12 Chapter 12

On the other side of Training Ground Zero

Shadow Clone Izuna intended to teach him chidori/One Thousand Birds/Rai Kirin/Lightning Blade. But he needed to know if Sasuke had lightning Style nature so he took out a chakra paper from his pocket and asked Sasuke to channel his Chakra into it. It got divided into two equal halves, one burning down and the other getting wrinkled. Sasuke didn't know what had just happened. He asked, "Why did only half of it burn and why did the other half get wrinkled?"

Shadow Clone Izuna wasn't surprised. He said, "This means you have equal affinities for fire and lightning. The half which burned down shows your affinity for fire and the part which crumbled shows your affinity for fire and the wrinkled part shows your affinity for lightning. We will increase the strength of your fire style and lightning style over the first two weeks and in the third week; we will concentrate on something I like to call chakra armour."

Sasuke was clearly excited. He had heard of the Gondaime's Chakra armour and he was going to be taught how to do it. He had also seen Naruto do it, though it was only lightning style armour. Sasuke had never known that Naruto could do that and in a flash he had stabbed Itachi. When had he gotten so fast? Sasuke had to leave all of that and get to Naruto's level as quickly as possible. He had to be the one to kill Itachi. It had to be him. No one else would do. He had to get his revenge on Itachi for killing his mother and father. Shadow Clone Izuna said, "Hit me with the strongest fire style you know."

Right away Sasuke got as much as Chakra as he could and said, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu"

A fireball came from his mouth. Izuna was impressed. It was large for Sasuke's age. If only he had better chakra control, he could have made a much bigger fireball.

Shadow Clone Izuna said, "Sasuke, you are strong, but not strong enough. You need to work harder on your Chakra control if you ever want to get ahead of Naruto, Mito and Menma. Naruto and Menma have almost perfect Chakra control. With the amount of chakra you just used to make a fireball, Naruto can make a fireball five times bigger. Just a little more practice, and you will also be able to do so."

The words hit Sasuke as a bullet. Naruto could make a fireball five times larger than his with the same amount of Chakra. He was leagues behind Naruto. If he didn't do anything fast, he would always be leagues behind Naruto. He couldn't let that happen. He asked with determination, "What do I do for me to have perfect Chakra control?"

Shadow Clone Izuna grinned and said, "Practise. That is all you can do right now."

Sasuke was expecting a better answer than what he got, but if practising was all he could do, he would do it until he became stronger than Naruto and then go after Itachi. If practicing was all he could do, he would do it until he became stronger than Naruto. He started practising his again.

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The same day, in the evening, Konohagakure

Naruto, Mito, Menma and Sasuke were returning to their homes. Naruto was clearly strained. He wasn't his usual self. He was clearly acting as though he had been on the brink of death, which he had. His eyes were very drowsy. His clothes looked as though he had rolled in a mud poll, which he had incidentally done to keep himself alive when he had been attacked by few hundred kunai. Mito asked him, "What's wrong with you Naruto? Stop acting like that."

Naruto answered, "You don't know how brutal my tou-san can be when training me. I almost died today. Did you? The worst thing that ever happened to you today is probably that you had to dodge a blunt wooden Kunai. I had to send a Kunai coming at me faster than sound into my Kamui Time-Space. Did you have to do that? I had to injure my father by using Kamui when he was almost at half his top-speed. Did you have to do that? I am going to go to Ichiraku Ramen and get myself a few bowls of good-old Ramen right now. You can join if you want."

Mito was clearly shocked. Compared to the hardships Naruto had gone through that day, her training regimen was too gentle. Naruto asked, "What did tou-san make you guys do today?"

Mito answered, "Well, we practiced my Kamui skills. My first time was better than your first time. So that makes me better than huh?"

Naruto didn't quite understand her. Had she just forgotten that he could almost send a kunai faster than sound into his Kamui time-space? First times were nothing. He grunted, "Hn." Mito was quite displeased at hearing this. She angrily said, "So what if you are better than me right now? I will be better than you by the time we graduate academy."

