A few days passed as I gradually increased the lightning chakra circulation from my right arm to the left, which I basically copied step-for-step. Now came the real challenge. My legs. And I was not excited to try.
After the... incident in the forest, I decided to train in my flat for the time being. I was fairly confident there weren't any ANBU hiding and monitoring anywhere nearby.
However, I suddenly paused, turned slowly, and looked out the window like someone actually was watching me. Then I smirked to them and turned back around like I had caught them in the act. Just in case.
I took a deep breath, formed the hand seals, and slowly started pushing lightning chakra into both legs. After all, I had no intention of becoming the one-legged Flash. At first, I was pleasantly surprised. The circulation flowed smoothly, without any jolts or spasms. I stood there for thirty seconds, holding the lightning in place. No problems. No pain. Nothing short of a miracle.
I smiled and thought to myself, well, that went extremely … well …well.
After a few minutes of light stretching to double-check that I hadn't cooked my nerves, I steadied my breath and pushed lightning chakra into my legs again. This time with the goal of movement.
I took one step forward.
Instant regret.
My leg twitched violently, and I immediately cut the chakra, but it was too late. The damage was already done. My muscles locked up, and I crumbled to the ground as a wave of pain pulsed through my thigh.
Groaning, I rolled on the floor like a chicken getting breaded in eleven herbs and spices. It took almost fifteen minutes before I could stand up again, shaky and half-limping, but still alive.
I knew this wouldn't be easy. I was signing up for pain, and lots of it. Still, I was confident in my method.
I muttered under my breath, "No pain, no gain," then reset my stance and started all over again.
The next morning, I woke up surprisingly refreshed. There was only minor discomfort in my legs, which felt like a blessing considering how the previous day ended. I had fully expected to be glued to my bed in agony, but apparently, my body's affinity for lightning chakra had minimized the aftereffects.
I could now hold chakra in my legs for a good while. Movement was still an issue, but I wasn't in a hurry. Flicker Step had already given me a solid point of reference. I'd get there soon enough.
I decided to skip my usual morning workout just in case my legs tried to revolt again. Instead, I took the time to meditate. A habit I had neglected for the past few days. And today seemed like a good day to talk to Shizuru about ending our arrangement.
I sat in a small park not far from my flat, one of those quiet spaces built for kids to play in, usually empty at this early hour. The sun was still climbing over the horizon, turning the sky into a soft gradient of orange and pink.
I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing.
No thoughts. Just stillness.
A deep inhale.
Letting the air reach every corner of my body.
Holding it for a moment
And then slowly exhaling.
The air was cold, crisp, and pure. Birds chirped softly in the distance. With each breath, I felt the morning grow warmer. I could feel the sun's golden rays beginning to brush against my skin, faint but steady. It was one of those rare moments where the world felt... quiet. Peaceful. Like everything made sense for a little while.
I stayed there for nearly an hour, unmoving, silent, and grateful.
When I finally opened my eyes, the world had changed. The sun had fully risen. People were walking by, the streets coming alive. A few passersby nodded at me in quiet respect. Someone had even dropped a few ryo beside my leg while I was meditating, probably thinking I was a monk or a street performer.
Right then and there, I made a new plan:
Meditation in the morning.
Training at night.
I already did physical training at the Academy anyway, and if the people of Konoha wanted to support an up-and-coming shinobi, I wasn't going to stop them.
I slipped the ryo into my pocket and headed back home. After changing clothes, I made my way to the Academy.
Daiken's physical drills were getting harder by the day.
He wasn't just pushing us randomly, he was observing, calculating. I could tell he was trying to find each student's limit. For what purpose, I had no idea. Maybe ranking us. But it didn't matter much to me. I was ahead of the curve anyways.
After a surprisingly detailed and informative lecture on chakra theory we worked on hand seal familiarization, class was dismissed. The clan kids made a beeline for their homes. I remained behind, standing beside Shizuru.
I looked at her with a serious expression and said, "Shizuru, I'll need to suspend our arrangement for a while. At least until next year."
She raised an eyebrow, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of irritation. "Why?"
I sighed. "You've already reached your physical limit, and you don't want to go past it. That means your routine won't change for now. You can rotate the exercises to focus on different muscle groups, but I already showed you how to do that without hurting yourself."
I paused for a moment, then added more softly, "You don't really need my guidance anymore."
She stared at me with sharp focus. I tried to maintain eye contact but caved immediately.
"Alright," I admitted, "I also need more free time. There's a lot I want to train on. Things are piling up."
Shizuru's eyes softened slightly, but she still looked torn.
Then, almost suddenly, she perked up. "Studying math and science will help you improve your ninjutsu. You'll understand things like force vectors, conduction, and energy flow more clearly."
I grinned. "Intuitive as always. And yes, I've already surpassed the current year's curriculum. I'll probably reach your academic level by next year."
Then I smirked and tapped her shoulder lightly. "But academic level isn't everything to a shinobi."
She narrowed her eyes. "Power, huh?"
"Exactly."
She was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking. Then she sighed. "Alright. I'll continue tutoring you until you reach fourth-year level. In return, I won't ask you to supervise my physical training anymore."
I narrowed my eyes, suspicious. "What do you want in return?"
"Next year," she said, lifting her chin slightly, "I'll want to exceed my current limit. So you'll spend even more time helping me. Deal?"
I blinked, surprised. I wasn't sure if she genuinely wanted to push herself further, or if she just... liked the company. After all, besides me, the only one who could keep up with her maturity and intellect was the Yamanaka girl, and she was terrifying. I wasn't scared or anything. Just... reluctant to talk to her.
Totally different thing.