Building One's Form [Solo]

The soft sound of wind rippling through the training dummies and trees surrounding a small clearing off to the northern side of the primary training grounds. The soft sound of water running through the nearby stream dulled the ebbing sound of silence that would normally devour the air within it. There was no one here, even the birds and squirrel had left it be, and yet the sound of soft grunts of strain, as well as heavy breathing filled the air.

This was caused simply by a young pale boy sitting in the center of the grassy clearing, a young boy named Satori, only four years old at the time. His gaze would slowly lift upward, examining the sway of the branches quietly from his position on the ground. His hands rested lightly on the ground, both legs splayed outward in front of him, every scar and knot of flesh adorning his skin clear to the eye. He usually covered up more, his pale skin made him stand out, but he found that during training he grew far too hot to function properly and as simple as physical therapy was, it strained him tremendously.

Slowly, he pushed his arms forward as he felt his musculature struggle to properly handle each movement of his body. Specifically, the muscles along his back strained against the action, but though it was uncomfortable it was not painful. A drastic improvement in his physical reactions a year prior, proof his body had begun to develop properly now. He could still recall the agony of trying to perform even a basic jog during those days, this was a tremendous improvement. Satori shifted himself in his seating, his fingertips shifting to instead hook onto the tips of his toes as he focused entirely on his breathing.

It was nothing but stretching, something that was so simple and so many seemed to take for granted, and yet he knew all too well how difficult such a simple thing was for him, even now. This process would continue as his fingertips carefully pulled at his toes tips. He had started out stiff, unmoving, the scar tissue so serious that he could barely move his limbs in the proper directions let alone awkward angles. But now, he could feel his body being capable of it.

True, it was uncomfortable, straining, but his body could still perform it. Even if it was difficult. That was something far more encouraging than anything else he could have ever aimed for. If he could move his body in new ways, then he could teach his body to properly mold into new shapes and designs, and perhaps, with the integration of chakra into his body he could evolve himself that much farther as his other had suggested beginning recovery faster, even if he couldn’t perform medical jutsu like her, it wasn’t a bad idea. Slowly, he let his body straighten before shifting himself to roll over onto his stomach, he still had to finish his entire stretching regimen before he got to that point.

He hadn't managed to recover this much out of being impatient and rushing ahead like some hotheaded fool, after all.

After an hour of his stretching, Satori finally allowed his body to straighten as he rose to his full height. His hands lifting slowly to examine them, their palms facing upward as he tested each tendon carefully in his hands to measure exactly how each one felt. Despite how uncomfortable it had felt, he had no lingering pain. It had been this way for several weeks now, but he could never be too careful, perhaps even trying this now would be too much for him. However, he felt as though the calculated risk was worthwhile for the moment.

If he began feeling pain, then he would halt his practice and continue it another time, it was as simple as that. Releasing a slow breath at this thought, Satori would allow his body to slowly straighten before clasping his arms behind him and close his eyes. The technique had been one he had studied with his father a year prior when he had begun developing muscle, and it was something his older cousins had begun to learn do to their preference in Taijutsu and Bukijutsu as a family. Satori, preferred weapons due to his current weakness, but he understood the importance of his claws and physical combat as much as any shinobi.

As long as he intended to pay his father back for teaching him, placing this much faith in him, and giving him the chance to obtain power, then he needed to push himself to become as well-rounded as possible. With this thought, he would relax his body slowly. It had been called "Muay Thai", a technique that, in his opinion, was very much like him. Compared to other more graceful styles, it focused almost entirely on raw physical power and amplified such.

However, building muscle and power was far simpler than building speed and recovering his coordination properly. He needed to be careful, and properly carve his way through his styles and effort if he truly wanted to progress at all. Building muscle and endurance was an excellent way to ensure that he had a base to work up from. Once he managed to get his body back to the base level he should be at, he could worry himself over other such effects.

For now, Satori's hands slowly left from behind their back as he visualized the stance as he had read of it, seen it as his father performed it. Both hands lifting, before clenching slowly into two slightly open fists one wrist slightly lower than the other as his eyes opened. Crimson and narrow, and yet there was a focus within them as the young man's legs opened to widen his base and provide a decent support. Already, he could feel his muscles complaining at the strain of trying to hold the positioning of his legs and arms so perfectly still.

This was his first hurdle, he had to learn proper muscle control. If he didn't manage to hold the basic stance, then there was no way he could ever hope to properly utilize the stance in any other way. A single, slow breath and he would focus on only holding the current positioning of his body. Baby steps, it was all he could ever hope to achieve at the moment. Once he was certain he could hold the stance, he could begin actually learning the style that it was connected to, but no sooner.

