From the Fundamentals to the Pinnacle of Chakra Refining

"What about you, Kurenai? You should already have Chakra, right?" Shuichi turned to ask about Kurenai's situation.

"Not long before school started, I successfully refined it under my father's guidance, but it took me a week. Shuichi-kun, did you really succeed on your first try?" Kurenai was equally surprised by what Shuichi had said.

"Yeah, maybe I was just lucky. The teacher said it probably didn't count as talent or anything. I just found the feeling."

"But succeeding in one try must be really difficult. Shuichi-kun, you're a true genius." Yūhi Kurenai had received hands-on guidance from an Elite Jonin at home, so she understood the difficulty firsthand.

Ishikawa Tatsuki felt so annoyed standing beside them. He did not know why, but ever since Shuichi had pulled himself together after that setback, every conversation somehow became a stage for Shuichi to show off. Could loneliness make people stronger?

"Want me to tell you my special trick? It might greatly improve your chances of succeeding." There was a hint of mystery in Shuichi's tone.

The break between classes was not very long. While Ishikawa Tatsuki was still somewhat bewildered, Sanada Tomohisa returned to the classroom.

Most of the children from prominent clans put on serious expressions, ready for class. Some students who had been chatting particularly happily were influenced by them and sat up straight as well. Shuichi also set aside the topic they had been discussing.

"All right, students. We'll now begin the theory class you're all very interested in: Chakra Basics."

"I believe every one of you went home yesterday and tried the Chakra Refining Technique to some extent. So, how did it feel?" Sanada Tomohisa knew that children disliked dry theory, so he shifted the lesson toward Chakra.

"Teacher, I tried for half the day yesterday and still didn't succeed. Was there some trick you didn't tell us?" Upon hearing that the teacher was beginning the Chakra lesson, one student could not help asking.

"Good question. There are indeed some small tricks for extracting Chakra for the first time, but what matters more is your own feeling.

"Whether they are as powerful as Lord Hokage or merely ordinary ninjas, the first time they extract Chakra is usually something that suits their own condition.

"That may sound a little abstract. Konoha tested your Chakra aptitude before you enrolled, and all of you passed. Once you succeed for the first time, you will no longer have difficulty refining Chakra.

"Next, I'll explain a few little tricks you can use for reference. Even the strongest ninja only goes through this experience once, so these tricks may or may not be useful.

"First, you can choose whichever posture you find most comfortable. You may stand, sit, or even lie down.

"Second are the hand seals we will discuss in later classes. Although hand seals will not have any effect now since you do not yet have Chakra, according to the Ninja Academy's long-term records, choosing a hand seal that feels right to you may be somewhat helpful.

"Because when you bring your hands together, it is as though your Chakra Meridians gain several additional channels of transmission.

"If the hand seal you form happens to best match your Chakra attribute, it may be easier to trigger the generation of Chakra.

"We'll discuss Chakra attributes later. Although this theory lacks sufficient evidence, there is no harm in trying it."

Sanada Tomohisa explained the knowledge related to the Chakra Refining Technique in great detail. Many students were stirred up inside, eager to return home immediately and try what their teacher had described.

"Also, do not underestimate the Chakra Refining Technique. Although you may all be able to refine Chakra before long, the Chakra Refining Technique has different levels."

Shuichi listened very carefully. Based on Sanada Tomohisa's explanation, the Chakra Refining Technique could be divided into three stages:

The first stage was where Ninja Academy students like them stood. They had to remain completely still to refine Chakra, and it took a long time.

This meant that during a ninja battle, once they quickly exhausted the Chakra they had refined beforehand, they could only fight with taijutsu because they had no way to replenish their Chakra.

The second stage was the Chakra Refining Technique that Chunin had to master. They could extract Chakra while moving, allowing them to fight for extended periods. When facing Genin, they could find openings to refine Chakra and seize the initiative.

The third stage was the Chakra Refining Technique mastered by Jonin. Not only could they extract Chakra while moving, they could also refine Chakra while releasing ninjutsu or engaging in taijutsu exchanges.

Thus, in actual combat, a relatively strong Chunin could initially fight a Jonin to a standstill.

But once the Jonin increased the pace of their attacks and frequently exchanged taijutsu blows and clashed with ninjutsu, the Chunin's frequency of ninjutsu use would slow considerably, while their chance of making mistakes when casting ninjutsu would rise.

"Of course, since I'm only a Chunin, I cannot guess whether stronger ninjas can refine Chakra faster or more efficiently, so I can only introduce things up to this point. Once you can proficiently extract Chakra and use the Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques, you will have reached the graduation standard." Sanada Tomohisa explained the various stages of the Chakra Refining Technique.

"Of course, there are at least two higher realms beyond that." After hearing Sanada Tomohisa's explanation and comparing it to the original story, Shuichi clearly deduced the higher levels.

A ninja at the fourth stage could still efficiently refine Chakra while using ninjutsu involving Nature Transformation. Hatake Kakashi would likely be at this level when using Lightning Cutter in the future, which was why he should be slightly stronger than Asuma, who was also an Elite Jonin.

The Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Armor was clearly the pinnacle of this stage. Its Chakra output and extraction speed were practically identical; he could extract however much Chakra he wanted to use.

But even the Five Kage's level was still far from the summit. The strongest Chakra extraction ability Shuichi remembered belonged to the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.

In his previous life, a Naruto fan like Shuichi often saw Hashirama Senju's Sage Art: Wood Release True Several Thousand Hands through all kinds of video channels, even after Naruto had ended.

Only after he began becoming a ninja did he understand just how difficult it was to use a ninjutsu that looked so cool and powerful.

First was the extraction speed. Just by looking at the size of True Several Thousand Hands, one could tell that the Chakra consumed during its use was dozens of times greater than the Five Kage's level.

The even greater difficulty lay in the Sage Art. Natural Energy was incomparably violent. From the moment the technique was activated, its user had to maintain a 1:1:1 ratio between Body Energy, Mental Energy, and Natural Energy.

During the few seconds from forming the hand seals to completing the release, if he accidentally absorbed too much Natural Energy, the caster would immediately go berserk. If he absorbed too little Natural Energy, the technique would fail outright.

If the difficulty involved were quantified and compared to the Five Kage's level, the result would definitely be an outrageous number.

This also illustrated a phenomenon: even if the Uzumaki Clan possessed Chakra reserves comparable to the Senju, that did not mean their combat power was strong. They could still lose to an enemy with one hundredth of their Chakra reserves.

This was also the greatest advantage of a transmigrator. From the moment Shuichi began learning Chakra, he already understood the experts at every stage and the level of the strongest individuals.

He was not afraid of a difficult road ahead; he was only afraid of not being able to find the road ahead. The ninja villages of this world had mastered ninjutsu to the utmost degree.

Many geniuses might grow complacent after gaining power for a time, believing they had already reached the highest level, because no one would tell them such secrets.

By the time they discovered there was another realm above them, they would most likely be on a battlefield against an enemy nation. Those who survived would naturally continue improving before long, while those who died would simply vanish into the river of history.

"I already know how to walk the path to the pinnacle of the ninja world. As long as I keep my feet on the ground and move forward step by step, one day I'll be able to do it too." Shuichi was not discouraged by the dangers of the road ahead. Instead, he quietly encouraged himself.