Sakura nodded as Kakashi spoke, his words stirring her excitement. "Sakura, I remember you have a water chakra nature!" Kakashi said, relieved to see Naruto had left to train. Sakura looked at him with anticipation, hoping for something new in ninjutsu.
After their earlier tree-climbing exercise, both she and Naruto had their chakra affinities tested. Naruto was surprisingly revealed to have wind and water chakra natures.
Kakashi looked back at her, explaining, "To be honest, Sakura, with your current chakra levels, learning ninjutsu would be difficult. That's why I haven't taught you any before now."
Sakura's enthusiasm faltered, replaced by disappointment. Why couldn't she learn ninjutsu too? Was she still lagging behind Naruto?
"However, things are different now," Kakashi continued. "I don't need you to engage in battles yet—just focus on protecting yourself and Mr. Dazuna. For now, that will be enough."
Sakura nodded again, silently processing his words.
"The ninjutsu I have for you is a C-level water release jutsu called Water Needles," Kakashi explained. "It's an assassination technique that creates sharp water needles from condensed saliva to attack an enemy. This technique requires only a small amount of chakra but demands precise chakra control, which makes it ideal for you right now."
Kakashi's explanation didn't ease Sakura's irritation. Her excitement at learning ninjutsu had faded, leaving her with frustration. "This teacher is impossible," she muttered.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was out practicing, trying to master the water-walking technique. "Controlling my chakra on the water's surface is tougher than expected," he grumbled as his foot slipped, splashing water around him. Frustrated, he decided to remove his shirt, realizing it would be smarter to avoid soaking his clothes in his chosen knee-deep area of the river.
Standing shirtless on the shore, Sasuke took a moment to steady his focus, concentrating his chakra. As he formed a seal with his hands, his chakra flared, creating a visible aura. The purple-blue chakra seemed to envelop him, transforming the air around him. Feeling his body lighten, he darted forward, moving with astounding speed.
In an instant, he had crossed several meters of water, hardly making a sound.
"Five times my usual speed—amazing," Sasuke observed, noting the acceleration. Though he had only increased his speed by five times, he realized his chakra was still at a Chunin level. If his reserves were higher, he could potentially go faster. This silent movement would be a valuable asset against opponents who lacked high-level taijutsu.
Sasuke smirked, thinking back to the time in the original series when he first encountered Lee's speed. With this new ability, he wouldn't feel nearly as helpless.
Elsewhere in the forest, Kakashi was drilling Naruto. "Are you even trying to learn the hand seals for the Great Breakthrough?" he demanded. "There are only three—Xu, Wu, and Sen. Why is this taking so long?"
Naruto gave a frustrated sigh, his hands fumbling through the sequence. "I'm doing my best, Kakashi-sensei! But keeping the wind strong and coordinating it with the seals isn't easy," he replied, venting his irritation.
Kakashi could only shake his head, watching Naruto struggle through the basics. "Naruto, this is a simple C-rank jutsu. It's the lowest level of offensive ninjutsu there is—there's no way to simplify it further."
Naruto's eyes narrowed, feeling the challenge. "Fine, if Sasuke and Sakura can handle it, I'll do it too!" he muttered, focusing on the task.
Over the next few days, each of the students dedicated themselves to training, honing their abilities. Sasuke tirelessly practiced water-walking, improving to the point where he could run, jump, and maneuver easily over the river's surface. During a break, he noticed a figure in the trees watching him.
"Sakura, I know you're there," he called, suppressing a sigh.
From behind a nearby tree, Sakura emerged, her face red with embarrassment. She was holding herself back from openly admiring Sasuke's physique as he trained shirtless.
"Sasuke-kun," she murmured softly.
Sasuke noticed the flush of her cheeks, but tried to remain composed. "Sakura, you're here for the third time. Why are you watching my training?"
Sakura hesitated, glancing down, then gathered her courage. "I finished my water release training and wanted to show you, maybe even get some tips, Sasuke-kun."
Surprised she had learned it so quickly, Sasuke gave her an acknowledging nod. "That's good," he said. "And what about Naruto? How's he doing?"
Sakura felt a pang of disappointment at his reaction, but responded. "I don't know where he is," she mumbled, glancing away.
The next day, Naruto's voice echoed through the forest as he pushed himself in training. Determined to keep up with Sasuke, he repeatedly attempted to improve his control over the wind jutsu.
Five days passed quickly as they immersed themselves in their respective exercises.
By the river's edge, Sasuke was shirtless, maintaining his balance on the turbulent water as if it were solid ground. He continued to train, using every spare moment to refine his technique.
Noticing Sakura again among the trees, he sighed. "Sakura, you're here again?"
"Sasuke-kun," she whispered, her cheeks flushed as she stepped out of hiding.
Her gaze lingered on him, admiration clear in her eyes. She couldn't help but think how amazing he looked.
Sasuke gave her a slight nod. "Did you complete your training?"
Sakura nodded, her heart beating quickly. "Yes, I finished it. I thought I'd come here and maybe show you. I wanted to know if I was doing it correctly," she said, hesitating.
Impressed but calm, Sasuke glanced at her. "Well done. But do you know where Naruto is?" he asked, genuinely interested in his teammate's progress.
Sakura felt another surge of disappointment. "I… I don't know. I haven't seen him lately," she admitted, feeling crestfallen.
Sasuke nodded, satisfied with her response. As he returned his focus to the water, he couldn't help but feel pleased with his recent progress. The speed he achieved would give him a distinct advantage in upcoming battles.
Sakura continued to watch, feeling her heart ache as Sasuke's focus remained distant. "No matter how many times I see him, Sasuke-kun is just… incredible," she thought. Her admiration for him only grew, even if he seemed oblivious to her feelings.
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