Book 1: Dancing With Lightning [Naruto]

Pushing Forward

"Keep going! You can do it!" Akane shouted at him.

Hoshino gasped for air, his hair lay like a second skin over his cheeks and he looked as if he were just caught in a sudden storm. His legs felt like lead, but he twisted in the air and swept his staff out in front of him towards the targets. "Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!" He shouted.

A much larger tornado was shot forth horizontally, knocking the target back a few meters. These targets were somehow indestructible; nothing Hoshino did even put a dent in them, even jutsu that could kill a normal shinobi.

Akane watched as Hoshino collapsed in exhaustion, not that she could blame him.

She had woken him up as soon as the sun rose and had made him run fifty laps around the forest, do one hundred pull ups on the overhead branches, made him spar her with fifty pound weights on his wrists and ankles, and had him in a handstand position poised on his thumb for half an hour. She was honestly surprised that he had lasted this long before he finally gave out.

She was impressed; most didn't even last half as long as he did. He hadn't complained once either. In fact, he had been rather quiet ever since she went to get him from the compound.

"Okay! Quick break before we continue." She said, sitting on the forest floor across from where he was laying on his back, staring at the sky and panting heavily. "You have the time to tell me what's been going on with you."

Hoshino stiffened. "It's nothing, Akane-Sama. I'm fine."

"That's the longest sentence you've said all day, Hoshino-Kun." She said gently. "Usually you talk a lot more than this. What's going on?"

Hoshino bit his lip, his blue eyes matching the color of the crystal blue sky above them. "It's just... he got the best of me so easily..." he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear, "I couldn't do anything... I was completely helpless and at his mercy. It didn't even take much effort from him to..." he cut off.

"Ah..." So that's what this is about. Akane's amber eyes surveyed Hoshino, sympathy shining in her clear gaze. "I see. Look... Hoshino, you're an incredibly talented shinobi with amazing potential. Truly. Once this training is finished, you'll be so much better than you were before. And after the exams are over, we'll continue this, and I'll teach you all I know. But you have to remember that there are always going to be ninja who either are better or have better tools at their disposal. That guy... he clearly let himself go."

"What do you mean by that?"

Akane sighed, looking for the right words. "He doesn't have a moral compass; he has no sense of right and wrong and only fights for his own wants. What he did the other day was enough for me to see that. No teenager should have that look... the look of bloodlust. I've only seen that degree of insanity in Orochimaru's eyes." Akane leaned back on her hands, her auburn-red hair blowing in the wind as she looked up. "It frightened me when I first saw it. I know it frightened you too. Which is why..." she sighed, running a hand over her face. "I can't believe I'm saying this. I'm going to teach you something that I was saving for much later on in your training, but it seems like you're ready."

She stood up, brushing her hands on her pants. "You're learning one of my techniques. Get up now, we're not finished here."

Hoshino rose to his feet weakly, still extremely tired from the earlier exercises. But he was determined to prove to Akane that he was worthy of her trust and training.

Akane sighed and brushed some dirt off of her tunic, turning to face her student. "This is something I have never taught anyone before; I just wanted to tell you that before we begin. You're the first student I'm entrusting with this, so I expect you to use it only when you need to. Alright?"

Hoshino nodded eagerly, leaning forward in anticipation as Akane continued.

"I've decided that I'm going to teach you my Force Field Release."

His jaw dropped and his eyes widened until they were the size of two round coins. His heart skipped a beat and thumped loudly in his chest. "A-Are you serious?" He stuttered. "I'm really going to--"

"Yes." Akane gave him a smile. "I believe that it will come in handy if you ever come across that guy again. Not much can beat this jutsu once it's active. Basically, the release functions outside of the five basic nature types. It is used to create and manipulate an invisible shield to protect yourself and your comrades. The user of this ability can also create a magnificent force field, which will send all enemies flying. The power of the force field all depends on how much chakra the user transfers to the attack. Force fields are produced when the user divides their chakra all throughout their body, so this is where your chakra control training comes in handy."

Hoshino gulped. It was a lot to take in, and sounded incredibly difficult. "So... you have to divide your chakra into all parts of your body evenly? That takes astounding chakra control! Are you sure that I'll be able to do it, Akane-Sama?"

"Your Mizu genes might help you learn it a bit easier. You can already uniquely control your chakra. Of course, the training will be incredibly strenuous, but remember what I told you; never give up. If you have that set in your head, you can never lose." Akane's eyes shone with confidence and determination. "So, let's get started."

Days passed. Everyday, Hoshino was put through what most kids his age would describe as hell, but Hoshino didn't see it that way. He was getting stronger because of this, and yes, while Akane was an incredibly tough mentor, he thanked her for it.

After the intense workout circuit, Akane would have him stand in front of a large rock and try to direct his chakra flow through all parts of his body to try and push it away with his energy. He would work for hours until he couldn't stand anymore, until Kakashi showed up and took him back to the compound.

"You push yourself too hard, Hoshino-Kun." He would say every night as he helped Hoshino walk back to the Mizu clan compound. "You need to rest too, you know."

"I can't rest." Hoshino would reply simply. "He's still out there. And I need to be ready this time. And I want to be able to fight of anyone who comes for me again."

Kakashi never argued.

After one week of this routine, Hoshino finally managed to blast the rock away from him.

He would describe the feeling like connecting a puzzle piece, suddenly, everything clicked together and he understood what he needed to do. His eyes snapped open, and a thin sheet of white chakra expanded from his hands, connecting right with the boulder and sending it flying into the river, drenching both him and Akane.

There was a moment where Akane's face washed blank with confusion, like her brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the sight from her wide eyes. Every muscle of her body just froze before a grin crept onto her face, it soon stretched from one side to the other showing every single tooth.

"You did it!" She exclaimed. "You managed to unlock it! You see! I told you to never give up!"

Hoshino laughed in shock and delight as he watched the boulder bob in the river slowly. He had done it. He had actually done it; bested the odds once again and proved to himself that he could do more than he thought he could. "So... what's next? I want to keep going. I can't stop here."

"What is it you want to learn, Hoshino-Kun?" Akane asked, amber eyes locking with bright blue. Hoshino paused for a moment, before the answer came from within, and he surprised himself with how calm and determined he sounded.

"Everything."

An approving smirk stretched across Akane's face. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Another chapter is officially finished! I'm really enjoying writing these and seeing how they turn out! I'm so glad that people have been liking everything so far; it really makes me happy to know that people are enjoying my work.

Please let me know in the discussion what you guys think of this chapter and Hoshino's new ability! It'll come in handy during the exam and some other things... I can't wait to see what the future holds!

Thank you guys, for reading my story and giving me a chance. I appreciate so much and I'm really happy that you're liking it this much!

~ Tsunami