Kenjiro kicked the side of Hirito, the force of his blow 50% greater than before.
Feeling the whistling wind approaching, Hirito quickly crossed his arms to absorb the impact.
Boom!
Hirito executed a backflip in mid-air and landed firmly on the ground.
"Excellent balance!" Kenjiro applauded inwardly.
Hirito felt a numbness in his arms and quickly shook them out. They were definitely bruised from the impact.
He smiled bitterly and said, "Uncle, your strength just now was too much…"
"Hmph! You're going to report to the ninja school this year, and you're already a reserve ninja," Kenjiro replied. "Ninjas are beings that cannot be explained by common sense. Haven't I taught you this?"
Even though he realized he had struck too hard, Kenjiro maintained a straight face, imparting a lesson.
Hirito bit his lip.
After the scolding, Kenjiro paused, then began to praise him: "However, your Gentle Fist technique is already very proficient, and your Eight Trigrams Palms are quite precise. As you grow, your Chakra will also improve rapidly."
"With your potential, you'll likely have the strength of an Elite Chunin by the time you graduate from the ninja school."
Looking at the blue curse mark on Hirito's forehead, the words of encouragement caught in Kenjiro's throat.
A twelve-year-old Elite Chunin was considered a little genius. Chunin level strength was not something to be taken lightly; for civilian ninjas and branch house members, Chunin was often their ceiling.
Moreover, for physical combatants like the Hyuga clan, the growth spurts of adolescence would lead to a rapid increase in strength, meaning their peak years typically fell between their twenties and thirties.
In other words, as long as Hirito didn't die on his path, he would undoubtedly become a Jōnin, and even an Elite Jōnin was possible!
You see, even within a wealthy family like the Hyuga, the number of Jōnin was very limited. They either served as protective ninjas for the clan leader, became elders of the branch house, or held important positions in various Konoha departments.
Hirito noticed where Kenjiro's gaze lingered, but he showed no signs of resentment or unwillingness. His expression remained calm and indifferent.
To Hirito, the "Caged Bird" curse mark symbolized both protection for the weak and shackles for the strong. Even within the Hyuga clan, many members lacked ninja talent. Without the protection of the "Caged Bird," they could easily fall victim to human traffickers.
However, any system, no matter how beneficial at the start, could not withstand the changes wrought by time and human nature.
For the next hour, Hyuga Kenjiro imparted his experiences and insights about the Gentle Fist technique. As a ninja who survived the Sengoku period, his knowledge was invaluable.
When it was time to leave, Kenjiro handed Hirito a small bottle of ointment to alleviate muscle bruises and soreness.
"Remember, at Ninja School, you must become the top student!" he instructed. "We can't tarnish the Hyuga reputation!"
Once back in his room, Hirito told Hyuga Ishiniah not to disturb him, locked the door, and applied the ointment to his arm.
However, he didn't just wait for it to heal naturally. Instead, he assumed a peculiar posture—not one typical of the Gentle Fist method—and paired it with a unique breathing rhythm to accelerate the flow of qi and blood while maximizing the absorption of the ointment.
Pure Breathing Method.
He felt various sensations—numbness, warmth, swelling, and a prickling like ants crawling on his skin. A cool feeling spread from where he applied the ointment. Hirito kept his mind clear, understanding that this was a sign of rapid recovery.
After more than an hour, that peculiar sensation slowly faded.
Hirito examined his arm and noted that the bruises had vanished.
A hint of wonder flickered in his eyes. "As expected of a ninja; the recovery rate is many times better than in my previous life. Though some of this is thanks to the breathing methods…"
Hirito clenched his fists, feeling the strength radiate from his knuckles.
"A body that's only six years old is no less powerful than that of an adult in my past life…"
Hirito was not a native of the ninja world; he came from Earth in his previous life. The stories of this ninja world had merely been tales to him until he found himself in the role of a member of the "Hyuga" family.
His biological parents died on a mission when he was just over a year old, and he was subsequently adopted by his current uncle.
To be honest, Hirito felt no sadness at the time. He couldn't even comprehend the language of this world until he was about three years old.
He realized he was already quite powerful just learning a foreign language!
How could one so easily change their linguistic habits?
Hirito wasn't a language genius; he recalled struggling with foreign languages throughout his education, managing only to answer questions but failing to communicate effectively.
Once he recognized he was now in the ninja world, a mix of panic and anticipation filled his heart.
The panic stemmed from the environment, where death was a common occurrence. Fortunately, he was born in Konoha, the most powerful ninja village and military organization in the world. In terms of safety, it was better than life in small, isolated villages.
What he eagerly anticipated was the extraordinary power of ninjas—specifically, the Chakra training methods.
In his previous life, Hirito had been a student at a martial arts school and later became an assistant teacher, driven by his love for martial arts.
Of course, his passion had been influenced by various martial arts movies and TV shows during his childhood.
Thus, whether at school or as an assistant teacher, he delved into a wealth of domestic and international martial arts resources and loved debating with others online about different training systems and settings.
He also reveled in novel ideas, his imagination running wild without fatigue.
After Hirito turned three, he began to grasp language and started reading. His progress was impressive; within a year, he had memorized a substantial number of common words.
Naturally, he wasn't idle during this time. Thanks to his robust physical condition, he started exercising early, focusing on fundamental movements like running, squats, and high jumps, as well as flexibility training.
As a martial arts assistant, it was easy to create a tailored training regimen for himself.
When Kenjiro observed his daily training, he offered no advice, but each meal was packed with more meat, protein, and various vegetables. He was also instructed to drink a bowl of bitter soup each day.
Hirito could feel the benefits of that soup.
Each time he drank it, a warm, soft, pleasant sensation washed over his body.
The taste was challenging to describe in words…
To prevent premature physical strain and abnormal growth, Hirito refrained from excessive training or using weights.
However, by the time he reached five years old, his physical fitness surpassed that of children his age.
After all, he adhered to a consistent training schedule, unlike other kids who preferred play to rigorous training.
Thus, when he met the minimum standards for Chakra refinement, Hyuga Kenjiro taught him the Chakra Refining Technique a year ago, at the age of five.
And when Hirito refined his first Chakra, he discovered his own hidden potential.
(End of this chapter).