In the Academy, chakra control was the bedrock of a shinobi's training, taught through a method that seemed straightforward but proved challenging for many. The exercise required students to attach a dry leaf to their forehead using only their chakra. They had to keep it there while meditating or even running.

For Naruto, this task was a recurring nightmare.

Despite his abundant chakra, it felt as if it repelled rather than adhered the leaf to his skin. The leaf, as Naruto perceived it, seemed to have its own grudge against him, always refusing to stay put.

"Why couldn't it be something else...like making a stinkbomb?" Naruto declared to the leaf with forced cheer. "Alright, Leafy, you and me, we're going to be best friends." He slapped the leaf onto his forehead again and redirected his focus to channeling his chakra. The leaf wavered momentarily, as if contemplating whether to stick or desert him. In a defiant act, it fluttered to the ground the moment Naruto removed his hand.

"Traitor!" he yelled, the echo filling the bare room."I thought we had something!"

Naruto walked over to a drawer and pulled out a marker. With a playful grin, he drew a face on the leaf. "Good, now it won't feel weird," the boy told himself, reattaching the leaf to his forehead. But, as before, it promptly fell to the floor.

Turning his back on it with melodramatic sorrow, he exclaimed, "How could you do this after all we've been through?" This action kept his mood up despite his apparent failure.

"You cheated on me; you didn't stick around..." His voice trailed off as he couldn't hold back a burst of laughter.

Naruto decided to switch strategies. This time, he attempted to coax the leaf with a more serene approach, mimicking a monk. Standing on one leg, he tried to embody calm and focus, although his stance looked more constipated than contemplative.

"Let's make a peaceful environment, brother leaf," Naruto intoned in his best monk impersonation. He grabbed a spoon and a pot, clanging them together to mimic the resonant sound of a temple bell. Carefully, he placed the leaf on his forehead and chanted "Om," striking the pot as the sound reverberated around the room, echoing uncomfortably in his ears.

Peaceful, my ass.

To his surprise, the leaf was actually sticking. But just as he was about to revel in his small victory, a breeze wafted through the window, carrying the leaf away in a mocking dance of freedom. Naruto watched in disbelief, his eyes wide as if the leaf had committed blasphemy against God... Wait, monks don't believe in God.

The boy acknowledged the real reason the leaf had adhered, if only briefly—his sweat, not his chakra control.

Naruto paused and glared at the leaf resting in his hand. "I never should have picked you up," he muttered, pointing an accusing finger at the leaf. "My mother was right; I should have chosen the richer leaf between you and the Sakura leaf." Naruto let out a heavy sigh as he dramatically drew a tear onto the leaf, pretending it was crying.

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"Don't cry, just stick to me," he said, half-joking.

The silence in the room was deafening as Naruto closed his eyes, trying to recall Iruka's lecture on chakra control.

"Something... something about concentration," Naruto muttered to himself, his brow furrowed in concentration. Deciding that a comforting bowl of ramen might jog his memory, he prepared and devoured six cups of ramen, each topped with a raw egg to thicken the broth—a personal touch to his favorite meal.

After his satisfying meal, Naruto burped contentedly, gazing into the thick broth remaining in the cup. Iruka's lecture was clear in theory: visualize and concentrate. Yet, every time Naruto attempted to visualize his chakra flow, it surged uncontrollably, too forceful to concentrate to a specific point.

Groaning in frustration, Naruto slammed the empty ramen cup down, causing the thick broth to splash onto his hand. As he wiped the mess, an idea suddenly sparked in his mind.

Naruto's idea was ingeniously simple. He already knew that his chakra was overwhelmingly abundant—almost ridiculously so. The problem wasn't the quantity but the focus. If focusing his chakra to a small point like his forehead was too difficult due to its sheer volume, why not expand the target area? Recalling how the raw egg he mixed into his ramen dispersed evenly, enhancing the broth uniformly, Naruto wondered if a similar approach could apply to his chakra control.

Holding the leaf lightly between his fingers, he placed it on his forehead. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, the idea still fresh and exciting in his mind. Instead of focusing all his chakra into this one small leaf, he visualized it flowing throughout his entire head.

He could feel the chakra stir within him, a familiar powerful force starting at his core and moving upwards. Instead of directing it to just the center of his forehead, he imagined it filling his entire head like water filling a balloon. The sensation was odd, less intense but more expansive than anything he'd attempted before.

The leaf felt cool against his skin, and as he concentrated, he tried to keep his breathing steady, feeling the chakra flow evenly. It was a balancing act, like trying to evenly spread a thick paste across a broad surface. At times, it felt like he was losing control, but he gently nudged the chakra back, spreading it out, calming the intense streams into manageable rivulets.

He held his breath for a moment, not daring to move. Then, slowly, he lifted his hands from his face. The leaf stayed. It actually stayed!

[ Objective: Leaf Chakra Control Exercise Successfully Completed ]

[ Rewards Granted: ]

- [ New Skill Acquired: Chakra Control ]

- [ Experience Points (Exp): 200 ]

"Yatta!" Naruto jumped to his feet, a victorious whoop escaping his lips.

"Take that, stupid leaf exercise! Naruto Uzumaki, the chakra control master!"

[ Skill: Chakra Control - Level 1 ]

[ Description: Fundamental skill for shinobi, essential for efficient use of chakra. This skill allows better manipulation and conservation of chakra for various jutsu. ]

[ Passive Enhancements: ]

- [ Chakra Efficiency: Decreases chakra consumption by 10% for all jutsu. ]

- [ Chakra Recovery Rate: Improves passive chakra regeneration by 5%. ]

[ Active Enhancements: ]

- [ Chakra Surge: Temporarily increases chakra flow, boosting the effectiveness of jutsu by 15% for 30 seconds. Activation consumes additional chakra. ]

- [ Focus Boost: For 30 seconds, enhances concentration, increasing the success rate of complex jutsu by 10%. ]