Chapter 20. Chakra Control Level 3.
Naruto grinned as he glanced at his status panel, finally spotting the Chakra Control skill listed among his abilities. It took him only half a minute to gain this skill, thanks to the hundred clones. He planned to use this method a lot in the future.
Meanwhile, Sasuke and his clone were relentlessly training beside him, sprinting up the nearest tree trunk, slipping, and falling on pillows. Each attempt earned him small amounts of experience, and he could feel his chakra control sharpening as he repeated the process over and over.
Naruto decided to dispel the hundred clones he'd created earlier, choosing to keep only five, as he no longer had a use for the rest. When he dispelled them, his head ached as the experiences of a hundred clones practicing the Leaf Concentration exercise suddenly flooded his mind. It took a few seconds for him to adjust.
After giving the remaining clones clear orders, he watched as they resumed the exercise.
Time ticked by, the five clones balancing leaves on their foreheads with intense concentration, while Naruto adjusted his own chakra to maintain the same focus while placing a leaf over his forehead. Over the next hour and a half, he poured his attention into steady, consistent control, feeling his reserves stabilize as he honed the skill.
Finally, a notification popped up.
[ Ding! Skill: Chakra Control leveled up ]
[ Skill: Chakra Control {Level 2 / Max Level: 5} ]
[ Exp: 0/200 ]
Naruto's grin widened as he saw the words flash across his panel. This was solid progress, the kind he'd been hoping for. With a satisfied smile, he looked over at Sasuke, who was still pushing himself up the tree.
[+1]
[+1]
Meanwhile, Sasuke had managed to climb halfway up the tree, earning a total of 25 experience points. He noticed that as he became more accustomed to walking on the tree, the amount of experience he was gaining was gradually decreasing.
He managed to reach halfway up the tree quickly since he had dispelled his clone and formed it again multiple times to gain experience from the clones.
He realized that his initial gains were fast because he was learning the basics, but now that he was getting the hang of it, the growth was slower. Sasuke estimated that he would likely only gain a maximum of 100 experience points from tree walking before he mastered tree climbing.
He paused, and after thinking for a moment, decided to take a break for a few minutes as he felt exhausted.
On the other side, Naruto's clones had been dispelled due to exhaustion. He stood alone for a moment, catching his breath, before taking a well-deserved ten-minute break. He wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling a pleasant burn in his chakra pathways.
After his short rest, Naruto summoned another five clones. He glanced over at the pillows Sasuke had brought earlier, deciding to use them himself. "Might as well make it easier on myself," he said with a grin, setting the pillows beneath the tree as he and his clones began climbing the large tree nearby.
The hours passed, and as night fell, Naruto continued his climb, focusing on refining his chakra control with each step. His clones were still hard at work, each one gaining small, steady improvements.
By now, Sasuke had fully mastered the upside-down position on the tree branch. He was hanging from the highest point he had reached so far, checking his chakra control skill.
[ Skill: Chakra Control {Level 2 / Max Level: 5} ]
[ Exp: 100/200 ]
Sasuke watched Naruto and his clones continue their training. He knew he was no longer gaining any experience from tree climbing, as he had mastered it.
Sasuke believed that his next challenge would be water walking, where he expected to gain the remaining experience points for chakra control. But there was one issue: he still didn't know how to level up chakra control beyond level 2. How would he gain exp in level 3?
He decided to ask Iruka-sensei about more chakra control techniques that he might have forgotten, even if they were shown in the anime or not shown at all, once he leveled up to level 3.
Sasuke looked over at Naruto, who was still halfway up the tree, his clones working hard. He sighed in frustration and shouted, "Naruto! Dispel your clones and get their experience first!"
Naruto, who had been focused on his training, patted his head. He realized that he hadn't dispelled the clones even once to get their experience. He quickly dispelled all the clones, and as he did, his chakra control skill jumped to 100 experience points.
[ Skill: Chakra Control {Level 2 / Max Level: 5} ]
[ Exp: 100/200 ]
Naruto grinned widely as he felt his feet stick to a tree, not slipping like before. "Finally!" He then rushed up to the tree branch and stood upside down, using his chakra to maintain his balance.
He tried a new move—dancing on the tree. As he moved, he smoothly performed a moonwalk-like step on the tree, not falling once. He smiled as he realized that he had now mastered tree climbing.
After a long day of training, Naruto and Sasuke sat down to have their dinner. They were both exhausted but pleased with the progress they had made. As they ate, Naruto glanced over at Sasuke and decided to ask a question that had been on his mind.
"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto started between bites, "I'm not getting any more exp from tree climbing. Do you think the system just stopped giving us experience for it?"
Sasuke looked up at him, his expression calm. "Yeah, we've pretty much mastered it," he replied, leaning back slightly. "The system doesn't give us exp for things we've already mastered. Now, we need to move on to water walking to gain more experience."
Naruto smiled, understanding now. "Guess that makes sense. Alright, tomorrow, we'll start training water walking!"
The two of them exchanged a nod, feeling a sense of accomplishment. They finished their meal in comfortable silence, their minds already set on the next day's training. After dinner, they both left, heading to their respective homes, ready to rest and prepare for the next phase of their training.
