After the Academy Session –

  Kazeo was about to leave for home when he was called to Okabe-sensei's . His brows furrowed in mild fusion—he hadn't done anything to warrant special attention. Did Okabe notiething?

  Teacher's -

  Kazeo stood in front of Okabe's desk, his hands behind his back, posture rexed but his mind alert. He wasn't sure why he had been called here.

  Okabe leaned forward slightly, hands csped together. "So, Kazeo… how is the academy going for you?"

  "It's fine, sensei." Kazeo kept his toral.

  Okabe nodded. "And your taijutsu spars?"

  Kazeo's jaw ched slightly. "I'm shuffliween ranks 5 and 8, sir."

  Okabe hummed in thought. "Not bad." He paused before tinuing, his tone lighter. "So, what do you think? Are you satisfied with your current progress?"

  Kazeo hesitated for a moment.'Should I ask him? I should, who knows maybe he would know a way'

  He knew lying ointless. "No, Sensei… I am not. How I increase my rank? Their teiques are superior. Is there no way around that?"

  A small, knowing smile formed on Okabe's lips. "I know it seems unfair, Kazeo. kids have an advaheir teiques are refined eions. But don't let that disce you. Skill, experience, and sheer effort close the gap. Many great shinobi weren't born into s, yet they became legends. If you keep improving, even they won't be able to match you."

  Kazeo inwardly scoffed. 'Tch… Why did I even expeything other thay words?'

  He'd heard this same speech befeneric motivation with no real guidanbsp;

  'If hard work alone was enough, every civilian shinobi would be Hokage. Looks like I'll have to ask for somethier as my reward.'

  But he kept his expression respectful. "I see, sensei."

  Okabe observed him carefully. He could tell that Kazeo wasn't buying it. His lips parted slightly in thought before he sighed, his demeanor shifting.

  After a moment of silence, Okabe's voice became calmer, firmer. "I know it's frustrating. Watg them use teiques passed down feions while we struggle for every ounce of power." He exhaled sharply, a bitter chuckle esg. "But tell me, Kazeo… what we do as civilians?"

  Kazeo's fists ched slightly. The words stung because they were true.

  'This world is more cruel for civilian's due to system than my previous world.'

  Okabe tinued. "We think. We adapt. We grow in ways they never have to." His eyes locked onto Kazeo's with an iy that made the boy straighten unsciously.

  He raised a single finger, pointing at Kazeo. "From today onward, whether you win or lose, don't just walk away from the fight. Repy it. Every single move. Think—what could you have done differently? Why did your oppo attack like that? What was their opening? What mistake did you make?"

  Kazeo's eyes narrowed. The words settled deep within Kazeo's mind.

  Okabe smirked slightly. "This is how you surpass those born into power. Not by pining. Not by wishing things were different. But by learning, by breaking down every battle until there is no move you don't uand." His voice lowered, filled with weight. "Even I use this method. And believe me… very few but great shinobi do."

  Kazeo absorbed the words carefully. He had ruly sidered analyzing every fight in such depth.

  'I always focus on training, on raw effort. But maybe… this is the piece I'm missing.'

  For the first time, Kazeo didn't feel like Okabe was feeding him empty words.

  His lips curled into a small, determined smirk. "Analyze every fight, huh?" He looked at Okabe, his eyes gleaming with something sharper than before. "Fihank you, sensei."

  Okabe watched as Kazeo left, rubbing his in thought.

  (Okabe's POV)

  I observed the kid's retreating figure. Kazeo… he's different.

  He rarely talks in css, only adding a few words here and there. He sits at the st desk, minding his own business—yet, he listens to every lecture.

  If I ask him a question, he answers immediately. But even when he does, his mind seems elsewhere.

  At first, I thought he ying around in css, but I've noticed something odd. For the st few months, I've found small traces of dirt under his desk. Is he pying with it? Or something else?

  Like every other civilian student, I expected him to break after seeing the gap between himself and the kids.

  The six others I've spoken to this year? They've already despaired.

  But Kazeo didn't.

  Even after his defeat against Hyūga Kaito, he remained ued. But when Uchiha Ishikawa beat him… that was the first time I saw him shaken. That's why I decided to talk to him today. If left unchecked, self-doubt destroy even the most talented shinobi.

