Chapter 4 – Before the Academy
Time never slowed down, not even for those walking the path of shinobi.
By the time the Hiwatari triplets were five years old, their training had entered a new stage — one that brought them closer than ever to becoming real ninja.
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✋ Learning the Foundations – Hand Seals
One morning, their mother Yuki gathered the three brothers in the courtyard. Her expression was calm but serious.
"You've done well with chakra control and physical training," she said, "but it's time to start learning the foundation of every jutsu — hand seals."
She held up her hands and moved her fingers gracefully. "There are twelve basic hand signs every shinobi must know: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Bird, Dog, and Boar."
The boys watched intently as her fingers blurred through the signs.
"These signs shape chakra into ninjutsu," Yuki continued. "But you must first learn the forms perfectly — no jutsu yet. This is about precision and speed."
And so, their new training began. Every day they practiced forming the twelve basic seals, their small fingers stumbling at first but growing more confident over time. They repeated them until their hands ached, until they could form them without thinking.
After a month, all three could perform the basic seals quickly and accurately — not yet at shinobi speed, but far beyond what most five-year-olds could do.
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🗡️ Kunai and Shuriken Basics
Yuki didn't stop there. She set up wooden targets in the backyard and handed each boy a pouch.
"These," she said, "are your first weapons. Kunai and shuriken. A ninja who can't aim is a dead ninja."
At first, the weapons clattered uselessly against the ground or missed the targets by a wide margin. But Yuki was patient, correcting their stances and grip. She taught them how to breathe, how to throw with their whole body, and how to control their strength.
Day after day, they trained under her watchful eye. And day by day, the dull thud of missed throws was replaced by the satisfying thwack of steel striking wood.
By the end of another month, they could hit targets with impressive accuracy — and even throw while moving.
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⚡ Elemental Training – Leaf and Stick Exercises
With their chakra control already refined from tree and water walking, the triplets were ready for their first elemental nature exercises.
"Elemental control starts small," Yuki explained. "Before you create powerful jutsu, you must understand how your chakra interacts with the world."
Each of them focused on their elemental affinity:
Yuva, with lightning, started the leaf crumbling exercise — pouring lightning chakra into a dry leaf until it disintegrated.
Tenzo, with wind, practiced the leaf cutting exercise — slicing a leaf cleanly with sharp chakra flow.
Daichi, with fire, worked on the leaf burning exercise — igniting it without actual flame.
At first, nothing happened. The leaf remained whole. Days turned into weeks, but they refused to give up.
Then, one by one, they succeeded.
The leaf in Yuva's palm turned to dust with a faint crackle.
A clean cut split Tenzo's leaf in half.
A wisp of smoke rose as Daichi's leaf blackened and burned.
Yuki nodded approvingly. "Good. Now increase the difficulty."
They moved on to larger leaves, then thin sticks. It was harder — the material was tougher, requiring finer chakra control. Again, they struggled. Again, they adapted. And again, they triumphed.
After two months, they could crumble, cut, and burn thin sticks with ease.
After three months, they did the same with thicker pieces of wood. Their chakra flowed faster, sharper, and stronger than ever before.
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📈 Mastering the Basics
Six months passed since they began this new training phase. By now:
They could perform all twelve hand signs quickly and precisely.
Their kunai and shuriken accuracy had improved dramatically.
Their elemental control had reached the point where they could affect wood, not just leaves.
Their chakra molding speed had increased to the level of fresh genin.
Even Yuki, who had seen countless students grow into shinobi, was impressed. "You three," she said one evening, watching them train under the fading sunlight, "are far ahead of where most are at your age. But never let that make you arrogant."
The boys nodded silently. They understood. This was only the beginning.
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🎓 The Path Ahead – Academy Awaits
By the end of their fifth year, they were no longer clumsy toddlers. They were shinobi-in-training — their bodies strong, their minds focused, and their chakra honed.
Their days were a blur of training:
Mornings spent running laps and doing push-ups.
Afternoons filled with weapon drills and elemental exercises.
Evenings practicing hand signs until their fingers cramped.
Each night, they collapsed into bed exhausted — and each morning, they woke ready to do it again.
And finally, the day arrived.