Just as Tōma was still riding the afterglow of his progress, Jiraiya spoke again.
"All the talents we talked about, you have them," Jiraiya said seriously. "With that, learning the Flying Thunder God isn't impossible for you. But don't misunderstand. Even if you master it, it's not an all-purpose solution. Using it safely requires exceptional reaction speed."
The reminder might have been early, but looking at the boy in front of him, Jiraiya felt it was necessary. With this kind of talent, who knew how fast he'd progress?
"I understand," Tōma replied calmly.
Flying Thunder God wasn't just about the enemy failing to react. The user had to react just as fast. Teleporting straight into danger without being able to respond would just be delivering himself to the opponent.
"Alright," Jiraiya continued. "Is there anything else you've been struggling with in your training? Anything you want to ask?"
He felt oddly unfulfilled. Despite being the teacher, most of today's discoveries had come from Tōma himself.
Tōma paused.
Then his expression grew serious.
"There is one thing," he said. "My chakra reserves. I've always felt they're too low."
For over a year, he'd been carefully budgeting every drop of chakra. Even so, it never felt like enough.
"Your chakra reserves?" Jiraiya studied him for a moment. "Based on what I just saw, they're not low at all. You're already around an entry-level genin."
"But it still isn't enough," Tōma said with a wry smile. "My daily training always hits a limit because of it."
Jiraiya nodded slowly.
From his perspective, Tōma's chakra wasn't lacking. But considering Tōma's level and training intensity, it was insufficient.
"Then let me explain something," Jiraiya said. "You know that chakra growth changes with age, right?"
"A little," Tōma nodded. He already knew the basics, but he was hoping there might be a solution.
Jiraiya finally perked up. This was something he could actually teach.
He sat down cross-legged on the ground and began sketching simple diagrams with his finger. Tōma followed suit, sitting nearby and listening intently.
"From birth, people already possess physical energy and mental energy. In theory, if a baby had awareness and technique, they could refine chakra. But we strongly discourage that."
"Before a certain growth stage, almost all physical energy is used for development. Forcing chakra extraction too early steals energy meant for growth. That directly limits future chakra capacity."
Tōma nodded.
He himself had reached that stage before six, but back then he didn't know how to extract chakra. By the time he learned, it was already safer to do so.
Jiraiya continued, clearly pleased with how attentively Tōma was listening.
"After around six years old, the body's total energy increases again. But most of it still goes toward growth. Only a small portion becomes available for chakra refinement. That's the stage you're in now."
"You train a lot, don't you?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yes," Tōma replied. "But it doesn't raise my chakra reserves very much."
"Exactly," Jiraiya nodded. "Most of that training strengthens your body. Only a fraction contributes to chakra growth. The fact that you've reached genin-level reserves from just that fraction already proves your chakra potential isn't low."
Tōma frowned slightly, then explained his Lightning Release body stimulation technique.
Jiraiya froze for a second.
"You can already do that?" he asked, surprised.
Then it made sense. With Tōma's control and transformation skills, it wasn't impossible. Still, this method was only suitable for true geniuses. At this age, only Tōma and Kakashi came to mind.
It wasn't taught publicly for a reason. If an unqualified student tried it, best case they'd fail. Worst case, they'd cook themselves.
"Even so," Jiraiya said after a moment, "your chakra reserves aren't the problem. Once you enter the next growth stage, they'll increase explosively."
"That stage is around twelve, right?" Tōma sighed.
So he really had to wait.
Jiraiya nodded, then spoke solemnly. "No matter how frustrated you feel, never extract chakra beyond your limits. That causes real, lasting damage."
"I know," Tōma said. "That's why I haven't."
Jiraiya was relieved, but still watched him carefully.
Just as disappointment crept back into Tōma's expression, Jiraiya suddenly smiled.
"That said, even if I can't increase your chakra right now, I can help you make sure you'll have more once that growth phase begins."
Tōma's eyes widened. The gloom vanished instantly.
Feeling his curiosity, Jiraiya finally felt like a proper teacher again. He laughed loudly, clearly enjoying himself.
"Tōma," he said, "have you ever heard of secret medicines?"