Already he could feel his muscles begin to burn. A firm reminder that he had only just managed to reach the starting line, while his older cousins had already long ago begun running in the race. He didn’t care about the children his age, he would never get anywhere comparing himself to his peers, no, he had to aim far higher than that.
The seconds ticked by, and every time it did he kept careful track. Not because he was impatient, but because every second burned that much more and he needed to ensure he knew exactly how long he had managed to hold his positioning without enduring true pain. He wasn't even lifting weights, there was no point doing so, even the smallest weight could harm him at the moment. Hell, even bodyweight training was difficult, it was why he stuck to stretching.

But now, he was beginning to use muscles that had never once in his life been used properly beyond running in terror or throwing a strike out of raw instinct. His thighs and calves burned, his arms told him of their agony through twinges and heat. Yet, he knew he couldn't end it so quickly. It was a careful balance, one of measured physical control so as to not over-bear his body and damage himself so that he was set back even more, but similarly, so that he pushed his new muscles and body control enough to begin steadily improving himself.

Even for him, such a balance was not an easy thing to obtain. He had long ago learned how to properly manage his mental stamina and fatigue, but now he was trying to do the same for his own body. He could feel the burning continue to grow more painful by the moment, and finally, he was forced to give in as the second counter hit seventy-eight. His breath came heavily, his arms burned even as he lowered them and forced himself to remain standing while his legs screamed their disapproval.

But he had managed to hold it for just over a minute, tomorrow, he would try to hold the stance once more. For now, he needed to carefully work his other muscles without pushing them any further, more complex stretching, holding his limbs for longer points, supporting his limbs more carefully. Anything to help the slow build-up of muscle, anything to slowly bring him from the edge of near-helplessness that he currently found himself in.

Perhaps in a few months, he would begin showing enough improvement to truly begin learning the techniques. But until then, he would have no such illusions. One step at a time, as he always had held himself to these past two years.

It was the next day, and Satori was content with the fact his body no longer ached. It was his proof that he had properly balanced pushing his body and recovery. He wanted to ensure that when he woke up from his slumber that he could properly function without any soreness. After all, if he was suddenly called to do a hunt with his father then it would be entirely pointless for him to go if he was sore and lame. Though it was unlikely, he wasn't the type to not think of such possible risks.

As he stepped into the center of his clan's training ground once more, Satori was forced to feel the way his muscles already had begun to complain, just walking to arrive here. Still, it wasn't as bad as he had endured in the past, and that thought was reassuring if nothing else. Allowing a slow breath to pass through his lips, Satori would slowly straighten before beginning to perform his basic therapy exercises once more. Specifically, his stretches to begin, doing anything else before them would only lead to him suffering more pain, and would most definitely be the opposite effect of what he was after.

Lowering himself, he felt his back groan in protest as he lowered his hands slowly to touch his toes and simply focused on holding his current position without falling over. He felt the straining of the muscles along the backs of his legs, the way his body shifted and his back complained, but he held the position. Silently counting the seconds that he managed to withstand it all, staring down at the ground with dead eyes as he endured the pain.

Once he reached his limit, he slowly allowed his body to straighten. Despite the pain, not standing up to quickly or he would risk pulling his muscles, a lesson he had learned quickly during his therapy. Straightening and carefully rolling his shoulders, placing his hands on the small of his back to stretch, Satori would carefully relax his body. Taking a moment to catch his breath, and prepare for the next session.

He'd performed his standard stretches, pushed his body to its limit as far as flexibility went, having extended out his limbs, pushed his joints to their limits, and in general forced his body to continue its usual progress through therapy. Now, he felt a familiar ache through his limbs, but it wasn't something that he was so unused to that he was ready to call it quits just yet. Instead, he would slowly fall into a seat, the next step was proper chakra control. If he was unable to properly push his body, then he would need to develop himself in other ways while he waited.

Of course, he was fully aware of the reason he had begun all this, to gain a body that held a semblance of the strength his clan was known for, his age was no excuse. However, he had no illusions that it was something he could obtain in a few sessions. Patience, practice, and control were all key as well as diet if he wished to succeed in this, and so as he would carefully place his hands in his lap, legs crossing as his knuckles would touch together.

He could practice his hand seals, however, for now, he felt as though meditation was the better option. It would help him carefully amplify his chakra, and give his body time to properly recover. The chakra control would likely help the stiffness in his muscles relax as well, it was an all-around skill that was key for him to properly develop, and he may as well practice while he was busy trying to properly recover from the strain he'd placed on himself.

So, with a careful breath released, Satori would begin just that. Carefully controlling the flow of his chakra through his body, allowing the energy to carefully slip through his system, flooding his limbs and body at careful, slow intervals that would assist in both his body recovering as well as calming his mind so that he could process the next step of his practice more efficiently.

