After stepping inside the building, the group was led underground. The air grew cooler as they descended. Before them stretched a hallway lined with closed doors, each one marked with a number. The instructor turned to face them, his sharp gaze sweeping over the students.
The instructor halted in front of them and addressed the group. "There are twenty rooms here, each containing an instructor who will explain the fundamentals of chakra fields and assess your sensing capabilities. You will have thirty minutes to activate your chakra field. If your chakra field is something beyond six meters, you pass."
He paused, letting the information sink in before continuing. "However only twenty seats are available in the Sensory Department this year, so give it your all. The first twenty students will go in now, and once they finish, the remaining nineteen will follow. Results will be announced ten minutes after the second batch completes their test. Now, those of you in the first line, enter the rooms in order."
Kazeo found himself in the sixth position. He stepped into the sixth room, bracing himself for what lay ahead. As soon as he entered, he was surprised by the sheer size of the chamber, it was far larger than he had anticipated. The underground extension was clearly more vast than the structure above. 'If all rooms are this big, then the underground space must be several times larger than the visible building. The upper structure isn't even one-fourth of this place' he thought.
His gaze shifted to the instructor, a blond man nearly in his late twenties, exuding a calm yet authoritative presence. A faint smile played on the man's lips as he observed Kazeo.
"You'll have plenty of time to explore the building if you get selected," the instructor remarked. "For now, let's determine whether you have the potential to be a sensor."
Kazeo stepped forward as the instructor gestured for him to come closer. He then began explaining the basics of how to meditate to activate the chakra field and the theoretical principles behind it. The explanation lasted five minutes, during which Kazeo listened intently.
When the instructor finished, he asked, "Did you understand everything or do you need me to repeat anything?"
Kazeo nodded. "I understood everything, sir."
The instructor's smile widened. "Good. Now, start meditating, and let's measure your chakra field."
Thirty minutes later, Kazeo slowly opened his eyes as the instructor signaled him to stop.
"Not bad. Your chakra field measures 6.4 meters." the instructor stated. "If your score is among the top twenty, you'll qualify."
Hearing that, Kazeo felt a flicker of relief but remained curious. "Sir, what's the average range, and how does my score compare?"
The instructor chuckled. "Curious, are we? Well, civilians typically have a range of four to five meters, while the Yamanaka average around seven meters. The passing threshold for this program is six meters, so you've barely made the cut. But don't worry, what matters is ranking higher than others. And no more questions for now, wait outside for the results. If you qualify, we'll have more to discuss."
With a slight frown, Kazeo exited the room. As the first batch of twenty finished, the next group of nineteen entered, their test taking nearly forty minutes to complete.
Ten minutes after the last participant emerged, the academy instructor from earlier reappeared, holding a clipboard. The room fell silent as he announced, "Twenty-five of you have demonstrated a passable chakra field range to qualify as sensors. I will now call out the names of those who will stay. The rest will return to the academy for their next departmental test, provided they have applied for another."
One by one, names were called. Relief washed over Kazeo when he heard his own. But then came the second announcement.
Once the unsuccessful students had left, he turned back to the remaining candidates.
"Now, from those of you who passed, we can only take twenty students. The top twenty will be selected."
A tense silence filled the air as he listed five names, students who had passed the initial test but didn't make the final cut. Their expressions fell as he continued.
"You five have two choices," the instructor said, his voice steady yet firm. "The first is to return to the academy and attempt selection in another department. The second is to stay here. We will train you until you learn to sense and expand your chakra field but understand, this will not grant you a spot in the sensory division."
His words carried weight as he went on. "Your talent in sensory is low—passable, at best. Even with hard work, there's no guarantee you'll ever become a sensor. All of you have a chakra field ranging between six and 6.5 meters, which is just above the minimum threshold." He crossed his arms, watching their reactions.
"If you want my honest advice," he continued, "Try another department. You won't get another opportunity to join one until next year, so think carefully. If you're truly determined to be a sensor, stay. But if you're uncertain, this is your chance to choose another path."
