As it turned out, Higashino Jiro's little test for his son was completely pointless.
After dinner, Shin took the key and didn't bother searching the house at random. Instead, he went straight to the study and stopped beside the pillar next to the bookshelf.
He dragged over a stool and stood on it, tapping the pillar up and down with his knuckles.
After a moment, he pried open a decorative wooden panel embedded in the wall, revealing an old-fashioned, key-lock storage box hidden inside.
Using the key, he opened it.
Inside were several documents and some money—and beneath them, numerous scrolls.
Shin glanced back at his father, who had followed him into the study.
Jiro looked genuinely surprised. "How did you know it was here? Did you peek at some point?"
"No, Father. I don't have a hobby of prying into other people's secrets."
"Then how did you find it? I built this when the house was renovated. Back then, I wasn't even married to your mother yet—and you hadn't been born."
"I've paid attention to the apartment building we live in," Shin replied calmly. "This load-bearing pillar between the kitchen and the study is redundant."
"…That's it?"
"I've been to Uncle Kuroda's daily-needs shop on the first floor. In the same position, there's no load-bearing pillar."
"Ahahaha… is the flaw really that obvious?" Jiro rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I thought the design was perfect."
Shin: "…"
Perfect? A load-bearing pillar appearing where it clearly shouldn't be—did you even have basic architectural knowledge?
Jiro reached into the compartment, took out the smallest scroll, and handed it to Shin. "This is the one. Put everything back exactly as it was, then come to your room."
"Alright, Father."
Shin didn't ask about the remaining scrolls. He already knew what they were—ninjutsu accumulated by the Higashino family over several generations.
To the great ninja clans, such things might be insignificant.
But for a civilian family trying to survive, grow, and someday rise, these scrolls were the most important and precious legacy they possessed.
Because of the balance of power, Konoha's Hokage faction naturally restrained the great clans while supporting civilian ninja. Yet what civilian ninja didn't secretly wish to turn their family into a true ninja clan?
At the end of the day, civilians were both dissatisfied with—and envious of—the established clans.
This was true in every hidden village. In fact, it was true throughout the entire world.
Jiro didn't take the key back.
That alone meant Shin now had the right to use this hidden compartment in the future. After all, unless his parents had more children, he would be the sole heir of the Higashino family.
In the bedroom, Jiro handed the scroll to Shin. "Read it carefully first. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me."
"Understood, Father."
Shin opened the scroll and began reading in earnest, while Jiro waited patiently at his side.
The Chakra Extraction Technique itself was not complicated. The scroll mainly detailed precautions, along with small tips to help beginners find the right state.
Thanks to his adult soul—and the massive amount of reading he had done over the past two years—Shin's reading speed and comprehension were exceptional. He finished quickly.
"Anything you don't understand?" Jiro asked.
"No."
"Good. Then try it. Remember what I told you before? After every physical workout, you should focus on sensing the subtle changes inside your body."
"I remember."
"That's good. Don't rush. Your thoughts must stay focused and steady—no distractions. This may take hours… or days. But I believe you'll succeed."
Shin recalled the faint bodily sensations he had perceived after each round of training.
He sat cross-legged on the bed and formed the RamSeal with his hands. Following the method described in the scroll, he closed his eyes and calmed his breathing.
He drew his spirit inward, focused completely, and cast aside all concerns about failure.
A tangible sense of mental energy descended from his mind, spreading from his skull and enveloping his entire body. Using that mental energy, he began to sense the physical energy hidden within his cells.
With a full year of prior sensing experience, combined with the technique's explanation of physical energy, Shin quickly identified something distinct—and immediately tried to mobilize it with his mental energy.
Following the prescribed method, he estimated the amount of physical energy present, then intercepted an equal portion of mental energy to merge with it.
Energy within the body was invisible and immeasurable. One could only proceed through perception and trial.
The first attempt failed.
Shin calmly sensed the reaction after the failure.
At the point where the two energies had met, the muscle twitched faintly.
The precautions written in the scroll explained this clearly—it was a sign that the physical energy exceeded the mental energy. The two sides had failed to reach a balance.
Shin adjusted immediately, increasing the mental energy slightly.
