Chapter 99: Fifth Year Complete
Souta wears a dirty robe and a wide-brimmed hat while disguised as an old merchant. He practices bending his back and changing his gait—small, faltering steps, his back arched and his hands trembling as if carrying the weight of age.
While Souta's physique isn't yet convincing, his fake sigh—tired and hoarse, peppered with a slight cough—is enough to fool the instructor, who simply nods slightly with narrowed eyes.
They also learn how to use Chakra more efficiently in combat.
Because Chakra is limited, and its recovery is sometimes erratic, precise adjustments and management of Chakra usage are necessary during missions so that, in the event of a fight, it doesn't run out.
They are taught to think like a water regulator in a dam—holding back, releasing, diverting—all depending on the situation.
This training takes place on a rocky, uphill terrain—the typical red-stone hills of Sunagakure, under a scorching sun that makes the sand and rocks feel like fire.
Each student is given a Chakra limit, and whoever runs out first must withdraw from the training. They ran, jumped, and persevered, conserving every drop of their spiritual energy.
Souta learned the hard way: running out of chakra mid-session and having to drag himself down—his hands trembling, his knees wobbly, sweat pouring down his pale face.
His breathing was heavy, each step felt like he was being dragged by chains. But no complaint escaped his lips. He simply gritted his teeth and continued down—in silent, determined silence.
Then three months passed. Souta's fifth year at the Ninja Academy was over.
He stood in the Academy courtyard as the sun set. The sky was red, glowing like the embers of a dying fire at the end of the day. The wind carried leaves floating around his feet—white, brown, gold—dancing briefly before slowly falling.
Souta's face was solemn, but his eyes held a kind of calm—not a fearless calm, but the calm of someone who had learned to make peace with pain and failure.
He knew the path ahead wouldn't be easy. But at least… he had come this far.
And that meant something.
There was only one year left—one final year of training, one year of decisive struggle—until Souta graduated from the Ninja Academy and would officially become a ninja of Sunagakure Village.
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Souta was now entering his sixth year at the Ninja Academy. At the beginning of the first month, Souta and the students were training in the complete mastery of the three basic ninja techniques: Bunshin, Kawarimi, and Henge.
The sky was gray, clouds hanging heavy, as if a sign of winter not yet fully leaving. The morning breeze ruffled the hair of the students who had been lining up since dawn, their uniforms slightly damp with dew.
Among the crowd, Souta's eyes were solemn, staring ahead unblinkingly, his body still but his nerves tense in readiness.
They were trained to perfect these three basic ninjutsu—not just to memorize the movements, but to use them reflexively, quickly, and precisely in real situations.
There was no tolerance for slackness. A fraction of a second's delay in breathing could mean the difference between life and death. The instructor stood tall at the side of the training field, wearing a forehead protector emblazoned with the Academy's symbol. His expression was cold, his eyes sharp like a hawk searching for an opening to pounce.
There was no room for error. Their instructor was much stricter this time, offering no praise, only sharp criticism and correction.
The sound of shouts and drills could be heard occasionally, sounding like a rhythm that mentally pressured the students to stay focused. Sweat poured from Souta's forehead even though the sun hadn't fully risen yet. Little did Souta know, a single mistake could lead to the entire training session starting from the beginning.
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Chapter 100: Training to Perfect the Three Basic Ninjutsu
Bunshin no Jutsu, a technique that creates clones that aren't truly real—just illusions that have no shadow and can't attack, but are enough to confuse the enemy.
A distinctive "poof" sound echoes through the air as white smoke obscures vision, only to disappear a moment later. Even a single mistake, whether it's an unstable clone—a slanted shoulder, a blurred face, or even the absence of legs, is considered a failure.
This makes Souta furrow his brows, repeatedly forming hand seals while controlling his breathing, trying to create a well-proportioned and convincing clone.
This is the most common, most basic, yet also often underestimated form of Ninjutsu. Souta must practice creating clones that are positioned precisely, maintain the same expression, and don't flicker too quickly. Unstable clones will flicker, sway strangely, or simply disappear. Therein lies the challenge.
Every time Souta's clone wobbles or loses its shape, the instructor's face grows increasingly sour. But Souta doesn't give up.
As Souta gritted his teeth, he recalled his own face in the puddle, etching the image into his mind. And when the final clone appeared flawlessly, motionless and staring with the same expression, all Souta got was a small nod from the instructor. But it was enough.
Then there was the Kawarimi no Jutsu, a body-switching technique—where one switches positions with another object, such as a block of wood, a rock, or even a doll, in a split second.
The training was fast and brutal. Practice kunai rained down, thrown by the instructor at unpredictable speeds. Students had to activate the jutsu just before the kunai touched their bodies.
It was usually used to deceive the enemy and create an opening for hiding or escaping. However, the difficulty lay in timing the opponent's attack and activating the jutsu just before it struck.
Souta was hit repeatedly by practice kunai before finally succeeding in replacing himself with a sandbag, just as it was about to touch his shoulder. The thud of Souta's body shifting and the resulting "poof" finally made the instructor nod once—silently satisfied.
Dust billowed as Souta fell to his knees behind the wooden beam. His chest heaved with heavy breathing, but his eyes were shining. Although his temple was bleeding slightly, a satisfied expression crossed his face.
Finally, there was the Henge no Jutsu, a technique that allows one to shapeshift into any form they choose. This technique is generally used for disguises.
The students stood in a line, one by one stepping forward and transforming into their chosen form. Some became their teacher, some chose random civilians, while others attempted to become inanimate objects.
Transforming another person was still possible with intense focus and detailed memory, but disguising themselves as an inanimate object—such as a wooden barrel, a rock, or a bench—was a significant test for many students.
Many of them failed to maintain a stable form. Some even transformed into barrels, but still had their eyes and hands protruding.
A soft chuckle rose from the line, but was quickly silenced when the instructor gave them a pointed glance. Tension froze the atmosphere.
But the more experienced a person is, the easier it is to transform with this technique. Souta, after much training, was able to transform into an old gray cat, complete with a limp and crossed eyes.
As Souta slowly walked through the rows, his back arched and his tail dragged along the ground. Faint gray fur covered his body, even the other students mistook him for a real stray cat.
When Souta walked up to one of the teachers, the teacher simply cleared his throat and said, "You're even more pathetic than a real cat, good." The comment made some students hold back laughter, but everyone knew it was a veiled compliment.
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