Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.84 Naruto vs. Tobacco: A Short-Lived Battle

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An hour later, Naruto arrived at the training ground with Sakura following closely behind. They came to an abrupt stop, their eyes widening at the unexpected sight before them.

"No way," Naruto muttered under his breath, blinking rapidly.

"This has to be a genjutsu," Sakura murmured, forming a hand seal. "Kai!" She waited for the illusion to break—but nothing changed.

"That's mean," Kakashi drawled from behind his book, not even glancing up. "What's with the shock?"

"You're early," Naruto pointed at him, still wide-eyed. "That's enough of a miracle to make history, dattebayo!"

"Well," Kakashi replied lazily, "Sasuke's been working on refining his lightning chakra nature. Figured I'd supervise."

Naruto and Sakura turned their attention to Sasuke, who was crouched a few feet away. His brows were furrowed in intense concentration, his expression locked somewhere between focus and frustration. Sparks of lightning flickered around a kunai in his hand, crackling inconsistently before fizzling out.

"Wait," Naruto said. "So Sasuke's lightning, and I'm wind… What about you, Sakura?"

"No clue."

Kakashi reached into his pouch and handed her a strip of chakra paper. "Here. Channel your chakra and see."

The paper immediately darkened and grew damp before crumbling into pieces.

"Sensei, what does that mean?"

Kakashi studied the paper, a flicker of surprise crossing his normally calm features. "It means you have dual affinities: Earth and Water."

"Sakura! You're awesome! You've got two affinities!"

Sasuke smirked. "Guess that makes you the odd one out, Naruto."

"What's that supposed to mean, teme?"

"It's simple," Sasuke said smugly, puffing out his chest. "Sakura and I have dual natures. You only have one."

Naruto stared, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Beside him, Sakura giggled behind her hand.

"Quite the debate," Kakashi cut in, smoothly redirecting their attention. He closed his book and stood, his tone shifting into that of a teacher. "But let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture."

Kakashi glanced between them. "Do you three know how the elements interact with each other? It's called the Elemental Circle. Each element has strengths and weaknesses. Fire beats Wind, Wind beats Lightning, Lightning beats Earth, Earth beats Water, and Water beats Fire."

"So it's like rock-paper-scissors?"

"In layman's terms, yes," Kakashi said with a shrug.

Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement. "Wait, wait—so Team 7 has all five elements! Doesn't that mean we'll always have an advantage against any enemy's nature?"

Kakashi chuckled. "It's not quite that simple, but you're on the right track. This brings us to something called Elemental Supremacy. If two techniques of the same level clash, the superior nature will always win. For example, a fire jutsu of equal strength will lose to a water jutsu every time."

"But," Kakashi continued, "there's a catch. A weaker-nature technique can still overpower a stronger nature if it's of a higher level. For instance, a powerful fire jutsu can overpower a weaker water jutsu if the fire is amplified by wind chakra."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura listened intently, their enthusiasm palpable.

Naruto's mind wandered briefly as he considered combining his wind chakra with the Pyromancy Flame. But he quickly pushed the thought aside. I'm not ready to mess with something that might just turn into a living demonic fire. Maybe when he found someone who could actually teach him more about Pyromancy.

But, of course, that didn't stop him from taking a jab at Sasuke. "Teme should probably focus on figuring out how to turn his chakra into actual lightning first."

"You act like you've already mastered wind chakra."

Naruto grinned smugly. "Oh, I have." He strode toward a nearby tree, placing his hand on the bark. With a surge of chakra, a jagged gash split the tree's surface, cutting deep into the wood.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "Looks like Asuma's been helping you with wind manipulation exercises."

"Yup," Naruto said. "If I want to master the Vacuum Blade, I need to get this down first."

He turned to Sasuke, the grin still plastered across his face. "Don't sweat it, teme. This is advanced stuff—only for powerful shinobi like me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. His attention shifted back to the kunai in his hands as faint crackles of lightning began to dance between them, forming a weak but steady current that flickered like static electricity.

He smirked, casting a smug glance toward Naruto.

The blonde scowled, already opening his mouth for a comeback, but before he could get a word in, Sakura stepped forward with a confident grin, holding up two kunai.

"What are you doing now?"

"Aren't we showing off what we've learned?" Sakura said, raising her kunai proudly. The handles were intricately etched with tiny seals that shimmered faintly under the sunlight.

"What's that?"

Sasuke activated his Sharingan, studying the seals. "Fūinjutsu. They store chakra."

