(recap)
"Today was a good day" I said to myself with a smile.
Then I focused and started gathering Chakra in my now empty Chakra chamber. Once some Chakra gathered I felt it flowing in the abdomen ready for use. That right there was the final confirmation that cemented how I really was in the Naruto world.
Suddenly out of nowhere a sandal came and hit me in the head followed by
"itooo go to sleep!!" my dear obaasan screeched.
"Heh. Heh" chuckling to myself while rubbing my head I went to sleep. Today infact a great day!
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(Itto Heizo's POV)
It had been about a week since the big meeting with my grandparents, and I was getting seriously frustrated.
No matter how much I practiced, I still couldn't control my chakra the way I was supposed to. It was like it had a mind of its own—slipping away every time I thought I was getting a handle on it.
I was sitting on the roof of my house, trying to clear my head. The sun was nice and warm, and the morning was as peaceful as it could be. The kind of day that should make you feel relaxed, right? But no, not for me. I couldn't shake this feeling of irritation. No matter what I did, it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere.
"What's wrong with me?" I muttered, clenching my fists. "Why can't I just get it?"
Suddenly, something grabbed me around my waist, yanking me down from the roof fast. "What the—?!" I yelped, my stomach flipping as I was pulled toward the ground, but I stopped just before I hit it, left dangling in the air.
Great. I didn't even need to look to know who it was.
"Jiji! I hate it when you do that!" I said, squirming in the air.
Sure enough, Jiji stepped out from the shadows, looking way too amused. He let the shadow tendril holding me vanish, and I dropped the last couple of inches to the ground with a huff.
He chuckled, clearly proud of himself. "Good morning to you too, Itto. I could feel your mind was all over the place from inside the house, so I thought I'd come and snap you out of it."
"You could've just called me," I grumbled, brushing myself off. "That shadow stuff is creepy."
He didn't seem to care much. He just put a hand on my head, ruffling my hair like he always did. "You were too lost in your own head up there. What's got you so wound up?"
I sighed, knowing he wasn't going to drop it. "It's this chakra control stuff. No matter what I try, I just can't seem to get it. I thought I'd be able to figure it out by now, but it feels like I'm stuck."
Jiji gave me a long look, his eyes narrowing like he was trying to figure something out. "Sounds like you're overthinking it, kid. You're too caught up in the end goal instead of the steps to get there."
"Huh?" I frowned. "I've been doing everything you and Ojjisan told me to do. I've been focusing on mixing the chakra, trying to balance it—"
"Yeah, yeah," he cut me off, waving his hand. "But your mind's like a knot right now. You're too tense, and that's just gonna make things harder. That's why today, we're doing something different."
I raised an eyebrow. "Different?"
He smirked. "Yep. Follow me."
I didn't really know what he was up to, but I followed him around to the patio at the back of the house. There, I saw a small wooden table set up with two chairs, and on the table was a shogi board.
"Shogi?" I asked, confused. "I thought we were going to train chakra."
"We are," Jiji said, sitting down in one of the chairs. "But first, we're gonna work on that tangled mess of a mind you've got. I haven't taught you how to play shogi yet right? "
I shook my head. "Not really. I've seen it around, but I've never played."
"Well, you're in luck. Today's the day you learn." He gestured to the chair across from him, and I sat down. "Shogi's great for getting your mind in shape. It teaches focus, discipline, and strategy. All things that'll help you with your chakra control. And mainly if you are a nara you have to love shogi. It's kind of a unofficial rule by now. "
I looked at the board, still not sure how a game was supposed to help me with my chakra issues. "Uh, okay… if you say so."
"Trust me," Jiji said with a grin. "This game's gonna help more than you think. It's about seeing the whole picture, not just focusing on one move. If you can keep calm during a game, you can keep calm when dealing with chakra. Same principle."
So, for the next hour, Jiji taught me the rules of the game—how the pieces moved, what the strategies were, and how important it was to think ahead. At first, it felt like my brain was overheating from trying to figure it all out, but after a few rounds, I started to get the hang of it. I could see what he meant about staying calm and thinking ahead.
"See?" Jiji said after I made a halfway decent move. "It's all about patience. Don't rush it."
"Kind of like chakra, right?" I asked, starting to make the connection.
"Exactly," he said, moving one of his pieces with that smirk of his. "You're learning."
We kept playing, and after a while, I realized that the frustration I had earlier was gone. My head felt clearer, and I wasn't as stressed about the chakra stuff anymore. It was like my brain had untangled itself while we were playing.
When we finished the last game, I leaned back in my chair, feeling a lot lighter. "I think I needed that."
"I know you did," Jiji said, standing up and stretching. "You've been too hard on yourself. Sometimes you just gotta let your mind breathe."
I nodded, feeling like a weight had been lifted off my chest. "Thanks, Jiji. I think I get it now."
He gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Good. Now go practice your chakra. But remember—take it slow. Let it come to you."
I nodded again, feeling way better than I had that morning. As I headed back inside, I knew I still had a long way to go, but at least now my mind felt clearer. I wasn't so caught up in the frustration anymore.
And shogi? It wasn't bad. In fact it was quite good. Engaged my mind quite a bit. Even after some time after playing my mind was still comming up with the moves I can make in the future. Guess this proves my nara lineage hold true huh?
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Guys I decided instead of small chapter for 6 days a week, I will start doing long chapter every 2 days. What do you guys prefer? Please comment and donate power stones.