Naruto : Back to the Past

Naruto realized that while he might not be as skilled a teacher as Kakashi or Jiraiya, he still had valuable knowledge to share with Hinata. He planned to teach her some essential basics ahead of time, giving her an advantage over others once they graduated. He had a strong feeling that after graduation, Lord Hiruzen would likely place him, Sarada, and Sakura on the same team, which would mean less time for him to personally train Hinata.

His goal was to lay a foundation for Hinata, to give her a direction for her future training. He wanted her to be able to continue improving even when he couldn't be there to guide her. Knowing the path to follow was crucial for Hinata's development of her ninja skills.

Facing Hinata, Naruto spoke with seriousness, "Hina-chan, I'm not going to teach you any Jutsu or complicated techniques. What I will teach you are some fundamental skills that you'll need after you leave the Academy. Are you ready for this?"

Hinata's expression was one of determination and resolve. "Yes, I'm ready," she replied. Strength was what she desired the most at this moment. Gaining strength would enable her to reach her goals and fulfill her dreams.

"Great attitude, Hina-chan!" Naruto encouraged her with a thumbs-up.

"Let me show you how to walk up this tree." He then picked a nearby tree and effortlessly walked up its trunk, his feet firmly planted against the bark as if he were strolling on flat ground. Despite being upside down, he didn't fall or lose his balance. Instead, he stood there on the tree, arms crossed over his chest, looking down at Hinata.

"See, just like this!" Naruto said, jumping back down to the ground.

"The key to tree walking is really simple. You have to control the amount of energy, or chakra, in the soles of your feet. If you don't use enough, you'll slip off the tree and fall. But if you use too much, your feet will push too hard against the tree, possibly breaking the bark, and you'll fall anyway. The trick is to find the right balance." Naruto explained the technique, making sure Hinata understood the delicate balance needed to succeed.

Eager to try, Hinata approached the tree, ready to follow Naruto's instructions. She placed her right foot on the tree trunk and was thrilled to see it stick to the tree, which boosted her confidence. But when she attempted to place her second foot, she didn't focus enough energy, resulting in her losing her grip and starting to fall.

Ah…!!!

Hinata felt a rush of fear as she began to tumble backward. However, before she could hit the ground, Naruto swiftly moved in and caught her from behind, preventing her fall.

"Don't worry, I've got you," Naruto said with a reassuring grin. Hinata, feeling a bit embarrassed but grateful, quickly stood up and tried once more. This time, she managed to take a couple of extra steps up the tree before she lost her balance again.

Ah…!!!

And just like before, Naruto was right there to catch her, ensuring she didn't fall. His quick reflexes and steady support gave Hinata the confidence to keep trying.

Naruto saw Hinata's efforts and offered a helpful suggestion with a kind smile. "Hina-chan, you could use a shadow clone to help speed up your training," Naruto said. Hinata was familiar with the Shadow Clone Jutsu, but she wasn't sure how it could help her train.

"How does that work?" she asked, curious.

"Well, when you create a shadow clone, it's like making another version of yourself. The clone thinks and acts just like you. So, when you have the clone practice something, all the learning and experiences it gains come back to you when the clone disappears," Naruto explained.

He decided to give her an example to make it clearer. "Let's say you make a clone, and you send it to the market to buy shurikens. On the way, the clone runs into me. If I, not realizing it's a clone, fall in love with it and give it a kiss, all those memories and feelings experienced by the clone will transfer to you once the Jutsu ends." Hinata nodded, understanding the concept, even as her cheeks flushed slightly at the thought of such an encounter with Naruto, even if it was just an example involving a shadow clone.

The thought of kissing Naruto made Hinata's imagination run wild, and she couldn't help but blush deeply at the idea. The very notion of such an intimate moment with Naruto turned her face a bright shade of red.

"Do you understand now, Hina-chan?" Naruto asked, noticing Hinata's intense blush. Her entire face, even her ears, were flushed with a rosy color.

Seeing her reaction, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle softly. 'Maybe I teased her a bit too much,' he thought, finding her blushing face incredibly adorable. She looked so endearing that it made him want to hug her and spend hours just cuddling with her.

'She's really cute,' he mused to himself. Naruto realized that he had become more upfront and bold than he used to be, especially after his experiences with Kushina. If it had been before, he probably wouldn't have dared to use such a playful example. But now, it just came naturally to him to express himself in this more open, affectionate way.

After Hinata regained her composure, Naruto encouraged her to create a shadow clone for their training session. "Okay, let's get started with your training," he said.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Hinata exclaimed, and in an instant, another Hinata appeared right beside her.

Under Naruto's watchful eye, both Hinatas began their training. They focused on trying to walk up the side of a vertical surface, like a tree, without slipping off. At first, Hinata found herself falling repeatedly, unable to maintain her balance. But as time went on, Naruto could see that she was picking up the technique more quickly than expected.

Each attempt saw Hinata staying on the tree a little longer than before, gradually improving her record each time. As the training progressed, the benefits of using a shadow clone became evident. With the clone helping to halve her learning time, Hinata was able to master the tree-walking skill in just one hour.

"Great work, Hina-chan," Naruto praised, genuinely impressed by Hinata's quick mastery of the technique. It made him reflect on his own training. He had spent several days learning the same skill, and he couldn't help but wonder how much faster he could have learned if he had used multiple shadow clones from the start. The thought crossed his mind that he might have been even more skilled than Sasuke if he had utilized shadow clones for training right from the beginning.

Naruto remembered how it took him almost a whole week to learn the Rasengan. But with the help of shadow clones, he could have mastered the jutsu in just an hour, reducing a week's worth of training to a mere sixty minutes.

He then gently patted Hinata on the head, an action that instantly made her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink. Hinata's heart fluttered with joy at his touch. She felt a wave of happiness wash over her, almost making her feel addicted to the comforting and affectionate gesture from Naruto.

"Let's step up your training now. Follow me," Naruto said as he gently took Hinata's hand and led her to a nearby water stream by the training ground. Hinata stared at his hand in a daze before a small smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She loved how gentle and kind Naruto was with her. 

The stream was about one meter deep, not too deep to completely soak her if she fell in, making it an ideal spot for the next phase of her training.

"Next, we're going to learn how to walk on water. Watch this!" Naruto demonstrated, walking effortlessly on the surface of the water. To further impress the technique upon her, he even performed a few backflips on the water.

"With enough practice, you'll be able to do all of this too," Naruto encouraged her. "Now, let me explain how this works." He then began to detail the basics of the technique. "This training is all about improving how you control your chakra. To walk on water, you need to release a steady stream of chakra from the soles of your feet. This chakra acts like a force against the water, allowing you to stay on the surface. This technique is a bit trickier than walking up trees because the amount of chakra you need to use keeps changing. You have to adjust it constantly to stay balanced on the moving water." Naruto explained it in simple terms, hoping to make it as clear as possible for Hinata.

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Once again thank you for reading this chapter. I really appreciate all the power stones that you all have given to this novel. Your comments and your power stones do make a big difference.