The routine was a brutal, self-imposed regimen, repeated with unwavering dedication for what felt like an eternity.
Day after day, Ishiki adhered to the same rigorous cycle of training, transforming the initially daunting task into a practiced rhythm.
Ishiki's day began before the sun crested the horizon.
He would wake, his body still aching from the previous day's exertions, and immediately make his way to the Naka River.
There, he would consume the Concentrated Food, a highly potent, if barely palatable, sustenance designed to maximize his training output.
The concoction would infuse him with a surge of energy and vitality, an immediate boost that bordered on painful intensity.
Then came the Saitama Training: a punishing set of exercises consisting of 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run.
This gruelling session pushed his young body to its absolute limits, often leaving him trembling and utterly depleted.
Upon completing the main training, he would drink the Concentrated Food again, a final, necessary step to accelerate recovery and prepare him for the next phase.
As the morning progressed, the legendary duo would arrive.
The Senju, Hashirama, and the Uchiha, Madara, would join him.
Together, they would share a meal, replenishing his spent reserves before moving on to the advanced training.
The second training block was focused on honing his skills with two of the most formidable ninja of their time.
Hashirama, the master of Wood Release and chakra control, would guide Ishiki through chakra training, focusing on manipulation, reserves, and control exercises.
Simultaneously, Madara, a prodigious talent in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, would engage him in rigorous sparring sessions, pushing his combat instincts and physical conditioning to an extreme degree.
After the second, equally exhausting, session, Ishiki would again partake in the recovery process, using the concentrated food to mend the tears in his muscles and replenish his chakra.
Finally, utterly drained yet strangely energised by his progress, he would return home to sleep and prepare to repeat the entire hellish cycle the next day.
This unrelenting period of hellish training finally yielded palpable results.
Ishiki felt a raw, undeniable surge of power within him, a change that was far more than just muscle growth.
He knew he had become significantly stronger.
Eagerly, he checked his progress, accessing his inner STATUS screen.
STATUS
Name: Ishiki
Age: 12
Chakra: 44/44
Strength: 22
He gazed at the numbers, a proud, satisfied smile spreading across his face. His core stats had soared, a testament to his dedication.
However, the 'Gadgets' section remained unchanged. Still no new gadget, he mused, but the thought failed to dampen his spirits.
He wasn't disappointed in the least; in fact, he was filled with buzzing excitement for the day ahead.
Today was a momentous occasion: he would finally determine his chakra's nature type and officially begin learning ninjutsu, the formal path to becoming a ninja.
He shot off, a blur of anticipation, racing towards the familiar training grounds where Hashirama and Madara were patiently waiting.
Skidding to a halt, he didn't bother with a formal greeting, instead shouting with unrestrained enthusiasm, "I am ready!"
Madara, a wry smirk on his face, reached into his sleeve and produced a small, pristine piece of chakra nature paper.
He handed it to Ishiki. "Pour some chakra into it, brat. It will show you which element you have an affinity for."
Ishiki took the paper with trembling hands and, heart pounding, focused his newly expanded chakra reserves into the delicate paper.
He waited, breathless, for the expected transformation, the crumpling for lightning, the soaking for water, the burning for fire, or the splitting for wind.
But the paper remained utterly, frustratingly blank.
He looked up, his initial elation crumbling into confusion. Hashirama's face showed an expression of shocked pity, while Madara's was a mixture of resigned disappointment.
Madara reached out, gently retrieving the paper from Ishiki's numb fingers.
He then poured his own formidable chakra into the paper. Instantly, the paper reacted violently, crumpling, soaking, splitting, burning, and turning to dirt, simultaneously displaying all five elemental transformations.
He sighed, his gaze heavy as he looked at Ishiki. "You have no elemental affinity," he stated plainly.
The words struck Ishiki like a physical blow, a sudden, sharp pang of devastation resonating in his heart.
All his training, all his effort, was a crucial part of the ninja world closed off to him? He stood frozen, his eyes wide with a sense of dejected loss.
Seeing his crestfallen expression, Hashirama quickly stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"There are many jutsus you can use without any elemental affinity, Ishiki," he said warmly, his voice gentle but firm.
"It is not the end of your path."
Madara, ever the pragmatist, chimed in, "Hashirama is right.
You can focus on taijutsu, for instance.
Your physical strength is already exceptional.
There are several ways to get stronger; this is merely one door that remains shut for now."
A flicker of light ignited in Ishiki's eyes. The crushing weight on his chest lifted slightly.
Hope, a sudden and exhilarating wave, returned.
He straightened his back, the dejection instantly replaced by renewed focus, his mind already spinning with possibilities for his new, unexpected path forward.