Klang. Klang. Klang.
Steel rang through the forest as two figures clashed at blinding speed, kunai striking kunai in a shower of sparks. Leaves trembled from the force of their movements.
Naruto gritted his teeth. Damn, he's too strong up close. I need distance.
He flipped backward and hurled four shuriken in rapid succession. The taller figure avoided them with minimal movement, barely shifting his shoulders.
A smirk touched his lips—until he noticed Naruto grinning.
Thin wires glinted in the sunlight.
Naruto yanked his arms back, the shuriken curving midair and wrapping around his sensei. He bit down on the wire to keep tension and flashed through hand signs at high-genin speed.
"Katon: Gyakkyū no Jutsu!"
Flames erupted on impact. A loud boom shook the clearing, smoke billowing upward and scorch marks spreading across the ground.
Naruto landed lightly, pulling a kunai and lowering his stance. He didn't relax. He knew better.
"Left. Right. Up—"
A tremor rippled beneath his feet.
His eyes widened.
He vanished ten meters away just as hands burst from the earth where he'd stood. Sasuke rose from the ground, brushing dirt from his cloak, a faint smirk on his face.
"Well done, Naruto. You didn't fall for it this time."
Naruto said nothing, sliding into a tighter stance. The fight wasn't over.
eyes sharp. "Kid—get back!" Kurama's voice echoed in his mind, the Nine-Tails warning him of danger. Naruto snapped back just as a foot slammed where he'd been. Sasuke's cold eyes met his, and Naruto's spirit hardened—frozen, like ice.
Sasuke surged forward at mid-chūnin speed. A kick came fast; Naruto dodged and countered, but Sasuke blocked, never letting up. Chakra in his legs, he reappeared in front of Naruto, delivering a liver punch that sent him flying. But Naruto vanished again—just a shattered log.
Sasuke smirked, impressed—until a high kick struck him.
Naruto twisted, spinning into a chakra-charged punch—one Sasuke had only seen when Naruto fought Kakashi. Sasuke dropped, but Naruto grinned inwardly, forming the Ram seal.
BOOM!
The explosion tag he planted earlier blew, smoke engulfing them. Naruto laughed, fist raised. "FINALLY! I BEAT YOUR STUPID CLONE! NARUTO UZUMAKI FOR THE WIN!"
Sasuke dropped from a tree, landing soundlessly. "Good job, Naruto. You can beat a low-level chūnin. Don't get cocky."
Naruto nodded, panting. Over five months, he trained daily—his body, his clones, his mind. Taijutsu, ninjutsu, shuriken, until he collapsed—only to wake refreshed, thanks to Kurama.
Three months in, Sasuke told him the truth. Naruto's anger simmered, but after a talk with Kurama, the fox calmed. The mindscape brightened. Naruto matured. He even gained a fire affinity, and a spark of lightning from Sasuke's jolts.
Three affinities now perfect