Asuma's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. Moreover, Naruto could feel the system's timer ticking down, urging him to eat dinner. He could only nod in obedience. "Okay! Thank you for your help, Asuma-sensei! See you tomorrow!"
Asuma lit another cigarette, watching Naruto's retreating back before nodding silently to himself. *Maybe that kid really could become Hokage someday...* He let out a wry sigh, the smoke curling around his face. *Even if I myself have complicated feelings about the title.*
After returning home, Naruto quickly threw together a meal. After wolfing it down, he felt his strength beginning to return. He had no intention of resting like Asuma had suggested. Instead, he went back downstairs and headed for the street to continue practicing his Gale Palm. This time, he brought his ninja tools with him. He was determined to experiment and figure out how to add the power of his Wind Style to his kunai and shuriken. He had no idea what kind of power that would unleash, but he was excited to find out.
Although his chakra hadn't fully recovered, he had enough to work with. Finding a deserted, quiet street, Naruto took a deep breath. "Shuriken Jutsu!" He drew seven or eight shuriken and, with a flick of his wrists, sent them flying in all directions.
Simultaneously, he began the seals for his other jutsu. "Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
But his speed wasn't enough. By the time the strong wind finally erupted from his palms, the shuriken had already clattered to the ground. "Is it really too late?" Naruto sighed, though he wasn't discouraged. He had half-expected this result. He touched his chin, analyzing the failure.
"Hmm... my hand seals weren't fast enough, and the ninjutsu takes too long to activate. The shuriken hit the ground before I could even launch the wind." An idea struck him. "Wait, what if I use the ninjutsu first and *then* throw the shuriken?"
He immediately tried it, first launching the Gale Palm to create a fierce wind, then quickly throwing the shuriken. But in this case, the wind had already blown past, and the shuriken flew on its own, failing to gain any extra power. Naruto groaned in annoyance, holding his head.
"Ahhhh, this is so difficult! Why can't I launch them at the same time?! If only there were two of me..."
He froze. "Wait a second..." An idea suddenly struck him—a brilliant, almost ridiculously simple solution.
"Shadow Clone Technique!" He created a single shadow clone. "Ha! I really am a genius!"
"Naruto number two," he said to his clone, "you throw the shuriken, and I'll use the Gale Palm. As long as we coordinate our movements, we can launch them at the exact same time!"
The shadow clone was just as overjoyed. "Whoa, that totally makes sense! Of course it does! I'm a genius!"
After congratulating each other, they immediately got to work.
"Shuriken Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
As it turned out, the coordination between himself and... well, himself, was perfect. At the exact same moment, the two Narutos activated their powers. The shuriken shot through the air with a series of sharp whistles. The fierce wind from the Gale Palm burst forth and instantly caught the flying projectiles, dramatically increasing their speed and power.
*BANG! BANG! BANG!*
The shuriken pierced fiercely into everything around them. The ground, walls, tree trunks, and even solid stones were punctured by the enhanced ninja tools.
"Wow... that's so much power!" Naruto was ecstatic. This way, he didn't have to struggle on his own. He just needed to cooperate with his clones! But there was another problem.
Naruto scratched his head. "Well, right now I'm just hitting randomly. There's no aim at all. The next step is to control the wind with my chakra, just like Asuma-sensei said. That's the only way I'll be able to hit my enemies accurately."
He immediately began experimenting again. However, this was much more difficult than any of his previous training. It required more than just chakra control; it required the precise release and manipulation of chakra outside his body, an area he had no practice in. So, though he and his clone grew more coordinated as the night went on, and the power of their combo attack became stronger, the accuracy barely improved. Exhausted, he finally released the clone and collapsed into bed.
In his sleep, Naruto found himself fighting Sasuke again and immediately used his new move. But what surprised him was that the Sasuke in his dream had become even stronger. His Sharingan had evolved into the double tomoe form, and his insight had improved dramatically, allowing him to suppress Naruto for a time.
But Naruto wasn't discouraged. He was thrilled. "Alright, Sasuke! Now we're talking! That's the real you. It would've been boring if you'd just given up after I beat you! Come on, I've been waiting for you to get stronger so we can have a real fight!"
The dream version of Sasuke spoke, his voice cold. "Naruto, you don't understand the Uchiha clan or the true power of the Sharingan. Allow me to show you." The two fought fiercely, with both sides trading wins and losses, and Naruto felt himself getting more and more excited. Any ninjutsu was ultimately for actual combat. Just practicing skills without putting them into practice was pointless. Fortunately, these dream battles allowed him to quickly master the rhythm of his new combat style.
The next day, Hinata still didn't come. Although Naruto felt a pang of disappointment, his focus remained on his training. After breakfast, he immediately rushed to Asuma's house. "Asuma-sensei, I have something to show you!"
Asuma grew curious. "Oh? What have you mastered now, Naruto?"
Naruto just chuckled and, without another word, used the Shadow Clone Technique.
"A shadow clone? Are you starting your practice now?"
Naruto didn't answer. He and his clone stared at each other and nodded.
"Shurikenjutsu!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
The two attacked in perfect sync. In an instant, a violent gale merged with the volley of shuriken, doubling their speed and multiplying their power.
*BANG! BOOM!*
Seven or eight shuriken flew out, instantly gouging deep cracks into Asuma's yard. Tree trunks, walls, and stones were all pierced. Asuma's eyes went wide, the cigarette in his mouth nearly falling out.
"This... this is..."
Naruto grinned proudly. "How about that, Asuma-sensei?!"
"You're using a shadow clone to cooperate with your main body? One using Wind Release and the other using shurikenjutsu?" Asuma said, still in shock. "Although it's a clever workaround... this is a trick that probably only someone with your unique abilities could ever pull off. And the power is incredible!"
Naruto's pride swelled. "Asuma-sensei, I really am a genius, right?!"
"Indeed," Asuma admitted with a smile. "However, while the move is powerful, it completely lacks accuracy. It would be devastating in a chaotic melee, but in a one-on-one fight..."
Naruto understood what he meant. "So, Asuma-sensei, today I want to ask you how to improve my accuracy!"
Asuma Sarutobi touched his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. If Naruto really mastered this trick, the power of this move alone would be terrifying. The rank of a ninjutsu didn't always equal its power. The same technique could have vastly different results in the hands of different people.
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