Next day I'm idly munching on some breakfast and planning my next course of action. Thankfully, it seemed that a good night's sleep was all I needed to remedy the aching and dizziness I suffered from in addition to my chakra completely replenishing itself. Was it flowing slightly stronger? I'm not entirely sure, and I don't trust my new-found sense enough just yet to be certain, definitely something to keep an eye on looking forward.
I focus myself back to the matter at hand, planning what to do now. The thing is, I don't have any advantage to exploit, no clan to give me training or kekkei genkai to grant me an edge. If I want to even the odds I have to use the only leverage available to me, start training as early as possible on all the things that I needed and would be extremely hard to learn later in life. I need to take advantage of my young brain and body as long as they are still malleable.
First is chakra: the primary currency of power in this world. I need to work on it daily and deplete my reserves, I'm pretty confident it works like a muscle, and I'm probably at a stage in life where it will be the most receptive to growth, subsequently increasing my potential later in life and allowing me to rely on high-end techniques. I reason I'll use chakra control exercises for the added benefit of improving my chakra control, besides the increase in efficiency it could also open a lot of doors whenever I decide to take up any of the more delicate arts.
Secondly, building up a highly acute level of situational and spatial awareness. I could be the most powerful of ninja with the most badass techniques, but still get my throat cut if I fail to pay attention to my surroundings.
Finally, I want to be a chakra sensor. In a profession where chakra was the primary tool of the trade, the number of tells I could gather from being able to sense it would be invaluable. My hope is that combining my training in chakra and spatial awareness will allow me to attune my chakra sensitivity not just inwards, but outwards as well, while my brain is still receptive and capable of any substantial growth.
Unfortunately, this is about the extent of the things I'll be able to train at this point given the resources that are available to me here in the orphanage. Keeping my body in top physical shape is pretty obvious, but I don't want to do anything to extensors without first consulting an expert for fear of hobbling myself. Mm… Throwing stones to improve hand-eye coordination? I guess more training exercises will occur to me as I go along.
I suddenly look up from my plate to realize that while I was ruminating most of the children have left the communal hall to head to the morning's classes and the last stragglers were already at the door. I'm almost certainly late. One of the staff members is frowning in my direction, and I can't help but chuckle nervously as I quickly get up and run to my class. That situational awareness definitely needs some work.
The next three months were stimulating.
As much as I worked with it, handling chakra always managed to be a novel experience: it felt like every day ushered a new discovery. My first practice with the Leaf Sticking exercise was exhilarating; for the first time, I had used chakra to affect a physical impact in the world around me. Albeit a tiny effect, the implications were heady and progress after the first exercise was swift. Over a few days additional leaves were added to various points on my frame, and at some point, I even started experimenting with using chakra to spin the leaves stuck against my body. All of this was done as sneakily as I could manage, usually with my great oak standing between the rest of the orphanage and me.
After deeming my progress with the leaf to have reached a sufficient point, I was eager to attempt the Tree Walking Exercise. I quickly found out that whatever level of control I had over my chakra, I was missing another essential ingredient to make defying gravity feasible. My childish and underdeveloped frame simply did not have the lower body strength needed to support it when suspended parallel to the ground by the soles of my feet. Inadvertently, that setback made me come to realize that there was an application for chakra I've overlooked, muscle enhancement.
Consequently, my chakra control training was split into two parts. Continuing with the Leaf Sticking Exercise and its various interpretations I'd managed to think up. Interpretations such as Dirt Sticking Exercise, to which there was ample supply in the orphanage's yard, and the Water Sticking Exercise involving holding a sheet of water against any part of your body. The later, I was only able to manage covertly thanks to the communal showers having doored stalls. The second part of my chakra control training was now composed of very carefully circulating small amounts of chakra through select muscles, and performing various physical fits more suited to a child twice my age. I was working at doing pushups and lifting several heavy rocks I found at the edge of the yard.
Thankfully, my hypothesis about chakra appear to be true, and I've seen a noticeable deepening in my reserves. I try using up whatever chakra I have left at the end of the day, draining it by rolling and sweeping it around my body. Though I worry that may soon prove to be an insufficient measure as it takes longer and longer before to reach a satisfying level of depletion.
The Less fortunate news was that situational awareness has been a headache so far. Progress was slow, and I was finding it hard to assess any measure success. As no my chakra sense have yet to pick up on anything external, I've taken to covertly meditating whenever I'm near other people in an attempt to feel out for them using my chakra.
Getting back to playing with the other kids was initially tiresome, but as the weeks went by, physically exhausting myself with simple games became a welcome respite from the constant work with my chakra. I have even started a new game involving throwing small stones at targets like trees and walls and got the other children to play along. The rest of the kids called it playing ninja, I was just glad none of them thought that ninja should have more human-like targets yet, I didn't want the orphanage staff to ban the game.
I've been reminding myself that all the incredible progress made was largely in thanks to my body's young age and that said growth should not be used as an excuse to slack off, but to press on and reap whatever benefits I can while possible. However, the realisation that this pace was not sustainable has slowly made itself known, so in an attempt to not lose my mind I have decided to allocate myself a daily hour for idle lazing.
