Tongtian—Heaven's Reach—was the pinnacle of fuinjutsu mastery.
Fuinjutsu, or sealing techniques, were an ancient art—mystical spells inscribed onto paper or surfaces, capable of unleashing a wide array of effects.
The structure of these seals bore similarities to both Kidō from other arts and the shinobi world's Ninjutsu. But Tongtian took this craft to an entirely new level.
With Tongtian, preparation became unnecessary.
A seasoned seal master might need hours to carefully inscribe and activate a single powerful seal. But Tongtian?
It bypassed that limitation entirely.
A true master of this art could inscribe dozens of seals in mere moments—drawn with such speed and precision that the delay between intent and execution all but vanished.
If such mastery were applied to ninjutsu or even spiritual arts like ghost techniques, it would allow for nearly infinite and instantaneous casting.
However—
Naruto wasn't there yet.
He still had to deepen his understanding of chakra, of sealing, and of the vast array of ninjutsu in the world.
He would master Tongtian one day. But not now.
Naruto was the kind who preferred to prepare completely before acting. Once he had the tools and the knowledge, only then would he strike—decisively, and without hesitation.
While Naruto was busy with his own training—
On the other side of the village, Sasuke had not forgotten his recent defeat.
He'd been brooding over Naruto's challenge, pushing himself to improve in every way.
He refined his taijutsu, strengthened his body, and sharpened his shuriken skills until they were like second nature.
This Sasuke was no longer the same as the one who walked out of the Forest of Death.
Today—
Confident and determined, Sasuke intercepted Naruto on his way home from the Academy.
"I want a rematch," he said, expression cold. "Uzumaki Naruto."
He stood firm, making it clear that he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Naruto blinked.
What's gotten into him?
It wasn't raining. The sky wasn't falling. And yet here Sasuke was, acting like he'd finally caught up.
Naruto was confused—but one look told him that Sasuke wouldn't let this go.
So he nodded.
Fine. He could offer Sasuke some guidance. It was nothing to him.
Seeing Naruto agree, Sasuke smirked inwardly.
Hmph... Today's the day, Naruto. I'm going to win.
He had a special technique prepared for this moment.
Not long after, the two arrived at a quiet training field on the edge of the village.
It was evening. Most villagers were at home eating dinner. No one would disturb them here.
Now, they stood face to face.
One had lost his parents to the village's will.
The other had killed his own family for power.
Now—
They were both alone.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage Tower, the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi—was about to call it a day when he glanced into his crystal ball to check on Naruto's whereabouts.
Unexpectedly, he saw Uchiha Sasuke standing across from him.
A sparring match?
Hiruzen's interest was piqued.
He decided to delay his evening tea and watch the fight unfold.
On the training field, Naruto looked calmly at Sasuke and spoke first.
"Come on. Show me how much stronger you've gotten since last time."
Sasuke snorted in reply and wasted no time.
The moment the words left Naruto's mouth, Sasuke shot forward like a bullet.
Tap tap tap!!!
His footwork was sharp, precise—closing the distance fast.
As he moved, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a shuriken.
With a sharp flick—swish!—he hurled it at Naruto.
Naruto didn't flinch.
He smoothly pulled a kunai from his tool pouch.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He deflected the incoming shuriken with ease.
In that brief moment—
Sasuke closed the gap.
With the distraction of the shuriken, he launched into a clean sequence of Uchiha-style taijutsu—a fast, aggressive series of strikes, refined through relentless practice.
Naruto continued to block. Though the taijutsu Sasuke used resembled his previous moves, this time, they were noticeably sharper—more refined.
He'd gotten stronger.
There was no denying it.
If Naruto wasn't who he was…
Sasuke really would be the top prodigy of their class.
As expected of Uchiha Sasuke... Naruto thought to himself, secretly impressed. He truly lives up to his reputation.
But admiration didn't mean mercy.
