh of the wind.
Naruto tugged at the cuffs of his new jacket—shinobi blue, seams snug, the fabric stiffer than he was used to. Strange, but good. Better. He pulled his forehead protector tighter and breathed in deep. This feels right.
A few paces ahead, Jiraiya stopped where the road spilled into a clearing ringed by old trees. Their roots knuckled deep into the earth, grass whispering against their ankles. It was open, quiet—a place meant for training.
The Sannin turned, arms folding, expression stripped of the sly grin that so often danced there. The sake-scent and playful drunkenness of last night were gone, replaced with the sharp weight of a man who had trained weapons of war. White hair shifted in the morning breeze, the hem of his red cloak stirring faintly.
"Alright, brat," he said, voice even. "Before we test Kurama's chakra…" Jiraiya said, voice measured. "Show me that technique. The one you used back in Konoha. The Rasen…ringu, you called it?"
Naruto brightened immediately, shoulders straightening. "Heh. You mean you only saw the crater it left?"
Jiraiya grunted. "I saw enough to know it wasn't an ordinary Rasengan. But I want to see it with my own eyes—how you form it, how you use it."
Naruto nodded, grinning wide. He stepped forward, planting his feet, holding out his right hand. "Alright. Watch closely, Pervy Sage. This is my jutsu."
He breathed once, steady. Chakra flooded his palm, swirling into a sphere—the familiar beginnings of the Rasengan. The air around it warped, the steady whir like the hum of a storm building.
But then—he added more.
Purple threads of chakra twisted into the blue, winding through it like lightning veins. The ball deepened in color, dark violet pulsing at its core. Then white rings snapped into existence around it, orbiting fast, crackling as they tore against the air.
The hum turned to a shriek, wind tugging Naruto's jacket, ruffling his blond hair.
"This…" Naruto said, grinning with teeth, "is the Rasenringu!"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, sharp. "Tch… the stability's higher than the Rasengan… and that rotational pull…" He leaned forward slightly. "What's the drawback?"
Naruto smirked, arm straining faintly against the power. "It's heavy. Harder to hold together. But—" He thrust his arm back, shifting his stance. "That's why I throw it!"
He hurled the Rasenringu forward.
The sphere streaked across the clearing, a comet of violet light wrapped in spinning rings. It slammed into a distant boulder with a deafening crack.
For a moment, nothing—then the rings detonated, collapsing inward before bursting outward in a spiraling explosion. Stone shattered, shards flung into the air as the ground quaked under the force. When the dust cleared, the boulder was gone—reduced to rubble strewn across a wide, scorched crater.
Naruto lowered his arm, panting slightly but grinning wide. "Not bad, huh?"
For once, Jiraiya didn't answer immediately. His eyes lingered on the devastation, on the crater cut deep into the earth. Then slowly, he exhaled through his nose.
"…You've taken the Rasengan and turned it into something else entirely," he muttered. "A projectile form, with orbital rings to stabilize it and increase its destructive force." His lips twitched upward, equal parts pride and caution. "Heh. You've outpaced even my expectations."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish but proud. "Heh. Guess I've been busy."
Jiraiya's gaze flicked back to him, sharp again. "Busy—and reckless. A technique like that could just as easily rip your arm off if you lose control. But…" His grin widened, wolfish. "That's what makes it impressive. It's yours."
Naruto blinked, then grinned broader, chest swelling. "Damn right it is!"
The moment stretched, pride lingering between them. Then Jiraiya's eyes sharpened, the grin fading. "Good. Now that I've seen that… it's time to test what really matters."
Naruto blinked. "…You mean—?"
"Kurama." Jiraiya's voice was flat, heavy. "Yesterday, you said you'd made an agreement. Four tails is your limit. I want to see how close you can walk that line without losing yourself."
The air thickened at his words. Naruto's pulse thudded in his ears. "…Now?"
"Now." Jiraiya's arms folded again, stance braced. "Show me."
Naruto swallowed hard. His fists curled. Grass brushed his sandals as he closed his eyes and reached inward.
It wasn't hard anymore. Not like before, when clawing at Kurama's chakra felt like dragging chains through mud, met with snarls and hatred. Now, when he knocked, the fox opened one eye and answered.
Heat licked along Naruto's ribs. A pulse swelled in his chest, vast and wild, and then poured outward.
