Sacrifice and Devotion

"The principle behind Cherry Blossom Impact is to gather Chakra in your fist or another part of your body, focus it at one point, and then release it..."

"To master this technique completely, you must have perfect control over your Chakra. Otherwise, even if you gather all of it, the power you can unleash will be limited."

"Before you practice the Monster Strength Fist, Kazan, you need to complete these exercises."

Tree Climbing and Water Walking.

The Ninja Academy did not teach these exercises. In the original story, Naruto and Sasuke only learned about them from Kakashi after graduation.

The method was simple: gather Chakra beneath your feet so that climbing a tree or walking on water felt no different from walking on level ground.

The difficulty lay in the body's pressure points. Chakra beneath the feet was the hardest to control.

Once a Ninja completed Tree Climbing and Water Walking training, their Chakra control would improve.

Hiruzen Sarutobi demonstrated it himself, stepping onto a tree and walking up it as though it were a level road.

"Master Tree Climbing first. Then move on to Water Walking."

"Got it!"

Kazan bumped his fists together, then formed Hand Seals and created several Shadow Clones.

The little Kazans looked sturdy and eager. As soon as they appeared, each found a tree and began practicing Tree Climbing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Kazan and his Shadow Clones, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"What a shame. If Kazan had Kakashi's talent for Ninjutsu, his future achievements would surely surpass Kakashi's."

His Chakra reserves were astonishing.

If Kazan's background had not been thoroughly checked, Hiruzen would have suspected he belonged to the Uzumaki Clan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had not known Hashirama Senju as a child, but he imagined that even if the First had possessed more Chakra than Kazan at that age, the difference could not have been great.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

"..."

Before long, Kazan and his Shadow Clones were tumbling off the trees and landing in sprawled heaps.

Tree Climbing and Water Walking were simple in principle, but far from easy to master.

Even a genius like Sasuke had needed more than a week.

There was no shortcut. He could only learn through repeated trial and error, working to control his Chakra until his command of it improved.

Of course, some people were born with exceptional Chakra control.

Sakura Haruno, for instance, had completed the training in very little time.

It was not that she had more talent for Ninjutsu than Sasuke. Rather, Sakura Haruno had remarkable talent for Medical Ninjutsu.

As for Kazan...

He truly had little talent for Ninjutsu, much less the potential to become a medical Ninja. But he had his Shadow Clones to help him.

After training for a while, he would dispel his Shadow Clones, review all their memories, think over what he had learned, and create more to continue practicing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not leave entirely. He kept a Shadow Clone there to guide Kazan personally.

The sky gradually darkened.

Kazan still had not stopped. After finishing his work, Hiruzen Sarutobi personally brought a large wild boar to him.

With the moon high in the night sky, the old man and the boy sat around a fire and began roasting meat.

"Your father and mother loved you very much, Kazan."

"More than anyone, they wanted to stay by your side and watch you grow up."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke without warning, and an awkward look flickered across Kazan's face.

The old geezer is going to try brainwashing me with his Will of Fire again.

"But there are some things we have no choice but to do."

"Why?"

Kazan asked at just the right moment.

"Because the village is a great tree, and everyone in it is one of its leaves! One day, we will wither and fall. But the old leaves will become nourishment, allowing new shoots to break through the earth..."

Konoha meant "leaves."

Ever since Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha founded Konoha, sacrifice and devotion had been part of the village.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on... Do you understand, Kazan?"

"I understand."

He had not lived through it, but he could understand.

His homeland in his former world had come through hardship the same way. Generation after generation had sacrificed themselves to bring about the peace of today.

In times of war, no one could stand apart.

"Until the Guangdong Army is wiped out, the Sichuan Army will not withdraw!"

That saying captured it best: of the nine hundred thousand soldiers of the Guangdong Army, only three thousand remained after the fighting, and white mourning cloth hung from every household.

"So war is unavoidable now?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You taught me the Monster Strength Fist."

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent. This was a perceptive child, far more thoughtful than his carefree manner suggested.

He thought of his student Jiraiya, who was just as bold on the surface and just as keen beneath it.

"I'll devote myself to teaching you until you graduate!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said without answering directly. "Kazan, you're strong—stronger than many others! I hope that one day you'll become a towering tree that can shelter Konoha."

And then give everything I have for Konoha?

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Hiruzen Sarutobi wants a great deal in return for all this.

This was how Hiruzen Sarutobi won people over. It was sophisticated, yet simple at its core.

He forged an emotional bond that made people willing to risk their lives for Konoha.

"I will." Kazan nodded with deliberate sincerity, and Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled in satisfaction.

Bonds were the strongest ties holding the village together.

The next day.

Kazan continued training.

After a full day with fifteen Shadow Clones practicing at once, he mastered Tree Climbing despite his unremarkable talent for Ninjutsu.

He kept practicing until he had it down completely, then began Water Walking.

His goal was not to climb trees, but to improve his control over Chakra.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sent a Shadow Clone to guide him again that day.

It was spring, and the water was still cold. Kazan's sturdy body was unbothered by the chill, though, and whenever he fell in, he climbed out and tried again.

After each stretch of training, he dispelled his Shadow Clones and sorted through their memories. He progressed so quickly that even Hiruzen Sarutobi was surprised.

He was training more than ten times faster than an ordinary person.

Unfortunately, an ordinary person could not train this way.

Only a Ninja like Kazan, with vast Chakra reserves and a will as hard as steel, could manage it.

For Kakashi, even one Shadow Clone would be his limit.

Water Walking was more troublesome than Tree Climbing, but Kazan mastered it in just two days.

From Tree Climbing to Water Walking, the entire course of training took Kazan only three days.

Of course, without his Shadow Clones, even with Hiruzen Sarutobi guiding him, Kazan would probably have needed half a month.

"Am I ready?"

"Yes. Now you can try practicing the Monster Strength Fist."

Watching Kazan race across the water, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

"First, try gathering Chakra in your fist. Compress it, then punch with all your might."

Kazan did as he was told. Controlling Chakra with his hands was several times easier than doing so with his feet.

It was worth mentioning Jiraiya: when the Perverted Sage fought Pain, he had even formed Hand Seals with his feet to use Ninjutsu.

Jiraiya's Chakra control had clearly reached an astonishing level.

Boom!

Kazan threw a punch and easily smashed through a tree.

He frowned at the result.

That punch had been weaker than one thrown with his raw strength alone.

He could feel that his Chakra control had improved considerably. Why had it turned out like this?

"Don't be surprised. That was the power of your Chakra alone. You haven't combined it with your physical strength yet. Keep going..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not surprised. The Monster Strength Fist was not easy to master.

The technique was suited only to freaks with more Chakra than they could use.

The more Chakra they had, the more powerful it became.

Ordinary Ninja like Kakashi had to ration their Chakra carefully and could not make good use of the technique. Ninjutsu was far more efficient for him and better suited to his fighting style.