Chapter 56: Green Chakra

Araki suddenly remembered how Might Dai had done push-ups earlier.

His entire body was tense, forming a straight line.

It looked naturally graceful and had a strong sense of athleticism.

"Teacher Dai, when you were doing push-ups just now, were you using core strength?" Araki asked, his breath becoming rapid. He had never deeply thought about this before.

After all, before he was transported to this world, Araki was not someone who specialized in physical training. He had only done push-ups during physical education classes in school, and back then, he didn't understand the proper form or pay attention to which parts of the body were exerting force.

"That's right!" Might Dai nodded with satisfaction. He looked at Araki with a hint of surprise in his eyes. These things about utilizing core strength were taught to him by his father, but he didn't understand them at the time. It was only through years of practice that he gradually grasped these concepts.

Now, he had only said a few words to Araki, and the boy had already grasped the concept and provided feedback. Whether Araki had already learned to utilize core strength or not, it was evident that he understood the idea.

Such strong understanding ability!

Might Dai silently praised in his heart. He had encountered prodigies before, but he had an instinctive belief that those who were willing to learn Taijutsu must have some difficulties in their studies.

Judging from his age, this disciple seemed to be attending the Ninja Academy and appeared to have a sharp mind. He truly was a rare and outstanding disciple.

"If you observed my training just now, you might think that I used my fingers to exert force and lift my entire body," Might Dai said with a teasing smile. "But that's not the case. My fingers didn't move at all; they simply provided support, just like my palms and forearms."

"Now, do you think I relied on the upper body's strength to support myself?"

Might Dai chuckled playfully. He couldn't quite explain why, but he felt extremely comfortable in his heart while teaching Araki. It made him not want to hide anything, but rather earnestly pass on his knowledge.

The only issue was that his way of expression wasn't as articulate as a teacher from the Ninja Academy, especially when it came to Taijutsu. He knew many things in his mind but couldn't clearly explain them. After speaking, he always felt that something was lacking.

But these issues were minor.

Might Dai knew he had plenty of patience and would actively encourage Araki. These qualities were enough to compensate for his deficiencies as a teacher.

Most importantly...

Taijutsu training ultimately had to be implemented in practice!

Theoretical knowledge was only for better understanding and providing a clear direction during training, but the actual progress depended on personal effort.

"Hmm..."

Araki furrowed his brows and began to contemplate. This wasn't a performance anymore; he genuinely didn't know. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come here humbly seeking guidance from Might Dai.

"Well, there is a certain amount of strength involved, but it's primarily about support. It relies on the power of the waist and abdominal core region, which then engages the chest and back muscles, followed by the muscles in the arms to perform the push-up motion. And then, the core region drives the muscles in the hips and legs for a straight support!" Araki explained.

"The practice of push-ups may appear to primarily develop arm strength, but in reality, it still develops core strength."

"Only when the core is strong enough will the body become strong, and the Taijutsu will become powerful!"

Might Dai continued speaking one sentence after another. His thinking process wasn't very organized, and when explaining, he simply said whatever came to mind without much structure.

"I understand!" Araki nodded immediately. His understanding ability was quite strong, and coupled with his strong desire for physical training, his thirst for knowledge would lead him further ahead.

"Come on, since we've mentioned push-ups, let's start with a set of push-up training."

Might Dai beckoned Araki and led him to an open park.

At this time of day, the sky was gradually darkening, and there were few people passing by on the roadside. The children playing in the park had returned home one after another, and the visibility around them decreased. The sporadic chirping of crickets could be heard in the surroundings.

"Today is your first day of training, so I won't demand too much from you. Start with 300 sets of push-ups. If you can't complete them, then run 300 laps with me!" Might Dai grinned and raised his thumb towards Araki.

"Yes!" Araki nodded heavily. He placed his hands on the ground and lowered himself, following the posture instructed by Might Dai. By utilizing the power of his core waist and abdomen, he tightened his entire body into a straight line.

Just this simple posture brought a sense of tension to Araki, and a wave of exhaustion began to emerge.

For now, it was essentially just a plank position.

Next, Araki began incorporating arm movements.

He tried his best not to exert force with his arms but instead used them as support, allowing the core to drive his entire body.

"This..."

Araki repeated the exercise several times, and he began to feel a warm, sour sensation in his waist and abdomen. Beads of sweat the size of beans formed on his forehead.

No way!

Am I this weak?

Did three years of training go to waste?

Araki gritted his teeth and persevered. He believed his physical fitness was still decent. Over the past three years, he had been running or swimming every night, continuously engaging in physical training. He couldn't accept that he couldn't do 300 push-ups.

For a moment,

Araki held on with strong determination.

He controlled his movements to closely resemble Might Dai's, exercising his core strength in a highly standardized posture.

"Hold on! I must hold on!"

Araki clenched his teeth tightly. He could clearly feel the soreness in his waist and abdomen reaching its limit, almost losing sensation. His face turned pale.

Buzz!

Just as Araki was about to reach his limit, his heart suddenly trembled, as if it were about to jump out of his chest. It startled him, making him think he was going to pass out suddenly.

But in the next instant,

A surge of vibrant green chakra gushed out from his heart, spreading throughout his body. Wherever it passed, a cool sensation followed, taking away all fatigue and soreness.

"This... This is... the chakra from the First Hokage's necklace!"

Araki's heart shook violently. The chakra he absorbed from the necklace had circulated through his chakra channels within his body and converged in his heart.

At that time, he didn't think much of it and believed it was over.

However, he didn't expect it to overflow from his heart now, and it began to circulate once again along his chakra channels throughout his body.

"Could it be..."

"As long as I push my body to the limit..."

"Can this green chakra be activated?"

Such a bold idea emerged in Araki's mind, but he didn't have enough data to support it. He would need to test it in subsequent training.

With the boost of this green chakra, Araki suddenly felt light as a feather. The feeling of exhaustion vanished from his body, and his push-up movements became even more precise.