In the ninja academy, there are quite a few 'acquaintances' among the many students.
Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, and others...
With so many children from prominent families, including even the son of the Hokage, it's clear that I've been placed in an elite class. It seems that performing well in the entrance exam has had its benefits. At least, I won't be treated like a nameless student.
After joining the academy, Asakusa began formal ninja training. What concerned him the most was how to refine chakra.
Luckily, chakra is the foundation of all ninjutsu. In the first week of classes, the teacher taught the students how to extract chakra.
Compared to Kakashi, Obito, and others, who had already started learning and even mastering ninjutsu, Asakusa had fallen far behind. To close that gap, he knew he had to work even harder.
In his previous life, Asakusa wasn't a physically active person, but rather a thinker.
However, in this life, in the war-torn world of Naruto, he chose to become a ninja. He had no choice but to push himself relentlessly, so he wouldn't fall behind.
Asakusa set some imaginary rivals for himself. Whenever he felt lazy, he would imagine his future self, weak and unprepared, easily defeated by powerful enemies. This constant mental battle was exhausting and led him to isolate himself from others, often fantasizing about his death. Yet, he was used to loneliness and did not fear it.
Chakra is an energy formed by the combination of physical energy from the body and mental energy. It's the basis for using ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.
According to Uchiha Madara, the chakra used by all ninjas originated from the God Tree. There are three types of chakra: the physical energy produced by the body's cells, the spiritual energy cultivated through experience and training, and the natural energy absorbed when one learns to master senjutsu (sage techniques).
As a war orphan without any special clan heritage, learning senjutsu seemed like the best path for Asakusa to gain power.
In the original manga, there were three legendary places where one could learn sage techniques: Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. However, the manga never showed anyone successfully mastering senjutsu in Shikkotsu Forest, so Asakusa set his sights on Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave.
Between the two Sannin, Jiraiya and Orochimaru, Jiraiya was the obvious choice for a mentor. Orochimaru's obsession with forbidden techniques made him dangerous, and following him would be risky.
But Asakusa knew that, at this moment, neither Jiraiya nor Orochimaru would notice a war orphan like him.
For now, all he could do was show more talent than Kakashi, hoping to catch the attention of powerful figures.
Having reincarnated in this world, Asakusa's biggest strength was his spiritual energy. As a four-year-old, he had the mind of a twenty-year-old, giving him immense mental power.
Perhaps due to his strong spiritual energy, Asakusa was able to refine chakra at an incredible pace. On the first day, when the teacher explained how to extract chakra, Asakusa succeeded right away.
He also discovered that controlling his chakra came naturally to him. Though his chakra reserves were still small, it didn't stop him from testing his potential.
Remembering the original story, Asakusa thought of Sakura Haruno, who had excellent chakra control, eventually inheriting Tsunade's techniques. Despite being untalented at first, after training under Tsunade, Sakura's strength grew rapidly, placing her among the strongest of the Konoha 12.
Sakura's progress wasn't just because of Tsunade's training—her powerful mental energy played a big role as well.
Even Shizune, who had been with Tsunade for years, couldn't match Sakura's rapid growth. This showed how crucial strong mental power was for a ninja.
Asakusa, with his adult mind and the developing spirit of a young ninja, believed that, in time, his spiritual power would become one of his greatest assets.
If he could harness this mental power effectively, he might achieve great things in the future.
Feeling his chakra flowing through his body, Asakusa was filled with determination. This was his strength, the key to survival in the dangerous world of ninjas.
Discovering his talent gave Asakusa confidence. But he didn't let it go to his head. He knew that he had only taken the first step and that there was a long road ahead.
Every ninja has their own training methods, and Asakusa had already devised a plan for himself.
He began each day with physical training—running, jumping, skipping rope, doing push-ups, sit-ups, and more. These exercises would build his strength.
Refining chakra became a daily practice, something he never skipped.
In addition to physical training and chakra refinement, Asakusa also dedicated himself to improving his accuracy with shuriken and kunai.
While these tools may seem less effective in higher-level battles, they're essential in the early stages of a ninja's journey.
Despite the tough routine, Asakusa found solace in his sleep. He slept soundly, though only for five short hours each day. The rest of his time was spent training.
Asakusa never imagined he could work this hard. Watching his progress each day, he couldn't help but smile. If he had pushed himself like this in his previous life, who knows what he could have achieved?
But the past was behind him. All that mattered now was surviving and thriving in this world.