Forged Beyond

FISH AND TREEZZZ

"OW COLD COLD COLD!!" Naruto yelped as he splashed through the shallow river, water reaching up to his hips. He hopped around, trying to shake off the chill.

"THESE DAMN FISHES!!" Naruto shouted before taking a deep breath and plunging back into the river, determined to catch a fish with his bare hands.

"YOU IDIOT!" Sakura groaned, throwing her hands in the air. She watched in exasperation as Naruto tossed his jacket and shirt haphazardly onto the riverbank and waded into the water, wearing only his usual orange pants.

"AT LEAST FOLD YOUR CLOTHES! OR THE RIVER MIGHT JUST SWEEP THEM AWAY!" Sakura muttered something under her breath as she carefully folded Naruto's discarded clothes. She placed them near the tree where Sasuke stood, arms crossed, watching the scene with faint disdain.

Sasuke didn't bother to get wet; he simply hurled kunai at the water to catch fish. His method was effective—though not without risk. Twice, his kunai nearly hit Naruto's head.

"HEYY, SAKURA-CHAN!! I GOT THREE!" Naruto hollered in excitement, splashing his way to the riverbank. He held the wriggling fish triumphantly before placing them near Sakura.

"Great job, Naruto!" Sakura replied with a small smile, taking the fish and placing them into the bucket.

Suddenly, the calm river began to swell, the current strengthening without warning. Before any of them could react, Naruto slipped and was swept away by the rushing water.

"NARUTO, LOOK OUT!!" Sakura screamed, sprinting toward the river's edge. She reached out, but Naruto was already out of reach.

"DOBE!" Sasuke called, his eyes narrowing. Moving swiftly, he ran parallel to the river and kicked down a tree into the water, hoping Naruto could grab hold of it. The plan might have worked—if Naruto hadn't completely missed the tree.

"DAMN IT, NARUTO!" Sasuke growled.

Before Sasuke could attempt another rescue, Sakura did something neither boy expected. Without thinking, she sprinted onto the rushing water—running on it as if it were solid ground.

Sasuke froze mid-step, eyes widening as he watched her reach Naruto in seconds. Grabbing his arm, Sakura pulled him toward the riverbank. They collapsed onto the ground, panting and drenched but safe.

"SAKURA-CHAN! HOW'D YOU DO THAT?!" Naruto gasped, sitting up.

"Sakura... how did you do that?" Sasuke asked more calmly, though his curiosity was clear.

Naruto shot Sasuke a glare. "I ASKED HER FIRST!"

"Well, you'll forget even if she tells you," Sasuke retorted.

"SHUT UP!!! BOTH OF YOU!!" sakura hit both of their heads with a light punch

"TSUNADE-SAMA MADE ME PRACTICE IT!" Sakura interrupted before the argument could escalate. She crossed her arms and added, "Since I could already climb trees with chakra, she figured I'd be able to handle water walking too. Turns out, she was right."

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Naruto exclaimed, stars practically sparkling in his eyes. "TEACH ME, SAKURA-CHAN!"

Sasuke frowned, looking between the two. "Hn. If the idiot learns, it'll just make him more reckless. But I should master it, too."

Sakura sighed, rubbing her temples. "We can work on it tomorrow, okay? Right now, we need to get those fish cooked before Naruto dies of hunger... or drowns again."


"SURE THING! I wonder what Pervy Sage and Granny Tsunade are up to!" Naruto said, walking over to the tree to grab his shirt and jacket. He threw them on quickly, still damp from the river, and the three of them headed back into the forest toward their camp.