"It's good that you know Mom's temper. When you were out on missions, Mom worried about you at home every day."
"Ahahaha!" Higashino Jiro awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
Higashino Makoto thought about it and explained, "How should I put it? It might be different from what you think, Father. This sensory ability doesn't come from bloodline. Instead, it's an accidental effect of a special cultivation method of mine. I'll tell you about it later. I hope you can understand."
"Of course I understand. My son is starting to have his own little secrets."
Higashino Jiro smiled and nodded in agreement, then said solemnly, "Makoto, you did the right thing. Battles between ninjas are intelligence wars.
"It is correct for ninjas to keep their methods strictly confidential. Having your important ninjutsu secrets mastered by others is a very dangerous thing. I hope you can understand this."
"I have always understood."
"Very good. Then I'll ask you a question. In a ninja battle... no, including samurai, and even ordinary people, I should say in a battle between people, what is the most important thing?
"Is it ninjutsu? Taijutsu? Genjutsu? Or special secret techniques, or powerful weapons?"
Higashino Makoto thought about it; they all seemed important, but obviously, his father's question had another answer. Finally, he shook his head. "I don't know."
"It's courage. The courage to overcome fear, shrinking back, and the urge to escape on a psychological level, to face life and death directly, and to dare to fight.
"Find it, master it, let your hot blood boil while keeping your head clear. Even in the most difficult and desperate situations, don't give up looking for any sliver of a chance to win.
"Courage is not impulsiveness. A clear head is more important than any method."
"I understand. Thank you for your teaching, Father."
Hearing this, Higashino Jiro stopped talking and suddenly launched a straight punch at Higashino Makoto's forehead. The speed of the attack wasn't very fast.
Higashino Makoto's body instinctively wanted to lean back to dodge, but he quickly realized this was a natural reaction from being an ordinary person in his previous life.
But now, he was a prospective ninja possessing the supernatural power of Chakra. Even though he was just over 4 years old, under the enhancement of Chakra, his reaction speed and strength far exceeded his body of over thirty years old in his previous life.
He instantly suppressed the urge to lean back. Instead, utilizing his short stature, he lowered his head and bent his waist, exerted force with his legs, and advanced instead of retreating. While dodging the attack, he simultaneously threw a straight punch at Higashino Jiro's abdomen to counterattack.
Higashino Jiro didn't dodge at all. His advantage lay in his height and reach. He bent his knee and raised his leg, smashing his knee toward Higashino Makoto's face, meeting the attack with an attack.
Even half his leg was longer than his son's entire arm; he would hit the opponent first.
The two were almost entangled. The distance was too close to change moves. Higashino Makoto had to retract his fist to defend, quickly crossing his arms in front of his face, and was sent flying by his father's knee strike.
Higashino Makoto felt as if he had been hit by a truck. The immense force made him flip several times in the air. All he could do was try his best to maintain his balance and control his landing on his feet.
Upon landing, he infused Chakra into his right hand and dug it into the ground while bending over.
Even so, the force still made him slide two or three meters, dragging three straight marks of churning soil on the ground.
During this process, his eyes widened, staring closely at his father's next move.
Sure enough, the opponent followed up with a charge, but upon approaching, he disappeared from Higashino Makoto's sight with a simple Body Flicker Technique.
"Behind you."
Higashino Makoto couldn't see with his eyes, but he still had his sensory ability and naturally discovered him. He immediately half-turned and delivered a side kick, the sole of his foot colliding with Higashino Jiro's fist.
The difference in strength between the two sides was obvious, and he was sent flying again.
Higashino Jiro gave him no chance to breathe, rushing up again with extreme speed. Using appropriate speed and strength, he launched a continuous assault on Higashino Makoto with both hands and feet.
Higashino Makoto dodged or blocked, like a small sapling withstanding a storm, at risk of snapping at any moment.
But he remembered his father's teaching just now, striving to keep a clear head and seeking opportunities to counterattack.
Soon, he turned his disadvantage of being small into an advantage, dodging left and right, his fists and feet never straying far from his father's kidneys and lower body.
These were the vital parts he could attack quickly at present.
