Konoha entered a tense but orderly state of war readiness. Tsunade's orders were swiftly carried out, with research into the corrupting energy and surveillance of the Akatsuki both raised to the highest priority.
In the Valley of the End, the thunder of rushing water filled the air. Naruto was completely absorbed in the new training Kakashi had assigned him. Rather than trying to compress vast amounts of wind release chakra into the shape of a shuriken, he worked to maintain it as a relatively stable, rapidly spinning sphere of wind, or tried attaching it to a kunai held by a shadow clone to briefly extend its edge with a blade of wind.
"Damn it... keeping its shape is way harder than compressing it!" Naruto panted, frustration written across his face as he watched a sphere of wind collapse before him because of his unsteady chakra control. Wind Release: Rasenshuriken unleashed all its power in a single burst, whereas his current task demanded sustained, steady output and control. That required entirely different skills and patience.
Kakashi watched from the side, offering guidance when needed. "Don't rush it, Naruto. Feel the flow of your chakra. Imagine it as a stream of water. Your job is to guide it, not force it into restraints. Precise control is the foundation for reaching higher levels of power."
During a break, Kakashi brought up the findings in Shizune's report. "Naruto, preliminary research into that corrupting energy suggests that senjutsu chakra may be highly effective against it."
"Senjutsu?" Naruto blinked, recalling the powerful art of Mount Myōboku that Jiraiya, the Pervy Sage, occasionally mentioned. "You mean that power the Pervy Sage uses?"
"That's right." Kakashi nodded. "It's a higher form of power created by incorporating natural energy. If you can master senjutsu, not only will your strength