Several days passed. Though the lingering fatigue in Xia Ji's body had faded, he could still sense traces of the strain, as if the aftereffects were quietly coiled somewhere within him. That faint heaviness dissolved almost completely in these days, but he knew it was only thanks to the world he now lived in.
Even the average person in this world was far healthier than those of his previous life. Had his old body suffered such an impact, he would've been bedridden—if not outright crippled. And honestly… in that past life, without the anchor of strong spiritual power, he doubted he could have endured it at all. Willpower had never been his greatest strength back then.
Nothing unusual happened at the academy during these days. Iruka-sensei led the class through basic physical drills and began the first lessons on chakra—how to sense it, how to begin extracting it.
For Xia Ji, it was slow, almost tedious. He had already devoured this material on his own. The academy's gentle pace was far behind the intensity of the regimen he had crafted for himself. Still, he knew this was the foundation stage. Once the teachers allowed more freedom, he could train on his own terms.
Today, though, was different. Today, he would finally attempt chakra extraction for the first time.
He'd studied the theory from the academy's books and practiced sensing his body's energy. But extraction was a step further, and while it was generally considered safe, there was always a chance—however small—that something could go wrong.
Which is why, before he began, he sought out his mother.
"Mom, I'm going to start," he said, settling cross-legged on his bed. The pose wasn't necessary for extraction, but with someone watching, he preferred to look proper.
Sinai smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I remember chakra extraction isn't dangerous."
"I know." Xia Ji nodded. But still—better safe than sorry. Fainting unexpectedly would be… embarrassing.
Closing his eyes, he followed the method from the textbooks: first, sense the physical energy flowing through his body. This part came easily—he had tried it before, and now it felt almost familiar.
Last time, he had stopped at perception. This time, with Sinai nearby as a safeguard, he gathered both physical and spiritual energies, letting them blend together… and began to extract chakra.
It happened more smoothly than he expected. Within moments, the process clicked into place, and a surge of energy formed within him. Xia Ji guided it outward, letting the pale blue glow shimmer faintly over his palm.
He stared at it for a moment, dazed.
"You… succeeded on your first try?" Sinai blinked, genuine surprise flickering in her eyes. It wasn't dangerous to attempt chakra extraction, but succeeding right away was another matter entirely. This meant Xia Ji's talent was extraordinary.
A mother's pride swelled in her chest. She decided then and there to prepare a little surprise for him—perhaps even arrange for him to learn the Shadow Clone Technique from a teacher she knew.
"Well, that went better than I thought," Xia Ji murmured, still studying the glow. Maybe his strong spiritual power was to thank. In any case, it was a good sign for his future with ninjutsu.
What he didn't know yet was the exact amount of chakra he possessed. It felt like a lot, but without a standard for comparison, he couldn't judge.
A hand suddenly ruffled his hair, then pinched his cheek. "Look at you, acting all serious. You extracted chakra, Xiao Xia—smile!"
He sighed, forced a smile, and endured her teasing. "I'm not sulking. I was just… thinking."
"That's better." She patted his head before finally letting him go.
Escaping back to his room, Xia Ji resumed extracting chakra—over and over again. It wasn't that he needed the energy right now, but the process had to become second nature, something he could do without thought.
As for using the chakra… he didn't have any jutsu yet, so battle techniques were out. He could try chakra control exercises like tree or wall walking, but that would be noisy. If he fell and disturbed his mother's rest, that wouldn't end well.
Morphological changes, then? He didn't yet know his chakra nature, so elemental training was off the table. That left him with pure shape manipulation. He decided to start simple: a sphere.
He released chakra from his palms, but the moment it left his body, it scattered uncontrollably into the air. His frown deepened.
Of course, one doesn't succeed in a single attempt.
Again and again, he extracted and shaped the energy. Gradually, he noticed a faint connection linger even after the chakra left his body—a thin thread he could still sense. Maintaining control through that link was extremely difficult, but it was progress. Strengthen that thread enough, and it would be the first step toward mastery.
Eventually, his chakra reserves ran dry. That was his signal to stop.
Tomorrow will be important. First, he needed to ask Iruka-sensei to measure his chakra level, to have a standard for comparison. Second, he wanted to try for early access to the Clone Technique. He suspected his chakra reserves were already sufficient. If he could demonstrate his skill, Iruka might agree.
If not… well, there was always the option of borrowing the seals from his mother and asking for Iruka's guidance directly.
With that plan set in his mind, he drifted off to sleep.
The next day, after classes, Xia Ji approached Iruka.
"What is it, Xia Ji?" Iruka asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sensei, I've learned chakra extraction from the textbooks. I'd like to ask you to assess my current level."
Iruka blinked. "You've already completed your self-study?"
He knew Xia Ji's background. While his mother had been a kunoichi in the past, she wasn't the type to teach systematically. For him to not only study the material but succeed at extraction in just a few days… impressive didn't begin to cover it.
Iruka smiled. He liked hardworking students—especially those with genuine talent.
"Of course," he said warmly.