Chakra

As it turned out, Higashino Jiro's little test for his son had been pointless.

After dinner, Higashino Makoto took the key and didn't bother searching the house. He went straight to the study and stopped beside the pillar near the bookshelf.

He dragged over a stool, climbed on it, and tapped up and down along the pillar with a bent finger. Then he lifted a section of the decorative wooden paneling on the wall, revealing an old-fashioned storage box with no combination lock.

After opening it with the key in his hand, he saw that, besides some documents and money, it also held quite a few scrolls.

Higashino Makoto turned to look at his father, who had followed him in.

Higashino Jiro looked a little surprised. "How did you know it was here? Did you sneak a peek at it sometime?"

"No, Father. I have no hobby of snooping on people's secrets."

"Then how did you find it? I designed this when I first renovated the house. Your mother and I weren't even married yet, and you hadn't been born."

"I've paid attention to this apartment building where we live. This load-bearing pillar between the kitchen and the study is unnecessary."

"That's all?"

"I once visited Uncle Kuroda's household goods shop on the first floor. There's no pillar in the same spot."

"Ahahaha, was the flaw really that obvious? I thought I'd designed it perfectly." Higashino Jiro awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "There goes my sense of accomplishment. Ruined again."

Higashino Makoto: "..."

It wasn't perfect at all. It was obviously wrong for a load-bearing pillar to be here. Did you have any basic knowledge of architecture?

Higashino Jiro reached out and took the smallest scroll. "This is the one. Put everything back the way it was, then let's go to your room."

"Okay, Father." Higashino Makoto didn't ask about the other scrolls. He knew they were probably ninjutsu that the Higashino Family had accumulated over several generations.

To ninjas from the great clans, these might be unremarkable things. But to a commoner family hoping to grow into something greater, they were its most precious inheritance.

Because of its power, Konoha's Hokage Faction naturally suppressed the great Ninja Clans and supported Commoner Ninjas. But didn't Commoner Ninjas also want to turn their families into Ninja Clans?

In the end, commoners both resented and envied the Ninja Clans.

This was true of every Ninja Village—or, for that matter, the whole world.

His father didn't take Higashino Makoto's key back. That meant he'd be allowed to use the storage box from now on. After all, if his parents didn't have any more children, he'd be the Higashino Family's sole heir.

In the bedroom, Higashino Jiro handed the scroll to Higashino Makoto. "Read through it by yourself first. Ask me if there's anything you don't understand."

"Okay, Father."

He unrolled the scroll and began reading carefully while Higashino Jiro waited patiently beside him.

The Chakra Extraction Technique wasn't complicated. Most of the scroll covered precautions and a few tricks to help beginners get started.

Thanks to his Adult Soul and two years of reading widely, Higashino Makoto's reading speed and comprehension were top-notch. He finished quickly.

"Anything you don't understand?"

"No."

"Good. Then give it a try. Do you remember what I told you before? After every workout, focus and sense the subtle changes in your body."

"I remember!"

"Good. Make sure you don't get impatient. Keep your thoughts focused and don't let them wander. It takes time—maybe a few hours, maybe a few days. I believe you'll succeed."

Higashino Makoto thought back to the subtle changes he'd sensed in his body after each workout. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he formed the Unfinished Seal, followed the method in the Extraction Technique, closed his eyes, and emptied his mind.

He gathered his thoughts, stayed focused, and set aside any worries that he might fail. A tangible spiritual force descended from within his skull, enveloping his body. With his Mental Energy, he sensed the Body Energy within his cells.

With a year of experience sensing it, along with the description of Body Energy in the Chakra Extraction Technique, Higashino Makoto quickly noticed something. He immediately tried to stir it with his mental power.

Following the method in the Chakra Extraction Technique, he vaguely estimated the density of this Body Energy, then drew an equal amount of Mental Energy to mix with it.

Energy inside the body couldn't be seen or measured. He could only use his mental senses to feel his way through it.

The first attempt failed.

Higashino Makoto calmly sensed the reaction. The muscles where the two energies had mixed seemed to twitch.

The scroll's precautions explained that this meant there was too much Body Energy, so the two sides weren't balanced.

