Special Training

The next day, just as expected, they were assigned D-rank missions: pulling weeds, helping Konoha residents find their cats and dogs, and picking up trash in the sewers.

"Even if these missions are boring, can Naruto really handle doing all of them by himself?"

Kakashi Hatake's view was filled with countless Naruto Uzumakis, laboring in the creek with little baskets on their backs and trash pickers in their hands. From farther away, they could also hear Naruto shouting at a cat to stop.

"Don't worry. Naruto's an Uzumaki, so he can take a lot. This is also to build up his stamina. Besides, wasn't this a mutually beneficial deal between us? Naruto takes care of all the missions for us, and I teach them how to train. Hmm, seems fair to me."

Kakashi Hatake couldn't help rubbing his forehead. In front of him, Sasuke Uchiha was repeatedly trying to master Chidori by the riverbank. But each time, the lightning gathered in his hand quickly dispersed, and the electricity left his palm injured.

Naruto Uzumaki was crouched down, his face red as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Naruto, I didn't tell you to hold your breath. Sakura's doing it right. She's almost mastered the basics of Breathing Style."

Nearby, Sakura Haruno's breathing gradually steadied. She had grasped the fundamentals of Water Breathing, the easiest style to learn. Naruto Uzumaki, on the other hand, still hadn't figured out the knack for Wind Breathing.

"I can't do it. Wind Breathing is too hard. I still can't get through the whole breathing pattern smoothly."

Mufeng Uchiha couldn't help rubbing his forehead. Of all the Breathing Styles in the memories he'd shared with Demon Slayer Mufeng, Wind Breathing was the one best suited to Naruto Uzumaki.

"I'll demonstrate it again. Follow my guidance and focus on your breathing."

Mufeng Uchiha put a hand on Naruto Uzumaki's head and sent his Aura into Naruto Uzumaki's body, guiding his breathing.

This time, Naruto Uzumaki breathed smoothly and naturally through the entire Wind Breathing pattern.

"Haha! I, Naruto Uzumaki, really am a genius! I've finally mastered Wind Breathing—cough, cough!"

Naruto Uzumaki got so excited that his breathing immediately fell out of rhythm, and he choked. Seeing this, Sasuke Uchiha couldn't help saying, "You hopeless dead last."

"Damn you, Sasuke! I've mastered Wind Breathing. Hmph, don't tell me you still haven't learned Chidori."

Naruto Uzumaki saw the countless wounds on Sasuke Uchiha's hands and couldn't help feeling smug. Sasuke was nothing special after all.

"Who says I haven't? I'm a genius. You only learned Wind Breathing because Mufeng helped you. I could've mastered it on my own."

Watching Sasuke's haughty expression, Mufeng Uchiha turned to look at Kakashi Hatake, who was slacking off and reading Icha Icha Paradise.

"Uh, what a pain. Sasuke, your shape transformation is barely adequate, but you still haven't gotten the hang of nature transformation."

As he spoke, Kakashi Hatake took Sasuke Uchiha aside and began correcting his Chidori, fixing its flaws one by one.

"Naruto, try Wind Breathing by yourself again."

Mufeng Uchiha had to admire Naruto Uzumaki's talent. After just one round of guidance, Naruto Uzumaki could use Wind Breathing smoothly through instinct alone.

As for Mufeng Uchiha, he had been using the opportunity to teach Naruto Uzumaki to examine his body with Aura. After sharing abilities, he had only received a tenth of Pokemon Mufeng's Aura, but that was more than enough to locate the Asura Chakra hidden inside Naruto Uzumaki.

"Taking Asura's Chakra is practically impossible. It carries the lingering wills of both him and Indra. If I absorb it recklessly, I might be influenced by their wills."

Knowing the original story, Mufeng Uchiha understood that obtaining the Rinnegan required both Asura's and Indra's Chakra to evolve it.

Since Madara had evolved the Rinnegan by consuming Hashirama's flesh, why not combine Sasuke's blood with Hashirama Cells and create a drug that could evolve the Rinnegan without needing the Chakra of both men?

"Looks like I really can't do without you, you omnipotent Snake."

"I can't take it anymore! I'm exhausted!"

After completing three D-rank missions and dispelling his multiple Shadow Clones, Naruto Uzumaki was hit all at once by their exhaustion. He collapsed to the ground like a puddle of goo.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you really know how to teach? Mufeng's better at it than you."

Kakashi Hatake's attempt to teach Sasuke Uchiha Chidori didn't seem to be going well. Sasuke Uchiha kept complaining that Kakashi Hatake was teaching too slowly and wasn't helping him master Chidori completely.

"Sasuke, everything takes time. You can't rush it."

Seeing that Sasuke Uchiha's hands were already covered in wounds from the lightning, Mufeng Uchiha knew that if he kept going, he'd be left with lasting injuries.

After all these years with Sasuke Uchiha, Mufeng Uchiha had looked after him. Without that care, Sasuke Uchiha's reckless training would have left him with who knew how many hidden injuries by now.

"To kill that man, I can't afford to let up for even a moment. I'm willing to pay any price before then! You should understand, Mufeng."

With that, Sasuke Uchiha tried to gather Chidori again, but all he was doing was hurting himself.

"Ugh, I understand how Sasuke feels, but if you keep this up, you'll destroy yourself before you get your revenge."

Mufeng Uchiha stopped Sasuke Uchiha from continuing to train with Chidori. He'd wanted to try out a combo technique between Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki for a while.

"Any one person's strength has its limits. Sasuke, your Chakra works well with Naruto's. Want to try a combo jutsu?"

"A combo jutsu with that stuck-up Sasuke? I'd rather die!"

Naruto Uzumaki, who had been lying on the ground unconscious, sprang back to life at once. As soon as he heard Mufeng Uchiha's suggestion, he flatly refused.

"As expected of an Uzumaki. A little rest, and he's already back to normal."

As Mufeng Uchiha quipped, Sasuke Uchiha firmly refused too, saying he'd never team up with that dead last.

"Mufeng, are you seriously suggesting Naruto and Sasuke try a combo jutsu? You're not joking, are you?"

Those two were like a pair of bickering rivals, and Kakashi Hatake didn't believe they could pull off a combo jutsu.

"Just watch, Kakashi-sensei. No one in the world has better teamwork than those two."

They protested, but still followed Mufeng Uchiha's suggestion and tried to work together. Since Naruto Uzumaki didn't know many jutsu, they chose to combine Breathing Style with ninjutsu.

"Damn you, Sasuke! Your fire almost burned me!"

"Hmph, your Wind Breathing was too slow."

Sasuke Uchiha used Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, and Naruto Uzumaki combined Wind Breathing with Chakra to slash out a wind blade. The two attacks meshed perfectly, the wind blade and flames combining with power far beyond that of an ordinary combo jutsu.

"I use Water Breathing. I should be able to do a combo jutsu with Sasuke too, right?"

Sakura Haruno watched Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha perform their combo move with envy. Kakashi Hatake glanced at Mufeng Uchiha and remarked, "Maybe everyone was wrong. You're the most talented Uchiha of all. Giving you more D-rank missions would be a waste of time. Next time, you can take a C-rank mission."