A heavy silence followed. The five students exchanged glances, the weight of the decision pressing down on them. After a few minutes of hesitation, three of them sighed and turned away, reluctantly leaving for another department. Only two remained, Kazeo and another boy, both standing firm in their decision.
A heavy silence settled over the group. After a moment of hesitation, three students left, their expressions conflicted. Only Kazeo and one other remained.
Kazeo's thoughts churned. 'Well, he's pretty blunt. Shouldn't he say something motivating instead of just crushing their hopes? But then again, what can I expect? He can be probably a believer of that ridiculous mindset. 'If this discourages them, they were never meant to accomplish much.' '
Shaking his head, he reaffirmed his decision. None of that matters. I have to learn this, at all costs. If I want to master the Body Flicker, sensory perception will be crucial. Not just for combat, but also for navigating the dense vegetation of this world.
The instructor, now addressing the remaining twenty-two students, spoke with his usual no-nonsense tone. "Your training starts tomorrow at 3 p.m. sharp. If you're even a minute late, you'll be dismissed for three days. Understood?"
A collective "Yes, sir!" echoed through the hall.
"Good. You're dismissed. Be on time."
Kazeo left with the others, listening to their murmured conversations as they dispersed. His mind however, was already focused on the next step.
------
The next day, Kazeo arrived at the underground level of the same building after showing his ID card. Inside, he found all the students already gathered, waiting in silence.
Five minutes later, the instructor arrived and took attendance. Once he confirmed that everyone was present, he led them to the far end of the alleyway. After forming a series of hand seals, multiple doors suddenly appeared on both sides of the corridor.
"Enter the room corresponding to your rank," he instructed.
Kazeo walked toward the door marked with the number 21 and stepped inside.
The room was pitch black, except for a single lantern casting dim light. On the floor, eight concentric circles were drawn, the smallest at the center and the largest near the walls. Each circle had a cube placed upon it.
In the central circle, a man sat in seiza position, his posture calm and composed. As Kazeo entered, the man stood up, his gaze settling on him.
"Oh? You're the same kid from yesterday," he remarked with a slight smile. "I thought you'd quit after all that frowning. Glad to see you chose to become a sensor."
The man folded his arms. "My name is Yamanaka Touka. I've been assigned to teach you how to sense and expand your chakra field."
Kazeo bowed slightly. "Thank you, sensei. My name is Tanaka Kazeo."
Touka gave a nod of approval. "Now that we're introduced, let's begin."
He gestured toward the cubes. "These are chakra cubes. Their function is to emit chakra continuously. Your task is to sense them. The circles on the floor mark distance, each is exactly one meter apart. When you sit in the center, the nearest cube will be one meter away, while the farthest will be seven meters.
Your training here will end once you can sense the farthest cube. After that, you'll only need to practice on your own."
"Any questions?"
Kazeo nodded. "Yes, sensei. Why is the entire room black? And why does it seem bigger on the inside than from outside?"
Touka chuckled. "Ah, I forgot to mention that—my bad."
"You'll understand the reason for the darkness once you successfully sense the nearest cube. As for the room's size, it is larger than the space allotted to it. This entire area is filled with Fuinjutsu seals that expand its dimensions. The seals also create an isolated environment—no sound or chakra can pass through, either from inside or outside."
He clapped his hands together. "Your training will be two hours daily, except Sundays. Now, let's begin with how to sense these chakra cubes."
Touka spent the first ten minutes teaching Kazeo how to sense the chakra cubes. Once the basics were covered, he blindfolded him.
"You need to start by erasing your reliance on your senses," Touka explained. "For now, your sight is blocked. Once you sense the cube for the first time, we'll suppress your hearing and smell as well. Now, begin your training. If you have any doubts relevant to the training, ask."
Kazeo sat down and tried to sense the chakra. However, no matter how much he focused, he couldn't feel anything.
