The next morning came with a bitter chill that made Hikaru's breath visible in small puffs of white. Winter was definitely approaching Konoha, and he had to wear thicker clothes as he walked with Ayako to the early morning market.
"Hikaru-kun, carry this bag for me," Ayako said, handing him a cloth shopping bag. "We need to get the freshest meat before all the good cuts are gone."
The market was already bustling despite the early hour. Vendors called out their prices while customers examined vegetables and haggled over fish. The smell of fresh bread mixed with the earthy scent of root vegetables and the metallic tang of raw meat from the butcher stalls.
After helping his sister with the shopping and eating a quick breakfast of rice and miso soup, Hikaru made his way to Training Ground Forty-three. He had chosen this location because it was on the outskirts of the village, close to his home, and relatively quiet compared to the more popular training areas.
Training Ground Forty-three was located south of the famous Training Ground Forty-four, also known as the "Forest of Death." Even from a distance, Hikaru could see the massive trees and feel the ominous presence of that place. He was perfectly happy to train somewhere much safer and less likely to kill him.
When he arrived at the training ground, there were a few other people already practicing—some Academy students working on their taijutsu forms and what looked like a Genin team running laps. Hikaru found an empty area away from the others and began his own training routine.
His plan was simple but effective: running, push-ups, sit-ups, and other basic exercises to build up his physical strength and endurance. He knew from his inherited memories that chakra was made up of both physical energy and spiritual energy, so he needed to train both aspects if he wanted to increase his chakra reserves.
Physical energy comes from training the body, he thought as he started his first lap around the training ground. Spiritual energy comes from meditation and mental discipline. If I can improve both, my total chakra should increase too.
He ran around the training ground until his lungs burned and his legs felt like jelly. After taking a short break to catch his breath, he moved on to push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises he remembered from his previous life.
Hours later, Hikaru lay flat on his back on the grass, completely exhausted and sore all over. During his workout, he had deliberately avoided using any chakra to enhance his performance, wanting to maximize the effect of pure physical training. But he could tell he had overdone it on his first day.
As he lay there trying to catch his breath, Hikaru began thinking about the next part of his training plan—something he had prepared the night before.
Tai Chi.
In his previous life, he had taken an online Tai Chi course and even spent a month training directly with a master to correct his posture and make sure he understood the movements properly. His instructor had always emphasized that Tai Chi was more than just physical exercise—it was a discipline for the mind, body, and spirit all at once.
If yoga is meditation in stillness, Hikaru remembered his teacher saying, then Tai Chi is meditation through movement.
He had chosen to incorporate Tai Chi into his training specifically to help develop his spiritual energy. There were many different styles of Tai Chi, but he preferred the Wudang style, which focused more on health and mental clarity rather than combat applications.
After resting long enough to stop feeling dizzy, Hikaru got up and found an empty space away from the other training ninjas. He didn't want anyone watching him do what would probably look like very slow, strange dancing.
He started with the basic eight forms, moving slowly and deliberately through each position. Then he progressed to the more complex thirty-three forms, followed by the twenty-eight forms, and finally the famous Zhang Sanfeng thirteen forms. The thirteen forms might have seemed like fewer movements, but when performed in all eight directions, they actually involved quite a lot of motion.
As Hikaru continued practicing, he could feel a sense of calm settling over his mind and body. The exhaustion from his physical training began to fade, replaced by a feeling of flowing energy. His movements became more fluid and natural, and he could sense his chakra responding to the gentle motions.
He didn't pay much attention to this at first, becoming lost in the meditative trance of the movements. It wasn't until an hour later that he suddenly snapped back to full awareness, realizing how much time had passed.
That was amazing, he thought, examining how his body felt. My mind is so clear and focused. This might really help with chakra control exercises.
The benefits of practicing Tai Chi in this world seemed much stronger than they had been in his previous life. He could feel the difference immediately—his mind was sharper, his body felt more balanced, and his chakra seemed to flow more smoothly through his system.
This could really help with the leaf concentration exercise, Hikaru realized. If I can maintain this level of focus, I might be able to advance to tree climbing practice much faster.
Chakra control was the second most important thing on his training list, right after building up his chakra reserves. Since he didn't come from a major clan with special techniques or bloodline abilities, he didn't expect much for his chakra reserves to be as high as others. However, having smaller chakra reserves as a civilian ninja actually had one advantage—it should be easier to learn precise control when there was less chakra to manage. Instead of focusing on raw power, he needed to master using what chakra he had as efficiently as possible.
Hikaru found a leaf on the ground and picked it up, placing it on his forehead. He focused his chakra into a single point, trying to keep the leaf stuck there for as long as possible through precise chakra control.
The leaf stayed in place for about five minutes before it fluttered to the ground.
"Not bad for a first attempt," Hikaru said to himself, "but not good enough either."
He frowned as random thoughts from his previous life kept popping into his mind—memories of college lectures, video games, social media posts, and countless other distractions that made it hard to maintain the focused concentration needed for chakra control. His adult brain was too used to multitasking and information overload, making it difficult to achieve the clear, single-minded focus that ninja training required.
He hoped that combining the leaf exercise with his Tai Chi meditation would help him improve faster. Chakra control was one of those skills that could make the difference between life and death in combat situations.
After his morning training session, Hikaru's enthusiasm for more exercise had completely disappeared. He decided it was time to take a break and find something to eat for lunch before continuing with other aspects of his training.
