"You know what Mom's like. Whenever you're away on a mission, she worries about you at home every single day."
"Ahahaha!" Higashino Jiro awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
After thinking it over, Higashino Makoto explained, "How should I put it? It might not be what you and Father think. This Perception Ability isn't something I inherited through my bloodline. It's an unexpected side effect of a special Training Method of mine. I'll tell you about it later. I hope you can understand."
"Of course I understand. My son's starting to have little secrets of his own."
Higashino Jiro smiled and nodded, then said solemnly, "Makoto, you did the right thing. Battles between Ninja are Intelligence Battles.
"It's right for Ninja to keep their methods strictly secret. It's extremely dangerous to let someone learn the secrets of your important jutsu. I hope you understand that."
"I've always understood."
"Good. Now, let me ask you something. What matters most in a battle between Ninja... no, between samurai, or even ordinary people? In other words, in a fight between people, what's most important?
"Is it Ninjutsu? Taijutsu? Genjutsu? Special Secret Jutsu, or powerful weapons?"
Higashino Makoto thought it over. All of those seemed important, but clearly his father had another answer in mind. In the end, he shook his head. "I don't know."
"It's Courage. The courage to overcome fear, hesitation, and the urge to run away; to face life and death and dare to fight.
"Find that courage and master it. Let your blood boil, but keep your mind clear. No matter how desperate the situation, never give up looking for even the slightest chance to win.
"Courage isn't recklessness. A clear head matters more than any technique."
"I understand. Thank you for teaching me, Father."
Higashino Jiro said nothing in response. Instead, he suddenly threw a straight punch at Higashino Makoto's forehead. It wasn't particularly fast.
Higashino Makoto's body instinctively tried to lean backward and dodge, but he quickly realized that was just a natural reaction from his past life as an ordinary person.
But now, he was a Ninja-in-training, with the supernatural power of Chakra. Even though he was only a little over four years old, Chakra enhanced his body, making his reflexes and strength far beyond those of his thirty-something-year-old body in his previous life.
He immediately suppressed the urge to lean back. Using his small stature to his advantage, he ducked and bent low, then pushed off with both legs. Instead of retreating, he darted forward, dodged the attack, and drove a punch toward Higashino Jiro's stomach.
Higashino Jiro didn't dodge at all. His advantage was his height and reach. He bent his knee and lifted his leg, driving it toward Higashino Makoto's face in a counterattack.
Even half his leg was longer than his son's whole arm. He would land the first blow.
The two were almost tangled together. They were too close to change their moves, so Higashino Makoto had no choice but to pull back his fist and defend himself, quickly crossing his arms in front of his face. His father's knee slammed into him and sent him flying.
Higashino Makoto felt as if he'd been hit by a truck. The tremendous force sent him tumbling through the air several times. All he could do was struggle to keep his balance and control his landing.
As he touched down, he channeled Chakra into his right hand, bent over, and dug his fingers into the ground.
Even so, the force made him skid two or three meters, leaving three straight furrows of churned-up earth behind him.
Throughout it all, his eyes stayed wide open, fixed on his father's next move.
Sure enough, his opponent charged after him, but as he drew near, a simple Body Flicker Technique made him vanish from Higashino Makoto's sight.
"Behind you."
Higashino Makoto couldn't see him, but he still had his Perception Ability, so he sensed him at once and half-turned to kick sideways. His foot met Higashino Jiro's fist.
The difference in their strength was obvious. He was sent flying again.
Higashino Jiro gave him no time to catch his breath. He charged in once more at tremendous speed, attacking Higashino Makoto with both fists and feet, using just enough force and speed to challenge him without overwhelming him.
Higashino Makoto dodged or blocked, like a sapling battered by a storm, always on the verge of snapping.
But he kept his father's advice in mind, doing his best to stay clearheaded and look for an opening to strike back.
Before long, he turned the disadvantage of his small stature into an advantage. He darted from side to side, keeping his fists and feet aimed at his father's kidneys and groin.
Those were the vital spots he could reach quickly right now.