"Exactly!" Sakura beamed. "I've been working on these to create barriers during battle. All I have to do is fill them with chakra, and they can power field barriers or traps."

Sasuke inspected the kunai more closely. "They're still half-empty."

Sakura's smile dimmed slightly, a hint of embarrassment creeping in. "I know. It's just… hard, okay? I don't have as much chakra as you two."

Naruto tilted his head thoughtfully. "Wait. Do you have to fill them with your chakra? Or can someone else do it?"

"I—I don't know."

"Yes, someone else can," Kakashi cut in. "In the war, barrier specialists often relied on their teammates to donate chakra to the seals. It's a team-based system."

Naruto's face lit up with an idea. "Oh! Let me try!"

Without waiting for permission, he snatched the kunai from Sakura's hand and pressed his palm against the seal. He pushed his chakra into it, and the kunai immediately flared with brilliant white energy, the glow pulsing like a heartbeat.

Sakura's jaw dropped. "You… you filled it that quickly?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, that didn't even take much. I waste more chakra than that just keeping my Shadow Clones up. If you ever need me to fill something up, just say the word."

Sakura's surprise quickly turned into a mischievous smirk as she reached into a pouch tied to her hip. Without saying anything, she dumped at least a dozen kunai onto the ground at Naruto's feet, the seals on each of them faintly glowing.

"Well," she teased, "let's see just how generous you are."

"Why do I always open my big mouth?"

"Because you're an idiot," Sasuke quipped, earning a sharp glare from Naruto.

"Oh yeah? Well, you're helping fill them too, teme." Naruto punctuated his statement by punching a nearby tree, creating a clean hole through the trunk.

Sasuke and Sakura sweatdropped.

Kakashi chuckled behind his book. "Teamwork, huh? Looks like I won't have to teach that lesson today."

Naruto turned back toward the tree and tried to pull his hand free.

"Uh… guys?" He tugged harder, gritting his teeth. "A little help here?"

"Didn't you just say you were a powerful ninja, dobe?"

Sakura giggled.

"Don't blast wind chakra to get yourself out," Kakashi advised casually. "You'll just make it worse."

"Help me!" Naruto groaned, struggling to free himself as his teammates doubled over in laughter.

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A-rank jutsu, Wind Style: Vacuum Blade, was infamous among wind-users for its complexity. The technique worked on the principle of coating a weapon with a sheath of wind chakra, extending the weapon's range and drastically enhancing its cutting power due to the nature of wind itself. The problem, though, was the very same reason it was so powerful—wind's ability to cut indiscriminately.

Wind chakra didn't harmonize well with standard weapons. Unlike lightning chakra, which could be absorbed and evenly conducted through a blade, wind chakra clung stubbornly to the surface of the metal. This external sheath amplified the weapon's ability to pierce and slice, but it also created uneven vibrations across the surface, causing microscopic fractures. Without precise control, the weapon would eventually crack, splinter, or, worse, explode under the pressure.

Maintaining the technique required creating a stable vacuum layer between the weapon and the wind sheath, an almost impossible task for most shinobi. Even slight miscalculations could destabilize the flow, leading to catastrophic failure. For many, it took years of practice to master.

But Naruto Uzumaki wasn't exactly the patient type.

In fact, his training method could only be described as chaotic insanity.

Asuma stood with his arms crossed, watching the hundreds of Naruto shadow clones spread across the training ground, each clutching a Zweihander. They channeled wind chakra into their lungs, breathing it out across the length of the massive blades, attempting to form the vacuum sheath.

Poof! One clone exploded into smoke as its blade fractured and the wind chakra tore through it.

Then another. Poof. Poof. Poof. Clone after clone failed, the Zweihanders cracking or outright shattering before they could stabilize the technique.

Naruto didn't miss a beat. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Another wave of clones appeared, immediately picking up where the others had left off.

Asuma opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, shaking his head in disbelief. "You know, I never thought I'd see someone try to master Vacuum Blade by brute force."

Naruto grinned, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he glanced at Asuma. "Well, having the fox helps with the chakra. Shadow clones make it way easier to test stuff without wasting time."

Nearby, resting on a cloth, was a shimmering Chakra Metal Ingot.

[ Item: Chakra Metal Ingot ]

[ Description: Chakra metal for weapon creation, said to come from the bowels of the Iron Sandworms. These ingots are smithing materials of the highest degree, and weapons forged from them symbolize the wielder's ability to thrive in a world where shinobi rarely grow old. ]

Naruto crouched beside it, tracing its surface thoughtfully. "Still can't believe the Old Man gave this to me."