In the very next instant, Naruto spotted an opening in Sasuke's form and responded immediately—driving his leg into what should have been Sasuke's blind spot.
Poof!
Sasuke's body burst into a puff of white smoke.
A Substitution Technique?
Or a Clone Technique?
Naruto narrowed his eyes, slightly surprised.
At the same time, one of the shuriken he had earlier deflected embedded itself into the ground nearby—emitting a sudden bang and a burst of smoke.
From within it—
The real Sasuke emerged.
"I got you!" he shouted, eyes blazing with excitement.
Naruto, seemingly caught off guard, was left wide open.
Sasuke didn't hesitate.
He rushed in, launching a fluid and well-rehearsed combo of taijutsu strikes.
But—
The moment his first strike landed—
Poof!
Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke.
In his place stood a wooden training post.
"Wha—!?" Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief. "When!?"
How had Naruto used a Substitution Technique so fast?
But that was exactly what had happened.
In the next instant—
Naruto reappeared behind him.
Thud!
Sasuke was sent flying with a clean kick to the back.
Naruto didn't look smug. If anything, he looked calm.
"Oh? That was close," he said with mild amusement.
He wasn't surprised by Sasuke's tactics.
With his current level of perception—
And his sharpened reflexes—
Even if he didn't immediately see through Sasuke's setup…
He could still respond fast enough to counter it purely on instinct and battle sense.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched all of this through his crystal ball.
Naruto's precise use of the Substitution Technique, his composed reaction under pressure…
It all left the old Hokage quietly impressed.
So young—yet already showing the makings of a seasoned shinobi.
Back on the training field—
Sasuke tumbled across the ground but quickly flipped upright.
He gritted his teeth, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
His plan had failed.
But he wasn't done.
Still mid-air, Sasuke glared down at Naruto and began forming hand seals.
Swish. Swish. Swish!
His chakra surged.
A deep breath.
His chest expanded—
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!!!"
A roar of heat erupted from Sasuke's mouth.
A swirling inferno ignited into a massive sphere of flame.
The fireball surged downward, its oppressive heat rippling through the air as it bore down on Naruto.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened.
"Fire Release...?!"
He hadn't expected Sasuke to use such a high-level technique in a spar.
And while he had full confidence in Naruto's abilities…
He also knew the boy hadn't yet learned any ninjutsu beyond the basic Three Techniques—Clone, Transformation, and Substitution.
Did I push Naruto too fast?
The Third Hokage frowned, a twinge of regret flashing through his mind.
But—
Back on the field, Naruto stood still.
Unfazed.
Even with the Great Fireball barreling toward him, his expression didn't change.
"Fire Style, huh?" he muttered.
Just as the inferno was about to consume him—
Naruto suddenly lunged forward—throwing a punch!
Just one punch.
That single strike shattered Sasuke's Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique on contact.
The massive ball of flame burst apart, instantly dispersed by the sheer force of Naruto's blow. The blaze vanished in the blink of an eye.
From mid-air, Sasuke watched it happen—stunned.
He saw it with his own eyes.
Naruto had punched through his Great Fireball.
His mind blanked for a moment.
What the hell...!?
All that training, all that effort he'd poured into mastering the Uchiha clan's signature jutsu—
And Naruto destroyed it with a single punch?!
Was this… the power of the demon fox the villagers always whispered about?
Is he really... the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki?
Sasuke's shock was genuine. And he wasn't alone.
Far away in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—watched the scene unfold through his crystal ball, eyes narrowing.
That punch…
That level of raw physical power...
It was more than just advanced taijutsu.
"Could it be the power of the Nine-Tails?" Hiruzen murmured, tapping his pipe against the edge of the desk, his gaze contemplative.
Naruto's physical strength had already reached a level where he could dispel a C-rank Fire Release technique—purely through brute force.
A feat that shouldn't have been possible at his age, without chakra-enhanced strength.
Or… without something more.
...
TN:
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