Mastering the Elements - Chapter - 18

Naruto had had enough.

For weeks, he had endured Harry’s ridiculous training methods.

Mind puzzles? Cooking lessons? Running with weights?

He was Uzumaki Naruto! The future Hokage! Not some… some chef or puzzle master!

And worst of all? Itachi got all the cool stuff.

Every time Itachi came back from a mission, he had some awesome new weapon or secret technique that Harry had given him. And all Naruto got was—

"More running, Naruto."

"More balance training, Naruto."

"More patience, Naruto."

Well, Naruto had had enough.

One evening, as they sat in the backyard, the sunset casting long golden shadows over the training ground, Naruto crossed his arms, puffed up his cheeks, and glared at Harry.

"I don’t wanna train anymore!" he declared.

Harry, who was casually drinking tea, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Because you’re only teaching Itachi-niisan the cool stuff!" Naruto huffed. "You don’t care about me!"

Harry hid his smirk behind his cup. "Is that so?"

Naruto stomped his foot. "Yeah! Itachi-niisan gets the magic weapons and the cool secret techniques and the awesome kunai that never breaks. But me? You just make me cook and do stupid puzzles!"

Harry chuckled, placing his cup down.

Naruto’s eyes narrowed.

He knew that laugh.

It was the same laugh Itachi-niisan made when he saw through a trap Naruto set.

And that’s when it hit Naruto.

His whole body tensed in realization.

"Itachi…" Naruto whispered, eyes widening.

Harry’s smirk widened. "Ah, so you figured it out?"

Naruto whipped around to face Itachi, who was leaning against the fence, arms crossed, looking way too amused.

"You taught me this!" Naruto accused.

Itachi nodded once. "It was your idea to manipulate Father into giving you something cool."

"But you tricked me!" Naruto exclaimed. "You knew I’d fail!"

Itachi shrugged. "You lack control over your emotions. You get too passionate."

Naruto turned bright red.

Harry laughed, shaking his head. "Nice try, Naruto. But Itachi’s right—your emotions give you away too easily."

Naruto groaned, dropping onto the grass dramatically.

"But," Harry continued, stroking his chin, "since you at least tried, maybe it’s time to show you something cooler."

Naruto snapped his head up. "Really?"

Harry nodded. "Really."

Naruto jumped to his feet, fists clenched. "YES! I knew it! I knew it! I knew—wait, you’re not messing with me, right?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, I’m not messing with you. But if you want something cool… you need to pass one final test."

Naruto froze.

Another test?

Naruto whined instantly. "Oh, come on, old man! Just show me the cool stuff already!"

Harry smirked. "No test, no technique."

Naruto groaned again. "Fine! What’s the stupid test?"

Harry stood up, brushing off his robes. "Simple. You have to land a hit on me."

Naruto blinked. Then his face split into a wide grin.

"Oh-ho-ho, you messed up, old man! This is gonna be easy!"

Itachi chuckled in the background.

Harry just smirked. "Go ahead, then. Let’s see what you’ve got."

Naruto rushed forward immediately, pulling back his fist with a battle cry.

Harry barely shifted.

Just as Naruto’s punch was about to land—

Poof!

Harry vanished.

Naruto’s fist hit thin air.

"Huh?!" Naruto turned frantically, looking left and right. "Where’d you—?"

BAM!

A gentle flick tapped the back of Naruto’s head, sending him tumbling forward.

Naruto grunted as he hit the grass, blinking up at the sky in confusion.

Harry stood over him, hands in his pockets, completely relaxed.

"Too slow," he said casually.

Naruto growled. "Alright, no more playing around!"

He jumped up, forming a cross sign with his fingers. "Clone Jutsu!"

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Three Narutos surrounded Harry.

"Alright, old man," one Naruto smirked. "Try dodging this!"

They attacked simultaneously, coming from three different directions.

Harry yawned.

And then—

Poof.

He was gone again.

Naruto’s clones hit nothing.