Asuma adjusted the cigarette between his lips. "You did Konoha a pretty big service, Naruto. Shisui Uchiha's body was important. If someone like Orochimaru had gotten their hands on it, they could've learned all sorts of Uchiha and village secrets. You did us a favor by ensuring it stayed protected."

Naruto hummed. "So, what should I do with this thing?"

Asuma shrugged. "Make a weapon."

Naruto pointed to the massive Zweihander resting nearby. "Think I can add it to this?"

"Nope," Asuma said immediately. "You can't mix chakra metal with regular metal. They don't bond properly. If you try, you'll just end up with a weak weapon."

Naruto sighed. "Guess I'm not making a chakra metal Zweihander anytime soon."

"What, giving up on Vacuum Blade already?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Hell no." He formed another batch of clones, their Zweihanders already sparking with unstable wind chakra. "It's just this stupid vacuum that won't form."

Asuma chuckled. "You're thinking about it too rigidly. It's not about holding the wind in place—it's about flow." He tapped one of his trench knives against his palm. "You need to create swirls in the wind chakra. Those swirls will naturally pull away the surrounding air and form the vacuum."

"Swirls?"

"Watch carefully."

Asuma used the Vacuum Blade technique on his trench knife. The edge shimmered faintly, but as he shifted the angle, Naruto could see it—the swirling motion of the wind chakra flowing like a spiral around the blade. The air around it seemed to bend, creating a faint distortion in the light.

Asuma took a step forward, slashing cleanly through a nearby boulder. The cut was so precise that the top half slid off silently before crashing to the ground.

"Whoa."

Naruto grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, swirls it is! Let's get this down!" He turned to his clones, throwing his arms up like a conductor before an orchestra. "You heard the bearded chain-smoker! We're swirling this chakra until we can cut through anything!"

"Were those adjectives necessary?"

Naruto smirked. "Well, they are true."

"Brat."

Naruto just chuckled before hesitating.

Noticing the shift in mood, Asuma frowned. "Something wrong?"

Naruto kicked at the dirt. "Well… now that I've pretty much figured out Vacuum Blade, I guess I won't need to bug you for training anymore…"

"Not necessarily. You can still swing by. Ask for training tips, hang out, maybe annoy Shikamaru a bit. Team 10 and I wouldn't mind your company."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, kid," Asuma said with a chuckle. "You're alright."

Naruto's grin nearly split his face as he lunged forward, hugging Asuma with way too much enthusiasm.

"Alright, alright, ease up," Asuma wheezed, patting the boy's back. "You're stronger than you think."

Naruto pulled back, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. Then, his eyes lit up with a new idea. "Hey, can I make a request?"

"Depends. What is it?"

"Can I smoke a cigarette?"

There was a beat of silence.

"Why?"

"I dunno. The Old Man never let me anywhere near his smoking pipe, so now I'm kinda curious. What's the big deal? What's so great about it?"

"...Maybe because you're a child?"

Naruto squinted. "What? That doesn't sound right."

Asuma pinched the bridge of his nose. He really shouldn't. He really shouldn't.

"…As long as you don't tell anyone," he muttered.

Naruto's face lit up. "You are the coolest, Asuma!"

With a smirk, Asuma reached into his pouch, pulled out a cigarette, and handed it to Naruto along with his lighter. "Alright, kid, here's how—"

Before he could finish, Naruto flicked the lighter on, lit the cigarette, and took the biggest inhale possible.

…Then immediately regretted every decision that led him to this moment.

His entire throat felt like it was on fire. His lungs rejected the smoke like an allergic reaction, and he hacked, bent over, coughing so violently that his clones flinched in secondhand suffering before disappearing in puffs of smoke.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Naruto wheezed, dropping the cigarette like it was a cursed object. "HOW DO YOU ENJOY THAT SHIT?! IT TASTES LIKE BURNING TRASH!"

Asuma, completely unfazed, took a long, slow drag from his own cigarette before exhaling the smoke lazily. "You get used to it."

"WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GET USED TO IT?!" Naruto's voice cracked as he continued to cough, hands on his knees.

Asuma just laughed, clapping Naruto on the back. "Guess smoking isn't for you, huh?"

Naruto glared at him, eyes watering from the lingering burn. "You think?"

Wheezing, Naruto straightened up, still glaring as Asuma took another slow, relaxed puff.

The man smirked. "Still think I'm the coolest?"

Naruto scowled, pointing at him. "No, you're the dumbass for actually liking that crap."

Asuma just chuckled, shaking his head. "Brat."

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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 41, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.

To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!