At midnight, where the moon rose high in a crescent shape, Hikaru leaned against the open window of his home, his eyes scanning the stars where Fushigi had escaped. The night air was cool against his face as he replayed the rescue in his mind.
Soft footsteps approached behind him. Ayako appeared in the doorway, her expression showing concern as she took in his contemplative posture.
"You're quieter than usual," she said, settling beside him on the windowsill. "Still thinking about that eagle?"
Hikaru hesitated, his fingers drumming against the window frame, then admitted, "I couldn't let him stay caged. It felt... like something Otou-san would've done."
Ayako's lips curved into a soft smile. "He would've been proud. But be careful, Hikaru-kun. Helping others is noble, but shinobi life means bigger risks."
Hikaru nodded, his gaze returning to the starlit sky. Somewhere out there, Fushigi was flying free. The thought made the risks worthwhile.
"Get some rest," Ayako said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder before heading back to her room. "Tomorrow will bring new challenges."
The next morning arrived with the same excitement as the previous day. People throughout the village who hadn't yet attended the circus were flocking toward the outskirts in steady streams, their voices carrying anticipation and wonder about the exotic performances they had heard described by friends and neighbors.
Hikaru's shoulders dropped as he observed the normal activity around the circus. Despite the commotion numerous birds had caused the night before, the circus staff hadn't made any public complaints. Neither Aruaru, the flamboyant ringmaster, nor Nishikawa, his assistant, had spoken openly about the incident. The reason might have been that his genjutsu was still affecting their memories of the evening's events.
Despite the many flaws Hikaru could identify in his rescue plan, he had managed to escape consequences this time. The circus would only remain in Konoha for another four days before departing, and the incident hadn't concerned the village civilians who continued enjoying the festivities as usual.
Rather than celebrating his success, Hikaru's pace quickened as he thought about his training schedule. After completing his morning run routine, he found himself glancing over his shoulder repeatedly and checking for any signs of surveillance. His steps became more measured and careful, despite his hope that the genjutsu had successfully clouded the staff's memories of the bird rescue.
There were many secrets he didn't want others to discover while training—his unique meditation techniques, his proficiency with Fūinjutsu (sealing technique), and now his involvement in the circus incident. Until he could confirm that no one was watching him, he decided to avoid his usual training grounds.
After washing thoroughly and changing into clean clothes, Hikaru followed his revised plan by staying at home instead of venturing out to the public training areas. His father's old dojo would have to serve as his workspace, despite its limited space.
The small training room felt both comforting and confining as he slid open the wooden door. Sunlight filtered through the single window, illuminating dust motes that danced in the still air. His breathing slowed as the familiar scent of old wood and meditation incense reached him, helping calm his nerves as he arranged his sealing materials on the tatami mats.
"At least this is safer than working in the open," Hikaru muttered, settling cross-legged beside his supplies. "No one can spy on me here." I hope, he thought.
He spread out his partially completed sealing scroll, his eyes tracing the complex patterns he had been developing over the past weeks. The weight training seal was nearing completion, requiring only the final connecting strokes that would bind the entire array into a functional technique.
The work demanded absolute concentration as Hikaru carefully guided his brush across the specially prepared paper. Each stroke had to be perfect, with precisely controlled chakra flow that would determine whether the seal succeeded or failed catastrophically. His hand moved with steady precision, years of calligraphy practice ensuring that even complex symbols flowed smoothly from his brush.
Hours passed as he worked, pausing occasionally to reference his mother's notes about advanced sealing theory. The afternoon sun shifted position, casting different shadows across his workspace as the day progressed toward evening.
Three days later,
Hikaru set down his brush with trembling hands and stared at the completed sealing scroll spread before him. Every line was precisely drawn, every symbol properly connected to its neighbors in an intricate web of chakra-conducting ink.
"I did it!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the small dojo as his shoulders sagged with exhaustion. The intensive work had drained both his physical and mental reserves, but the seal before him represented weeks of dedicated effort finally bearing fruit.
Although the finished product wasn't as elegant as examples he had seen in advanced texts, it would effectively accomplish the task he had envisioned. The slightly uneven brushstrokes and minor imperfections marked it clearly as the work of a student rather than a master, but Hikaru's chest swelled as he looked at what he had achieved through pure determination.
After resting for several minutes to let his cramped muscles relax, Hikaru retrieved the items he had prepared beforehand—four simple bracelets connected by small white beads that would serve as the physical anchors for his sealing technique. He arranged them carefully on top of the completed scroll, checking their positioning twice before beginning the activation process.
Taking a deep breath to center himself, Hikaru formed the hand seals required to transfer the seal's power from paper to the bracelet anchors. His chakra flowed into the scroll, causing the specially prepared ink to shimmer and move as if alive.
The ink began flowing mysteriously toward the bracelets, absorbed into the white beads like water soaking into thirsty earth. Within moments, all traces of the complex sealing formula had vanished from the paper, leaving only blank scroll material behind while the bracelets now hummed with contained energy.
"Now it's time to test this properly," Hikaru said, his voice slightly breathless as he placed the bracelet beads on both his wrists and ankles. The weight felt negligible at first, no different from ordinary jewelry.
Standing in the center of the dojo, Hikaru focused his chakra and formed the activation hand seals before pressing his palm against his chest with deliberate pressure.
