Early the next morning, after finishing his workout with Guy, Taiichi ran to the market. He specifically picked out chickens and fish that were injured and inflamed. In total, he bought two chickens and three fish.
After returning home, Taiichi took the Allicin out of the refrigerator and carefully applied it to the wounds of both chickens. For one of them, he even fed it a little Allicin as food. That would serve as the control group to test Allicin's effects.
The three fish were even simpler. He placed each fish in a separate basin and added different doses of Allicin to each one, using them as comparison groups.
Once he had finished all that, all that remained was to wait for the results. Taiichi tidied up and headed to the Ninja Academy.
As a first-year student who had only just enrolled, there were still rookies in the class who had yet to refine Chakra. Naturally, they spent another half day practicing the Chakra Refinement Technique. According to Teacher Yamada, for the next month, they would spend every morning training in the Chakra Refinement Technique.
This was Konoha, where Senju Hashirama had established the ninja village system and Senju Tobirama had founded the Ninja Academy. The village did not place such harsh demands on academy students. If this had been the Warring States Period, or even another village today, how could academy students possibly have so much time to train? As long as you could refine Chakra and had learned the necessary knowledge, the village would rush you onto the battlefield. But Konoha still kept the Will of Fire on its lips.
Feeling Chakra flow through his body, Taiichi had initially needed to sense it constantly and deliberately guide it along a specific route. But after two days of practice, he felt that Chakra was gradually becoming like the blood in his veins, able to circulate back and forth naturally.
Taiichi had indirectly asked Teacher Yamada about it. From Yamada's answer, it seemed that this ability was generally something only Jonin could achieve. Ordinary lower- and mid-ranked ninja did not possess this level of Chakra control. Taiichi guessed that this might be due to his panel. Once a skill formed, it became a fixed ability that would never regress.
This phenomenon could help Taiichi gradually turn Chakra refinement into an instinct. As long as he controlled the refining speed and balanced it against what his body could endure, there would be no problem.
Of course, that was not something he could accomplish in a short time. He still needed constant practice. For now, he merely had a clear direction.
[You practiced Basic Meditation. Related comprehension increased!] [Your skill Basic Meditation improved. Experience +1] [You focused on practicing Basic Meditation. Genin class experience +1] ... [Congratulations, Constitution +1, Strength +1, Agility +1]
Chakra's enhancement was immediate. Attributes that might not increase even after a month of training had risen after he had possessed Chakra for only two days. Although his previous persistent training had contributed as well, it still showed just how effective Chakra was.
There truly was an indescribable divide between ninja who could wield Chakra and ordinary humans. Having just stepped from one side to the other, Taiichi could feel the change especially clearly.
Amid the occasional notification, the morning lessons came to an end.
That afternoon, Teacher Yamada entered the classroom and announced that the next class would be Ninja Tool Throwing.
All the students immediately cheered up. They were only five or six years old, after all. Practical lessons were far more interesting than sitting in a classroom studying theory.
Everyone followed Teacher Yamada in a rush to the outdoor training ground.
Dozens of targets had already been set up on the field, exactly matching the number of students in the class. Opposite each target was a small platform, each holding more than ten Shuriken and Kunai.
The students went to their respective platforms in order.
Taiichi looked at the Shuriken and Kunai on his platform and weighed them in his hand. They felt no different from real Shuriken and Kunai, except none of them had been sharpened. They were clearly made specifically for practice.
"All right, everyone, look over here," Teacher Yamada called, drawing everyone's attention.
"Ninja Tool Throwing is one of a ninja's most basic combat skills." Standing in the middle of the field and facing the entire class, Yamada picked up a Shuriken.
"When throwing Ninja Tools, whether Shuriken or Kunai, the key lies in angle, strength, and timing."
As he spoke, he flicked his hand. The Shuriken traced a smooth arc and struck the bullseye of a target ten meters away with precision.
"Keep your wrist relaxed and use inertia to throw it. Don't rely on brute force."
After finishing, he picked up a Kunai and flicked his hand again. This time, he put a little more force into it. The Kunai shot straight toward another target fifteen meters away and hit the mark precisely.
