While thinking about Rock Lee, Isamu bent down slightly to tighten the weights on his wrists and ankles, feeling the weight that accompanied every movement.
He thought to himself, "I must admit, Rock Lee is a true genius. To be my age, or maybe a year older, and be able to train his body to the point of opening the Fifth Gate is astonishing. As for me, after all these years of tough, grueling training, I'm only at the level of the Third Gate in terms of physical fitness. The gap between us is vast. Just the Fourth Gate alone grants combat power comparable to that of a grandmaster."
He shook his head with a mix of confusion and admiration. "I can only say that the difference between ninjas sometimes is like the difference between an old cat and a baby tiger. Some are born with innate talent that allows them to surpass human expectations, while others must toil twice as hard to reach the same level. The worst part is when someone has even greater talent and works harder—this truly makes others feel hopeless. But as for me, it doesn't matter. I'm not chasing others. My goal from the start has been to outlive others as long as they aren't enemies or potential rivals. What do I care how fast they develop? As long as I progress step by step, regardless of the speed, that's good enough for me."
Isamu then returned to pondering the similarity between chakra and chi, a question that had long intrigued him.
After years of training and observation, he felt he had reached some conclusions, though they were not entirely certain. "It seems that chi requires an older age and higher physical level to be extracted and used efficiently, and often this age is much greater than what is needed for a ninja to develop and harness chakra. Chi stems entirely from the body and can only be activated through strict willpower and continuous training. It takes years of constant effort to master even the simplest processes to stimulate and enhance chi. I can compare using chi to shaping raw energy with your hands; every movement and step requires precise and careful guidance."
Isamu paused for a moment, recalling the information he had gathered, then continued, "On the other hand, the reason chakra is easier to use may lie in the natural physical strength of ninjas, which allows them to extract it at a young age. In the ninja world, the body and mind work in unique harmony that enables them to generate chakra by combining vital energy from the body with mental energy from the spirit in varying proportions. This means that chakra doesn't require intensive training to direct it for enhancing the body or for combat. It provides a much higher starting point in energy control compared to chi."
He continued his internal thoughts with greater focus, "It seems that chakra control training is easier and offers a higher potential ceiling. Ninjas can generate and use chakra systematically from almost the very beginning, making control over it simpler. After the initial training, chakra becomes an energy that is used almost automatically, which gives them a huge advantage compared to other fighters."
Isamu then recalled his early training with Master Mikumo. "In fact, this might be why Mikumo was puzzled when she first saw chakra in my body. The chakra seemed very similar to chi, and my body controlled it at a level resembling experts' control over chi. At the time, she noticed the amount of chakra, but it wasn't large enough to surprise her. Perhaps she assumed it was due to my natural physical strength, which might be higher than usual. That's not uncommon in this world, where some are born with stronger bodies than others."
Isamu continued thinking, "But the real surprise for Mikumo was my advanced control over my energy, something that usually takes years of training in martial arts to reach this level. In my case, there was no evidence, neither in my body nor in my age, that indicated I had trained long enough to achieve this."
Reflecting further, he thought, "Thinking about it, my chakra was small at that time, and my body was also injured, which made my energy scattered and unclear. This might have caused Mikumo not to explore my condition deeply."
He paused before adding, "Perhaps that's why she didn't notice the fundamental differences between my energy and chi. In the end, no matter how strange I seemed, she couldn't have imagined that I wasn't human like them, or that I came from another world. So, it wouldn't have made sense for her to assume that this energy was something other than chi."
"I don't know when I'll be able to hide the truth... Master Mikumo isn't just a regular martial artist. She also specializes in chi and has conducted research on various martial arts styles. It's best for me to continue training under her guidance until my time in this world comes to an end."
...…
"What?"
In the study room inside the dojo, Isamu's voice suddenly rose without him realizing it, until he noticed Mikumo's frown in front of him.
"Sorry, Master, I was just surprised by your request and couldn't contain myself," Isamu quickly apologized, bowing his head humbly.
Mikumo looked at him calmly and said, "What's strange about my request for you to go to school, Isamu?"
Isamu stammered for a moment, then said, "It's just... I wanted to know the reason." He found it difficult to find the right words and couldn't help but ask.
Mikumo replied in a calm tone, "When you became my student and I asked about your age, you told me you were six. Now, you are twelve years old, and you should be in your first year of middle school. You've shown a remarkable speed in learning the lessons when you accompanied Chikage in the additional cultural classes and have absorbed all the elementary lessons. But as for middle school education, I believe it's best for you to attend school to properly keep up with your studies."
Isamu didn't know how to respond after hearing her words. He hadn't expected the evening lesson to end with such a request, leaving him standing in shock for a moment. Even Chikage, his young peer, opened her mouth in surprise, a funny expression crossing her face.
The reason Mikumo gave was logical: It's natural for children to receive basic education to grow and acquire the necessary skills to live in modern society. The same applies to martial artists. After all, this world is no longer in an era where fighters focus solely on martial arts without caring about the outside world.
Looking back at history, even ancient martial artists had some degree of education, as they were born into families that could provide food, clothing, and funds for training, despite the low productivity of those times. It's natural they would have received basic education in their childhood as well.
In the current era, martial arts instructors aren't just fighters; they are individuals who understand the importance of academic education in their students' growth and support them in it.
Even Mikumo herself, to ensure that Isamu and Chikage wouldn't fall behind their peers academically due to intensive training, provided them with special cultural lessons herself.