Earlier that day, within a solemn training ground stood a Memorial Stone.
Wind passed softly through the clearing.
Names etched into stone.
Countless.
Silent.
Kakashi stood there.
Hands in pockets.
Eyes reminiscent.
"…Kakashi."
Behind him—
A sharp demanding voice.
"…Your eye."
A pause.
"…It's not yours."
Silence.
The air shifted slightly.
Kakashi didn't deflect.
Didn't joke.
"…No."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"…Then why do you have it?"
A long pause.
Then—
"…A teammate."
Sasuke finally walked to Kakashi's side, joining him in his gaze at the memorial stone.
Kakashi stood there.
One hand in his pocket.
The other resting near his headband.
"…He gave it to me."
Sasuke frowned.
"…That's not how it works."
Kakashi's eye curved slightly.
But there was no humor in it.
"…It is when you're dying."
Silence hit the clearing.
"…We were on a mission."
"…Everything went wrong."
"…I made the wrong call."
The wind picked up.
"…He… paid for it."
Sasuke watched him carefully now.
"…Why give it to you?"
Kakashi's gaze drifted—
To the names.
"…Because I couldn't save him."
A beat.
"…So he made sure I wouldn't fail again."
Sasuke's fists tightened slightly.
"…A gift…"
Kakashi nodded once.
"…A responsibility."
Silence settled again.
He lifted up—
His headband rested neatly on his forehead.
A 3 tomoe Sharingan spun slowly.
"…This eye…"
"…Reminds me every day…"
"…Of what happens when you hesitate."
Sasuke's expression darkened.
"…Then train me."
No hesitation.
"…If that eye can do that much…"
"…I want to surpass it."
Kakashi studied him.
Silence rained across the sunny clearing
A small nod.
"…Alright."
— — —
Training Begins
"Again."
Sasuke eyes wide, painted in red performed various dashes and leaps, trying to reach uncomfortable positions for Kakashi—
Fast—
Precise—
Kunai clashed—
Kakashi kicked Sasuke in his side, effortlessly. He slide across the dirt ground they were standing on.
"…Too direct."
Sasuke re-engaged, pivoting, using an uppercut with the back of his heel—
It was a Feint—twirling with his hands in a handstand he sent his remaining leg careening towards Kakashi's neck.
It was blocked with his wrist, shoved off casually.
"…You're thinking ahead…"
"…But not far enough. Your strength needs some work as well"
Sasuke clicked his tongue.
"…Tch."
He surged forward again—
Faster this time—
Kakashi's Sharingan flickered—
Tracking—
Predicting—
He countered—
Lightly—
But perfectly.
Sasuke stumbled back.
"…Damn it…"
"Again."
Hours passed.
Sweat.
Frustration.
Progress.
"Your body is fast…"
"…But your reaction time lags behind your intent. There's no real power behind your hits either."
Sasuke breathed heavily.
"…Then fix it."
Kakashi's eye curved slightly.
"…That's the idea."
He formed a hand sign.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
A single clone appeared.
"…New exercise."
The clone moved—
Erratic.
Unpredictable.
Kakashi spoke calmly.
"…Don't attack."
"…Just react. Train your sharingan to notice more details with my clone. Be mindful, dont just rely on your eyes natural abilities."
The clone struck—
Sasuke barely blocked—
Again—
Faster—
Again—
"…Read intent, Not just the body…"
Sasuke's eyes sharpened.
Again—
This time—
He moved cleaner.
Not faster—
But earlier.
Kakashi noticed.
"…Good."
Multiple miles away our Blonde casanova heard one Ping before engaging a veritable nest of intelligent snakes that somehow had the ability to split apart from one another.
Hidden Quest Progress:
Rival Growth Link - Weak activated
+1 Strength
+2 Agility
+1 Endurance
"…Sasuke…?"
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
Even apart—
Something connected them.
Back at the training ground—
Sasuke stood straighter.
Breathing steadier.
"…Again."
Kakashi closed his book for once.
"…Yeah."
"…Again."
8 hours later ala Spongebob voice
Morning came quietly.
Naruto's eyes snapped open.
"…I'm alive."
He sat up slowly.
Body stiff—
But functional.
The burning in his arse had dulled.
The bandages still faintly warm.
Ping
Chakra Infusion Bandages Effect Completed 2 uses leftPoison Status: Neutralized
Endurance +3
Naruto stretched.
Wincing slightly.
"…Okay…"
"…That could've been worse."
He stepped out of the hollow.
