Naruto uzumaki : The Will To Rise

With the goal of mastering chakra control, Naruto's routine became extremely disciplined.

He would wake up at four in the morning, start his daily run around Konoha, and then return home to cook breakfast, all under the curious but cautious stares of the villagers.

During the mornings, Naruto would immerse himself in reading to deepen his understanding of the ninja world. By eleven, he would prepare and eat lunch, followed by a half-hour nap. Afterward, he'd dedicate the rest of the afternoon to refining his chakra and practicing ninjutsu and taijutsu, pushing himself until five in the evening, when he'd finally take a break.

At eight o'clock sharp, Naruto would drink a cup of warm milk and head to bed, ensuring he was fully rested for the next day.

This regular routine didn't go unnoticed by the Third Hokage, who was pleased with Naruto's progress. He felt reassured that allowing Naruto to grow naturally instead of raising him in Anbu had been the right choice. If Naruto continued on this path, he could one day become a beacon for the village, much like his father, Minato Namikaze.

The villagers remained wary of Naruto's regimented lifestyle but kept their distance, pretending he didn't exist. The only one truly bothered by this was the Nine-Tails, who had hoped to slowly manipulate Naruto by breaking his spirit. But the cold war between the two had stretched from winter into spring, leaving the fox feeling frustrated and, in a strange way, lonely.

Sealed within Naruto's body, the Nine-Tails was no stranger to solitude, but Naruto's presence had brought a certain liveliness it had grown used to. Now, with Naruto ignoring it, the silence became unbearable.

Out of desperation, the Nine-Tails began subtly manipulating the chakra it leaked to disrupt Naruto's training, hoping to get some reaction out of him. And indeed, Naruto's techniques began to falter.

Bang!

Another failed transformation technique. Naruto crouched on the ground, clutching his head, seemingly on the verge of breaking down. The Nine-Tails took delight in his apparent frustration and intensified its interference.

But little did the Nine-Tails know, Naruto was smiling behind that veil of frustration. It thought it was causing problems, but Naruto had incorporated the fox's interference into his training. He was using the overflow of its chakra to hone his own control.

Naruto had absorbed "Soft Fist Training Experience" — the Hyuga clan's secret techniques for chakra control. Though he'd only mastered the basics, his chakra control was already comparable to that of a Genin. Techniques like tree climbing and water walking were now within his reach. To improve further, though, he needed an external challenge — and the Nine-Tails' chakra interference provided the perfect opportunity.

After a few more rounds of practice, Naruto, satisfied with his progress in the Three Basic Jutsu, shifted his focus to a nearby wooden training post. These posts were constructed based on instructions from the "Key Points of Taijutsu Training" and served as tools for his soft fist practice.

Although Naruto had the knowledge of Hyuga's soft fist techniques, he avoided practicing the more advanced forms like the Eight Trigrams Palms or any of the clan's secret arts to keep suspicions at bay. After all, he knew the Third Hokage's eyes — and the Anbu — were constantly on him.

Days passed, and Naruto maintained his frosty relationship with the Nine-Tails. Their exchanges were curt and sarcastic, almost reverting to the usual hostility between a jinchuriki and their tailed beast.

Then one day, the Nine-Tails finally pieced it together. "Brat, you're using my chakra to practice control, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Naruto replied, playing innocent.

The fox narrowed its eyes. "Don't play dumb. I've been sending a fixed amount of chakra your way lately. You should be able to handle it by now and perform your ninjutsu without any problems..."

It trailed off, noticing Naruto's sly grin.

"See?" Naruto said with a smirk. "You just admitted you've been messing with my chakra."

The Nine-Tails hesitated, but its pride wouldn't let it falter. "You're lucky. The old man's just been trying to help you. No trash ninja is worthy of being my jinchuriki."

"Oh, I understand now. That's why I've been practicing my chakra control in silence, isn't that right, Nine-Tails-sensei?"

"Nine-Tails-sensei?" The fox was incredulous. "This old man doesn't take human disciples!"

"You misheard."

With that, Naruto left the sealed space, leaving the Nine-Tails muttering about "Nine-Tails-sensei" repeatedly. It seemed the title had struck a chord.

After a while, the Nine-Tails' voice echoed in Naruto's mind again. "You'll never be my disciple, human. But I won't mess with your training anymore. You can rest easy."

Naruto grinned, sensing the change in tone. "Thanks, Nine-Tails."

"One more thing," the fox added. "Every time you leave, there's a ninja following you. Probably the Third Hokage's spy. Be careful what you reveal."

Naruto understood the warning well enough. Any slip-ups — whether it be in his chakra control or his calculated antagonism toward the Third Hokage — could have significant consequences. But he had no way to avoid the Anbu's constant surveillance.

Still, since the Nine-Tails had pointed it out, maybe there was a way he could turn things around in the future. Perhaps he could even free himself from the Third Hokage's ever-watchful eyes.

Glancing at the bushes nearby, Naruto sensed something and asked, "Big fox, is the ninja watching me hidden over there?"

After a brief pause, the Nine-Tails sounded surprised. "Huh... lucky guess, brat. You got it right."