Sakura sat on the ground, hugging her knees and idly turning a kunai over in her hands, humming a little tune. Her face shone with satisfaction as she watched Naruto and Sasuke train furiously below.
Today she felt proud — for the first time she'd beaten Sasuke's pace. As for overtaking Naruto… that was a given.
She had reached three-fifths of the trunk, but every time she tried to climb higher she felt a strange weakness, like chakra bleeding away. It frustrated her.
"Why does my chakra feel like it's disappearing even when I still have a lot left?" Sakura tapped her chin, thinking hard.
That sensation wasn't true exhaustion — more like her legs turned heavy the higher she climbed. She decided to ask Ayato about it later.
Naruto landed and, after a moment's hesitation, stole a glance at Sakura. Summoning courage, he dashed over.
"Um… Sakura-chan."
Sakura cocked her head. "Yes?"
Naruto fidgeted, flushing red as he scratched his cheek. "I… I wanted to ask if you had any tips."
Sakura snapped, half teasing, "If you have something to say, spit it out — I'm busy too!"
"Well, um… any tricks?" Naruto's grin was awkward. He'd hoped to surge past both Sasuke and Sakura in one go, and now found himself asking Sakura for help.
Sakura smiled. "No magic tricks, but I've got some suggestions. Want to hear them?"
"Yeah, yeah — tell me, but don't let Sasuke hear." Naruto glanced toward Sasuke and leaned in.
Sasuke had his hands in his pockets, staring at the tree, but was actually trying to eavesdrop on Naruto and Sakura. He pretended indifference.
Sakura called out playfully, "Sasuke — do you want to listen too?"
Sasuke only snorted, "Hmph. No interest."
Sakura's smile froze.
Of course. If he wasn't so annoyingly handsome, she might have socked him already.
"Forget him," Naruto said, annoyed. "Sakura-chan, tell me!"
Sakura leaned close and whispered advice into Naruto's ear — stealing a glance at Sasuke as she did. Naruto's eyes lit up as he understood.
Sasuke kept pretending to ignore them, but his ears twitched — he wanted to hear too. He strained to listen, but Sakura's words were for Naruto alone. He scowled and returned to training, muttering something about not needing advice from a supposedly "ugly" girl.
Naruto bounded to the tree and put Sakura's tip into practice. He widened his chakra spread, adjusted the timing, and sprinted along the trunk faster than before. With a triumphant grin, he scored a long mark higher up the tree and landed.
"Sasuke — you've got a long way to go!" Naruto crowed, mimicking Sasuke's earlier tone.
Sasuke peered at Naruto's new mark and went pale with anger. That idiot had completely outpaced him — by a noticeable margin. There was no quick way to catch up.
"Am I the slowest in Team Seven?" Sasuke's pride flared. The thought was intolerable. He was an Uchiha — he could not be surpassed by the likes of Sakura or Naruto for long.
Nearby, Hyūga Ayato sat cross-legged by a tree, slurping from a steaming bowl of ramen. He watched them casually and said, "Good. You're all training hard. Keep it up."
All three froze for a moment. When had he gotten there? None of them noticed Ayato arrive.
Ayato could tell exactly what each of them was thinking. He took another bite, exhaled steam, and added, "No worries. I only arrived a little while ago. Keep training."
Naruto, furious and still hungry, pointed at Ayato. "Hey! We've been working our tails off and you're just sitting there eating ramen!"
"What? Want some?" Ayato asked, holding up the bowl invitingly.
"Yes!" Naruto's mouth watered. He stared longingly at the rich broth.
Ayato grinned and teased, "Okay then — first one to reach the top of the tree can have all the ramen they want. Extra chashu, five helpings."
"Five helpings?!" Naruto jumped for joy. Nothing motivated him more than ramen.
"Long live Ayato-sensei!" Naruto cheered. With renewed energy, he launched himself at the trunk as if a mountain of noodles waited at the peak.
Ayato patted his belly, satisfied. "Ah — full."
Sakura trotted over to the tree and stood before Ayato, hands clasped politely behind her back.
"Ayato-sensei, do you have any advice?" she asked earnestly. "Whenever I get near the top, it feels like my chakra disappears."
Ayato unwrapped a lollipop and popped it into his mouth, thinking lazily. "Advice, huh? Hm. I never thought much about these details — I was always a natural."
Sakura's jaw tightened — that familiar, confident tone annoyed her. Still, she pressed on and obeyed his direction.
"Show me how you're distributing chakra when you climb," Ayato said, watching intently. His Transmigration Eye could see chakra flow and subtle patterns — everything that regular eyes missed.
Sakura concentrated, forming seals and gathering chakra under her soles exactly as she had tried before. She asked tentatively, "Ayato-sensei — can you see chakra flow?"
Ayato smirked, candy between his teeth. "Yes, I can. I see how it moves. I can also tell details about your posture and timing. Make a small change here and… adjust the release later. That slight shift will stop the drain you're feeling."
He gave a practical pointer about the timing of chakra pulses and the angle of foot placement. Sakura tried it, focusing on smooth, even chakra renewal instead of a burst-and-hold approach.
"Got it," she said softly, testing the new rhythm. The heaviness eased; the higher she climbed, the more stable she felt.
"Thank you, Ayato-sensei!" Sakura beamed.
Ayato tapped his bowl and said, "Now go. Don't slack off."
Sakura returned to the trunk with a new rhythm and confidence in her step. Naruto and Sasuke, watching, both tightened their grips and redoubled their efforts.
Ayato took another relaxed sip of broth and watched them with mild amusement — teaching was sometimes strangely satisfying.
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