Rewind

When Obito woke up, his memories were hazy. He couldn’t clearly remember what had happened after his arm was broken again. Rin had been by his side the whole time, and she was the first person he saw.

“Obito!” she immediately hugged him. “I was so worried. You took forever to wake up.”

“What happened? Did you beat that jerk Aoi? I think I hit my head pretty hard. How much did I sleep?” he started before sitting up. “Rin, I’m sorry! I didn’t assist in your fights!”

“Obito… I lost a few rounds earlier than your fight with Aoi. Asuma defeated me,” she blushed a little in shame. “You’ve been asleep for two weeks. You were so low on chakra you didn’t want to wake up.” She sat back down.

“Oh,” the excitement drained from Obito. “Guess this year none of us will be Chūnin.” He looked at his hands, clenching them into fists. “I have to apologize to Kyuubi.”

“Are you kidding me?” Rin asked happily. She got up, walking toward the hospital desk and taking a piece of paper, handing it to Obito. It took the Uchiha a few minutes to actually understand what it was.

“I’m a Chūnin?” he spoke, surprised as the reality kicked in. “I’m a Chūnin now!” He tossed the piece of paper in the air.

“And your last attack! It was breathtaking!” Rin matched his excitement.

“I didn’t know I could actually pull off the Rasengan. I just focused on what Kakashi had told me. I didn’t have enough chakra to pull off the normal size, so I gave it less chakra. I didn’t expect it to work,” Obito explained, excited.

“Rasengan?” Rin asked, surprised. “It didn’t look like the Rasengan. It seemed like a fiery sphere. It changed color, too.”

“It was a Rasengan,” Kakashi walked into the room. His appearance was horrible, and it seemed he had just finished a fight himself. “He changed the nature of the chakra. It was something I wanted to teach him later, but he stepped forward by himself.”

“So it was a fire Rasengan?” Obito asked, and Kakashi nodded.

“Yes. You applied your Fire Release chakra to change the nature of the Rasengan itself. The concept was the same. It was chakra rotating in the palm of your hand, but instead of normal chakra, you applied your Fire Release to it. You did it unconsciously, so we will have to work on that. But now, at least, you proved to me I wasn’t wasting my time.”

“So… I can’t call it Rasengan? I need to find a new name?”

“The Kyuubi is suggesting Gōka Rasengan,” Kakashi sat down.

“Gōka Rasengan?” the other two asked, as if trying to understand why.

“Rasengan means spiral, and it refers to the spiraling motion of the chakra. Gōka means inferno. So, it means Inferno Spiral, referring to the damage it did. Your jutsu caused some stuff to get burned around you. It fits.” Kakashi shrugged.

“Well, if he suggested it, then it means it’s only right,” Obito puffed his chest proudly.

“Well, I have to go now. I’ll be away for a few days, so that means you two have to work on your own. Obito, work on Gōka Rasengan while you, Rin, still have work with your Waterfall Jutsu.” Kakashi got up.

“Where are you going?” Obito asked.

“Me and some other Chūnin are attending the Jōnin exams,” Kakashi explained.

“What?! But you’re only 12!” Obito gasped.

“So? There isn’t an age limit. I can attend the exam as long as I’m a Chūnin, which I already am.”

“But then that means I can attend the exam as well!” the Uchiha chirped happily.

“When the Hokage agrees that you are ready to do so.” Kakashi walked out. “Just focus on your training now, Obito. Next time we’ll need your jutsu, it will be on the battlefield, not in an exam. Same goes for you, Rin. Your jutsu might save lives.”

“Understood! I’ll do my best,” Rin nodded.

But no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t understand why her jutsu kept failing. She was losing hope that she would ever manage to achieve it. Maybe the chakra papers were wrong.

“You’re doing it wrong,” a familiar voice broke the silence. Rin turned around and was surprised to see Aoi.

“Aoi!” she gasped in surprise. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“You have the right base, but you’re treating it like a mud wall,” Aoi observed. “This isn’t Earth Style. It’s Water. Earth requires a strong foundation, but water is more gentle and easy to manipulate. You’re spending too much chakra on it.”

“That’s what Kakashi told me, but… if I infuse less chakra, the wall doesn’t form,” she looked down.

“Kakashi understands how elements behave, but he didn’t explain any of that to you.”

“Like we need your help,” Obito growled, noticing Aoi’s presence.

“Look, Uchiha, you’ve proved your strength. Can we move on now?” Aoi rolled his eyes. “You won. Isn’t that enough?”

“It isn’t! You bullied me for years!” Obito yelled at him.

