Chapter 5: Chakra

"Yes, come to the east section of the forest garden behind the orphanage at 5 a.m. tomorrow. And please go and tell your friend at the door that she doesn't have to worry about you," Hiroshi said with a smile.

Kaida was a little confused by what Hiroshi meant, but he soon understood as he took his leave from the caretaker's office and opened the gate. Yomi fell forward, her face as red as a tomato.

With a soft chuckle escaping his mouth, Kaida offered his hand again. "Let's go. I have something important to tell you."

This time, Yomi took his hand, too sheepish to say anything after being found eavesdropping. They made their way toward the general playground and sat on a bench under the shadow of a tree.

"So, why were you eavesdropping on us? Were you worried about me?" Kaida said in a playful tone.

"Who was worried about you, idiot... I was just checking whether you would put the whole blame on me." Being asked a question she was hoping would not come, Yomi reacted aggressively, which only amused Kaida. Seeing this little girl worrying about him so much made him feel happy.

"So why did you try to save me when Suri was trying to bully me? If you don't trust me, then there was no reason for doing that?" Kaida asked, which Yomi couldn't reply to. Finally deciding to stop teasing the girl, Kaida continued.

"Well, putting that aside, I have something to tell you..." Kaida paused, looked toward her eyes, and continued.

"I already unlocked my chakra yesterday when I woke up. It is the thing we sort of need to become a ninja. When Hiroshi-san found out about that, he promised to train me so that I could become a ninja too, and you know what? I will become the strongest ninja in the world!" Kaida said. Since he was already a child, there was no need to maintain any pretense and he could speak his mind.

Kaida expected a shocked, curious, or happy reaction from Yomi, but when he looked at her, he became worried…

Because in place of those expressions, he saw tears in her eyes. Before he could ask what was wrong, she started speaking.

(Kaida's perspective...)

"You liar... When... we promised each other that we would become ninjas together. But now you're going to become one alone and leave me like everyone else. I hate you!"

'Ah, I don't know why, but this is more painful than yesterday's headache. This pain was in my chest.' And before I could think of anything, my mouth started to speak on its own.

"Who said that I am going to become a ninja alone? I am telling you this because you are also going to get training from Hiroshi-san with me, so we can both go to the Ninja academy together."

Hearing this, she asked with a smile, "Really? You're not lying, right?"

Now, with just a smile from Yomi, the pain went away like it never existed in the first place. But now I had to ask the old man for another favor. Well, that aside...

"Of course, I am not lying. After all, I am a man."

"No, you are just a boy," she said with a laugh.

...

After playing for some time, they both went back to the orphanage where Kaida showed his room to Yomi, and both of them decided to use it as their training area.

(No dirty thoughts, guys. They are both just five-year-old children...)

When Yomi went back to her room, Kaida made a run toward Hiroshi's office to ask for another favor. On his way, he remembered advice from his father: 'Son, boys make the worst decisions of their life not for themselves but for a girl, and no matter how much you try to stop yourself, you couldn't change that fact. So if that ever happens to you, live with that decision with a smile.'

"So true," Kaida said.

Knock, knock...

"Uncle, it's me, Kaida. Can I come in?"

"Come in, Kaida. I was waiting for you, and before you ask, yes, you can also bring Yomi with you to training."

For some time, Kaida couldn't speak. When he understood what had happened, he asked, "How did you know that I was going to ask you about this?"

"Hah, boy, I have seen more of life than you. And trust me, your life is going to be a roller coaster ride from now on. Now, if you don't have anything else to ask, you can go back to your work. I am busy."

Kaida simply thanked the old man and went back to his room.

The rest of the day went normally. Suri, after being treated by the nurse, kept avoiding Kaida, but Yomi started to act more friendly, not that Kaida hated it.

…

(At night...)

'Hmm, I was interested in how this chakra would feel, and since I now have access to it, I don't think I can stop myself from trying to use it. So, let's just use it,' Kaida thought and sat in a lotus position and began to concentrate on his breathing while trying to find the position of chakra in his body. After nearly 10 minutes...

Somewhere near the solar plexus, there was a warm feeling. 'I think this is where chakra is stored in our body, so the details of anime were true, and I can trust them to a certain extent. Well, coming back to our main topic, let's try to move it,' he thought.

(After 15 minutes...)

'Hmm, it's more difficult than I thought. Why doesn't it move, even a little? Maybe my method is wrong. I was trying to move my muscles in that area to indirectly move my chakra, but since it is not working, let's try a different approach. Hmm, I can't think of it as a body part since it gets used up and refilled in our body. It is safer to assume it as air?

Let's try it this way. This time, let's try to move it as I am breathing.' Kaida thought and started working toward this idea. This time there was some movement in his chakra reserve—not much, but it was there.

After some time...

'Hmm, there is some movement in my chakra reserve, but it is more like a vibration than actual movement. Well, since I tried everything I could think of, tomorrow I'll just ask the old man about this,' he thought and went for his much-needed sleep.

***

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