Three Basic Techniques

As noon approached, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows. Menma was already sitting steadily on the branch where Kakashi was. His posture was light, as if he had become one with the branch.

Naruto hadn't arrived yet, but his energetic figure was steadily climbing the tree trunk. Sweat ran down his forehead, and his eyes held a stubborn determination. Each upward movement was more practiced than the last. He had clearly made significant progress.

Kakashi looked up at the sky. The sun had reached its highest point, which meant it was already noon.

"Okay! Let's stop here for now and continue this afternoon," Kakashi said with a smile.

"Yeah! No problem!" Menma slowly jumped down from the branch and landed steadily. Kakashi jumped down after him.

"Damn it! I was so close!" Naruto said angrily. He glanced at Menma, then suddenly seemed to think of something and hurried over to him.

"Um... Menma, is there some kind of trick to this? Can you tell me?" Naruto scratched his head, narrowed his eyes into slits, and asked with a grin.

"Oh, a trick? There is one." Menma said as he walked.

"Really? Really? Tell me!" Naruto followed Menma, watching him expectantly.

"Hehehe, I'm not telling you," Menma said teasingly.

"Come on, Menma, please tell me. I'm begging you, just tell me the trick..." Naruto looked at Menma with an almost pleading expression.

"Fine. The trick is actually very simple: relax." Menma walked along with his hands clasped behind his head, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly and a hint of smugness in his eyes.

"Relax?" Naruto pondered, but still didn't understand what Menma meant.

"Come on, listen. Using chakra requires spiritual energy, so you can't be too tense or too fixated on it. To gather a certain amount of chakra in the soles of your feet, you have to relax and focus your mind on the tree. That's it," Menma explained.

"Oh, so that's what you mean. I get it now." Naruto suddenly understood.

If he could, Naruto would have gone right back and tried again.

"My, my. You two worked hard today, too. Let's go get barbecue for lunch," Kakashi said, his eyes narrowed into slits and a faint smile on his face.

"Awesome! Let's go!" Naruto strode ahead, oblivious as ever.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei, I can already climb up to that branch. Am I just going to watch Naruto climb trees this afternoon?" Menma seemed to be hinting at something, and he looked at Kakashi expectantly.

"That's true. How about I teach you the Three Basic Techniques this afternoon? You've got a pretty good handle on chakra control, so they shouldn't be too difficult for you," Kakashi replied after thinking it over.

"Oh! I see. That sounds pretty good, too." The Three Basic Techniques were the most basic of the basics, but with a solid foundation, you could learn anything quickly.

Before long, afternoon arrived, and the three returned to the same small grove as before.

Naruto could hardly wait. He dashed forward, and this time he made clear progress, coming within just a few steps of the branch.

After climbing down, Naruto immediately perked up. He glanced at the branch, gathered his strength, and charged up again.

Nearby, Kakashi was demonstrating the Three Basic Techniques to Menma: the Transformation Technique, the Substitution Technique, and the Clone Technique.

"The Transformation Technique is a type of transformation ninjutsu. It works by using chakra to change your appearance. The Substitution Technique is a type of Summoning Technique and Sealing Jutsu. It's a defensive ninjutsu used to save your life. As for the Clone Technique, it's used to distract and confuse your opponent. It's a simple genjutsu," Kakashi explained one by one.

After listening to Kakashi's explanation and watching his demonstration, Menma was eager to try.

"Clone Technique!" A puff of smoke appeared on either side of Menma, and another Menma appeared on each side.

"Oh? Not bad. You got it on the first try." Kakashi was a little surprised.

Menma then used the Transformation Technique. "Transform!" With a poof, the three Menmas became three Kakashis.

"Hey, not bad. You combined the Clone Technique and the Transformation Technique." Kakashi was somewhat astonished. He'd learned them just from watching once—what else could you call that but genius? These techniques were the most basic of the basics, but few three-year-olds could learn them after a single demonstration.

"Okay, next is the Substitution Technique." Menma said in a low voice, "Substitution Technique!" With a poof, smoke instantly billowed out. Menma's figure vanished from where he stood like an illusion, and in the spot where he had disappeared, Naruto's bewildered figure gradually appeared.

At first, Kakashi thought the technique had failed, but when he looked more closely, he realized it was Naruto.

As expected, Menma appeared where Naruto had just been—and Naruto had been climbing the tree.

With a poof! Before Menma could react, he fell straight down.

Naruto looked around in confusion, scratched his head, and asked in bewilderment, "Huh? Wasn't I climbing the tree? How did I suddenly get over here?"

Kakashi couldn't help laughing at the sight. Menma was probably the first person to use his own older brother as a substitute.

Nearby, Menma sat up, holding the bump on his head. He hadn't expected that to happen. Maybe it was because this was his first time using the technique and he wasn't very practiced yet.

Naruto looked back at the tree and saw Menma sitting beneath it, holding his head. He immediately ran over.

"Hey? Menma, why do you have such a big bump on your head? What happened? And how did you suddenly get here?"

Naruto stared at Menma in confusion and asked. Menma looked at his slow-witted older brother, sighed helplessly, then stood up.

"It's fine, big brother. Keep going." Menma patted Naruto on the shoulder and walked back over to Kakashi.

