Chapter Two: Nature's Calling

Yuto POV

One week was how long it took for my adaptation to kick in my normal routine at the academy training grounds has now increased to a hundred of each exercise, three extra laps around the field, which is then followed with the constant kata repetition of my preferred fighting style, and then I applied the same thing with my ninjato. 

"Let's see if remember correctly the tree walking exercise is performed by focusing a fixed amount of chakra to the bottom of one's feet and using that to climb a tree without using one's hands.

If the stream of chakra is too weak, you'll lose your footing on the tree and fall off. If it is too strong, the user will be pushed away from the tree, causing the tree to fracture around the point of contact and the user will fall," I muttered recalling the wave arc episode where team 7 learns chakra control from Kakashi. 

With a steady breath, I began focusing my chakra feeling it gather and pool at the soles of my feet like a wellspring of energy waiting to be unleashed. I approached the tree making sure to keep all other thoughts or emotions out of my mind.

"Well here goes nothing," I said placing a foot on the tree...it stuck good now for the other I thought placing my left foot with the right alright now that one is also attached.

Slowly I began to climb up a bit shaky though but still it was something I thought increasing my walking pace "and here I thought it would be a lot more difficult hahaha," I chuckled feeling more confident. 

I ran up and down doing various acrobatic flips "let's make this a bit more challenging shall we," I mutter grabbing a bunch of leaves off the tree and stuck them onto my body while I started running up on the tree once more.

This continued until the afternoon arrived, I lay my head against the tree I was resting on recovering from my long morning activity.

The orange glaze of the sun of shone onto my face as I stared at it my eyes close entering a deep state of meditation that I use to help calm my bodies emotions down. 

Suddenly I felt like I was being embraced by something relaxing causing the tensions in my muscles to loosen. This feeling it was like hugging my mother I thought leaning further into whatever it was that I sensed. 

Unknown to me the trees and grass around me began to glow an emerald, green color which caused them to grow bigger. The one tree I was leaning suddenly sprouted wood wrapping around my torso thus trapping me in a hug like pose. 

The energy that was embracing me was all too eager to return my own embrace purring in content it spoke to me through its gestures that I was able to somehow understand.

It introduced themselves as nature itself they had responded to my presence because of how similar I was to Hashirama Senju but it could tell my connection with them was far stronger than his. 

I asked it if they could teach me any of the woodstyle techniques that Hashirama could use since I didn't know how to use woodstyle chakra much less have any technique scrolls to work off on. 

It remained silent for a while until they agreed just as long as I remained dedicated to their learning then they would be more than happy to train me. 

I accepted their condition since I have a lot of time to train however much I wanted without the interference of the matron. They then released me from their embrace and said to come tomorrow since they needed to think up a schedule of their own. 

Nodding I give a mental goodbye and slowly open my eyes once again "...wow so that's what being connected with nature feels like incredible," I murmur to myself. 

Moving my arms I try to stand up from my position only to realize that I was being restricted by a bunch of tree branches "when did these grow out?" I question wondering on how I should get out from this. 

I glanced around assessing the situation the branches had grown so intricately around me that it was almost like a cocoon. Flexing my muscles I tested the strength of the wood, but it held firm. 

"Alright let's see if I can do this," I murmured focusing my chakra into my arms I visualized the branches loosening and releasing me.

Slowly I felt the wood responding the branches shifting slightly encouraged I poured more chakra into the effort feeling the energy flow through me and into the wood.

The branches began to recede unwinding and freeing me from their grasp. With a final push of chakra, I was able to step away from the tree now unbound. I stretched feeling the stiffness in my muscles ease up "thanks," I said patting the tree trunk and return the tree responded back with a gentle hum of acknowledgment. 

It was a rather bizarre experience not going to lie it's no wonder Hashirama liked meditating so much if that's what he felt every time he meditated in the woods "still have some time may as well check up on how my ninjutsu is," I said. 

"Let's start with the clone jutsu," I said forming the necessary hand seals concentrating my chakra I visualized an illusionary copy of myself appearing next to me "clone jutsu!"

A puff of smoke later a duplicate of myself stood by my side it was a bit fuzzy around the edges, but it was a solid attempt. I practiced the technique repeatedly until my clone finally looked a bit more indistinguishable from the original.

Satisfied with my progress I moved on to the transformation jutsu this technique required precise control over one's chakra to change appearance. I decided to transform into my adult self from my past life as that was the only image I could perfectly visualize "transformation jutsu!" I called out. 

In an instant I felt my form shift looking into the reflective surface of my ninjato I saw that I had successfully taken on the appearance of my adult self "I don't need to practice this jutsu much since I can do it with no problems...although I could try and figure out how to do it without seals," I mutter in thought. 

I turned my attention over to the substitution jutsu now this technique was one that I would be relying on for the rest of my life as it was a literal life saver. If an enemy ninja were to try and kill me, I could easily just substitute with a piece of wood or with whatever catches my eye, but I want to do the jutsu till the point where my body does it just by instinct alone.

My eyes scanned around until they found a piece of wood carefully extending a string of chakra to the wood I called out "substitution jutsu!" and with a large poof of smoke I switched places with the piece of wood appearing where the piece of wood was "man I wish I could keep training a bit more but the sun's starting to go down," I said with a small amount of disappointment. 

Suddenly my stomach grumbled "I am kind of craving for some pocky right now I wonder if the village marketplace has any?" I question with a watery mouth imagining a box of green tea pocky.

Deciding to indulge my craving I left the training ground and made my way towards the village marketplace.

The air was cooling down as the sun dipped below the horizon casting a warm glow over the streets. The marketplace was lively filled with vendors shouting out their wares and a small few of villagers bustling about.

Navigating through the crowd I kept an eye out for a snack stall after a few minutes of searching, I found a small shop selling various sweets and snacks. My eyes immediately sharpened locking onto the last green tea flavored box of pocky displayed on the counter mine I thought. 

Going up to the stall I reach up to grasp it only for my hand to clash up against one that was much slenderer and feminine I turn my gaze to my right only to see a rather familiar black-haired girl. 

Uchiha...Sarada I thought as the two of us glared at each other. 

-end of chapter two-

Next chapter the fight over the last pocky who wins Uchiha or Senju.