When he returned home, Ayako was just finishing up her morning at the barbecue stall. She had prepared lunch for both of them—grilled meat with rice and vegetables.
"How did the stall do today, Onee-chan?" Hikaru asked as they sat down to eat.
"Pretty well," Ayako replied with a small smile. "I sold almost everything I prepared this morning."
Hikaru had suggested she try making yakitori-style meat skewers with special sauces that could be sold as street food snacks. The idea seemed to be working well, bringing in more customers than before.
"That's great," Hikaru said. "Maybe you could try adding some different sauce flavors next time."
After lunch, Hikaru spent time reading through the notes his parents had left behind. The information was incredibly valuable—detailed explanations of ninja techniques, training methods, and even recommendations for books he should study.
The notes covered everything from basic fundamentals to specific skills like sensor techniques, genjutsu theory, and even an introduction to Fūinjutsu (sealing techniques). His father had been a sensor-type ninja, while his mother had specialized in sealing techniques. Both skill sets could be extremely useful if he could learn them properly.
I need to get these books from the Konoha library, Hikaru thought as he made notes about the recommended reading list.
Regarding the ninjutsu scrolls he had inherited, Hikaru planned to wait until he had better chakra control before attempting most of them. This was especially true for the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique), which was a Jōnin-level technique that could easily kill him through chakra exhaustion if he wasn't careful.
Unlike Naruto, who had massive chakra reserves thanks to the Nine-Tails sealed inside him, Hikaru was just a normal kid who needed to be very careful about chakra usage.
To help build up his chakra reserves, he planned to start with the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique). This D-rank technique would let him practice using chakra safely while also being useful for movement in combat situations.
Hikaru was also interested in eventually learning some famous techniques like the Rasengan, which the Fourth Hokage had created without hand seals using pure shape transformation. He also wanted to try developing Raiton: Shiden (Lightning Release: Purple Electricity), a technique that Kakashi would create in the future. Since that technique wouldn't be invented for years, Hikaru could potentially develop it first and claim it as his own creation.
Shape transformation changes the form and movement of chakra, while nature transformation changes its actual properties, he reminded himself. Both will take a lot of time to master, but I should at least start with the basics.
Hikaru was the type of person who liked to plan everything thoroughly before taking action. It wasn't because he was naturally hardworking, but rather because he was naturally lazy and wanted to avoid wasting effort on inefficient training methods.
Nearly halfway through reading his parents' notes, Hikaru's head was swimming with information. If I had studied this hard in my previous life, I could have gotten into a much better university, he thought ruefully.
Looking at the clock, he saw it was already past four in the afternoon.
"I should practice shurikenjutsu before it gets dark," he told himself, getting up to prepare his equipment.
He went to the small training area in the backyard that his father had built, complete with wooden practice posts and a weapon rack. Looking through the storage, he found ten kunai, fourteen shuriken, and no senbon needles.
"This will have to do for now," Hikaru said with a shrug, putting all the weapons in his backpack.
However, the training area in his backyard was too small for proper throwing practice. The targets were only about ten meters away, which wouldn't help him develop real accuracy. He needed more space to practice at realistic combat distances.
He returned to the same training ground from the morning and found some target practice areas. Setting up about fifty meters away from the targets, he recalled the tips and techniques from his parents' notes and took aim with his first kunai.
The kunai flew through the air and embedded itself in the ground about three feet to the left of the target.
"Miss," Hikaru muttered, looking up at the sky in frustration. "Even heaven is against me on my first try."
Understanding the theory isn't the same as putting it into practice, he reminded himself. Some people might master this in a day, while others need months. I just have to keep practicing.
He picked up his second kunai and said firmly, "Practice makes perfect! I can do this."
For the next two hours, he experimented with different throwing techniques, adjusting his stance, grip, and follow-through. The results were not as good as he had hoped. His accuracy was poor—only three out of ten throws actually hit anywhere near the center of the target.
It would be even worse if the target was moving, Hikaru sighed. If I don't improve, I'll be nothing more than cannon fodder.
"It's only my first day," he encouraged himself with determination. "I will get better. I'm only six years old, after all."
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, Hikaru gathered up his weapons and headed home. His body was sore, his chakra was nearly depleted, and his accuracy with throwing weapons was terrible, but he felt oddly satisfied.
This is just the beginning, he thought. I have a whole month before the Academy starts up again. By then, I'll be much stronger.
The walk home took him through the village streets, where he could see other people going about their evening routines. Shop owners were closing up for the day, children were being called inside for dinner, and the streetlights were beginning to flicker on.
When he reached his house, he could smell something delicious cooking in the kitchen. Ayako was preparing dinner, humming softly to herself as she worked.
"I'm home, Onee-chan," Hikaru called out as he took off his shoes.
"Welcome back, Hikaru-kun," she replied. "Dinner will be ready soon. How was your first day of training?"
"Tiring," Hikaru admitted, "but good. I learned a lot about what I need to work on."
As he sat down at the kitchen table, still feeling the pleasant exhaustion of hard training, Hikaru reflected on how much his life had changed. A few days ago, he had been a confused college graduate who had somehow ended up in a fictional world. Now he was beginning to feel like he might actually belong here.
Tomorrow I'll try again, he decided. And the day after that, and the day after that. Whatever it takes to become strong enough to protect the people I care about.