As expected, our money ran out in less than a week of traveling. I don't eat lightly; it's like I need to eat enough to feed three grown men.
Will this continue as I grow older? I don't want to have to eat a mountain of food as an adult. It's going to be way too expensive...
We also had to buy a few emergency items, thinking of the worst-case scenario, if we got wounded in an ambush or something like that. We bought needles, thread, and some very cheap rice wine (I may have taken a sip just to know what it tastes like) for disinfecting wounds.
We didn't have a map, and from what Kiyoshi said, maps were very expensive, which makes sense. I vaguely remember that cartographers were highly in demand in ancient times.
We headed north and continued our training. For taijutsu, Kiyoshi went through all the katas with me, and then we'd spar. I don't need to say I lost every time.
At night, we always looked for a secluded spot to train. The Land of Fire is known for its plains, but there are great mountains with good natural caves, and Kiyoshi knew some Earth Style jutsus, which gave us safe shelter at night.
When we finished eating, Kiyoshi would turn into my Japanese teacher, teaching me about writing and pronunciation. He was a good teacher, using things we saw during the day or food to teach me, keeping me engaged in his lessons.
_____
"No, no. You messed up again. How can you get simple hand seals wrong, Getsuya?"
I had my hands interlocked, one palm resting above the other, with my thumbs crossed.
"Shut up, dude. What's the name of this seal again? Tiger seal?"
Kiyoshi looked at me with silent horror. I honestly preferred his stoic mask. He looked at me as if I'd just tried to kill a baby.
"That's the monkey seal. Haaa…"
He took a deep breath, as if he was seriously reconsidering his life choices. He's way too dramatic, that's what he is! It's not even that bad.
"Why the hell do I have to do seals? I mean, you saw it, I can already make my enemies burn."
Kiyoshi sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before looking at me again. His eyes, normally calm, were filled with a rigid patience.
"You really think releasing chakra uncontrollably is enough?" His voice was cold, almost disdainful. "You might be able to make your enemies burn now, but what happens when you face someone who knows how to counter your jutsu before you even realize you're losing? What happens when you can't mold your chakra exactly the way you need?"
He took a step forward, bending down to pick up a stone from the ground. "Look, ninjutsu is like this." He raised the stone, and in a quick and fluid movement, turned it to powder with a light touch of his chakra. "It seems simple. Raw force, right?"
He let the powder escape from his fingers, the fine grains carried off by the wind. "But if you learn to control your chakra, understand the form and purpose behind hand seals, you can turn this stone into anything. A shield. A weapon. Or simply prevent your jutsu from failing at a critical moment."
He crossed his arms and looked me up and down, as if assessing whether his words had the desired impact. "Releasing chakra like you do is efficient when there's no pressure, but in battle, any mistake can mean death. Ninjas who master hand seals and chakra control survive, and those who ignore this… aren't so lucky."
"Either you learn now, or you wait to find out the price of it when it's too late."
Needless to say, I became much more focused on learning after that. Nothing is a better motivator than the fear of dying!
Kiyoshi wasn't good with Fire and Water Style, and I didn't need to learn how to mold my chakra into an element, as my chakra has only two elements, and I can't use Lightning or Earth and Wind Style in life.
We were walking as I kept messing up the seals, mostly because my mind could never stay focused on something for long. Maybe I have ADHD in this new life?
Kiyoshi is beginning to lose patience, but he still let me try and fail repeatedly.
He then patiently explained, "The nature of chakra is often described as the combination of a ninja's physical and spiritual energy. Physical energy comes from the body and is related to physical condition, health, and strength, while spiritual energy is derived from the mind and emotions, reflecting a ninja's willpower and knowledge. This combination results in chakra, which is essential for performing jutsus and ninja techniques.
Before chakra is formed, there's an important concept called stamina. Stamina refers to the physical energy available for a ninja to carry out physical activities, such as fighting, running, and using taijutsu, for example. When a ninja performs a jutsu, they use their stamina as a base. This energy is then converted into chakra through mental focus and control, essential for molding and directing the energy.
The transformation of stamina into chakra happens when a ninja accumulates and combines their physical and spiritual energy, forming the chakra that can be used in jutsus. This conversion requires a good deal of practice and control, as a ninja needs to understand how to balance both forms of energy. When this transition is done efficiently, a ninja can perform jutsus more effectively, using less stamina.
Therefore, understanding the relationship between stamina and chakra is crucial for a ninja's development. Good stamina control allows a ninja to use their chakra more efficiently and extend their endurance in battle. This dynamic is essential, especially in critical situations where energy can be the difference between victory and defeat."
I listened attentively, fighting against my urge to think about food or a warm, cozy bed on that cold night. That's when I finally understood. So that's why, after such a short, completely one-sided battle against samurai, I still felt exhausted after only a few minutes.
"But you're different, Getsuya-kun. When I use the Byakugan and look at you, I feel as if you're made of fire and water. It's as if chakra doesn't flow through your veins, but rather you're entirely made of chakra. Do you know why that is?"
It took me a moment to digest his words, trying to think of a way to explain it. Could this somehow be connected to the Entity that reincarnated me here?
