Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.78 The Path to A-Rank Jutsu

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"Sorry for ditching you at the restaurant yesterday."

Asuma waved it off, hiding the small smirk tugging at his lips. "Nah, it's fine." He had his own way of settling that score—out here, in this spar.

Then the kid pointed at him, eyes narrowing. "I know that look. You're gonna bully me during the spar, aren't you?"

That stopped Asuma cold. He blinked, caught off guard. "No," he said simply. He wasn't planning to bully the boy, just mess with him a little, maybe teach him a lesson or two. But the way Naruto said it—like he expected it—rubbed Asuma the wrong way. His brow furrowed. How the hell were the teachers at the academy treating this kid?

Sympathy hit him like a sucker punch. He'd been through something similar when he first returned to Konoha. He pushed the thought aside for now.

"Look, Naruto, I'm not mad at you or any of your team. I'm an adult. I have to act like one."

Naruto nodded, but the way he shrugged told Asuma he didn't completely buy it.

"This spar is just to assess your fighting style," Asuma added. "I need to see which wind jutsu will fit you best."

"Then why not let me spar with Team 10? I could show them what real training looks like."

Asuma chuckled. "Preference," he said shortly, though there was a lot more to it than that. Kakashi had warned him about what Naruto could do when he went all out. And he wasn't about to risk Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu on a Jinchūriki. That was a disaster waiting to happen.

Naruto saw through him, of course. He smirked. "Admit it. You just don't want me embarrassing your team."

Asuma raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes slightly. The kid was sharp. "Let's see if you're as good as you think you are, Naruto. Put your money where your mouth is."

"Fine by me, old man."

They both made the Seal of Confrontation. Asuma tossed a kunai into the air.

The second it hit the ground, Naruto drew his Zweihander, and Asuma's eyes widened just a bit. The massive blade caught the sunlight, its weight and length impressive—hell, intimidating even. Asuma let out a low whistle. "Impressive weapon. Bit unwieldy, though, don't you think?"

Naruto's smirk deepened as he lowered into the Fool's Guard stance. His posture looked relaxed, but Asuma caught the subtle shift in his weight, the way his hands gripped the hilt just right. The kid knew exactly what he was doing.

"Trying to bait me? Not bad."

Naruto clicked his tongue, annoyed at Asuma's refusal to take the bait. With a swift motion, he shifted to the High Guard, his Zweihander poised above his shoulder, angled for a powerful downward strike.

The boy flickered out of view, his Shunshin no Jutsu carrying him forward in a blur of speed. Naruto reappeared directly in front of Asuma, his Zweihander arcing down in a vicious diagonal slash.

Asuma's trench knives shot up to meet the blade, their edges humming with wind chakra. The moment they clashed, Naruto felt the pressure—his sword shuddered violently, the sheer force of Asuma's chakra threatening to cut through it.

"Damn it!" Naruto hissed, realizing what was about to happen. The chakra-infused knives would cut through his Zweihander like paper, and there was no way he was letting that happen.

In a split second, the Zweihander vanished. Asuma's trench knives struck empty air.

"What the—?" Asuma muttered, startled by the sudden disappearance of the weapon.

Space-time ninjutsu? Suddenly, Kakashi's warning about the boy being compromised made sense. A Jinchūriki that didn't show love to the village—that was normal. But a Jinchūriki with mysterious abilities, items, and more that came out of nowhere? No wonder Kakashi and his father were being very careful and taking no chances with this.

Recovering quickly, Asuma lunged forward, aiming a downward stab at Naruto. But Naruto substituted with a log, the trench knives slicing through it effortlessly.

"Hey, watch it!" Naruto's voice echoed from behind a nearby tree. He stepped out, pointing an accusatory finger. "You almost destroyed my precious sword, old man!"

Asuma shrugged, his expression neutral but his trench knives glowing ominously. "That's the beauty of wind chakra. Up close, it's the most dangerous element to deal with."

"Fine!" Naruto huffed. "If close-range is your thing, I'll just fight you long-range!"

The blonde boy created two shadow clones. The trio quickly armed themselves with shuriken and a massive fuma shuriken that Naruto pulled from his inventory.

