Konohagakure – Training Ground No. 2
The morning sun filtered through the trees, painting dappled light over the open field as Menma Uzumaki stood at the center, his right hand glowing with dense, swirling chakra.
"Rasengan!"
BOOM!
The explosion of chakra tore into the earth, sending dirt and smoke flying. When the dust settled, a shallow crater was left behind—not nearly as deep or wide as Menma wanted.
He frowned, his silver-blue eyes narrowing.
"The chakra compression still isn't tight enough," he muttered. "Rotation's fine, but the density and stability need more work. Should I use a Shadow Clone to assist? …No. That'll only slow progress in the long run."
He touched his chin thoughtfully. The Rasengan was an A-rank ninjutsu, infamous for its difficulty. Its strength lay not in elemental nature but in pure chakra control—spinning it in multiple directions while maintaining perfect balance and compression.
Naruto, in the original timeline, had relied on Shadow Clones to form it—splitting his focus so one clone maintained rotation while the other handled containment. But that was only because the Nine-Tails' chakra interference made his control unstable.
Menma didn't have that problem. His connection with Kurama was tempered and partially suppressed. He could control his chakra flow without the beast's corruption bleeding through.
The clone-assisted method was efficient but flawed. The Rasengan's true advantage—its instant formation and surprise attack potential—was wasted if he needed a Shadow Clone every time.
"What makes the Rasengan deadly," Menma whispered, staring at his hand, "is speed. One strike. No seals. No warning."
That was why, no matter how tedious it was, he would perfect it with a single hand.
Even in its current state, the Rasengan could cripple or kill most Chūnin and Jōnin outright. But Menma wasn't satisfied with "most." He wanted perfection—the same destructive elegance as the Fourth Hokage's technique.
He inhaled deeply. "Time to push harder."
He clasped his hands together. "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
In a burst of chakra, dozens—then hundreds—of Menmas surrounded the clearing, each one immediately beginning Rasengan drills. The air filled with the hum of spinning chakra spheres, the sound overlapping like a violent storm.
Menma's training method was brutal and efficient. With hundreds of clones, each absorbing a fraction of the mental strain, he could compress weeks of progress into a few hours.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the forest clearing looked like a battlefield of collapsed clones and cratered earth.
Three days passed this way—training, rest, recalibration, and more training.
⸻
By the morning of the fourth day, a summons arrived.
Team 7 was being called to the village gates.
At the familiar meeting spot, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were already waiting. True to form, Kakashi Hatake was nowhere in sight.
An hour passed.
"Unbelievable!" Naruto finally shouted, hands waving in the air. "He's late again! I swear, sensei must have some kind of time-space jutsu that only works for excuses!"
A puff of smoke erupted nearby. "Yo."
Kakashi appeared, waving lazily with a single eye-smile. "Sorry I'm late. I got lost on the path of life again."
Naruto's face twitched. "That's the same excuse as last time!"
Kakashi coughed lightly, scratching his head. "Heh… habit, I guess. Anyway—back to business."
He straightened his posture, his tone turning more professional. "After some rest, Team 7 will resume active missions. From now on, we'll only be accepting C-rank missions and above."
"Wait, really?!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "So no more helping old ladies find their cats or pulling weeds? That's awesome!"
Menma simply crossed his arms and nodded. "About time."
Sasuke gave a calm "Hn," while Sakura Haruno looked slightly anxious, memories of the Land of Waves mission flashing through her mind.
That so-called "C-rank" mission had turned into an A-rank ordeal involving a Jōnin-level assassin and rogue Mist ninjas. The experience had shaken her deeply. She wasn't weak—but she now understood how dangerous real missions could be.
Kakashi noticed her tension but chose not to mention it. Every shinobi had to break through fear at their own pace.
"Good," Kakashi said. "If there are no objections, we'll start immediately."
Naruto pumped his fist. "Let's go already!"
Menma's gaze drifted toward the horizon. "Another test begins…"
⸻
At the Mission Assignment Desk, Team 7 received their next mission: escorting a merchant caravan from Konoha to the capital city of the Land of Fire.
It was officially ranked C-level, but these kinds of transport routes were sometimes targeted by rogue shinobi or bandits. The mission required constant vigilance.
The caravan leader, upon seeing a team led by Copy Ninja Kakashi, was overjoyed. "I didn't think my request would be assigned to such an elite! I'll double the payment!"
Kakashi just waved him off casually. "Not necessary—but appreciated."
To Team 7, however, the reward was secondary. After the substantial earnings from the Wave Country mission—and Menma's generous "bonus" he'd distributed among them—money wasn't a concern.
Naruto had used his share to buy new kunai and a custom orange jacket. Sasuke, after initially refusing, had finally accepted Menma's gift. The amount had been so outrageous that even his pride couldn't compete.
"Money's still useful," Sasuke muttered. "Weapons, scrolls, supplies… even power costs something."
Menma smirked faintly. "Exactly."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Boys and their obsessions…"
Kakashi chuckled behind his mask. "You'll understand soon enough, Sakura."
⸻
As the team prepared to depart, Menma looked up at the sky.
'Every mission… every battle… is a step closer.'
He clenched his right fist, feeling the faint hum of chakra swirling within it.
'The Rasengan still isn't perfect… but soon.'
Soon, he would have the strength and precision he needed—for the choices he planned to make when Konoha's peace began to crumble.
And as always, in the quiet morning breeze of the village, destiny moved silently forward.