Satori would spend the next few hours carefully channeling his chakra through his body, controlling it through each limb, and using it as a source of energy to help numb the pain and ease the tension throughout his limbs. He had to ensure it was careful, slow, or he would end up only doing more harm, like always, he kept such in his mind as he patiently manipulated his energy. Finally, after hours of concentration, he would open his eyes slowly to examine his surroundings briefly. His senses told him he was still alone, but it was always good to double check. The last thing he needed was for anyone to realize he was doing dedicated training.

He didn't want to have anyone expecting anything out of him just yet, not when he was still adjusting to his own drive, it would only add to the headaches he would be forced to endure. No, instead he wished to remain training secretly, suppressing his chakra and honing his skills as best he could. Relaxing, he would slowly place both hands down on the ground before hauling himself up slowly, feeling his legs complain, but they held him well enough. Releasing a slow breath he would lift his hands, pressing them together and stretching out the joints and tendons within his hands.

Next, he should likely work on his muscle development now that his body had recovered a bit, though he couldn't do much. Cardiovascular training, and perhaps some light bodyweight training if his body could handle it would likely be the limit of what he could perform for now. No reason to push himself. With this thought, the young man would begin basic physical training, it was about time he should start adding it into his regimen anyway, even if it was only the slightest of time spent doing so.

Beginning with his simple laps, running circles around the small clearing he would be careful to measure his own physical prowess, not wishing to allow himself to go too far just yet. Maintaining a careful, measured pace as he performed his light jogging, focusing more on going slow and steady than pushing his body. The thump of his heart filling his head, forcing him to rely on his chakra sensory in order to properly keep track of his surroundings, his eyes lowered slightly as he pushed himself.

There was still basic bodyweight training to do after this, but he already could feel the fatigue building in his limbs. Unfortunate, but unavoidable, he would release a single sigh of his lips as he finished his last lap and would halt. Bracing his hands against his knee's, and simply waiting for his body to stop shivering. Perhaps tomorrow, he would be able to do a bit more physical practice afterward, but there was no point trying to do so again today. He'd likely already pushed himself a bit too far, a lesson he would learn, and a mistake he would not repeat.

For the next few years, Satori treated his training like a religion. Every morning the young child got up, performed his chores, and then would disappear into his clan's training grounds to push his body as far as possible. Each day, he could last a bit longer, and as his body began to adjust to the new regimen his metabolism kicked in full effect, combined with his clan's genetics, the boy rapidly began to evolve physically.

It was through this dedicated training and focus, that Satori began to grow. Forced to hunt for extra food to provide his body with enough energy, even if it meant eating roasted rats and mice, he didn’t care. Food was food, and it was fuel for his body to steadily grow.

The next few years passed in a blur in this way, constantly pushing himself to new levels of physical development, learning to properly hold stances, coordinate his muscles, and grow his bulk as much as possible. Constantly in a battle against his height sprouting, no matter how much he seemed to train and eat, it never seemed to be enough for his body. Despite this, Satori found that as the months passed he could feel the difference. He was able to hunt small beasts more effectively now beyond catching rats with traps, capable of creating larger traps to hunt deer or large amounts of fish.

Honing his skills beyond combat, tracking, hunting, and stealth all important parts of his clan's teachings. Combined with the knowledge slowly gained from studying with his father and mothers, allowed him to rapidly grow even more. Yet it wasn’t enough for the boy, it never was, and even on his sixth birthday, he continued the rigorous regimen, only increasing his dedication as he continued to grow older. An obsession with perfecting his body and mind to its pinnacle, a skill that would become his strongest weapon in the future.

Satori had begun learning the basics of the Jutsu that the Academy provided. As a Ryuutei his natural physical abilities and far larger chakra pool would theoretical make this easy. But it was the opposite due to his age, this was why he had struggled so long with maintaining any degree of bulk. Ryuutei grew at far faster speeds than normal children, and he wasn't even close to done.

The boy, now six, was both pleased and annoyed at this. It meant he was going to advance rapidly in the future, but it held him back now. However, he had other jutsu that he was required to learn. His knowledge of basic Muay Thai and a few Taijutsu had impressed his father and managed to persuade him to go ahead and begin practicing actual Jutsu instead.

Due to this, they were now in the personal training grounds of his father's section of the compound, and two of his four mothers were watching from the sidelines curiously as the man began the explanation of the jutsu.

"I assume Raika has taught you about what chakra is, correct?" he inquired simply, resting his hands on his hips as the boy nodded once, not bothering to spare words, causing Kiyoshi to bark with laughter. "You're definitely her son. Very well, then this will be much simpler to explain. The jutsu is simple, a trump card in a way that even the most elite of ninja utilize often in a battle to save their asses." Despite the crude words, Satori paid close attention to his father, crimson eyes examining him without a word as Kiyoshi's hands lifted up.

