He turned away from the ramen shop and began walking down the dimly lit road, the faint crunch of gravel beneath his sandals echoing softly in the night.
The cool breeze carried the scent of rain-soaked trees and distant smoke from village chimneys. Lanterns flickered on both sides of the street, their orange glow painting faint halos on the wet ground.
He tucked his hands into his pockets, his head bowed slightly as he thought. If he only had a month before returning to the Leaf, then he needed to make every day count. There was no time for distractions, no chasing after pervy sensei, and definitely no wasting time on filler-level training.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, glancing around for an open space. "First thing's first — I need to figure out what I'm working with."
He followed a dirt path leading away from town, through a quiet forest trail where the sound of crickets grew louder. Eventually, he reached a small clearing — the moonlight spilling across the ground like silver silk. A stream ran nearby, reflecting the glowing sky. It was calm, isolated, perfect for training.
He stretched his arms above his head and took a deep breath. "Okay… let's see what I can do in a month."
He crouched down and began scribbling an outline in the dirt with a small stick. His mind replayed everything he remembered about Naruto's journey — the techniques, the wasted potential, and all the power-ups that should've come way sooner.
He needed a plan.
1. Chakra Control.
Naruto's biggest weakness early on was his terrible chakra control. He remembered how much chakra Naruto wasted on simple techniques — if he could refine that, everything else would fall into place. Mastering control would mean stronger jutsu, faster healing, and longer endurance. Tree climbing, water walking — that was step one.
2. Chakra Nature.
Naruto didn't even discover his natural affinity until way later — wind release. That was something he couldn't afford to ignore. If he could start experimenting now, he might actually unlock wind manipulation early. Maybe even combine it with the Rasengan sooner than canon.
He scratched the next line into the dirt, thinking hard.
3. Physical Conditioning.
Even though Naruto had great stamina, his taijutsu was sloppy — brute strength without refinement. He needed speed, balance, and sharper instincts. A mix of endurance runs, combat drills, and chakra-enhanced movement would do the trick.
He tapped the stick against his chin, nodding. "Yeah, gotta move like Rock Lee, but still hit like Tsunade."
4. Clone Coordination.
The Shadow Clone Jutsu was more than just a flashy trick. It was his most broken ability, and Naruto barely scratched the surface of what it could do. If each clone could train independently and return their experience to him… then he could turn one month into a year's worth of progress.
His grin widened as he thought about it. "Unlimited learning hacks, baby. Shadow Clones for the win."
And finally — he drew a fifth mark in the dirt and stared at it for a moment before writing:
5. Mental and Tactical Growth.
Naruto's heart was always his strength, but his mind? That needed some work. The man was all instinct and emotion — no strategy. This time, he'd change that. Study battle tactics, jutsu counters, maybe even figure out seals or fuinjutsu while he was at it. If Shikamaru could think ten steps ahead, so could he.
When he finished, he stood up, dusting off his hands. The list looked simple, but he knew it was everything he needed to completely rewrite Naruto's destiny.
"Alright then," he said with a determined smirk, the moonlight catching in his blue eyes. "Time to make this world take me seriously."
He clapped his hands together, focusing his chakra. The air shifted around him, leaves rustling as energy began to pulse through his body.
'No more filler training. No more dumb mistakes. I'm gonna do what Naruto never did — train smart.'
He looked up at the glowing moon once more, then exhaled slowly.
"Let's begin."
....
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy, painting streaks of gold across the forest floor. The air was cool, crisp, and filled with the gentle chirping of birds. Beneath one of the larger trees, Naruto lay sprawled on the grass, his orange jacket half unzipped, one sandal missing, and a faint trail of drool running down his cheek.
He groaned as the warmth of the sun touched his face, lazily blinking awake. His back ached slightly, but the smell of fresh air and earth reminded him why he'd chosen this over Jiraiya's inn.
He stretched, letting out a long yawn. "Man… way better than hearing those sounds all night."
He shuddered at the memory. 'Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather sleep under a damn rock than hear Pervy Sage's midnight training sessions again.'
He stood, brushing dirt and grass off his clothes. His stomach growled faintly, but he ignored it, rolling his shoulders to loosen up.
'Alright,' he thought, rubbing his hands together. 'Let's start by testing what I can already do. Need to get a feel for my limits before I start breaking them.'
He crossed his fingers into a familiar seal and took a deep breath.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
A thick puff of smoke erupted beside him, and when it cleared, a perfect copy of himself stood there grinning.
"What's up?" the original asked, cracking a smile.
"Not much," the clone said, stretching his arms. "Kinda hungry though."
"Yeah, same," Naruto muttered with a smirk. "But first, let's do something fun. Rasengan practice."
The clone nodded, already stepping closer. Naruto extended his hand, fingers spread, palm open — his stance steady and precise. The clone placed his hand over Naruto's palm, swirling his chakra in controlled circles.
The familiar hum of energy filled the air as blue light began to twist and spin, forming a swirling sphere of raw power. Dust lifted from the ground around them, leaves rustling in the sudden current.
The sphere grew brighter, its rotation faster — a perfect, dense ball of chakra spinning violently in his grasp.
'Still as cool as ever,' he thought, mesmerized by the power crackling in his palm.
Turning toward a thick nearby tree, he took a short step forward and thrust his hand forward with a grin.
"Rasengan!"
BOOM!
The blast erupted with a sharp crackle, the impact tearing through bark and splintering the trunk cleanly. The tree groaned before collapsing to the side with a heavy thud, scattering leaves into the wind.
Naruto whistled low, hands on his hips. "Not bad, huh?"
He crouched beside the stump, running his fingers across the cracked surface. The damage was solid — deeper than he expected. But he wasn't satisfied.
'That's the standard Rasengan,' he thought, frowning slightly. 'It's strong, sure, but it's… predictable. Everyone knows this move. If I'm gonna stand out — if I'm gonna rewrite Naruto's story — I need something new. Something that's mine.'
He straightened up, brushing off his knees.
"I mean, yeah, Rasenshuriken's cool and all," he muttered aloud, "but it takes forever to master, and the recoil? Nah. I need something faster, sharper. Maybe something that blends my wind chakra differently…"
He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Guess I'll have to mess around and see what clicks."
Turning back to his clone, he said, "Alright, you go grab some food from town. Don't get distracted by anything stupid, got it?"
The clone grinned. "No promises."
Naruto rolled his eyes as the clone leapt up into the trees, vanishing into the canopy with a rush of leaves.
Once he was alone again, he exhaled slowly, refocusing his energy. The air felt still now — the kind of silence that begged for training.
He clenched his fist, chakra surging faintly beneath his skin.
'Alright then,' he thought with a small smirk. 'Let's continue.'
TO BE CONTINUED