The third lesson I learned was how crucial it is to control the exact amount of chakra used in a jutsu. It's not enough to simply activate a jutsu—you have to know precisely how much chakra to put into it. Too much, and it can fail; too little, and it might not even work.
"Think of it like punching. Imagine using just 1% of your strength—how do you even gauge that? It's hard to define. When you're delivering a stronger punch, like 50% of your power, it's easier to control. But measuring something as small as 1% takes a lot more precision and focus, which makes it more difficult.
The same concept applies to jutsu. The success of the technique depends on how well you manage your chakra. Practicing regularly helps you internalize the feeling of how much chakra each jutsu requires, making it easier to replicate during battle.
If you don't use enough chakra, the jutsu will fail. But if you use too much, you're wasting energy, which can lead to exhaustion or a weakened technique. Every jutsu has a limit on how much chakra it can handle, and if you go over that, the jutsu breaks down.
This is especially important during combat, where there are so many things to focus on—your opponent, the battlefield, and your stamina. That's where many inexperienced shinobi struggle. They get distracted, waste chakra, or fail to maintain their jutsu, which can be disastrous in a real fight.
I used to think I had mastered jutsu just because I could perform them without hand signs. What a fool I was!
It must be why shinobi with low chakra reserves tend to have good chakra control. This also explains why Naruto had such a hard time at first—managing his enormous chakra reserves for basic jutsu would've been like trying to hold back a tidal wave with a cup. No wonder he struggled so much with the Clone Jutsu! That's why he was better at higher-level jutsu like the Shadow Clone Jutsu. And to think he did all this without proper guidance for so long!
At first, High chakra reserves may seemed like a disadvantage, but after learning control it is a strength. With high chakra reserves, you can focus more on refining your control. Once you learn to adjust your chakra output precisely, it becomes a huge advantage. Not only can you perform more powerful techniques, but you can also train longer without depleting your reserves. And with High chakra reserves you can practice chakra control exercise for more duration.
Another important realization was that from starting a jutsu to maintaining it, mental focus is always required, and this focus varies depending on the jutsu. Take the Transformation Jutsu, for example. Considering its relatively low chakra consumption and mental strain, it's like riding a bicycle—manageable but requiring constant balance and attention.
However, as you get exhausted, it becomes harder to maintain efficiency. At first, you might sustain the transformation using around 4-5 chakra points per second, but as fatigue sets in, your efficiency decreases, and chakra consumption increases. In extreme cases, it can spike to as much as 20 chakra points per second. This decline in control means that, over time, even basic jutsu can become more difficult to maintain, which can be dangerous in long battles.
Keeping multiple jutsu active at the same time drastically increases both chakra consumption and the mental focus required. For me, maintaining both the Transformation Jutsu and the Substitution Jutsu would drain almost 25 chakra points per second, due to mental strain also factoring in. But practice can reduce the amount.
This made me appreciate how much more complex jutsu are in battle. It's not just about knowing the techniques; it's about adjusting chakra in real time and keeping your focus under pressure. Now I understand why I've struggled in combat. Even the slightest miscalculation in chakra control can cause a jutsu to fail or drain too much energy, which can make or break a fight.
Naruto managing his huge chakra reserves and the mental strain that came with it was truly an amazing feat, one that was clearly showcased in the anime.
These realizations were eye-opening, but also a bit discouraging. I felt overwhelmed by how much I still needed to improve. Compared to people like Sakura, who I once considered 'useless,' I was miles behind. How could I compete with natural talents or those from prestigious clans? But I couldn't give up now. I had come too far.
When I asked Sensei how to increase my chakra reserves, I was hoping for some secret method, but his answer was simple and a bit disappointing: chakra reserves grow naturally over time, and the only way to speed it up is through physical training. It's a slow process, but he reassured me that I was doing well and could eventually catch up to Nora if I kept at it.
But how could I explain to him that my real target is someone far beyond Nora? It feels embarrassing to admit that I want to surpass someone like Naruto, who is so far ahead of me. Still, I know now that I can't afford to slack off.
This realization helped me understand why Guy and Lee are so focused on physical training. They knew the importance of building a strong foundation. My respect for Guy keeps growing. He's just a civilian, yet he managed to beat one of the strongest shinobi in history—Madara—through sheer determination and hard work.
It's truly inspiring. Guy's example is a reminder that anyone can achieve greatness, regardless of where they start. It fuels my determination to keep pushing forward, knowing that hard work can lead to extraordinary results."