"Attack me, alright pup? However you want, it doesn't matter." Satori nodded, giving his father a single moment, and then without hesitation, the boy's chakra exploded from his leg as he smashed his knee upward, aiming to turn his own father's abdomen into mush without any hesitation or need to hold back. This was how he was raised. If his father couldn't endure something like this when he was a disgrace to the entire clan, and Satori knew his father's power.

This was proven, as Satori for a brief instant felt the impact, slight confusion forming in his brain however as it didn't feel like flesh. It felt like the dummies he would practice against. This came as proof, as the man suddenly exploded into white smoke before appearing behind him, smashing his sons face into the ground in a smooth counter, pinning his arms behind his back without issue. Satori grunted, pain evident on his face but he didn't cry as a normal child his age should.

Instead, he used his neck to lift his face slightly and stated simply, "Give," admitting defeat. Instantly his father released him, straightening and dusting off his clothing with a smile before helping his son up, who was rubbing his arm to get blood flow going once more.

After dusting himself off from the counter, the boy glanced down at the large chunk of wood that had been snapped in half by his kick, tilting his head curiously. "How?" he asked bluntly, glancing up at his father with wide, curious eyes causing the man to grin.

"That was a substitution, or body replacement. There are two ways to do it, the first is to channel chakra into your body and touch something about the size of your torso. At the last moment, you switch yourself out with it later. The other option is to perform these hand seals and do the same remotely. That make sense?" As he spoke, his hands would slowly shift through each seal, his gaze calm as he examined his son curiously.

Satori's eyes analyzed the hand seals before he would turn toward his father and lower himself, "Attack me please, father," he stated simply, causing the man to blink before a wide grin formed.

"Don't you want to practice it a bit first, Satori?" He asked, cracking his knuckles as he made it clear he wouldn't be holding back on his punch, there wouldn't be any chakra in it but it sure as hell wouldn't feel good if it hit directly.

The boy shook his head slightly. "Practicing without a threat will do little. Practicing with a threat will encourage my growth much faster, you taught me that, father." A wide, proud grin formed on his father's lips before he would nod. Without hesitation, the man drew back his hand--and released a powerful jab straight at his sons face.

It collided, and at the last moment, he felt the difference. His eyes widened slowly, the boy had only seen it once, and hadn't used hand seals. Yet, his fist smashed through a large chunk of earth that was beneath them--no, beneath him. Before he could properly react, his son's small fist had smashed into his jaw, sending him stumbling back blinking in confusion. It didn't hurt, but he'd still landed a blow, and that was incredible in Kiyoshi's eyes.

His grin slowly formed even wider as he glanced down at where the boy landed, a hole in the ground about the size of the boy's chest. The dirt and rock fell with a thud behind him, the chunks from having taken Kiyoshi's hit flying in every direction. Satori had a swollen cheek, the substitution hadn't been perfect by any means, he'd still taken damage. But the blow would have knocked the boy out, he'd managed it quickly enough to lessen the damage significantly.

But even more than that, he had clearly countered and taken advantage of that brief moment that technique granted. Kiyoshi hadn't even given him that information, he'd done that instinctively. His wide grin spread even further, "That's yer' mom's brains for ya’ alright, well done, pup," as he slowly straightened he rubbed at his scruffed chin with a smirk.

"Ready to go again?"

Satori, without hesitation, nodded his head firmly as he took a stance once more. "Please, father." A soft chuckle left the man's lips, and as he stepped forward the two mothers sighed and shook their heads. They would have their hand's full healing the boy after this was done, but even they had to admire his spirit. An obsession to perfect and learn shone in the boy's eyes, and it was unmistakable how effective it truly had become for the child.

The lessons had continued and now was no different as his father grinned down at him. He had spent the last few days mastering the usage of the substitution, and knew there were several more jutsu that he was required to know in order to actually be qualified to graduate the Academy, and though he was certain he’d be well ahead of his fellow children he had no issue with such. His goal, after all, was to become Mizukage, joining the Academy was purely to help ensure that he could continue a more well-rounded education, not training to be stronger.

It was key for him to expand his horizons properly if he wanted to actually become the rank that he wanted to become. If he wanted to head the clan, head the village, and become the strongest to help protect them all then he would need more than bare minimum skills. It was important that he handle as much as he could early, and his father was happy to help him. Proud that the boy was being so proactive, and so as he would clasp his hands together he would look down at the child.

“You finished body replacement, though it’s still a bit rough around the edges, I think you’re ready for the next one. This is called transformation, and it’s exactly as it sounds. You alter your physical form to the shape of something else, it can be anything, but it’s basically just an illusion. It’s key for strategies in mid-combat however, and can make all the difference in a battle if you time it correctly.” With this, his hands would flash through the jutsu’s hand seals quickly, before halting on the ram. The final seal then caused his chakra to spike, and Satori caught the scent of the chakra before watching as the man suddenly shifted into the shape of his birth mother instead.

