Naruto sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes half closed, focusing intensely as he tried once again to mold his Chakra into the nature of Wind. A faint breeze rustled around him, yet the leaf in his palm refused to slice apart. No matter how hard he concentrated, nothing changed.
He sighed heavily.
Even though Uchiha Sasuke could now perfectly perform several Fire Release techniques, Naruto still couldn't manage even the first step of his Wind training.
In truth, Sasuke's Chakra control wasn't that refined either—he simply had the natural talent and precision of the Uchiha clan. Still, compared to Naruto, Sasuke's control looked flawless.
Sakura Haruno, on the other hand, was the true master of Chakra precision among the three. She could balance Chakra on a leaf or climb trees effortlessly, using barely any wasted energy.
Naruto, however, was the complete opposite. His strength lay in his overwhelming reserves of Chakra, not in finesse. He relied entirely on brute force—he could summon hundreds of Shadow Clones, but couldn't even perform a simple Clone Technique properly without making it look ridiculous.
Now, his training had essentially gone back to square one.
---
Naruto spent the entire day practicing without giving up. From dawn until sunset, he kept at it, cutting leaves, focusing his energy, and whispering to himself about Wind Release. But some things simply couldn't be achieved through willpower alone.
By the end of the day, the leaf in his hand still remained whole, and Naruto's spirit was nearly broken. His initial enthusiasm had drained away, replaced by frustration and self-doubt.
When night came, he tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The sound of the crickets outside did nothing to calm his mind.
The next morning, the second day of summer vacation, Naruto sat by the window with a gloomy face. His thoughts were a whirlwind of doubt and irritation—until he noticed a familiar silhouette standing outside his window.
It was Hinata.
---
His eyes lit up instantly, and a smile spread across his face. Just seeing her made his mood lift like sunlight breaking through clouds.
Hinata was dressed more casually than usual—a soft, pale summer dress that fluttered lightly in the breeze, paired with a wide-brimmed sun hat that shaded her delicate face. It wasn't something she often wore, and it made Naruto's heart skip a beat.
When Hinata noticed his stare, her cheeks flushed pink. She tugged down her sun hat shyly and whispered, "N-Naruto-kun… what are you looking at?"
Naruto blinked, realizing he had been staring. He scratched the back of his head with a nervous laugh.
"Ah ha, ah ha, n-no, nothing! Really!"
Hinata smiled faintly at his awkwardness, her shyness fading a little. Since they had already agreed on a time for lessons, they quickly began studying together.
But Hinata could tell something was off. Naruto's usually boundless energy was dimmed. He looked distracted, his eyes distant, as if weighed down by frustration.
After a while, she put down her pencil and asked softly, "Naruto-kun, is something bothering you?"
Naruto hesitated. He couldn't exactly tell her about the system that guided his growth, but he could at least share his problem.
"Yeah… I've been trying to activate Wind Release, but I'm just not making any progress. I've been stuck for days. Hinata, do you have any ideas?"
Hinata blinked, then tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hmm… I think the best way would be…"
Her eyes sparkled as she smiled gently. "To find a senior ninja who's skilled in Wind Release Ninjutsu and learn from them."
Naruto's eyes widened, and a surge of excitement burst through him.
"A veteran Wind Release ninja? That's genius, Hinata! That totally makes sense!"
But then his excitement deflated as quickly as it had come.
"…Wait, but who should I even ask?"
Hinata placed a finger to her chin, thinking carefully.
"In the village, most of the experienced ninja are already busy with missions," she explained. "Usually, only Jonin leaders guide young ninja directly. But those Jonin are responsible for their own teams. They rarely have time to teach others outside their squads."
She paused. "And a ninja skilled in Wind Release is already very rare in Konoha…"
Naruto groaned, slumping in frustration. "Man… that's rough. Guess I'll just have to figure it out myself."
Hinata gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't give up, Naruto-kun. You'll find a way."
He nodded and grinned. "Yeah. You're right. Let's keep studying for now!"
"Okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a shy nod.