After all, even the strongest Ninja couldn't withstand the pain of a crushed testicle.
He hoped Higashino Megumi wouldn't kill him if she found out.
As one of the strongest Chunin, Higashino Jiro wasn't about to let a kid who'd only just learned to fight land a blow on a vital spot.
He blocked again and again, batting away the little hands aimed at his lower body. At the same time, he gradually increased the speed and force of his counterattacks, pushing his son to adapt to battle as quickly as possible.
They darted back and forth across the little Training Ground, locked in a fierce exchange of attacks and defense.
Higashino Makoto knew his father was helping him get used to fighting, and he was changing rapidly. The habits he'd carried over from his previous life as an ordinary person were slowly fading, and he was gradually adapting to the rhythm of combat in the Naruto World. At the same time, his mind grew excited beyond his control, and he began to enjoy the thrill of the fight.
A while later, Higashino Makoto dropped to the ground, panting. His stamina, which usually let him keep exercising for a long time, was spent in no time at all during the fight.
But he was incredibly excited. The surge of adrenaline had turned his little face bright red, and his body trembled slightly.
Higashino Jiro stood beside him with a satisfied look. "Very good. I didn't expect you to find your footing so quickly and overcome your body's instinctive reactions.
"That surprised me. You're worthy of being my son. Maybe you really do have talent on par with Kakashi's."
"But I didn't win, did I? You didn't even use your swordsmanship, your specialty, let alone Ninjutsu. You also kept your strength and speed within what I could handle."
"You fool. How old are you, and how many years have you trained? To do this well in your first battle is already remarkable."
"But I heard Kakashi defeated two Chunin when he was five."
"Who told you that? I've never heard of it."
"I heard people saying it in the village."
Higashino Makoto didn't know if anyone in the village had really said it. He'd gotten that information from the anime he'd watched in his previous life, where Kakashi had easily taken down two Chunin who were beating up Might Guy.
"Well, maybe he did. After all, he's that lord's child. But listen, son: Genin, Chunin, Jonin, and Kage are just ranks. You must never use them as a measure of a Ninja's strength.
"Even among Genin, there are some whose strength rivals that of Jonin. And the Chunin in the village vary greatly in strength. After all, the village's leadership keeps the number of Jonin within a certain limit. You can't get promoted just because you're strong enough.
"Jonin are part of the village's powerful ruling class. They have the right to vote in the Jonin Council on who becomes Hokage and to influence village policies. The proportion of their numbers also affects the balance between Ninja from Ninja Clans and Commoner Ninja. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand. Becoming a Jonin isn't just about strength; there are political considerations, too."
Higashino Jiro raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
"You're sharp, kid. You catch on right away. I didn't figure that out until after you were born."
"You made it so obvious that it would've been hard not to understand. By the way, Father, why don't you apply to become a Special Jonin?"
"That title is just a consolation prize. It means nothing to me. Enough of that. Let's talk about something useful. Makoto, have you been finding your training too easy lately?"
"Yes, Father. Even without refining Chakra, I can easily complete all the exercises I used to do using just my physical strength.
"But if I train for longer, it'll affect my studies. Do you have any good ideas?"
"After Ninja have spent some time adapting to Chakra, their physiques become much stronger. That's normal. That's why I came here today."
After saying that, Higashino Jiro walked over to where he'd been hiding earlier and brought back a backpack. It looked quite heavy.
Higashino Makoto opened it and found a special set of equipment inside. He immediately picked it up and put it on, strapping a piece around each of his arms and legs.
"Weighted Equipment. That's a pretty good method, too."
"I prepared this especially for you. The weight should suit your current physique. Most of the slots are empty, so you can add Metal Blocks inscribed with Sealing Jutsu as you grow stronger. I've put them in the study."
"Thank you, Father!"
"All right, keep training. Pay attention to your body's limits. Don't recklessly add more weight. If you damage your physical foundation, even Tsunade-sama won't be able to restore it."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
"I trust you. You've never let us down."
Before you continue