Chapter 46: The Haruno Family's Secret Recipe
Spin, spin, spin…
Naruto focused intensely, channeling his chakra into the small rubber ball in his hand, making it expand until it burst apart.
The white little ball in Naruto's palm grew and grew as he continuously injected chakra, rotating it faster and faster with each passing second.
It had been three full days since Sakura had handed him the Rasengan. Naruto had already finished the initial stage of the training — mastering the water balloon technique. Now, he was pushing forward to the second stage: making the ball spin and explode on command.
High above, Kakashi sat comfortably perched on a sturdy tree branch, lazily flipping through a well-worn copy of "Paradise in Heat" — an adult novel, no less. His deadpan eyes occasionally glanced over at Naruto below, then flicked toward Sasuke, who was nearby, practicing lightning-style chakra nature transformation.
Genius, huh? Kakashi couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and amusement at the raw talent displayed by both boys.
Only three days had passed, but Naruto had already mastered bursting the water balloon with chakra, while Sasuke had successfully altered the nature of his chakra to lightning form. Both were rapidly approaching mastery of advanced jutsu.
The difference? Sasuke's talent still seemed a notch above Naruto's — but that was no surprise.
For Naruto, his training was straightforward: controlling the ball and making it explode using pure chakra control. Sasuke, on the other hand, was mastering lightning nature transformation, a complex and highly offensive chakra attribute. Only a select few could master this technique so quickly, and Sasuke was proving to be one of them.
In just three days, Sasuke managed to grasp the transformation skill, a talent even Kakashi himself couldn't dismiss.
"You two should take a break now and then. Running yourself dry of chakra isn't something to take lightly," Kakashi said with a lazy warning, not looking up from his book.
But as usual, both Naruto and Sasuke ignored the warning. Their stubbornness was legendary; neither would back down or rest until they felt satisfied with their progress.
Just then, Sakura appeared, carrying a bamboo basket carefully balanced on her arm. She smiled brightly as she approached the two boys.
"I figured you might be running low on chakra, so I brought something special for you to eat — my own Haruno family's secret ration pills," she announced proudly, pulling out small black balls about the size of a baby's fist.
Naruto's eyes immediately lit up with curiosity.
"Wait, Sakura, you can make those? Ration pills?" he asked, dropping the rubber ball and rushing over eagerly.
Even though Naruto couldn't yet feel how much chakra he was losing, the idea of some secret food that could boost his energy was exciting.
Sasuke, who was feeling the strain of his own chakra reserve running dangerously low, walked over as well.
"I'm not as much of a chakra hog as Naruto, but I can tell I'm close to empty," Sasuke admitted, wiping sweat from his brow.
Sakura grinned knowingly.
"Making ration pills involves medical ninjutsu, so of course I can do it. Come on, try it and see how you feel," she said, handing the strange black pill to Naruto.
Naruto stared at the pill in his palm, perplexed. It was much larger than the usual rations and had a strange dark color.
Sasuke, however, was less hesitant. Without a moment's pause, he popped a pill into his mouth.
Seeing this, Naruto's pride kicked in and he quickly shoved a pill into his own mouth.
Immediately, both boys felt as if a lightning bolt had struck their heads — a sudden, overwhelming sensation.
The taste was indescribably intense: a mix of extreme spiciness, sharp sourness, a bitter tang, and an earth-like gritty texture that scraped against their tongues. On top of that, there was an unpleasant smell that seemed to linger beneath it all.
Their faces twisted through a wild spectrum of colors — white, red, green, purple — as their expressions contorted in shock and discomfort.
"Don't you dare spit it out!" Sakura scolded, covering their mouths firmly with her hands, her expression serious and commanding.
Sasuke, nearly rolling his eyes from the sheer torture of the taste, forced himself to swallow. It was as if he'd endured a hundred forms of punishment on his tongue. He leaned heavily against a nearby tree, panting hard.
"Sakura… what exactly did you make me eat?" Sasuke gasped, clearly struggling.
"It's the Haruno family's secret recipe for ration pills!" Sakura answered proudly. "Super effective, too. Want another?"
