Yuta slowly lowered the backpack until it rested gently on the grass.
His heart was beating fast—not from exertion, but from possibility.
'So it wasn't a fluke. My Quirk is syncing with my chakra.'
He pressed his thumb to a pebble on the floor.
Kanji.
Lift.
Effortless.
He pushed it further—five meters, ten, fifteen…
The pebble hovered as if weightless, completely stable, no wobbling, no strain in his hand, no trembling muscles.
The drain was real—his chakra was bleeding steadily—but the control?
Perfect.
This wasn't how his Quirk behaved. Not even close.
Before, the further an object went, the harder it was to keep from dropping it. Now it felt like the opposite. Distance didn't matter neither did control deteriorate.
The pebble hovered as if weightless, perfectly steady, no wobbling, no drop-off in control.
But the drain—
The drain was different.
Moving the backpack had tugged at his chakra in a noticeable, heavy way.
Moving the pebble… barely anything.
'Okay. So the chakra cost isn't uniform. It scales… somehow.'
He frowned.
It wasn't weightless. It wasn't free. He could feel the tug—small, almost unnoticeable, but real.
'So it's proportional. Weight? Distance? Duration? All of the above?'
That made more sense.
It also meant he wasn't suddenly some limitless telekinetic god. Good to know.
He'd been worried for a second.
He curled his fingers.
The pebble snapped toward him instantly, stopping a centimeter from his palm.
He didn't even flinch.
"…This is insane."
His Quirk wasn't meant for combat.
It wasn't meant for strength.
It wasn't meant for range.
It was supposed to be a support-type ability that barely counted as telekinesis.
But now— "If I get some high quality controllable objects. Weapons and support gear, then my fighting ability would increase dramatically."
This ability reminded him of several instances in the Ninja world. The Puppet Manipulation Of The Hidden Sand, just without the chakra Threads. The Six Paths bodies of the Rinnegan, and Shin Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan ability.
Thinking of the last one, Yuta couldn't help but frown. His power was exactly like Shin's. The difference lay that his was a chakra powered Quirk while Shin"s was an MS ability.
Maybe this was why Shin's power was so despised by the fandom. It was literally the weakest Pupil Technique ability ever displayed in the entire franchise.
It wasn't a bad power in itself.
Which sounded quite hypocritical when he thought about it. After all, he had previously labeled the power as useless without a second thought yesterday and was now changing his tune now that it was a part of his limited arsenal.
The problem lay in the fact that it was a bad power when compared to other MS abilities. The MS was supposed to be the ultimate Hax tool of the Ninja world.
Kotoamatsukami could reshape will.
Tsukyuomi could manipulate time perception and inflict incredible mental damage. Amaterasu was a weaker Ryujin Jakka that couldn't be extinguished by water or other regular means and burned as hot as the sun's surface.
Kamui was the ultimate space time Ninjutsu.
Not to mention Madara's Limbo Clones, Kaguya's dimensional spamming, Momoshiki's absorption and amplification, and Isshiki's shrinking.
The only thing that object manipulation could compete with was Sasuke's Kagutsuchi.
'Let's try something else.'
Wanting to test whether the Chakra expenditure was truly the same, he placed his marking back on the school bag and attempted to lift it alongside the pebble.
Yuta pressed his thumb to the backpack again, reactivating the mark.
The pebble was still floating. Now he added the bag.
Both lifted.
But the difference was immediate.
The pebble felt like holding a feather at arm's length—barely noticeable, almost negligible.
The backpack felt like dragging a weight through water—present, constant, heavy.
Not physically heavy. He wasn't straining his muscles.
But the chakra drain tripled instantly.
So it IS proportional to weight.
He held them both for thirty seconds, watching his chakra reserves tick downward.
The pebble cost almost nothing. The backpack was bleeding him steadily..
Good to know. Light objects = sustainable. Heavy objects = burst usage only.
He released both. They dropped.
Yuta sat back, breathing slowly, feeling his chakra reserves.
Maybe... sixty percent left?
Not bad.
He stood, brushing grass off his uniform, and looked around the empty courtyard.
'Alright. One more test.'
His eyes drifted to the treeline at the edge of the courtyard—a cluster of old oaks that nobody bothered trimming.
Perfect.
___
Yuta stood at the base of the tallest tree, staring up at the trunk.
Tree walking. The first real test of chakra control in the Naruto world.
He remembered the scene clearly. Kakashi teaching Team 7. Naruto failing repeatedly. Sasuke struggling. Sakura succeeding on her first try because of her natural chakra control.
Let's see if I'm more Sakura or more Naruto.
He placed his foot against the bark and channeled chakra to the sole.
His foot stuck.
Firmly. Evenly. Perfectly.
Oh.
He took another step.
Still stuck.
Another, Another.
Within ten seconds, he was walking vertically up the tree like it was the most natural thing in the world.
