"Three hundred times!" Naruto groaned, exhaustion written all over his sweat-soaked face.
"I only practiced eighty-something times for the entire lesson before!" he muttered, shaking his head. "If I don't hurry, I won't be able to sleep tonight!"
In the mental realm, Kurama's ears twitched in amusement.
"Uh-huh… this kid… he's not completely hopeless after all," the Nine-Tails murmured, his voice filled with satisfaction.
Naruto's unyielding determination was even starting to impress the beast sealed inside him. Kurama grinned, yawned, wiggled his ears again, and let himself drift back into sleep.
"Clone Technique—!" Naruto shouted, his voice full of determination.
"Clone Technique!"
"I'll clone it again!"
His clone formation was becoming increasingly precise. Sweat dripped down his face, but he wore a proud, determined smile.
"The host has completed one hundred Clone Technique repetitions. Mastery increased, proficiency +1!"
"Ah ha! I've really made a lot of progress!" Naruto cheered, wiping the sweat from his brow. He glanced at the clone lying on the ground. Compared to before, it looked far more lifelike. The eyes were no longer rolled back, the tongue no longer hung out—it looked almost like it was sleeping peacefully.
Yet something still felt off. Naruto paused, remembering Iruka-sensei's analogy.
"It's like trying to take your own reflection out of a mirror…" he muttered thoughtfully. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with realization. "That's it! That's why it's been so hard!"
Naruto rushed to the mirror, examining his reflection carefully from head to toe. "The reason I can't perform the Clone Technique perfectly isn't my Chakra… it's my inability to multitask! I have to do the hand seals, imagine the clone in my mind, and refine my Chakra all at once… it's too much!"
A confident grin spread across his face. "If I can see the reflection directly, I won't need to imagine it! I'm a genius!"
With renewed energy, he tried again. "Aries, Snake, Tiger… Clone Technique!"
This time, although the clone still rested on the ground, its eyes were fully open. Even more impressively, its face looked exactly like Naruto's own.
"It works! It really works!" Naruto exclaimed, wiping sweat from his brow and diving back into training with renewed vigor.
"The host has completed three hundred Clone Technique repetitions. Mastery increased, proficiency +3!"
"Current Clone Technique proficiency: 36!"
Though he was only sixteen, Naruto's skill had jumped by an incredible twenty points in just one day of intense training. His mind raced with possibilities. In his imagination, he envisioned being the top student in his class, having Sasuke stumble in frustration at his success, Sakura smiling and perhaps even hugging him, all the girls admiring him, and the boys envious of his sudden rise.
The fantasy was exhilarating—but soon, exhaustion caught up with him. Naruto's body gave in, and he sank into a deep, well-earned sleep.
---
The next morning, the first light of day spilled into the village of Konoha. Naruto awoke to the gentle chime of the system alert at six o'clock. He stretched, yawned, and reluctantly got out of bed to wash and prepare breakfast.
Approaching the window, he looked down—and froze.
"Hmm?" he murmured. "Is that…?"
Bathed in the soft morning sunlight, a girl stood below in a pristine white dress. Her cheeks glowed faintly pink as a gentle breeze lifted the fabric. The girl clutched a wide-brimmed sun hat to her head, revealing her delicate features.
Naruto's heart skipped a beat. "Hinata?"
He suddenly remembered their private lesson today. But there was something different about Hinata. Today, she seemed… more radiant, more poised than usual.
Naruto leaned against the windowsill, waving both hands excitedly. "Hey! Hinata! Over here!"
Hinata's heart raced at the call. She lifted her hat and looked up, blushing furiously. "Nar… Naruto-kun?"
Her shyness made her even more adorable, though Naruto, in his usual cluelessness, couldn't interpret it. He shouted again, oblivious: "Hinata! Come on up here!"
Hinata lowered her head. "I… I'm a little scared…"
"From what?" Naruto asked, tilting his head curiously.
She fidgeted with her fingers, unable to put her feelings into words. Seeing her hesitation, Naruto grinned. "No problem! I'll come down and get you!"
With that, he dashed down the stairs, flung open the door, and ran toward her.
"Wait for me!" he called, grabbing her hand gently.
Hinata trembled instantly. She wanted to resist, but couldn't. Step by step, she followed Naruto toward his house.
He's holding my hand… she thought, her heart pounding like a drum.
"Here we are!" Naruto exclaimed. "Welcome to my home! Not bad, right?"
Hinata stared in quiet awe. "I… I didn't expect Naruto-kun to have hobbies like this…"
Naruto chuckled, picking up a watering can to tend his plants—one of his small hobbies aside from ramen. "This? Haha, I guess so!"
Hinata smiled shyly, feeling a little lost as she watched him work.
"Are you ready to start?" Naruto asked, turning back toward her.
Hinata clutched the corner of her dress nervously. "Y-Yes…" she whispered.
They stepped into Naruto's somewhat chaotic training space. Despite his carefree nature, Naruto felt a slight twinge of embarrassment at the mess.
"Ah ha… it's a bit messy," he admitted, glancing around.
Hinata giggled softly, her earlier tension easing. "It's… fine."
Naruto swept the table free of clutter. "Come on, Hinata, sit over here next to me."
Hinata's heart leaped. Sit next to Naruto-kun…? she thought, her chest fluttering as if a tiny rabbit were bouncing inside. She lowered herself onto the chair beside him, shyly avoiding his gaze.
"I noticed something today, Hinata… you seem a bit different," Naruto said thoughtfully.
Hinata's heart skipped again. She had spent a lot of time planning this private lesson, wearing her white dress and sun hat instead of her usual oversized clothes. She wanted Naruto to notice her.
Naruto studied her quietly for a moment before concluding, "Hmm… it's probably because we're not at school today. You don't look so gloomy anymore."
Hinata's shy smile deepened. "I… I'll try not to be so gloomy from now on," she said softly.
Naruto clenched his fists in determination. "All right! First goal: make it into the top ten and surpass Sasuke. That's up to you, Hinata!"
Hinata nodded, her hands opening her lesson book. She carefully reviewed the notes, explaining each step to Naruto, who listened intently.
Outside, the sun rose higher, its warm rays spilling through the window and casting a gentle glow over the two young ninjas, so close in proximity yet still shyly aware of each other's presence.
It was the perfect start to a new chapter of growth, friendship, and something more—a private lesson neither of them would forget.