Ascension of the Kitsune by Wandering Maverick

Chapter 6: Training: Year 3

Kyuubi sadly didn't know many Raiton jutsus simply because she never liked the finesse the element had on her enemies. 'It dulls their pain receptors and made them 'numb' to the pain' she admitted to him. Still the ones she did teach the boy, were all good ones in naruto's opinion. So for him his Raiton arsenal was comprised of 'quality over quantity', which was always welcome in his book. Of course the all the other aspects of his training were kept sharp as ever, or were advanced more thanks to his constant usage of his Kage Bushin training.

Speaking of training, Naruto was currently in his mindscape practicing his taijutsu with a few dozen clones, when a random idea hit him. One that sparked a plan he thought a certain crimson haired vixen would like.

Mindscape,

Naruto dodged another punch before roundhouse kicking the attacking bushin making it puff out of existence. One more bushin was left, grabbing a kunai out of it's holster and charged the blond who was currently sweating, breathing heavily, and had blood stains on his cloths and across his body. Naruto was ready to finish off the last clone as he watched it rush towards him, when he noticed in the background of his eyesight Natsumi watching his battle against a tree. Something in his mind caused his vision to phase the bushin into Natsumi who was running towards him with the kunai. Naruto shook his head quickly and his vision returned, noting it was probably just fatigue that caused the vision, before he at the last moment ducked and did a leg sweep and punched the clone through the chest with a 'poofing' sound. He got up and dusted himself off, before he heard clapping coming from a tree. He smiled as he jogged up to Natsumi and playfully bowed like an actor after a great play.

"Nice job Naruto, your training is making you quite strong, you should be proud of the steps you have taken in only three years" She complimented him with a smile, making him blush slightly.

"Well...you do have a large part in that Kyuubi-sensei, if you weren't such a great sensei I doubt I'd be as strong as I am." He smiled back, now making her slightly blush at his kind words.

"I think you'd be a great shinobi whether I was your sensei or not Naruto. You were pretty much born to be a great ninja ...I'm just speeding up the process. But don't let my comments go to your head...you are still far from being the strongest. There are people out there that at your current level could beat you with one hand." She said sternly.

"Arigato Kyuubi-sensei, and hai I know. But with your help I know I'll become strong enough to beat them in the future." He said bowing lightly, before continuing. "Ano...was there another jutsu you wished to show me or shall I continue with my taijutsu?"

"Not tonight...just continue, but make it Kenjutsu this time. I want you to practice all the basic stances of 'Kitsune Issei Ryu', as well as the five offensive attacks associated with it that you've learned so far." She commanded in a regal tone.

"Hai Kyuubi-sensei!" He responded before running off and summoning more shadow clones to train with.

"He is going to be something this world is not ready for when he gets older." She mused absentmindedly to herself, before going back to the tree to watch the boy's progress.

A few more hours went by and though Naruto was in the middle of a battle between a dozen bushins his mind kept going back to before when his vision blurred Natusmi and his clone together. Something about that vision kept poking at the imaginative side of Naruto's consciousness...like it was trying to tell him something but he couldn't translate the scene into words.

"Damn it." He thought while slicing through a bushin "What did she say about Kage Bushins again?" His mind wandered to the night she showed him the jutsu as he continued fighting.