This oddity caused his head to slightly tilt, “Does it also alter your voice?” This question caused his father to nod once, “It does,” he replied in his mother's tone, causing an odd frown to form on the boys face before he would rest his hands on his hips. “Father, change back or become something else, it’s weird. How do you do it?” His father burst into laughter at the reaction, before shifting back into his original shape before crossing his arms over his chest. “Simply focus on the image of what you wish to become, and channel your chakra into your skin, the shift is mostly an illusion and with the seals will change your form into it if you do it right.” Satori nodded his head at this and would take several steps back, contemplating the information.

His father had said it could change him into anything, but it seemed based on memory by the way he described it. If that was so, transforming into someone else accurately would be difficult without a perfect memory, and even then every detail would be a struggle. No wonder his father had chosen his birth mother, he spent so much time with her she was likely one of the few people he was confident he could memorize perfectly, or close enough to such. Placing his hands together in front of him, he would quietly contemplate this before slowly shifting his gaze to their surroundings.

Arching a brow, Kiyoshi waited patiently, knowing that his son wasn’t wasting time--but thinking, something Raika did constantly, he was well used to it. After a moment, Satori repeated the hand seals before releasing his chakra outward. If he tried to mimic another person immediately, it would likely be a failure and his ability to gather information on such would be greatly hampered. Instead, he would focus on something else. A nearby rock, and as soon as he finished his thought he felt the change.

It was odd however, he could still move, and he didn’t feel any different at all and yet it was clear that he had disappeared and changed due to his father's blink of surprise. Slowly lowering his maroon gaze, and then grinning at the new stone that littered the ground. “Excellent. That’s exactly what you should use it for at your level. Subterfuge and using it as a disguise is risky, even for Jounin, it has so many holes. But using it in combat or before combat like that is perfect to throw off your opponent or set up an ambush. Well done.” With a burst, Satori returned to his original state.

Curiously, the boy stretched his hands before glancing down at the ground and scooping up a handful of small stones, staring at them quietly in thought. He said that this was mostly an illusion, so they wouldn’t do any damage beyond what a stone normally would, but--

Suddenly, the stones were tossed up lightly and shifted in their state, causing Kiyoshi’s eyes to widen slightly as all of the loose pebbles suddenly turned into several shurikens, but he quickly offered a slight smile. “Pup, it won’t do any more damage just because they look like shuriken--” before he could finish, suddenly all of the blades were sent hurling at him causing him to blink and quickly lash out with his hand to count them. However, his eyes widened a bit as he found his hand smashing through them.

But this did nothing to many of the blades, the illusion of course was shattered, but the pebbles were smaller than the shuriken they had become. His deflecting blows only hit some of the shurikens, as they had been aimed at the center of each shuriken to properly counter them. But many of them had pebbles in their blades, not the center. The boy had purposely done so, and Kiyoshi couldn’t help but grin as several of the pebbles harmlessly bounced off his thick hide.

“I see,” he commented simply, slowly lowering his hands before chuckling and placing his hands back on his hips as Satori tilted his head slightly.

“I was correct. The transformation may be an optical illusion caused by chakra, but due to that if you utilize it to hide something within it, it could allow your attacks to land glancing blows or create an opening anyway for a more deadly attack.” Kiyoshi shook his head in amazement, the boy had his fighting instincts, but Raika’s strategic mind. It was a deadly combination, and the boy had more than that, a childish creativity and adaptability that was all his own. He couldn’t help but be proud of the pup.

“Well done. Let’s practice it and then head back before your mother's hound us.” Satori simply nodded in agreement, raising his hands as he prepared for the next round of hand seals. He had no intention of slowing down now.

The next morning, Kiyoshi and the boy once more had settled out in the training yard. This time they would need more room, however, and so the man had made certain to get them a proper clearing and having no one interfere. This was because he fully intended to help the boy train his chakra reserves as much as he intended to help him learn the next jutsu on the list. Clasping his hands together he would grin slightly.

“Alright pup, the next jutsu isn’t something that you should take as easily, even for someone that has my genes. It requires much more chakra control. It’s called cloning.” Satori’s head tilted, just slightly in curiosity before the boy would lean back and contemplate the sky.

“What you and mom used to help with housework while you train sometimes?” Kiyoshi blinked, he hadn’t thought the children had realized that. They’d have to be a bit more careful he supposed, that hadn’t been training. Still, he cleared his throat and shook his head.

“No, that’s an enhanced variation of this jutsu, a solid clone. This is the basis of that, however, another optical illusion based around manipulating light reflection.” Satori nodded, placing that in memory. Once he had a better grasp on jutsu he would have to ask his father to teach him the next level it would seem, but that was fine, for now, this jutsu would do.

