Zhao Yi Qianming's class had quite a few 'familiar faces.'
Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Obito Uchiha, Rin, and others...
With so many clan heirs here, even the Hokage's son in the same class, it was clear he'd been placed in the so-called elite class. Showing off a little during the entrance exam had paid off. At least he wouldn't be treated like a background extra.
After entering the Academy, Zhao Yi Qianming began formal shinobi training. What concerned him most was how to refine Chakra.
Fortunately, since Chakra was the foundation of all Ninjutsu, the teachers taught Chakra refinement in the first week.
Compared to Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha, who had already begun learning and even mastering Ninjutsu, Zhao Yi Qianming was far behind at the starting line. To catch up, he would have to work harder.
In his previous life he wasn't a training fanatic. He belonged to the 'smart head, slow body' crowd.
But in this life he had arrived in Naruto's war era and chosen to become a shinobi. He could only keep driving himself to train so he wouldn't fall behind.
He even set up imaginary enemies for himself. Whenever he felt lazy, he imagined his future self too weak and getting killed easily by powerful shinobi.
He spoke little to others and often imagined his own death. It was a crushing way to live, but he had grown used to the solitude and did not fear it.
Chakra was the energy produced by combining one's spiritual energy and physical energy, the basis for using Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu.
According to Madara Uchiha, the God Tree was the origin of creation in this world, and all shinobi Chakra ultimately came from it.
Chakra had three components: first, physical energy drawn from the body's 130 trillion cells; second, spiritual energy tempered and accumulated through training and experience; third, if one practiced Sage Mode, natural energy gathered from the environment.
As a war orphan with no Kekkei Genkai, training in Sage Mode was Zhao Yi Qianming's best foundation.
According to the original story, Sage Mode could only be trained at the three legendary sanctuaries known as the Three Great Sage Regions: Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. In the entire Naruto canon there were no confirmed examples of someone mastering Sage Mode at Shikkotsu Forest on-screen, so to be safe Zhao Yi Qianming set his sights on Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave.
Between Jiraiya and Orochimaru, if he could choose a master, Jiraiya was the obvious pick. Orochimaru's mind was unfathomable and his obsession with Forbidden Jutsu was extreme. Following him carried too much risk.
But that choice wasn't his to make. Neither Jiraiya nor Orochimaru would spare a glance for a war orphan right now.
All Zhao Yi Qianming could do was display more talent—enough to surpass even Kakashi—to draw the attention of such powerhouses.
Having lived two lives, his original soul now inhabited this world. His most outstanding trait at present was his spiritual energy.
A four-year-old with over twenty years of adult experience naturally possessed formidable mental strength.
Perhaps because his spiritual energy was strong, Zhao Yi Qianming refined Chakra very quickly. On the very first day the teacher taught the method, he succeeded.
He also discovered that controlling his Chakra came easily. His total reserves were still small, but that didn't stop him from testing the extent of his talent.
He recalled how, in the original story, Sakura Haruno's Chakra control was exceptionally precise. She even inherited Tsunade's mantle, relying on superior control.
Before apprenticing under Tsunade, Sakura was a ninja with no standout gifts. Afterward, her strength surged and she ranked among the top twelve in their generation.
Beyond inheriting Tsunade's teachings, another key was Sakura's dual personality—or second 'soul'—which boosted her mental force.
Even Shizune, after so many years with Tsunade, could not match what Sakura achieved in just three. That showed how vital strong spiritual power was to a shinobi.
Zhao Yi Qianming already had the soul of someone in his twenties, and the soul of this life would keep growing as well. In time, his mental strength would be formidable.
If he could leverage that strength well, he might reach great heights.
Feeling the Chakra coursing through his meridians, Zhao Yi Qianming felt power fill his body. This was his stake for survival. His capital for living in the cruel world of shinobi.
Discovering his own talent filled him with confidence. But he did not lose himself. Knowing one's place was wisdom. He understood he had only taken the first step. The road ahead was long.
Every shinobi in this world had their own training regimen. Zhao Yi Qianming set one for himself.
First, daily running to build stamina. Frog jumps, jump rope, push-ups, striking wooden posts, sit-ups—he kept at these simple body-training methods without fail.
Extracting Chakra became a daily required lesson.
He also trained hard in throwing Shuriken and Kunai.
In high-level battles these might not decide the outcome, but at the genin and chunin stages, Shuriken and Kunai could be trump cards.
Sleep was bliss for him now. Each time he fell asleep, he slept soundly, but the duration was pitifully short.
The Academy's knowledge mattered greatly. It was his only open door into the shinobi world. Daily basic drills were even more important. So for now he slept only about five hours a day. He spent the rest of his time training.
He had never imagined he could work this hard. Watching himself dripping with sweat each day, he couldn't help a wry smile. 'If I had pushed this hard in my previous life, maybe I would have achieved more.'
But the past was gone. All he could do now was fight to live in this world.