Asuma shifted into a boxer's stance, the wind chakra around his trench knives extending their reach by several inches.

"Let's see what you've got," Asuma said, his tone calm but his body tense, ready to react.

Naruto's clones moved first, throwing a barrage of shuriken in perfect synchronization. The projectiles arced through the air, glittering in the sunlight as they closed in on Asuma from multiple angles.

Asuma's trench knives flashed, cutting through the shuriken with precise, calculated movements.

Since the shurikens came from clones, they popped upon impact, creating a thick cloud of white smoke that completely obscured his vision. Clever strategy!

The real Naruto leaped into the air, hurling the fuma shuriken directly at Asuma. Its massive blades spun like a whirlwind, cutting through the air with a menacing hum.

Asuma's eyes narrowed. He sidestepped some shurikens, his trench knives ready, and swung upward in a powerful arc. The wind chakra around his knives extended even further, meeting the fuma shuriken mid-air.

The clash was explosive. The fuma shuriken shattered into pieces, the force of the impact sending shards of metal flying in all directions.

Asuma felt the sudden presence of the two clones materialize on either side of him, their movements perfectly timed to catch him off guard. He had been so focused on the original Naruto that he hadn't anticipated this flanking maneuver. His eyes darted to the glowing white chakra in the clones' hands, and before he could counter, an invisible force hit him from both sides like a shockwave.

The jōnin staggered, his muscles refusing to cooperate for a few critical seconds. It didn't hurt exactly—more like his body was locked in place, as if an unseen hand had pressed pause on his movements. His mind raced to assess the situation.

For a brief moment, Asuma felt genuine awe. This wasn't the reckless, unpredictable fighting style he had expected. This was strategy. Distractions, timing, teamwork—even if the clones were technically himself, Naruto had coordinated them like a squad.

Oh, this kid's got a tactical brain. Who would've thought?

But there was no time to dwell. The air around him suddenly grew hot, and Asuma's sharp senses picked up on the disturbance. His eyes flicked to Naruto, who stood a short distance away, one hand raised. Hovering above it was a roiling orb of flame, its heat radiating out in waves. But this wasn't a normal fire jutsu. There were no hand signs, no smoke—just raw fire chakra, burning in defiance of everything Asuma knew about traditional Fire Style techniques.

What the hell is this brat?!

Naruto grinned, his expression sharp and confident. "Betcha didn't see this coming, did ya, Asuma-sensei?" Without missing a beat, Naruto hurled the fireball forward, the glowing orb arcing through the air like a comet. The heat intensified, making the air shimmer, and Asuma realized that even though his body was stunned, he could still feel his chakra flow. That was good—it meant he could still fight back.

With a quick surge of chakra, he spat a large, dark glob of tar from his mouth.

Fire Style: Tar Bomb Jutsu!

The sticky substance hurtled toward the incoming fireball. The tar wasn't ordinary—it was infused with Asuma's chakra, making it resistant to flames. As the tar collided with Naruto's fireball, the explosion wasn't the usual fiery detonation. Instead, it burst apart with a deep, wet whomp, sending a cloud of acrid, black smoke billowing into the air.

The smell was immediate and overwhelming—a thick, noxious stench that clung to the back of the throat. Naruto yelped as the smoke hit him, his eyes watering instantly. He stumbled backward, frantically rubbing at his face.

"Gah! What is this?!" he yelled, coughing and waving his hand in front of his nose. "It smells like burnt ramen broth!"

"It's tar, kid. Nasty stuff, huh? Thought I'd give you a little taste of something unconventional. Consider it a lesson—don't assume every fireball will explode the way you want it to."

Naruto glared up at him, still coughing. "You could've just said that instead of gassing me like some kind of stink bomb!"

Alright, maybe this is karma for ditching me at the restaurant!

"You've got guts, kid, I'll give you that. Now go wash up. You smell like an overcooked barbecue."

Naruto sighed, shaking his head as the clones popped, leaving him alone to deal with the aftermath of the stinky tar cloud. "Next time, I'm definitely bringing my own stink bomb," he muttered, trudging off toward the river.