------
The next day arrived quickly, and it was another routine academy day. The lessons were simple. The afternoon soon arrived, and the two of them met up at Training Ground 37, a place well-known for its large pool—perfect for water walking practice.
The next day arrived quickly, and it was another routine academy day. The lessons were simple, and neither Naruto nor Sasuke could focus much, both of them thinking about their training ahead.
The afternoon soon arrived, and the two of them met up at Training Ground 37, a place well-known for its large pool—perfect for water walking practice.
Sasuke was already standing near the edge of the pool, waiting for Naruto to catch up. He turned to his friend as Naruto arrived, a serious expression on his face.
"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke called out, "Before we start, I need you to do something."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What's up?" he asked, still catching his breath from the short run.
Sasuke didn't waste any time. "Give me some of your chakra," he said, his voice steady. "I'm going to need it to push my training further."
Naruto blinked in surprise but quickly understood and smiled as he gave some of his chakra to Sasuke.
Naruto placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, focusing as he channeled his chakra into him. A wave of chakra flowed from Naruto, filling Sasuke's body. The sensation was intense, but Sasuke could feel the energy seep into him, replenishing and strengthening his reserves.
Naruto removed his hands after a few seconds and looked at Sasuke with a curious expression. "How much did you get?"
Sasuke glanced at his status panel, scanning the number that flashed across it. "I got 1000 chakra."
[ Name: Sasuke Uchiha
Title: Last Uchiha, Genius Uchiha
Level: 7
HP: 142
Chakra: 1198/198 ]
Naruto frowned slightly. He had tried to give Sasuke more. "I wanted to give you 2000," he said, his voice tinged with frustration.
[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Title: Konoha's Jinchuriki, Demon Fox, Prankster
Level: 6
HP: 300
Chakra: 2955/4955 ]
Sasuke nodded, understanding the situation. "It's fine," he replied. "We don't really have a technique for passing chakra perfectly and you just don't have enough chakra control to give me the exact amount yet."
Naruto smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, you're probably right."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he looked at Naruto. "You should learn the Chakra Transfer Technique," he suggested. "That way, you can give chakra without wasting any. It'll be more efficient, and you won't have to worry about giving too much or too little."
Naruto's grin returned as he nodded eagerly. "That's a good idea, Sasuke! I'll ask Iruka-sensei about it. Thanks for the suggestion!"
Sasuke formed a hand seal, creating five shadow clones, their movements synchronized with his own. Without hesitation, Sasuke leaped towards the water, his clones following suit. They landed with a soft splash, but Sasuke quickly pushed the chakra into his feet to stabilize himself on the surface.
The clones did the same, their chakra flow was erratic at first, but they soon found their footing, staying afloat on the water's surface for a few seconds.
Naruto, not to be outdone, formed his own five clones, ready to begin. He turned to Sasuke, who was already getting a feel for the water. With a smirk, Naruto jumped onto the water's surface, landing with a slight jolt. His clones followed him, each of them struggling initially to maintain their chakra flow.
The key to staying on the water was not just about balance—it was all about maintaining a constant, steady stream of chakra flowing through their feet. As soon as they pumped more chakra into their feet, they would rise up into the air, floating for a moment before gravity would pull them back into the water.
The instant they stopped feeding chakra, even for a second, they would fall back into the water with a splash. If they reduced the chakra flow, they also sank.
It was harder than tree climbing. Much harder. The difficulty of maintaining chakra flow while balancing on the water was unlike anything they had faced before. Both Sasuke and Naruto focused intensely, trying to perfect the technique.
With each failed attempt, they grew more frustrated but also more determined. Time passed, the sun dipping lower as night approached. They kept practicing tirelessly, both learning to adjust their chakra flow and improve their concentration. They were still struggling to stay on the water, but they could now stand for a few minutes at a time, a marked improvement.
The next two days were filled with continued practice. Each day, they grew a little bit better, their chakra control improving and their bodies growing more attuned to the water walking technique. The frustration was still there, but so was the determination to succeed.
Finally, on the third day, after hours of intense training, a notification popped up on Naruto's and Sasuke's panels
[ Ding! Skill: Chakra Control levelled up ]
[ Skill: Chakra Control {Level 3 / Max Level: 5} ]
[ Exp: 0/100,000 ]
Naruto grinned widely, feeling a surge of pride. He glanced over at Sasuke, who had also managed to stay on the water for longer periods. Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment.
"I think we've got it," Sasuke said, his voice sounding more confident. "We've got this down."
Naruto wasn't one to rest, though. He wasn't content just staying on the water. "I'm gonna try something else now," he said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He dashed across the water, his clones following suit as he sprinted, leaping into the air and performing flips with ease.
Once confident that he could maintain his balance, Naruto even tried standing upside down on the water's surface, his hands pressing into the water as he balanced himself. His clones mirrored his every move, but Naruto was focused entirely on his balance and flow of chakra.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was still in the process of fine-tuning his movements but couldn't help but be impressed by Naruto's antics.
"Show-off," Sasuke muttered under his breath, though there was a hint of a smile in his tone.
Naruto just laughed. "Hey, you know I've got to test my limits!"
End of the chapter. ______________________________________________________________________
Last chapter of the week.
Power stones, please.