A breeze blew past them.

"Where the hell did he—?"

Naruto turned, only to see Harry sitting on a rock a few meters away, sipping his tea.

"You’re using too much movement," Harry remarked. "You’re thinking like a fighter, not like a predator."

Naruto’s eye twitched.

Itachi, from the sidelines, was barely holding in his laughter.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Naruto held up his hands. "I give up! You win!"

Harry set down his cup. "Good. Because now I can show you something cool."

Naruto perked up instantly.


Naruto stood with his arms crossed, pouting as he stared at Harry with undisguised disappointment.

"You’re gonna teach me Substitution Jutsu?" Naruto huffed, scowling. "That’s just an escape technique!"

Harry smirked, already expecting this reaction.

Beside him, Itachi stood calmly, waiting for Harry’s instructions.

Harry took a step forward, hands in his pockets. "Since you already know how to create clones, it’s time for your next lesson," he began. "You know the Academy Tree, right?"

Naruto blinked. "Academy what?"

Harry sighed. "The three fundamental jutsu taught at the Academy: Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu. Since you already know how to create clones, the next step is Substitution."

Naruto groaned. "Ughhh, why? That’s just a trick to run away! That’s not cool! I wanna learn something awesome! Like—like a giant fireball! Or that thing you did with the glowing sword!"

Harry smirked. "You think Substitution is useless?"

Naruto nodded vigorously.

Harry gestured toward Itachi. "Alright, then. Itachi, show him what the 'boring' Substitution Jutsu can do."

Itachi nodded and took his stance.

Harry suddenly flicked a kunai at Itachi’s face.

Naruto’s eyes widened. "HEY! WHAT THE—"

Poof!

The kunai pierced through Itachi’s body—except it wasn’t Itachi at all. It was a wooden log.

Naruto gawked. "WHAT?! Where’d he go?!"

Before Naruto could turn, Itachi reappeared behind him, tapping Naruto lightly on the back of the head.

Naruto jumped in shock and whirled around. "HOW?!"

Itachi tilted his head. "That’s Substitution Jutsu."

Naruto stared at the wooden log, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "…That’s kinda cool," he muttered begrudgingly.

Harry smirked. "Still think it’s useless?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "Well, it’s just for dodging attacks! That’s not flashy!"

Harry chuckled and crouched slightly, so he was at eye level with Naruto.

"You’re thinking about jutsu the wrong way, Naruto," he said. "It’s not about learning 10,000 techniques to do different things."

Naruto frowned. "Huh?"

Harry tapped Naruto’s forehead lightly. "It’s about learning one technique that you can use in 10,000 ways. That is what makes a shinobi truly powerful."

Naruto’s eyes widened slightly.

Itachi nodded. "Substitution isn’t just an escape technique," he explained. "You can use it in battle. You can use it for traps. You can use it to trick your enemies. It’s not just about dodging—it’s about control."

Harry smirked. "Imagine fighting someone who never knows if they’ve hit you—or just a log."

Naruto blinked. "…Wait. That’s actually… really smart."

Harry chuckled. "Now you get it."

Naruto grinned. "Alright, alright! I’ll learn it!"

Harry stepped back and clapped his hands. "Alright then. Let’s start."

He picked up a wooden kunai from the training rack and twirled it in his fingers. "I’m going to throw this at you. Your goal? Avoid it using Substitution."

Naruto gulped. "W-Wait, right now?"

"Yes. Right now."

Before Naruto could protest—

Whoosh!

Harry flicked the kunai straight at Naruto’s chest.

"GAHHH!" Naruto panicked and flailed, trying to move out of the way, but—

Thwack!

The wooden kunai hit him right in the stomach.

Naruto groaned and fell backward onto the grass.

Itachi sighed. "You need to use the hand seals, Naruto."

Naruto sat up, rubbing his stomach. "I WASN’T READY!"

Harry smirked. "The enemy won’t wait for you to be ready. Try again."