No wobbling. No slipping. No blasting himself off from too much chakra or falling from too little.
He reached a thick branch about twenty feet up and stopped, standing perpendicular to the ground.
'This is... way too easy.'
He'd expected to struggle. To fail a few times. To need practice.
Instead, it felt as natural as walking on flat ground.
Is it the bloodlines? Uzumaki vitality plus Uchiha precision?
Maybe. The Uzumaki were known for their massive chakra reserves and stamina. The Uchiha had naturally refined chakra control for their fire jutsu and Sharingan.
'Or maybe it's because my reserves are still so small that controlling them is easier?'
That made some sense. Controlling a trickle of water was easier than controlling a flood.
But that doesn't explain THIS level of precision.
He crouched on the branch, then stood on one foot.
Still perfect balance. Still no wasted chakra.
'It's my Quirk, isn't it?'
Enhanced Control. Perfect mastery over his own body.
And now, apparently, perfect mastery over his own chakra.
'I'm basically using the minimum amount needed to achieve maximum effect.'
He channeled chakra to his hand and pressed it against the tree trunk, watching the flow.
It was... efficient. Surgical, even. Not a single drop wasted.
'This is like the Six Eyes from Jujutsu Kaisen. Budget version without the eyes, but still.'
If tree walking was this easy...
Water walking should be trivial too.
And if chakra control wasn't a limiting factor...
'Then I can focus entirely on capacity building and technique development.'
Yuta grinned despite himself.
One problem solved.
He walked further up the tree, testing his limits.
Thirty feet. Forty. Fifty.
He reached the top branches, where the trunk narrowed and the leaves grew thick.
And then, just because he could, he walked out onto a horizontal branch and stood upside-down, feet planted on the underside.
The world flipped.
Blood didn't rush to his head. His chakra kept him anchored perfectly.
This is insane. I love it.
He dropped into a crouch—still upside-down—and channeled chakra through his legs.
Then he jumped.
Not down. Across.
His body launched from the branch, sailing through the air in a perfect arc, and landed on another tree fifteen meters away.
His feet stuck instantly. No stumble. No hesitation.
'Chakra-enhanced movement. That's... definitely useful.'
He could feel his reserves draining faster now—maybe down to forty percent—but the mobility was incredible.
'If I can do this in combat...'
He imagined fighting on uneven terrain. Walls. Ceilings. Rooftops.
'I'd have a massive advantage.'
He walked down the tree—still testing, still marveling at how easy this was—and landed softly on the grass.
His chakra was lower now. Maybe thirty-five percent.
Time to call it.
But as he turned to head back, movement caught his eye.
Past the treeline, beyond the courtyard, there was a large open field.
And someone was running across it.
Fast.
Yuta squinted.
Even without activating his Sharingan, his vision had noticeably improved since yesterday. Sharper. Clearer.
The figure was wearing U.A.'s gym uniform—white and blue—and had distinctive leg engines.
Iida.
Tenya Iida from Class 1-A. The overly serious class representative who'd escorted him to Recovery Girl like a convict.
He was running laps. Full speed. Engines roaring.
'Training for the Sports Festival, probably.'
Yuta watched for a moment, then heard another sound.
BOOM.
An explosion echoed from the opposite direction. "YEAH!" A loud roar fell into his ears.
Yuta turned.
If he had to bet, that wouldbe Katsuki Bakugo, the main protagoni .... Ehem. Supporting Character. Or was it the second Deuteragonist? Or second Tritagonist?
It couldn't be helped. In his view, the MHA universe was divided between Deku, Bakugo and Todoroki Shoto in the Four seasons he watched.
Just like how Sasuke and Naruto were the two major faces of Naruto.
That aside.
If Iida was here training, Bakugo would be too. Probably half of Class 1-A was using U.A.'s facilities right now.
'Makes sense. Two weeks until the Festival. They'd be stupid not to train.'
Yuta glanced back toward the main school building.
U.A. has a gym. Equipment. Training rooms designed for Quirk practice.
However those were for Hero Course students. Not for General Studies.
He frowned.
'Would they even let me use it?'
Probably not. Resources were limited. Priority went to students actually on the hero track.
'But it's not like I can train at home. I live in an apartment. And using my Quirk in public is illegal without a license.'
He could keep using this courtyard. It was isolated enough.
But if he wanted to build muscle, increase stamina, push his physical limits...
'I need a gym.'
He pulled out his phone and checked the time.
'Maybe I can ask. Worst they can say is no.
Or they'd say yes and then start asking questions about why a General Studies student suddenly cared about physical training. ... On second thought, maybe I'll just do bodyweight exercises in my apartment.'
Push-ups. Sit-ups. Squats. Running.
The Full Shadow Monarch Training Regimen.
It wasn't ideal, but it was better than drawing attention.
And for now, he didn't want to draw any attention until the sports festival kicked off.