  At first, I po give him the same motivational speech we always give students—the same one we received as kids. But his eyes… he mocked that advice. I saw it in the way he remained silent, the way his expression barely ged.

  So, I gave him the real answer.

  Civilians have only one advantage—we learn differently. We're not bound by traditions. The method I gave him… I doubt he realizes how difficult it is to maintain.

  Thinking about every fight. Disseg every move. Correg every mistake.

  Most shinobi don't do it, even those who know how. It's exhausting. Even I only use it on fights where my life was on the line.

  Most shinobi abandon it after a few attempts—it's easier to just keep training and hope for improvement.

  I tell this to my students every year. They try it for a week, then they give up.

  I wonder… will this kid be different?

  ---------

  One Week Later – Training Grounds

  Kazeo ractig shuriken throwing in training grounds when the instructor suddenly approached him.

  "Kazeo, you're hitting the ter or near-ter every time, "But your posture is fwed. It won't work in fast-paced battles. Adjust it like this."

  For the en mihe instructor carefully corrected Kazeo's form, ensuring his movements were more fluid and adaptable.

  "I know it'll be hard to ge your muscle memory, but keep practig. Give it a week or two, and you'll adjust."

  Kazeo bowed slightly. "Thank you, sensei."

  As he resumed practice, his mind was already applying Okabe's advice. He wasn't just throwing shuriken anymore—he was analyzing. What if an enemy dodged left? What if they rushed at me? How could I make my hrow harder to evade?

  His training had ged.

  ---------

  One Month Later –

  Kazeo sat cross-legged, panting slightly.

  For the past month, he had been trying to reduce hand signs for the Transformation Jutsu—and so far, he had made zerress.

  Kazeo took a deep breath, f the hand signs for the Transformation Jutsu. In a puff of smoke, his figure shifted—only to reveal a grotesque, misshapen form. His arms were slightly elongated, his faeven, and his height off by a few inches. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he dropped the transformation.

  "Again."

  He repeated the process, but this time, his legs were too short, making him stumble forward. Atempt left his hair a different color. No matter how many times he tried, the transformation always had some fw—small, but noticeable.

  "Why is this so damn hard?" He gritted his teeth, rubbing his temple. He had already perfected the full transformation weeks ago, but redug the hand signs? That roving impossible. He khe theory—but knowing and doiwo different things.

  Taking a deep breath, he tried once more. Ram → Dog → Boar → Transformation!

  The smoke cleared.

  Kazeo looked down.

  His arms were normal. His legs were normal. But his face—

  "Oh, e on!" He groaned as he caught his refle in the window—his nose was ically rge, almost twice its usual size.

  Some weeks ago , After spending hours in the library, he found two main requirements for redug hand signs:

  1. Better chakra trol.

  2. Perf a jutsu thousands of times until the process bees instinctive.

  But with only two hours per day, he simply couldn't reach the required repetitions.

  Still, his transformation jutsu got a lot better in previous month...

  Initially whearted learning it after academy started three months ago. It took him two weeks to make a transformation which be barely said normal human but it took him awo weeks to make a perfect transformation. Obviously, no one knows about it acc to Kazeo.

  Transformation Jutsu: Creates a chakra film over the user's body, altering perception.

  e Jutsu: Creates illusionary copies of user. A weaker version of Shadow es but useful for deception.

  'Maybe this isn't the right jutsu to start with... Maybe something else would be easier to modify? Like e jutsu.'

  'If I masters it, it would help wheually learns Shadow es.'

  For wind jutsus , he had only learned a sisu which he learned after practising it for two weeks. Right now, he could only lift small pieces of paper with Wiation Jutsu.

  But it will improve with time.

  Wiation jutsu allows the user to lift small objects like paper, leaves, or pebbles usile air currents.

  --------

  Three Months Later – The Night Before the First-Year Final Exams

  Kazeo sat on the roof of his house, staring at the night sky.

  'Tomorrow will be the final exam of first year.'

  His fingers drummed against his knee as he recalled his spars and training session.

  'I've e far… but is it enough?'

  The thought lingered for only a sed before he smirked. There's only one way to find out.

  'Tomorrow… I'll get the reward for ing first.'

  -------------

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