Naruto scrambled to his feet, determined this time.

He quickly formed the hand seals. "Okay! Hit me again!"

Harry flicked another kunai.

This time, Naruto focused. Just before the kunai could hit him—

Poof!

A log appeared where Naruto stood.

Across the training ground, Naruto reappeared, completely unharmed.

He stared down at himself, eyes wide. "I—"

Then he grinned so hard it almost split his face.

"I DID IT!"

Harry smirked. "See? Cooler than you thought, huh?"

Naruto jumped up and down, his energy exploding. "OH YEAH! I'M A GENIUS!"

Itachi sighed. "It was one successful attempt, Naruto."

But Naruto wasn’t listening. He ran around the yard, shouting at the top of his lungs. "I’M THE GREATEST SHINOBI EVER! WATCH OUT, WORLD! HOKAGE NARUTO IS HERE!"

Harry chuckled, crossing his arms. "You’re gonna be a menace, aren’t you?"

Mikoto, who had been watching from the doorway, smiled fondly. "He’s always been one."

Naruto ran up to Harry, eyes shining with excitement. "Alright, alright! What’s the next thing you’re gonna teach me?"

Harry smirked. "First, master this one. Then we’ll talk."

Naruto groaned loudly. "Ughhh! Fine!"

But deep down, he was thrilled.

He had learned something cool.

And for the first time, Naruto understood—

A technique wasn’t cool because it looked powerful.

It was cool because of how you used it.

And that was the real lesson.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting heavily as he stared at the three objects in front of him.

A small pebble, a medium-sized log, and a large boulder.

He had just barely managed to substitute with all three, but it had taken a ridiculous amount of chakra and effort.

Harry stood with his arms crossed, observing Naruto’s progress.

"You’re getting better," Harry noted. "But you’re still relying too much on raw chakra output. That’s why you’re draining yourself so quickly."

Naruto scowled, flopping onto the ground. "Ughhh, this is way harder than I thought! I thought Substitution was just poof—switch places and done!"

Harry smirked. "If it were that easy, everyone would be using it at high levels."

Beside them, Itachi leaned against a tree, watching the lesson unfold in quiet interest.

Mikoto, sitting on the porch with a small cup of tea, chuckled softly. "I remember when Itachi struggled with this too," she mused.

Naruto perked up. "Wait, Itachi-niisan had trouble with this?!"

Itachi nodded. "At first, yes. But once I learned to control my chakra output, it became second nature."

Naruto groaned, throwing his hands up. "Of course it’s second nature for you! You’re a genius!"

Harry chuckled, kneeling beside Naruto. "Listen, Naruto. Right now, every time you use Substitution, you’re dumping an unnecessary amount of chakra into the jutsu. That’s why there’s always a cloud of smoke when you switch places."

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

Harry gestured toward Itachi. "Do it again, but this time, watch Itachi closely."

Itachi stepped forward and effortlessly performed a silent substitution with a nearby kunai.

There was no sound.

No poof of smoke.

Just instant movement.

Naruto gawked. "WHAAAA—?! HOW?!"

Harry smirked. "He used only the necessary amount of chakra. No excess. No waste."

Naruto groaned. "Ughhhh, why does chakra control have to be so hard?!"

Harry ruffled his hair. "Because if it were easy, everyone would be able to teleport using Substitution."

Naruto froze.

"Wait… teleport?"

Harry grinned. "Oh? Now I have your attention?"

Naruto jumped up instantly. "YES! Teach me that!"

Harry chuckled. "Then first, you have to perfect the basics."

Naruto groaned again but nodded determinedly.

Harry gave Naruto a simple task—use Substitution without producing any smoke.

Naruto tried.

And failed.

Tried again.

Failed again.

And again.

And again.

Each time, a large puff of smoke erupted when he swapped places with an object.

Naruto gritted his teeth. "I don’t get it! It’s the same technique! How do I stop the smoke?!"

