It was currently a Saturday. A free day without school. Normally Naruto would just stroll around and make pranks or go with Kaito to meet the others to laze around.
But today Kaito actually dragged him out to a spot near the village where they could do some training.
"Do we really have to do this?", lamented Naruto.
"Show me your clone jutsu...", said Kaito back and Naruto became somewhat silent.
"...You know I am bad at it..."
"Just do it.", ordered Kaito now with a firm expression.
"Clone-Jutsu.", said Naruto and after a puff of smoke, a wobbly mess appeared close to him.
Kaito his brow twitched looking at this monstrosity that he created.
But at the same time, he was somewhat surprised. It started walking. Something it otherwise never did.
Looking at it closer, it seemed to become green in its face. Kaito immediately knew what was up. He sidestepped and dodged whatever was to come.
Look and behold the clone threw up massively and disappeared together with its bile into thin air.
"That's new...You actually managed to create something that probably wanted to kill itself..."
"Urgh...It's always the same. Why cant it be as easy as the Transformation-Jutsu?"
"You tell me..."
"I don't really know. It's somewhat hard to control the chakra outside my body..."
"Fine, whatever. I can't really help you with control. But that is the reason why we are here - training. I will help you out a little bit in things like Shuriken- and Taijutsu."
"Why don't you teach me about your water bullet already?"
Kaito looked at him and contemplated. "Alright, let's try it. Listen, when you gather enough chakra in your mouth just mix it with your spit and release it. Here is how it looks."
Kaito went ahead and performed his Jutsu. His cheeks blew up like a frog after gathering some chakra and after that, he shot out a water bullet straight at a tree.
It left a clear head-sized impact on it. "Now you do it." While saying that Kaito made himself ready to punch his brother in his stomach if he saw him losing control.
But to Kaito's surprise when Naruto performed, he was doing pretty well. That is until the finish line. Instead of a water bullet, he released a burp.
"..."
"..."
Both stood there in silence. Then Kaito took out a set of shuriken and handed them to his brother.
"That tree. 2 hours. Go." It was a clear order for him to start practicing. And Naruto was ashamed enough to stay silent and do as told.
While Naruto started throwing, Kaito did the same on another tree.
Later after that was finished, Kaito went over and began to spar with him a little bit in Taijutsu.
But at some point, they actually ended becoming somewhat fervid in their spar and beat the shit out of themselves.
Having bumps and bruises all over themselves they had to stop it somewhere.
The last thing Kaito did was just calmly sit down on the ground and meditate while circulating his chakra through his body.
He noticed that through this action his body healed faster from fatigue and wounds.
Naruto also did the same after seeing what it did with his brother but he always couldn't stay focused long enough for a good result.
"Urgh, this is so boring.", commented Naruto.
"I read it in one of the books from the academy. To increase our chakra reserve and make our control better, this is the best method. You especially need the control, brother. So if you at least would take this seriously, you wouldn't fail at Ninjutsu so much." Kaito stayed neutral to his complaining and gave him reason enough to do this exercise.
"Hmm, alright. I will try again. And you are sure there aren't better ways to do it? Maybe something physical?", asked Naruto.
"Well, I didn't find a book about that. Maybe there is. How about you ask Iruka-sensei?"
"Nah...It's alright."
"Are you still thinking you would admit defeat after asking for help from him? You know Sasuke is only riling you up, right? He also had someone to teach him. Don't forget that."
"That guy." Naruto became agitated now. "He really thinks he is something better, doesn't he? It has been what now? A year? And he still thinks he is superior to everyone."
"...I think he actually is just trying to become our friend in gis way, no?"
Naruto was surprised. "You really think so?"
"He isn't interacting with others as much as he is with us, right? So I do think I am somewhat right."
"Hmm, I guess." Then Naruto's stomach grumbled. "Okay, I can't concentrate. I need food! Let's go to Ichiraku's."
Kaito only sighed and followed him to the ramen shop.
---
The next day the two would come to find out that Sasuke was missing at class.
Apparently there were also rumors starting to spread immediately about his clan being massacred by someone.
And the only survivor of that incident was him.
Later Sasuke started to also behave differently. In spars, he became extremely aggressive and his determination to improve skyrocketed.
"His eyes were the same as those people that look at us."
"I saw them too. He is filled with hatred about his family being killed...."
"Yeah, but he doesn't really look at us when he glares.", nodded Naruto. "He is just like us now."
"I don't think so, Naruto. There is a difference..."
The twins actually once came across him when they returned home from spending some time with Shikamaru and co.
Sasuke was sitting all alone around a river that went through the village that originated from a waterfall some distance away.
"Hey, gloom face.", said Kaito to him after approaching him.
Sasuke didn't take that in a good way. "What are you two idiots doing here? Get lost." Sasuke replied. It looks like he called them both idiots now because he did start to do it with Naruto.
"Urgh, see he is just insulting us now.", said Naruto.
"Excuse me, princess. I was just here to invite you to eat something. But sure, sulk more." grumbled Kaito
"Do you even understand how I feel?", asked Sasuke mockingly.
"Understand to not have anyone? To feel ostracized by this village?" Then Kaito sighed. "Do you take us as a joke? Anyway, If you feel like it to join us, just follow. Otherwise, suit yourself..."
Kaito waved and dragged Naruto along. When both of them didn't look Sasuke threw a glance at them. He actually contemplated about his offer.
Later when the twins sat at Ichiraku's another boy appeared and joined them.
"Oh, look. We have another customer. What may I bring you?"
"The same as them.", he replied.
"A beef ramen bowl. Coming right up.", smiled Ayame and gave the order to her father beside her.
Both Naruto and Kaito just smiled. The time spent there was done silently and no word fell from either of them. But there was a certain bond forming between the three.
‐-------------‐------
New Skills:
Shuriken-Jutsu(LVL 7)(Passive): Expertise in throwing bladed weapons. The higher the level the more accurate the throws.
Kenjutsu(LVL 5)(Passive): Expertise in using bladed weapons like swords or kunai. The higher the level the more defined the art.
Taijutsu(LVL8)(Passive): Expertise in using the body as a weapon. The higher the level the more defined the movements.
Meditation(LVL 6)(Active/Passive): Expertise in calming one's mind. Increases HP and CP regeneration. Each level also gives a 0.1% increase in HP and CP
Clone-Jutsu(LVL 12)(Active): A technique that creates a visual copy of oneself. Very weak and easily seen through because of having no chakra. Cant attack. Weaknesses can be erased at a higher level. CP cost 48(50)
Transformation-Jutsu(LVL 21)(Active): A skill to change the appearance for espionage. CP cost 12(15)
Substitution-Jutsu(LVL 3)(Active): A combination of Clone- and Transformation-Jutsu. Enables to fool enemies and escape some attacks when the level is high enough. CP cost 70(75)