Naruto Shingetsu: Of Chains and Blood

--- Somewhere in the Land of Fire, he slept, breathing in and out rhythmically. Peace was upon him for those agonizingly short hours, but as dawn slowly crept up upon him, so did restlessness. He stirred, yawning softly and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Emerging from his tent, he frowned in disappointment, realizing how early it still was. For the moment, he was alone, the freshness of morning dew and the sound of gently rushing water his only companions. Conscientious as always, he packed up his few belongings swiftly and quietly, boredom settling in. He supposed he could've woken his team up, but he decided against it, knowing that they wouldn't appreciate an earlier wake up call than was necessitated...especially him. Sighing, he figured he would take the opportunity to be productive and get some practice in. Recently, Master Arata had taught them to walk on water using only the precise control of their chakra flow.

Naturally, Kumoi had excelled at it the quickest. Of the three of them, while Yoru possessed exceptional chakra control, Kumoi was unquestionably the most skilled at it. It was simply how Kumoi operated, mastering the flow of his chakra and using it to his advantage. Yoru had known Kumoi long enough to understand that that was the underlying, fundamental principle behind all of Kumoi's greatest feats. Part of him was, of course, overwhelmingly proud of his best friend's undeniable talent; the other part of him, however, burned with a competitive fire that pushed him to constantly try and outdo the other boy. They both knew and understood the way they impacted one another, without even having to voice it. Yoru followed the rumbling of the water until he came upon the cascading river, faint beams of light breaking through the trees to dance upon its surface. He couldn't contain himself, and he grinned widely. Something about nature, especially in the coolness of a misty dawn, was peaceful.

Yoru eschewed his zori and his jacket, knowing that both would weigh him down and thus make balancing on top of the water more difficult. Barefoot and somewhat chilly, the young Uchiha closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on sending the chakra to the soles of his feet. Inhaling deeply, he stepped out onto the water's surface as he felt the chakra make the skin on his feet tingle, careful not to apply his weight all at once. He managed to successfully stand upon the river, modulating his chakra to accommodate the rushing liquid beneath his feet. Up above, a bird's song rang out, joyful chirping reaching his ears. Usually, he wasn't a morning person, but the beauty that surrounded him was beginning to make him reconsider that. Breathing out, he walked ever so carefully towards the center of the river, focusing intently on maintaining and controlling his chakra flow. So far, so good.