Naruto was clearly unable to understand Mito's resolve. They were on completely different levels. She might be good but she had years to go before becoming as strong as him. He said, "I like your resolve but good luck at doing it, hn."

Mito answered angrily, "Hn." She couldn't bear this attitude of Naruto today. Maybe his training had been worse than hers but this was still no way to behave.

Naruto on the other hand just wanted to go to Ichiraku and get a good amount of Ramen and then sleep. The next day was going to be worse for Naruto and Izuna would not let Naruto finish the regimen easily. He needed rest if he were to survive the next day.

They soon reached Ichiraku. Naruto sat down and said, "Two large Miso char sui ramen."

Menma also ordered the same thing. Mito and Sasuke ordered plain Ramen.

Naruto gobbled one entire bowl of Ramn in an instant as though he had neveer had food in the past year. He looked at Menma and Sasuke and said, "You never told me what my father made the two of you do today. Tell me."

Menma enthusiastically answered, "He made me practice my Rasengan. I can land a good blow now. I can also make a good amount of shadow clones and by the way, today Ramen is on your father."

Naruto was impressed at the fact that his father would be paying for Ramen. Now he would stuff himself up as much as he wanted. This was going to be fun for him. This was his way of making his father pay up for all the hardships he went through that day to stay alive. He right away said, "Four orders of Large Miso Char Sui Ramen please."

Mito was clearly surprised at his sudden change of mood. The fact that ramen was on his father today made him want to eat as much as he wanted. A part of Mito felt that Naruto was more addicted to Ramen than Menma was.

Naruto then went along and said, "You might eventually become stronger than my father, Menma."

Menma wasn't expecting this from Naruto. He beamed in glory. Mito on the other hand had clearly lost it. She channelled Chakra into her palms and shot down Naruto big time. He was injured. He couldn't possibly believe that he had been shot down with so much force. He clearly ignored it despite his senses having told him, "Dodge it!" He had paid the price. Fortunately, his chakra reserves were huge. They would heal him soon. Mito said, "Menma can eventually become stronger than Izuna-sama but I can't become stronger than you?"

Naruto said, "He can become stronger than my father. Not stronger than me, Mito. No one will become stronger than me when I am at my peak. I will become the strongest person to have lived. Believe it! You are no exception either. Even you won't grow stronger than me. My father, yes. You will become stronger than my father. But me, you are not even close."

Mito was clearly angry. She manifested her Sharingan and then her Mangekyou Sharingan. Naruto was clearly pissing her off right now. She wanted to use Kamui on him right now. Right then, Sasuke who was clearly pissed off by the fight of these two, Said, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu."

This was going to be hard for Naruto to deflect. Instead he did the best thing he could. He used Kamui on the fireball coming towards him. It instantly disappeared. Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. His fireball had been undone in a flash by Naruto. Izuna who was sensing this happening form his office smiled at Naruto's quick wittedness. Had nothing been done, Izuna would just send it above the sea where it would hit the sea and then go to Ichiraku and scold these children for fighting in a place where it could harm civilians. He would still lecture the four of them but a little while later when they reached the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Meanwhile, in Ichiraku, Naruto was impressed at Sasuke's Fireball. He had improved. All four of them were on their feet. Naruto said, "First we eat. Then if you want to take this outside, I will be your guest. I cannot let this Ramen go to waste."

Menma agreed and they all sat down to continue eating. Ichiraku Teuchi let a sigh of relief.

Then Izuna appeared. He said, "Ichiraku-san, can you make a bowl of miso char Sui ramen for me?"

Ichiraku Teuchi said, "Hai Hokage sama."

Soon they all finished eating and Izuna paid for the bill. He couldn't actually believe that Naruto and Menma had each eaten thirty bowls of Large Miso Char Sui Ramen in a competition. He couldn't believe his bad luck with his money. He had to go home now with an empty wallet. He teleported the four of them back to the Uchiha compound.