Sensing his son being ready, Kiyoshi would casually flip through the seals and focus, causing the chakra around him to channel before exploding into five separate beings. The clones slowly stood up straight with him as he grinned a bit at his son’s surprised expression. He had expected a single clone, but not five. There was no way an Academy Jutsu could actually allow the user to multiple their combat ability by six, was there?

No, it wasn’t possible, so there had to be drawbacks, tricks. Narrowing his gaze a moment afterward his stunned expression melted away, instead the boy's eyes stared into the clones faces and kept careful notes. They were all identical, but when he sniffed the air he couldn’t catch a single scent beyond that of a normal human. Similarly, the chakra was totally different in potency, it was clear which one was the real one. So that was already two drawbacks, though he doubted they were common, most other shinobi he had met outside his clan couldn’t smell the differences in body scents or chakra. So, what else was there?

Kiyoshi said nothing, watching his son think and analyze as he put each piece of the puzzle together, it was just like watching Raika work, causing a smile to play on his lips.

Meanwhile, Satori was catching every detail he could, and without warning, he scooped up a stone and hurled it at the nearest clone. Chuckling, Kiyoshi watched it phase through the clone harmlessly, causing Satori’s eyes to narrow slightly before smirking. Another weakness, they were intangible, optical illusions and nothing more. So then, they could only be used to disrupt others through confusion, as long as one kept their wits they were harmless distractions. As the stone landed behind the clone, he glanced at it and then blinked. Another problem, no shadow.

“I see,” he murmured simply, before straightening slowly as he crossed his arms over his chest, still, even with these weaknesses it could be used in creative manners. Glancing up at Kiyoshi he would tilt his head curiously. “How does it work?”

“Always so straightforward,” Kiyoshi chuckled, before releasing a breath. “Well, it looks like you figured out the weaknesses, so I’ll skip over that. Instead, we’ll go straight into how to perform it. First, you need the seals of course, but next is a refined level of chakra control. You infuse it into the air around you, a range of ten meters, and use that chakra to reflect the light in order to provide the optical illusion. Focus on the image and shape of yourself, and it will take it with the seals.” Slowly, Satori nodded his head and glanced down at his palms.

Keeping chakra in the air constantly was different from what he had done thus far. It would be much more complex than just briefly infusing it into himself or an item as a medium. With this thought, the boy slowly released a breath before straightening himself out and lifting both hands upward slowly.

He would start with one, and go from there. His hands flipped through the seals, carefully landing each set until his hand rested on the final tiger seal. A burst of chakra, and for a brief moment the clone appeared beside him, though it was pale and sickly looking, and nearly faded away instantly. Narrowing his gaze, he would release a breath and repeat this step. Kiyoshi grinned and turned, raising a hand in farewell as his own clones dispersed into clouds of smoke.

“When you’re done, call for me. I’m going to go get my own training for the day done while I wait.” Satori didn’t reply, entirely engrossed in his focus causing Kiyoshi to chuckle softly. Even by Ryuutei standards, the pup’s drive was truly impressive.

Over the next few hours, Satori would repeat the jutsu over and over, each time showing slight improvement but never content with it, and even as the boy finally managed a single decent clone as the night sky began to rise, he only halted so that he could go hunt and eat. On his return, going directly back to practicing, sleep could wait until he was exhausted, and that was exactly what he did.

This process repeated, again, and again the boy would only break to eat, drink, and sleep when he could function no longer. It didn’t matter how long it took him, the more he pushed himself the more his training became well honed. Until, finally after a week of this obsessive training, he would stare up at the mid-day sun, and call for his father. The man curiously peeking his head out from the compound door and blinking before his grin spread across his lips. “A week for five of them, huh?” he inquired simply, examining the five clones that surrounded Satori, who was placing his hands on his knees in order to catch his breath.

His chakra fluctuated but held as his gaze slowly lifted to his father's, a wide grin forming on his lips. “What’s next, father?” he murmured simply, causing Kiyoshi to grin even wider.

“Take a break first. Once your chakra returns we’ll start, and from now on when you practice your taijutsu use clones at the same time, it will help you refine your chakra control.” Satori simply nodded, before falling to sit on the ground as the clones dispersed into smoke, relaxing as he lifted a hand to rub at his face briefly. He was tired but eager to continue, and happily accepted the plate of meat brought out by one of his mothers as a reward for his hard work.

Soon he would be ready for the next Jutsu.

The next few hours were spent recovering, thanks to a combination of medical treatment from his mother, Raika, as well as eating in order to better recover his chakra he was ready to go shortly thereafter. Satori and Kiyoshi were once more standing outside, though this time there was a much more complacent look on his father's face than previously.