"Shishi Jūfūin," (Four Limbs Weight Seal)
He announced clearly, channeling chakra into the sealing array.
The beads on his bracelets immediately responded, shifting from their neutral white color to a soft green glow. Almost instantly, Hikaru's arms dropped slightly as he felt the weight on his hands and legs increase dramatically, as if invisible stones had been attached to each limb. He continued channeling chakra carefully, watching as the beads gradually shifted from green to bright yellow.
When each movement began requiring conscious effort to lift his arms or take steps across the tatami mats, Hikaru stopped injecting additional chakra and tested his mobility. His steps became deliberate and strained.
He had designed the weight training seal with three distinct levels indicated by color changes. Green meant the additional weight was barely noticeable and safe for extended use. Yellow indicated significant resistance that would provide effective training while remaining within safe limits for his current physical condition. Red would warn him that the weight had become dangerous for his body to handle.
With his current chakra capacity and sealing skill, Hikaru could create resistance equivalent to about fifty kilograms at maximum output. More importantly, the chakra powering the seal would gradually dissipate over time, providing a built-in safety mechanism that would prevent him from accidentally maintaining dangerous levels if he lost consciousness or became distracted.
"Perfect!" Hikaru said, his face brightening as he deactivated the seal and watched the beads return to their neutral white color. "It works exactly as designed."
His hands moved excitedly as he examined the bracelets, the same joy he felt after completing any challenging project. Creating functional techniques from theoretical knowledge provided a sense of accomplishment that surpassed simply learning existing jutsu from scrolls.
"Now that I've resolved this problem, I should concentrate on finishing my advanced chakra control training," Hikaru said as he carefully stored the weight training bracelets in a secure location. "Time is running short."
Calculating how many days had passed since his scheduled genin team assignment, Hikaru's brow furrowed. "It's already been two days past when I was supposed to meet my new sensei. Why hasn't anyone come to call for me yet?" He chewed his lower lip as he considered the possibilities. The delay was unexpected and unsettling—had something gone wrong with the team assignments, or was there another reason for the silence from the village administration?
Looking at his sealing technique supplies scattered around the dojo, Hikaru's shoulders relaxed slightly. He hadn't wasted the expensive materials during his learning process. Creating the weight training seal had required three separate attempts, using nearly all of his remaining sealing paper and specially prepared ink. A single additional failure would have forced him to purchase more supplies, delaying the project significantly.
The following morning, Hikaru woke and immediately reached for the plain looking bracelets. After preparing quickly, he examined them before channeling chakra into the seals.
Once he felt the resistance reach approximately two kilograms per limb—enough to provide training benefit without exhausting him immediately—Hikaru began his morning run around the village with renewed purpose.
The additional weight made every step more deliberate and challenging. His breathing became more labored than usual as his usual running route, which he could complete without significant effort, now demanded conscious attention to maintain proper form. By the time he finished his circuit, Hikaru's muscles ached in ways they hadn't since his early training days, and sweat dripped from his forehead despite the cool morning air.
To enhance his physical strength more dramatically, Hikaru planned to adapt training methods he remembered from stories about legendary ninja. He would position himself against trees and activate the weight training seal at higher levels, creating resistance equivalent to five kilograms or more while practicing chakra control exercises.
This approach would allow him to develop physical strength and chakra precision simultaneously, maximizing the efficiency of his limited training time.
Hikaru also envisioned combining the weight training with his meditation exercises. Since Tai Chi movements were naturally slow and controlled, they should be able to handle significant additional resistance while still providing the mental focus benefits he relied on for advanced techniques.
His most ambitious idea involved combining weight training, meditation, and water surface walking into a single exercise routine. The three-way combination seemed almost impossibly challenging, but if successful, it would provide comprehensive development across multiple skill areas.
"That might be too much," Hikaru admitted to himself as he cooled down from his weighted morning run, wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel. "But I'll never know unless I try each component individually first."
After completing his morning routine, Hikaru winced slightly as he stretched—the familiar soreness that indicated effective training. The weight training seal had performed flawlessly, providing exactly the kind of progressive resistance he needed to accelerate his physical development.
Rather than pushing immediately toward more advanced combinations, he decided to focus on steady progress with manageable challenges. Whatever was causing the delay in his genin assignment, he could use this unexpected extra time to test various training methods and determine which approaches produced the best results. His jaw tightened with frustration at the uncertainty, but at least his skills would be even sharper when his team finally formed.
As he walked slowly through the market district, still feeling the effects of his weighted training session, Hikaru noticed that several shops were opening earlier than usual to serve the increased crowds visiting the circus. One vendor was selling colorful balloons that immediately caught his attention.
"Perfect timing," he said, purchasing several balloons for shape transformation practice. The next phase of his training would require props for developing the precise chakra control necessary for advanced techniques like the Rasengan.
After storing the balloons safely at home and helping Ayako with her morning market purchases, Hikaru's steps became more confident as he prepared to continue his chakra control training at the Third Training Ground. With the weight training seal completed, he no longer needed to keep his activities completely secret.
"Time to finish what I started," he said with determination, gathering his equipment for another intensive training session.
The advanced chakra control exercises still challenged him, but the foundation he had built over months of dedicated practice was finally approaching the level he needed for real ninja responsibilities.
"Whatever's keeping my sensei," Hikaru muttered as he headed toward the training grounds, "at least I'll be ready when they finally show up."