The students below were excited and burst into applause.
"All right, remember those key points and movements. Next, practice on your own."
[You learned Ninja Tool Throwing. Related comprehension increased.] [You acquired the Ninja Tool Throwing skill. Experience +1]
Taiichi looked at the panel. This skill had come rather easily, but it was also very practical.
Taiichi picked up a Shuriken and copied Teacher Yamada's movements from before, adjusting the position of his arm and fingers. With a flick of his hand, the Shuriken also traced an arc through the air. Then... nothing.
Taiichi's face darkened. Not only had his first throw missed the target, he had no idea where it had flown off to.
Fortunately, when he looked around, everyone except the children of Ninja Clans was in the same situation. There was nothing to be embarrassed about.
Taiichi picked up another Shuriken and recalled the feeling from before, slowly changing his posture. He felt that the key was how his fingers exerted force. Once he adjusted, he flicked his hand again.
With a thud, it struck the target smoothly this time. It had only hit the edge, but that was still a major improvement.
After that, Taiichi kept picking up Ninja Tools from the platform and throwing them at the target ahead. Thud, thud, thud—the sounds rang out continuously, and his results grew better and better.
Teacher Yamada also kept patrolling behind the students. Whenever he saw someone with an improper posture, he stepped forward to help correct their throwing form.
At the same time, he did not forget to teach them the importance of Ninja Tool Throwing. "Ninja Tools are not merely weapons. They are also part of tactics. Feints, interference, ambushes—only flexible use can bring out their greatest value."
"Do you understand?"
"Yes!" the students answered loudly.
[You trained Ninja Tool Throwing. Related comprehension increased!] [Your skill Ninja Tool Throwing improved. Experience +1] [You focused on Ninja Tool Throwing training. Genin class experience +1] ... [Congratulations, your skill Ninja Tool Throwing has increased to Lv1 (0/100)]
As the skill level increased, insights about Ninja Tool Throwing surged into his mind. Taiichi picked up another Shuriken and threw it at the target.
Sure enough, it hit the bullseye dead center. He tried several more times, and every throw struck the center. The insights gained from every skill increase were truly incredible. It was as if the experience someone had gained through long practice had been completely integrated into his body. It was unbelievably effective.
"Taiichi."
Taiichi turned at the sound and found Shizune standing beside him. "What is it, Shizune?"
"I saw how quickly you improved. Could you teach me?" Shizune asked timidly.
So Shizune had been this quiet when she was little. Taiichi looked at the target in front of her. So far, not a single Ninja Tool had hit it.
"Sure. Throw one for me to see," Taiichi replied readily.
"Okay." Shizune seemed encouraged. She picked up a Shuriken and threw it at the target, but unsurprisingly, it missed again.
Taiichi keenly noticed that when Shizune threw, she made a hooking motion with her hand at the instant the Shuriken left her fingers.
"You need to pay attention when throwing. Keep your wrist relaxed, especially at the moment the Ninja Tool leaves your hand. Don't hook your hand," Taiichi pointed out Shizune's problem. It was merely a matter of habit. Once it had been pointed out, it would be easy to change.
Shizune then slowly changed her habits according to Taiichi's instructions. Sure enough, her results gradually improved afterward.
"Thank you so much, Taiichi!"
She was so happy that she had even dropped the formal address and called him by name directly.
"No need to be so polite. If you have questions, just come to me."
[You taught a classmate Ninja Tool Throwing. Related comprehension increased.] [Your skill Ninja Tool Throwing improved. Experience +1]
So teaching others could also earn experience. Taiichi felt that he now had even more ways to gain experience in the future. He had originally worried about what he would do if he gained too many skills and did not have enough time to practice them all. This opened up a whole new line of thought for him. That was right—teaching others also meant organizing and deepening his own understanding of what he had learned.
Reviewing the old to gain new understanding—the ancients truly had not deceived him.
At the same time, Teacher Yamada noticed what was happening. Seeing Shizune improve so much under Taiichi's guidance, Yamada was even more gratified.
Before you continue