The next morning was colder than the previous night, a sign that winter was approaching. Hikaru wore thicker clothes and went to the market early in the morning with his sister.
After helping Ayako with the shopping supplies, he ate a small breakfast before arriving at the forty-third training ground to begin his first training session.
Hikaru recalled that this training ground was situated south of the renowned forty-fourth training ground, also known as the "Forest of Death." He came here only because it was on the outskirts of the village, close to his home.
There were a few people training when he arrived, but he simply went about his business without interacting with them.
His first training plan was simple: running, push-ups, and sit-ups. These were the simplest methods by which he could start to develop strength and endurance in his body.
Since chakra is a combination of physical energy and spiritual energy, he had to train in both aspects.
He could develop physical and spiritual energy through hard work and meditation. As both aspects increased, his chakra reserve would also increase.
He ran around the training ground until he was exhausted, took a brief break, and then added push-ups, sit-ups, and many other exercises he could think of.
Hours later, Hikaru lay on his back on the ground, exhausted and sore. While exercising, he did not use any chakra aids to maximize the effect of body training, but he appeared to have overdone it on his first day.
While in pain, Hikaru began to think of his next step in the training plan and recalled the method he had prepared in his mind last night.
The authentic Wudang Tai Chi form, also known as the Taoist form.
In his past life, he had taken up a Wudang Tai Chi online course when it was available on an online platform. He even went to the master himself for a month to correct his posture, ensuring he understood it correctly.
If yoga is meditation in stillness, then Tai Chi Chuan is meditation via movement.
His master always emphasized its important application: "It is more than just a simple physical exercise; it is a discipline for your overall well-being: your mind, body, and spirit." For this reason, he chose to practice this exercise to enhance his spiritual energy.
There were many other branches of the Tai Chi Chuan or Taijiquan (Taiji Fist) style, but he preferred the one that helped with his health and mind. If he were to choose it plainly for fighting, he would lean toward the Chen style or even the Yang style.
After getting enough rest, he got up, looked for an empty space where there wouldn't be any people around, and began his Tai Chi meditation training.
He started slowly with the basic eight forms, then moved on to the more difficult thirty-three forms, the twenty-eight forms, and lastly, the famous original Zhang Sanfeng thirteen forms.
The thirteen forms appeared to have fewer movements than others, but there were actually a lot when you moved in eight different directions.
As Hikaru continued to practice, he could feel the tranquility of his mind and soul; his body fatigue was lessening. As time went on, his posture became more fluid, and his chakra seemed to move in response to his exercise movements.
Hikaru noticed this later on, but he didn't pay much attention. He was in a trance while doing meditation training until he suddenly awoke an hour later.
After waking up from his half-conscious state, Hikaru took a few moments to examine his body and reflect.
'I wonder if I could combine these exercises with the leaf concentration practice.'
Surprisingly, after practicing Tai Chi, Hikaru could feel a lot of benefits. He had done it many times in his previous life, but the effect was not as beneficial as it was now.
He could use this to effectively train the leaf concentration practice. The training might have progressed more quickly until he could advance to the next level of tree-climbing practices.
Chakra control was the second most important thing that came to Hikaru's mind after training to build up a chakra reserve. Because he did not come from a large clan, his expectations for his chakra reserve were somewhat low.
It was best for him to focus on this so he could use it as efficiently as possible.
Hikaru then found a leaf nearby and stuck it on his forehead to test his chakra control capabilities, concentrating his chakra on it as a focal point to keep it sticking for as long as possible.
"About twenty minutes," Hikaru said when the leaf failed to stick to his forehead and fell out.
"Not bad for the first time, though not good enough either." He lamented the outcome of his first attempt and could only hope that it would get better the next time he tried to combine it with Tai Chi Chuan training.
After the morning training, his enthusiasm for training significantly decreased. Hikaru decided that it was time to take a break and find something to fill his stomach for lunch first, then think about it later.