“You shouldn’t have any issue with this next one, it’s nothing flashy or complex like the others. This is simply an escape technique, you’ll find it's useful when you’re caught behind enemy lines, used in combination with raw power that our clan has you can break out of most bindings easily.” Curiously, Satori tilted his head as his father brought out a thin piece of chain from the pouch at his side, swinging it in a circle casually where the small weight at the end helped solidify its momentum.

“Basically,” he would begin calmly before lashing out, causing the chain to snap around him. The weight smacked against his chest painfully, but it didn’t make him do more than flinch as the chain spun around his form, binding his upper body firmly and connecting the binding to his father's hand like a leash.

“You channel your chakra into your joints in order to allow more flexibility, in order to slip out of it. There are other methods to do it, though. It comes down to your own creativity, let's see you get out of those chains.” As he stated this, Kiyoshi would cross his arms over his chest. Watching his son carefully as the boy would slowly shift his focus toward the chains binding him instead. The skill didn’t even seem to qualify as a Jutsu, but still, he could understand that it needed to be learned.

It made sense that a shinobi shouldn’t be able to be trapped by something as simple as a binding. Releasing a slow breath the boy briefly contemplated the best way to do this, before he would slowly shift his body, testing the binds without harming himself against the rough metal. It was tight, expertly bound to him, he expected nothing less of his father. Still, there was no chakra in it, the chains were strong but that was about it. He could work with this well enough, but the idea of pouring chakra into the joints seemed a bit odd, he had a better idea.

Casually, Satori would shift his footing before chakra would begin to flow outward from his arms, infusing not into his body, but instead over his skin in a paper-thin coating. This chakra was then used carefully, manipulating it as a lubricant to gently push the chains open, granting him a tiny amount of room. But it was enough and allowed him to carefully shift his shoulders and limbs, a single arm slid free with a few tugs. Then, the rest of the chains easily slipped off him. His father grinned a bit, nodding his head.

“Good. Though I didn’t expect you to have difficulty, a creative way to use chakra. Though, I’m curious why you didn’t just infuse your limbs joints, pup.” As he stated this, Satori would step out of the bundle of chains, before glancing up at his father and tilting his head.

“It risks damage to the joints, even if you’re enhancing flexibility, I’m not a medical shinobi. I don’t have the refined control to do something like that, coating your body in it is easy. Enhancing parts of your anatomy is complex and dangerous without the proper knowledge.” Kiyoshi blinked, before laughing outright as he shook his head in bemusement. The boy was correct, of course, but it was still fairly basic chakra control. He was surprised the pup had thought so far ahead for such a simple jutsu.

“Very well. A solid pass, the next jutsu is fairly simple and has its uses. But before that, I want to teach you about Jutsu that we can’t use so that you know exactly what you’re getting into when you see it performed.” Satori blinked, then nodded as his father tugged the chain, gathering it back up and talking as he did so.

“As I’ve told you, males of our clan are generally terrible at Iryōjutsu, Kugutsu, or Genjutsu. This is due to how volatile and potent our chakra is. This doesn’t just mean that we can’t add it to our arsenal however, it also means that we can’t counter it near as efficiently.” This statement caused Satori’s eyes to narrow slowly, such a weakness sounded incredibly troublesome.

“Is there no way to counter it?” Satori asked curiously, causing his father to grin.

“I didn’t say that, pup. But the normal means certainly don’t work for us. There’s a Jutsu they teach at their academy called “Genjutsu: Kai”, it’s a release technique used to disrupt chakra flow in order to break Genjutsu. We can’t use it, so we have to find other ways. Sadly you’re not ready to learn those methods just yet, but if you see anyone holding a basic hand seal and focusing, they’re using their chakra to disrupt a Genjutsu.” As he explained this he would then place both hands on his sides, before looking toward the main household.

“Next is a technique called “Puppet Strings”, it’s the baseline jutsu that many shinobi use for casual interactions and combat utility. Raika will show you it.” Straightening, the large man would raise a hand to his mouth and call out for the woman. “Raika!” His voice boomed over the area before the woman would casually stick her head out from the doorward.

“What do you need, Kiyo?” She inquired simply, before glancing at Satori and arching a brow as Kiyoshi motioned her to come toward them. Sighing and setting down the stack of books she had been carrying, she would head out into the grass, crossing her arms and looking at the man as he explained why she had been called for.

“Satori needs to learn about the puppetry strings, can you show it to him and answer any questions he has on it?” Raika narrowed her eyes slightly at her husband.

“You could easily have done the second part of that, dear,” she stated, causing him to grin a bit.

“Yeah, but it’s quite a bit easier with an example. It won’t take long, he’s got your brains.” At this compliment, Raika snorted, but seemed fairly placated and would instead turn toward her son with a slight smile.

“Very well. Alright, little one. Pay close attention.” Straightening she would raise her hands before the chakra in the air caused Satori’s nose to twitch; and then he heard the grass behind him ruffle. Blinking he quickly ducked, causing a stone to snap past his head. The action caused his mother's smile to widen.

