"No plan survives first contact with the enemy."
— Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
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The next day of training….
The next day of training began almost exactly like the previous one.
Otis walked while the students ran with all their might.
And, just like yesterday, the Uzumakis were making everyone else look bad. Naruto was once again at the front of all the students, his orange jumpsuit bouncing with every step. As he ran, there was a grin on his face.
For the first time in his life, he finally got to experience what it felt like to be the top student in the Academy.
Karin wasn't far behind him anymore.
She was still struggling to keep up with the others, as she wasn't at Naruto's level yet. There was still a long way to go, but her cheeks had started filling out, her movements had more strength behind them, and she no longer looked like the malnourished girl Otis had pulled from that horrible village.
Otis smiled as he watched her slowly recover from everything she had been through.
By the time they reached the river, a few of them were breathing hard, while most of the others had already fallen behind during the run and were nowhere near the group.
Otis stopped near the river and gave the students time to gather. The morning sun reflected off the water, turning the surface into a sheet of gold.
Naruto dropped onto the grass.
"I'm going to die."
Otis looked down at him.
"Not yet, Naruto."
Naruto's expression fell.
"That isn't comforting at all!"
Otis ignored him.
The students reluctantly gathered near the river.
"Everyone, sit."
The students dropped onto the grass.
Otis walked toward a tree and plucked several tiny, fresh maple leaves from the lower branches.
He returned and held one up.
"You already know the basic chakra control exercises."
Several students nodded.
Otis held a tiny leaf up.
"Now, all of you go and pluck a small maple leaf like this."
He pointed at the tiny leaf.
"It shouldn't be any bigger than this."
A few students blinked.
"That's it?"
Otis looked at them.
"For now."
That somehow sounded simple, but after everything they had already been put through, none of them trusted Otis enough when he said the next exercise was going to be simple.
"You will continue the exercise until I tell you it is over. If the leaf falls, you start again."
Shikamaru sighed.
"Troublesome..."
He looked at the tiny leaf in Otis's hand for a moment.
"This is probably meant to improve our chakra control while we're already exhausted."
He glanced at the others.
"That means the smaller the leaf, the harder it is to keep it balanced."
Shikamaru scratched the back of his head.
"What a drag..."
He sighed again, pushed himself to his feet, and walked toward the trees to find a leaf of the required size.
The others soon followed.
Once everyone had their leaves, they placed them on their heads and began concentrating their chakra.
(Pic)
The exercise sounded simple. And it really was simple except for one problem
It was the leaf.
It was far too tiny. Even a small gust of wind or the slightest movement of the head made the leaf wobble.
They were already exhausted from the run. Their muscles were tired and their breathing was still uneven, and now Otis expected them to maintain precise chakra control while their bodies were practically begging them to lie down.
And on a fucking tiny leaf at that.
Within minutes, the training ground looked less like a group of young shinobi developing their skills and more like a gathering of people who had collectively made several poor life decisions.
Naruto was one of the first to struggle.
Plop~
The leaf slipped from his head and landed on the ground for what felt like the hundredth time. He immediately picked it up and placed it back on his forehead.
"AhhhhhhhHHHHHH! Why does it keep falling?!"
Nearby, another student managed to keep the leaf balanced for several seconds before it slid off.
Otis watched them for a moment before speaking.
"If any of you give up..."
Otis smirked like a devil.
"...you will run laps around the river."
A collective groan went through all the students as some of their faces went pale.
And so, instead of admitting defeat, everyone suddenly became extremely determined to keep their tiny leaves balanced.
Apparently, the human body was capable of discovering impressive amounts of motivation when the alternative was running another lap.
Students cursed under their breath. Some stared at their leaves as if it had personally offended them.
(Pic)
One student even whispered a prayer.
The sun climbed higher.
…
After nearly two and a half hours, everyone was drenched in sweat. Their faces were red from exhaustion and the strain of maintaining precise chakra control.
"Dammit!" Naruto screamed.
He tried again.
And again.
And again.
But it just doesn't stick to his forehead
Meanwhile, there was already a clear winner.
Sakura.
She had been balancing the leaf with barely any chakra and almost no difficulty.
Naruto glanced at her.
Then at his own leaf.
Then back at Sakura.
His eye twitched.
"This is bullshit."
Sakura ignored him and continued focusing on her leaf.
After another few minutes, Otis finally stood up from the stone he had been sitting on.
"Alright. That's enough."
Several students immediately collapsed backward.
Naruto threw himself onto the grass.
"Finally!"
Otis gave them a few minutes to catch their breath and then spoke.
"Get back on your feet."
The students dragged themselves upright.
Otis looked at every one of them.
"Today's final exercise is going to be a test."
"All of you are going to fight me. You can use anything, from jutsu to whatever weapon you're comfortable with."
He pointed toward himself.
"Try to bring me down."
Silence…
Sakura blinked.
"What?"
The students hesitated, glancing at each other. None of them seemed particularly motivated to attack an eight-foot-tall jōnin who had just spent the morning running them into the ground.
Nobody seemed particularly motivated to volunteer for what was essentially an organized suicide.
Otis noticed their hesitation and then, with a small smile, dropped the bomb.
"If I find any of you lacking, I have the authority to demote you to a lower class."
"No!"
"That's unfair!"
"You're serious?!"
"...Can we vote against it?"
Several students immediately voiced their protests.
Otis crossed his arms.
"Now, cum at me with everything you've got."
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