No, that's impossible. According to old Kuiro, there were several others like me in the clan before I was born. My own clan has always had incredibly high mastery in Water and Fire Style.
Then why is it like this? Was there a clan called Engetsu in the original Naruto story? What came first, the story written on Earth, or did Kishimoto somehow live here and end up on Earth?
My head started to hurt, thinking about so many possibilities, so many options of right and wrong, and I decided to leave these questions for later.
"What I understand about chakra is that it's the essence of our abilities, resulting from the combination of physical and spiritual energy. However, while most ninjas have amorphous chakra that can mold into different elements, mine is different. My chakra has only two natures: Water and Fire. It's like the energies flow within me like water and fire, rather than an indefinite mixture that could adapt to any situation." This is pretty sad. If I'm not mistaken, the Rasengan is a chakra sphere with no attribute. Does that mean I'll never be able to use a Rasengan in my life?
I looked at Kiyoshi to see if I'd said something wrong, and he just slowed down and crossed his arms, nodding slightly for me to continue.
"This duality gives me strength in their respective areas, allowing me to manipulate water and fire abilities with mastery. However, this specialization comes at a price. I can't access other elements, like Lightning or Earth, because my chakra is 'defined,' so to speak. It's as if my body has 'chosen' these two elements as part of my identity, making me a specialist in them but limiting my options.
So, instead of seeing this as a weakness, I realize that this specificity gives me a depth of power that many ninjas who try to master multiple elements can't achieve. When I use Water Style, it's as if the currents of water unite with my will, and when I use Fire Style, the burning flame becomes a part of me. This is my fighting style, and it's how I'll stand out."
He looked at me surprised and seemed lost in thought for a few moments.
"That's why, for me, chakra isn't just energy; it's an extension of who I am. And even if it prevents me from using other elements, I intend to make the best of what I have."
When I finished my explanation, we fell back into silence, deeply immersed in our own thoughts.
But of course, I was still doing hand seals, trying and failing miserably with each attempt.
The sun was already starting to show signs of rising on the horizon. The cold night air faded as the nocturnal predators returned to their nests for a good rest.
After a considerable amount of time, Kiyoshi spoke again. "I don't know how it was taught in the Engetsu clan, but regardless of whether your chakra nature is defined or not, you still need to mold your chakra correctly to cast ninjutsu."
Eh?
Why had no one ever told me this? I looked at him completely stunned, and maybe with a hint of panic. I could swear I saw the corner of the bastard's mouth twitch in a smirk.
He quickly went through the hand seals, as if it were child's play.
"Hand seals are essential for any ninjutsu, genjutsu, and some taijutsu styles you might want to use. They bring focus. Hand seals serve as a focus for the ninja to channel their chakra and mold it into a specific jutsu."
After memorizing each seal, your body and chakra will instinctively respond to each hand seal.
His hands moved quickly: Boar, Dog, Bird, Ram.
"Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!"
And he simply sank into the ground as if it were quicksand! That's when I got the scare of my life.
A hand appeared and grabbed my foot, and before I could convince myself it wasn't a ghost, the Hyuuga bastard pulled me down into the ground, leaving only my neck and head above.
The worst part? Not a speck of dust was on his clothes!
"Do you understand now the importance of hand seals?"
"Screw the hand seals! This was a new outfit, man!"
"Do you understand or not?"
He had that damn smirk on the corner of his lips. I used all my years of experience to curse him with every bit of power I could muster. Even a sailor would have to bow before me and ask me for lessons on how to curse someone.
It didn't help.
He only freed me after I said I understood and would train diligently.
I will have my revenge. It may not be today or tomorrow, but Engetsu Getsuya will have his revenge!
______
After learning the hand seals, Kiyoshi taught me how to improve the speed of my hand seals. After all, a jutsu isn't made with just one seal.
Since Kiyoshi didn't know any Water or Fire Style jutsus, I pushed my mind to the limit to remember the jutsus I had taken along with the rest of my clan's belongings.
All of them are well hidden underground, in a place I can easily remember. After all, I can't just do escort missions with a cart full of scrolls, seals, swords, and other clan relics.
If anyone finds my things, I swear on my own life I'll destroy this world.
"Are you ready?"
I looked at Kiyoshi and resolutely nodded. Since Kiyoshi didn't have any useful jutsu for me, I remembered one of my clan's jutsus. This jutsu is one of the weakest, made for children to learn to control their chakra while also seeing the results of their efforts.
Tiger.
Snake.
Horse.
"Fire Style: Flame Velocity!"
A small fireball came out of my mouth, and with one hand, I held it before tossing it onto the road ahead of us.
"Kiyoshi, I did it! I used ninjutsu! Hahaha! Tremble, world, for Engetsu Getsuya, the lord of volcanoes and king of tides, has been born! HAHAHAHA!"
Kiyoshi merely huffed and shook his head, but I didn't care.
I am a magnanimous god, after all. I wouldn't use anything against a mere mortal, heh.
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Author's Note: Getsuya doesn't remember much about Naruto, so he'll say some absurd things.
The next chapter looks amazing, if I may be a little arrogant.
There may be typos because I've done this quickly. I'm not a native English speaker, so let me know if anything's weird.
I've already written three chapters of the MHA fanfic. I'm looking forward to writing more!