Chapter 5: Ways To Get Stronger

As Satoshi lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind churned with thoughts of becoming stronger. Despite all the training he had been doing, he still felt limited. His progress, while steady, wasn't enough to satisfy his growing hunger for strength. Then, amidst his reflections, an idea sparked—fuinjutsu. He had read about it before. In the world of Naruto, fuinjutsu had proven to be an art both feared and revered. Entire clans who specialized in it were so powerful that villages had resorted to drastic measures to eliminate them. If it was potent enough to terrify even the strongest ninja, perhaps it could be the key to unlocking his potential.

But there was a problem. Asking his mother about fuinjutsu directly would raise suspicion. She would wonder where he had learned about such an advanced and specialized technique. He needed a plausible explanation, something that would provide context for his curiosity. After some thought, he devised a plan: he would start visiting the Konoha library after training. Not only would this help him gather more information about fuinjutsu, but it would also give him a valid excuse for his sudden interest.

The next morning, Satoshi's routine remained unchanged. He woke up early, had breakfast, and set off with his mother to the training grounds. Despite the physical toll the training was taking on his young body, his determination only grew stronger each day. He had learned that in Konoha, there were different types of training grounds, each catering to specific skills. Some were dedicated to ninjutsu, others to taijutsu, and still others to specialized forms of training like shuriken practice.

That day, his mother had chosen a taijutsu and shuriken practice ground, a familiar location where they had spent countless hours over the past weeks. Their training started, as usual, with a warm-up: stretching, running, push-ups, and pull-ups for a full hour. The exercises were grueling, but Satoshi never complained. After the warm-up, they moved on to shuriken throwing. Satoshi's accuracy had improved noticeably since the first day, though he was still far from mastering the skill.

Next came chakra control, a critical aspect of any ninja's training. His mother had introduced him to the leaf exercise, where he had to stick a leaf to his forehead using his chakra and hold it there for as long as possible. Although it seemed simple, it demanded intense concentration and subtle manipulation of his chakra flow. After an hour of taijutsu practice, his body felt worn out, but his mother made sure to give him plenty of breaks to prevent exhaustion.

By the time they finished their morning session, it was nearly noon. They sat down for lunch, which his mother had packed before leaving the house. As they ate, Satoshi's mind wandered back to his plan. He knew that after training, he would have the perfect excuse to visit the library. His curiosity was burning, but he also wanted to make sure his mother didn't suspect anything out of the ordinary.

After a short rest, they resumed training, repeating the exercises until the late afternoon. By the time they wrapped up for the day, Satoshi's body ached from head to toe. His mother, sensing his fatigue, decided to call it a day, reminding him that rest was just as important as training. Satoshi couldn't agree more. The exhaustion was overwhelming, and the thought of a quiet evening was tempting.

However, he had other plans.

As they headed home, Satoshi mentioned casually, "I was thinking of stopping by the library for a while. I want to learn more about the history of Konoha, and I thought it might help with my studies at the academy."

His mother smiled, pleased with his initiative. "That's a great idea, Satoshi. Just don't overwork yourself. You've had a long day already."

He nodded, his heart racing with anticipation. After freshening up and having a quick snack at home, Satoshi made his way to the Konoha library.

The library was an impressive structure, large and imposing, with rows upon rows of neatly organized scrolls and books. It was divided by rank—civilian, genin, chunin, and jounin sections, each with increasingly advanced materials. Being a civilian, Satoshi was restricted to the lower section, but even there, he found a wealth of knowledge. As he wandered through the aisles, he marveled at the vastness of the collection.

The library had strict rules: no books or scrolls could be taken outside. Satoshi quickly understood why. If people were allowed to borrow materials, rank restrictions would become meaningless, and valuable knowledge could be shared with anyone, undermining the very structure of the shinobi world. Despite these rules, Satoshi felt a sense of excitement just being surrounded by so much information.

In the civilian section, most of the content was comprised of history books, study guides, and a few E-rank jutsus. He skimmed through a few scrolls, but they didn't hold his interest for long. He already knew that his mom could teach him far more advanced techniques, and for now, she wanted him to focus on chakra control rather than ninjutsu. However, as he delved deeper into the stacks, he stumbled upon a section on fuinjutsu. The material was sparse and mostly theoretical, discussing the applications, potential, and risks of the art. There was no detailed guide on how to learn it, but the little he read confirmed his belief in its power.

After an hour of reading, he headed home, feeling more determined than ever. During dinner, he couldn't resist bringing up the topic. "Mom," he began cautiously, "I read about fuinjutsu in the library today. It sounds really interesting, but I don't know much about it. Do you know anything about it?"

As expected, his mother looked a bit surprised. "Fuinjutsu? It's not something I'm very familiar with," she admitted. "But I do have a friend who used to dabble in it. She's not in the village right now, though. Even if you want to learn it, Satoshi, you'll need to master calligraphy first. Fuinjutsu involves drawing symbols, texts, and intricate seals, and even the smallest mistake can cause the entire jutsu to fail."

Satoshi nodded thoughtfully. He knew it would be difficult, but he had no other option if he wanted to grow stronger. "I understand," he said. "I'll start practicing calligraphy then."

Later that evening, as they sat together, Satoshi's father brought up the progress of their shop's repairs. "Good news," he announced with a smile. "The repairs will be finished in two days. We'll be able to reopen soon."

Satoshi's mother seemed pleased, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. Satoshi noticed immediately. "Mom, is something wrong?"

She sighed softly. "Once the shop is open again, I won't be able to train with you every day like we've been doing. I'll still join you when I can, but I've really enjoyed these past few weeks, training together."

Her words made Satoshi feel both proud and a little sad. He had come to cherish their training sessions as well. But instead of dwelling on the negative, he smiled and said, "It's okay, Mom. I'll keep training hard on my own, and I'll get stronger. I'll protect all of us, so we can always have times like these."

His mother's face lit up with a smile, and she leaned over to hug him. "You're growing up so fast, Satoshi. I'm proud of you."

That night, as Satoshi lay in bed, his body aching from the day's training, he felt a deep sense of purpose. He had a long way to go, but with fuinjutsu on his mind and the determination to become stronger, he knew he was on the right path. Over the next two weeks, his training continued, and though the physical exhaustion was intense, he gradually built up enough energy to start focusing on his long-term goal: mastering fuinjutsu and becoming the ninja he aspired to be.