Hiro stood in the clearing, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he eyed Kaya with suspicion. The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the open field where they stood. He had assumed today would be another attempt at chakra control, another frustrating day of trying to mold his energy into something usable. Instead, Kaya had something entirely different pnned.

  “We’re putting jutsu practice on hold,” Kaya announced, hands on her hips. “For now, we focus on your body.”

  Hiro groaned. “What? But I thought—”

  “I know what you thought,” Kaya interrupted with a smirk. “But you need to understand something. Chakra isn’t just about forming hand signs or casting jutsu. It’s part of your body. Your muscles, bones, and stamina all need to integrate with your chakra naturally, or you’ll colpse under your own energy.”

  She crouched down, drawing a line in the dirt with her finger. “A previous acquaintance of mine believed that chakra infuses itself into the bones and muscles best when the body reaches its physical limits. The more you push your body beyond those limits, the stronger it becomes. Over time, this process increases your innate strength, making you more resilient, faster, and ultimately more capable in combat.”

  She stood up, brushing off her hands, then casually walked toward a heavy fallen log resting at the edge of the clearing. Without any apparent effort, she bent down, gripped the thick wood, and lifted it off the ground as though it weighed nothing. Hiro’s jaw dropped as Kaya turned back to him, adjusting her grip before setting the log down gently. “Even someone like me, who doesn’t look like much, can develop superhuman strength. This is why we start here.”

  Hiro frowned. He wanted to protest, but something about the way Kaya expined it made sense. He thought back to the way his chakra had fred wildly during his previous attempts. Maybe this was the missing piece?

  “Fine,” he muttered. “What do I have to do?”

  Kaya grinned. “Simple. Run.”

  Hiro found himself sprinting around the clearing, his feet pounding against the dirt as Kaya stood at the center, arms crossed.

  “Pace yourself,” she called out. “Control your breathing! You don’t want to burn out too fast.”

  Hiro huffed, already feeling a tightness in his legs. He had never run this much before—at least, not without a specific reason, like pying or running errands in the orphanage. The first few ps weren’t so bad, but as time passed, the burning in his calves and the dryness in his throat became impossible to ignore.

  This is ridiculous, he thought. I should be learning jutsu, not running in circles like a lost dog!

  Despite his grumbling, Hiro pushed forward. He had to admit that the exercise was forcing him to focus on something besides chakra frustration. The rhythm of his breathing, the feeling of his body moving—there was something grounding about it.

  After several rounds, Kaya finally called for a break. Hiro colpsed onto the grass, panting. “I hate this,” he muttered between gasps.

  Kaya chuckled, handing him a water fsk. “Good. That means it’s working.”

  No sooner had Hiro caught his breath than Kaya ordered him to drop down and do push-ups.

  “You’re kidding,” Hiro groaned, gring up at her.

  “Do I look like I’m kidding?” Kaya replied, smirking. “Come on. Start counting.”

  Hiro reluctantly lowered himself onto his hands and started pushing. At first, it seemed manageable, but by the tenth push-up, his arms began to tremble. His form wavered, and by the fifteenth, he colpsed onto the ground.

  “I can’t,” he panted.

  “You can,” Kaya said firmly. “You just need to build up to it.”

  Hiro groaned again but forced himself back up, determined not to look weak. He continued, each push-up feeling like it drained his very soul. Kaya watched him carefully, correcting his form when necessary, offering the occasional word of encouragement.

  By the time he finished, Hiro’s arms felt like they would fall off. He y on the ground, staring at the sky, wondering if becoming a ninja was even worth it.

  “Good progress,” Kaya said. “We’ll increase the reps over time.”

  Hiro groaned. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  Kaya grinned. “Maybe a little.”

  While Hiro recovered, Kaya turned her attention to Chūta. She had set up a new drill for him, one designed to test his ability to manipute wind chakra in mid-air.

  “Alright, Chūta,” Kaya called as she stood near the trees, gathering a handful of sticks. “Let’s see how well you can use that wind chakra of yours.”

  Chūta chirped in acknowledgment and leaped off Hiro’s shoulder, gliding toward the trees. Kaya tossed a stick at him—not hard, just enough to force him to react.

  The first time, Chūta barely managed to shift his path before the stick clipped his tail. He squeaked in irritation, spinning mid-air before nding on a branch.

  “You’re going to have to be faster,” Kaya said, preparing to throw another stick. “Try adjusting your wind bursts mid-flight.”

  Hiro sat up, watching with fascination as the training continued. Chūta began to improve, dodging the next stick by a wider margin, using brief bursts of chakra to alter his trajectory. It was mesmerizing to watch.

  Hiro clenched his fists slightly. Chūta’s getting stronger… faster than I am. If only he could use hand signs, maybe he wouldn’t be lying here, exhausted and frustrated.

  He shook the thought away. No, I’m training too. I just have a different path.

  Just before Kaya called an end to the session, Hiro sat up, wiping sweat from his brow. Something had been bothering him.

  “Kaya… how do you have all this time to train me?” he asked, frowning. “Don’t you have other kids at the orphanage to take care of?”

  Kaya gave him a knowing smirk before winking pyfully. “I have my ways.”

  Then, in a sudden puff of smoke, she disappeared.

  Hiro blinked in shock, his mouth slightly open. “Huh?” He looked around the clearing, confused. “Where did she go?”

  Chūta nded on his shoulder, chirping amusedly as Hiro processed what had just happened. He frowned, rubbing his chin. Did she just vanish into thin air?

  Left alone in the clearing, Hiro let out a long sigh. There was still so much he didn’t know about Kaya… and apparently, a lot he still had to learn.

  Announcement Next we will have several chapters introducing our other? main character, Shinzo!

  Our typical generic Isekai protagonist will finally arrive but not in the way you might expect.