Obtaining the Badge!

A few days after the tournament, on May 1st, Kaizen stood in front of Principal Kamiko in a small, formal ceremony. The room was filled with a select group of instructors and high-ranking academy officials.

Principal Kamiko stepped forward, her expression warm and proud. "Kaizen, today we honor your achievements and acknowledge your exceptional performance thus far," she began. Her voice carried a tone of genuine admiration.

"Your victories in the tournament were remarkable, showcasing not only skill but also an ability to adapt to different opponents as well as your composure under pressure."

Kaizen listened attentively, not having expected such a ceremony for receiving his badge. Principal Kamiko continued, "But your success is not limited to the tournament or practical exams. You have also demonstrated academic excellence, achieving perfect scores on all quizzes, including the recent exam from yesterday."

The gathered audience nodded in agreement, murmurs of approval spreading through the room. Principal Kamiko gestured towards a small, ornate box held by one of the instructors. "It is my honor to present you with the Rank 1 Class A badge of the first years," she announced, taking the badge from the box and handing it to Kaizen.

Kaizen accepted the badge with a deep bow, understanding that this was a big deal within the academy. The badge was beautifully crafted, a physical representation of his hard work and potential.

Principal Kamiko smiled warmly at him. "With this badge comes access to many opportunities such as advanced resources, training programs, mentorship opportunities, and many more. We believe in your potential, Kaizen, and we look forward to seeing you become a shinobi"

As Kaizen attached the badge to his uniform, the room erupted into applause. The benefits and responsibilities of this new rank were immense, and he was ready to embrace them.

Returning to class after the ceremony, Kaizen immediately noticed the changes in the room. Several familiar faces were missing, having been transferred out after the 1-month evaluation deemed them not fit for Class A. The absence of these students created a quieter, more focused atmosphere.

In their place, a few new faces appeared. These new students wore badges from their previous class grades, indicating they were undergoing a 1-month evaluation to determine if they could remain in Class A.

Kaizen observed them with curiosity, recognizing the blend of nervousness and determination in their expressions. They appeared eager to prove themselves worthy of their class advancement.

'I suppose this also works to keep students competitive with one another. After seeing the benefits of the different classes now, students of this year will most likely work much harder than before. If that's the case, then the upper year students are probably a lot more advanced than they would have been in the series. Those fourth year students I fought last month must've been towards the bottom of Classes Q-Z.'

As Kaizen took his seat, his classmates couldn't help but react to his new Rank 1 badge. Whispers and murmurs filled the room, a mixture of admiration and envy.

"Wow, he really did it," one student whispered, eyes wide with awe.

"He aced everything, both the tournament and the exams," another added, shaking their head in disbelief.

Kaizen acknowledged their comments with a humble nod, offering a kind smile. He knew that this attention was part of the territory, but he wanted to ensure that his success didn't create unnecessary tension or ill feelings.

The reasoning behind this is pretty easy to understand. There is simply no telling where his classmates might end up in life, whether dead, alive, strong, weak, or resourceful. Because of this, he didn't want to burn any bridges unnecessarily unless provoked. Until he became truly powerful, having as many different opportunities as possible to gain strength would be his best course of action.

Rina, who had always been competitive, eyed him with a mixture of envy and grudging respect. "I guess I'll have to work even harder now," she said, crossing her arms.

Kaizen smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear that, Rina."

Throughout the day, Kaizen continued to engage with his peers, offering encouragement and support. He knew that fostering a positive and collaborative environment was crucial, not just for his own growth, but for the growth of everyone in Class A. He continued to handle the attention with humility, fully aware that such achievements would mean nothing in the long run.

Over the next few days, Kaizen began experimenting with advanced chakra control exercises.

Early one morning during these days of practice, Kaizen stood alone in the training grounds, the first rays of sunlight casting long shadows. He focused intently, visualizing his chakra network and channeling energy through the various pathways he had mapped out.

Last month, Kaizen had figured out where all of his tenketsu points were located. Before moving on, he made sure that he mastered the ability to release chakra from the tenketsu points in his feet and hands, using it to enhance his movements and techniques. This turned out to be quite useful for him in the tournament when defending against Kaito's gentle fist style.

His current training was focused on a new goal: decreasing the time it took to complete a full cycle of his chakra through all 361 tenketsu points in what he referred to as his Chakra Circulation Technique (CCT). While he could already circulate his chakra fully, it still required a few minutes of uninterrupted focus.

Kaizen had a few reasons for wishing to accomplish this. It served as a good way to increase his control, awareness, and affinity with his own chakra. The faster he could circulate the chakra, the better his control would be and the easier it would be to call upon it whenever or however he wished.

