Naruto: Systematic Shinobi Chapter 4: The Grind Begins 3

As it turned out, all he really needed to do was provide his ninja registration number to access what he wanted: the scroll detailing the Feather Fist style and a manual on basic fuinjutsu.

He would have headed home at that point, but he made the decision to return to his training ground instead.

His Water Walking technique was still somewhat unstable, so upon arrival, he stepped onto the water's surface and casually practiced some taijutsu, all while glancing over the materials he had acquired from the library.

"Huh, this seems familiar," Daiki murmured as he studied the Feather Fist style.

Specifically, the diagrams within the scroll caught his attention. They emphasized motions akin to springs in the legs, essentially bouncing on the balls of his feet, or leaning forward onto the front of his feet to launch himself at an opponent, with a strong focus on utilizing fists, feet, knees, and elbows for rapid-fire strikes.

'Isn't this just like kickboxing?' he mused internally. Regardless, it appeared to be a straightforward style and shouldn't prove too difficult to master, especially since it seemed to complement the basic Academy style well.

However, the scroll also contained extensive information on the most effective points to strike on the body to incapacitate or kill using this style of combat.

His gaze then shifted downwards to the latter part of the scroll, where specific instructions were laid out. These were instructions for the Shunshin technique, the highly acclaimed Body Flicker.

Except, it wasn't quite that vaunted. It was only considered such in the hands of legendary figures like Uchiha Shisui or Namikaze Minato.

The instructions for the technique were also quite clear, though a caution was included about its potential to be quite chakra-intensive. It was a technique that simply required one to focus their chakra using the tiger hand seal and then expel it from specific chakra points, or tenketsu on the body, with those located at the back being particularly useful for acceleration.

It was essentially the same concept as using a rocket's thrust, but adapted for chakra and the human body.

The manual even noted that once an individual became accustomed to the sensation and possessed a sufficiently powerful chakra, they might no longer require the hand seal to focus their chakra, enabling the technique's use without it.

He committed the general forms of the Feather Fist style to memory and practiced them for a considerable time while standing on the water.

He continued until his chakra reserves were nearly depleted, then sat atop the water and devoted the remaining time before his chakra capacity ran dry to studying the fuinjutsu manual Shiho had given him.

Within mere minutes, a headache began to form.

The introductory section of the book largely consisted of memorizing basic fuinjutsu symbols, understanding their interaction with chakra, and how they overlapped.

It felt almost like encountering computer coding for the very first time. He felt an immediate urge to give up, as it appeared incredibly complex.

He didn't, however.

Because instead of writing code for mundane computer programs, this knowledge could allow him to combine symbols to achieve the power of what could only be described as a force of nature.

And, conveniently, the book included diagrams for creating storage seals and explosive seals.

That was incredibly exciting!

…He would need to acquire suitable paper and ink first, though.

So, once his chakra had all but vanished, he dismounted the river, now with much greater steadiness, and made his way back into the village, heading towards the commercial district.

He visited a calligraphy supply shop and spent ten thousand ryo on materials, including paper, ink, and brushes.

He was about to head home when his eyes fell upon a shinobi supply store, with swords and other equipment displayed prominently in its windows.

"…Should I?" Daiki wondered to himself.

He was adequately supplied with kunai, shuriken, ninja wire, and similar items for the time being, but this was precisely the kind of establishment that would sell weighted training gear.

They would likely come with a significant price tag, meaning he would need to undertake several more missions soon to replenish his diminishing funds.

'A few missions won't hurt, I suppose,' he mused. He would definitely try to stick to missions within the Land of Fire if possible.

Because he absolutely refused to venture out alone again until he was considerably stronger.

He entered the shop, bypassing the various displays of weaponry, and approached the shopkeeper stationed behind the counter. The man was older, possessed a large, bushy beard, was quite short, but had a stout build and impressively muscular arms.

"Need something, kid?" the man inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm looking for some body weights to aid my conditioning," Daiki responded, "Preferably for my legs and arms."

"Yeah, we've got those," the man shrugged. "What sort of weight are you looking for? Have you done much weight training before?"

"Some." Daiki returned, though in a prior existence, the ninja academy had only emphasized fundamental physical conditioning, aiming for well-rounded individuals. However, many naturally gravitated towards one or two specializations based on instinct and their physical makeup.

"I can see that. You certainly have a solid build," the shopkeeper remarked, his gaze lingering on Daiki's broad shoulders. Apart from the stout Choji, Daiki possessed the widest frame in their graduating class; only Naruto and Kiba had the potential to rival him in that regard. "What are you seeking? Strength enhancement?"

