*Let's start calling MC by his current name, especially since he's going to start interacting with people from outside, sorry for the times his parents called him by his old name, it was an amateur mistake*
Time Skip, 1 has passed, Matsuri is now 5 years old, with just under a year left until he starts attending the ninja academy in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Sitting in a deserted clearing, Matsuri held the bow with trembling hands. With each arrow fired, the echo of the error seemed louder. The improvised target, a gourd hanging from a low branch, remained intact. He sighed, watching the lost arrow rest among the dry leaves on the ground.
"I'm still so weak..." he muttered to himself, feeling the weight of his impotence. "I can barely pop a party balloon, let alone a gourd. How am I going to be able to be a ninja? I need to train more... improve every day.
He took a deep breath, trying to push away his frustration. Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, Matsuri stood up and adjusted the bow in his hands. Although he had studied kyudo in his previous life, the graceful movements and profound philosophy of that art seemed distant and almost unattainable now.
"Although the kyudo bow is elegant and traditional, it is not practical for me right now. I need something that better suits my size and strength... perhaps a longbow or a compound bow would be more effective."
He decided to adapt his ancient teachings to his new reality. He made improvised adjustments to the bow he had, tuning the string and searching for a balance point that combined strength and precision. With each attempt, his body trembled with exhaustion, but he refused to give up.
Back home, Matsuri walked into the kitchen and found his parents preparing lunch. The warm aroma of fresh soup filled the air, bringing brief comfort.
"Matsuri, you came back early today. How was training?" — his father asked, without taking his eyes off the cauldron.
"It was... frustrating. I feel like I'm stuck. I want to become a ninja, but I don't know where to start." He replied, with a deep sigh.
His mother placed a bowl on the table and looked at him tenderly.
"We understand your rush, son, but you're still very young. You don't need to isolate yourself so much. There are other things you should be doing at your age."
His father nodded slightly.
"Your mother is right. You need to interact with other children, learn from them. How about going to the playground this afternoon? There you can meet other children, maybe even some future ninjas."
Matsuri hesitated. He wanted to keep training, but he knew his parents were right.
"Okay. I'll go…"
On the playground, Matsuri watched the children playing. Some were running around trees, others were throwing rocks at small targets on the ground. He saw a group of the Inuzuka clan running with their dogs. Their movements were fluid, almost like a wild dance, and their laughter echoed across the field.
"They move like beasts, but so naturally…" he muttered to himself. "I don't want to be like a wild dog, but I need to understand the technique behind it."
Pulling up his courage, Matsuri approached the group. A girl with short hair and a mischievous smile noticed her presence and waved.
"Hey, are you new here?" she asked.
"I'm Matsuri. You guys are amazing! How do you manage to move like that?"
The girl smiled.
"I'm Hana, and we're from the Inuzuka clan. We've been training with our dogs since we were little. It's something natural for us."
"That's amazing! I'd love to learn more about it. Could you guys teach me a few things?" he asked enthusiastically.
Hana exchanged glances with the others and shrugged.
"Sure! We can show you some basic techniques. It's always good to have new friends." With that, Matsuri began to learn from the children of the Inuzuka clan. They showed him how to use his senses to detect subtle movements in the environment and how to move more fluidly. Although it was only the beginning, Matsuri felt like he was finally getting out of his shell.
As he ran alongside the children, he felt something new—not just the wind on his face, but a lightness in his soul. He realized that there was more than one path to growth, and that learning from others was an essential part of that journey.
"Maybe, after all, I don't have to carry this burden alone... I've already died once and I have no more regrets from the past, I'm going to live this life to the fullest," he thought, with a small smile. And, for the first time in weeks, he felt like he was on the right path.
Some time later, they had run so much that they were now at the edge of the Forest closest to the Playground. There was a trail there, it was safe, and young couples used to date there, observing nature.
The children however used to throw rocks at small animals, "Play" Ninja, playing and trying to climb trees imitating the ninjas, occasionally forgetting that as ninjas could not climb trees or walk on water so they would fall into the mud or fall from branches. After a while Hana broke the silence and asked - Hana "Matsuri, do you like dogs too? You seem very friendly with us, usually other children don't like to play or think it's unfair because our dogs fill the numbers, since they are our life partners"
Matsuri - "Not at all Hana, I love dogs, I've never had the opportunity to have one as a pet, I don't know if my parents would let me."
Hana - "Sure, sure, dogs are the best, maybe when you become a ninja you can get a Niken as a partner or summon, unfortunately I don't have the authority to offer you one"
Matsuri - "Don't worry Hana, we're just kids, I can barely take care of myself"
Matsuri decided to ask Hana "Hey Hana, I know it may seem unreasonable or rude but could you teach me to be like you? We're almost the same age and I don't think I can keep playing with you, the difference is too big, I'm not complaining I swear "
Hana - "What nonsense are you talking about Matsuri, I'm going to ask my little brother Kiba to teach you how to play, after all running, jumping, climbing, crawling, sniffing are not some big clan secret, they are just our best qualities, we don't even need to train much in these details but maybe I can help you, it is not appropriate for us to be alone for too long, my mother says that a beauty like me should only follow the alpha, rumph rumph"
Matsuri - "Sorry, sorry, I'm too anxious, my father told me that the Inuzuka Clan are famous for being great Hunters, and you may not believe it but I am also a hunter, I use the bow to sneak through the forest and hunt, of course they are not as good as you but I am counting on you to improve this"