Chapter 1.8.2
The new exercise Hifumi gave me left me glad and frustrated.
Glad that I had a real challenge, which was going to keep me entertained for who knew how long.
Frustrated because I made barely, an almost nonexistent, progress so far.
I was at the point where I was ripping leaves into smaller and smaller pieces while trying to get each new piece to stick. I wasn't even thinking about extending my chakra yet.
My priority was to get used to minimizing the point where I used the chakra to keep the things sticking.
When I managed to reach the size of a single blade of grass, only then would I start worrying about the next step.
Thankfully there was something that kept my spirits high and that was my progress with the water walking.
Incidentally I did most of my practice at first after learning something, which in my combined more than thirty years by now I never had to do and never thought I would have to do in the future.
I had to learn how to clean my clothes using a washboard.
A small metal bucket, a bar of soap and the wooden racket.
Every third day after school I would fill the bucket with water, put it in my small shower stall, take a stool and start to squeeze and rub my dirty clothes hunched over the small washboard.
Everything done I would hang out the laundry on a string across my window.
On my second time, when the novelty was already replaced by slight annoyance and boredom, I noticed how both of my tiny feet would fit perfectly in the bucket filled with water.
Unwilling to just dump the water away and having to look for a nice and quiet place to practice I just finished the laundry, sat back down on the stool and made my first tentative tests.
A week later I was standing on the water in my bucket while doing some stretches to simulate shifts in weight.
I knew it wasn't the real deal, but I was still uncomfortable with openly doing a late genin or early chunin exercise while still not officially going to the academy.
A large part of me thought I was unreasonable, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I would get too much attention and people would start asking questions about this seemingly no-name prodigy.
I also thought that it might get Hifumi unwanted attention and scrutiny, which I wanted to prevent at all cost.
That I hadn't found a suitable spot, that wasn't restricted to shinobis played also a small part.
So I kept going to the orphanage to visit Hifumi for some tea and after that to go further to my old training spot where I regularly upped my old regime
I couldn't wait for the academy to start the week and finally be able to compare myself to clan kids, that surely had prior training of their own.
___
Days went past in a blink of an eye and suddenly I was standing in a crowd of children in front of the academy listening to the Third Hokage deliver his speech.
Duty, pride, family and village.
The way the Third was going through his speech it seemed like it was the equivalent of a reheated meal, acceptable but nothing to write home about.
This sentiment was only enforced by how some shinobi parents seemed to use the opportunity to catch up with each other.
Still, it was relaxed feel-good atmosphere permeating the academy yard, which followed us to the same classroom I visited during the last month.
Only this time Daikoku stood in front of the blackboard again with a big smile.
"Good morning to all of you and welcome to your first day at the academy." Anticipation settled around the room. This was it.
"My name is Daikoku-sensei and I will teach you for the next several years to become the best shinobi you can be. To get things started I want you all to introduce yourself to the rest of the class, we will begin in the first row to my left."
He pointed out a boy, who cringed a bit at being singled out in the very first minutes.
He hesitantly stood up, said his name and bowed to the class.
"Very good, Haru-kun." And so it went on without a hitch past me and the Akimichi-boy next to me.
Apparently the start of the curriculum would consist of the history and the geography of the village itself and the shinobi-rules. A guy called Iwana Akame was going to handle physical education.
I reinforced my desire that I was going to make a point of learning and internalizing all the theoretical aspects to the max simply because I didn't have the plot-armor or power to neglect anything in my education and live happily ever after.
It was a week later, I had yet to feel any challenge in either the theoretical or the physical classes that I decided to approach Daikoku at the end of the day.
"Excuse me, sensei."
"Yes, Daiki-kun?" He smiled at me, as you would at a bright and respectful little student of yours.
"I was wondering if there's a place where academy students can practice after school."
"Of course, the practice yard in the back is always open for students and some of the upper years like to use the small woods right behind it." He suddenly turned serious.
"Be careful though, they tend to practice their taijutsu and use their weapons there."
I was debating about asking for a suitable body of water to practice my water-walking but decided against it for the time being.
I nodded my thanks and made my way out of the backdoor towards the training yard.
Taking a glance around I eyed the trees before me and used a skill I've been neglecting for quite a while.
I closed my eyes, my left hand became a one-handed ram-seal and I concentrated.
Behind me I sensed Daikoku still in what had to be the classroom, a similar-sized chakra pool made its round a floor above.
Dismissing both I focused on the small forest before me.
I perked up when I sensed a duo some 50 meters into the woods.
Cautiously walking forward I was mindful of Daikoku's words and my surroundings.
As I got closer I got a better read on the two chakra signatures and guessed that they were only slightly bigger than mine. I started to wonder how old these two individuals were going to be.
Hearing voices I stopped behind a tree and peeked around. Two boys, if I had to guess not too far from graduation, panting on the floor from whatever training they did.
Keeping it casual I stepped around the tree and into their view.
"Yo." Lazy wave.
Both stared at me until the boy with strange markings at his eyes stood up.
"What are you doing out here newbie?" The other boy with light brown hair also stood up and crossed his arms. The reception wasn't exactly hostile, but I definitely felt unwelcome.
"Just wandering around, looking for a place to train or people to train with."
I shrugged. One smirked, the other snorted.
"And what exactly did you hope to train? Better go to the playground again."
I didn't like the condescending tone, but kept my demeanor light. They couldn't know any better.
"I was hoping to find someone, who could teach me the Clone Technique."
"Well, turn around, your sensei is going to teach it to you someday."
"I'm ahead of my class and want something to work on."
I paused and switched gears. Already somewhat tired of this I took control of the conversation and went for my selling point.
"How's your chakra control?" They stared at me, as the guy on the left opened his mouth to reply I cut him off.
With a burst of speed I jumped forwards, made a tight twist and somersault.
I stuck my landing on the tree directly behind them a few feet above their heads.
I made a point of looking extra nonchalant while sticking horizontally to the tree with my hands in my pockets.
"Doesn't matter, mine is better." They gaped at me.
"Here's the deal," I paused, put my hands out of my pockets for some pointing and gesticulation.
"You will show me the Clone Technique and you will explain it to me. You will answer my questions to the best of your abilities. In return," I pointed at myself for emphasis.
"I will teach you a genin-level chakra control exercise, which will help you immensely with your graduation." I paused again, becoming serious.
"This would obviously stay between the three of us."
They looked at each other, slightly taken aback by this pushy little boy, and nodded.
"Fantastic," I clapped once. "My name is Daiki."
"Shibire"
"Minoji"
'and I will probably forget your names by the end of next week.'