Asuma watched him go, a fond smile playing on his lips. This kid's something else. I wonder just how far he'll go…

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The pavilion was quiet, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. Naruto sat across from Asuma, his Zweihander resting heavily on the table between them. The weight of the blade seemed to pull Naruto's thoughts down with it, his fingers idly tracing its hilt as his mind churned.

"I must say, kid," Asuma began, breaking the silence. "You've been full of surprises. The way you move, the way you fight—you're not exactly what I expected from the knucklehead of Team 7." He smirked. "With your skills, I could probably teach you short-range, mid-range, or even long-range wind jutsu, and you'd pull them off just fine."

Naruto looked up at him, his blue eyes glinting with determination. "About that," he said, placing a firm hand on the Zweihander. "I think I've got the perfect jutsu in mind."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I want to learn how to flow wind chakra into my weapons."

"Like my trench knives?" Asuma leaned forward, giving the massive blade an assessing look before tapping its surface. "This isn't chakra metal," he said. His tone wasn't dismissive, just factual.

"Yeah, I know. Is that going to be a problem? Don't tell me it's impossible!"

"It's not impossible—just... complicated," Asuma admitted, scratching the back of his head. After a brief pause, he created a shadow clone, which moved to an open clearing, trench knife in hand.

"Observe," the jonin said as the clone took over the demonstration. "Flowing elemental chakra into a weapon is one of the hardest skills to master. If your weapon were made of chakra-conductive metal, it'd be a lot easier. But with regular steel like this..." Asuma trailed off, pointing at a regular kunai his clone held out. "You run into a problem."

The clone channeled raw wind chakra into the kunai, and for a split second, it hummed and vibrated—before exploding in a shower of shards and energy.

"What the—?!"

Asuma sighed. "Regular kunai and standard metal resist the flow of chakra. There are some exceptions, like Lightning chakra—it flows better in most metals. But wind chakra? Regular metal hates it. You force too much in, and it shatters."

Naruto frowned and looked down at his Zweihander. "Guess I'll need to learn another jutsu, then."

"Did I say it was impossible?"

Naruto blinked and looked up. "But you just said—"

"What I explained is what happens when you shove raw wind chakra into metal. A jutsu, though? That's different. A jutsu isn't just raw input—it's refined control."

"So, you're saying... there's a jutsu that can let me channel wind chakra into my sword?" Naruto's eyes lit up with hope.

"Of course," Asuma said, grinning.

Naruto tilted his head. "Then why don't you use that jutsu instead of wasting a fortune on those knives?"

Asuma scratched the back of his head, looking a little sheepish. "Well... it's because using raw wind chakra is faster and more efficient in a fight. In combat, you don't always have the luxury of setting up a jutsu like Vacuum Blade."

"So, what's the point of learning it then?"

Asuma smirked, but there was something thoughtful in his eyes. "The point is control. Wind Style: Vacuum Blade isn't just a flashy jutsu—it's refined. When mastered, it can turn any ordinary weapon into something deadly, even without chakra metal. But that mastery doesn't come easy."

Naruto's eyes lit up with curiosity. "How hard are we talking?"

Asuma sighed, crossing his arms. "Let's put it this way. I spent years learning to get it right. Vacuum Blade requires you to shape the wind chakra perfectly, molding it like a sheath around the weapon without letting it rupture like that kunai earlier. If you slip even slightly, the flow destabilizes and boom—you're left with shards of metal flying in your face."

Naruto winced. "So, it's dangerous if you mess up."

"Exactly," Asuma said, nodding. "That's why it's an A-rank jutsu. Even shinobi who are great at wind chakra control often avoid it because of how much patience it takes to master. But once you do... there's nothing quite like it. A weapon enhanced by Vacuum Blade can cut through almost anything."

Naruto grinned. "Sounds like my kind of challenge."

"Yeah, well, don't get too excited just yet," Asuma warned. "It's not something you'll get overnight, even with shadow clones. But if you're serious, I'll teach you."

"So where do we start?"

"We're going to cut a waterfall."

Naruto blinked, confused. "Wait—what? A waterfall? You're joking, right?"

Asuma's grin turned sly.

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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 38, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.

To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!