“I know, I’m sorry. When we were in the academy, the other kids loved you. Whatever you did made them laugh and stay close to you. People adored you. When I pranked you and the kids started to interact with me, I figured if I continued with it… I wouldn’t be alone,” Aoi explained. “I’m from the Mist, and people… they hate me. I’m the sheep that doesn’t belong in the herd. I’m…”

“Alright, alright!” Obito stopped him. “Look, I won’t forgive you just because you ask me to. However, I’m going to give you a chance to prove to me that you’re actually sorry.” Obito crossed his arms. “And don’t you dare think Kakashi will be replaced by you. You aren’t part of our team.”

“That’s fine,” Aoi seemed relieved. “Thank you.”

“Whatever. Now, what were you saying about elements?” Obito asked, sitting down, as Rin smiled and did the same. Obito was a passionate guy, but he was also curious and ready to achieve his dreams.

“Right. So you know the five elements, but the way you approach them has to be unique as well. Let’s take Fire, for example. Konoha is called the Land of Fire. Fire means power, and the people with this chakra have desire, will, and the energy to achieve what they want. The stronger the will, the stronger the fire. The Land of Fire is known for its strong will and achievements. The power resonates with that will, and because the shinobi have such strong wills, their power increases,” Aoi explained. “Kind of like you, Obito. During the Chūnin Exams, your will was so strong that your fire increased, allowing you to win.”

Obito smiled proudly, nodding.

“Lightning means speed. People with this kind of chakra are unpredictable. They are fast and deadly. They think faster than anyone else. Similarly to Kakashi. He is unpredictable because he’s capable of thinking a step ahead and striking in a deadly manner,” Aoi continued.

“Earth means substance. People with this chakra are stubborn and hard to bend. They are strong and enduring. They can take on a lot of damage and respond strongly. Wind is freedom. It cannot be tamed, and they usually don’t engage in deadly combat. They don’t initiate fights, but when forced, they can be as strong as a rock. Then there’s Water. Water means change. People with Water chakra are capable of adapting easily to any situation. We can shift between attack and defense much easier than any other chakra type. That’s why you can’t create your wall of water based on the mud wall,” he looked at Rin.

“You are aiming for total defense, which is an Earth chakra specialty. Your wall needs to be adapted to a Water chakra user. Focusing all your chakra on one thing as if you’re building a wall won’t work. Instead of building the wall, why don’t you try to change it into a whirlpool? Infuse less chakra—just enough to create the whirlpool. Then, increase your chakra enough to raise it. Feed it with your chakra, as if you’re feeding a pet. Don’t overfeed it. When the whirlpool rises, try to change it back into a surface-level whirlpool. This way, you can adapt yourself to understand how much chakra goes into your jutsu. Once you succeed at that, you’ll understand how to feed your waterfall.”

“I think I understand,” Rin got up. “My waterfall changes speed and power constantly, and my chakra doesn’t keep up with it. The mud wall doesn’t change its shape or speed.”

“Exactly. When you use Water jutsu, they change, even if you apply less chakra. With Water, it doesn’t matter how big something is, but rather how you move it.”

“I don’t think I get it,” Obito raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, let’s make it simple. Remember my water bullets?” Aoi asked, as Obito nodded.

“They broke my arm.”

“Yes. I gave them minimal chakra, but I controlled the speed of the shot. Despite being small, the speed was enough to harm you.”

“Like a thrown kunai!” Obito suddenly realized. “It doesn’t change form, but if thrown hard enough, it can hurt.”

“Yes. Now, Rin, try to create the whirlpool and change its shape like I told you,” Aoi invited Rin.

“Got it!” Rin nodded, starting her training.

Obito couldn’t lie. Rin was making progress. She was managing to control her chakra much better than before. Maybe that’s why Kakashi told her to apply less chakra in her jutsu. And Aoi turned out to be the best teacher for her.

In no time, she had learned the whirlpool jutsu, which turned out to be a defensive jutsu capable of absorbing any weapon thrown at it. Aoi seemed pleased.

“Rin, try to move the whirlpool forward,” Aoi encouraged her.

“What?” Rin asked, surprised. The whirlpool seemed already big—there was no way she could move it with the chakra she was already consuming.

“Try to make it smaller,” Obito observed. “This way, you reduce your chakra usage and can use the remaining chakra to move it.”

Rin looked at it before nodding. “I’ll try.” She reduced the size of the whirlpool and threw it against the tree on the other side of the river. The tree didn’t withstand the impact, falling over with the weapons stuck in it.

“You did it!” both boys celebrated, running over to her. “You made your first jutsu!”

“Thank you, Aoi. I couldn’t have done it without you,” she smiled.