"You're the first person I've seen use his own older brother as a substitute," Kakashi said with a grin as Menma approached.

Menma's mouth twitched. He stared at Kakashi in silence, not knowing what to say.

Just then, Naruto gathered his strength and charged up again, making it all the way to the branch where Kakashi and Menma had been earlier. He excitedly shouted toward them, "Kakashi-sensei! I made it up here, too!"

Kakashi glanced toward Naruto. Seeing him standing on the branch, he smiled approvingly and called out, "Well done, Naruto!"

Naruto began laughing smugly, but suddenly lost his balance and looked like he was about to fall.

Kakashi and Menma's expressions changed. "Naruto!" they shouted almost in unison.

Just as Naruto was about to fall, he steadied himself and ended up hanging from the branch.

"Just kidding! This is the new jutsu I developed: Ninja Art: Bat Hanging Upside Down Technique!"

Naruto grinned at Kakashi and Menma as he spoke. But before he could enjoy his triumph for long, his feet lost their grip on the branch.

"Huh?" Before Naruto could react, he fell from the tree.

"Damn it!" Kakashi's expression changed dramatically, panic flashing in his eyes. He immediately used the Body Flicker Technique, his figure becoming a blur as he appeared beneath the tree in the blink of an eye. He stretched out both arms and caught Naruto safely. Their silhouettes formed a striking scene in the sunlight.

Naruto recovered from the scare, and Menma ran over as well. "You got carried away again. I should've let you fall," Menma said, first rubbing the bump on his own head, then folding his arms across his chest.

Naruto scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. Kakashi watched him closely and realized that he had already developed a decent grasp of chakra control.

So Kakashi said gently, "Naruto, you've got a pretty good handle on chakra, too. Come learn the Three Basic Techniques with Menma." As he spoke, Kakashi gently set Naruto down. Naruto bounced excitedly and hurried over to Menma, his eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.

After Kakashi had explained the techniques and Menma had demonstrated them again, Naruto began practicing, too.

"Clone Technique!" A puff of smoke appeared, and a tiny Naruto, only about the size of a fist, appeared before the three of them.

Kakashi wasn't surprised. If Naruto had learned everything at a glance just like Menma, Kakashi would have envied Minato and Kushina's genes.

Menma's mouth twitched despite himself. This is just like what happened in Naruto. He clearly remembered that in the Naruto world of his memories, Naruto had once created two miniature versions of himself to protect Hinata. But now he could only make one.

Seeing Kakashi's mostly unchanged expression and Menma's utterly speechless look, Naruto felt a little indignant.

"Clone Technique!" Naruto shouted again. Suddenly, with a poof—

When the smoke cleared to Naruto's left, an outfit identical to Naruto's had appeared.

Naruto himself couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from twitching at the sight. Menma was utterly exasperated, while Kakashi beside them showed no visible reaction.

As the minutes passed, the sun sank in the west. Menma had become quite adept at using the Three Basic Techniques, and could even combine them to take on several different appearances.

Naruto had also become fairly proficient with the Transformation Technique. As for the Clone Technique, he could just barely summon one clone, but it was like a deflated balloon, limp on the ground. For some reason, he still hadn't managed to use the Substitution Technique successfully.

Over the next few days, Naruto and Menma studied their letters with Kakashi in the mornings and practiced the Three Basic Techniques in the afternoons. Menma also made sure to train in Taijutsu every day.

That afternoon, the courtyard was quiet and peaceful. Naruto and Menma were focused on practicing the Three Basic Techniques, while Kakashi lounged comfortably in a chair, reading Tales of a Gutsy Ninja.

Suddenly, Might Guy's energetic voice rang out. "Yo! Kakashi, looks like you taught them some amazing things while I was away for a few days." His voice broke the courtyard's quiet. Naruto and Menma stopped what they were doing, and Kakashi put away his book. All three turned toward the sound.

"Bushy-Brow-sensei!" Naruto cried excitedly.

"Yo, Guy, you're back," Kakashi said with a smile, putting away his book and standing up from the chair to greet Might Guy.

"Guy-sensei, you're back! I'll tell you, Kakashi-sensei is really good at teaching. We've almost learned all the characters in just a few days, and on top of that, we've learned the Three Basic Techniques!" Menma ran over to Might Guy, as if showing off. He wasn't doing it just to brag; he knew Might Guy's personality all too well. What he really wanted was to learn the Eight Inner Gates from him.

"Ah, just as I expected from the student I chose. You've already learned..." Might Guy first patted Menma on the head, then suddenly seemed to remember something.

"W-what? That fast? You've even learned the Three Basic Techniques? Kakashi, you jerk! You stole my students!" Might Guy's eyes blazed as he glared at Kakashi, clearly unwilling to accept it.

"My, my. It couldn't be helped. They're both so talented—they learn everything as soon as I teach it," Kakashi said with a smile, scratching his head.

"Huh? You teach it once and they learn it?" Might Guy's eyes widened, and he shouted indignantly, "Damn it, Kakashi! Let's have a showdown between true men!"

"Huh?" Kakashi was completely dumbfounded. He couldn't believe Might Guy had returned and immediately challenged him to a duel.