Super Ninja

The explanation of elemental transformations took longer than expected because I needed to clarify many different future questions that could arise. For example, why certain techniques should be done one way and not another. I asked the captain a lot of questions, and he only provided answers and explanations if something was unclear.

By evening, as our team training was wrapping up, he called the girls out from the undergrowth. They didn't look particularly well since their training involved much more physical strain than mine.

"And finally," Captain Kiochi said, his usually angular face lighting up with a brief smile, "I want to demonstrate another technique to you. You may have already encountered it in battle chronicles or heard about it from older shinobi, but... let me show it to you in action."

He slowed his movements, as if wanting each of us to fully appreciate the moment. His fingers moved slowly and precisely, forming several seals in a way that resembled a dance. His chest rose as he took a deep breath, then he placed his fingers in front of his mouth in a special gesture.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A bright red ball burst from his mouth, sending sparks flying in all directions. It shot forward with a deafening whistle until it hit the ground, triggering a loud explosion. The fire was so intense and powerful that warm waves radiated in all directions, and I could feel the heat on my skin, even from a distance. The airwave that followed was strong enough to topple a wagon, but our shinobi were prepared for it.

When the smoke cleared, we saw a deep crater with melted and distorted walls. Charred remnants of branches and grass were scattered around, with thin streams of smoke rising like the souls of departed plants. I took in the scene, fully grasping the strength and power of the fire technique. I was eager to master it, imagining how it could enhance my combat abilities. But since the sensei decided I should first learn Earth Style, I would have to wait a little longer.

"Impressive," I commented.

The captain's face showed a satisfied grin. Ayamane and Shika were clearly impressed as well, their expressions giving it away. Overall, the sensei had every reason to be proud of his demonstration.

"That's it, Team Thirteen," he said, glancing quickly at the sun. "You can leave. Tomorrow at eight o'clock."

"Yes, sir," we all replied in unison.

The captain nodded and disappeared.

"Girls," I addressed my teammates, "how about we go for tea somewhere?"

"Hmm," Nara hummed before shaking her head sadly. "Sorry, Suzuki. I can't. I have clan business."

"Me neither," Yamanaka added.

"Alright, maybe tomorrow then?" I suggested.

"I won't be able to tomorrow either," Nara said, shaking her head. "I'll be training at the clan dojo."

"Same here," Yamanaka shrugged. "Sorry, but the next few weeks will be very busy for most clans."

"Why?" I asked, surprised.

"To be honest," Ayamane explained, "I know you'll understand and won't be offended. The next two, maybe even three weeks, the clans will be focused on teaching the younger generation their hiden or other clan techniques. They want to make sure we know them before we start getting our first missions outside the village, where it's much more dangerous."

"I see, I understand," I nodded.

To be honest, I really do understand and can't help but respect that. If you think about it, I should probably focus on personal training too. Because if the clans are training their genin so actively, it means I should be working on myself as well, not resting.

Not that I was resting... but even one day could cause a setback and future death. And I really don't want to die. Maybe I should try studying medicine?

I need to think about this and talk to the captain. I remember he used medical ninjutsu during our first trial training.

"Then I'll go too," I shrugged at that.

"See you tomorrow," both girls nodded.

We parted ways. After a while, I jumped into the trees to move along the upper paths and immediately encountered some minor problems. The weights on my legs showed that I wasn't quite ready for such actions yet. I need to train and work on controlling my body.

Carefully jumping from branch to branch, I tried to adapt to the changed balance of my body. It didn't work out right away, but with constant practice, I hoped to return to my previous level.

There was a special atmosphere on our street today. Crowds of people, laughing and chatting, wandered along the cobbled sidewalks. They weren't doing anything special other than celebrating some local holiday. Paper lanterns, orange and red, glowed softly in front of every house, adding coziness to the night. The smell of hot street food wafted from every corner. Small stalls with hot sausages, fried rice, and other treats attracted the attention of passersby. People happily bought something tasty, sat on the nearest benches, or simply continued on their way, enjoying the food. All along the street, there were entertainments for every taste: from small theatrical performances where actors played short scenes to interesting art installations that changed depending on the viewing angle.

Slipping past familiar faces and recognizing many of our neighbors, I sneaked into our house, which stood a little to the side. Quickly tidying myself up, I changed into more comfortable training clothes. After a quick snack consisting of bread and cheese, I headed to the Academy's training ground. On the way, I encountered a few students, but I was sure the training ground would be free. If the training grounds were occupied, I always had a couple of backup spots in the forest, but I sincerely hoped I wouldn't have to go that far tonight.