He added a little more Mental Energy. The second attempt failed, but he could barely feel any reaction in the flesh where they'd mixed.

He added just a little more Mental Energy. This time, the two energies seemed to have found their perfect match. They quickly embraced, intertwined, and fused into one.

As soon as this mixed energy appeared, it coursed through the Chakra Network and finally converged at the vortex of meridians in his lower abdomen.

That wasn't the Dantian described in novels or traditional Chinese medicine theories from his previous life. The bodies of people in the Shinobi World were built differently. They had a Chakra Network, not a Dantian.

Higashino Jiro watched his son sit cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed and thought with a faint smile, This is the crucial first step toward becoming a ninja. Let's see if you have enough patience.

After waiting a few seconds, he quietly slipped out of the room.

But before he reached the door, he heard a voice behind him.

"Father, I think I've successfully extracted Chakra."

Higashino Jiro spun around, his eyes wide. "What? So soon? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!"

"Don't stop. Keep extracting it. The first time is important. Continue until you feel your body getting tired."

Higashino Makoto said nothing and continued extracting Chakra the same way as before. The Body Energy drawn from his whole body and his Mental Energy mixed together in wave after wave, and energy began flowing steadily into his lower abdomen.

Soon, Higashino Makoto felt a slight tiredness throughout his body. He immediately released the Unfinished Seal and stopped extracting.

According to the Chakra Theory he'd read about before, if he continued, it wouldn't be extraction anymore. It would be draining himself dry, which wasn't advisable unless he was fighting for his life.

Overdoing it could shorten his lifespan. Draining himself to the limit would cause every cell in his body to fail, killing him on the spot.

When Higashino Makoto released the hand seal, Higashino Jiro dashed over and placed his hand on his son's lower abdomen, connecting their Chakra.

A moment later, he laughed happily. "To succeed so quickly the first time, and with such a good Chakra Amount—you really are a genius. My son has the makings of a Hokage!"

"I feel like you're cursing me!"

Higashino Jiro had no idea what the Emperor Meme meant and immediately denied it. "How could I? I'm telling the truth."

Higashino Makoto didn't want his father to keep tempting fate, so he curiously changed the subject. "Father, how long did it take you the first time?"

"Well, that... that isn't important!" The embarrassment on Higashino Jiro's face vanished in an instant. He turned and called toward the door, "Megumi, are you done tidying up? Bring a sheet of Chakra Test Paper."

"He succeeded so quickly?" Higashino Megumi came in, looking surprised. She'd been hoping to see her son, usually so mature and expressionless, finally show a rare moment of impatience.

Ideally, he'd stay impatient for three to five days. Then she could lecture him with the air of someone who'd been through it all and remind him that his mother was still his mother.

But her hopes were over before they'd even begun.

Higashino Jiro didn't answer her. He took the paper and handed it to Higashino Makoto. "Channel Chakra into it."

Higashino Makoto took the paper and poured Chakra into it. Soon, the small sheet split down the middle. One half remained in his hand, damp with moisture, while the other crumbled into little pieces and fell onto the bedsheet like snowflakes.

"Megumi, did you see that? He naturally has three chakra natures!"

"Oh! He's inherited your Wind and Earth Release and my Water Release. No wonder he's our child—he's gathered all our strengths."

Most ninjas were born with only one chakra nature. To manifest others, they had to spend a long time training, which wasn't easy. It took years.

If it were simple, there wouldn't be so few ninjas in the Shinobi World who had every nature.

Starting out with three natures would undoubtedly save a lot of time as he grew.

Of course, having more chakra natures didn't mean someone was stronger. A ninja's strength depended on a combination of factors, including Chakra Amount, tactics, and combat talent.

But having several natures from birth gave a ninja more tactical options and made it harder for others to counter him with ninjutsu.

That was why ninjas with only one nature usually developed their other natures whenever they had time.

Except for the cheat who made Rasengan.

"Today's such a happy day! Come on, Megumi. Have a few drinks with me." Higashino Jiro grabbed his wife and started to leave, then seemed to remember their son was still there and turned back. "Makoto, you know what to do after extracting Chakra, right?"

"I do, Father."

"Good. Keep at it! Just remember not to overdo it. Get some rest early. Good health and a strong body are the foundation of everything."