The clearing dimmed as red chakra burst across his skin, bubbling, snapping. Shadows bent toward him, grass flattening outward in a ring. His eyes snapped open—scarlet, slit pupils burning. Whisker marks deepened.
A tail whipped into being, flickering flame given form. Power surged through his limbs, too strong for his skin, every step itching to shatter the earth.
Naruto bared fanged teeth. "One."
Jiraiya's gaze tracked him without blinking. "Keep going."
Naruto drew in breath, ragged. The chakra roared. He let it swell.
The second tail lashed forth. His hands stretched into clawed shapes, bubbling chakra armor thickening around him. The ground cracked underfoot, spiderweb fissures racing through dirt and stone. Kurama's growl reverberated in his chest.
"Two." His voice thrummed with another's resonance.
Jiraiya's jaw flexed, but he didn't move.
Naruto grit his teeth. His chest burned. He pressed deeper.
The third tail tore into place with a rush that staggered him, cloak whipping, air warping in the heat. His breath rasped harsh, grin edged with strain.
And then—
The fourth tail ripped free, raw power gouging scars into the earth. Naruto's back arched, pain lancing his ribs as the chakra grew heavy, corrosive. His skin tingled as if peeling away.
Kurama's laugh thundered in his skull. "This is your limit, boy. Past this, you're mine."
Naruto snarled, dropping to one knee, vision drowning in red. His breath tore from his throat, ragged and animal.
Jiraiya's hands blurred, ready to suppress.
But Naruto slammed his fist into the dirt. "That's enough!"
The cloak flared, tails writhing—then collapsed inward, vanishing with a violent rush of air that left the clearing shuddering.
Naruto staggered to his feet, drenched in sweat, chest heaving. His eyes bled back to blue.
The grass was scorched in a wide circle around him, dirt torn by clawed gouges.
For a long beat, only his ragged breathing filled the silence.
Then Jiraiya exhaled. "…You pulled back."
Naruto wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grinning through the tremor in his legs. "Told you. Four tails is the line. I'm not gonna drown in it."
Jiraiya studied him, lines of worry and something softer written across his face. "…You're playing with fire, brat. But you've come further than I expected."
Naruto straightened, jabbed a thumb at his chest. "I'll go further. I'm gonna control it. All of it. You'll see."
For a long moment, the Sannin only stared. Then his mouth curled into a slow grin. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But guts alone won't keep you alive."
Naruto's grin widened, fire in his eyes. "Good thing I've got you, huh?"
For the first time that morning, Jiraiya barked a laugh—loud, booming, rolling across the clearing.
"Alright, brat," he said, grin sharp again. "Then let's see just how much of threat you are without the fox ."
Naruto's fists clenched, heart hammering. "Bring it on."
Jiraiya POV
The boy's chakra was still settling, steam lifting faint from the grass where the four-tail cloak had scorched it. Sweat clung to Naruto's hairline, but his grin was back, stubborn and bright. That grin had always irritated and reassured Jiraiya in equal measure.
Jiraiya rolled his shoulders, stepping into the clearing. Time to see if you're more than raw power, brat.
"Enough standing around. Show me your taijutsu." He crooked two fingers, beckoning. "Come at me."
Naruto didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, sandals tearing the dirt, fist swinging wide for Jiraiya's jaw. Sloppy. Predictable.
Jiraiya slid aside with a pivot, snapping a hand to Naruto's wrist and shoving him off-balance. "Too telegraphed," he barked, voice sharp. "You're advertising your swings a mile away."
Naruto stumbled, caught himself, and immediately adjusted his stance, knees dipping lower, weight balanced. His next rush was tighter, punch cutting in quicker.
Jiraiya caught it on his forearm, surprised at the adjustment. Hmph. Quick study.
The boy twisted, driving a knee up toward his gut. Better. Jiraiya caught that too, palm to kneecap, shoving him back with a grunt.
"You drop your guard when you shift momentum. That'll get you gutted in real combat."
Naruto's eyes flickered with irritation—then focus. He bounced on his toes, shoulders hunching in, fists closer to his face. He came again, this time keeping his guard tight even as he feinted with his footwork.
The blow grazed Jiraiya's ribs instead of whiffing clean.
Well, I'll be damned.
They traded a few more strikes—Naruto snapping in jabs, kicks, even a spinning heel that Jiraiya ducked with a grin. Each time Jiraiya barked a correction, Naruto folded it into his movements almost instantly.
