Intense training

Toneri left the training ground a short while later. Uncaring, Haru focused on his training. Sticking a single leaf to his head didn't benefit his chakra control as much anymore.

Few people truly understood how important Chakra control was, and some of its upsides were only truly appreciated at the Kage level or above. Whilst in theory a technique would require a given amount of chakra, in practice the chakra that would be spent by the user would always be higher. That was due to chakra circulation inefficiencies, and chakra control training allows one to reduce that squandered chakra. On top of using less chakra for the same power output, it also allows the user to cast the Jutsu faster and in some cases, using less mudras.

One of the lesser known properties of chakra control however was that it was also a prerequisite of nature chakra fusion, what is often considered a Kekkei Genkai in the Shinobi World. 

The Ôtsutsuki clan however held the direct legacy of the genitors of ninshu. The Sage of Six Path and his brother were both adept in all basic chakra nature releases, and doing second degree chakra natures fusion was trivial for these figures. Even third degree fusion wasn't a big deal, something was was only ever achieved once in the history of the Shinobi World since by the second Tsuchikage and his disciple Ônoki. There were a few ninshu specialists among the elite fighters of the clan that have achieved Kekkei Tota level nature fusion thanks to knowledge Hamura left behind and hundreds of years of history.

Haru aimed to master at least a potent dual-nature chakra release in the future. Crystal release was the combined dual chakra nature that he fancied the most for now, but he was also interested in Swift release, and the Dark release that Hiruko stole for his chimera technique back in the Will of Fire movie. Hopefully he could find some information about the later in the academy's library.

Most other chakra releases were either somewhat less effective by the Kage level onward, or simply didn't suit the fighting style he was envisioning for himself.

As of now, he had a chakra control of about sixty to seventy percent, which was quite good for someone who started training less than a week ago. According to his estimates, if he started the tree walking exercice he would be able to master it in about a day or two.

So after practicing the multi leaves variant and getting somewhat familiar with the few Gentle Fist stances he was taught, he began practicing tree walking. He performed even better than he had expected, as it didn't even take half an hour to make half a dozen steps.

It is surprisingly easy.. he thought, satisfied. Konoha genins were trash. About four to five years in the academy, such a long curriculum of emptiness and time wasted. Compared to Sakura that barely did decent at age twelve, he did better at the tender age of four.

He continued training through the evening, and his proficiency with the tree walking exercice made some great progress. Though he could not walk with the ease that would enable him to call the technique mastered, it was almost there.

When Haru finally came back home, his eyes befell a a table covered in delicious looking dishes and both his father and mother waiting for him quietly.

"Sorry I was training." He apologised, "You shouldn't have waited for me."

"It's fine." Genji replied, smiling softly. "Let's eat, and we'll talk about your first week in the academy so far. I'm sorry I've been a bit busy lately to inquire up to now."

Her mother smiled gently as she served both of their plates, and Haru was happy so see such an harmonious family scene. That's when Haru took a decision, he would never allow the branch to ruin this. Though his mother may not be troubled by the branch once the civil war ends later, his dad would undoubtedly die.

But now that he thought about it he was quite puzzled. He knew for a fact that the strength of the main family was absolutely overwhelming. It was not a matter of being good at one thing or Jutsu, that some were so good at the Shikotsumyaku that it got close to the Killing ash Bone jutsu of princess Kaguya, though the Kekkei Mora made it an impossible leap to cross it was still good enough to kill anyone with a strike and slice even a Susanoo. And on the other hand their ninjutsu would put Kakuzu's mastery of elemental natures to shame.

There were many advanced secret jutsus that weren't available to the branch, and were ever only transmitted through direct apprenticeship between main family members. The Kekkei Tota or the Eight Gods Airstrike of the Gentle Fist were such techniques.

"I heard you were paired with the kid that made a commotion two weeks ago, Hideyuki's son." he inquired, curious. "How is he ? And your other classmates ?"

"He is not bad, but that's it. Nothing noteworthy so far as far I am concerned."

While his mother seemed surprised for some reason, his father had a proud silent grin. Both of them were aware that if Haru said such a thing, it meant that he believed that he was better by a decent margin. He was not the kind of stupid kid that would brag because his ego took a hit at the sight of a better genius.

His father nodded. "Who are your other classmates ?"

Haru quickly presented them to him, and he also recognised whose Elders daughters they were. He mentioned that he should bring them home to build some relationships and then dinner slowly came to an end.

Two weeks passed quickly.

