[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
Third Person POV
Cintra, northern kingdoms.
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Madara continued running through the forest; he had never entered such a tense place before. Even the sunlight began to diminish as he delved deeper into the area. He saw animal life and their tracks along the way. Finally, he stopped running when he reached a lake in the middle of the area.
"I think this will be a good place to start training..." he murmured.
Madara thought that staying in Cintra was not a good idea at the moment. He wanted to become stronger, and Madara was aware of the war that would envelop this kingdom in the future.
Maybe he only had about 6 years for this? He would have to get strong if he wanted to survive. Madara breathed in the fresh air at the lake before starting his training.
"I feel my chakra, but I clearly don't have control over it, except to be faster than a normal person would be. Let's see how I can control this energy in other ways..." He murmured and looked at the lake, which reflected the clouds of Cintra in the water.
"Now, let's see if I can do this," Madara said, focusing. He knew that chakra control was essential for executing jutsus. Closing his eyes, he tried to feel the flow of chakra in his body, attempting to direct it as he had learned.
Opening his eyes, Madara began to make the hand seals for the only jutsu he had, Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu, a basic fire technique. He remembered the sequence of seals, moving his hands with difficulty since he had never done this before, having it only in his mind without muscle memory. He completed the sequence after a few seconds, but when he tried to release the chakra and perform the jutsu, the result was mediocre. A small flame came out of his mouth, much less impressive than he expected.
"Clearly, this is going to require practice," Madara said, a bit frustrated but not discouraged. He knew that mastering jutsus would not come easily, especially for someone like him. "I feel my chakra, but I clearly don't have control over it..."
"Maybe I should do some exercise that I remember from the original work? I doubt I can walk on trees now, but I can do this..." Madara went under a tree and picked up a fallen leaf, sitting in the shade and placing the leaf on his forehead, as he remembered, focusing on that point, trying to stick the leaf to his skin through the chakra.
He concentrated, but the leaf lasted no more than 5 seconds. "Well... let's not give up." Madara continued this training for the next few hours.
He reached the point where he could stick the leaf for 20 seconds, but it still wasn't enough for him. However, the sun started to rise at that moment, so he had to find a place to spend the night and hunt an animal.
"I should have brought at least a knife with me..." He complained, realizing he had nothing with him since he had left Cintra in a hurry. He chose a pointed branch and went into the forest. Not only could he run fast, but he could also jump meters off the ground, something even wizards couldn't do. He caught a rabbit by surprising it from above.
After catching it, he cast his jutsu to at least make a fire and eat the rabbit after some difficulty in preparing it with a knife.
"Tomorrow I'll go after a tool, even if I have to steal a sword from a soldier!" He complained and continued eating the rabbit. Night came, and he ended up sleeping on top of a tree. He heard many strange sounds, both from animals and monsters that night, but nothing bothered him, other than the discomfort of sleeping on a hard surface, but the bed in the orphanage wasn't much different from what he was experiencing.
As the sun was rising, Madara walked through the forest until he found a merchant's camp. He managed to enter without being seen, grabbed a knife near the fire, and quickly ran back to the lake. He hunted another rabbit and this time ate better, cleaning his skin with the knife in hand.
Madara continued training with the leaf, managing to keep it in place for 40 seconds by late morning. Returning to the hand seals to execute the jutsu again, he managed to increase the amount of fire being launched into small balls, which inspired him greatly, as he was evolving.
Madara trained for the next hour until he was out of chakra in his pool again. "I think it's better to rest a bit..." he murmured, sitting on top of the tree to go back to sleep. He quickly did the same routine when he slept some time ago, returning to the leaf training and trying to perform the fire jutsu on the lake. After that, he went hunting again and slept on top of the tree as soon as night arrived.
The following day he did the same thing, and the next day, a bit more satisfied with his performance, he went to explore the forest.
As he delved deeper into the forest, he observed the wildlife around him, noticing the trails left by animals. His recent hunting experience had helped him identify and interpret these signs more easily.
At a certain point, Madara noticed something unusual - a gathering of small agitated creatures near a nest. They were Nekkers, creatures he vaguely recognized from stories he had read or played. They were small but notoriously aggressive and dangerous in groups.
