Early the next morning, Shin woke up right on schedule.
The previous night had been anything but uneventful. He had repeatedly refined chakra, and in his spiritual state had even drawn in Natural Energy while resisting its decomposing effect. By any standard, it could be called a very active night.
He had half-expected to feel mentally drained when he woke up. Instead, the opposite was true.
His body felt light and healthy, and his mind was clearer than ever. Refreshed.
In other words, that filtered, white mist–like Natural Energy appeared to have a nourishing effect on both body and spirit.
This would require long-term observation to confirm, but judging from how he felt now, it certainly didn't seem harmful.
His parents, having drunk too much the night before, were still sleeping soundly. Shin didn't disturb them.
As usual, he reheated the hard-boiled eggs, bread, and milk stored in the refrigerator, ate a balanced breakfast, and headed straight for the training ground.
Whether the sun rose in Los Angeles at four in the morning, he had no idea.
But in Konoha at five, it definitely hadn't.
He had gone to bed later than usual and hadn't gotten his customary eight hours of sleep, yet he felt no drowsiness or fatigue at all.
Very good. Full of energy.
It seemed that with the nourishment of Natural Energy, he wouldn't need to worry about sleep deprivation affecting his body anytime soon. His daily time for training and study had effectively increased.
If this were his previous life, such a physique would have been ideal for endless labor.
…Wait.
He was cultivating extraordinary power now—why should he be grinding himself down for anyone else?
With that thought dismissed, Shin quickly began his morning training.
But today was different.
He was no longer just exercising. He was now a trainee ninja capable of refining and using chakra.
He sat down, composed himself, and formed the Ram Seal with both hands. Spiritual energy and physical energy merged smoothly, forming a chakra that flowed into his meridians.
When he stood up again, it felt as if the world had subtly changed.
His body was lighter.
His dynamic vision sharper.
The falling leaves from a nearby tree seemed to move slightly slower than before.
Shin reached out in a flash and caught a leaf drifting past him. He stared at it in his palm, momentarily lost in thought.
The veins of the leaf were clearly visible, its image sharply etched into his mind. His eyesight—and even his instantaneous memory—had improved.
After a brief pause, he walked up to the tree and delivered a forward kick.
The trunk didn't break. Clearly, he wasn't anywhere near strong enough to shatter trees with a single strike yet.
Still, the force was undeniable.
The tree shook violently, and leaves rained down like snow.
Shin lashed out with both hands, catching handfuls of leaves in midair. His reaction speed had increased significantly.
Experiencing the all-around enhancement chakra provided, he couldn't help but feel exhilarated. He immediately began running laps.
The moment he pushed off, his body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, tearing across the training ground at a speed far beyond his previous limits.
As he ran, he felt as if his body might lift off the ground. Of course, that was only an illusion. Gravity remained very real.
He couldn't fly—but he could jump.
And what ninja walked normally, anyway?
Spotting the branches of a tall tree ahead, Shin bent his knees and leapt.
The target branch rushed toward him—
"Wait—no, that's too much force!"
"I'm dead—!"
With a yelp, he sailed straight past the branch and slammed into another tree ahead, sticking to the trunk like a poster before sliding down.
Thud.
He lay flat on the grass, staring blankly up at the canopy above.
It took him a while to catch his breath.
When he finally stood up, his left hand rubbed his face while his right pressed against his aching back. His expression twisted in pain.
First high-powered jump.
Zero control.
Direct collision.
He looked around at the surrounding trees, branches stretching in every direction. After a moment of thought, he jumped in place repeatedly, testing different amounts of force and observing the height and distance each produced.
Once he gained a rough sense of it, he cautiously jumped onto a nearby branch.
Then another.
The next leap fell short.
But this time, he reacted quickly—grabbing the branch with both hands, flipping himself up, and continuing forward.
Between the trees, the small figure moved clumsily but persistently, like a young monkey learning to navigate the forest. Every jump required calculation—distance, force, angle—nothing was instinctive yet.
Gradually, his movements grew faster.
The gaps grew wider.
Once his refined chakra ran out, he immediately sat cross-legged on a branch and refined more.
But the second batch was clearly smaller than the first.
As the sky brightened and the sun crested the horizon, Shin attempted another leap.
Midair, his body suddenly went slack. His strength vanished. He dropped straight down.
Thud!
Instead of hitting the ground, he landed in someone's arms.
Looking up, Shin saw his father. He had no idea when Higashino Jiro had arrived.
Seeing his son panting heavily, Jiro carried him out of the forest and set him down in the open area of the training ground.
The usually composed, overly mature child was now scraped and bruised, looking thoroughly miserable—and Jiro found it oddly satisfying.
At last, he looked like a kid who'd gotten carried away with a new toy.
Jiro couldn't help teasing him. "Did you run into a tree?"
Enjoying the warmth of the morning sun, Shin didn't answer directly. "Mr. Higashino… did you also hit trees when you were a kid?"
"Cough—!" Jiro cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"Does it feel like your chakra dropped sharply? You could refine it several times last night, but today you're exhausted before even reaching two."
So he'd been watching for a while.
Shin nodded. "The chakra I refined last night eventually dissipated back into my body, which allowed me to refine it repeatedly. Today, I actually used it all up. That's correct, isn't it?"
"Your grasp of the basics is solid," Jiro said approvingly. "That's exactly right. Even though your starting chakra is impressive for your age, you're still only four. Compared to your peers, you're ahead—but overall, the amount is still small."
"Don't mess around like this again. Excessive extraction will affect your health. For now, everything should focus on proper growth and development. Understood?"
"I understand, Father. Thank you for reminding me." Shin had indeed gotten a little carried away.
"Good. Let's go home."
Lying on his father's back, Shin watched as they left the grove and entered the village streets.
Shops on both sides were already open. Steam rose from food stalls. A few pedestrians passed by—some civilians, some ninja—buying breakfast, chatting casually. Life moved on, ordinary and warm.
The scene stirred a distant memory.
Once, in another life, his father had carried him through a market just like this. The same broad back.
When they reached home, Megumi already had breakfast prepared. As if anticipating the situation, she had made much more than usual.
After washing up, Shin didn't even bother changing out of his dirty clothes before digging in. He was starving.
Megumi smiled, placed her hand against her son's cheek, and released a faint green glow. Moments later, she moved to his back, treating the bruises there.
Medical ninjutsu—the miraculous, efficient healing art of the ninja world.
The advantages of being reborn into a complete family, with one parent a medical ninja, were becoming increasingly apparent. He had teachers at home, and never needed a hospital visit for minor injuries.
It also came with something far more valuable than power. A sense of happiness.
After finishing the treatment, Megumi looked at him seriously.
"Injury and pain are the best teachers. They remind you that becoming a powerful ninja isn't easy. Even if you're talented, you can't be reckless or arrogant. Everything must be taken step by step."
"They really are good teachers," Shin replied earnestly. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll be more careful."
Jiro smiled quietly and continued eating. Every ninja went through this. Sometimes words meant nothing. Only pain left a lasting lesson.
No matter how miraculous the chakra was, it couldn't be mastered overnight. Control and true strength required time to familiarize and use it.