21 Lands of Waves Escort Mission part 17

They stole everything, including every dead body they could fit into their scrolls and anything they could seal. Misuchi even raided the castle pantry, stealing all the food as bodies littered the ground to celebrate their victory. The team cleaned the castle to ensure there were no witnesses. Then they covered their tracks with a few explosive tags and oil fires. The group only left a rumble and ashes as evidence of their mission.

With the mission done and a pair of black glasses as proof of their success, the team eventually reached their destination. They still had to wait for the bridge to be built and for Kakashi to recover but with Iwagi's help and her wooden jutsus, the group would only need to wait for a week.

So, the ninjas had a free week to do whatever they wanted in this small town near the coastal line. It was just dozens of houses and tents of extremely poor people with a small market. The only building that stood out was the large tower in the center of town, which was built on top of the river that ran through it.

There was one thing that Kazu still needed to steal. He got Sakura's booty, Gato's treasure, and that amazing scroll but . . . there was still something that the boy wanted. The shadow clone technique, mostly because Naruto told him he shared some of the clone's memories. That would turn them into a nice aid for training. Kazu knew that he didn't have enough chakra to use them yet but what kind of lazy burglar would not steal stuff that maybe would be helpful in the future?

So, near the forest surrounding the town, Kazu went to find Naruto that was training with a few of his clones, trying to climb a tree with his feet alone. Kakashi had given that task to his team so they would not be idle while waiting for the mission to be over.

"Hey, Naruto, can you teach me your clone technique?" Kazu asked as he watched Naruto fall to the ground again.

The blonde boy quickly got up. "Wait! Why do you want to learn it?! It's really dangerous," he exclaimed with a worried tone.

The redhead nodded a few times with a small smile on his face."Exactly, I like to do dangerous stuff," Kazu muttered with a gentle tone.

"I don't know . . . " Naruto shook his head. Kakashi was very clear about the dangers of this jutsu, and the boy didn't want to endanger one of his companions.

Kazu put a hand under his chin, well, he didn't want to use this tactic but it would be worth it."I will invite you to eat ramen when we are back," he proposed.

Those words lit up Naruto's face. "All I can eat?" the boy inquired.

Kazu could feel it in his wallet, a massive strike coming down that would destroy his finances."Sure! Eat as much as you want !" Kazu smiled back, ready to pay any price.

"Deal!" Naruto exclaimed, ready to teach Kazu that dangerous jutsu. After all, he thought that the redhead was smart enough to not kill himself with it.

(Why do I feel a chill?) Kazu thought as he felt a dread similar to one when he met Ara for the first time.

Kazu learns:

Shadow clones technique: A jutsu that allows a ninja to evenly distribute his chakra among his clones and creates a real copy of himself. The clone itself can also utilize any jutsu that the original ninja knows. When the clone disperses, a fraction of the new knowledge it has gained is passed to the original user. However, since it consumes massive amounts of chakras, most of the ninjas only manage to summon one in the best of cases.

As the days passed, Sakura and Kazu went on multiple dates where they focused on training each other. On the sandy beach under the morning sun it was clear who was the superior ninja, however, Kazu was making the best effort to train her. Sadly, he only knew Ara's method of teaching.

Sakura grabbed her head as she just recovered from Kazu kicking her into the sand. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Why do I suck so much?!" She exclaimed, frustrated at her own weakness.

"What are you talking about? You aced the tree climbing exercise," Kazu said with a sincere tone as he helped Sakura to get rid of the sand in her clothes.

"It's not enough, Naruto has his clones, Sasuke is good at everything he does and I just can do the most basic things," she muttered, feeling like trash for being so normal. Sakura wasn't a bad genin but compared to her companions? She was behind them.

"Basic stuff is useful, that is why it is the basics but . . . yes, you need a little extra," Kazu said as he sank deep in thought. She needed something that would make her relevant in combat, something easy to learn but with a lot of room to grow. Sakura didn't have an amazing pool of chakra but a lot of control, which gave her a few interesting options.

Sakura nodded, placing a hand under her chin. "What could be . . ." she also began to think about a way to increase her usefulness.

"I got it! An axe!" Kazu exclaimed, reaching the best possible conclusion or at least what he thought.

Sakura stood in silence for a second. "What?" She asked and looked at Kazu as if the boy had been licking frogs.

"No, no, no, hear me out. It makes sense," Kazu said as he raised his hands.

"Sasuke has your team covered with Bukijutsu and Ninjutsu for long-range attacks. Naruto can make distractions with his clones as well as throw you two all over the place. What does your team need?" the boy exclaimed with a smile. Also, as a secondary effect, training with such a big tool would give Sakura a nice set of abs and magnificent arms. That was 50% of the reason why Kazu suggested that.

"A medic!" Sakura answered. She realized that the team needed something so fundamental.

"That is also a great idea, but what they need is close-quarters damage! Naruto simply distracts or immobilizes the opponent while you strike them with your axe!" Kazu said, trying to convince her that this was the best option.

"Well . . . I think that Tenten uses throwable axes so . . . that would also give a ranged option," the pink-haired girl added, already coming to the same conclusion as Kazu.

"Who is Tenten?" Kazu asked. Another potential treasure for him to loot.

Sakura shook her head. "A friend," she said with a dismissive tone.

"Interesting . . . well, so what do you think?" The boy finally asked, testing if the girl bought his pitch.

"Learning to use an axe would be helpful and becoming a medic would give a nice use for all the extra chakra that I save from using Kenjutsu," Sakura said, nodding a few times.

"Remember that medic jutsu can be used to boost your physical power," he added with a calm tone.

"Yes! That's the best option!" Sakura finally exclaimed. The girl's spirit fired up after this revelation.