This routine continued for ten days. Every session was the same—sitting, focusing, failing. He had started to doubt himself. Maybe I really don't have the talent for this, he thought bitterly. Touka had mentioned that even someone with a 6-meter chakra field could sense the first cube by the ninth day, yet he had still made no progress.
Then, on the tenth day, something changed.
For the first time, Kazeo felt it. A faint, almost imperceptible pulse of chakra just a meter away. His eyes widened beneath the blindfold, his lips curling into a smile.
"I did it!" he muttered under his breath.
Touka, who had been observing, nodded approvingly. "Finally, huh? Good. Now, let's move to the next phase."
He placed a specialized mask over Kazeo's face, dampening his sense of smell. Then, he picked up the lantern and walked out, leaving the room in absolute darkness. With the lantern gone, Kazeo's vision and hearing were also suppressed.
The change was immediate—a suffocating silence.
At first, all Kazeo could hear was his own heartbeat, pounding loud and fast in his ears. His breath sounded unnaturally heavy. 'Damn... this is unsettling.'
Paranoia crept in. His body tensed, a wave of dizziness washing over him. The urge to run was overwhelming, but he forced himself to stay still.
To regain control, he started meditating. His chakra reserves were already low since he had created two clones at home before coming here, leaving him with only 25% of his chakra. 'Calm down. Breathe.'
Slowly, his mind cleared.
Refocusing, he attempted to sense the cubes again. The first one, the 1-meter cube was much easier to locate this time. Encouraged, he pushed forward, trying to sense the next cube at 2 meters.
But minutes passed. Then more. 'Why isn't it working?'
His concentration wavered. 'Why is time moving so slow?'
Doubt resurfaced. 'Has it not been two hours already? he wondered. Did Touka forget about me? Did he just leave me here?'
He shook his head violently, trying to clear his thoughts. No. Focus.
Once again, he started meditating. As the chaos in his mind settled, he resumed his sensing training.
Then, he felt it.
A second pulse, further away. The 2-meter cube!
At that exact moment, the door swung open. Light from the lantern flooded in, forcing Kazeo to shut his eyes. After a few seconds, he slowly opened them again.
Touka stood at the entrance, observing him. "Any progress?"
Kazeo nodded. "Yes, sensei. I sensed the second cube. I think if I continue, I can reach the next one soon."
Touka smiled. "Already moving on to the next one? That's good progress. But for today, that's enough. This room will be used by other sensors for training. Try again tomorrow."
Kazeo nodded and left the room.
The next day, he returned at the same time after the Academy. As soon as he stepped inside, Touka took the lantern and left, once again plunging the room into complete darkness.
However, when Touka returned this time, Kazeo was already waiting for him.
"I've sensed all the cubes within six meters," Kazeo stated confidently.
Touka's eyes widened slightly. 'What the hell?!' he thought. 'Didn't he sense his first cube just the day before yesterday? And now he's already sensing everything within his chakra field?'
He couldn't help but compare. A sensor with Kazeo's level of talent should normally take at least one and a half weeks to reach this stage. Even the children from his own clan who were raised with sensor training needed three days on average after their first successful attempt.
Most beginners struggled when their three senses were cut off. They start panicking, overthinking, or losing their perception of time and space. Yet Kazeo had adapted in just a day.
Looks like he does have real talent.
Touka quickly masked his surprise, letting it linger on his face for no more than two seconds before switching to a smile.
"Very good, Kazeo. Looks like you have a knack for becoming a skilled sensor," he praised. "We'll continue this training for another week. After that, we'll focus on expanding your chakra field to sense the final cube. Once you achieve that, the training will be complete."
He then bent down, picked up one of the chakra cubes, and handed it to Kazeo.
"Take this home. Practice by placing it anywhere within six meters, blindfolding yourself, and trying to sense it. But don't overdo it, alright?"
Kazeo accepted the cube and nodded, thanking him. However, as he walked away, a smile crept onto his face.
'You're a bit late to say that...Teach
My shadow clones are already training every day—blindfolding themselves, sensing each other and constantly switching positions while I'm here.'