"Despite my appearance, I'm an all-rounder," Daiki chuckled softly. "I aim to improve not just my strength, but also my speed and other capabilities."

If the Raikage could manage it…

Why couldn't he?

He even possessed the lightning element as his affinity. Oh, how he longed to get his hands on the lightning armor technique.

"Right, then I suppose a set of ankle and wrist weights, each weighing three hundred pounds, would be a suitable starting point for you," the man mused, stroking his chin and nodding. "A bit heavier than the standard beginner gear, but with your physique, I'm confident it will be manageable."

"Sounds good to me," Daiki conceded with a shrug. "How much will they cost?"

A total of twelve hundred pounds distributed across his four limbs. This was achievable; it would take some adjustment, considering he could lift over six hundred pounds upon graduating the academy. These were double that weight, but half would be on his legs, not all concentrated on his arms, so it should be fine.

…Besides, he had observed calculations regarding the weight Rock Lee wore during the Chunin Exams. It was estimated to be around five tons on each leg.

It would be utterly humiliating if he couldn't even lift a mere twentieth of what Rock Lee could manage with just his legs, while using his entire body. He couldn't let that happen.

"Eh, one hundred and fifty thousand ryo. Pretty inexpensive compared to the heavier equipment," the man stated with a shrug.

Daiki winced.

He would be left with less than ninety-four thousand ryo. He would absolutely need to undertake several missions to replenish his funds.

"I'll take them," Daiki sighed, shaking his head. 'The sacrifices I make for strength.' Not everyone was fortunate enough to be like Rock Lee, attracting the attention of a renowned and powerful Jonin simply for their persistent effort despite being deemed 'untalented'.

What utter nonsense.

"Alright, just a moment." The shopkeeper nodded and disappeared through a door behind the counter, heading into the back of the establishment.

He reappeared a few minutes later carrying what appeared to be two sets of pale straps, each roughly ten inches long, with numerous rectangular ridges protruding from them, indicating their weight.

"Right, each of these pockets contains heavy metal weights to add to them. They also feature some seal enchantments that boost the weight or something similar; that's why they're so much pricier than standard weights," the shopkeeper explained.

After Daiki paid, the man handed over the weights, and the genin took the time to strap them on.

"Do they feel alright?" the man inquired once Daiki was finished.

Daiki moved his arms up and down a few times, then repeated the motion with his legs, getting accustomed to the added resistance. There was a distinct, immense burden, but it was manageable.

"Yeah, they're great," he beamed.

He then made his way home, pausing only to perform some basic exercises to build his stamina and further acclimate himself to the weights.

Some passersby cast peculiar glances his way, but he paid them no mind, his focus entirely on the gains these weights would provide.

By the time he locked his front door and collapsed onto his couch, dusk was beginning to settle.

"Ah, damn it!" he groaned. "I completely forgot to buy some books." The only reading material available in his shabby little apartment consisted of his textbooks, academy materials, and a few children's stories.

…And he also needed to prepare dinner.

But he honestly couldn't muster the energy right now.

"Ah, screw it. I'll do it later." Daiki slumped back onto the couch, deciding instead to review his progress by activating his status screen.

[Name: Daiki Yurei]

[Age: 13]

[Chakra Capacity: 412/2200 (Genin)]

[Strength: 15/500]

[Endurance: 19.6/500]

[Durability: 15/500]

[Agility: 15/500]

[Taijutsu: 45/500]

[Ninjutsu: 20/500]

[Genjutsu: 10/500]

[Bukijutsu: 15/500]

[Chakra Control: 132.4/500]

[Chakra Affinities:]

[Lightning - (N/A): You have no training with this element.]

[Fuinjutsu: -]

[Maybe try learning a few seals?]

Wait… what?

Some intriguing developments were present for him to observe. His chakra reserves had surpassed two thousand, yet they remained at the Genin level, while his physical attributes showed considerable improvement. His Taijutsu stat had nearly doubled, which was quite noteworthy. Grasping the fundamental forms of the Feather Fist was straightforward, though it wasn't as if he had attained mastery of the fighting style, not by a long shot.

…Could it possibly be attributed to the Feather Fist style simply being vastly superior to the Academy Style?

To be perfectly honest, much about this peculiar status system continued to elude him entirely.

However, perhaps the most fascinating discovery was his newfound possession of a Fuinjutsu… skill? Ability?

"Is this thing talking back to me?" Daiki exclaimed, his jaw agape as he stared at the screen.

The more he believed he understood this anomaly, the less he actually grasped. Was it a conscious entity? Or was it merely his own subconscious mind taunting him?