Harry tilted his head. "It’s not about stopping it—it’s about using less chakra. You’re overwhelming the jutsu with too much energy."

Naruto frowned. "So… I just gotta use less chakra?"

Harry nodded. "Exactly. Think of it like pouring water into a glass. You only need a little to fill the cup. But if you pour too much, it spills everywhere."

Naruto nodded slowly, finally understanding.

He took a deep breath.

Tried again.

This time—

Poof!

Less smoke.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress.

Harry smirked. "Now you’re getting it."

Naruto grinned. "Heh! This is easy!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then let’s move on to the next stage."

Naruto froze. "Wait, what?"

"Alright, Naruto," Harry said, gesturing to several kunai and a thrown rock. "This time, you’re going to substitute with something that’s already moving."

Naruto’s eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"

Harry smirked. "Substituting with a stationary object is one thing. But if you can swap places with something in motion, you’ll be able to make it look like you’re teleporting."

Naruto gulped. "Okay, okay. How do I do it?"

Harry picked up a kunai and threw it into the air.

"Switch places with it before it hits the ground," Harry instructed.

Naruto nodded and formed the hand seals.

But as he attempted to swap places—

Poof!

He missed.

The kunai hit the ground harmlessly.

Naruto groaned. "Ugh! Why is this so much harder?!"

Harry grinned. "Because now, you have to predict where the object will be—not just where it is now."

Naruto froze.

Wait… he had to think ahead?

Harry smirked. "A shinobi who only reacts is already a step behind. You have to predict the future, Naruto."

Naruto gritted his teeth.

This was hard.

But…

Naruto wasn’t going to give up.

He watched the kunai this time, tracking its movement carefully.

As it reached the highest point in the air—

Naruto moved.

Poof!

Naruto appeared mid-air, catching the kunai before it hit the ground.

He landed softly, blinking in surprise.

"I… did it?"

Harry grinned. "Not bad, kid."

Naruto grinned wildly. "I’M AWESOME!"

Itachi, standing off to the side, gave a rare nod of approval. "You’re improving."

Naruto beamed.

Harry wasn’t done yet.

"Alright, Naruto. One last lesson," he said, crossing his arms.

Naruto perked up. "There’s more?!"

Harry smirked. "Now we’re going to increase your speed. If you can swap places so fast that your opponent can’t even see it happen… it will look like teleportation."

Naruto gasped. "TELEPORTATION?! LIKE THE FOURTH HOKAGE?!"

Harry chuckled. "Something like that."

Naruto was practically bouncing. "HOW DO I DO IT?!"

Harry grinned. "Practice."

Naruto face-planted.

"GAHHHH! YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT!"

Mikoto, watching from the porch, laughed softly. "You really do have patience, Harry."

Harry smirked. "He’s getting better. And once he masters this…"

Itachi nodded. "He won’t just be dodging—he’ll be untouchable."

And so Naruto’s advanced training began.

This time, he wasn’t just learning a jutsu.

He was mastering a technique that could change the way he fought forever.


Naruto stood in the training yard, his face drenched in sweat, his breath coming out in heavy pants.

After weeks of relentless training, he had finally done it.

He had mastered the Substitution Technique.

Not just the basic academy-level version—but the advanced, near-instantaneous version that made him seem as if he was teleporting.

His movements had become so fast and unpredictable that even Itachi struggled to track him. And best of all?

He could do it without leaving a trace of smoke.

Harry stood in front of Naruto, arms crossed, a proud smirk on his face. "Good job, kid. You worked hard for this one."

Naruto grinned, still catching his breath. "Heh… yeah… I guess… I’m kinda… awesome."

Itachi, standing off to the side, gave a rare nod. "You improved significantly, Naruto."

Naruto beamed. Compliments from Itachi were like rare treasure.

Harry chuckled. "Now that you’ve mastered this, I think it’s time for a reward."

Naruto’s eyes lit up. "OH! OH! Is it something cool?!"

