Training Ground 7 basked in quiet wind. The usual laughter, grunts, and shouting of new genin hadn't begun yet—it was too early. The mist still clung to the grass like sleep in a child's eyes.
But Naruto was already there.
He stood in the center of the clearing, shirt off, sweat glistening under the morning sun. His breaths came deep and slow. His eyes were closed.
He was listening.
To his chakra.
⤿ Chakra Flow: Stable⤿ Nature Analysis Unlocked → Wind Release (Fūton)⤿ Skill Tree Expanded: Chakra Nature → Wind Manipulation → Beginner
He opened his palm, and a faint swirl began forming—wind, biting and wild, spun between his fingers. Not a Rasengan. Not yet. But raw potential.
He had been up since 4 AM.
Five clones were scattered across the forest—one practicing stealth movement, one embedded at the library, one training elemental paper cutting with wind chakra, and two focused on body reinforcement through continuous motion taijutsu. All of them were pouring knowledge back into him every few hours.
But something gnawed at him.
This power—this infinite growth. Was he still Naruto?
Or was he becoming something else?
A cheat code in a world of warriors.
He didn't have time to answer. The bushes rustled, and a familiar figure stepped into the clearing.
Sasuke Uchiha.
Black shirt. White shorts. Eyes like knives.
"You're early," Sasuke said.
Naruto smirked. "You're just late."
Sasuke's gaze narrowed.
"You've been training," he said slowly.
Naruto shrugged. "So?"
"Your chakra feels different."
That surprised Naruto. He thought he was masking it well. His growth had been hidden until now. Most still saw him as the knucklehead. The failure.
But Sasuke's eyes weren't easy to fool.
"I want to spar," Sasuke said bluntly.
Naruto blinked. "What, here?"
"You scared?"
That was all it took.
They stepped into position.
No words. Just movement.
The clash began.
Sasuke moved fast—taijutsu sharp, precise. His movements were drilled from the Uchiha clan's ancient techniques. But Naruto matched him. His stance was no longer sloppy or wild.
His counterpunch nearly landed.
Sasuke leapt back. Shock flickered across his face.
"Where did you—?"
Naruto didn't wait. He pushed forward, footwork fluid, chakra reinforcing every step. He wasn't just fighting.
He was dancing.
And then he spun mid-air, kicking a log behind him.
"Clone," he whispered.
The real Sasuke dropped from above, kunai aimed at Naruto's shoulder.
But Naruto was already gone.
Substitution.
He appeared beside him in midair, palm glowing faintly.
A gust of wind burst forth.
It wasn't a jutsu. Just raw chakra manipulation.
But Sasuke went flying into the ground with a loud thud, rolling through the dirt.
The silence after was deafening.
Naruto landed, panting. Not from exhaustion—but restraint. He could've ended it earlier. He didn't want to.
Sasuke sat up slowly, glaring. "You've changed."
Naruto didn't answer.
He simply walked away, the leaves swirling around him like whispers.
Unseen, from a tree high above, Kakashi watched with his Sharingan exposed. A soft eye crease. A smile hidden by a mask.
"Well, well," he whispered. "Naruto… you're not the same brat anymore."
—
Later that evening, Naruto sat inside the Hokage's archives. Clone Three had flagged a scroll marked with an ancient Uzumaki crest.
It was dusty. Fragile.
Inside was a single technique: 赤鎖封印 – "Red Chain Binding."
⤿ Skill Learned: Red Chain Binding – Uzumaki Sealing Art⤿ Requirements: Chakra Reinforcement, Emotional Focus, Ancestral Memory (Incomplete)⤿ Skill Points Required: 500⟶ Confirmed.⤿ Red Chain Binding – Mastery: 100%
He gasped as the knowledge filled him.
Images. Voices. Memories not his own. A red-haired woman smiling. A chain wrapping around beasts made of chakra.
"Mom…?"
He didn't know why he said it.
But tears rolled down his cheeks anyway.
His hands trembled—not from fear, but from something deeper.
He wasn't just a prankster. He wasn't a mistake. He was legacy. Bloodline. Power.
And maybe, just maybe...
He could finally become someone worth believing in.
—