Lately, I've been finding my dwelling to be stifling my progress somewhat, what with my desire to progress to more advanced skills. Skills that are regrettably quite showy in their nature. The orphanage just lacks an appropriate place where I can both train said skills secretly, and damage to a certain extent.
Therefore, today, I set out in a random direction heading towards the outskirts of Konoha in the hopes of finding a suitable, unmarked, training ground.
That trek brought me to the wooden clearing I currently find myself in. It really is quite beautiful; the smell of the leaves in the wind, the sound of running water from a nearby stream, I should get out more. Best of all, though, is that all of my senses are telling me the same thing. I'm completely alone.
After a quick survey, I pick a suitable tree and walk up to place my right foot against it. Spreading my chakra to said foot, I begin to very slowly build it up until I feel myself stick to the tree. A few minutes spent tugging and pulling on my leg assure of the strength of my chakra's hold of the tree. I start to concentrate my chakra in the various muscles and ligaments of my lower body as I'd been practicing and begin to feel the weightless sensation I've come to associate with augmented muscles. At this point, I start lifting my left foot off the ground and start swinging it towards the tree as well. Before managing to reach the bark, however, I find myself flung off the tree to skid for a meter on the grass before coming to a stop.
Blinking, I take stock of myself to make sure nothing is broken. Finding myself fine and generally no worse for wear I sigh in relief. The bark where my right foot previously sat has an impressive depression. Getting used to concentrating simultaneously on both my enhancing my muscles and streaming chakra through my feet is going to take time.
There were many reasons I didn't subscribe to Kakashi's, run up the tree and mark your progress method, and instead, choose to take the slower and more deliberate approach. For one, I don't have a kunai. Two, I don't support vandalism. And finally, I don't want to break my neck. Kakashi's genin had half a decade of training under their belt, whereas my skill set doesn't even include how to land on my feet properly.
A skill which, now that I think about it, should definitely go on my to-do list.
Sighing, I gather myself, straighten up, and approach the tree again.This is going to take a while.
A while later
I'm shaking a little, but I've finally done it. It took me three days, with plenty of tumbles and too many close shaves for comfort, but the upshot is that I'm standing upside down below one of the tree's branches, and my stance, sans the shaking, is almost as steady as it would have been on the ground.
"Take that! Ground!" I flash my middle finger downwards, exclaiming "Send as many gravitons as you fucking want Earth! I've got your number now bitch!"
I pause, realizing I've now stooped to shouting at inanimate objects, barely stopping myself before I was going to raise my arms and tell the planet to come at me. Finding people I can talk to is something I really, really, need to do.
Taking a deep breath to compose myself, and making my way back to the tyrannical clutches of the ground, I flop down on the grass and lean my back against the mutilated trunk of my now second favorite tree.
All the training in the world isn't going to help me if I go insane.
Maybe what I need is a hobby, I'm not a Nara, and cloud-gazing lost its novelty a long time ago. Something to think about. Which I immediately resolve to do some other time as I proceed to take a break, and pass a few minutes mindlessly picking at the grass.
Eventually, I decide it's time for the exercise I've been waiting for since I first started enhancing my muscles. Having gathered my second breath, I climb back to my feet and begin concentrating and molding more chakra. Slowly, but gaining speed, my chakra accelerates its circulation throughout my body. Pooling in my muscles, tendons, and bones, it strengthens and enforces. I feel my frame thrumming with energy, but I'm not sure how long I can keep it up.
Electing to move before losing my nerve, I vault upwards to the nearest tree.
A surprised whoop escapes my lips as I'm buffeted by the wind and sudden vertigo, barely righting myself to land feet first on the side of the trunk about four meters off the ground.
Taking a moment to appreciate what I just achieved, a maniac grin slowly stretches across my face. I proceed to jump to next tree with a mad cackle of pure jubilation.
This is what I'm talking about! All these people stuck in their daily dramas, burdened by their duties. They forget to enjoy the simple pleasures this life has to offer. Maybe jumping around and twisting at speeds that would have most ace pilots throw up at could get tiresome at some point, but I'm sure there are plenty of ways to let loose around here. Get those endorphins and adrenaline running!
At first, I'm a bit shaky, almost missing a few trees, and getting the occasional mouthful of leaves. If nothing else, my chakra allows me to shrug off most of my mistakes. Half-way through I think I hit my stride, beginning to look half-way competent. After a few minutes I succeed in exhausting myself and manage to stumble onto flat ground, I tumble down in an undignified heap. Righting myself, I lie flat on my back and start gasping for air.
Or maybe, everybody here suffered from so much PTSD that they couldn't enjoy any kind physical exertion without getting flashbacks from past battlefields.
Damn, that's a depressing thought.
Back to getting a hobby. Mm. Kakashi reads porn in public, Jiraiya writes porn in public, Asuma smokes, Anko is an exhibitionist, and Orochimaru is a generally creepy SOB who likes to experiment on human beings.
What kind of hedonistic pleasure can I find to obsess over to keep me from going crazy?
Suddenly remembering my recent bout of yelling at the ground, I amend. Crazier.
By the time I wangled myself to an upright position and start my trek back towards the orphanage, I still don't know. Mentally shrugging my shoulders, I figure I have about a decade before I begin taking violent missions and the PTSD starts setting in.
Meh, it'll probably be some unhealthy combination of fatty foods, alcohol, and porn.