Aoi blushed, looking away. “I just tried to atone for my mistakes.”

The next few weeks were filled with constant training for both teens. Aoi was now teaching Rin the water bullets, while Obito started to better understand how to change the chakra nature of his Rasengan before moving a step forward to try and turn it into a long-range attack instead of a close-up one.

“What do you say we have a friendly match?” Aoi suggested to Rin. “To simulate a real fight.”

“That sounds good to me,” Rin agreed confidently, getting into position.

“I’ll be the judge then!” Obito immediately joined in, excited for the friendly match.

It looked like Rin was a bit worried, but Aoi was quick to calm her down.

“Don’t worry, Rin! It’s a friendly match! Nothing else. It’s just to see how much your technique and chakra control have improved.”

“Okay, I’m ready,” Rin nodded again, watching Obito raise and lower his arm.

“Begin!” he yelled out. Aoi was faster; he started with a few hand signs.

“Suiton: Tidal Wave!” he yelled out. A wave of water rose up in front of him, aiming for the girl, hoping to catch her off guard.

“Suiton: Whirlpool!” she signed, watching the water rise up and absorb the extra water before redirecting itself back into the river.

“Nice defense!” Aoi complimented her. “What about this?” He created new hand signs that Rin recognized easily and began to wave herself. The voices of the two teens were nearly in unison.

“Suiton: Water Bullets!” Their fingers released two sets of water bullets, which clashed mid-air with each other. Aoi narrowed his eyes, realizing she used the same technique. However, her bullets were stronger and more precise. She was a fast learner, he couldn’t deny that.

“Suiton: Tidal Wave!” he announced again, as Rin repeated the Whirlpool technique. She hadn’t realized Aoi had moved faster and already sent water bullets her way. When she realized it, they seemed too close for comfort. It was instinct; she wasn’t really thinking of her hand signs.

“Suiton: Waterfall!” she called out. A wall of water rose up, absorbing the bullets and redirecting itself toward the boy with the sheer force of a waterfall.

Rin immediately rushed toward Aoi, concerned for his well-being.

“Suiton: Water Bullets!” Aoi called out in response, stopping Rin in her tracks and letting her start her wave of bullets. However, only one set of bullets was actually released. Aoi looked at his fingers, unable to release his jutsu. He had noticed something glowing under the sun, covering the tips—something he couldn’t work with in the moment, especially as the bullets hit the tree behind him.

“That’s enough. I give up,” Aoi sat down, raising his hands.

“You did it, Rin!” Obito cheered. “This was an amazing battle!” He rushed to the two. Aoi was staring at his hands before getting up.

“Rin, is water your only chakra?”

“No. I have water and wind,” the girl replied, helping the boy up, looking worried from the attack.

“Have you ever tried to interact with wind chakra?” he asked, and Rin shook her head.

“Not really. I was working with water only.”

“I strongly suggest you train with wind as well. If I’m not wrong, Asuma is a wind user. You should ask him for help with wind chakra control.”

“I will,” Rin nodded.

Thankfully, Asuma was around and willing to help Rin. Just as Aoi had told her, Wind chakra was gentler but extremely powerful. Asuma showed her how to focus her Wind chakra into a kunai.

“Unless you focus Wind into a specific space, you won’t get the same effect. The larger the Wind attack, the less damage it will do,” he had told her. Rin managed, in just a week, to learn the Wind Scythe technique. When she returned to Aoi, he had prepared a new schedule for her.

“What now?” she asked. “Will we have another match?”

“Not really. Rin, I noticed something during our last fight, and I want to see if it’s true. I want you to do the Water Bullets against the target, but there’s a twist. Try to add Wind chakra as well. It will increase the speed of the bullets,” he told her. Rin nodded and obeyed, releasing the Water Bullets. They broke on impact.

“I didn’t see it be faster,” Obito observed, but Aoi insisted that Rin continue with the attack, instructing her on chakra control again. The fifth time it happened, something strange occurred. The bullets of Water froze instantly, hitting the target and stopping right in the middle.

“Wow, Rin! You froze the bullets!” Obito exclaimed with excitement.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Aoi asked, walking toward the target.

“Get what?” Obito asked, confused.

“This is Ice Release. It’s a kekkei genkai. In the Mist Village, those with Ice Release are killed,” Aoi said, taking one shard from the target and examining it. “Water and Wind create Ice. Last time, I couldn’t shoot my bullets because of the frost on my fingertips. Guess the Hidden Leaf Village is truly the strongest of them all. Your team is powerful. With an Uchiha and an Ice user, no one can stop you.”