“Very good. Can you tell what I did?” Satori slowly straightened, crimson eyes looking at the stone that was now hovering in the air in front of him, as well as the way her hand had twitched slightly when he had caught the scent of the chakra. Blinking once his gaze focused on his mother briefly.

“Chakra used to control an object?” he inquired curiously, causing her to smile and nod her head once.

“Very good. What else?” Slowly, Satori’s gaze would focus on her hands once more as he would take a few moments to analyze what he was looking at. The way the chakra smelled, the way her fingertips continued to twitch occasionally, even the slight shift in her body as the stone moved before him. It was all taken into account.

After a few moments of silence, he would slowly look up to meet his mother's gaze.

“It’s movements are based on your fingertips, like the name suggests. It’s movements seem fairly slow as well since I was able to avoid it and you’re much stronger and faster than I am.” This caused her to smile, nodding once.

“Very good. Yes, the speed is fairly limited. As well, this jutsu and all jutsu that derive from it are based on the movements of the limb used to control the chakra threads. With enough time you can quickly learn to read the patterns, it’s not a perfect technique. Its range is up to twenty meters, though higher level variations don’t have such limitations.” Satori nodded once, it made sense. Still, the versatility of the technique was quite substantial. For a menial chakra cost, the user could change an entire combat situation at will with the twitch of a finger.

Unfortunate that he couldn’t ever use it according to his father. Still, that was life, he supposed. Relaxing he would rest his hands idly at his sides and bow his head. “Thank you for showing me, mother,” this caused Raika’s eyes to soften as she pet his head gently.

“You’re very welcome. Don’t beat your father up too badly.” This caused Kiyoshi to snort, and Satori to smile slightly before the woman would turn and head back inside the main building to return to her work. Kiyoshi would chuckle at the kiss on the cheek he received in passing, before focusing on Satori once more.

“Alright. With that handled, we can move on to the next Jutsu.” With this, he would clap his hands once and turn, leading the way toward the nearby pond that resided near the entryway of the compound grounds.

The trip was a relatively short one over to the pond, and Satori watched as his father performed a fairly common feat to him at this point, walking across its surface as if it were the ground itself. Kiyoshi continued this process until he reached the center of the lake before he would turn and face his son. The man's arms would cross over his chest before his brow arched slightly.

"This is one I'm sure you've seen plenty of times. It's basic chakra control into the surface of the body, forming a platfo--" Kiyoshi's words slowly came to a halt, as he watched the boy casually walk out over the water and lift his crimson gaze up at his father. Satori, however, was quick to explain exactly what was going on as the boy would point at his fathers pouch on the side of his waste.

"I did the exact same thing when I escaped from the chains, father. The concept is exactly the same, just because I'm covering a different area of my body doesn't mean anything. The difficulty is the exact same level." With this, the young boy would slowly lower his center of gravity, feeling the water shift slightly under his feet, but hold. His expression remained curious before his gaze lifted slowly up toward his father.

"Can we spar, father? I think combining this technique with the clone technique will greatly enhance my chakra reserves and control."

Kiyoshi blinked, before a slow grin formed on his lips as he placed his hands lightly on his sides.

"Very well. Even by Ryuutei standards, you're picking these jutsu up a bit too quickly for my liking, it's my job as your father to make sure you don't get too cocky." As he stated this, Kiyoshi would crack his knuckles before he began to move toward his son at a casual pace. Satori didn't have any illusions about this, the reason his father hadn't dashed at him was quite simple: he didn't need too. Just like if Satori decided to try and run, the man wouldn't sprint after him as he didn't need too.

There was no point running anyway, his father's ability to smell chakra and predict movement was far more advanced than his own. He'd landed a lucky blow before due to his father underestimating him, and nothing more. But now he was focused, and Satori had been on the receiving end of his father's training before, he knew all too well what that meant. Releasing a slow breath, the boy would slowly lower his bodies center of gravity, before raising his hands and flipping carefully through the seals for the clone technique.

The burst of smoke filled the air, as Kiyoshi stared at five variations of his son, each one standing on the water's surface as a slow grin spread across his lips. He could smell which one was real, and the fact that the sun was above them to cast shadows made it that much more apparent, but they were still a useful distraction. Something he was certain that the boy wouldn't forget about, and so as he took a step forward, Satori dashed forward at his top speed.

A barrage of blows followed, many simply phasing through his father who kept a close eye on each clone to ensure that they would harmlessly phase through him, only countering and blocking his son's actual form. For a while, the man simply remained where he stood as the clones and Satori attacked him from every angle repeatedly, each time parrying the "dangerous" blows to send the boy flying head over heels into the water. But that was the point, the combat was pushing Satori's focus, as was maintaining the clones and water walking at the same time.