After months of not so gruesome spars, devoid of any mortal or permanent injuries, Shisui finally had deemed his class ready for their first exercises with chakra. While the last months passed without anyone of the pupil kneading chakra, a quite sizable amount was still passively accumulated due to the rigorous physical training.
So rigorous, that the spars with their training suits deactivated yielded speed, strength and endurance close to some chunin, whereas the technique department was still lacking. Not that anyone in that class could not fight, but they fought with only slight variations from the most basic techniques, having accumulated a quite extensive foundation.
As is required by academy standards, with further training happening under the instructions of their future senseis. The most important gain of this training was the experience against different weapons, as quite a lot of different ones were picked up by the trainees. This lead to an improved understanding of different common fighting styles, the ability to gauge the range, strength and agility of weapons and more.
Most of them had already long forgotten the promise for chakra training, most no longer even seeing chakra as something foreign but just another, yet uncontrollable, part of their existence. This was a very positive development, though in no way planned by Shisui. His original goal was to limit the amount of new knowledge, as he had pushed through a substantial amount of theoretical knowledge on pretty much every single aspect of abilities one might need on their missions. Tracking, hunting, butchering, cartography, languages, customs, tactics, bartering, negotiating and so much more.
He focused on the basics of survival, instead of using every single second of the day on history, propaganda, fighting and chakra. New genin needed the ability to survive and adapt, coupled with a drive to strive for continuous betterment. Interesting enough, chakra was not a requirement for making genin, at least for Shisui and some other more war veterans. Most genin did not even know any other jutsu than the academy taught ones, while even those were left to rot and gather dust in a corner, never used in battle and quite useless if ever tried after years of stagnation.
Yes, some could use the clone, disguise and replacement jutsu to fight on the level of elite jonins, running circles around their opponents, but those people had years of experience and were the general elite of the elite.
Shisui still needed to teach them the jutsu, but he had other priorities: „So, chakra. Most of you have waited, hungered for this moment. So now we will finally learns the three academy jutsus", Shisui said, standing in front of the class, before smiling: „Kidding. Well we will learn about chakra, but the jutsu will come to the end of the year. See it as my personal graduation test for you to master them in less than a month. Today, we will focus on chakra control. The first half of the day will be used for a bit more advanced theory than previously explained, whereas the second half will be used for practical tests. Storing items in scrolls, running on walls, tree hopping and water walking being just a few of the exercises you will be expected to ingrain to your very instincts. If you progress far enough, we might even be able to go for more advanced control exercises like chakra and puppeteers threads, though i heavily doubt that we can make it that farm in the limited time we have left. Apart from that I expect every one of you to replenish your chakra to your current maximum on the daily, without increasing your capacity. The age of rapid chakra capacity enhancement if not yet upon you and it would be quite a waste to invest time into it. Through this, you will also be forced to improve your chakra efficiency or you might run out of juice halfway through the afternoon".
Shisui ended his monologue, slamming a huge tome onto his podium before revising the already scantily learned chakra theories and expanding upon them, most of his curriculum coming from the book Chakra for Medics written by Tsunade Senju, one of the three legendary sannin and an absolutely savage in chakra control, dwarfing everything Shisui had even thought possible. It was a damn mistery how such a book could lie in a corner of a small library, dusty and forgotten by most.
Just because it focused more on internal chakra control than external chakra control, which meant that the usage of jutsu was the ultimate goal of Tsunade's techniques and not the starting point, which is just so much more interesting or something, but not even close to resembling anything near a foundation, not even a shaky one. It was just a brute force way to get your first experience with chakra, which would not hold long or even leave a lasting impression, as easily learned as once again forgotten.
While for genin chakra was just another source of strength, it was the cornerstone of most chunin, jonin and kage. None could do without and even taijutsu user used chakra to fortify and strengthen their bodies in the end. But only the true chakra monsters, like the Uzumaki clan, could disregard chakra control and efficiency entirely. Even then, they just got more monstrous, the better they got in those aspects.
There is a reason that all elemental nations, knowingly or not, contributed to their downfall. They were a destabilizing factor, who had grown out of control. Even the likes of Madara Uchicha and Hashirama Senju would pail at their defenses on the island, if only there were no spies in their ranks, who made them completely useless in their last struggles.
And while none of Shisui's pupil were from this clan, most of them were monsters in their own right. Nothing impressive for even genin, but as fresh graduates? They would probably stomp any previously trained and taught years by light years.
The now commencing chakra training only exacerbated that, as they took to chakra like fish swiming in water. Shisui had to admit to himself somewhere, that it was scary, as they had even exceeded his highest expectations by the largest margins possible. So it came as no surprise, that they crushed the academy graduation exam, but not before every single one of them had learned a rudimentary for of chakra flow, an art for coating weapons with nature aligned chakra.
Devastating on any battlefield, in any skirmish or against any enemy, as it gave your attacks that extra, sometimes unexpected boost. Minato was, in the end, extremely pleased with Shisuis results. It also came with headaches, as any single team would be quite lopsided with one of Shisui's classes graduates. But the most terrifying aspect was their adaptation and teamwork, seamlessly cooperating and adapting to any type of teams, tactics, formations and circumstances outside of their control.
Something anyone else of that year lacked. Their performance would continue to show the large difference between the teaching philosophies and styles, also enabling Minato to finally push through his changes to the current academy program.
And Shisui could not help to smile bitterly, as he could only try to imagine the horrors these students would see in the next years, hopefully decades and how many might die before realizing their full potential.
Still, with that realization he also finally found peace and accepted his past. Due to his huge contribution he was also allowed to retire, letting the new generations handle the horrors of the world, though his heart ached for them.
He still continued to teach the elite class for another few years, until the changes were fully implemented and had already brought forth considerable gains with a the amount of jonin per year tripling, many of his previous students excelling in their chosen work.
The previously raised flowers blooming in this world of black and red. Death and blood. Terror and pain.