The wind blew through the clearing, rustling the leaves of the trees. In the center, a blond boy was throwing metal stars against a log.
The sharp whistle of metal cutting through the air was interrupted by a solid Thwack! The shuriken had embedded itself in the oak. However, scattered around the target were a dozen projectiles that had missed their mark.
Near Naruto stood his master. The old man hummed a melody unknown to his young student while whittling a piece of wood with a kunai. Although he didn't seem to be paying attention, Maruboshi had enough experience to judge his student's technique based solely on sound.
Every time Naruto finished throwing the dozen shuriken, he had to run to retrieve them and return to his starting position. If his speed didn't satisfy the master, the punishment was an aerobic routine that left him breathless.
The boy's clothes were soaked in sweat; a considerable amount of time had passed since training began. The oak sported multiple perforations, and the grass beneath his feet was torn up by the constant back-and-forth.
But no complaint escaped his mouth. Time was not on his side, and he knew the elderly shinobi was his best option. Besides, his motivation increased by imagining the trunk was the face of a certain canine companion who was being particularly annoying.
He wiped his forehead with his forearm. Despite the winter cold, the intensity of the exercise was enough to keep him warm. He longed for a sip of water, but he knew his master wouldn't allow him to drink until the set was complete.
Mid-throw, his concentration broke upon hearing his master's raspy voice. The shuriken ended up veering far off target.
"Have you spoken to anyone about our meetings?" Maruboshi asked.
Naruto paused for an instant, mentally reviewing his recent conversations. The strange visit from a month ago popped into his head. However, before he could answer, his master ordered:
"Keep throwing. If you can't throw and think at the same time, how are you supposed to do it in combat?"
Quickly, the boy went back to hurling shuriken at the oak, trying to divide his attention to formulate a coherent answer without neglecting his technique.
It wasn't an easy task. He had to calculate the weight, balance, and aerodynamics of the weapon, while simultaneously considering the wind strength and its effect on the spin. But he knew that if he complained, the consequence would be a hellish routine.
"A Nara showed up at my apartment a month ago," he replied while throwing. "He said he came to see how I was managing in my new home." He paused briefly, searching his memory for the name. "I think his name is Daizen; he was a Chunin from the Logistics Division, according to his card."
The shuriken flew, but from the moment it left his hand, he knew it wouldn't hit the mark. He had used too much force.
Since hearing the inspector's surname, he knew it would be a problem. From what he remembered of the anime, the Naras were a nuisance due to their sharp deductive skills.
"What did he really want?" the old man asked. He had always taught him that shinobi have ulterior motives.
'A shinobi must see through deception.' The quote resonated in his mind.
Naruto didn't like exposing his theories aloud; he preferred knowing when to speak and when to stay silent. He could get into trouble if he said something improper without evidence to back it up.
"I suppose he wanted to gather information to determine what to do with me if I fail the graduation exam. Professor Iruka mentioned there's a committee that defines whether a student can repeat the year," Naruto said. He only answered because his master demanded it.
Thwack!
A faint smile of satisfaction appeared on his face upon seeing the last shuriken impact correctly. Though the gesture was wiped away upon hearing Maruboshi's next question:
"That is a good assumption. How did he know about me? Did you tell him?"
"I didn't tell him, it was my mistake. When he entered my room, he saw my schedule where your name appeared. I fixed it, though I didn't realize until it was too late," he admitted, looking down.
He had tried to distract the Nara so he would forget it, but he knew his attempts were useless against an experienced Chunin. So he opted for damage control: he gave him just enough information to feign cooperation.
He was about to run to pick up the projectiles, but Maruboshi signaled for him to wait. Naruto dropped to the ground with his legs crossed, trying to make the most of the rest.
"Yesterday, the inspector you mentioned visited me. He asked about you and the reasons why I am teaching you," the old man explained.
"And what did you answer?" Naruto was usually more reserved, but he was too tired for subtlety.
"Charity project," the eccentric old man said with a smile.
At another time he would have laughed, but now he could only raise an eyebrow. He never fully understood the old Genin's motivation, but he wasn't going to complain if he labeled it as a charitable act. Technically, with his current allowance, he belonged to the lower class.
"Did he tell you why he was asking?"
"I asked him, but he refused to give me an answer." Maruboshi frowned, and his tone became more serious. "You see, Naruto, there are some adults..."
