better left unsaid

Chapter 13: 44 Ways To Kill You With A Pimento

The week of Team 10's sensei prescribed 'downtime' had come to an end and before long they were right back to work, as all three of the young genin-class shinobi had incentive for wanting to get stronger. Ino, for wanting to provide more than a mere support role to the team. Shikamaru, so that he could find himself capable of going through with his own plans instead of having to use his teammates as living chess pieces as well as bettering his strategies that his father showed him he was still lacking somewhat in. And last but not least Naruto, who believed that he wasn't strong enough to still be accepting of his role as the team's direct conflict fighter and overall self-professed guardian of sorts. But with him, things were coming along smoothly especially after the little boon bestowed upon him by Asuma during their down week.

(Flashback – Three Weeks Ago – 4 Days Into Team 10's Break)

Naruto sat cross-legged on the ground in front of Asuma under the shade of the single tree in their team training ground's clearing against a rock. The man himself was leaning against the tree trunk itself with a very satisfied smile on his face, "It's really a good thing for you that I'm your sensei. I think I'm the only other wind user in Konoha other than you now."

Naruto nodded and stayed silent for the time being, he was aware of elements at the very least. Like for instance he knew that Sasuke shot big-ass fireballs around at his leisure, something that Naruto actually wished he could do. Why couldn't he have been fire-natured? That seemed so much cooler than wind. I mean who didn't like fireballs and explosions? And when he set the explosion he would just turn around and walk away, because after all, everyone knew that cool guys don't look at explosions. He tried practicing his 'not-looking-at-explosions' cool guy gestures when he first joined, but Asuma didn't want him using explosive tags like that… and he didn't want him turning the training ground into a cratered mess.

Asuma gave Naruto a deadpan look as he could see Naruto had stopped paying attention and had a glazed look on his face with a content smirk, "You were thinking of the 'cool guys don't look at explosions' thing again weren't you?" Asuma said, getting Naruto to snap out of his daydream, "It's all over your face. And now you have that look of 'why didn't I get fire or something so that I could make explosions like Sasuke'."

Naruto just chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, "No… So come on and tell me already, what's so great about wind and what can I do with it?"

Asuma sighed, having to defend his best element to this kid wasn't how he anticipated his training to go, "Alright, wind in my opinion is the best element for you out of them all. Fire is too wild for someone like you, lightning is too precise, water is too loose and flowing, and earth is too straightforward and set. With wind it's the best for the way that you fight, close-to-mid range."

"How?" Naruto asked him skeptically, "Won't wind just blow stuff away from me? That's cool and all I guess, but it won't really beat anyone. I need to be close for my taijutsu to work and everything."

Asuma shook his head, "That's a misconception. While a lot of wind ninjutsu blow things around there are more of them suited towards cutting things." He pointed to a nearby tree and pulled out one of his trench knives, "You see that tree?" Naruto nodded and Asuma threw it.

As the weapon stuck itself into the tree, Naruto waited for something to happen but it never did, "That's it?" He said, turning back to Asuma, "If I knew how to throw that thing I could have done that."

Asuma pulled out his other trench knife, "Fair enough, okay you see this one?" Naruto again nodded, but with less enthusiasm this time, "Move." Naruto raised an eyebrow but got up and moved towards Asuma who threw the trench knife against the rock that Naruto had been standing by. The weapon split right through the stone, kicking up dust from the destroyed stone.