Keeping the leaf stuck to the soles of my feet was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do, aside from putty training.
I had to be very careful and precise about my chakra control in order to keep the leaf stuck there. It required more effort, for some reason. It felt like my mind refused to acknowledge that I was basically practicing to stick to the ceiling upside-down. However, that didn't stop me from trying. I was now five years old, and my chakra control had become decent. Not quite good enough to walk on walls yet, but decent compared to other kids in the orphanage. I was pretty sure clan kids would still give me a run for my money, but considering I was a neglected, underfed orphan, I was doing pretty well. Plus, by this point, I was convinced our caretakers ate some of the meat sent to feed us and probably sold the rest. Or at least that was my theory.
Now that the academy would start in a year, I had to kick things into the next gear. I started spending more time in the forest, taking advantage of the caretakers' increasing negligence. Since I could now control my chakra better, I decided to try something new. After climbing a tree the old-fashioned way, I sat on one of the branches, closed my eyes, and focused on the forest's sounds. I could hear the few remaining birds chirping, the soft rustle of dry leaves, and the occasional distant animal sounds. I stayed there for a long time until it finally happened. I heard something moving across the leaves, not too far away. The steps were very light and almost silent, but after isolating the other noises, I got a general sense of its direction. I opened my eyes and focused on that area, spotting a rabbit slowly moving across the ground, cautiously looking around for danger.
I felt overjoyed. Birds didn't have a lot of meat, but rabbits had much more. I took one of the rocks from my pocket, carefully aimed, and threw it as fast as I could. However, I underestimated the animal's instincts. Somehow, the rabbit noticed the incoming rock and dodged it with impressive agility. Without hesitation, I jumped down from the branch and threw another rock slightly ahead of the fleeing rabbit. It struck a tree, spooking the animal into pivoting sharply to the right and hopping away quickly. I kept chasing it, but it was heading toward a dense part of the forest, where it would become impossible to pursue.
I grabbed another rock from my pocket, and suddenly an idea hit me. Why not use chakra to enhance my throw? I have managed chakra augmentation during meditation, but I wasn't sure if I could pull it off under intense pressure. Still, I decided to give it a shot. Pressure is a good teacher, after all. So I quickly channeled chakra while swinging my now chakra-enhanced arm. The rock flew rapidly, striking the rabbit's hind leg, causing it to let out a pained squeal.
It stumbled and tripped, and as I caught up, I augmented my leg slightly and kicked the rabbit in the back. The animal flew forward and struck a tree with a sickening crunch, dying instantly from the impact. My leg hurt badly afterward. Apparently, although the chakra augmentation was somewhat successful, it was too brief to fully protect me from the recoil damage. Limping slightly, I hoped the pain would fade soon and that it wasn't serious.
Although I have been the top-ranked scout in my old world, I have never skinned or cooked a rabbit before. I did remember watching a video of the process once, so I tried replicating it. I wasn't very good at it and ended up wasting a big portion of meat, but in the end, I still got more meat than I would from a bird. After starting a small fire and grilling the meat for a bit, I enjoyed the bland taste. I had no salt or seasoning, but a win is a win.
Over the next few months, I improved my chakra control enough to start standing vertically on trees for brief moments. I even managed to hang upside-down from a branch for a few seconds before falling down again with a stupid smile on my face, earning myself yet another bump on the head.
With noticeable progress, I decided to start augmenting my body during my daily workouts. At first, I could only maintain it for a few moments, but gradually I increased the duration. It was incredibly exhausting, and I often ran out of chakra after only a few rounds. After meditating for a while, though, I recovered my chakra quickly enough to do another round before sleeping. This cycle of exhausting my chakra, meditating to refill it, exhausting it again, and then sleeping greatly increased my chakra reserves over those few months. My chakra control was now excellent. It wasn't like I could perform amazing ninjutsu yet, but still, sticking to walls and trees felt pretty cool for someone who used to be stuck firmly on the ground in his previous life.
One thing I kept focusing on was my sensing ability. It wasn't exactly chakra sensing. Not yet, or at least not in the traditional way. After several hunts, it evolved a bit. First, I picked up sounds, then smells, and gradually a vague sense of chakra presence that all creatures in this shinobi world had. It wasn't precise like a real sensory ability, but I could vaguely tell direction and distance. After sensing a target, I carefully jumped from tree to tree, occasionally checking again so I wouldn't lose track.
My plan was to hunt down bigger prey before the academy application test came. Something substantial enough to boost my strength and performance. But I never imagined my senses would lead me to one of the most dangerous animals I have ever encountered.