And I was right. There was no one at the training ground, giving me the opportunity to train freely.

Ordinary physical exercises were more challenging because of those weights. But… as they say, "Patience and hard work will grind away at anything." That was my approach too.

I returned home, washed up, and went to rest.

In the morning, I woke up with the sunrise. As soon as I entered the kitchen, I saw my mother doing something there.

"Good morning," I greeted her.

"Good morning," she replied and yawned. "You didn't go to the celebration last night?"

"No," I shook my head. "I trained and then went to rest."

"I see," the woman nodded.

After a quick breakfast, I headed to our team's training ground to start my morning warm-up before the other genin and the captain arrived. This time, I brought lunch with me because I didn't want to sit and suffer from hunger again.

Arriving at the training ground an hour and a half early, I was able to spend that time starting my training and also practicing chakra control, hanging upside down from a branch. The girls, who arrived half an hour early, were surprised by this, but they didn't rush to start their own training. I hope this doesn't become a problem for our team in the future.

"So, how are things?" I asked the girls.

"Did you hear that Team Seventeen failed their sensei's test?" Ayamane asked me.

"Hatake Kakashi's team?" I asked her.

"Yes, them," the girl nodded. "Kakashi conducted a test, and they failed it. After that, he submitted a report to the Hokage's administration, and they should be assigned a new captain."

"And what does that mean for them?" I asked with mild interest.

"When they get a new captain, a month will pass," she said. "And that means they'll lose a month of training unless they train on their own. After that, they'll immediately start taking missions outside the village."

"Wow," I commented.

"I wouldn't want to be in that situation," Yamanaka Shiko remarked.

The sensei arrived, and we immediately started with physical training, followed by sparring. Today's focus was on practicing teamwork. It was clear that, without much experience in such battles, we struggled to perform as well as we did in one-on-one combat. But team battles are common, and it's crucial to function as a unified group.

My role in the team is to deal damage. The girls' roles are to locate and restrain the target, ensuring the enemy can't escape my attack. For example, if Nara uses her technique to immobilize the opponent, I can swiftly and effectively strike, eliminating the threat. The same applies when Yamanaka restrains the enemy.

When we need to operate as a trio, it's vital to closely coordinate our actions. Any mistake can derail our tactics. Typically, Yamanaka distracts the enemy while Nara sets up her move. Once Nara has the opponent pinned down, it's my job to deliver the finishing blow.

The sensei gave us clear instructions on what to do and how to do it. The first few attempts didn't go smoothly because my speed and movements, along with other factors, were faster than Shiko and Ayamane's.

"Overall, there's still work to be done," the captain said. "But... the progress is not bad. You can have lunch."

This time, no one was left without lunch, so I could calmly enjoy my meal. There were no conversations because Shiko and Ayamane adhered to the rule: "When I eat, I am deaf and dumb." I like this rule too because I can sit quietly and think about something interesting to me.

For example, how can I speed up the mastery of elemental transformations?

After lunch, the captain created shadow clones again and sent one of them with the girls, while he started working with me.

"How will we master the elemental transformation?" I asked the sensei when he asked if I had any questions.

"An excellent, proper, and timely question," he said with a smirk. "First of all, you need to understand what Earth Style means to you. Some perceive it as something solid but not very flexible. For others, Earth Style is a powerful, firm rock."

The captain paused for a while.

"For me, Earth Style is a slow but inevitable movement," he said. "When you can understand what it means to you, you can start practicing transforming your chakra into elemental chakra."

"Hmm," I muttered, deep in thought. It was a rather difficult question because… well, what is Earth Style? It's an element that allows you to manipulate the earth… Maybe it should be considered from a philosophical point of view? I'm not sure.

"At the same time," the captain began speaking again. He buried his hand in the ground and closed his eyes. "When you reflect on what Earth Style is, you can bury your hand in the ground and release chakra through it. When we release chakra, it eventually dissolves into the surrounding world, but it doesn't disappear. Do you understand?"

"Maybe," I muttered.

Burying my hand in the ground, I began to release chakra through it. Listening to the chakra, I tried to understand if there were any changes in its nature that I could recognize. Carefully observing it, I managed to notice a small change. The chakra at its very tips became different, heavier and less mobile. Continuing to release chakra, I tried to memorize this feeling so that I could reproduce it in the future.