---
By noon, their study session came to an end. Naruto felt refreshed—Hinata's quiet support always gave him strength.
He invited her to stay for lunch, and they cooked together in his small kitchen. Naruto was clumsy as always, but Hinata smiled patiently, helping him mix ingredients and season the ramen broth.
When they finally sat down to eat, Naruto slurped loudly, beaming.
"This is awesome! You're the best, Hinata!"
Her face turned pink again, but she smiled brightly. "I-I'm glad you like it."
After finishing, Hinata reluctantly stood. "Naruto-kun, what will you do this afternoon?"
Naruto stretched his arms. "Since Wind Release training isn't going anywhere, I'll work on my Taijutsu instead. Gotta keep moving, right?"
Hinata nodded shyly. "Mhm… good luck, Naruto-kun. I'll… I'll train hard too, so I can stand beside you someday."
Naruto gave her his usual confident grin and a thumbs-up. "Alright! Let's both do our best!"
Hinata bowed her head, her gentle smile blooming like a flower, then waved goodbye.
Watching her walk away, Naruto's grin faded into a thoughtful sigh.
He wanted to focus on Ninjutsu, not Taijutsu. But with no teacher, no guidance, and no progress, what else could he do?
Still, he refused to give up. Clenching his fists, he headed toward the training grounds.
---
When he arrived, Naruto noticed several familiar faces already there.
"Eh? Lee!" he shouted happily. "Let's train together!"
But as he got closer, he realized Rock Lee wasn't alone. Standing beside him were Might Guy, Hyuga Neji, and a female ninja Naruto didn't recognize.
"Huh? What's going on here?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
Rock Lee waved cheerfully. "Naruto! Sorry, but I probably won't be able to train with you anymore!"
"W-what? Why not?!"
Might Guy stepped forward with a booming laugh. "Naruto! You still don't get it, do you? Lee is now officially a member of Team 3!"
"Team… 3?" Naruto blinked, confused—then his eyes widened. "You mean he's already graduated?!"
Rock Lee nodded proudly, his eyes shining. "That's right! I've been assigned to Teacher Guy's team! It's the greatest opportunity of my life!"
Naruto stared at him for a moment, speechless. He wanted to be happy for Lee—he really did—but deep down, jealousy twisted in his chest.
Lee had found a perfect mentor. Someone who believed in him completely.
Meanwhile, Naruto had no one.
Still, he forced a smile and gave Lee a big thumbs-up. "That's awesome, Lee! Congrats!"
The female ninja beside them—Tenten—crossed her arms and examined Naruto curiously.
"So this is Uzumaki Naruto," she said. "The one who's been causing all the buzz lately. I heard you even defeated that Uchiha genius, Sasuke."
Hyuga Neji, standing nearby, gave a quiet "hmph," his expression unreadable.
Rock Lee nodded eagerly. "Yeah! It's true! Naruto and I have even made a promise to Neji—we'll challenge him in a fair fight within a year to decide who's stronger!"
Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Against Neji? I hate to say it, but… it doesn't look like either of you stand much of a chance."
Might Guy threw his arm around Lee with a hearty laugh. "That's the spirit, Tenten! Win or lose, rivalry fuels growth! I myself have a lifelong rival!"
Lee's eyes sparkled. "Kakashi Hatake-sensei!"
Tenten blinked. "Kakashi Hatake? The Copy Ninja with the Sharingan? Isn't he famous all over the ninja world? Teacher Guy, compared to him, you're not exactly…"
Guy only laughed louder. "You're absolutely right! Kakashi is a genius among geniuses! But you know what? I've actually beaten him more times than he's beaten me!"
Tenten looked skeptical, but Guy only grinned wider, flashing a thumbs-up that gleamed in the sunlight.
---
As Naruto watched their exchange, a spark of realization lit in his mind.
Kakashi Hatake…
The thought came suddenly, but it felt right.
"What if…" he murmured under his breath, his blue eyes gleaming with determination.
"What if I ask Kakashi-sensei to teach me Wind Release?"
A bold new idea had taken root in his heart.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)