On the way home, Xia Ji replayed the events of the day in his mind.
Truth be told, he hadn't learned much. The first-year curriculum seemed to focus mostly on the history of the Leaf, a gentle introduction meant to spark interest before the teachers would eventually move on to the real basics—like extracting chakra.
Still, they had handed out textbooks. That alone meant he could study ahead at his own pace.
As for the Three Body Technique… in a peaceful era like this, there was no rush. First-years probably wouldn't touch it in any serious capacity—just some theory and light physical training. This year was clearly meant for chakra accumulation.
Xia Ji glanced up at the sky. It was still early. The workload here was surprisingly light, almost leisurely. His mother should still be at work by now.
But then he remembered her parting words this morning—come home early.
He decided not to wander. Hugging the books he'd received, he jogged toward home. The distance was only a few kilometers, but he treated it as a warm-up. He had to admit—people in the Naruto world really were built differently.
"I'm back!"
He unlocked the door, calling out the greeting his mother had drilled into him.
And then… he froze.
His mother, who should have been at work, was standing there with a bright smile. The table was already set, filled with steaming, fragrant dishes.
"Welcome back!!"
"Mother? Why are you—" His voice carried a trace of surprise.
"Of course I came home early. Today was Xia Ji's first day of school, wasn't it? I had to be here to welcome you." Sinai's tone was warm, almost playful.
"Hm." Xia Ji's eyes softened. He'd seen, even as an infant, how much she'd sacrificed for their little family. Even if this was his second lifetime, accepting Sinai as his mother hadn't taken long.
"But… I'm sorry, Xiaoxia." Her smile faltered just a little. "I can only take time off today. From tomorrow, you'll have to go to and from school on your own. I know other kids have someone to pick them up… but—" She looked down, a shadow of guilt in her eyes.
"It's fine," Xia Ji said simply.
She blinked as he stepped forward and hugged her.
"Well… look at me, needing comfort from my own child." Sinai let out a small, bitter laugh, but then forced herself to cheer up. "In that case, to make it up to you—how about you tell me something you want?"
"I don't really need anything," Xia Ji said after a moment. His life now was more than enough.
"Hm…" Sinai seemed a bit troubled. She clearly wanted to do something for him.
Sensing her thoughts, Xia Ji decided to give her an opening.
"Oh, right—your teacher talked about ninja history today, didn't they? Does Xiaoxia want to become a ninja?" she asked suddenly, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.
"I do," Xia Ji answered without hesitation. "I want to become the strongest ninja."
"In that case, you can tell me a ninjutsu you want to learn. I have… a few channels," she said, her eyes lighting up.
But then, her brow furrowed. She hadn't practiced ninjutsu in years, and even back then she had only mastered a handful of basic techniques. Maybe she could ask an old comrade to help…
"Ninjutsu, huh?" Xia Ji thought for a second. "The one I want right now is the Shadow Split Body Technique."
"Oh? Shadow split body? Why that one?" She tilted her head. "It's a difficult technique, and it's not even that useful in battle."
Xia Ji gave a casual shrug. "No real reason. I once saw a jonin use it—it created a solid clone. I thought it was amazing. Useful or not, I decided back then I'd learn it if I ever had the chance."
Of course, that was a lie. He had no intention of revealing the real reason—its ability to share experiences between the user and the clone. In truth, he didn't care about using it to fight at all. That was something for people like Naruto or the Uzumaki clan.
Still, it was technically a B-rank jutsu, so it wasn't beginner-friendly. The high chakra requirement meant only upper-level ninja could use it effectively. But Xia Ji had no plans to spam hundreds of clones like Naruto. He would start with one—two at most—and gradually increase if his body could handle it.
"This is a rare opportunity, Xiaoxia. Don't you think it's a waste to use it on something like the shadow split body? How about I have an old friend show you some other ninjutsu first?" Sinai said, clearly hesitant.
Xia Ji froze. Wait… so this wasn't just a figure of speech? She actually had a way to get him the technique?
His eyes lit up.
And then began the long, drawn-out battle of soft persuasion—pleading, reasoning, a bit of shameless clinging—until finally, Sinai sighed in defeat.
"Fine, fine. We'll make it the shadow split body. Just promise me you won't regret it."
"I'll never regret it! Mom, you're the best!" Xia Ji grinned like a child on his birthday.
"Alright then. Let's eat," she said, shaking her head but smiling. In the end… as long as Xia Ji was happy, it didn't matter whether he became a powerful ninja or not.