After school.
Naruto returned home, and after taking off his heavy wrist guards, he felt so light that it seemed as if he could fly.
"Whew, if I weren't wearing weights, that punch would probably have sent Kiba flying, right?"
Naruto felt smug for a while before pulling himself together. He took out his notebook, organized the information about Sasuke, and sent it to Aizen. At the end, he attached his own question.
Uzumaki Naruto: Teacher Aizen, I've learned about Sasuke's past. He's very pitiable, and I want to help him move on. Uzumaki Naruto: What should I do? Should I go and comfort him directly?
A moment later, Aizen's reply arrived.
Aizen Sousuke: For a drowning person, simply shouting encouragement from the shore is useless. Aizen Sousuke: What you need to do is make him understand that only you can save him.
[Ding!]
[Long-term Suggestion Recorded: Saving Sasuke]
Aizen Sousuke: Uchiha Sasuke's pain stems from powerlessness, but he uses coldness and arrogance to mask that weakness. Aizen Sousuke: He looks down on you, so your comfort is nothing but an insult to him. Aizen Sousuke: Crush him completely! Aizen Sousuke: Whether it's Taijutsu or Ninjutsu, make the genius halo he's so proud of worthless in front of you. Aizen Sousuke: Make him realize that the power he has been pursuing lies in your hands.
Sitting upon his throne, Aizen looked at the text on the light screen, a playful smile curling the corner of his mouth. Even from the trivial information Naruto sent, he easily analyzed the psychological profile of the youth named Uchiha Sasuke.
"Things are getting more and more interesting."
Especially Naruto. Through the forum, Aizen had observed samples from various worlds. He discovered that there are always some people who seem to be blessed by the heavens, and such people can generally be called protagonists. Kurosaki Ichigo was once like this, and so are Naruto and Sasuke before him. If it weren't for his good luck in obtaining some opportunities from the forum and glimpsing the script of fate... he might have already become fodder for Kurosaki Ichigo's growth, right?
"Since I have also changed fate, what's the harm in tampering with the fates of these two brats?"
Moreover, he was truly curious about how this protagonist would ultimately develop under his guidance. Aizen thought to himself and then gave his suggestion.
Aizen Sousuke: Only when he hits rock bottom and feels despair over his own weakness should you reach out your hand to him. Aizen Sousuke: Not as a friend, but as a guide. Aizen Sousuke: That way, he will willingly... acknowledge you and respect you. Do you understand?
[Mission Requirements: 1. Completely crush Sasuke and shatter his arrogance; 2. Reach out and guide Sasuke]
[Mission Reward: B-rank treasure chest]
Naruto looked at the text before him, his brow furrowing slightly. He felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Crush him and then guide him is that really helping?"
Naruto pondered; this method seemed a bit underhanded. But on second thought, he recalled the countless times he sat on the swing, watching others being picked up by their parents. He remembered those cold, disgusted gazes. He knew better than anyone how hollow and powerless simple words were.
If there had been someone back then who could have given me a beating and then told me what to do... maybe I wouldn't have suffered for so long. Isn't Sasuke's current situation exactly like mine was back then?
Sasuke currently keeps everyone at a distance. If he isn't beaten awake, he will likely remain immersed in the past forever.
"Teacher Aizen is right."
Naruto adjusted his glasses, his eyes becoming determined as he clenched his fists.
"Sasuke, in order to free you from hatred, I will... beat you awake!"
Naruto knew clearly that his current Taijutsu alone wasn't enough to beat Sasuke awake. His cultivation time was still too short. Moreover, Sasuke was an all-around genius, and Ninjutsu was also his forte. Naruto walked into the courtyard and formed hand seals.
"Bunshin no Jutsu!"
"Poof!"
A cloud of white smoke dissipated, and two clones identical to Naruto appeared beside him. Since mastering tree climbing, his control over Chakra was no longer what it used to be. He could now perform this E-rank basic Ninjutsu with ease, barely needing to concentrate. (Note: Although he calls it Kage Bunshin, these are clearly standard Bunshin.)
Naruto walked over and poked a clone. His finger passed right through it. Naruto shook his head. "As expected, this level of Ninjutsu is still too insufficient."
Recently, to prepare for the exams, he had only practiced the E-rank Ninjutsu, Bunshin no Jutsu, to a proficient level. He hadn't had time to learn other Ninjutsu yet. So the fastest way to become stronger was... Naruto took out the C-rank Ninjutsu scroll given to him by the Sandaime.
"Since I'm going to crush Sasuke completely, I have to beat him in Ninjutsu as well!"
Naruto grabbed the mission scroll, put his weights back on, and rushed out of the house... Training Ground Three, night.
Under the moonlight, Naruto read the scroll by the bright lunar glow. The principle of Fuuton: Daitoppa is to gather Chakra at the throat and perform wind-natured transformation. Then, exhale it all at once to form a powerful storm. Naruto quickly memorized the contents of the scroll and began his experiment.
First attempt. Inhale—
As his lungs expanded, the large amount of oxygen made his Chakra exceptionally active.
Fuuton: Daitoppa!
Naruto shouted in his heart. Then, a weak stream of air puffed from his mouth, even weaker than the airflow from his usual Breathing Technique practice.
"Whew, failed. The Chakra dissipated at the throat."
As Naruto practiced, he reviewed the process in his mind. "My current Chakra control is still a bit insufficient for this technique. Again!"
He didn't lose heart. A second time, a third, a fourth... with a lot of practice, Naruto gradually found a sense of "compression." If it were an ordinary person, their Chakra reserves alone wouldn't be enough for such practice. But for Naruto, he had never worried about the amount of Chakra. He hadn't even experienced what it felt like to be low on Chakra.
Naruto imagined the kind of pressure when blowing into a hot water bottle. Treating Chakra as air, he constructed a high-pressure chamber between his lungs and throat, making continuous attempts.
1:00 AM.
Naruto suddenly snapped his eyes open, his cheeks bulging, and a sharp pain accompanying his throat. That was the sign of highly compressed Chakra. Then, he aimed at a large tree ahead.
Fuuton: Daitoppa!
Boom!!!
A hurricane exploded in the silent forest. The Fuuton: Daitoppa used by average Shinobi is just a gust of wind, but the one Naruto unleashed was different. The Fuuton: Daitoppa Naruto performed was more like an air cannon, accompanied by a terrifying, visible airwave.
A massive amount of wind and Chakra erupted from Naruto's mouth, shattering several obstructing trees at their trunks. The wild wind's momentum didn't slow, plowing a trench in the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake.
Cough, cough, cough.
Naruto coughed from the dust. Even he hadn't expected this. Under the amplification of his massive Chakra and Breathing Technique, this originally mediocre C-rank Ninjutsu had actually undergone a qualitative leap. Naruto clearly felt that while releasing the Ninjutsu, there were still many areas in his Chakra control that weren't quite right. But facts proved that as long as there's enough Chakra, many problems aren't really problems.
Naruto wiped the corner of his mouth, adjusted his glasses, and revealed a confident smile. As long as he refined this Ninjutsu a bit more, combined with his Taijutsu... he now had some capital to face Sasuke head-on.
Just then.
[Ding]
[Mission: Chakra Control Training, Completed]
[Mission Reward: C-rank treasure chest x1, Wind Nature Transformation Affinity +10%]