I didn't even notice when the girls returned from their training. They looked even more exhausted but didn't even think of complaining. I was somewhat absorbed in trying to reproduce my chakra in a similar state to how it was in the ground. The girls understood this and therefore didn't take offense.

Returning home, I quickly changed and went to a small garden. There, I again buried my hand in the ground and waited for my chakra to start taking on the properties of the earth. As soon as I caught this feeling, I formed a concentration seal and released chakra infused with Earth Style around me.

Mud streams flew in all directions. They splattered on the ground and the walls of the house. Just a moment later, I realized that I could now reproduce chakra for creating Earth Style techniques at any moment.

After that, I was overcome by severe mental fatigue. I didn't want anything: I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to talk. I didn't even want to go to the bath, but with the last drops of willpower, I forced myself to do it, and then I went to bed.

As soon as my head touched the pillow, I instantly fell asleep. This time, I didn't dream at all. I woke up the next morning in not the best mood, but it all passed as soon as I had something sweet to eat.

The first half of the day's training was identical to the previous day. Our team attacked the sensei, and he just tossed us around on the ground, not paying much attention to our efforts. Then there was lunch, after which we parted ways again. The girls went to train movement techniques, and I worked on mastering ninjutsu.

"Kiochi-sensei," I addressed my mentor. "I'd like to show you something."

"Oh?" he responded, surprised. "Well, show me. No, no, no," he stopped me with his hand. "First, tell me. Is it something interesting?"

"Maybe."

"Trying to keep it intriguing," he chuckled. "Well, show me."

I formed the concentration seal, transformed my chakra, and released it. A wave of mud burst out in all directions from me. It was completely useless, like simple chakra bursts, but there's nothing more effective for demonstrating an action.

Not a single drop of mud hit the captain, although he was in the impact zone. He probably used some Earth Style technique or something else.

"Excellent," he began clapping his hands. "You quickly understood how to transform your chakra. This changes and simplifies the entire training system I had planned for you. Do it again."

I did it again as he requested, but this time I tried to control the chakra burst a bit. I didn't want to be left without chakra for a while.

"Great," the captain nodded. "Then let's proceed to ninjutsu. Take a seat."

I sat down and waited for the lesson to begin. Captain Subidzuma Kiochi also sat down and spent some time deep in thought. The silence dragged on, but I said nothing and didn't interrupt him.

"There are two approaches to learning ninjutsu," the sensei began to speak. "The first path is a gradual, linear study, starting with the weakest basic techniques and ending with S-rank techniques. The second path is to learn the most powerful technique as quickly as possible to maximize potential damage. Both approaches have their pros and cons. If the village and the country were currently in a state of war, most would follow the second path. But since nothing like that is happening now, I will teach you the first way. This way, you may not be able to use the most destructive techniques immediately, but your basic skills in using the element will be at a high level."

"Alright," I could only nod at that. "So, where do we start?"

"Excellent attitude," the captain chuckled. "The first technique, one of the simplest Earth Style techniques, is Earth Armor."

"Earth Style: Earth Armor Jutsu."

The sensei created the technique he wanted to demonstrate. His skin darkened slightly, and I felt a faint earthy smell. Just a second, but it was enough to feel it. Interesting. Will I be able to sense something similar from other elements? I'll need to try when I learn to control them.

"Hit me," the captain said.

I obeyed and delivered a medium-strength punch. For a moment, it seemed to me that I hit a stone wall, not a human body. Rubbing my fist, I shook my head in surprise. The captain grinned and deactivated the technique, returning his skin to its normal color.

"So, what do you think?"

"It was like hitting a stone wall," I replied.

"Exactly," he continued to grin. "This is one of the simplest Earth Style techniques that every user of this element should know. Of course, its effectiveness depends on many factors, such as chakra control, its volume, and the skill of using it. It can be considered basic for any user of this element."

"And is it difficult?" I asked.

"No," the captain shook his head. "It's not difficult at all, but... there are some limitations. Along with the armor, the user's weight increases, and you have to fight in taijutsu a bit differently. Of course, you can activate and deactivate this technique, but I wouldn't recommend doing that."

"Why not?"

"Time," the captain shrugged. "Even a moment can be enough for an experienced jonin to destroy their opponent."

"Hmm," I only nodded to that.

"Ready to learn this technique?" the captain asked me.

"Yes, captain," I replied, preparing to memorize the hand seals and practice. I think if I study and remember carefully, it won't take much time to learn this technique. After that, it'll just be a matter of practice.