Harry smirked and reached into his coat. "Catch."

He tossed a small black pouch toward Naruto.

Naruto snatched it out of the air, opening it quickly.

And then—

His jaw dropped.

Inside the pouch was a set of twenty kunai, all identical in shape and design—three-pronged, with seals engraved on the handle.

The moment Mikoto saw them, she gasped.

She took a sharp step forward, her hands clutching the edge of her kimono.

"These…" she whispered, eyes wide. "These look just like—"

"The Fourth Hokage’s kunai," Harry finished for her, a small smile on his face.

Naruto’s hands trembled slightly as he pulled one out, staring at the intricate markings. "W-Wait… these look like the kunai the Fourth Hokage used?!"

Harry nodded. "Not just the same design. They work like his, too."

Naruto’s heart raced. "WHAT?! REALLY?!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. Even he looked interested now.

Harry gestured for Naruto to hold one of the kunai properly. "These kunai have a special seal inscribed into them. Pour your chakra into the handle."

Naruto focused, channeling his chakra.

The moment his energy entered the kunai, he felt something.

It was like a faint echo of himself—a distant presence.

His eyes widened. "I… I can feel it!"

Harry nodded. "Exactly. That’s what makes this kunai different. Every time you pour your chakra into one of these kunai, you create a connection."

Naruto stared at him in awe. "What kind of connection?"

Harry smirked. "A connection that lets you substitute to it."

Naruto’s brain practically exploded. "W-WHAT?!"

Mikoto covered her mouth with her hands, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Itachi, though composed, had a flicker of shock in his usually calm expression.

Harry picked up one of Naruto’s kunai and threw it across the training yard.

It landed with a dull thunk, embedding itself into a wooden post several meters away.

"Try it," Harry said. "Focus on the kunai, just like how you focus on a substitution target."

Naruto gulped. His fingers tightened around another kunai in his hand.

"Alright… here goes!"

He formed the hand seal, focusing on the kunai in the distance.

And then—

Poof!

In the blink of an eye, Naruto disappeared.

And then, in a small yellow flash, he reappeared right next to the kunai.

Mikoto gasped audibly.

Naruto stumbled forward, eyes wide. "I… I DID IT?! I REALLY DID IT?!"

Harry grinned. "Yep. Welcome to your new technique."

Naruto turned back toward them, practically vibrating with excitement. "THIS IS SO FREAKING COOL!"

Mikoto still looked stunned. Her mind was racing.

A small yellow flash.

It wasn’t exactly like Minato’s Flying Thunder God, but it was eerily similar.

For a moment, she could almost see him again—Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, vanishing and reappearing just like that.

She swallowed hard, pressing a hand to her chest.

"Harry… what have you given him?" she whispered.

Harry smiled, watching Naruto jump around in pure joy.

"It’s not exactly the Hiraishin," he admitted. "But it’s close."

Mikoto exhaled shakily. "I… I never thought I’d see something like this again."

Harry chuckled. "He’s gonna make good use of it, I’m sure."

Itachi, who had been silent, finally spoke. "This… this will make Naruto an entirely different kind of fighter."

Harry nodded. "Exactly. He’s fast—but now, he’s gonna be untouchable."

Naruto was still spinning in circles, laughing hysterically.

"OH MAN! THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER! I’M GONNA BE SO STRONG! NO ONE CAN STOP ME NOW!"

Harry smirked. "Don’t get too cocky, kid. You still have to master it."

Naruto froze.

His grin dropped slightly. "Wait… what do you mean, master it?"

Harry grinned. "Did you think this was it? This is just the beginning. Now you have to learn how to use it in combat."

Naruto groaned dramatically. "GAHHHH! WHY IS THERE ALWAYS A 'NEXT STEP' WITH YOU?!"

Mikoto laughed softly, her earlier anxiety fading slightly.

For the first time in a long time, she felt hopeful.

Because Naruto had just taken his first step toward something truly incredible.