"Your back foot drags—don't waste energy."
The next exchange, it didn't.
"Don't swing wide—compress, let the power travel."
Naruto's next hook landed like a hammer, close enough Jiraiya had to block with both arms.
And then, the kid smirked—just a flicker of teeth, stubborn as ever—before weaving into a combination that was half-learned, half-improvised.
Heh. Damn brat. He's not just hearing me—he's applying it. Mid-fight.
Jiraiya shoved him back with a palm to the chest. "Enough."
Naruto skidded, panting, but fists stayed raised. "What? I can keep going!"
The fire in those eyes hadn't dimmed an inch.
Jiraiya exhaled. Heh. Fine, then. Let's push it further. He sank into a loose stance, weight rolling to the balls of his feet. "Alright, brat. Show me what you've really got. No excuses."
Naruto's grin split wide. His hands flew into a cross-shaped seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The clearing burst alive—five Narutos popping into being, smoke curling off their bodies. They fanned out quick, three rushing head-on, the other two circling wide.
Better tactics already, Jiraiya thought, watching the boy move. Not just charging blind this time.
The first clone swung at him, wild but fast. Jiraiya caught the wrist, twisted, and shattered it with a sharp kick. It burst into smoke.
"Too slow!" he barked.
The real Naruto flinched at the callout, but his next move was faster—another clone diving low while the one behind came swinging high. Jiraiya bent back, the kick sailing past his nose, while his palm drove down hard on the low attacker, dispersing it in smoke.
He caught the third by the collar, tossing it into the one coming around his flank. Both vanished.
The air shifted. Behind him.
Jiraiya spun—too late. The real Naruto came in with a straight jab, tighter than his first swings, compressed like Jiraiya had told him. It smacked square into his ribs with a solid thunk.
Jiraiya staggered half a step, then grinned. Hah. He actually landed one.
But he didn't let the brat see the satisfaction. "Not bad. But you overcommitted—"
He snatched Naruto's wrist, twisted, and swept his legs. Naruto hit the dirt with a grunt.
"—and left yourself wide open."
Naruto hissed, scrambling up. But instead of lunging straight back in, he hopped back, resetting his stance. Guard up. Feet planted. The adjustment was immediate.
Damn brat. Learns faster than he should.
More clones popped into being, this time a dozen, filling the clearing with shouts. They surged in waves, fists and feet flying.
Jiraiya smirked and met them head-on. His fists blurred, every strike carrying decades of discipline. He dropped one with a chop to the neck, swept another with a leg hook, dodged the third so their own momentum carried them into each other.
"Keep your spacing!" he barked as he moved, voice cutting over the chaos. "Don't crowd your own attack lines!"
And just like that, the next wave came cleaner—three striking while two hung back, timing their approach.
Heh. He's treating my corrections like battle orders. Like he was built for it.
A clone managed to graze his cheek with a kick. Another nearly hooked his ankle. Jiraiya's grin widened. "Now we're getting somewhere."
He tore through them with practiced ease, but each burst of smoke only seemed to sharpen Naruto further. The boy absorbed every slip, every correction, folding them into his movements as though his body had been waiting for the instruction.
Finally, Jiraiya cut through the last clone, dust settling over the churned dirt. Across the clearing, the real Naruto was panting, sweat dripping down his face—but his stance was still solid, his grin fierce.
"Not bad, huh?" Naruto wheezed.
Jiraiya stood tall, wiping a smear of dust from his cheek. He studied the boy, heart thrumming in a way he hadn't felt in years.
This… this is dangerous. A brat who learns this fast—who adapts mid-fight like this…
For a fleeting moment, Minato's face flickered in his mind's eye. Minato, with his calm brilliance, his instinct for combat. Minato, who had grown sharper with every spar until Jiraiya himself had been forced to take him seriously.
And now—this loud, reckless kid was showing the same signs.
Jiraiya folded his arms, forcing his voice level. "You're still green. Still sloppy. But you've got something rare. Don't lose it."
Naruto's grin softened into something steadier. "Guess that means I passed round two, huh?"
Jiraiya smirked despite himself. "Hmph. Passed? Brat, you've barely scratched the surface."
But inside, as he watched Naruto straighten up with stubborn fire still in his eyes, he couldn't shake the thought:
If he keeps learning like this… one day, I won't be able to call him brat anymore.