After going back home and eating lunch with his sister, Hikaru felt satisfied for the time being. His sister's barbecue stall had also performed well in the morning, which was encouraging.
He did provide some suggestions on how to create a barbecue stick, similar to how people would stick it on a dango, add some sauces, and sell it as a street food snack. Ayako only nodded and said she would consider trying it later.
After lunch, he read through the notes in the box, learning about his parents' ninja experiences and training methods. He discovered a few books that his parents had advised him to obtain for training, which he could get from the Konoha library.
These books covered everything from the fundamentals to the specifics required to learn how to become a sensor, how to use genjutsu or protect against it, or even how to start learning fūinjutsu.
While reading, he made some short notes. Some of these experiences could be helpful in the future. His training curriculum would incorporate some crucial elements.
Regarding the ninjutsu skills he acquired, he planned to use most of them only after he had completed his chakra control from the final training, known as Water Surface Walking, and thought he had enough chakra reserve to do so.
This was especially true for the infamous Jōnin-level jutsu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique), in which the main character spammed as if it were only an E rank.
Unlike Naruto, he might die from chakra exhaustion while performing the jutsu himself.
To increase his chakra reserve, he might still need to try using the Shunshin no Jutsu (body flicker technique) to empty most of his chakra. He chose this technique first simply because of its many practical uses, such as approaching enemies or running away from them.
Hikaru was also interested in trying some of the famous jutsu techniques, including the Rasengan.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, created this jutsu without a hand seal, utilizing the fullest application of shape transformation.
Additionally, he could attempt to replicate Raiton: Shiden (Lightning Release: Purple Electricity), a signature technique that Hatake Kakashi developed in his later years by applying nature transformation.
This move was better suited for him than Chidori, as he did not have an Uchiha Sharingan eye. Because this move didn't appear until much later, he could potentially use it first and even shamelessly claim it as his own.
While shape transformation changes the form and movement of the chakra, nature transformation changes the actual attributes of the chakra, altering its properties and characteristics.
Both of these practices required a significant amount of time to master, and he could now only add the basics to his training plan.
Hikaru was the type of person who planned everything first before doing it. He didn't work hard because he was a hard-working individual, but rather due to his laziness.
Right now, he still has a lot of motivation, and he should use this moment to do it.
Nearly halfway through the notes, Hikaru's head swelled from the reading, reflecting that if he had possessed this kind of learning attitude in his previous life, he could have gained admission to a better university.
Taking a quick look at the clock, Hikaru found it was already past four p.m.
"I should head out to practice shurikenjutsu (concealed handblade technique) before nightfall," Hikaru told himself, and he started to prepare his gear. Looking through his room, he could only find ten kunai, fourteen shuriken, and no senbon.
"This will do for now." Hikaru shrugged and put all the gear in his backpack.
As for the books recommended by his parents, he could obtain them later from the village library. He still had a lot of old book material to review, such as the introduction to hand seals, among others.
He headed to the same training ground from the morning, looked out for target practice, and started doing some throwing exercises.
He stood about fifty meters away from the mark, recalling his previous attempts and the tips, tricks, and insights from his notes. He aimed his kunai at the target and threw it.
"Miss," Hikaru muttered, taking a deep breath as he looked up at the sky. This was only his first attempt, and heaven was already against him.
Understanding the theory is not the same as actually putting it into practice. Talents can significantly influence an individual's performance. Some may take one day, while others could take months to do the same.
Hikaru picked up a second kunai in his hand and said, "Practice makes perfect! I can do this," and continued to practice.
He experimented with every throwing technique he could think of during the performance.
After two hours, the result was not as satisfactory as he had expected. His accuracy was poor—only three out of ten times did he actually hit the center mark.
'It could have been much worse if the target was in motion,' Hikaru sighed. If he didn't improve, he would be nothing more than cannon fodder in the stories.
"It's only my first day, no worries." Hikaru encouraged himself with a determined look. "I will get better; I'm only six years old, after all."