After all, no matter how powerful a ninja is, they cannot withstand the pain of crushed balls.
Hopefully, Higashino Megumi would know he wouldn't beat him to death.
As a ninja who was top-tier even among Chunin, Higashino Jiro naturally couldn't have his vitals hit by a brat who had just learned to fight.
He blocked repeatedly, slapping away the sinful little hands attacking his lower body, while simultaneously increasing the speed and power of his counterattacks, forcing his son to adapt to combat quickly.
The two went back and forth in the small training ground, their figures swift as they unfolded a fierce offensive and defensive battle.
Higashino Makoto knew this was his father helping him adapt to combat, and he was rapidly transforming. The habits of being an ordinary person in his previous life were slowly disappearing, gradually merging into the combat rhythm of the Naruto world. At the same time, his brain became uncontrollably excited, and he began to enjoy the fun of fighting.
A moment later, Higashino Makoto sat on the ground panting heavily. His stamina, which usually lasted through long exercises, was exhausted in a short while during combat.
But his emotions were unusually excited. A large amount of adrenaline secretion made his small face completely red, and his body trembled slightly.
Higashino Jiro stood beside him with a face full of satisfaction. "Very good. I didn't expect you to find the feeling so quickly and overcome your body's instinctive reactions.
"This is a bit beyond my expectations. As expected of my son. Perhaps you really have talent no less than Kakashi."
"But I didn't win, did I? Father, you not only didn't use the swordsmanship you're good at, you didn't even use ninjutsu, and you controlled your strength and speed within a range I could bear."
"Silly boy, how old are you, and how many years have you been cultivating? To be able to do this much in your first battle is already amazing."
"But I heard that when Kakashi was 5 years old, he had already defeated two Chunin."
"Who did you hear that from? How come I don't know?"
"I heard people saying it in the village before."
Higashino Makoto didn't know if anyone in the village had said it. His source of information was the anime he watched in his previous life, where Kakashi easily took care of two Chunin who were beating up Might Guy.
"Well, maybe so. After all, he is that Lord's child. But son, Genin, Chunin, Jonin, and Kage are just job classifications. You must never use them as a standard to judge a ninja's strength.
"Even among Genin, there are existences with strength comparable to Jonin. The difference in strength between Chunin in the village is also huge. After all, the number of Jonin in the village is controlled within a certain range by the higher-ups; it's not like you can be promoted just because your strength is there.
"Jonin are the ruling class of the village. They have the power to vote on Hokage candidates in the Jonin Council and influence village policies. At the same time, the proportion of their numbers influences the balance between clan ninjas and commoner ninjas. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I understand. Who can be promoted to Jonin is not only a matter of strength but also involves political considerations."
Higashino Jiro raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"Very sharp, brat. You really get it immediately. Your dad only understood this after you were born."
"You said it so obviously; what's there not to understand? By the way, Father, why don't you apply for promotion to Tokubetsu Jonin?"
"That kind of thing is just a consolation prize; it doesn't mean much to me. Let's not talk about this. Let's talk about something meaningful. Makoto, have you felt it's too easy during exercise recently?"
"Yes, Father. Even without refining Chakra, relying solely on physical strength, those previous items can be completed easily.
"But increasing exercise time will affect the progress of my studies. Does Father have any good ideas?"
"After adapting to Chakra for a period, a ninja's constitution will be greatly enhanced. This is a normal phenomenon. So, I came for this today."
After Higashino Jiro finished speaking, he walked to where he was hiding before and brought back a backpack. It looked quite heavy.
Higashino Makoto opened it and found a set of special equipment. He immediately picked it up and put it on his body, also putting rings on his hands and feet.
"Weight equipment. This is also a good method."
"I prepared this especially for you. The weight should be suitable for your current constitution. Most of the slots on it are empty. In the future, you can insert metal blocks with sealing jutsu according to your body's growth. I put them in the study."
"Thank you, Father!"
"Alright, continue exercising. Pay attention to your body's endurance limit. Don't blindly increase the weight. If you damage the foundation of your body, even Lady Tsunade won't be able to help you recover."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"I believe in you. After all, you have never disappointed us."