Having accepted his new reality, Ren stood up from the ground, dusting off his clothes, and began walking back toward the orphanage. He tried to calm his breathing, though his mind was racing with thoughts of the training he had just completed.
"Where have you been this whole time?" a stern voice broke through his thoughts as he approached the entrance.
Ren looked up, startled. "Huh… Sister Shizune?" he blurted out, surprised that he hadn't noticed her standing there.
For the past seven days, Ren had been waking up earlier than everyone else, sneaking out to train in secret, and returning just as the others were about to wake. But today, he had miscalculated and returned late, blowing his cover. Even though he was caught, Ren had anticipated this day and prepared an excuse. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves before speaking.
"Forgive me, Sister Shizune. I woke up earlier than usual today, so I thought I'd go out for some fresh air at the nearby grounds," he said, trying to sound as apologetic as possible.
Shizune's eyes narrowed for a moment, and Ren could feel her gaze piercing through him. "It's fine as long as you stay close to the orphanage," she said sternly. "But don't wander too far on your own. It's not safe out there!"
"I-I understand," Ren replied quickly, trying to maintain eye contact. But beneath the surface, a surge of guilt gnawed at him.
"Good," she said, her tone softening slightly. "Now come inside, breakfast is ready."
After finishing his morning meal, Ren slipped back into his room just as the other children were leaving for their turn at breakfast. He didn't linger in the hall to talk to anyone. Instead, he headed straight for his bed, sitting down and resting his back against the wall.
He gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought. 'For now, I should continue with my physical and chakra control training. A strong body and good chakra control are essential to becoming a powerful ninja. I already know sealing jutsu techniques, but with my current chakra reserves, I can only manage basic seals.' He clenched his fists, frustrated at his limitations.
'Even though I have more chakra than others my age, it's still not enough to activate the full Uzumaki Seal. If I tried now, it'd deplete my entire chakra supply.'
His mind raced as he considered his options. 'I need to expand my chakra reserves, and the best way to do that is to incorporate chakra use into my daily training. From the Naruto series, I remember a method of molding chakra in a tight spiral to build it up gradually over time. If I can perfect that, I'll not only increase my reserves but also elevate my chakra control.'
The idea gave him hope, but then another, far more ambitious thought flashed through his mind. It was so bold, he had to pause. 'What if I could make molding my chakra into a spiral a passive ability? What if it became as natural as breathing? If I could pull that off, I'd be able to control my chakra in any situation, without even thinking about it.'
The challenge was overwhelming. His heart pounded at the thought of how long it might take. 'To make something like that natural, I'd have to mold my chakra into a spiral constantly, every second, for months—maybe even years—until it becomes second nature.'
He sighed. The task was daunting, almost impossible. Yet, despite the magnitude of the challenge, the thought of success sent a surge of energy through his veins. Ren smiled to himself, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. 'It's difficult, but I can at least try.'
However, a nagging reality quickly dampened his excitement. "I only have a year to train," Ren muttered, his expression tightening with worry. "At six, I'll have to enroll in the Ninja Academy, and I can't afford to waste time. I need to be ready by then."
Ren knew the Academy wasn't just a place to learn—it was an opportunity. He wanted to excel in the entrance exam, not just pass but shine so brightly that the village would take notice. The Academy could provide him with additional resources—tools and training that could push him beyond his current limits.
'Only a year has passed since the Third Great Ninja War, and the village was blindsided by the Nine-Tails attack,' Ren thought, recalling the historical events with clarity. 'Both of those disasters created a gap in Konoha's ranks. Jonin and Chunin numbers are lower than ever, and with the Fourth Hokage gone, the village is at its weakest.'
He clenched his fist again, more determined than ever. 'If I can show potential to reach Jonin-level strength, they'll invest in me. I'll be their answer to rebuilding the ranks.'
Having formed a clear plan, Ren sat cross-legged on his bed, closing his eyes as he began focusing on his chakra. His breathing slowed as he cleared his mind, letting go of unnecessary thoughts. He concentrated deeply, directing his chakra to his lower abdomen. Slowly, a large amount of chakra began gathering in that area, like a flame flickering to life inside him.
With some effort, Ren tried to shape his chakra into a spiral. But after an hour of intense focus, he could barely manage a small amount. The difficulty was immense.
Directing chakra to a specific part of his body was one thing—it followed the natural pathways of his chakra network. But forcing chakra to rotate in a spiral was an entirely different challenge. There were no natural pathways for this, no framework in place to guide the flow. It was like trying to build a structure from scratch.
Still, Ren wasn't discouraged. He had anticipated the difficulty. Instead of pushing forward recklessly, he took a step back to analyze the problem. He thought of different ways he could approach the training, dissecting the issues one by one.
Then, out of nowhere, an idea struck him like lightning. "Yes, maybe I should try it this way!" he exclaimed, his heart pounding with excitement.
Filled with renewed energy, Ren began again. But this time, instead of forcing all his chakra to rotate, he focused on forming it into a stable sphere. This was no easy task either, but after an hour of intense concentration, the sphere stabilized.
Now, Ren directed his focus to the outermost layer of the sphere, slowly rotating it in a clockwise direction. The amount of chakra he used was smaller this time, but the spherical form made it easier to control. With some effort, a thin ring of chakra began spinning around the larger sphere.
His heart raced as the thin ring of chakra picked up speed, rotating smoothly around the sphere. The first step of his plan had succeeded. A smile crept onto his face, but he knew he wasn't done yet. The real challenge was about to begin.
The rotating chakra ring began to penetrate the second layer of the sphere. With the momentum from the outer ring, the chakra in the second layer started to rotate as well, though it moved clumsily. Despite the crude movement, Ren felt a wave of satisfaction. He was on the right track.
He continued the process, fine-tuning the rotations until both layers of the sphere were spinning perfectly in sync. When the task was finally complete, Ren opened his heavy eyes. His body was drenched in sweat, and his mind was utterly exhausted, but none of that mattered. A triumphant smile spread across his face.