"It's good that you understand your mother's temper. While you were out on missions, she worried about you every single day."
"Hahaha!" Higashino Jiro scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
After a moment of thought, Shin explained, "How should I put this… It's probably different from what you're thinking, Father.
This sensory ability isn't from a bloodline. It's a side effect of a special cultivation method I use. I'll explain it properly later—I hope you can understand."
"Of course I understand." Jiro nodded with a smile. "My son is starting to have secrets of his own."
Then his expression turned serious. "Shin, you're right about one thing. A battle between ninja is, at its core, a battle of intelligence."
"It's absolutely correct for a ninja to keep their methods confidential. If your most important techniques are fully understood by others, you're putting yourself in extreme danger. I hope you understand that."
"I've always understood."
"Good." Jiro nodded. "Then let me ask you something. In a fight—not just between ninja, but between samurai, even ordinary people—what do you think is the most important thing?"
"Ninjutsu? Taijutsu? Genjutsu? A secret technique? Or a powerful weapon?"
Shin considered the question. All of those mattered—but clearly, that wasn't the answer his father was looking for. In the end, he shook his head.
"I don't know."
"It's courage," Jiro said calmly. "The courage to overcome fear, hesitation, and the instinct to flee. The courage to face life and death head-on and still choose to fight."
"Find that courage. Control it. Let your blood boil—but keep your mind clear."
"Even in the most desperate situation, never give up searching for even the smallest chance of victory."
"Courage is not recklessness. A clear head matters more than any technique."
"I understand. Thank you for teaching me, Father."
Jiro didn't respond. Instead, he suddenly threw a straight punch toward Shin's forehead.
The punch wasn't especially fast.
Shin's body instinctively tried to lean back to evade—but he immediately realized that reaction came from his past life as an ordinary person.
Now, he was a trainee ninja wielding chakra.
Even at just over four years old, with chakra reinforcing his body, his reaction speed and strength far surpassed that of his former adult self.
He forcibly suppressed the urge to retreat.
Using his small frame to his advantage, he lowered his head, bent at the waist, and drove power through his legs.
Rather than retreating, he advanced—slipping past the punch and launching a counterstrike straight toward Jiro's abdomen.
Jiro didn't dodge.
Relying on his superior height and reach, he bent his knee and drove it upward toward Shin's face, meeting attack with attack.
Even half of Jiro's leg was longer than Shin's entire arm.
He would hit first.
The distance between them collapsed to nothing. With no time to adjust, Shin retracted his punch and crossed his arms defensively.
The impact sent him flying.
It felt as though he'd been struck by a speeding carriage. The sheer force flipped him through the air several times. All he could do was fight to regain control and prepare for landing.
As he hit the ground, he instinctively infused chakra into his right hand, gripping the earth tightly.
Even so, the momentum dragged him back two or three meters, carving three deep furrows into the soil.
Throughout it all, his eyes never left his father.
As expected, Jiro was already moving again. In a blur, he vanished from Shin's sight—using a simple Body Flicker.
"Behind you."
Shin couldn't see him, but his sensory ability picked it up instantly.
He spun and launched a half-turn side kick, the sole of his foot colliding squarely with Jiro's fist.
The difference in strength was overwhelming. Shin was sent flying once more.
Jiro didn't give him a second to recover. He surged forward again, attacking continuously—hands and feet striking in controlled rhythm, with carefully measured speed and force.
Shin dodged and blocked desperately, like a young sapling battered by a violent storm, on the verge of snapping at any moment.
But his father's words echoed in his mind.
Stay calm. Think. Look for an opening.
Gradually, he turned his small size into an advantage—slipping left and right, his strikes targeting his father's kidneys and groin.
They were the only vital points he could reach quickly and reliably.
After all, no matter how strong a ninja was, no one could ignore that kind of pain.
He could only hope his mother never found out.
As a top-tier Chūnin, Jiro naturally wasn't about to be struck in a vital spot by a child in his first real fight.
He blocked repeatedly, swatting away Shin's ruthless little hands while gradually increasing the speed and strength of his own attacks, forcing his son to adapt faster and faster.
The two figures clashed again and again across the small training ground, offense and defense flowing seamlessly.
Shin knew his father was guiding him—forcing him to adapt to real combat. And he could feel the change happening.
The habits of his previous life were being stripped away, replaced by the rhythm of the Ninja World.
At the same time, excitement surged uncontrollably through his mind. He was enjoying it.
Moments later, Shin sat on the ground, panting heavily. The stamina that usually sustained him through long training sessions had been burned away in minutes.
Yet his emotions were blazing. Adrenaline flooded his body, his face flushed red, his limbs trembling slightly.
Jiro stood beside him, clearly satisfied. "Very good. I didn't expect you to grasp the feeling so quickly—or suppress your instinctive reactions so fast."
"That was beyond my expectations. As expected of my son. You might really have talent comparable to Kakashi's."
"But I didn't win," Shin said between breaths. "You didn't use your swordsmanship. You didn't even use ninjutsu. You kept your strength and speed within limits I could handle."
Jiro laughed softly. "Silly boy. How old are you? How long have you been training? To perform like that in your very first fight is already incredible."
"But I heard Kakashi defeated two Chūnin when he was five."
"Who told you that?" Jiro frowned. "I've never heard that."
"I heard someone mention it in the village."
Whether anyone had actually said it didn't matter—Shin's real source was something else entirely.
"Well, maybe," Jiro said after a pause. "After all, he is that man's son."
"But listen carefully. Genin, Chūnin, Jōnin, Kage—those are ranks, not measures of strength."
"There are Genin who can rival Jōnin. And the gap between Chūnin themselves can be enormous."
"The number of Jōnin in the village is controlled by the higher-ups. Promotion isn't just about strength."
"Jōnin are the village's decision-makers. They vote on Hokage candidates and influence policy. Their backgrounds are also balanced between clans and civilians."
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I do," Shin replied immediately. "Promotion to Jōnin isn't just about power—it involves politics."
Jiro raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Sharp kid. You caught on instantly. Your father only figured that out after you were born."
"You made it obvious," Shin said. "By the way, Father—why don't you apply to become a Tokubetsu Jōnin?"
"That rank is just a consolation prize," Jiro replied casually. "It doesn't interest me."
"Now—let's talk about something more important. Has your training been feeling too easy lately?"
"Yes. Even without chakra, I can finish my old routines easily."
"But increasing training time would affect my studies. Do you have any ideas?"
"Once a ninja adapts to chakra, their physique improves rapidly. That's normal."
Jiro smiled. "Which is why I came today."
He walked back to where he'd been hiding earlier and returned with a heavy backpack. Inside was a set of special equipment.
Shin immediately put it on—arm pieces, leg pieces, all weighted.
"Weighted gear," Shin nodded. "That works."
"I made it specifically for you. The weight suits your current physique. Most slots are empty—you can add sealed metal blocks later as your body grows. They're in the study."
"Thank you, Father!"
"Good. Continue training. Pay attention to your limits. Don't blindly increase weight and damage your foundation. Even Lady Tsunade wouldn't be able to fix that."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
"I believe you," Jiro said softly. "You've never disappointed us."