5 Chapter IV

While I sat in my apartment, engrossed in my studies, I snacked on rice crackers and sipped on cheap instant oolong tea.

I had designated the room I discovered behind the sewer as my secret hideout, but I knew that it wouldn't remain hidden for long if any ninja caught a whiff of it.

The path ahead was blocked by rubble, most likely destroyed when Orochimaru had fled the village, but at least I had an entire section to myself, albeit empty.

For me, it was a place of solace where I could practice without any outside interference. I didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself, especially with dangerous individuals like Danzo, the shadow chuunibyou-x-chin-man of Konoha, lurking in the darkest corners of the village. Unlike Sasuke and Naruto, I didn't have the luxury of VIP protection in the form of Hokage.

That's why I refrained from keeping any notes on me with information I considered as sensitive and relied on my memory to keep all my secrets safe. While the accident in class today could be considered a fluke, I had planned several contingencies in case he noticed me.

I didn't want to be turned into a mindless fanatic fighting for an unworthy cause by that man. Nevertheless, I was grateful to have been born in this village, and not in a place like Suna or Kiri, or God forbid, Ame.

While suffering might be the best motivation for some, it wasn't really my style. I wasn't a hardcore masochist, and I counted myself already blessed with the current circumstances.

Unfortunately, time stopped for no one, and I was in constant state of stress knowing what kind of future lies ahead, and it had created a sense of urgency within me. The leaf splitting incident would be just the first to mark the hallway.

And I couldn't help but feel annoyed by that cursed disembodied voice.

Before long, drowsiness creeping in, and I can't but help myself to settle on my desk as tiredness lulled me to my sleep.

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Suppressing a yawn, I heard the school bell ring, signaling the start of the break between classes. Quickly diving under my desk, I retrieved a thermos of oolong tea and a bundle of rice balls, with a book tucked under my arm.

In a hurry, I rushed out of the classroom and headed towards the stairs leading up to the rooftop. The weather was beautiful today, and I didn't want to waste the opportunity by reading indoors.

As I opened the door to the rooftop, I was greeted by Itachi, a popular Fujoshi favorite, who was having lunch alone.

Feeling pity for him, I ignored him and took a spot on the railing opposite to where he sat.

The book I had brought with me was about the nature of sealing, written by the Uzumaki clan to promote their arts outside their village.

It was written in a simple manner that even I could understand. I realized that spreading such powerful arts was necessary, as not many people knew about it, and it could help decrease fear around Fuinjutsu.

However, the effort didn't bear much fruit, and the Uzumaki clan was now in ruins, with their last known descendant being slowly made into the village enmity punching bag.

I couldn't help but admire the Uzumaki clan and wished that I had been born during their heyday so I could have joined them. Unfortunately, good people seldom lasted in this dog-eat-dog world, much less an entire nation of them.

As I flipped through the pages of the book, chewing on a rice ball, I gained a deeper understanding of the knowledge written within. It felt like I was conversing directly to the writer, and I was delighted that someone was willing to communicate with me.

At times, inspiration would strike, and I would jot down a mental note of the metaphorical kind.

There are a few comments regarding hand-seals when performing techniques, which could also be considered a type of seal. If a seal is required to execute basic ninja techniques, then it is sensible to study this slowly declining art.

This technique involves self-hypnosis or convincing oneself to create a phenomenon. Although not directly stated, this is one of the pieces of information that I have gathered.

If we consider it, it is unlikely that techniques or hand-seals existed during the era of the Sage of Six Paths. In the anime, Naruto was able to become a sage without performing a hand-seal, but instead, he did it through meditation.

This is my personal theory, and I could be wrong, but it seems that chakra is unnatural to this world. It is an energy force that was brought here by exotic fruit from the cosmos, which converts natural ambient energy as it grows. As a result, chakra is something that humans cannot naturally comprehend, and self-hypnosis in the form of seals and imagery is necessary to use it. This is a limitation.

But then how would you explain that ninja and their chakra technique has become so normal that it has been incorporated to their daily life and is seen as ordinary occurrences. No, there's no proof of that. I don't know what opinion or belief ordinary civilian outside hidden villages have to Ninjas.

If I could bypass this method, I would be able to mold chakra as I please, just like the alien that cultivates Chakra fruit. However, I realize that I'm speaking tangentially and this theory is closer to a conspiracy. I need to focus on the basics first.

Besides if all it requires are self-hypnosis then you need to factor in variables like genetic and bloodline. Because no matter how perfect you replicate a hand-seal or the transformation chakra ratio, you will never be able to sprout sapling off the ground like the first Hokage did.

Performing a technique requires self-hypnosis, which means to break it I would have to trick myself into believing it in order to bypass it. But if that's the case, then it's just a never-ending cycle of tricking myself for the sake of tricking.

I think I've arrived to a wrong conclusion.

It's a difficult concept to grasp, so I'll set it aside for now and come back to it later in hopes of gaining a breakthrough.

Most Fuinjutsu were performed by writing Kanji script on an object's surface. But I wonder if it has to be Kanji? If I believe in it enough, the desired phenomenon should occur. This is the basis of my theory.

I remember in another show, incantations were performed using words or by drawing magical fonts in the air. Could I substitute them with chakra since it's fundamentally not much different?

I take a bite of my rice ball, focus my chakra at the tip of my finger, and draw the elder futhark rune for "fire." The air shimmers a bit, but nothing noteworthy happens.

I try again, compounding it with the imagery and sensation of fire burning my body since it's the strongest sensation I could evoke, and I want the effect to manifest.

To my surprise, a bout of fire erupts from thin air, following the trail of chakra. I yelped in pain as the wildfire tries to burn my fingertip. I stop the flow of chakra immediately, fearful of what could happen if I don't.

Lost in my world, I almost forgot that Itachi was sitting in the corner. With nothing else to do he was observing me and I feel the heat creeping up to my face for being such a dolt and I excused myself from the rooftop.

Class is starting soon.

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Kato-sensei's class today was interesting enough for me to listen. "There are twelve basic hand seals that every ninja should know," he explained. "Hand seals are essential for performing techniques like Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. They help you gather and mold your chakra as you execute your technique."

One student asked, "Sensei, what's stopping us from skipping hand seals altogether if we can mold chakra without their help?"

"That's an excellent question," Kato-sensei replied. "A skilled ninja can mold their chakra even without the aid of hand seals. For example, the third Hokage could manipulate various elemental techniques with a single hand seal. But why can't you do the same? Because your body isn't trained to do so. Molding chakra isn't as simple as imagining it."

I interrupted his explanation and went into my own world. I realized that to perform a technique, you need the correct chakra ratio or the technique will fail or even backfire. That's why hand seals are necessary. Executing techniques is rigorous and unforgiving.

My attempt to use foreign runes instead of Kanji or oriental esoteric symbols was no different. The runes exploded on my face, just like a technique would if it failed. Hand seals are used to mold chakra, but they are not the only tool for forming it. My attempt with the runes proves that visualization also aids in chakra formation.

It's similar how a craftsman would when shaping their clay mold, he can't just magically will them into the shape he desired.

There's no shortcut but at least this should help me if someday I learned new technique or attempt to create new one.

While annoyed I don't understand why can't I manipulate chakra as freely, I accepted the rationalization for now, and returned to listening Kato-sensei lectures.

The bell rang again, and it was a signal for us to return to our home. Most of other children were gathering with their clique and discussing the plan they have after this. I'm getting used to the loneliness.

I bolted out the door and find myself wandering around the village.