First, there's the matter of fine chakra control, but Kaito is currently unsure how to continue refining it. He had quickly mastered both tree climbing and water walking. From the very beginning, Kaito's chakra control abilities had surpassed the requirements of these exercises; all that was left was to make them second nature, a skill that required no extra attention.
This was a matter of accumulation, something Kaito could achieve over time. However, going beyond this level of control was something he currently didn't have a path for. Thus, he had to temporarily set it aside.
Next was chakra shape transformation. Kaito was still in the stage of practicing the connection between condensed chakra and his perception. Without the guidance of hand seals, directly trying to form and control chakra outside his body was proving to be no small challenge.
Fortunately, Kaito's chakra reserves were still relatively small, which meant the amount of chakra he could extract at one time was limited, thereby making the control somewhat easier. So far, Kaito could sense a weak connection and manage some level of control, but being able to actually shape it was still a ways off.
Chakra control within his body was quite different from that outside it. Inside, it was like a well-behaved child, allowing him to manipulate it into various forms. The reason he hadn't progressed further was simply the lack of a teacher to guide him in the right direction. However, once the chakra left his body, it was more like an unruly wild child, seemingly wanting to break free of his control. Kaito had managed to regain some semblance of authority over it, but making it behave as obediently as it did within his body was still out of reach for now.
Another area that Kaito was working on was preparing for Sage Mode.
Kaito had no idea how to actually absorb natural energy, but he did know, from watching Naruto train in the original series, that there were certain prerequisites. The first step was achieving a state of absolute calm—both physically and mentally—which was essential for even sensing natural energy.
Of course, even if Kaito managed to sense natural energy, he would never dare to absorb it at this stage. Without the guidance of a toad and a special staff to monitor him, there was a very real risk of turning into stone and perishing.
But for Kaito, all of this was moot, as he couldn't even manage to achieve a state of calm. He could just barely achieve physical stillness, though it still felt as if ants were crawling all over him. But mentally, achieving stillness was an even bigger problem. For someone like Kaito, who came from a modern world filled with constant stimuli, achieving a state of mental stillness seemed nearly impossible.
It felt like this kind of "stillness" was an innate gift—a privilege exclusive to those with a pure, childlike heart. For Kaito, who had grown up with a modern mindset, his thoughts never stopped running. Even if he tried to clear his mind, they always wandered back in without him realizing it.
The only scenario in which Kaito could achieve true stillness was when he was in a deep, dreamless sleep. But the stillness required for Sage Mode was not the kind that could be found in sleep.
Thus, Kaito found himself struggling even to meet the prerequisites for learning Sage Mode—and yet, Sage Mode was something he knew he had to master eventually. As the opponents would only get stronger in the future, ordinary ninjutsu would not suffice. Without Sage Mode, his chances of landing a significant blow were slim, and he would be left with only taijutsu as an option.
However, Kaito knew that no matter how hard he trained in taijutsu, he could never surpass Might Guy. Taijutsu required a painstaking accumulation of effort, something he simply didn't have enough time for. Even Guy—the Taijutsu Master—could only kick out his final attack once, and his leg was broken afterward. How could Kaito hope to do any better with his inferior taijutsu skills? Sage Mode was, therefore, non-negotiable.
Kaito had tried numerous times to achieve stillness but hadn't made any progress. Over time, however, he stumbled upon a possible workaround.
He wouldn't say it was a "solution," but it was a way forward.
In his exhausted state after intense physical exertion, he found it much easier to quiet his mind. The fatigue made it harder for random thoughts to intrude. It wasn't a perfect method, but it was the best option he currently had. When tired enough, the thoughts naturally slowed down, allowing his mind a greater chance at stillness.
Kaito had begun using this approach, and it worked to some extent. Still, his powerful mental energy had its downsides too—even when his body was exhausted, his mind often remained overly active. But compared to before, it was a vast improvement. He had been persisting in this manner for years now, and while he had made progress, he still couldn't fully achieve a state of mental stillness.
During the free practice session after school activities, Kaito would drag his weary body and attempt this exercise again. As always, he felt he was close to breaking through but could never take that final step.
To others, Kaito appeared to be sitting there dozing off. In truth, his perception had improved greatly, and he had sharpened his sense of awareness. If someone approached him with the intent to touch him, he could immediately sense it, opening his eyes to glare at them. He wouldn't say a word—just stare until the person got spooked and left him alone.
As a result, Kaito earned the reputation of being quite lazy, like Shikamaru, but even lazier. At least Shikamaru had to lay down or rest his head on a table to sleep. Kaito could simply sit wherever he was and drift off, without even lying down!
Of course, Kaito didn't care what others thought. Though he hadn't reached a true meditative state, these sessions helped calm his mind, and that would be crucial when it came to chakra shape transformation in the future.
Once Kaito exhausted the rest of his chakra practicing shape transformation, the day's classes were nearly over. After school, he would return home for dinner, rest a bit to regain some chakra, and then go out to spar with Lee. The chakra he recovered was just enough to use for the basic three techniques.
His schedule was meticulously crafted—each task fed into the next seamlessly. Such discipline and careful planning ensured rapid progress.
Of course, no one else knew about Kaito's plan. So when others saw Kaito sitting still for long periods, it looked like he was simply being lazy. After observing this for several days, Iruka finally couldn't hold back any longer and approached him.
"Kaito, you can't keep being so lazy! With the talent you've got, you should be working even harder. Don't let that talent go to waste!" Iruka scolded him, clearly frustrated.
Kaito was stunned. Lazy? Since when had he been lazy?!
He was pretty sure that, among kids his age, he was working harder than 99.9% of them!