Chương 323: CH_9.8 (323)

Takuma was stressed. Not only did he have Might Gai at his promotion ceremony, but the Hokage himself was coming to attend. It was supposed to be a low-key event he could enjoy with the people he was close to, but it turned into something high-profile in an instant.

"Look at you, so nervous." Mikoto ruffled his hair when she heard him sigh.

"Of course I am! Lord Hokage is coming here!" said Takuma, feeling the jitters. After living in the world for four years, his perception of many things had changed drastically. The man portrayed as a grandfather figure to Naruto and seemed to be easily accessible at the mission desk handing out D-rank missions was a military leader who controlled a vast shinobi army. One of the most powerful men in history, and would never be found at the mission desk.

"There's no need to be stressed, Takuma," Maruboshi tried to calm him down.

"Lord Hokage is not an unreasonable man; as long as you act with respect, there's nothing to worry about."' Easy for you to say,' thought Takuma. Maruboshi had served under three different Hokage and would have been a jōnin if he didn't continue to deny promotions. He was well-acquainted, if not outright friends, with the Third Hokage. He glanced at Might Gai, chatting with Doctor Oishi, Taro's dad, a Tokubetsu Jōnin, who had attained jōnin level skill in iryōjutsu.

Taro stood beside his dad, listening to their conversation, looking utterly uninterested.

"You like him, huh? Might Gai, that is," Mikoto commented.

"Huh? Well, yes..." Despite not being a huge fan of the source material, he enjoyed it enough to finish it, and Might Gai was one of his favourite characters. His personality was charismatic, he had a unique flair, was a genuinely nice person, and he gained his strength through pure effort and hard work. There was nothing to dislike in the best way possible.

"Why not go ask him for advice?" said Mikoto.

"Eh, but—" She cut him off.

"Come on, talk to him before the Lord Hokage arrives. You won't have a chance after that," she urged him. Takuma, getting pushed, walked toward Gai. In the moment, he understood the feelings of fans when they approached celebrities for pictures and autographs. He had interacted with jōnin before, but he always had a reason to do so; this felt different and made him nervous.

"Ah, Takuma. Congratulations on your success," said Doctor Oishi with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," Takuma smiled before turning to Gai.

"Sir, I was wondering if I could get some advice."

"What sort of advice?" asked Gai. As a jōnin, he was used to other shinobi coming to him for advice.

"I currently have an energy imbalance condition. My physical energy levels lack behind my spiritual energy. Seeing as you are a taijutsu specialist, you must be knowledgeable about body strengthening and conditioning."

"Oh my," Doctor Oishi commented from the side.

"What should I do to bridge the gap?" Takuma asked sincerely.

"You are using weighted gear, aren't you?" asked Gai, surprising him.

"Y-Yes! How did you know?"

"I could tell," said Gai before asking for more details.

"You're already on the right path; just keep doing that. The key is not to get comfortable; the moment you feel half-comfortable with the burden on your body, increase the weight. Repeat the process until you reach your limit—but do not overdo it and get injured." Takuma nodded with all the seriousness of a soldier receiving orders.

"Now, listen carefully because this is important. To get the most out of this training, you must understand there's more to it than just how much your body can bear. You have to pull the most out of your body's potential—train your speed, explosiveness, agility, flexibility, endurance, durability—hit every aspect you can as often as possible." According to Gai, a targeted approach was better if he was training his body to suit a specific combat style.

For example, focusing on speed and agility was the better option when training for a combat style that revolved around swiftness. However, for building physical energy levels, a balanced approach was the best option to pull the most out of the body's potential.

"Another thing you can do is to use chakra. It's not as rewarding, but frankly, it gives the most when you think about how low-effort it is," said Gai with a shrug.

"The more you use chakra, the more you will have of it."

"To provide some medical context," Doctor Oishi chimed in.

"If you use up all your chakra every day—not enough to cause chakra exhaustion, of course—eventually your body will notice and try to give you access to more chakra to stop you from repeatedly approaching chakra exhaustion. And in your condition, it will make that possible by boosting your physical energy. Of course, it's not magic, so it won't produce physical energy out of nowhere—but it will slightly improve the results of the training and effort."

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. There were a dozen more factors that affected how much Takuma would be able to get out of the methods. He was young, and that meant he was still growing, which meant that he would see benefits for at least another seven to eight years—but his youth also meant that his body was underdeveloped, so he had to wait for it to mature before he could push himself past some limits.

"Finally, here's a piece of advice," said Gai.

"You must learn how to use the extra power as your body grows stronger. Your body is the tool—a stronger body means a better tool—however, you're wasting it away if you don't learn how to use it properly, so understand your body's capabilities and limits—what it can or cannot do."

"I must admit, I have spent more time in the hospital than I have done on field and combat training combined, and from the looks of it, my son will spend more time behind a desk," said Doctor Oishi, ruffling patting Taro's shoulder, who looked embarrassed.

"The Academy teaches the Hidden Leaf Kata. I know there are these dojos around the villages that teach different taijutsu styles—do you have a recommendation for a dojo that can teach him?" Every Leaf shinobi knew the Hidden Leaf kata because it was taught in the academy. Gai pursed his lips.

