A Path of Training

Viewed across the Naruto world, what people called peace was only temporary. Endless turmoil was the norm. And ever since the Otsutsuki had come from beyond the heavens, battles that had once been little more than primitive brawls had escalated into the giant-mech clashes of the Fourth Shinobi World War. The bloody killing would never cease.

Besides, Senba knew the story of this world inside and out. Every character who could be called a driving force of their era was, without exception... a lunatic.

Under these circumstances, anyone who wasn't ready to die had to train day after day to grow stronger. Even if all they wanted was to enjoy their life, they still had no choice.

At the heart of a ninja's path to strength was increasing the amount of Chakra they could refine.

Strengthening the body and tempering the mind were ways to increase Chakra.

Sealing a Tailed Beast inside someone and forging the ultimate weapon, a Jinchuriki, was also ultimately about possessing powerful Chakra.

Even with other unorthodox methods of training, such as Orochimaru's Curse Mark or, more brutally, devouring a Tailed Beast's flesh, the result still rested on Chakra as its foundation.

With Chakra amplifying their strength, even a ninja's bare fists could split mountains and shatter stone. Some could even summon meteors capable of laying waste to the land.

Without Chakra's amplification, everything was just an empty shell. Like samurai left behind by the times, they might be able to take on one person or even ten, but they could still be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Senba's memories of the original story's finer details had grown hazy, but he would never forget the scene in the desert when the ninja army watched Madara Uchiha summon a meteor.

The moment the meteor fell from the sky, all their bonds and ideals of justice became a joke. They weren't even qualified to meet Madara Uchiha's gaze, let alone talk about justice.

Standing on the training ground, Senba shook his head. After glancing at Iruka and Uchiha Yue training in the distance, he began his own training plan.

As a descendant of the Senju Clan, Senba's Chakra already far surpassed that of his peers after his bloodline awakened. His potential was far greater than that of an ordinary ninja.

But if he didn't further increase his Chakra reserves, he would ultimately be no more than an ordinary Kage-level shinobi.

Kage-level isn't enough. Even fighting the Akatsuki would be a struggle. Senba licked his dry lips and began training according to the "Monster Strength" manual Lord Tsunade had given him.

Senba planted both hands on the ground and lifted his body, then slowly twisted his legs into bends that defied the limits of human joints. From afar, he looked like a contorted statue.

It hurt—damn, did it hurt. Sweat beaded on Senba's forehead almost immediately, running down his twitching cheeks and leaving clear marks in the yellow dirt.

Many people thought the "Monster Strength" technique was simply a matter of gathering Chakra and releasing it in a burst. That was a misconception. Precise Chakra control was only one part of it; the body also had to be tempered through relentless training.

Otherwise, the moment Chakra began flowing, the body would be unable to withstand it and start to tear apart. Even if the technique could somehow be performed, the body part releasing the Chakra would be reduced to mush when the force burst out.

That was why Sakura used specially made gloves in the original story. As for their power, that was hard to say. Wood Release was Wood Release, but how could a Wood Release house with four rooms and a living room compare to the Top of the Buddha?

As Senba shifted into different poses, the Chakra inside him began flowing along specific paths. The pain of twisting his limbs and the pain of Chakra tearing through his cells intertwined, and he nearly lost his balance and collapsed onto the ground.

Senba's face flushed and the veins on his forehead bulged. Just as he felt that continuing would cause lasting damage, a surge of vitality welled up from his cells and slowly began repairing the damage caused by the Chakra's flow.

A few minutes later, once the pain had eased, Senba moved on to the next pose. As he twisted his body, the sound of his joints and bones shifting out of place reached Iruka and Uchiha Yue, who had hurried over out of concern for him. Their faces took on an expression of shared pain. That had to hurt.

But then they made different choices. Uchiha Yue gritted her teeth and returned to her training area, where she began unleashing Great Fireball Techniques one after another. When her Chakra ran out, she moved on to practicing with Ninja Tools, handling Kunai and other weapons so deftly that they dazzled the eye.

The difference between Senba and Uchiha Yue's training methods was clear. Because the Sharingan strained the body and consumed large amounts of Chakra, members of the Uchiha Clan focused much of their effort on their Sharingan and relied on Ninja Tools in battle.

The Senju Clan, with its vast Chakra reserves, was the embodiment of brute force. They used whatever technique had the greatest destructive power, hurling Wood Release, Water Release, and the like at their opponents in a relentless barrage. They didn't care whether their enemies could take it.

Iruka, seeing all this, knew his place. He sensibly kept his distance from the two monsters and focused on practicing ordinary low-level techniques, aiming to improve his proficiency.

Iruka didn't wonder why two comrades had changed so much after a disaster. He was simply happy for them. That was Iruka's unique charm: jealousy had never been part of him.

After completing three movements, Senba's strength gave out. He lay helpless on the ground and gazed up at the sky, his eyes brimming with excitement. He could feel himself getting stronger, and the feeling was addictive.

Senba drew a deep breath, then raised his trembling hands despite the pain and laboriously formed a few hand seals.

"Summoning Technique!"

A wisp of smoke drifted by, and a Slug the size of his palm landed on Senba's chest. The next moment, he felt a soothing warmth radiate from the little Slug, gently nourishing his body.

"Little Senba, you're working hard. To manage this much on your first time training in Lord Tsunade's Monster Strength technique is impressive."

The Slug, sensing Senba's condition, rested on his chest and raised its upper body, swaying as it spoke. Its tiny form looked exceptionally cute.

"Thank you for the praise. I may have to trouble you often from now on, Slug-sama." Senba knew he would need the Slug's help with both training and missions, so he wanted to apologize in advance.

"Don't worry." The little Slug seemed to enjoy a leisurely life, too. It settled back down on Senba's chest. "Ever since Lord Tsunade developed hemophobia, I haven't taken part in battle or treated the wounded for a long time. This is a good chance to relive some familiar memories. A long life can be terribly dull. Once you become a jonin, little Senba, visit Shikkotsu Forest. There's a secret technique there you can try."

At the little Slug's words, understanding dawned in Senba's eyes. It must be the other path of training, one that let him bypass Chakra: Sage Mode using Natural Energy.

As Senba waited in anticipation, the little Slug curled up on his chest and glanced toward the shade of a nearby tree. Then it settled back down.

Beneath the dark, rotting tree, a small venomous snake slithered away at speed. Though they belonged to the Three Great Sage Lands, the little Slug carried its main body's consciousness and could clearly suppress an ordinary snake from Ryūchi Cave, leaving it panicked and fleeing.