Training

After 3 years,

Senji woke up to the chirping of birds and the sound of leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.

It was another day, and he knew he had to start it off right. So, as usual, he began with light exercises to get his blood pumping.

He began with push-ups, feeling the strain on his arms and chest as he lifted his body up and down.

He counted each one, making sure to do at least 20 before moving on to the next exercise.

Next up were pull-ups, which were always a challenge for him. Senji grabbed onto the sturdy branch of a nearby tree and pulled himself up, feeling the burn in his back and arms.

He kept going, determined to do at least 10 before dropping back down to the ground.

Finally, he moved on to side steps, moving laterally to work on his agility and balance.

He took a few steps to the right and then to the left, feeling his muscles start to warm up and loosen.

After finishing his warm-up exercises, Senji noticed a wooden branch that had fallen from a tree. He picked it up and started swinging it, practicing his control over his chakra as he did so.

He focused on channeling his energy through the branch, feeling it move with each swing.

Senji continued swinging the branch, counting each swing until he reached 80. By then, he was starting to sweat, and his muscles were beginning to ache. But he knew that this was just the beginning.

Even though he had been doing these exercises for months, it was still hard to do them regularly.

There were days when he wanted to give up when the fatigue and the monotony made it seem like it wasn't worth it. But he knew that he couldn't afford to give up.

Senji was training to become a ninja, after all. He had to be strong, agile, and disciplined if he wanted to succeed.

As he finished his exercises for the day, Senji made his way deep into the forest, the thick underbrush and towering trees surrounding him.

He could hear the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze, but otherwise, it was quiet and serene.

As he walked, Senji kept his senses alert, scanning the area for any signs of movement. He knew that he needed to be cautious – any one of these animals could be dangerous.

Senji wandered through the dense forest, determined to complete his mission of hunting wild animals.

As he walked, he heard the sound of a river flowing nearby. As he made his way toward it, he noticed the presence of animals coming toward him. He readied himself with his kunai, a weapon he had found in his house, and aimed it toward a wildcat.

In one swift motion, Senji killed it with the first strike. He twisted the wildcat's head to make sure it was dead before turning around to see a pack of wolves with piercing eyes and howling loudly.

Senji knew he had to be careful as wolves were known to be fierce and territorial animals. He took a defensive stance and held his kunai tightly, ready to fight.

As he watched the pack of wolves, he noticed that they weren't looking at him but at the dead wildcat. Senji saw this as the perfect opportunity to test his abilities.

He threw the wildcat towards the wolves and simultaneously closed in on them with lightning-fast speed.

The wolves were caught off guard and surprised to see Senji approaching them so quickly.

In a split second, Senji used his kunai to stab the first wolf to death, using his Lightning Blade technique. The remaining wolves were furious and howled louder, ready to attack.

Senji tried to dodge their bites and claws, but the pack was too powerful. He broke his staff on a tree as he tried to fend them off.

As he was cornered, he used his 'Thunderbolt' to burn one of the wolves. The pack retreated for a moment but then came back more ferocious than before.

Senji realized he was nearly out of chakra, but he couldn't give up...

「 Some months ago 」

It was the season of spring, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. The trees were dressed in vibrant shades of green, and the birds were chirping melodiously, welcoming the new season.

At that time, Senji stood in the training ground, feeling a sense of excitement as he prepared to learn his first jutsu.

His mother and father were standing before him, ready to impart their knowledge and guide him in his training.

"Okay, first things first," his mother began. "Let's test your chakra nature."

Senji nodded, eager to see what elements he possessed. He closed his eyes and focused on channeling his chakra. A few moments passed, and then his mother spoke up.

"Looks like you have Lightning and Water as your chakra natures," she said, a hint of pride in her voice.

Senji smiled, feeling proud of himself for having two elements. But then the nerves started to set in. What if he couldn't do the jutsu correctly? What if he was a failure?

His father must have sensed his apprehension because he placed a reassuring hand on Senji's shoulder. "Don't worry, son. You'll get the hang of it. Just focus on your breathing and stay calm."

Taking a deep breath, Senji tried to center himself. His mother stepped forward and began to explain the first jutsu he would learn, a simple lightning jutsu called "Thunderbolt."

"First, you need to mold your chakra into a lightning nature. Once you've done that, you need to make a series of hand seals." She demonstrated the seals and then had him copy her.

"Thunderbolt!" Senji shouted as he channeled his chakra into his hands. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot out from his palms and hit a nearby tree, leaving a smoldering mark.

He let out a whoop of excitement, feeling proud of himself for successfully performing the jutsu. But his father wasn't quite satisfied yet.

"That was good, but you can do better. Try it again, this time with more focus on your chakra control," he said, his eyes scanning Senji closely.

Senji nodded, determined to impress his father.

He took a deep breath and focused on his chakra. Once he felt the energy within him steady and controlled, he repeated the hand seals and shouted out the jutsu.

This time, the bolt of lightning was more powerful and hit the tree with a resounding crack. Senji grinned with pride, feeling like he had accomplished something great.

"Great job, son," his father said, patting him on the back. "Now, let's move on to the water jutsu."

His mother began to explain the technique, called "Water Bullet," and once again, Senji tried his best to follow her instructions.

He molded his chakra into a water nature and made the necessary hand seals.

"Water Bullet!" Senji shouted, and a jet of water shot out from his palms, hitting a nearby rock with a satisfying splash.

As the sun began to set, they continued their training, with his parents guiding him through the basics of chakra control and jutsu usage.

Senji felt grateful for their patience and dedication, knowing that he had a long way to go before he could truly master his abilities.

But for now, he was content with the knowledge that he had made his parents proud, and that he was one step closer to becoming a great ninja.

「Back To Normal 」...…

Senji realized he was nearly out of chakra, but he couldn't give up. He used his Water Bullet Jutsu, shooting a stream of water bullets continuously at the wolves.

As the pace of the wolves slowed, Senji knew he had to finish the fight.

With only one wolf left, Senji's kunai was in no condition to fight. He decided to gather all of his remaining chakra on his fist and launch himself toward the wolf.

With one powerful punch, he knocked the wolf unconscious and then proceeded to whack it until he was sure it was dead.

Covered in blood, Senji knew he couldn't go home like that. He went to the river to wash his face, and as he looked into the water, he saw his eyes were wholly covered with a blue flame and got stunned by that, so he pinched himself to find out whether it was real or not.

The next moment, when he opened his eyes again, they vanished.

"So, one thing I learned was that the slow pace of the wolves was because of the Blue thing in my eyes," Senji started whispering to himself.

Feeling drained and almost unconscious, he knew he needed to head back home before his mother might come back and started worrying about him.

As he made his way back, he felt a sense of satisfaction at having overcome such a challenge.