"I know what pedophiles are, Master, you don't need to explain it," Naruto interrupted abruptly.
He didn't want to have that talk, and it bothered him that someone might insinuate Maruboshi was one of those degenerates.
"Fine, you handled the situation quite well." The master ignored the interruption, recovering his usual smile. "So today we are going to finish by doing something new. What do you know about chakra?"
A grin stretching from ear to ear appeared on Naruto's face. He had waited a long time to start learning about the magic system of this place. Four months had already passed since his arrival, and he still hadn't managed to use chakra. It was a disgrace for any self-respecting transmigrator.
"Chakra is vital energy; it can be found in any living being, from trees to insects. It is the union of physical energy and spiritual energy, which combine in the human heart," Naruto recited enthusiastically. "Thanks to its channeling, a shinobi can surpass their physical limits and perform feats like breathing fire or breaking steel with their fists. Without chakra, there is no shinobi."
He finished his explanation with his chest heaving, having to take a breath to recover.
"Very good, I couldn't have explained it better myself," Maruboshi applauded before adding, "Though let me add a bit of wisdom from this humble old man: 'A shinobi is much more than the chakra he wields.'"
Every now and then, Maruboshi would drop a phrase capable of shaking Naruto's world, but this was the first one he didn't entirely agree with. Perhaps because he knew of the existence of the Tailed Beasts and their monstrous power, or because he remembered the feats of the Fourth Great Shinobi War.
"I see you aren't convinced. That's fine. You are still young and have time to learn. I think when you start doing missions, you will understand my words," his master said in a reassuring tone.
Naruto felt a bit irritated. For the past two months, he had suggested starting with chakra, but the old man insisted it wasn't time yet. He had become so frustrated that he decided to study it on his own.
However, he hit a total block; none of the visualization or meditation exercises were useful. He wasn't able to find his chakra, even though he knew it was there. Otherwise, he couldn't explain how he healed so fast or why he had such strength while being barely a ten-year-old child.
"Naruto, I want you to understand that, for an academy student, chakra isn't as important as you think," Maruboshi explained. "The only thing they teach you is to feel it and channel it, in addition to preparing muscle memory for hand seals. They don't have sufficient reserves to learn useful jutsu until they reach puberty."
"What about the Transformation Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu?" asked Naruto, trying to dismantle his argument.
"You'll be surprised to know that both are quite useless in the field. Clones are simple illusions, while to an experienced eye, it is easy to detect a transformation."
The boy felt a little disappointed; his classmates' transformations seemed good to him, and he worried about falling for a prank. He knew the trick to differentiate clones was to look if they had a shadow, but reality seemed to be harsher.
Seeing his student's crestfallen expression, Maruboshi hastened to intervene.
"Don't worry, once you can use it, you'll realize it's easier than you imagine." He got up from the log and approached Naruto. "I'm not wrong in saying that you can't feel your chakra, right?"
Naruto was surprised for a moment, but his logic quickly took over. He assumed Maruboshi had realized due to his constant insistence on the subject, so he simply nodded.
"It's completely normal. Very few can feel chakra for the first time without help. It is usually a teacher who guides the student to awaken that sensation."
Maruboshi invited him to sit on the log. Naruto adopted the lotus position and closed his eyes, seeing only darkness. His posture was tense and rigid.
"You have to relax, Naruto. Focus on your breathing. Inhale, exhale... Inhale..." the old man instructed.
He felt his shoulders drop and his muscles rest; it was a state he rarely found himself in. His routine forced him to be alert and in motion sixteen hours a day. He only allowed himself to relax when sleeping.
He noticed Maruboshi's hand resting on his back. And then, it happened.
He felt a small, warm blue point. Little by little, it began to move. From his chest, it passed to his waist, from there to his legs, and continued flowing, visiting every corner of his being.
When the master's hands separated from his back, the strange energy remained there, circulating. It was born from within him and imbued every one of his cells.
Upon opening his eyes, he was dazzled. The world seemed different, almost magical. Before, he had described his intuition as a sixth sense, but he was wrong. For the first time in his life, he understood what it was to truly obtain a new sense.
Naruto opened and closed his fist, experiencing the new sensations running through his limbs. He felt more united with nature, more connected with himself.
Was this how all chakra users felt? he thought. He could only describe it as a drug he refused to quit.
He felt capable of taking the world and conquering it with his own hands. That had been, without a doubt, his first great step toward greatness.