"I told you it wouldn't work, didn't I?" Nara Kazuki said with mild exasperation as he glanced at Kakashi, who was currently tending to the burns on his arm.
Kakashi had tried to recreate Kazuki's Great Fireball Technique by forming a Shadow Clone to intercept the jutsu—just like before, hoping to analyze it up close. But Kazuki had stacked so many layers of the technique's intensity that Kakashi's clone had been incinerated instantly. The residual heat had then blasted Kakashi himself.
If Might Guy hadn't tackled him to the ground just in time, he probably would've ended up in Konoha Hospital for a few days.
"I didn't think it'd be that strong..." Kakashi murmured, puzzled. He had managed to copy the technique with his Sharingan, but clearly something was off.
He'd wanted to give it a shot himself, and Kazuki had immediately encouraged him to. Kazuki didn't believe the Copy Ninja could replicate the unique enhancements from his system anyway—but it was worth testing.
So Kakashi had launched a Great Fireball of his own.
Kazuki had dodged it with a casual Body Flicker Technique, feeling no threat at all.
"Try it on Guy," Kazuki suggested. "Let's rule out me being immune because of... other factors."
Guy had eagerly agreed—he'd been itching to spar with Kakashi anyway.
But again, nothing unusual happened. Guy evaded the fireball with ease.
Kakashi was left scratching his head.
He'd worried copying Kazuki's fire jutsu might transfer its devastating power—only to find he'd just copied the standard version.
Still, Guy hadn't used full strength in the spar. Kazuki noted he'd only opened the Third Gate. If he'd gone as far as Seven Gates, Kakashi might've lost outright—and Eight Gates wasn't even on the table yet.
"Ha ha ha! This is youth!" Guy beamed with a thumbs-up, completely unfazed by the result.
Kazuki couldn't help smiling. For all his quirks, Guy's sincerity made him hard to dislike. People found his intensity overbearing mostly because he dragged his friends along on training sprees—but his heart was always in the right place.
"Kazuki, maybe don't use that jutsu too casually," Kakashi warned. "What if someone really does learn it from watching?"
"Relax. I developed this version myself," Kazuki replied, waving it off—but seeing Kakashi's serious expression, he nodded. "Alright, I'll be careful."
At least Konoha was still a place where no one had tried to force him to hand over his jutsu. Yet.
After saying goodbye to his teammates, Kazuki returned to the Nara compound and resumed his relentless training. More fireballs. More reps. More progress.
Suzaku, his uncle, approached holding a small bag.
"Uncle Suzaku," Kazuki greeted, wiping sweat from his brow and eyeing the bag curiously. Inside were some thin, crispy-looking biscuits.
"You know about chakra nature transformation, right?" Suzaku said, tossing him the bag.
Kazuki opened it and instinctively reached for one—then froze.
He recognized these. Deer biscuits.
As in, literally made for deer.
Humans could eat them technically—but no way was Kazuki going to test what deer chow tasted like.
"Yeah, I know what it is. Are you going to teach me?" Kazuki's eyes lit up, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
Chakra nature transformation was a crucial step for any shinobi aiming to become truly skilled.
"You were too young before. Now you're ready," Suzaku said, nodding approvingly.
He looked over Kazuki's posture and the sweat soaking his clothes. Despite Kazuki's bizarre training methods, the results spoke for themselves.
Shikaku had told him not to interfere unless Kazuki was in danger. Let the boy figure it out in his own way. Suzaku had decided to trust that.
"The basic idea behind chakra nature transformation is—"
Suzaku patiently began explaining the concept. It was advanced knowledge—usually kept within elite clans and passed down through formal instruction. Most civilian-born shinobi couldn't even access it without earning major merit.
Kazuki listened intently.
Then, under Suzaku's guidance, he gave it a try.
There was some hesitation, but eventually—he did it.
"...Lightning Release, huh?" Kazuki muttered, scratching his head. The transformation had gone smoother than expected. He must've had some natural affinity for Raiton.
"Good. Our clan does have a few Lightning Release techniques. Once you're familiar with it, I'll teach you. That comes from the clan head himself," Suzaku said, clearly pleased.
Kazuki smiled—but there was a flicker of something in his expression.
[Chakra Nature Transformation: 1/1000]
A brand-new progress bar had appeared.
He hadn't expected this skill to be tracked too—but it was. Which meant: new grind unlocked.
"Don't forget to feed the deer later," Suzaku added over his shoulder as he walked off. He was in a good mood—Kazuki could tell. The man wasn't good at showing emotion, but it was there in the way his shoulders relaxed.
"...Alright, let's see what the other chakra natures are like," Kazuki muttered, already itching to try more.
But for now, his focus would remain on mastering Lightning Release. The broader his elemental pool, the more adaptable his combat style would become.
After all, chakra natures had a rock-paper-scissors relationship.
"Grind time!" he grinned, fist clenched. But first, time to do his daily chores around the clan grounds.