Chapter 27: Basic Training
Tenchi, who had been sleeping on the rock, finally stirred and opened his eyes.
"Oh, you're finished? Not bad speed," he said, looking down at the three genin who were sitting on the ground, utterly spent.
They just glared at him, too tired to speak. *'If you had helped, we wouldn't be this exhausted,'* they all thought.
Seeing their silent treatment, he continued. "Good. Since you're done, let's go turn in the mission. After that, I'll let you relax a bit."
Hearing the word "relax," they found a new burst of energy, scrambling to their feet and hurrying toward the mission hall.
Outside the hall, Tenchi took the payment and counted the bills. "Not bad for a day's work. The pay is a little low, but you get to nap." He grinned.
Jiraiya and the others just looked at him with pure contempt. *'Of course you think it's good. You were the one napping!'*
"Alright, follow me. I'll take you to the training grounds to relax," Tenchi said, leading them to a stream in a forest clearing.
The three looked around, curious. "Brother Tenchi, why are we relaxing here?" Tsunade asked.
"Simple," Tenchi announced. "Today, I'm going to teach you how to climb trees."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Orochimaru calmly walked up the trunk of a nearby tree, standing vertically as if it were flat ground.
"Is that what you mean?" Orochimaru asked from his perch on the tree.
"Uh... yes. That's it," Tenchi said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Brother Tenchi, this is way too easy," Tsunade added, effortlessly walking up another tree to stand beside Orochimaru.
A drop of sweat trickled down Tenchi's temple. *'I haven't even explained the rules yet! Are you two here to make me look bad?'*
His pride was only salvaged when he looked at Jiraiya.
The white-haired boy was trying to imitate the others, running at a tree and trying to stick his feet to it. He managed to get one step up before immediately losing his grip and falling flat on his back.
"Ow! What's going on?" Jiraiya groaned, picking himself up. "How did you guys do that?"
"Idiot Jiraiya," Tsunade said from her branch, looking down at him. "Don't you even know the basics of using chakra to climb trees?"
"How am I supposed to use chakra for it?!" Jiraiya yelled back, frustrated.
"Alright, Jiraiya," Tenchi interjected. "You practice here. I'll take these two to the river." He led Tsunade and Orochimaru to the stream's edge.
"Do you know why I brought you two to the water?" Tenchi asked.
"It must be to practice walking on water," Orochimaru stated calmly.
"Correct. Walking on water."
The moment the words left Tenchi's mouth, Orochimaru stepped gracefully onto the water's surface and stood there perfectly still, not even causing a ripple.
*'What the...? Are you serious? You're just here to humiliate me, aren't you?'* Tenchi thought, struggling to keep a straight face.
"Orochimaru, that's... excellent," he forced out, swallowing his annoyance. "You have a real talent for chakra control." He believed that some people just needed recognition and encouragement to excel, and he was willing to give it.
"Your turn, Tsunade. Give it a try." He looked at her. He knew Tsunade would become a legendary medical ninja, which required the absolute finest chakra control.
Sure enough, though Tsunade wobbled slightly when her foot first touched the water, she quickly found her balance and was soon standing firmly on the surface.
"This is amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling like a child's. "It's so much fun!" She began running and skipping across the water.
"Okay, good. Since you've both got it, wait for me in that clearing over there. I need to help Jiraiya." He left them and went back to where Jiraiya was still struggling.
Jiraiya was in a cycle: run at the tree, climb one step, fall down. Run, climb, fall.
"Stop for a second. Come here," Tenchi said.
Jiraiya trudged over, his head hanging low. "Brother Tenchi, am I really that useless? I can't even do a simple tree climb. I'm not as good as Orochimaru or Tsunade."
"Jiraiya, don't think like that," Tenchi said firmly. "Everyone has their own strengths. You can't compare your weak points to someone else's strong ones. Climbing a tree is simple once you know the trick. I'll explain it, and I know you'll get it easily."
He began his explanation. "Climbing a tree is all about focusing chakra on the soles of your feet. You use that chakra to stick to the tree's surface. Like this." Tenchi demonstrated, walking vertically up the trunk.
"Let me try," Jiraiya said, his determination returning. He focused, channeling chakra to his feet as Tenchi had instructed. Slowly, step by step, he began to climb the tree.
"Hahaha! Brother Tenchi, I did it! I did it!" Jiraiya yelled from the top of the tree, his face beaming with joy.
Tenchi looked up at him, genuinely impressed. *'He's the future Toad Sage, after all. He learned it in one try after hearing the principle. It took Sasuke way longer in the stories. Jiraiya's talent really isn't low at all.'*
"Very good, Jiraiya! I knew you could do it!" Tenchi praised him loudly.
"It's all thanks to you, Brother Tenchi," Jiraiya said, feeling a little shy from the praise.
"Don't be modest. You did all the work yourself. I just pointed the way. Now, come on. Let's move to the next spot." He led a now-dripping Jiraiya to the stream.
"Jiraiya, now for walking on water. Same deal. I'll explain the principle, demonstrate, and then you try."
"Okay," Jiraiya said, curious.
"Walking on water is different from climbing a tree. For the tree, you just need a constant amount of chakra to stick to a solid, unmoving surface. Water is always moving. To stand on it, you have to continuously release just the right amount of chakra from your feet—enough to support your body weight perfectly."
"The hard part is maintaining that precise amount. It's a practice in fine control, releasing exactly what you need and no more. Watch."
Tenchi stepped onto the water, standing as solidly as if it were stone.
"Now, you gather chakra in your feet and release a steady stream, matching it to your weight. I've explained it as clearly as I can. I believe you can do this, Jiraiya. Give it a try."
Jiraiya took a deep breath and focused. He placed his first foot on the water... and it held! He didn't sink. But when he shifted his weight to bring his second foot down, his control wavered, and he plunged into the stream with a loud splash.
Tenchi didn't offer more guidance. He had said all that was needed. The rest was up to Jiraiya to understand and feel for himself.
After falling into the water over a dozen times, Jiraiya finally managed to stand, wobbling but stable, on the surface of the stream. Tenchi then led him, soaking wet, back to the clearing where Orochimaru and Tsunade were waiting.
"Jiraiya! Why are you a drowned rat? Hahaha!" Tsunade burst out laughing, pointing at his drenched clothes.
"You flat-chested witch! So what if I'm wet? I like swimming! I'm happy! You got a problem with that?" Jiraiya shot back, his pride wounded.
"Jiraiya! Has it been that long since my fist touched your face? Are your bones itching for a tune-up?" Tsunade cracked her knuckles, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"Brother Tenchi! Save me!" Jiraiya yelped, darting behind his captain for protection. Even if he could beat her, he'd never hit a girl. Hiding was his only option.