The sky over Training Ground Nine was pale and quiet — the kind of light that made flame look brighter than it was.
Ren Uzumaki stood at the center of the clearing, two scrolls open at his feet, three jutsu spinning in his mind.
🔥 Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu (Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu)
🔥 Fire Style: Flame Bullet (Katon: Endan)
🌬️ Wind Style: Gale Palm (Fūton: Reppūshō)
He exhaled through his nose, calmly.
"Flame… first."
🔥 Fireball Jutsu – Gōkakyū
His fingers flowed through the hand signs smoothly:
"Horse → Tiger → Boar → Snake → Rat → Ox."
He took a breath — deep into his stomach — and released.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
A massive, spinning sphere of fire roared out from his mouth, slamming into a dummy. The heat wave rolled backward, kicking dirt up around him.
The impact was solid. But the shape…
"Too wide again," he muttered. "Waste of chakra."
He stepped forward, dragging another dummy into place.
🔥 Flame Bullet – Endan
This time, fewer seals — tighter control:
"Tiger → Horse → Monkey → Boar → Dragon → Rat."
He compressed his chakra, focused it through his throat — then fired.
"Katon: Endan."
A concentrated blast of flame pierced the dummy straight through. No explosion. No showy detonation. Just heat, velocity, and control.
Ren winced slightly. "Still pulls at the lungs. But more stable than last time."
He wiped ash from his cheek, stepped back, and switched focus.
🌬️ Gale Palm – Reppūshō
The chakra in his body shifted — lighter, cooler, sharper.
His hands pressed forward as he breathed out.
"Fūton: Reppūshō."
A wave of air pulsed from his palms, strong enough to knock two training dummies off balance and scatter a ring of leaves.
Ren narrowed his eyes. "Still not enough edge to cut."
But he didn't frown. This was part of it. Each failure revealed a piece of the truth.
Thoughts, Memory, and Resolve
He sat down briefly beneath a tree, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Fireball's power is good — but inefficient."
"Flame Bullet's cleaner — but taxing."
"Gale Palm is fast — but not sharp."
His thoughts drifted to Naruto — bright-eyed, impatient, full of reckless confidence.
"He won't control it easily," Ren thought. "Not yet."
He looked down at the sealed wind scroll meant for his brother.
"But when he's ready… I'll give him what I've built."
"Not handouts. Tools."
"Because no one gave us anything."
He stood again, chakra steady, lungs tight, eyes sharp.
"One more round," he whispered.
"Make it cleaner. Make it mine."