In the study, Taiichi placed the scroll Big Sister Nono had given him on the desk, looking at the other few scrolls already lying there. These were some of the few inheritances his parents had left him. Now that he was officially a student at the Ninja Academy, these ninja-related items, which had been held in trust by the village, were finally returned to him.
His parents had both been Chunin—Civilian Chunin, at that—before they died in battle, so they hadn't left behind much in terms of ninja knowledge. After organizing everything, it amounted to just two scrolls.
One was from his father, containing his personal insights and experiences on learning the Three Basic Jutsu (Clone, Transformation, Substitution). The rest of that scroll detailed two C-rank Fire Style jutsu: Flame Bullet and Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Both were foundational Fire Style techniques.
The other scroll was left by his mother. It also contained her notes on the Three Basic Jutsu, along with data and insights on Wind Style: Great Breakthrough. He hadn't expected his mother to be a Wind Style user. Even though she only knew one Wind Style jutsu, it gave Taiichi hope that he might possess a Wind affinity Chakra nature. Wind release was relatively rare in the Leaf Village, with Danzo being its most famous user.
Looking at these two scrolls, seeing the dense marginal notes and the detailed reflections written after every jutsu description, Taiichi could clearly feel the emotions his parents must have felt while writing them.
They must have hoped so desperately to hand these scrolls to him personally, to guide him hand-in-hand as he became a ninja. Tragically, that dream would never come true. Dying young on the battlefield, they could only leave Taiichi to the village and the orphanage. Fortunately, Taiichi had met Nono Yakushi, a responsible director who cared for him. Perhaps their spirits in the Pure Land were watching over him.
Thinking of this, Taiichi wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and pulled himself together. Even if only for the sake of his parents in this life, he had to live well. He would climb step by step to the highest peak and become the strongest person in the ninja world.
With that resolve, Taiichi picked up his father's scroll first and began to read intently. Classes started officially tomorrow, and that was when the Academy teachers would teach the Chakra Refining Technique. Teaching Chakra refining to children before they entered the Academy was prohibited because they were too young; refining Chakra too early could stunt their growth and limit their future potential. Of course, this rule only really applied to civilian kids and orphans like Taiichi.
Ninja clans naturally had their own methods—secret medicines or high-level ninja guardians—to allow their children to refine Chakra early without compromising their future. Otherwise, how could there have been so many child soldiers on the battlefield during the Warring States Period and even in the recent wars?
Reading the scroll in his hand, Taiichi saw that every jutsu was described in excruciating detail. Although he couldn't actually practice performing them yet, he could understand the principles and practice the hand seal sequences for each technique. The goal was to master the seals so that when he could use the jutsu, he could complete them in the shortest time possible.
After finishing his parents' scrolls, he finally picked up the one Nono had given him. Compared to his parents' scrolls, Nono's was undoubtedly far more valuable. Even in the Leaf Village, medical ninjutsu wasn't something just anyone could learn. Without a certain level of talent, contribution points, or connections, you wouldn't even know where to start.
The content of this scroll was incredibly comprehensive. It could take a complete medical novice and guide them step-by-step to becoming a full-fledged medical ninja. It included the C-rank Healing Jutsu, the B-rank Delicate Illness Extraction Technique and Mystical Palm Technique, and the A-rank Chakra Scalpel. These jutsu were the standard toolkit for a high-level medical ninja. Taiichi was willing to bet that not even every official doctor at the Konoha Hospital had mastered all the techniques in this scroll. That alone spoke to its immense value.
After reading through it, Taiichi felt Nono's care for him even more deeply. Thinking of this bond, Taiichi clenched his fist secretly. He absolutely would not let Nono and the orphanage be coerced by Danzo like in the original story.
Checking the time, he realized it was already evening by the time he finished his preliminary read-through of the three scrolls. He whipped up a simple dinner, ate quickly, and then began his final training session of the day: Basic Taijutsu and Basic Meditation.
