Uchiha Fluid Technique
The Third Hokage exhaled deeply, closed the composition book, and said, "Iruka, Naruto already knows that he is the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki and has come to terms with it."
Hearing this, Iruka froze. Everything suddenly made sense.
Naruto knew the truth and had accepted his identity, yet he remained withdrawn. Aside from brief conversations with a handful of classmates, he kept his distance from others.
Thinking from Naruto's perspective, Iruka realized—if he had been in the same position, believing himself to be the demon fox, his situation would likely have been even worse.
After a moment of contemplation, Iruka said seriously, "Sandaime-sama, even so, I still won't change my view of Naruto. If this continues, it will only harm him—and the village."
The Third Hokage reached for his pipe, lighting it with a practiced motion. Smoking had long been his way of coping with difficult decisions.
"Naruto's situation troubles me as well, but my responsibilities leave me little time to intervene directly. There are too many pressing matters in the village. So… can I entrust you with watching over him?"
Iruka hesitated. "That's my duty as a teacher, of course. But educating a child isn't something a teacher can do alone. A guardian's role is just as important…" He looked directly at Hiruzen. "I need your help, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen sighed. "I will do what I can to support you. But Iruka… it seems you've fully moved past the pain of your own loss."
Iruka scratched the back of his head. "At first, I couldn't help but hate him a little. The Nine-Tails took my parents, after all. But after spending time with Naruto, I've seen it firsthand—he's not the fox."
"I believe, with time, the rest of the village will come to understand that as well."
"A good teacher brings back those who have lost their way."
Hiruzen offered a faint smile, though he did not share Iruka's optimism. He had little faith that the villagers would ever truly accept Naruto—or that Naruto would ever fully understand them.
But as long as the boy continued to trust him, that would be enough.
Still, it had been some time since he had personally checked in on Naruto. Perhaps that needed to change.
---
Academy Grounds
Sasuke broke away from the group of fangirls and found Naruto sitting in the corner of the training field, away from the others. Without hesitation, he asked,
"Naruto, how did you interrupt the ninjutsu?"
Naruto glanced at him, unimpressed. "Seals take time. If you strike before the chakra fully forms, the jutsu fails."
Sasuke frowned. "That's…"
"Ninjutsu is important, sure," Naruto continued. "But in a real fight, taijutsu is what decides the outcome."
His tone carried a teasing edge. "What? Don't tell me the 'genius Uchiha Sasuke' didn't know that?"
Sasuke scowled. He wasn't sure if Naruto was bluffing or if he had truly discovered something.
"You've figured this out because you already know high-level jutsu, haven't you?" Sasuke pressed.
Naruto smirked but didn't answer. Instead, the air around them swirled, lifting fallen leaves in an unnatural pattern. The movement was precise, controlled.
Sasuke's hands clenched into fists. This technique…
It reminded him of his brother.
Lost in thought, he nearly missed Naruto stepping closer and patting him on the shoulder.
"After class, I'll teach you how to train more efficiently. But in exchange, I want you to teach me shurikenjutsu."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "The Uchiha throwing style is unmatched. But if I help you, aren't you worried I'll surpass you?"
Naruto chuckled. "Not a chance. I'll just keep improving faster."
"Besides…" He turned, giving Sasuke a rare, genuine grin. "You're one of the only people who actually talks to me. I don't mind helping a friend."
Sasuke huffed but didn't protest.
Nearby, Chōji frowned as he was once again left out of the conversation but returned to munching on his chips.
Shikamaru, however, silently observed Naruto and Sasuke.
Naruto had been acting differently lately. More confident. More calculated.
Was this a good thing—or a bad one?
For now, he chose not to interfere. The Nara clan had always survived by choosing the path of least resistance.
---
Training Grounds - After School
Naruto and Sasuke met in the forest for their seventh private training session.
As always, the routine was simple: Naruto attacked. Sasuke got beaten up.
Through these friendly but relentless battles, both boys rapidly gained real combat experience.
True to his word, Naruto taught Sasuke how to use shadow clones for multi-threaded training. But even pushing himself to the limit, Sasuke could only maintain three clones before exhaustion took over.
Meanwhile, Naruto—with the Kyuubi's chakra as a crutch—could train at an absurd pace, his stamina seemingly endless.
When Sasuke finally dispelled his clones, the mental strain hit him hard. He collapsed onto the ground, utterly drained.
Naruto chuckled. "Tired already?"
Sasuke groaned. "You do this every day?"
"Yep. Non-stop."
Sasuke sat up, wiping sweat from his brow. "Is this because of your parents' expectations? My father is strict, but he doesn't push me this hard."
Naruto shook his head. "I don't have parents."
There was no bitterness in his voice—just a simple statement of fact.
"When I'm not training, all I get are glares from the villagers. So, I keep myself busy. Less time to be annoyed."
Sasuke was quiet for a moment. "I get it."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Sasuke looked away. "Uchiha aren't exactly welcomed in the village either."
Naruto studied him before grinning. "Then you should find yourself some real friends."
Sasuke scoffed. "Like who?"
Naruto shrugged. "This village is huge. Someone out there will understand."
Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "And if not, who cares? You just need to be yourself."
Sasuke stared at him.
For all his playful arrogance, Naruto spoke with a confidence that Sasuke couldn't quite understand.
Maybe that was the difference between them.
For now.
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