Chapter Eleven: Their Own Paths of Cultivation

Chapter Eleven: Each Their Own Training

"I'm back, big brother!" Shuster arrived at Kakashi's bedside, where he was resting.

"Ah, what did you teach them? Don't you need to supervise?" Kakashi looked at him and asked.

"Oh, just tree climbing. That doesn’t need much supervision," Shuster replied.

"Well, I was going to teach them that too. Their basics are so weak. But thanks for handling it, Shuster," Kakashi said, his face troubled.

"It's nothing, brother. But I think next time Zabuza might bring more people," Shuster said as he handed him a glass of water.

"Gulp—probably so. That’s why we all need to get stronger. Looks like I’ve gotten a bit complacent lately," Kakashi said as he drank with Shuster’s help.

"Well, you don’t have to say that, brother. You’re already strong enough. But among those three brats, aren’t you planning to find a successor?" Shuster smiled.

"Is that so? Who do you think is most suitable?" Kakashi looked at Shuster in surprise.

"Well, each of them has their strengths, as you saw from their teamwork yesterday. And as for Sakura, she hasn’t really shown much yet, so I plan to give her some proper guidance. You should focus on Sasuke. As for Naruto, I really have nothing to teach him." Shuster spread his hands.

"Isn’t that unfair to Naruto?" Kakashi looked at Shuster, puzzled.

"Teaching that guy would be exhausting. I refuse to teach idiots!" Shuster replied with conviction.

"Uh, but your Clone Technique could help him use it properly! He’s technically your student," Kakashi grumbled.

"Fine, fine! I’ll teach him once he can climb to the top of the tree. For now, I guess Sakura’s probably reached the summit already," Shuster said, resigned.

——— Scene Transition ———

"Damn it, again! How could I lose to Sasuke?" Naruto shouted as he got back up after falling from the tree.

"Hmph—" Sasuke flipped down from the tree, glanced at Naruto, and thought, "Damn, that guy’s catching up again."

"I made it! Oh, is that—? Sensei is here!" Sakura had just reached the top when she saw Shuster running over.

"Sakura, you made it to the top! Impressive!" Shuster said, looking up at the marks left by the other two.

Sasuke: One third of the way up.

Naruto: Just one step away from a third.

"These two are really neck and neck. But Sakura, you really are impressive!" Shuster said, looking at the three of them.

"Alright, all three of you come down, it’s time to eat," Shuster said, seeing that Sasuke and Naruto still wanted to continue. There was a hint of pain in his voice.

"Got it, sensei," Naruto said, dejected.

"Tch, how boring," grumbled Sasuke.

"Come on, eat first, then you can keep trying. Or take some extra lunchboxes back with you. I’ll tell my brother that anyone who makes it to the top gets special training. Now, let’s eat," Shuster said with a helpless smile, leading the way.

"I won’t lose to you," Sasuke said to Naruto after hearing this, only to find they’d spoken at the same time.

"Hmph!" They turned away from each other.

"Don’t imitate me, damn it!" They continued bickering.

"Heh, Naruto and Sasuke really get along, don’t they?" Shuster chuckled to Sakura.

"Do they? I don’t see it," Sakura said, puzzled.

"It’s just like you and Ino, isn’t it?" Shuster continued smiling.

"It’s not as good as you say, sensei!" Sakura pouted.

"Heh, this is youth!" Shuster suddenly quoted a certain wild beast.

"Heh… heh, sensei, you’re not old at all!" Sakura said with a forced laugh.

"Ah, enough of that, let’s go," Shuster sighed. Should I tell them I’ve lived for forty years? Ever since I got that tsundere system, I’ve been seventeen forever. Ah well.

——— Tsundere Break ———

"Another bowl!" x2. Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other. "Hmph!"

After the third bowl—

"Ugh—" x2. Both Sasuke and Naruto, exhausted from overusing chakra, mental fatigue, and their falls, began to feel stomach cramps while eating.

"Really now, why push yourselves so hard?" Shuster said, exasperated.

"Even so, I have to eat," Sasuke replied.

"I’ll endure it too. I need to get stronger, and I can’t do that if I don’t eat," Naruto said, wiping his mouth.

"That’s right, but throwing it up isn’t the way!" Kakashi, leaning on his crutch, nodded from the side. Still, he’d finish his meal in a flash and declare himself full.

"Alright, do your best. Sakura, come train with me. I’ll teach you a few things," Shuster said after washing the dishes.

——— Night Training Montage ———

"Now, Sakura, today I’m going to teach you how to control your chakra for small, precise tasks. When all these little things add up, they become a huge advantage," Shuster said, leading Sakura to an open area.

"How do you do that, sensei?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

"For example, you can wrap your clothes in a layer of chakra to make them heavier, or infuse chakra into your feet to move faster, or even enhance your eyesight. Over time, your body will become much stronger thanks to chakra training," Shuster explained, borrowing from the way he used to channel magic.

Wow! There’s such a method? Sensei, you’re amazing!" Sakura’s eyes sparkled after trying it.

"Keep practicing. Using this method to climb trees will be tough, but it’s good physical training," Shuster said as he turned to leave.

"Alright! I’ll do my best—I can’t lose to those two!" Sakura cheered herself on.

——— Scene Shift ———

"Argh, again!" Naruto fell from the tree, his legs trembling, but he stubbornly rushed back up.

"Argh—thud—" At last, just before the summit, he fell again and passed out from exhaustion.

At dawn, a beautiful girl approached where Naruto lay.

"Hm? Isn’t that the guy?" The girl walked over to him.

"Should I kill him? He’s in the way of Lord Zabuza," she murmured, reaching for Naruto’s neck.

Forget it. "Hey, wake up! If you sleep here, you’ll catch a cold," she said, withdrawing her hand. No point killing someone with a power level of five.

"Huh—who are you?" Naruto woke up groggily. "Oh, right, you woke me up, didn’t you? Sis, what are you doing here?" he asked, instantly perking up.

"I’m gathering herbs."

"Herbs?"

"Yes, they can be used to treat wounds," the girl replied with a gentle smile. "Why were you sleeping here?"

"Me? I was training!" Naruto said, grinning brightly.

Training? What could you possibly accomplish in one week? The girl thought, unimpressed.

———

PS: The decisive battle is near—looking forward to it!