In the same training ground he has since come to use every day, Haru stood with a restlessly pulsating water balloon in his hands, his clothes were wet. For two weeks now, Haru has trained in nearly all traditional chakra control exercices and mastered them. Whilst one could say that he was somewhat matched by Byakuya, Eina and Koyuki in the Gentle Fist's proficiency, as they were all in their own right talented geniuses of the Ôtsutsuki lineage, he was the undisputed master in chakra control.

That alone was incredibly meaningful. Every technique he learnt would takes half the time for twice the results. At last in his path toward greatness in chakra handling, he began training in the rasengan as he remembered clearly the training steps that were shown in the manga.

The first one, the one he began making progress in during the last few days, was bursting water balloons by making his chakra spin through the water with sufficient momentum. He finally manage to burst his first one about an hour ago, and he could feel that every time he did so ever since his chakra control grew more precise, and the input flow had risen. It was truly a delightful feeling.

"Haru ! Are you still playing with water ? Don't be childish ! We are warriors now !"

An auburn haired little girl stormed in, disturbing his concentration with her smug grin, proud to be a kill joy.

Not again… Lamented Haru in his mind.

Her very existence exhausted him. His training wasn't the only thing that had changed in the last two weeks. At first, the two girls started talking and hanging out with each other about a week ago. It was true that even though children were really precocious in this world, they still needed to make friends and as people of the main family they were all encouraged to do so with fellows of even status.

Though his family didn't care much yet, Haru could imagine that Eina and Koyuki's parents may already be trying to match them with him and Byakuya. The later especially should be a particularly popular choice for a son in law in Shirogakure at the moment, given his unique Kekkei Genkai.

Eina was a good girl. Cheerful, curious, humble. She was the first one he had talked to in the class, even though at first he did not intend to befriend anyone. But unfortunately Koyuki was much more of a hassle. Although she wasn't a bad person, she liked to brag, was prideful, and loved being bothersome.

Haru could overlook the peacock attitude, but the fact that she was being an annoying little shit on purpose was really getting on his nerves.

"I'm training." He stated. "That Jutsu requires a great deal of chakra control and some concentration, so if you could actually get back from wherever you come from so I can focus I would greatly appreciate it."

Koyuki looked at him stupidly. She wasn't used to the diplomatical tone. "Hmm.. No ?"

Alright I'm fucking done this time.

Haru packed his stuff and started strolling away.

"Hey !! Where are you going ?"

"Far away from you."

"Do you really believe you can escape from me ?" She smirked. "I can find you anywhere with my Byakugan. Though hide and seek is a children's game, I don't mind if you wish to play it."

Why does she makes it sound like she is not four year-old ?

"No." Said Haru sternly. "I just want to train in peace. Why don't you do the same ? The interclass battles are coming up in about a month. If you don't want to be beaten up the the branch geniuses, you better get to it."

"Bahaha they are just a bunch of trash blood ! What are they going to do to us ? I don't believe it."

The interclass battles was a small public tournament of the academy that opposed all five classes of freshmen branch and main families in order to assess the new students and make a classement. Whilst traditionally the A class won about half the time, that statistic didn't mean anything if it wasn't backed up by some true skills.

Koyuki was simply too arrogant. She didn't believe at all that someone from the branch family could beat her. In truth though, that was far from being an impossible scenario. It wasn't because a kid didn't fit the standards of the Shrine of Blood that he didn't have potential.

It could even be said that the case when a strongly driven branch member defeated a wilful main family braggart like her was nothing strange. True the main family students had access to some restricted knowledge and jutsus, but that didn't matter a lot in the first years especially where everyone would be more or less taught the same basics.

"Then I'm looking forward to see your aching little bum crying around."

"As if !" she shrugged. "Fine if you want me to train, let's fight !"

And just like that, even though he didn't consent to do anything, she plunged onto him, showering him with chakra infused palms that took him somewhat off guard. Swiftly shifting his attentiton towards the little witch, Haru endured a few palms in his carelessness.

Damn that hurts !

But as he corrected his stance his initial disadvantage quickly disappeared. Their footworks were akin to a dance, as they contorted bodies in almost unnatural ways to avoid the chakra loaded palms. Luckily for him, the few palms that he sustained did not harm his arm muscles too much.

I don't have any advantages over her in the Gentle First.

That much was true, even though she had taken him by surprise. The Byakugan allowed both of them to strike with great precision, and as long as one didn't outmatch the physical strength of the other or learned Gentle Fist jutsus such as the Eight Trigrams series, then it would stay this way.

Which meant that if he wanted to stay at the top for the upcoming interclass battle, Haru had to master the Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms of the Gentle Fist.

"Alright you win that's enough."