The second attempt also failed, but this time, he could barely feel any movement at the point of contact.
He increased the mental energy by just a fraction more.
This time, the two energies reacted as though they had found a perfect counterpart. They flowed toward each other naturally, intertwined, and fused into a single, unified force.
The moment this mixed energy formed, it surged through the chakra pathway system, circulating rapidly before finally gathering within the spiral pathway in his lower abdomen.
Higashino Jiro watched his son sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, and smiled faintly to himself.
This is the crucial first step, he thought. Whether he can become a ninja depends entirely on patience.
After waiting a few seconds, Jiro quietly turned and stepped toward the door.
Before he could reach it, a voice came from behind him. "Father, I think I've successfully extracted chakra."
Jiro spun around instantly, eyes wide. "What? Already? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Then don't stop. Keep extracting," Jiro said quickly. "The first time is extremely important. Continue until you feel physical fatigue."
Hearing this, Shin stopped speaking and resumed the process.
Waves of physical energy and mental energy were mobilized throughout his body, continuously merging. A steady stream of chakra flowed into his lower abdomen.
Before long, Shin felt a mild sense of fatigue spreading through his body. He immediately released the Ram Seal and ended the extraction.
According to the chakra theory he had studied, continuing beyond this point would no longer be extraction—it would be squeezing.
Unless it was a life-or-death situation, that was never recommended.
Over-squeezing would shorten one's lifespan. Pushing it to the extreme would exhaust every cell in the body, resulting in instant death.
The moment Shin lowered his hands, Jiro stepped forward in a single stride. He placed his palm against his son's lower abdomen and extended his own chakra to connect with him.
After a brief moment, he burst into laughter.
"To succeed on the first attempt—and with this amount of chakra!" Jiro said happily. "You really are a genius. My son has the potential of a Hokage!"
"I feel like you're jinxing me."
Jiro had no idea what that meant and immediately refuted it. "How could that be? I'm just telling the truth."
Shin quickly changed the subject before his father could continue raising ominous flags. "Father, how long did it take you the first time?"
"Well, that… that's not important!" A flicker of embarrassment crossed Jiro's face before he turned and called out, "Megumi! Are you done cleaning up? Bring a piece of chakra induction paper!"
"So fast?" Megumi entered the room, equally surprised. She had secretly hoped to see her son's perpetually calm, precocious face show a rare hint of impatience.
Ideally, he would struggle for three to five days. Then she could teach him with the air of an experienced elder, reminding him that no matter how gifted he was, his mother was still his mother.
Reality, however, crushed those expectations before they even began.
Jiro didn't answer her. He took the test paper and handed it to Shin. "Mobilize your chakra and channel it into this."
Shin accepted the paper and injected chakra into it.
Almost immediately, the small sheet split cleanly down the middle. One half remained in his hand, soaked through with moisture. The other half shattered into tiny fragments, drifting down onto the bedsheet like snow.
"Megumi, did you see that?" Jiro said excitedly. "He's born with three attributes."
"Oh my," Megumi said softly. "Wind and Earth from you, and Water from me. He really did inherit all our strengths."
The vast majority of ninja were born with only a single chakra attribute. To awaken additional attributes required long-term cultivation—often measured in years—and even then, success was not guaranteed.
If it were easy, there wouldn't be so few ninjas in the world capable of using multiple elements.
Being born with three attributes already placed Shin far ahead of most.
Of course, having more attributes didn't automatically make one stronger. A ninja's true strength was a combination of chakra reserves, combat instincts, tactics, and talent.
Still, multiple attributes offered greater tactical flexibility and made one's techniques far harder to counter.
That was why most single-attribute ninjas would eventually try to develop additional elements—if they had the time.
Except for those shameless cheaters who could simply rub balls together.
"Today really is a happy day." Jiro laughed. "Come on, Megumi, have a few drinks with me."
He was about to pull her out when he suddenly remembered something. Turning back, he said, "Shin, you know what comes after chakra extraction, right?"
"I know, Father."
"Good. Then keep working hard. Don't push yourself too far, and rest early." He smiled. "A healthy, strong body is the foundation of everything."