Chapter 9: The Road to Mastery
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Hikaru groaned as he slid down the bark of the massive tree, landing on his back with a heavy thud. His arms were scraped, his legs ached, and he could already feel the bruises forming.
Kosuke smirked, leaning against another tree with his arms crossed. "Not bad for your first attempt."
Hikaru glared up at him. "I didn't even make it halfway up."
Kosuke shrugged. "And? The goal isn't to succeed right away. It's to fail repeatedly until you figure it out."
Hikaru sighed, pushing himself up onto shaky legs. This was harder than he had expected. Controlling chakra for jutsu was one thing—this was different.
The Tree Climbing Exercise was one of the fundamental training techniques for a shinobi. It forced the user to focus their chakra into the soles of their feet in perfect balance—not too much, not too little. If they used too little, they'd slide right off. If they used too much, they'd repel themselves backward.
Hikaru had done both within the first ten minutes.
Kosuke tossed him a kunai, which he caught reflexively. "Stick it in the tree when you reach a new height. That way, you can see your progress."
Hikaru nodded, determination burning in his chest. This was a challenge. And if he wanted to become stronger, he had to master it.
He took a deep breath, placing a foot against the bark. He focused, channeling chakra into his soles.
Then, he ran.
For a moment, it worked. He felt the traction, felt the chakra gripping the surface. He took two, three, four steps—
Then his chakra fluctuated.
He felt the slip before it happened.
Gravity won.
Hikaru gritted his teeth as he crashed down again, rolling to break his fall.
Kosuke chuckled. "You lasted longer that time."
Hikaru groaned into the dirt. "That's… great."
Kosuke walked over and nudged him with his foot. "Again."
Hikaru sighed but pushed himself up.
And he ran again.
---
The sun dipped lower as the hours passed.
Hikaru failed. Again and again.
But he learned.
He figured out that he had been channeling too much chakra at the start, overcompensating in fear of slipping. Once he adjusted that, he could go higher before messing up.
By the time the sky was tinged with orange, Hikaru had managed to reach the halfway point of the tree.
He jammed his kunai into the bark before sliding back down, panting.
Kosuke gave a nod of approval. "Took you long enough."
Hikaru wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I could do without the commentary."
Kosuke smirked. "You'll live."
Hikaru collapsed onto the ground, his body aching all over. But his system flashed with a notification.
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[Skill Gained: Tree Climbing Exercise]
→ Chakra Control: Skilled → Advanced
→ +3 AGI, +2 WIS
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A small grin tugged at Hikaru's lips. Progress.
Kosuke noticed. "Figuring out how to track your own improvements?"
Hikaru hesitated, then nodded. "Something like that."
Kosuke studied him for a moment but didn't push. "Good. But you're not done."
Hikaru groaned. "Can't I have a five-minute break?"
Kosuke smirked. "Sure. You've earned it."
Hikaru sighed in relief, leaning against the tree and closing his eyes.
The soreness in his muscles was a reminder—he was growing, getting stronger. His control had improved significantly since the morning.
He had a long way to go, but this was a start.
Kosuke finally spoke. "Once you master tree climbing, we move onto water walking."
Hikaru's eyes snapped open. "Seriously?"
Kosuke grinned. "Of course. A real shinobi can't afford to struggle with something as basic as balance."
Hikaru rubbed his temples. This man was going to kill him.
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The Next Day
Hikaru stood at the edge of a large lake just outside the village. His reflection wavered in the water, rippling in the early morning light.
Kosuke stood beside him, arms crossed. "Alright. The principle of Water Walking is the same as tree climbing—except harder."
Hikaru sighed. "Of course it is."
Kosuke smirked. "Instead of just sticking to a surface, you have to constantly adjust your chakra output to counteract the movement of the water. If your control is off, well…"
Hikaru glanced at the lake. "I fall in."
Kosuke nodded. "Yup."
Hikaru took a deep breath, stepping forward. "Let's get this over with."
Kosuke grinned. "That's the spirit."
Hikaru focused.
He channeled his chakra downward, guiding it to his feet like he had with the tree.
Then, slowly, he stepped onto the water.
For half a second, he stood.
Then—splash.
He sank immediately.
Kosuke's laughter echoed across the lake.
Hikaru surfaced, coughing up water. "Oh, screw you."
Kosuke smirked. "Less complaining, more training."
Hikaru gritted his teeth. He wasn't going to let water beat him.
He pulled himself to the shore, shook himself off, and tried again.
---
Hours passed.
Hikaru failed. Over and over.
But he learned.
He figured out that his chakra output kept spiking whenever the water moved beneath him. He was overcompensating again, which threw off his balance.
Once he adjusted, he managed to stay afloat for ten full seconds before slipping.
By the afternoon, he could stand on the water for a full minute.
Kosuke nodded approvingly. "Not bad."
Hikaru panted, water dripping from his clothes. "Not good either."
Kosuke shrugged. "You'll get there."
Hikaru glanced down at his hands. His Wood Release training had been slow, but his chakra control was improving rapidly.
That would make it easier to mold his jutsu.
Kosuke clapped his hands together. "Alright, final test for today."
Hikaru groaned. "There's more?"
Kosuke smirked. "Of course. Now that you've learned to balance yourself, you need to fight on water."
Hikaru blinked. "What?"
Kosuke lunged at him.
Hikaru barely had time to react before Kosuke's foot connected with his chest, sending him flying back into the lake.
He hit the water hard, coughing as he surfaced.
Kosuke stood on the surface of the lake, grinning. "Lesson three: Never get comfortable. You don't get time to prepare in a real fight."
Hikaru growled, pulling himself up onto the water again.
Fine. If that's how Kosuke wanted to play this, then so be it.
He pushed chakra into his feet, stabilizing himself. Then, without hesitation, he charged.
Kosuke grinned. "Now we're talking."
---
The battle on water lasted for nearly an hour.
Hikaru lost. Again. And again.
But each time, he improved.
He lasted longer before losing balance. His dodges became faster, sharper. His reactions improved.
By the time Kosuke finally stopped, Hikaru was half-drowned, exhausted, and sore all over.
But he was smiling.
Because he had gotten stronger.
And when his system flashed again, he knew it had been worth it.
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[Skill Gained: Water Walking Exercise]
→ Chakra Control: Advanced → Mastered
→ +2 AGI, +2 WIS
→ +5% efficiency in chakra-based movement
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Kosuke smirked. "You're getting there, kid."
Hikaru grinned, breathing heavily. "Not fast enough."
Kosuke chuckled. "That's the right attitude."
Hikaru clenched his fists.
He wasn't done.
He would master this.
Because this was only the beginning.
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To Be Continued…