Forged Beyond

YAYYYYY IM SO HAPPY YOU ALL LIKED THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS!! THIS IS ONE OF MY FAV CHAPTERS I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT! I HOPE YALL ARE PRETTY EXCITED AFTER LOOKING AT THE NAME! HEHE

The storm had finally passed.

For two weeks, dark clouds loomed over the training grounds, rain hammering down on the earth, making every step heavier, slipperier, and more grueling.

But now—

The sky was bright, the grass damp from the morning dew, and the air crisp with the scent of the freshly washed earth. The oppressive thunderclouds that had once smothered the training fields were now gone, leaving behind nothing but clear skies.

A few birds, startled by the shifting boulder, took flight as three figures emerged from the underground hideout.

Sasuke stepped out first, his expression unreadable, his black cloak billowing slightly in the morning breeze.

Naruto followed, rubbing the back of his neck with a dramatic groan. "Man, I really underestimated my own jutsu! That thing should've been finished two weeks ago!" His voice was filled with frustration, though his excitement was evident.

Behind them, Sakura walked out, stretching her arms, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips. "The thunderstorm is finally gone. We can finally train at full capacity."

Sasuke folded his arms, his sharp gaze flickering toward her. "We train to push our capacity, not to reach it." His voice was calm, collected—as if every second mattered.

The group finally stood in the expansive training grounds, forests stretching endlessly in all directions. The location was carefully chosen, hundreds of kilometers away from other powerful villages. Only a few small, isolated tribal villages were nearby—villages that had long since disconnected from the shinobi world.

Naruto stretched his arms, sighing in relief. "Man, this is gonna be awesome!"

Sakura, already dropping down onto the ground, began her stretches with calculated precision—her flexibility evident as she lowered herself into a full split, effortlessly pressing her forehead to the damp earth.

Sasuke, beside her, rolled his shoulders, stretching his upper body first, his movements precise and controlled.

Naruto, twisting his back to look behind him, suddenly frowned. "Oi, Sakura-chan, how are you so flexible? I can barely do a full split!"

Sakura chuckled, still holding her stretch. "It's necessary for my fighting style. I focus on agility and strength. Since I specialize in close combat, I need both. You and Sasuke have a balanced fighting style, switching between long-range and close combat, so you don't require as much flexibility. But for your fighting style, you're already extremely agile."

Sasuke, who had been listening, simply nodded. "She's right."

Naruto pouted. "Tch, still, I wanna kick higher!"

Sakura smirked as she transitioned into a cobra pose, her back arching elegantly. "Good luck with that."

Before Naruto could retort, Jiraiya clapped his hands. "Alright, Naruto, enough chatting! We need to work on your jutsu."

Naruto groaned but stood up, waving at the other two as he jogged off to meet Jiraiya.

Tsunade and Orochimaru remained behind, discussing something serious, while Sasuke and Sakura continued stretching in silence.

As Sasuke lifted his arms above his head, a sharp twinge of pain shot through his shoulder.

"Damn it," he muttered, rolling his shoulder with a wince.