Madara watched them from a distance, analyzing their movements and behaviors. He knew that with his current training, he was not ready to face a group of Nekkers. 'My fire jutsu could handle them in the future, but I still need to perfect it more,' he thought.
Deciding to avoid a confrontation, Madara quietly moved away, keeping a safe distance. He continued his exploration, now more aware of the dangers the forest harbored.
The following days were a cycle of training, hunting, and exploration. Madara had established a small base in a tree near the lake, a place that gave him some security during the night and a good observation point. He improved his skills with the fire jutsu, managing to control the chakra better and increasing the intensity of the flames. He also continued the exercise with the leaf, managing to keep it attached to his forehead for increasingly longer periods.
He had significantly improved his technique with the Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu, reaching a point where his fireballs were almost perfect. Now, he was determined to start the next phase of his training: learning to walk on trees, a skill he knew was possible through even more precise control of chakra.
"Let's see if I can do this," Madara murmured, focusing on feeling the flow of chakra in his feet. He remembered the tree-walking technique from the stories of the Naruto world. Cautiously, he approached the trunk of a large tree and placed one foot against the rough bark. Focusing on balancing the chakra in the sole of his foot, he tried to take a vertical step. Initially, he slipped, struggling to maintain balance and concentration, and fell to the ground, scratching his head from the fall.
"Well, let's continue this." Madara spent days practicing and quickly getting results from the second day, climbing up and down the tree trunk, learning to adjust the flow and pressure of the chakra.
Madara had strengthened at this point and his jutsu was now perfect, so he started the next training which was walking on water.
This routine lasted about a few more days. Madara didn't pay attention, but he focused on controlling chakra for almost 2 months in the forest. He was going to face a real challenge now. Determined to test his abilities in a real situation, he remembered the Nekkers he had encountered earlier and decided to face them.
Moving with agility and lightness, Madara traversed the forest, leaping from tree to tree. His training had improved not just his chakra abilities but also his perception and reflexes. With each leap, he precisely calculated the distance and the necessary momentum, moving like a shadow among the treetops.
As he approached the Nekkers' nest, Madara slowed down, approaching cautiously. He knew underestimating these creatures could be fatal. From above, he observed the nest, analyzing the Nekkers' layout and looking for the best strategy to approach them.
The Nekkers, busy with their activities in the nest, moving some animal carcasses while some fought each other in front of the nest, didn't notice Madara's presence.
Madara leapt from the tree, landing silently on the ground at a safe distance from the nest. Quickly, he performed the hand seals and released the Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu. Flames erupted from his mouth in multiple fireballs, each one aimed precisely. The Nekkers were caught off guard, and the fire attack caused disorder and confusion among them.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Madara continued his attack, moving swiftly and launching more fireballs. His agility and the precision of his jutsus were evident, and soon he managed to disperse the group of Nekkers, who fled into the safety of the forest, fearing the power of his flames.
Some Nekkers, bolder and more aggressive, were not intimidated by his flames and advanced fiercely in his direction after finding the responsible for the destruction of their nest, jumping with extended claws, ready to attack.
Madara remained calm. During his time in the forest, he had improvised some basic weapons, including a kind of kunai made of sharp twigs and pieces of stone. He quickly grabbed them, prepared to defend himself.
The Nekkers were rapidly closing in, but Madara was ready. With the agility and reflexes he had developed, he dodged the first attack and counter-attacked, throwing his improvised kunais with deadly precision. Each throw found its target, severely wounding the Nekkers trying to attack him.
The monsters, despite their wild and aggressive nature, were not prepared to face such an agile and lethal opponent. Those not hit by Madara's kunais quickly retreated, realizing they could not win this fight.
Madara stayed on guard until all the remaining Nekkers dispersed, fleeing back into the safety of the forest. Taking a deep breath, he assessed the situation. Despite some scratches and the rush of adrenaline, he was unharmed.
He felt a sense of satisfaction. "I am getting stronger," he said to himself, a smile of satisfaction crossing his face. With this victory, Madara felt he was ready to continue his training and explore the forest further, facing greater challenges.
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Raccoon here: Madara doesn't start off very strong, I want to detail his evolution and give him space to grow.