"A kata is a philosophy or principles that guide a shinobi's combat style. It can be as simple as preferring feet over fists or something as broad as Uchiha building their style around counter-offence. The Hidden Leaf kata was developed as a learning platform and thus favoured balance—it was made to teach children how to use their bodies to fight. It's a splendid creation, but shinobi are supposed to change and adapt it to meet their requirements and preferences." Takuma nodded.

He learned the Hidden Leaf kata mostly from Maruboshi, which was different from what he learned in the academy as the kata had changed and developed since Maruboshi had learned it in his childhood. Moreover, Maruboshi had altered the kata into something he thought suitable for teaching Takuma—who himself had changed it to the point that it couldn't even be called the Hidden Leaf kata. His time in the Ring had changed how he fought.

If someone looked close enough, they would see the roots of the Hidden Leaf Kata, but it had become something completely different. Now, he was trying to change it even more to get rid of the bad habits that he had ingrained into his style.

"... These dojo all have their own principles. I think they have immense value in providing shinobi with something tried and tested—but ultimately, the best option is to create something custom-made that fits you like a glove. However, if you do not have time, the dojos are an option. I can suggest a few choices, but you must try out plenty to see what fits you." Takuma, who was listening to the conversation, had a thought that he chose to voice aloud.

"Do these dojo accept dojo storming?"

"They do." Gai smiled brightly.

"Ah, I remember doing it a couple of times."

"You must've won," said Doctor Oishi.

"I did! A great learning experience nevertheless." There was a hubbub in the hall. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, had just walked in, two ANBU-nin flanking him on either side. He had his Hokage robe and hat on, and even though he was old, he had changed since the last time Takuma had seen him during the academy graduation. From no angle did he look like someone who could destroy the entire hall if he felt like it.

"Go on, greet him, Takuma," said Doctor Oishi.

"How do I look?" Takuma asked Taro.

"Like one badass chunin," Taro smiled.

"Perfect," said Takuma, putting on a smile. Takuma walked to Hiruzen, who seemed to recognise him instantly, which was surprising and flattering at the same time.

"Congratulations, Chunin Takuma. It's nice to meet you again; the last time I saw you, you weren't in a condition to talk," Hiruzen said, flashing a smile.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Takuma bowed politely, remembering Maruboshi's words.

"I never got to thank you for looking after me all that time ago." He had fainted into a coma when he realised that he couldn't access his chakra during his early days of training with Maruboshi. It had put him out for a week, and during that time, Hiruzen, who happened to be at the hospital, had come to look at him due to his connection with Maruboshi and had even requested a Yamanaka to look at him to see if it would help.

"Think nothing of it," said Hiruzen before nodding to Maruboshi, who had just been chatting with Anko just before he arrived.

"You are lucky to have him as a teacher."

"I am," Takuma agreed wholeheartedly.

"I am blessed when it comes to people who have taught me so much."

"Indeed. To have Lady Mikoto as a teacher is something to be envious about."

"I think I used up all my luck having her as my teacher," Takuma smiled.

"But it's not just her. I learned so much from Chunin Iruka when I was a new genin, and Chunin Anko looked after me when we were deployed to the Land of Frost. I wouldn't be where I am right now if not everyone here."

"Very good, it's important to recognise people dear to you," Hiruzen nodded approvingly.

"How do you feel? Thrilled to be a chunin?"

"Yes, sir. Excited about what's next," said Takuma.

"What was it like for you when you became chunin?"

"Oh, I don't remember; it's been such a long time. This place sure wasn't there when I got promoted," Hiruzen chuckled, pointing at the extravagant hall.

"Hmm... but I remember taking things too seriously back then not to disappoint my teacher, who had just become the Second Hokage. Looking back at it, I should've enjoyed my youth more." He patted Takuma on his shoulder.

"Work is undoubtedly important, but don't forget to live and enjoy life."

"Yes, sir. I will remember that."

"Good, good." Hiruzen smiled, his words and actions resembling those of a grandfather who was wholeheartedly happy for his grandson's success. It was heartwarming. The ceremony proceeded smoothly. With the Hokage attending, there was no way anyone else was performing the ceremony. Gai happily stepped aside, and Takuma got to have the Third Hokage put a flak jacket on him while the people who mattered in his life watched and applauded. The ceremony itself was short and was over within ten minutes.

Takuma thought Hiruzen would leave soon after, but he stayed another half hour conversing with everyone who had come, which was exciting for many who didn't think they would ever get to talk to the Hokage. Takuma had heard that Hokage were people who were bigger than life, but seeing it firsthand was a different experience. Hiruzen engaged everyone in conversation; his depth of knowledge was impressive, and his ability to make everyone smile and have them impressed with what he said was spectacular.

He made everyone feel he was truly interested in them and their discussion. Takuma saw Hiruzen's charm, which had allowed him to hold his position for a long time, and it was something else. Alas, it was time for Hiruzen to leave and Takuma was going to see him out. They walked side by side across the hall, and as they approached the exit, Hiruzen spoke to him.

"Walk with me, Chunin Takuma."