Training

Naruto's mind was still spinning with questions when one popped up that he couldn't ignore. 'This reminds me, what happened to Kurama?' he asked the system internally.

[Kurama, The Nine-Tailed Beast, has been taken out of the original Naruto and has been sealed inside the host. However, due to the intervention of the Lustful Ascension System, there have been a few changes to Kurama. As host power gradually increases, the host can access Kurama's chakra.]

Naruto nodded to himself, feeling both relieved and intrigued. 'So, Kurama is still inside me, but he's not active yet, and there have been some unknown changes. Interesting…'

Naruto felt satisfied with the answer as he continued walking, ignoring the stares and muttered insults from villagers. His focus now was on one thing: getting stronger, and fast. He needed to be ready for the Academy Exams, and that meant serious training.

…

In the quiet forest outside the village, Naruto looked around cautiously, making sure he wasn't being followed. Once confident he was alone, he exhaled and stretched, preparing his mind for the task ahead.

'I need to improve my skills. There's no way I'll survive what's coming with my current strength. Even the Academy Exam could be dangerous at this level,' he thought, feeling the weight of his weakness pressing on him.

He flexed his fingers and made the familiar hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A puff of smoke filled the air as a single clone appeared beside him.

Naruto cringed slightly. "Ah, crap. Not enough control."

The clone fizzled out as quickly as it came, and Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "It's no wonder the system thinks I need to work on my chakra control," he muttered. 

He wasn't disheartened, though; he knew this technique was critical. Unlike in battle, where physical strength was key, the Shadow Clone Jutsu was invaluable for gathering information and honing techniques. 

He needed to master it for training purposes, to help multiply his efforts and speed up his progress.

Taking a deep breath, he tried again. This time, three clones appeared. "Better," he said with a small smile. He continued, gradually improving the number and stability of the clones.

Once he had enough clones around him, Naruto addressed them. "Alright, you all know the drill. We need to work on chakra control first."

The clones saluted with an exaggerated grin and then dispersed, each one taking up a different section of the forest to work on controlling their chakra. 

Naruto stood back, allowing his clones to do the work, confident that whatever progress they made would return to him once they dispelled.

…

Hours passed, and Naruto was starting to feel the strain. He'd been pushing himself hard, focusing intensely on improving his chakra control and using his clones to maximize the results. He could feel his control improving slightly, but the progress wasn't as fast as he'd hoped.

"Damn it," Naruto muttered as he dispelled one of his last remaining clones. The accumulated fatigue of all the clones' efforts crashed into him at once, and he stumbled backward, collapsing against a tree to rest.

He glanced up at the clear blue sky, frustration boiling in his chest. "This isn't enough. I need to get stronger, faster. And is it because I'm not Naruto that I can't train as fast as him?"

The system seemed to sense his frustration, and a notification appeared.

[Reminder: Host chakra control is below average, it requires improvement to perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu at a desirable level.]

Naruto sighed deeply. "Yeah, no shit. I know I need to improve my control, but I've been working at this all day."

The system remained silent for a moment, as if calculating something, then sent another message.

[Ding! The host's current efforts to improve chakra control are noted. Once sufficient progress has been made, a new quest will be issued.]

"Sigh. There's no escaping the hard work, is there?" Naruto said aloud, feeling both amused and resigned. He knew this was just the beginning, but the system was clearly pushing him to achieve more—and he needed to find a way to do it more efficiently.

He pushed himself up, dusting off his pants, and decided to try one of the most basic chakra control exercises he remembered: tree climbing. It was the first method Naruto had learned in the original anime, and though it seemed simple, it required delicate control over chakra flow.

Placing his foot against the trunk of a nearby tree, Naruto focused and channeled his chakra into his feet. Slowly, he began walking up the tree trunk, taking careful, measured steps.

For a few seconds, things seemed to go well, but then his chakra fluctuated. He lost his footing and slipped, crashing back to the ground with a thud.

"Ugh!" Naruto groaned, glaring up at the tree. "This is ridiculous."

Still, he wasn't the type to give up easily. Rubbing his back, he stood up and tried again.

The sun began to dip lower on the horizon as Naruto repeated the exercise over and over. He knew his limits, but he also knew that progress only came through persistence. 

As his clones continued to work on the same exercises in different parts of the forest, he could feel their combined efforts starting to take effect. His chakra control was improving, albeit slowly.

As night fell, Naruto finally stopped. Panting and drenched in sweat, he collapsed onto the forest floor, exhausted. "I've been at this all day, and I still haven't mastered it..."

Just as he was about to give up and head home, the system's familiar ding broke through his thoughts.

[Ding! The host's efforts are acknowledged! New quest available: Kiss Kushina.]

Naruto's eyes widened as the system displayed the quest in front of him.

[New Quest: Kiss Kushina. Rewards: +50% Chakra Control, +10% Chakra Capacity, and Unlock Lustful Aura.]

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of the rewards. A massive boost to his chakra control and capacity was exactly what he needed to push through his current struggles.

"Well, I guess I knew this was coming eventually," Naruto muttered, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Looks like it's time to start making real progress."