Asuma shook his head. "You're just scratching the surface. It's still a long way from being a truly effective combat technique."
He looked at Naruto directly. "Let's be practical. Can your Gale Palm actually cause any damage to an opponent right now?"
Naruto's shoulders slumped. He knew Asuma was right. Although he could now create a gust of wind, it had no real destructive power. It could blow around clothes and hair and kick up some dust, but that was it.
Asuma patted his shoulder with an encouraging smile. "Don't be discouraged, Naruto. You've done exceptionally well to get this far. Since I made you a promise, I'll see it through and help you."
Naruto's face lit up. "Awesome!"
"Before you can truly develop your ninjutsu, I need to explain the fundamentals of Wind Style," Asuma began. "The five basic elemental natures are wind, lightning, water, fire, and earth. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Wind Style generally has two modes of attack: blowing and cutting."
He moved to demonstrate. "Wind Style: Dust Cloud Technique!" Asuma formed a series of hand seals, then gathered wind chakra in his mouth and blew it out forcefully. In an instant, a powerful gale swept up the surrounding dust, roaring forward and creating a thick, blinding screen.
"Although this technique is mainly used to obscure an enemy's vision for a follow-up attack, it still relies on the blowing power of Wind Release," Asuma explained through the settling dust. "The next application is the power of cutting. Wind Style: Verdant Gale Blades!"
He infused his signature trench knives with shimmering wind chakra. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the blades flying through the air. They sliced through the air with a high-pitched whistle before striking a huge boulder in the yard.
*CRACK!*
With a sharp crack, the chakra-infused knives pierced straight through the solid rock, exiting cleanly from the other side.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Whoa, that's incredible!"
Asuma recalled his weapons with a faint smile. "This is a ninjutsu where you infuse a blade with wind-natured chakra. It dramatically increases its cutting and piercing power, and also allows for remote control. In essence, it utilizes the sharp, cutting power of Wind Style. While Wind Style has many variations, most applications fall into one of these two categories."
Naruto hurriedly asked, "Then which category is my Gale Palm?"
"The first one, obviously," Asuma replied. "Creating a strong gust to blow an enemy away. You could make it more dangerous by combining it with kunai or shuriken, but it still relies on concussive force, not cutting power. Blowing things away is relatively simple. Cutting requires much more delicate control." He gave Naruto a thoughtful glance. "You have a huge amount of chakra and outstanding physical strength, but your fine chakra control is still a little weak. That makes the brute-force power of Wind Release more suitable for you right now."
"Beyond that, there is another path," Asuma continued, his tone growing more serious. "That is to integrate the power of Wind Release directly into your taijutsu."
Naruto scratched his head, confused. "Wind ninjutsu... integrated into physical techniques? Is that even a thing?"
Asuma nodded. "Of course. For example..." He gripped the trench knife in his right hand, channeling his wind chakra into it until it glowed. He then launched into a taijutsu form unique to him. "Flying Swallow!"
Although it looked like a punch, he was actually using the chakra-infused blade in his hand to slice through everything in his path.
*BOOM!*
With a deafening crack, Asuma's strike cleaved the massive boulder clean in two.
Naruto was both stunned and thrilled. "T-That's amazing! A move like that would be perfect for me!"
"Actually," Asuma said, "this technique of mine isn't considered complete. True perfection would be to perfectly integrate Wind Release chakra into your own body, creating an ability comparable to the signature ninjutsu of the Hidden Cloud Village. A Wind Style Nin-Taijutsu."
Naruto stared, completely lost. Asuma smiled. "Yes, just like the Hidden Cloud's Lightning Chakra Mode. You could potentially develop your own... Wind Style Chakra Mode!"
Naruto murmured the words, trying to grasp the concept. "Wind Style... Chakra Mode? What's that?"
Asuma Sarutobi shook his head. "To be honest, nobody knows, because it's a ninjutsu that doesn't exist yet. The Lightning Chakra Mode works by spreading lightning chakra throughout the user's body, activating every cell to grant them extreme physical strength and speed. Both the Third and current Fourth Raikage used this secret technique to become nearly invincible on the battlefield. Of course, that kind of power consumes a massive amount of chakra, so very few can truly wield it. Another example is the Four-Tails Jinchuriki from the Hidden Stone, Roshi, who possessed a similar ability called Lava Chakra Mode."
Naruto was still a bit fuzzy on the details, but he was starting to get the general idea. "Hmm... so you're saying I could wrap my whole body in wind chakra to increase my power?"
Asuma nodded. "Exactly. If you could really do it, I imagine the properties of wind would grant you incredible speed and piercing strength, merging those two abilities I mentioned. You would become as fast and sharp as the wind itself. Of course, no one in the entire ninja world has ever managed to do it. But I see that potential in you." He looked Naruto in the eye. "Your chakra capacity is immense. If you can refine your chakra control, you might just be able to develop this legendary, unprecedented secret technique."
Naruto's heart began to pound in his chest, his mind racing with excitement. "C-Can I really do that?"
"I believe you can," Asuma said with a genuine smile. "But that's not something you can achieve overnight. For now, you need to start with the basics. Let's focus on your Gale Palm. While I haven't practiced that specific jutsu, I can certainly guide you. Starting tomorrow, come find me here every day."
Naruto was overjoyed. "Yes! Thank you, Asuma-sensei!"
With a heart full of joy and anticipation, Naruto returned home. He was happy that Asuma had agreed to help him, but what made him even happier was that someone like Asuma believed he could develop a secret technique no one else ever had. That kind of recognition was the most touching thing in the world to Naruto.
That night, after a quick dinner, he didn't rest. To improve his Wind Style as quickly as possible and one day unveil his true potential, he immediately left his apartment and crossed the street. There, under the hazy moonlight, he continued his tree-climbing practice.
Although he had reached the top, Naruto knew his control was still far from perfect. He had to keep pushing and continue to improve. "Okay, this time I won't use speed or strength. I'll rely only on chakra control and walk up slowly, one step at a time." This method required ten times the precision.
He failed again and again, his body soon covered in bruises, but he gritted his teeth and persisted. The empty streets and the dark night were silent, the only sounds being Naruto's soft steps on the tree, the repeated thuds of his falls, and his occasional pained grunt. This desperate, arduous training continued past midnight.
[The host has completed tonight's tree-climbing training, climbing a cumulative two thousand times. Chakra control proficiency has increased. Current proficiency: 66 points!]
Naruto gasped for breath as he struggled to drag his exhausted body up the stairs. Despite the pain, he was incredibly excited. His initial chakra control was only 49 points. In a single day, he had raised it by 17 points. It was the result of pushing himself to the absolute limit with his Shadow Clones, truly putting his life on the line for his training.
[It is past the host's designated sleep time. Please prepare for sleep immediately to ensure adequate rest. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action from the system's lightning release.]
[Warning, countdown beginning: 5...]
Before the countdown even started, Naruto had already collapsed onto his bed and fallen instantly asleep. He had become so familiar with the system that it was now a conditioned reflex. Of course, even in his sleep, Naruto wasn't idle. The ninja sparring began, and in battle after battle against his mental images of Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji, Naruto never slacked off.
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