Sasuke's face turned an ashen green as he stared suspiciously at the next black orb Sakura was holding. It looked like some sort of terrifying monster rather than edible food.
Kakashi, curious, leaned in and plucked one of the pills from the basket. He brought it close to his nose and sniffed carefully.
"Deer antler, ginseng, licorice… looks like there's more in here," Kakashi murmured, clearly impressed.
"You have a good nose for medicinal herbs," Sakura praised Kakashi with a big thumbs-up.
Since chakra is a combination of both physical and spiritual energy, the basics are simple: by nourishing the body, chakra can be restored. Ninjas replenish chakra by eating and taking care of their health. For most, spiritual energy isn't depleted as fast unless they use genjutsu or doujutsu extensively, or lose their will to live. The main drain is physical energy.
Sasuke was about to retort when he suddenly felt a warm heat rising inside him. His chakra visibly began restoring at an incredible rate.
Huh? Sasuke's eyes widened as he glanced at Sakura shyly. "Can I have a little more?"
Hmm… not bad, he thought as the effects began to kick in.
Despite the horrendous taste, even Sasuke couldn't deny the benefits.
"Of course," Sakura smiled. "But…"
Before she could finish, Sasuke had already grabbed three more pills from the basket and shoved them in his mouth, bracing himself against the awful flavor.
Naruto watched in disbelief, cheeks puffed with disbelief.
Sakura looked at Sasuke swallowing the pills and then said quietly, "No, you're done now. Take care of yourself tonight, okay?"
Sasuke frowned in confusion, but Kakashi only shook his head silently.
Because these pills were for physical restoration, they had a slight side effect…
Emm… they might cause a little excitement or restlessness.
But knowing Sakura's specially enhanced formula, the effect was probably even stronger than normal… maybe.
Meanwhile, Naruto was just recovering from the first terrible pill. Seeing Sasuke brave through multiple ones made Naruto's competitive spirit flare again.
He grabbed a handful of pills from Sakura's basket and shoved them all in his mouth in one go.
Sakura and Kakashi exchanged a look and both sighed deeply.
These two are truly born rivals, Sakura muttered under her breath.
Sasuke, boosted by the pills, quickly returned to his training, determination flashing in his eyes.
Naruto, on the other hand, due to the overwhelming taste and swallowing too fast, suddenly went pale and collapsed onto the ground, his face twisted and stiff from the experience.
Sakura gave a wry smile.
Next time, maybe I should add some sugar to these pills…
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Expanded Narrative and Reflections
Naruto's training had come a long way in just three days. His focus on mastering the Rasengan's basic form — the spinning chakra sphere — was paying off. Sakura's carefully crafted training regime, starting with the water balloon technique, had helped him develop the precise chakra control necessary for the Rasengan. The challenge now was building up enough stamina and finesse to make the ball explode on demand.
Sasuke's lightning chakra transformation was no less impressive. Lightning nature chakra was highly destructive but difficult to master. It demanded both control and raw talent. The fact that Sasuke had mastered the shape-changing transformation in just three days was a testament to his natural genius — and also to his relentless determination.
Kakashi, experienced and pragmatic, knew that pushing their chakra too far without rest was dangerous. Overexertion could lead to collapse or worse. Yet he also understood the stubbornness and fierce competitiveness driving both boys. It was part of what made them extraordinary.
Sakura's secret ration pills represented another vital component in ninja training — nourishment and recovery. The pills contained a unique blend of herbs known for their restorative properties. Deer antler was prized for its ability to boost stamina and strengthen the body, ginseng was a well-known energy tonic, and licorice balanced the formula with its anti-inflammatory effects. Together, these ingredients helped replenish chakra by revitalizing the body's physical energy.
However, the unpleasant taste and side effects were a small price to pay for the benefits.
Sasuke's willingness to endure the bitter medicine showed his resolve to become stronger, while Naruto's impulsive nature pushed him to match his rival at every turn.
Sakura's role as the healer and provider was crucial. She not only contributed to their physical recovery but also motivated the boys with her unwavering support and secret recipes.
Together, this trio's journey through training, competition, and camaraderie continued to push them closer to the legendary ninja they aspired to become.
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End of Chapter 46
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