Although he had not confirmed it yet, Kaizen also felt that doing this would increase the ease in which he would be able to mold his chakra for various jutsu. There was also speculation on his part that mastering the circulating of his chakra would allow him to break out of genjutsu with ease, but he would be sure to test it in the future to confirm.

Sweat trickled down his forehead as he maintained his concentration. He felt the chakra flow more smoothly, circulating through each tenketsu point with increasing efficiency.

By the end of the week, Kaizen had made good progress. He could now complete the full circulation faster than before, taking only a couple of minutes, though he knew there was still a lot of room for improvement.

Happy with his progress in that area, Kaizen decided to take on another challenge to test and possibly improve his current level of chakra control: tree climbing. He knew that learning to walk up trees was a fundamental exercise for improving chakra control.

Selecting a tall, sturdy tree in the training grounds, Kaizen focused chakra into his feet. With a deep breath, he took his first step onto the trunk. His foot stuck firmly, and with a sense of confidence, he continued upward. Each step was steady, his chakra control unwavering.

In a matter of moments, Kaizen reached one of the higher branches and, with a deft movement, flipped himself to stand upside down on it. The blood rushed to his head, but he maintained his balance effortlessly, feeling the chakra flowing steadily through his feet, keeping him securely attached to the branch.

Deciding to push his limits, Kaizen chose to stay in this position and perform as many cycles of his chakra as possible while remaining attached to the tree. He closed his eyes, focusing inward. The familiar path of chakra through all 361 tenketsu points began, each cycle becoming smoother as he adjusted to the dual challenge of maintaining his grip and circulating his energy.

As Kaizen began using the CCT, he noticed the previous feeling of blood rushing to his head receding. This intrigued him, leading him to ponder the connection between chakra and blood. Other than the fact that chakra pathways essentially run alongside blood vessels within the body, he wondered if there was a deeper interaction between the two systems. Perhaps the control of chakra could influence blood flow in more ways than he had previously considered.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he concentrated, the strain of maintaining the chakra flow and his position was testing his limits. Yet, he persisted, feeling his control slowly grow more refined with each passing minute. The combination of physical exertion and chakra manipulation honed his skills in a way he hadn't anticipated.

By the time Kaizen descended from the tree, he had completed numerous cycles of his chakra, each one slowly becoming more efficient than the last. The exercise had not only solidified his ability to walk up trees but had also improved his overall chakra control.

Satisfied with his progress, he began walking to his dorm while thinking about the next step.

It didn't take long for him to decide to move on to water walking. After some rest and a quick meal, he headed to a nearby lake, its calm surface providing a suitable starting point.

Standing at the water's edge, he focused chakra into his feet, feeling the familiar sensation of energy coursing through him. He took a cautious step onto the surface, feeling the resistance of the water beneath him.

His previous mastering of the ability to release chakra from all tenketsu points in his feet paid off immediately. Kaizen found that maintaining his balance on the water's surface came naturally. With each step, his confidence grew, and within a short time, he could walk and even run across the lake with ease.

Encouraged by his swift mastery of the lake, Kaizen decided to take on a greater challenge: walking on a river. The flowing water would require a lot more skill and precise chakra control. He approached the river, the sound of rushing water filling his ears. Taking a deep breath, he focused chakra into his feet once more and stepped onto the moving water.

The increased difficulty was immediately apparent. The flow of the river pushed against his feet, demanding more refined control. Yet, Kaizen's prodigious talent in chakra control shone through. After about 5-10 minutes of adjusting his chakra output and adapting to the river's currents, he could reliably walk on the river's surface.

However, running and standing still on the river proved more challenging. Kaizen spent nearly an hour fine-tuning his chakra flow, learning to maintain his balance while in motion and when stationary. The constant movement of the water beneath his feet required continuous adjustments, testing his focus and control.

By the end of his practice session, Kaizen could walk, run, and stand still on the river's surface with proficiency. It would still require a lot of consistent training before he would feel comfortable being able to do it instinctively, but he was very satisfied with his current level of chakra control.

'The more I train, the more I believe that retaining the mind I developed throughout my previous life has given me an immense advantage in this world. The memories would be the obvious advantage, but I think that it may have also made my spiritual energy incredibly high which could explain my talent with chakra control.'

Now that the one-month assessment is over for me, I don't have to attend class as strictly as before according to Hiroshi Sensei. He said that so long as I attend for the mandatory lessons and graded assignments then I will be fine. Of course, I also need to keep performing at a high level, but that shouldn't be an issue at this stage.

Since it can now be considered the start of the more individual style training period, Principal Kamiko wanted to meet with me tomorrow to discuss my plans.

Kaizen's thoughts then wandered to the list of privileges and generous stipend he received at his dorm on the day he got his badge. There were several things he wished to make use of, but he managed to stop himself, deciding it best to wait until his discussion with the principal before making his own choices.