The forest greeted him the same way—with no respect or acknowledgment. Only now did he realize to take appropriate caution and to take this seriously.
But first—
He had to take a leak!
"Ahhhhahh" Much better thought the young man
Minutes passed as Naruto followed a stream leading to what seemed to be the center of the forest.
Then—
Nothing.
No attacks.
No movement.
"…Okay that's weird…"
He slowed.
Eyes narrowing.
"…Too easy…"
That's when he saw them.
The ground.
Small openings.
Scattered.
Dozens of them.
"…Burrows?"
Naruto crouched slightly.
Peering closer.
Darkness inside.
Then—
Eyes.
Dozens.
Glowing.
Watching him.
"…Nope."
The ground ERUPTED.
Massive striped bodies burst out—
Muscle.
Fangs.
Claws the size of kunai.
Giant man-eating tigers.
"…WHY ARE THERE TIGERS UNDERGROUND?!"
They roared.
Naruto ran.
Instantly.
"NOPE NOPE NOPE—"
One lunged—
Naruto twisted—
Barely dodging—
Another cut him off—
He jumped—
Tree—
Flip—
Branch—
They followed.
"…WHY ARE YOU FAST—?!"
A tiger leapt—
Jaw wide—
Naruto formed signs mid-air—
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF
A clone got chomped instantly.
"…THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE—"
More burrows burst open.
More tigers.
"…HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE?!"
He landed—
Slid—
Nearly got clipped—
"…Okay think—THINK—"
His hands blurred, relying on his newfound favorite technique
"Wind Release: Cyclone!"
Instead of using it to try and damage the big kitties, he used it to suck himself in a direction as far away from them as possible, letting the wind and his chakra do the work.
Another tiger lunged as he was carried away—
Naruto ducked—
Hand diving into his pouch—
"…Wait…"
He sommersaulted in the air landing sideways sticking to a tree..
"…No way…"
He slowly pulled it out.
The bell.
The feather.
"…If this works…"
A tiger roared—
Naruto shook the stick.
Jingle jingle
Silence.
Every tiger froze.
Naruto blinked.
"…Huh?"
One tiger tilted its head.
Then—
It pounced.
"…OH COME ON—"
Mid-air—
It saw the feather.
Everything changed.
Its eyes widened.
Pupils dilated.
It landed—
Softly.
"…mrrp?"
Naruto froze.
"…No way…"
He shook the stick again.
Jingle jingle
All the tigers stopped.
Summoning a clone, he gave the stick to him
"Brother, you cannot be serious!" His clone yelled at him with wide eyes.
"You'll be fine, we have experience with Tora remember." Noted the orignal, backing away slowly from the group of maneating felines.
Then—
Chaos.
Not attack—
Play.
Massive, terrifying, man-eating tigers—
Suddenly rolling.
Pouncing at the feather.
Swatting at the bell.
One flipped onto its back.
"…ARE YOU SERIOUS—?!"
Another batted at the clone—
Gently.
Clone:
"…I don't know how to feel about this."
Naruto creeped father away.
"…Stay…"
"…Stay distracted…"
A tiger rubbed its face against him, a straggler it seemed.
Despite his earlier bathroom break a trickle of piss streamed down his leg.
"…You were trying to eat me ten seconds ago—"
Jingle jingle
The straggler joined the rest of the group ignoring everything else.
Naruto almost cried in relief.
"…This is the greatest item I've ever gotten."
Ping
Bell-on-Feather Stick Durability: Low
"…Ah."
He looked at the swarm of oversized murder-kittens.
"…Worth it."
He took one last look.
"…You guys are idiots."
Naruto didn't wait.
He ran.
Fast.
Faster than before.
Agility pushing him forward—
Branches blurring—
Wind guiding him—
"…CENTER—CENTER—CENTER—"
The forest thinned.
Light broke through.
The pressure changed.
Then—
He saw it.
"…What the…"
A structure.
Massive.
A building.
Dead center in the Forest of Death.
Naruto slowed.
Breathing steady.
Eyes sharp.
"…Jackpot."
Behind him—
Distantly—
Jingle jingle
Followed by a chorus of very large, very happy—
"MRRROW."
*Ping*
Submission completed!
Survive an encounter with the FOD's deadliest Furry Felines!
+4 Intelligence
+2 Charisma (kitties have feelings too)
+1 Luck
Skills upgraded during encounter:
Wind Style: Cyclone LVL 3 → LVL 3 (14/30)Academy Taijutsu LVL 3 → LVL 4 (1/40)
Shadow Clone Jutsu LVL4 → LVL 4 (30/40)