Chapter 18: Amazing Gift

I had made significant strides in my training, particularly in physical conditioning. I recently upgraded my weights from 25 kg to 50 kg, pushing my limits even further. It wasn't an easy decision, but I felt it was necessary to challenge myself more if I wanted to improve my strength and endurance. The owner of the shop was quite kind and offered to buy back my old 25 kg weights, which made the financial transition a bit smoother. I was grateful for that, as every bit helped me afford the new weights.

As my accuracy with shuriken and other techniques improved, I noticed an interesting trend: the cost of fuinjutsu techniques decreased. This was a welcome surprise, as it allowed me to save some money for additional training resources and tools. However, as I began learning new seals, I found that the costs had increased again.

This fluctuation in costs left me wondering if it would be a recurring theme. Would every advancement in my skills come with higher expenses as I delved deeper into more complex techniques? It was a frustrating thought, but I knew that the journey of a shinobi was filled with challenges, both physical and financial.

Despite the concerns about costs, I was determined to continue my training and push through any obstacles. Each new seal I learned brought with it the promise of greater power and understanding of fuinjutsu. I just had to be resourceful and plan my expenditures wisely to ensure I could keep up with my training without falling behind financially.

My birthday has just passed, and it was a memorable occasion. My parents overjoyed with my progress, so they decided to throw a party and invite some friends. I couldn't help but feel that, in part, they wanted to boast about their hardworking son to their acquaintances. This notion didn't bother me; in fact, I felt quite happy knowing that my achievements brought them joy. It was heartwarming to see how proud they were of me, and I could feel the unwavering support they provided.

As the party began, I felt like the star of the event. We had so much fun! I played with other kids, and it was wonderful to see their excitement, especially those who were planning to start the academy in the this year. I could sense the admiration from my parents' friends, who were keenly asking for advice from my parents about how I had made such impressive strides in my training. My parents did their best to offer guidance, sharing their insights with anyone who asked.

Towards the end of the party, something unexpected happened. My mom surprised me with a scroll. I opened it with great anticipation and discovered it was a D-rank scroll containing the Body Flicker Jutsu! I was astonished; just a few months ago, I had asked my mom how I could improve my speed, as I believed speed was the ultimate weapon for any ninja. At the time, she had told me she didn't know how to increase my speed since she wasn't particularly fast herself.

Now, here I was, holding a scroll that could solve my problem. I knew that a scroll like this wasn't cheap, and I was filled with a wave of gratitude as I considered how my parents managed to acquire it despite the financial burden of my training. I was on the verge of tears, overwhelmed by their generosity and love.

As I looked up at my mom and dad, they hugged me tightly and simply said, "Happy Birthday." That moment was priceless. Tears streamed down my face as I embraced them back, feeling a deep sense of appreciation for everything they had done for me. Their support and belief in my abilities meant the world to me, and I couldn't wait to put the Body Flicker Jutsu to use.

It had been two months since my birthday, and now I had two new training partners joining me. One of them was a boy named Monu Yoko, who had short brown hair, brown eyes, and a slightly chubby physique. The other was a girl named Akira Loko, who sported blonde hair, large glasses, and a rather frail body. At first glance, it was evident that neither of them had engaged in any serious training prior to this. 

They were children of my father's friend, who had asked my father for the favour of training their kids, so they could get good scores in academy exam. They were also present on each of our celebrations so i was quite familiar with them. So when my father asked me, If it will be alright i quickly accepted.

Since I already knew their names from our previous interactions, I felt comfortable asking them what motivated them to become ninjas. Their responses were strikingly similar. Both Monu and Akira came from families of civilians with typical, everyday jobs. They each had older siblings who had graduated from the academy but hadn't found strength in their ninja skills; instead, they were settling into regular careers. In a world where finding stable, good employment was often a challenge, it was no wonder they aspired to be ninjas.

The allure of being a ninja, despite its dangers, was palpable to them. If they could become strong, they believed it would not only grant them a good reputation but also financial stability—something their families desperately needed. I could empathize with their situation. Unlike them, my family was faring well, but I understood that for ordinary civilians, the path to success was fraught with obstacles.

For many families like theirs, the lack of access to ninja training before entering the academy often resulted in disappointing exam scores. Thus getting lower level education, Resulting in getting lower level sensi after graduation. The village could also not be blamed, Constantly surrounded by the threat of war they didn't have the resources to tackle this problem. This pattern perpetuated a cycle of mediocrity, where only a few exceptional kids—those who worked incredibly hard or possessed innate talent—could overcome the odds. In light of this, I recognized that Monu and Akira were lucky to have the opportunity to train with someone like me, even if I was still a beginner myself.

Without wasting any time, I devised a training plan tailored for them. I kept it simple, ensuring it was suitable for their first foray into training. Unlike me, they were still young children and didn't have the same level of motivation that I possessed. I wanted to ensure they could enjoy the training experience while gradually building their strength and skills.

I began with some basic exercises to help them build their stamina and strength. We started with warm-up routines and light stretching to get their bodies accustomed to physical activity. Then, we moved on to simple drills, focusing on basic techniques that would lay the foundation for their ninja training. I didn't made them practice chakra control as the time was limited and their goal was to get good grades in academy exam, Which does not have a test for chakra control

As the training progressed, I also began training in Body Flicker Jutsu! thinking after yellow flash there will be black lightning.