Speaking of this Taijutsu routine, Taiichi had realized by now that it was largely based on various martial arts he knew from his past life. After all, while the Naruto world had many powerful moves, when it came to systematic physical training, there wasn't really much documented. The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist might count, but everything else seemed to be just pure physical conditioning and combat techniques. This "Basic Taijutsu," despite its plain name, was incredibly effective. It comprehensively covered the "Practice Method," the "Nurturing Method," and the "Combat Method."
The "Practice Method" focused on building a foundation and improving skill. Through systematic exercise, it strengthened bodily functions, mastered combat techniques, and cultivated internal power.
The "Nurturing Method" used specific techniques to maintain the body, repair wear and tear, balance ki and blood, and increase potential. This was crucial for ninjas. Whether it was training, fighting, or even refining Chakra, everything took a toll on the body. The generally short lifespan of ninjas in the Naruto world was due to the severe wear and tear they endured. The Nurturing Method in Basic Taijutsu perfectly compensated for this deficiency.
The "Combat Method" was practical application—transforming the skills from the Practice Method into actual fighting ability.
> [You practiced Basic Taijutsu. Your comprehension has improved!]
> [Your skill Basic Taijutsu has leveled up. Experience +1]
> [You focused on Basic Taijutsu practice. Civilian Class Experience +1. Since your Civilian Class is at MAX level, you cannot level up further. Please change classes as soon as possible. Accumulated experience will be converted after the class change.]
Training with total focus, a notification appeared every ten minutes. This was the greatest utility of the interface—it allowed Taiichi to clearly understand his progress and feel the joy of every bit of improvement. With this motivation, Taiichi never felt the training was boring; instead, he enjoyed it.
After two hours of Basic Taijutsu training, Taiichi took a short break before starting his Basic Meditation practice.
While Basic Taijutsu focused on the body, Basic Meditation focused on the mind. It significantly increased spiritual power, enhancing mental resilience and intensity. In Naruto, Spirit (or Yin energy) was a vital attribute. It wasn't just about Genjutsu training and resistance; deeper down, it was inseparable from the cultivation of Yin Release Chakra.
Since Taiichi had awakened memories from a past life, his Spirit attribute was already exceptionally high. Training with Basic Meditation made the effects even more pronounced.
> [You practiced Basic Meditation. Your comprehension has improved!]
> [Your skill Basic Meditation has leveled up. Experience +1]
> [You focused on Basic Meditation practice. Civilian Class Experience +1. Since your Civilian Class is at MAX level, you cannot level up further. Please change classes as soon as possible. Accumulated experience will be converted after the class change.]
Another two hours passed. By the time he finished, it was around 11:00 PM. Taiichi quickly washed up, lay in bed, and looked at the panel in his mind.
> Name: Taiichi Matsushita
> Class: Civilian (Level 5 - MAX)
> Talent: Diligence
> Age: 6
> Constitution: 7
> Strength: 9
> Agility: 8
> Spirit: 17
> Attribute Points: 4
> Skill Points: 4
> Skills: Basic Taijutsu Lv6 (113/1000), Basic Meditation Lv6 (754/1000)
> Tip: Learn the Chakra Refining Technique and generate your first bit of Chakra to change your class to "Apprentice Ninja."
> Evaluation: You're an Academy student now. Why haven't you learned the Chakra Refining Technique yet? Do you want to be a civilian forever?
Ignoring the evaluation, he noted his progress. After this period of training, Basic Taijutsu had gone up a level, and Basic Meditation was only about 200 points away from leveling up. Each level-up brought a flood of related insights. This made Taiichi feel that his current Taijutsu skills were no weaker than some freshly minted Genin. What he lacked was likely just combat experience. After all, he had interacted with very few ninjas and didn't have a clear concept of the strength levels of different ranks. This would likely improve once he started school and met more ninjas.
Dreaming of his future, Taiichi slowly drifted off to sleep.