Chakra is the product of specially refined spiritual and physical energy. In the ninja world, the human body contains more than 130 trillion cells, which is two to three times the number found in his previous life.
While everyone possesses both spiritual and physical energy, not every child can refine Chakra at the age of five. For civilians, lacking a refining technique, strict guidance from elders, and appropriate training resources, it often takes two or three years of training at the ninja school before they can meet the requirements for refining Chakra.
In those initial years, they primarily learn basic ninja knowledge and skills, including shuriken throwing, kunai fighting, rope breaking, and trap identification. Children from established clans, however, enjoy superior training conditions and usually have a solid foundation before entering the Ninja School, but they generally begin refining Chakra around the ages of six or seven.
A year ago, Hirito's Cheat activated for an unknown reason, likely connected to his Chakra refining process. After exploring its capabilities, he had a rough understanding of what it could do.
The Cheat is known as the [Deduction System].
It has two main abilities: [Deduction] and [Breaking Boundary].
[Breaking Boundary] is straightforward; it allows travel to other worlds but requires a ten-year wait. The reasons for this limitation remain unclear to Hirito, possibly related to energy constraints.
[Deduction] enables Hirito to use energy points to deduce and optimize corresponding skills based on the knowledge he possesses. He can design a direction for deduction optimization, triggering a progress bar. The more relevant knowledge he has, the fewer energy points are needed.
For instance, deducing from "Eight Trigrams Palms" to "Eight Trigrams Palms Sixty-Four" demands a significant number of energy points. However, if he already understands parts of the sixteen or thirty-two palms in between, the energy required drops substantially.
The method for obtaining energy points is unclear; it might involve Chakra or any form of energy.
After activating his Cheat, Hirito felt immense joy and a strong desire to use these remarkable skills, but the emptiness of his energy points quickly extinguished that impulse. This scarcity also helped him regain his composure.
He had been activated for five years, and the sudden flood of emotions left him momentarily confused.
"Hoo~ho~~!"
He forced himself to look away, taking several deep breaths until his mind slowly cleared. He knew he needed to remain calm and not rush.
Now that the Deduction System was activated, there was no need to hurry. Impatience often leads to confusion and mistakes. In significant situations, worrying too much about gains and losses can complicate things. Thus, calmness is essential.
Looking outside, he noticed the sun setting in the west.
"Let's eat first!"
After eating, Hirito sat in the small courtyard, gazing up at the starry night. He had completely calmed down and began thinking about how to effectively enhance himself.
Being young meant he was still in the foundational stages. All the powerful ninjutsu, taijutsu, and illusions would prove useless if learned prematurely. Without sufficient strength, even possessing the [Eight Inner Gates Technique] would be meaningless.
As a member of the Hyuga clan, albeit a branch house member, he had access to more resources than civilian children. Hirito could learn the Gentle Fist technique from his uncle and many conventional ninjutsu. Once he was old enough, he wouldn't have to rely on instructors; he could seek guidance from his uncle instead.
This is the saying: "A family with an elder is like a treasure." His uncle had survived the Sengoku period!
Now, what he needed was a secret technique suitable for his age, one that could enhance the power of the Hyuga Gentle Fist technique...
Gentle Fist method? Physical skills?
Physical skills?!
Ding!
A flash of inspiration struck him.
No matter how powerful one's techniques, strength is the foundation. Regardless of skill, if one lacks a strong body, it becomes irrelevant.
Reflecting on the Hyuga clan's later performance in the original story, their strength appeared lackluster. In the ninja world, there didn't seem to be any secret techniques for training the body.
In essence, most training focused superficially on muscle development, neglecting bones and internal organs, which led to imbalanced physical capabilities.
Even someone as strong as Might Guy struggled to fully unleash the [Eight Inner Gates Technique] due to his muscles and bones not being up to the task.
This was understandable; in a world filled with conflict and hatred, the average lifespan of a ninja is no more than thirty years. Everyone seeks high-power, high-explosive ninjutsu to maximize damage, often at the expense of other training aspects, like bodybuilding techniques.
Hirito had a direction in mind.
When it comes to killing skills, how could he, an ordinary martial arts assistant teacher, compare to the seasoned killers of the ninja world?!
However, he had his own advantages.
The greatest wealth of knowledge and experience he possessed stemmed from his exposure to countless martial arts manuals and scientific analyses of combat in his previous life. Although it was challenging to discern the true from the false based on his limited knowledge, the existence of the [Deduction System] provided hope!
Suddenly, ideas flooded in.
He needed to combine martial arts with foundational exercises that stretched muscles and aligned bones to strengthen skin, membranes, and periosteum. There should also be a focus on the relationship between breathing and the flow of qi and blood, which would enhance the digestive and absorption capabilities of his body's organs. Furthermore, the mental aspect was equally crucial; various meditation techniques and observation methods could not be overlooked.
Hirito gathered all the thoughts he could muster and input them into the system, channeling the Chakra he had just extracted.
The progress bar suddenly advanced, showing about one-tenth completion.
Hirito was ecstatic.
From this, he judged that he could complete the deduction of this secret technique in about ten days.
Yet, doubts arose.
"Do I need so little Chakra?"
"Or is my existing knowledge already sufficient?!"
The answer remained a mystery.
The [Deduction System] did not feature a smart assistant or helper. Though it seemed quite rigid, Hirito found comfort in that; he wasn't keen on the idea of strange voices in his head.
In less than ten days, he completed the deduction of this secret technique in just nine days.
Huh~!
In an instant, a wealth of knowledge and experience flooded into Hirito's consciousness.
After a moment,
Hirito struggled to suppress his laughter.
"Hahaha...it's done!"
"I need a name for it. Let me think...how about [Pure Breathing Method]!"
He couldn't wait to assume a posture according to the secret technique: head upright, shoulders straight, waist steady, knees bent, and spine aligned.
With rhythmic movements and controlled breathing, his body's qi and blood began to flow rapidly, warming and nourishing his muscles and organs.
"Gurgling..."
A slight rumble from his stomach indicated that the digestion of his food was accelerating.
More than half an hour passed.
He practiced the [Pure Breathing Method] countless times and didn't stop until he felt that the food in his stomach had fully digested. His body was warm and filled with energy.
"It used to take two or three hours to digest, but now, half an hour is all it needs. The results are remarkable!"
"I might end up being a big eater in the future..."
"However, being able to eat and digest efficiently means the nutrients are genuinely entering my body..."
Afterward, Hirito lay down on his bed.
He wanted to test the "spiritual" effects next.
(End of the chapter).