Cultivation

Hui slept very soundly that night, perhaps because he had finally vented the emotions in his heart and was no longer burdened by them.

The following evening, Hui and Chuanhe arrived at a secluded riverside.

"To train chakra control, there are a few good methods: water walking, wall climbing, and tree climbing. There are no shortcuts for these; once you have mastered them all, I will tell you the next stage of training."

Chuanhe sat cross-legged, explaining to Hui, who was standing in the river.

"Father, please increase the difficulty. I want to make up for the time I've lost." Hui stood on the surface of the water and said earnestly.

No sooner had he finished speaking than his chakra control faltered, and he fell into the river with a splash.

"In that case, Hui, try practicing Water Release ninjutsu while standing on the water."

"But Father, my affinities are Fire and Earth, not Water."

"About that... has the Ninja Academy teacher not taught you this yet? It was my oversight. Being born with certain affinities does not mean you can only cast those types of ninjutsu. Through acquired training, theoretically, all ninjas can master the five elemental releases."

"You can try it now. Use this Water Ball Technique. Like the Fire Ball Technique you have already mastered, it is an E-rank ninjutsu, similar to a parlor trick."

"As long as you can successfully cast this technique in an environment without water, it means you have acquired the Water affinity."

"Understood, Father. Once I acquire the Water affinity, can I practice the Water Mirror Technique?"

Hui had not forgotten the Water Mirror Technique, the very first ninjutsu he had ever been exposed to by his father.

Because it was the first, it had always remained at the forefront of his mind.

"Naturally, you can. So, you may increase the difficulty further. At the same time, think about the specific connection between the Water Clone Technique and the Water Mirror Technique," Chuanhe teased.

Hui fell into the water once again, then climbed back out: "I will try my best."

As Hui performed the hand seals and cast the technique over and over, his stamina and chakra were constantly depleted. His body slowly began to feel overwhelmed, but when that sensation crossed a certain threshold, it was suddenly wiped clean.

This feeling again. Hui was startled. He focused his attention on his back; this situation was definitely related to it.

As his consciousness sank into it, Hui felt as if he saw a lush green meadow in a trance. Just as he wanted to see the full view of the surroundings, a gentle force emerged, softly pushing him "outward."

Hui opened his eyes and found himself still standing on the water as before. Was it just my imagination?

His father was still standing on the bank, and his own hands seemed to be forming seals?

Hui felt his memory might be a bit hazy; was it because he had fallen into the water just now?

"What's wrong, Hui? Are you giving up already?" His father's familiar voice reached his ears.

Hui jolted: "No, how could I! I won't give up."

Abandoning his meaningless thoughts, Hui focused all his attention on how to precisely distribute his chakra.

Because of his own request, the current training was hellish for a beginner.

Normally, it takes several days for an average ninja to learn how to balance chakra on their feet.

What Hui had to do now was to cast ninjutsu on top of that, which was a massive test of his multi-tasking ability.

The sun had already set, and stars were popping out in the sky one by one.

Hui felt his stamina reaching its limit and began to breathe through his mouth involuntarily. Sweat poured from his body, subsequently merging into the water beneath his feet.

Hui stopped his hand seals, and for the first time, he successfully released the Water Ball Technique. Hui smiled, a very happy smile. Even if it was in an environment with water, at least it was a good start, wasn't it?

"Hui, you really did it." Chuanhe's voice was close by.

Hui felt a pair of large hands pick him up, and his perspective suddenly rose.

"That's enough for today. Time to go home, Hui."

Just like a few years ago, Hui was once again sitting on his father's shoulders.

Hui didn't know when he had returned home; by the time he woke up, it was already the next morning.

Amber was still lying on top of his quilt, and Hui skillfully snuck out. He felt his body and found himself feeling refreshed. Is this how it feels after training? Hui thought to himself.

Sasuke seemed a bit angry today. He hadn't spoken to him all morning, which made Hui feel strange.

During lunch break, Sasuke looked at Hui, who was sitting next to him, with a gloomy expression: "Where did you go yesterday? You didn't tell me, and even the senior wasn't there. Do you know I waited there for an hour? An hour!"

Hui scratched his head awkwardly: "Sorry, sorry, I was busy with training yesterday and forgot."

"Training? What training?" Sasuke quickly caught the keyword.

"Basic training. My father was teaching me how to precisely control chakra."

"I don't care. If you're going today, I'm going with you. Remember, you owe me this, Hui," Sasuke said with a haughty expression.

"Me too, me too! Can I go too?" This was Naruto's voice.

Facing his two friends, Hui naturally couldn't refuse. The training team grew from just Hui to a three-person squad.

"Condense your chakra on the soles of your feet and distribute it evenly. That way, you can stand on the water. See? Isn't it simple?" Hui explained.

The two of them felt a sense of novelty as they stood on the water for the first time. Naruto even jumped excitedly. Unsurprisingly, he lost his balance the next moment and fell into the water. Hui quickly reached out and pulled Naruto out.

Naruto gasped for fresh air: "Phew, phew, saved, thanks, Hui."

"Hmph, a dead last is always a dead last."

Expecting Sasuke to show any concern at a time like this seemed impossible. Even more so when it came to Naruto.

"Stupid Sasuke, taste this!" Naruto suddenly kicked up a spray of water, splashing it all over Sasuke.

Sasuke instinctively closed his eyes, subsequently losing his balance and falling into the water.

Hui paid them no mind; he had grown accustomed to this over the past two days. Whenever these two were together, it was as if some chemical reaction occurred. It would be abnormal if they didn't mess around.

Furthermore, as they moved, they gradually progressed from struggling just to walk to wrestling on the water's surface.

How nice. They are much more talented than I am. They are the true geniuses; I am merely standing on the shoulders of giants.

Watching their water-treading movements become increasingly proficient, Hui felt reassured and began his own Water Style training.

What they did not know was that in the shadows not far away, a team of masked figures was staring at them intently.

Even with the mask on, one could vaguely tell that the masked ninja leading them appeared to have only one eye.

He gestured with a few hand signals, and one of his subordinates nodded, instantly vanishing from the spot.