Naruto Uzumaki: The Fox Blade

Training Continues

To say training was a pain was an understatement. In the gauntlet he'd been smashed by logs, fallen in holes, shot with sleeping darts and hung up by trees. Day after day he was sent up there. Getting better and better.

After three weeks of training he now could get through the gauntlet in record time. Tanjiro told him that without a blind fold he had the quickest time. Something he had taken pride in. That wasn't the only thing he was getting faster at.

When they had started spars he struggled to see the attacks coming from Tanjiro. The other boys speed and strength being so much higher. Though Naruto was catching up quickly. Sakonji thinks it's because he has a tailed beast. It made his body and senses much stronger. They also adapt quicker.

Either way now he was making progress. Standing across from Tanjiro he launched off. Slashing across at the other boy. Tanjiro quickly deflected the attack. Twisting right he dodged Tanjiro's counter. Naruto quickly followed up with two slashes before thrusting the top of the wooden blade forward.

Unfortunately he left himself open. Tanjiro hit the blade up before landing a powerful hit on Naruto's side, "Match Tanjiro!"

"Damn I thought I had it." Naruto said as he wiped some of the sweet off of his face. Giyu though who had been watching knew that he had almost won. Tanjiro was very skilled for his age. A prodigy in fact. Only three other Core members were his age.

Naruto was a tier above them though. The speed at which he was learning the blade was incredible. Giyu wanted to contribute it to the fact he had been trained partially from birth to be a Shinobi but he that didn't make to much sense. It seemed as if he was born to be a swordsman.

"Sakonji-Dono has something different for you today other than the gauntlet." Naruto nodded, "What is it Giyu-sensei?"

Pulling out a blind fold he handed it to the boy, "It's time to start your chakra training." Naruto looked at the blond fold confused, "Then what's this for Giyu sensei?"

"We are also going to start increasing your senses." Naruto put the blind fold on. Having his sight taken away was unnerving. He always had a good sense of hearing and smell but it still didn't make up for his lack of sight.

"The way we use chakra is unique." Naruto could hear the swordsman but couldn't place where he was at, "Samurai channel all their chakra through their sword. Only ever increasing their physical prowess to its peak but never amplifying. Shinobi use it to create powerful Jutsu and amplifying their bodies."

"We are somewhere in the middle. We amplify our body's to super human levels. Along with channeling our perspective elements through our swords. Though most don't branch from a single element. "

Naruto took in what he was saying. He wasn't going to be a samurai or a shinobi. He was okay with that. As long as he had the ability to help people and prove that he isn't worth nothing than he was happy.

"Now feel your chakra. I want you to push it out, let it surround you." Naruto took a deep breathe instinctively. Letting it out his chakra burst from within. He could feel it as it surrounded him. Feeling the way his muscles reacted to the flood of his spiritual energy.

As he was lost in thought he felt something on the outside of his view. His body moved before his mind registered a threat. Though his body wasn't fast enough as Giyu's bokken hit Naruto in the side knocking him over.

"Tanjiro. Grab that pile of rocks." Naruto sat up, "ROCKS!"

"Yes. He is going to throw these rocks at you, you will either block or dodge every rock." Naruto began trying to react to the rocks coming towards him. Though he was able to dodge a few. It took over an hour to be able to block any. He was able to sense the movement and started getting closer and closer.