Not high enough, keep going! Keep going!"
It was afternoon, the most leisurely time in Konoha. Everyone who had classes had finished for the day, and the weather was slowly becoming more conducive to sleep.
The gentle breeze and sunshine always make people sleepy; most people were probably napping at this time.
But in the small forest near the outskirts of Konoha, what echoed was not the faint snores of a nap, but the sound of Kunai slicing through something, and tired gasps.
Of course, the loudest sound was Yueshu's shouts.
Ever since Yueshu, Kushina, and Mikoto agreed to train together to graduate early, the three of them found an excellent training spot.
In this small forest, there was a perfect clearing, surrounded by a small lake. It was truly picturesque, and even the air was fresh.
At this moment, Yueshu stood there, facing two girls his age.
The two girls wore training clothes, unlike other girls who wore pretty dresses, but their appearance was still refreshing.
"You're still halfway to the target. Don't overthink it; just walk up gently as if on flat ground. It's the same with Chakra; absorb it gently, like drinking water."
Yueshu was teaching them bit by bit, facing a sweating Kushina and Mikoto.
The two girls wore training suits, their beautiful little faces covered in sweat, and their breathing was rapid and somewhat urgent, looking like ordinary people who had run several kilometers.
There were many trees around, and the trees in front of the two girls were already covered in knife marks, one after another, extending slowly from the bottom to the top.
That's right, what Yueshu was teaching was the tree-climbing exercise from the original work.
It wasn't literal tree climbing, but using the Chakra in their bodies to adhere themselves to the tree, and then walking up as if on flat ground.
Of course, this wasn't easy to practice; Chakra control wasn't that simple.
Chakra isn't like hands and feet; it doesn't have a nerve wrapped around it. It's a form of energy.
And it's naturally impossible for such an energy to be so flexible in a person's hands.
Moreover, Kushina and Mikoto were just children. Naruto and Sasuke in the original work only started practicing when they were twelve.
"Let's take a break."
Yueshu said, surprised by how diligently Kushina and Mikoto, two girls, were training.
Regardless, they were girls after all, Yueshu thought. But it didn't matter, as long as they could graduate early. The early graduation exam at the Ninja School was naturally harder than the normal exam, but not excessively so, especially since it was still peacetime, making early graduation quite possible.
Originally, Yueshu had only planned to spend a little more time, but seeing Kushina and Mikoto's dedication, Yueshu couldn't help but get caught up in the rhythm and directly increased the training volume.
Kushina and Mikoto didn't complain. Should one say it's worthy of the Ninja world? Or should one say they are indeed children of prestigious families, having such ambition at only eight years old, and most importantly, being girls, which is very rare on Earth.
"Phew."
Hearing Yueshu say they could rest, Kushina and Mikoto's bodies immediately relaxed.
Both of them plopped down, looking truly exhausted.
"How was it?"
Yueshu also walked over and sat down beside them.
"It's okay, pretty tiring. This method is really good for both physical and Chakra control training."
As training partners, Mikoto could now naturally talk to Yueshu, unlike before when she needed Kushina as an intermediary.
"Is this what you usually practice?"
Kushina asked, looking at Yueshu.
"Not exactly."
Yueshu recalled his own training.
He was inherently a leisurely person and didn't have much desire to train, though he would occasionally go to Sakumo Hatake's place to practice swordsmanship and exchange combat experience.
Other than that, Yueshu hadn't actively practiced anything else.
But that didn't mean Yueshu would be lacking.
When Yueshu used this as a training method, he naturally tried it himself, and the result was that for some reason, even though Yueshu had never trained in this area, he could do it very well right away.
Not only tree climbing, but Yueshu could also perfectly perform the advanced water walking.
Yueshu didn't think he was a genius, but he felt a very familiar sensation in his body. Whether it was tree climbing or water walking, once he tried it, he had the feeling that he had done it countless times before.
It was the same when he first transmigrated here. Yueshu was just a shut-in, and even if he disciplined himself to exercise regularly, or had done many sports before, he shouldn't have had that kind of combat experience.
But Yueshu did it, not just that one time, but also when he rescued Kushina.
That feeling had appeared before.
Yueshu didn't understand what it was; he could only say it was a cheat ability that came with transmigration, or perhaps he really was some kind of genius.
"What is that?"
Kushina looked at Yueshu curiously.
Yueshu didn't know what to say; he was truly lazy.
Scratching his head, Yueshu sighed.
"Nothing, I'm just a lazy bum, alright? You two should focus on your current task first."
"Hmph."
Kushina grumbled unhappily. She had just seen Yueshu effortlessly climb trees and walk on water, looking very skilled.
A gentle breeze blew, brushing across the three's faces, drying their sweat. Mikoto chuckled quietly to the side, while Kushina and Yueshu chatted.
Mikoto truly couldn't believe that she would have such a moment.
As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Mikoto was different from most people from birth, but she couldn't possess the strange sense of superiority that her clansmen had.
It was true that the Uchiha Clan had a natural Bloodline Limit, but Mikoto felt that one shouldn't be so proud, even arrogant, because of it.
Her parents were also gentle people, not like the high-and-mighty Uchiha Clan members, but more like an ordinary family in Konoha Village.
This also led to Mikoto's personality being different from other Uchiha Clan members. She was calm and somewhat introverted. Due to her identity, she couldn't make friends with commoners, and due to her personality, her clansmen didn't particularly like to spend time with her.
Perhaps that's why loneliness often shimmered in Mikoto's eyes, which also made Kushina, who was in a similar situation, empathize with her. No wonder the two became best friends.
"What are you smiling about, Mikoto?"
Kushina's voice sounded in her ear, pulling Mikoto back from her daze.
In her eyes, a boy and a girl were looking at her, their gazes very clear.
Mikoto's smile became even brighter.
"Nothing."
"Just—"
"A little happy."
Mikoto's words seemed to carry a smile, and she continued to smile as they came out.
The surroundings were quiet, and Mikoto exuded a unique aura.
Unlike Minato Namikaze's gentle, sun-like warmth, Mikoto's aura was more like the inclusiveness of water.
"Indeed."
Kushina was also infected and couldn't help but smile.
"A little happy."
Kushina looked up at the sky. She was increasingly fond of everyone being together like this.
Not like when she first came to Konoha, all alone, like a streetlamp at night, always shining alone in the darkness.
Thinking this, Kushina looked at Yueshu, who was also infected, and seeing Yueshu looking a bit silly, Kushina's smile sweetened a few points.
Time is ruthless; it never cares about anything; it just keeps moving. But people are emotional, so in the ruthless passage of time, there are so many ordinary yet heartwarming memories.
"Hey, do you think we can graduate early?"
"Of course, we can."
"That would be great."