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Carrying two mats, Yuichi Yuuki returned to the training ground quickly. As soon as Kakashi Hatake saw him, he stopped swinging his sword, and Asuma Sarutobi and Uchiha Obito also paused their training to come over.
Only Might Guy was still focused, performing frog jumps without paying any attention to the outside world.
"Yuichi, what are you holding?" Uchiha Obito asked curiously, eyeing the two flat, rolled-up bags in Yuichi's hands. "Is it something tasty?"
"This obviously isn't food," Asuma Sarutobi said, patting Obito on the shoulder with a sigh. "It looks like something for training, right?"
Asuma glanced at Yuichi uncertainly.
"This is a cushion," Yuichi Yuuki started to explain, but Kakashi Hatake beat him to it.
"Hey, 55-50, how do you know that?" Yuichi looked at Kakashi in surprise. He hadn't expected them to recognize the vacuum-packed mats, especially since they hadn't started practicing chakra control exercises like tree climbing or water walking yet.
Kakashi gave Yuichi a sideways glance. "I have one at home. My father and I bought it together."
"Why did you buy it?" Obito asked, still curious.
"To practice chakra control," Yuichi answered without hesitation. "Climbing trees and walking on water are great ways to improve chakra control, and these skills can be used in all sorts of situations—like running on water or walls without any issues."
Yuichi continued, "I heard about this from other ninjas. Once you improve chakra control, it becomes easier to learn ninjutsu, and you'll also be able to control your chakra more precisely."
"That's awesome!" Uchiha Obito's eyes lit up with excitement, and Asuma Sarutobi looked equally thrilled. Although one was from the Uchiha clan and the other was the son of the Hokage, no one had told them about these training methods. Hearing this now, they were naturally eager to start.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Yuichi Yuuki grinned mysteriously. "I bought two mats."
He shook the cushions in his hands. "We can split the cost and train together. What do you think?" Yuichi looked at Obito.
At that moment, Might Guy finally stopped his training and came over, scratching his head. "I'd like to join too," he said with a wide smile.
"Of course!" Yuichi nodded.
Asuma Sarutobi also agreed, eyeing the cushions thoughtfully. He didn't have much pocket money, and after a recent argument with his father, it had become even less. Sharing the cost with the others seemed like a great idea.
Kakashi glanced at them and shook his head. "I won't join. I already have one at home."
"That's fine," Yuichi Yuuki replied. He wasn't surprised, as Kakashi came from a well-off family.
"Alright, with five people, and the mats costing 5,000 taels each, that's 2,000 taels per person. Is everyone okay with that?"
"No problem!" Obito said casually, barely glancing at the mats. "I'll bring the money tomorrow!"
Asuma and Guy nodded in agreement as well. "Same here," they said.
With everyone on board, Yuichi placed the mats under a tree and tore open the vacuum-sealed plastic. Slowly, the mats expanded, becoming soft and plush.
"This is so cool!" Obito and Guy exclaimed in unison, amazed at the sight.
Even though cushions like these weren't rare, they had never seen anything vacuum-sealed before.
"Even the cushion is full of tenacity! I must push my youth even further!" Might Guy shouted, and without wasting any more time, he ran off to continue his training.
Watching Guy's enthusiastic retreat, Yuichi stood silent for a moment, wondering how Guy managed to connect cushions and youth in his mind.
"I'll train too," Asuma said, glancing at the mats. "We'll practice separately. After you and Kurenai finish tree climbing, we'll use them."
Obito nodded. "Yeah, even though we paid together, you guys train first. If it weren't for your explanation, we wouldn't have known about this method in the first place."
Though Obito often acted rash, he was thoughtful at times. Asuma patted his shoulder and led him away before Yuichi could reply.
"Let's see who can master their ninjutsu first!" Asuma called out.
"I won't lose to you!" Obito retorted.
"We'll see about that!"
Yuhi Kurenai walked up to Yuichi Yuuki, watching Asuma and Obito argue. "They seem to get along well," she remarked with a smile.
Yuichi was momentarily stunned, remembering Nohara Rin. He glanced over at Kakashi, who was still focused on practicing his sword swings. Rin hadn't yet shown any particular affection for Kakashi, and although Obito seemed to be at odds with Kakashi, things were still within a normal range for now. But Yuichi knew that the future could become complicated.
"Has Rin seen what Kakashi looks like under that mask?" Yuichi mused to himself. Shaking the thought away, he turned his attention back to training.
"Alright, let's get started!" Yuichi said to Kurenai, looking at the two cushions under the tree.
He recalled that, in the original story, one of the characters had ended up injuring themselves while practicing tree climbing. Why didn't they just use a cushion? Yuichi wondered. Even if they didn't have something fancy like a vacuum-sealed mat, they could have at least used something soft to land on.
It seemed like they were deliberately using suffering as a form of self-improvement. But Yuichi firmly believed that suffering for the sake of it wasn't something to strive for. Suffering doesn't lead to success; it's simply something you endure when it's unavoidable.
Once you learn to embrace suffering, you may find yourself suffering for the rest of your life.
With these thoughts in mind, Yuichi stepped toward the tree again, determined to refine his chakra control. This time, he focused on feeling the flow of chakra through his feet. His uncle Shinku had once told him that chakra possessed both repulsive and attractive forces. Though Yuichi didn't fully understand how energy generated from body cells and spiritual power could have such properties, he knew he had to think along those lines.
Determined, Yuichi began his practice once again.
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