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Kazuki stood in front of a public training ground, his expression deadpan. The area was filled with random people, mostly genin, training in various disciplines—ranging from taijutsu to basic physical exercises.
After observing for a while, Kazuki began organizing his thoughts. *It seems the village is more complicated than I first thought. From the original's memories, I know you need to be a jonin to get access to a private training ground.*
*This means all the civilians who graduate without a team are effectively denied privacy. The system has its reasons—after all, civilians lack heritage and don't really need privacy since everything they learn about being a ninja comes from the academy. It's obvious, considering how similar their moves are.*
*But this system also favors clan kids and children with ninja legacies. It's as if the village treats civilians as nothing more than cannon fodder. The death toll among them is astronomical.*
*It's just my conclusion, but it's highly likely. Civilians who graduate as genin are left unguided. They keep doing D-rank missions until they've completed enough to qualify for C-rank ones. Most likely, they attempt these missions alone, and either die in the process or, if they survive, spend the rest of their lives doing D-rank missions.*
*It's a grim reality, but it doesn't really affect me. I know my strengths and weaknesses, and I would never be stupid enough to take on a mission I wasn't sure I could complete.*
Having finished his thoughts, Kazuki turned away, deciding to find somewhere else to train. As he wandered through the village, an idea struck him. *What about the edge of the village? There are plenty of small forests there—perfect for training.*
With that, Kazuki sprinted towards the nearest forest at his fastest speed. Soon, he arrived at a breathtaking sight—a clearing in the woods, with a small pond on the side that seemed ideal for future water-walking training. The semi-circular clearing was just the right size for any kind of training.
After admiring the area for a moment, Kazuki decided not to waste any time and began his physical workout. He was surprised to discover that he could lift stones weighing hundreds of kilograms with little difficulty. He could run faster than any athlete back on Earth, and his stamina was immense, seemingly regenerating at an accelerated pace.
After completing his workout, Kazuki finally collapsed, staring at the bright, blue sky—far more vibrant than Earth's. As he rested, several conclusions formed in his mind:
- The human body in this world is likely enhanced by chakra, granting stronger baseline physical stats.
- This body's stamina is vast and appears to regenerate constantly.
- Though I might seem strong from a normal perspective, I'm still physically weaker than most of my classmates.
*Most importantly,* he thought, *I felt something when I pushed myself to lift a stone. It was a blockage just above my dantian. When I was about to collapse under the stone's weight, the blockage loosened.*
*Two things happened simultaneously. First, I felt a rush of chakra through my body—not through the usual pathways but something resembling veins. Though small in quantity, it gave me just enough strength to hold the stone steady. Second, I felt a suction at my navel, as if some unknown energy had invaded and entered the dantian.*
*When this energy entered, the changes were immediate. My perception seemed sharper—I could feel my body more clearly, and my control over it improved. My chakra reserves increased slightly, though not significantly.*
Using his enhanced perception, Kazuki focused inward. *The dantian, or rather, the chakra core, is fully formed from chakra. It appears to slowly absorb chakra from my body, with branches extending from it that resemble veins but are made of chakra.*
*The core only loosened when I pushed my body to its limits. I need to study it further to understand it better.*
As for the foreign energy, Kazuki recognized it immediately. *It's nature energy—the same energy the chakra fruit is made of. The original energy of the planet, capable of standing against the Ōtsutsuki.*
*In the series, sage mode enhances perception and creates markings on the body. Strangely, I didn't get those markings.*
After pondering for a while, Kazuki arrived at a single conclusion. *Nature energy usually disperses back into the environment, but in my case, it didn't. That means only one thing.* A sinister smile spread across his face.
*Instead of merely mixing with nature energy temporarily, the core is combining its essence with my chakra. Essentially, I'm using nature energy to enhance both my chakra reserves and its quality.*
*This ability has immense potential and guarantees my growth over time. But every ability has a weakness. From my experience, nature energy is absorbed only when I push my body to its limits.*
*I'll also need to research these chakra veins. With my improved perception, I might be able to observe how they function.*
Determined, Kazuki resumed his training regimen, pushing his body to its limits repeatedly. Out of three attempts, he succeeded only once in loosening the core. Yet with his heightened perception, he felt the increased flow of chakra through the chakra veins, how his body strengthened temporarily, and how nature energy merged with his reserves once more.
By evening, he was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Suddenly, a rush of memories struck him, accompanied by a splitting headache—the memories of his clone.
Barely conscious, Kazuki didn't pay much attention to the details. He painfully made his way back to his apartment, collapsing onto his bed without bothering to eat. All he felt was a mix of accomplishment and lingering pain.
*To be continued...*
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**A/N:** Please let me know if you enjoyed the chapter! I'd love to hear your thoughts.