'Keep a low profile. Don't stand out more than I already have.'
"Tray Guy" is enough of a reputation.
He grabbed his bag and started walking back toward the main building.
He grabbed his bag and started heading back toward the courtyard, but paused.
Actually...
He glanced at the trees.
'Let's test the mobility one more time.'
He pushed chakra into his legs, jumped—
—and shot upward into the branches like a squirrel on jet fuel.
He landed, crouched, and immediately launched again—tree to tree, branch to branch, moving through the canopy like it was a highway.
'Man, this is addictive.'
The world blurred past him. Wind in his face. Perfect balance. Zero hesitation.
'I could get used to this.'
One more leap—higher this time.
He soared above the treeline just as—
___
[GROUND LEVEL - SAME TIME]
Mina Ashido, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Toru Hagakure walked down the path toward the training grounds.
"And then he just launched the tray," Mina said, waving her arms. "Like—boom—right into my ramen. Instant KO."
"It wasn't instant," Hagakure grumbled. "I was conscious the whole time. Today is actually cursed."
Momo smiled politely. "Well… at least Recovery Girl healed us up."
"That's not the point!" Hagakure stomped, her sleeves flaring indignantly. "I went to school today! I put on my uniform! I was ready to eat like a normal student! And then a TRAY flew out of nowhere!"
Mina snorted. "Okay—yeah, that part was hilarious."
"It HURT!"
The three of them heading in different directions but walking together for now.
"So what's everyone's training plan?" Momo asked, stretching her arms overhead.
"I'm hitting the gym," Hagakure said immediately. "Gonna do reps until I can't feel my arms."
"Which muscles?"
"All of them."
Mina blinked. "You're... invisible. Why do you need to build muscle?"
"Because I'm invisible, not intangible! I still have a body!"
"Fair point."
Momo adjusted her ponytail. "I'll be in the workshop. I need to practice creating complex items under time pressure."
"Ugh, that sounds boring," Mina said. "I'm joining Uraraka and Aoyama at Ground Beta for Quirk drills. Way more fun."
"Fun doesn't win festivals," Momo replied primly.
"Neither does being a killjoy, but here you are."
Hagakure giggled—a sound that seemed to come from nowhere. "You two are like an old married couple."
---
ABOVE THEM
Yuta reached the peak of his jump—and froze.
A bird, an angry-looking crow, came barreling directly into his flight path.
"What—?!"
Instinct took over.
He twisted midair, flipped backward, planted chakra along his spine and shoulders—and stuck to the underside of a branch like a gecko doing acrobatics.
The bird whooshed past him with a disgruntled caw.
Yuta exhaled.
Close call—
fwip
A sudden shift of weight.
His eyes widened.
"…wait."
One of his textbooks slipped out of his backpack.
He reached—
Missed.
The book plummeted downward in slow motion.
"No—no—NO—!"
---
BELOW
Mina was mid-sentence.
"Anyway, if I can get my acid viscosity—"
THUNK.
Something hit Hagakure on the head.
"OW! AGAIN?!" She clutched her invisible head. "WHAT IS IT WITH TODAY?!"
Momo gasped. "Toru!"
Hagakure shrieked, "IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN—THE SKY IS ATTACKING US!"
Mina rubbed her scalp reflexively, glaring upward. "Who even drops a BOOK from the ROOF?!"
Momo picked up the book.
"…General Studies edition. Mathematics."
Hagakure threw her sleeves up. "WHY DOES THIS SCHOOL HATE MY FACE?"
"Don't be overdramatic."
"It hit me, not you!"
"It hit me earlier! The curse spreads!"
---
ABOVE THEM
Yuta clung upside-down to the branch, staring in absolute horror at the scene below.
He could tell exactly what happened.
He felt the weight leave his bag.
He saw the aftermath.
He saw Mina raging.
He saw Hagakure panicking.
He saw Momo inspecting the crime weapon.
And worst of all—
he saw Mina bend down…
…pick up his book…
…and OPEN it.
His name was inside.
Full name.
Class number.
Student ID sticker.
He went pale.
'Nope. Nope. NOPE. I'm out.'
He stood right side up and prepared to bolt when ...
Crack!
The branch made cracking noises from his weight.
"Huh?"
The girls looked up. Time seemed to slow down.
'Oh No!'
Seeing he was about to be discovered, Yuta panicked.
Instinctively, he pushed chakra into every muscle without a second thought and with no idea what he was doing. Following which his body blurred before disappearing without a trace.
"Huh? That's odd."
"What's up Yaomomo?"
"Nothing ... I thought I heard something."
Meanwhile, Yuta who had just performed the body flicker technique without thinking couldn't give a crap as he SHOT AWAY through the trees like a ninja escaping a war crime scene.
He didn't look back.
Couldn't look back.
Wouldn't survive looking back.