'What the hell is this guy?!?!'
My eyes widened in shock.
"YOU COULD HAVE KILLED !" I shouted, desperate.
"Nah, I knew which one was real. Hehe." He laughed as he spoke.
He definitely hadn't known which one was real.
"Sensei... what was that technique? Should you really use sothing like that on your student?"
"That? It's a secret technique. I should congratulate you for making use it! You know... I was a little irritated by your attack on the back of my neck," he replied, a smile on his face.
I didn't know how to respond. I couldn't decide if it was more impressive that he had such a powerful technique, even when holding back, or that he clearly wasn't thinking straight.
I an, who in their right mind would use a move like that?
"Well, I think that's enough training for today. I wanted to assess your current strength, and I'm actually quite impressed... Our next training focus will be improving your hand-to-hand combat skills," he said.
"Itachi told I should focus on strengthening my Mokuton, you know, instead of trying to do everything at once."
"Itachi? That kid doesn't know anything, Riku. Mokuton is great and all, but your enemy won't wait for you to recite poetry. In battle, adaptability is everything."
I was surprised by how he spoke about Itachi, but maybe he was right.
"And what do you suggest?" I asked.
"You'll find out tomorrow! For now, get so rest. I need to train Renji and Sora too. We still have so ti before the Hokage assigns us another mission, so we should make the most of it."
I nodded.
'I wonder how those two are doing?'
*
During the days I trained with Tetsu-sensei, whenever I ca ho, I went straight to the Senju Forest.
ditating near the Ancestral Tree helped my chakra and wounds heal faster — certainly thanks to the connection it had with nature chakra.
And since one of my goals was to master senjutsu as soon as possible, ditating remained essential.
"You could help again, couldn't you, Hashirama?" I said aloud as I approached the Ancestral Tree — not expecting a response, but still hoping to understand the mysteries of senjutsu.
Sitting down, I closed my eyes and began to ditate. The environnt was perfect for concentration: a gentle breeze brushing against , the sounds of animals, birds, and insects, and the sun's warmth filtering through the leaves, casting a natural shade — all of it helped connect with nature.
I felt that, if I kept going, I'd soon be able to unlock Sage Mode.
"You're not wrong about that, kid," Hashirama said.
I slowly opened my eyes. Whenever I was able to talk to him, I knew I was deep inside my own mind.
"I know. But I don't know how to move forward from here. The more I ditate, the less I seem to understand what I'm supposed to do."
"Senjutsu is a very difficult skill to master. ditation alone won't be enough. You can already sense nature chakra, right?" he asked.
"Yes. It's different from my own chakra — I can feel the connection with everything around ..."
"That's it! Amazing, isn't it? I always felt like I could do anything," Hashirama said, excited and at ease.
"It really is amazing, haha," I said, smiling.
"Well, the next step is to mix that chakra you feel — the chakra of nature — with your own. But this is the mont when you need to be especially careful. You have to do this when you're sure you can control it. You don't want to turn into a rock, I imagine."
'Turn into a rock?' I definitely didn't want that to happen to , I thought, and when I turned to comnt, I instinctively opened my eyes.
My connection with Hashirama had faded once again, but I had a good idea of what I should do.
Ti had passed so quickly while I was talking to him, and looking up at the sky, the sun was already beginning to set. It was ti to go ho.
I walked calmly, my wounds completely healed, and I didn't feel tired — even though my stomach was growling with hunger. But that was nothing new to .
When I got to my house, I saw Shisui talking to my dad in front of the door, so I walked a little faster to see what he wanted.
"Shisui? Are you feeling better?" I said when I got to them.
"Ah, there you are! I was asking your dad if you were ho."
Shisui was still his easy-going self, with a smile on his face, but he motioned with his eyes for to step aside.
"Dad, I'm going to talk to my friend for a bit. I'll be ho soon..." I said, scratching the back of my neck and stepping aside. My father just nodded and went back inside.
I walked a few ters with Shisui until we stopped to talk properly.
"So?"
"I ca to give you so updates on Fugaku's negotiations with the Hokage," Shisui said.
I started to pay more attention to his words, but I was a little afraid the news might not be the best.
"Fugaku has agreed to join the Konoha council. The conversation with the other clan mbers wasn't very easy, to be honest... many seed unhappy with the final decision, but in the end, everyone accepted it. As leader of the clan and also of the Leaf Military Police, he has decided that Tekka will take over command of the police in his place, along with another clan mber," he continued.
'I don't rember that na, but Fugaku must trust him...'
"So everything worked out?!" I said, excited.
"For now, yes, but we need to keep an eye on everyone's next steps. If anything happens, we'll have to act... I an, am I asking too much of you? You know, you helped the clan and the village, but you must have other things to do, right?" Shisui seed to back down a little.
"Ah, relax, seriously! I can keep an eye out. If anything happens, I'll let you know. But what about Itachi and Renji?"
"Renji has been training hard, and he asked for so advice now that he's awakened his Sharingan. It seems like he doesn't want to fall behind you, hahaha. As for Itachi... he's been really serious. I don't know if it's because of his new responsibilities as a jounin or the fact that his father is dealing with several problems, but he doesn't relax for a second." He seed a little thoughtful as he finished speaking.
"Hm... I'll try to talk to him tomorrow, see if I can find out anything, or if I can help him in any way! Thanks for the updates, Shisui," I said.
"No problem!" he said and gave a pat on the hand.
As I started to walk away, he turned around, rembering sothing.
"Ah! I almost forgot — Fugaku's inauguration ceremony will be tomorrow afternoon, around 5 p.m. The Hokage would like you to be there.")
"I'll be there then," I replied, greeting him from a distance and heading toward my house.
After saying goodbye to Shisui and returning ho, I was finally able to eat. It may not seem like it, but the training and constant use of chakra made incredibly hungry. The results were undeniable: I was stronger, my body was more defined, and my instincts were increasingly sharp.
'I can't wait for the Chunin Exam and the future that awaits ,' I thought, eager to continue this new chapter of my life.
Two months to go until the Chunin Exam.
*
[Ascension Mission: Path of the Jounin]
Status: IN PROGRESS.
Progress: 15%
*
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