As an experienced Chūnin, Umino Ikkaku naturally took Kuroda Ren’s actual circumstances into consideration when designing his training plan.
After asking Kuroda Ren about his physical condition, schedule, and various other details, Umino Ikkaku quickly put together a preliminary training outline.
“This is just the initial outline.
I’ll fill in the details over the next two days.”
“For these two weekend days, I’ll accompany you throughout your training.
From Monday to Friday next week, you can simply follow the plan I’ve given you.”
Umino Ikkaku explained the training plan to Kuroda Ren before continuing:
“Now, let’s talk about your performance in the fight earlier.”
“After every training session or battle, you need to think as much as possible, summarize your mistakes, and identify the areas you need to improve.
That’s the fastest way to make progress.”
“You made several mistakes that are quite common among beginners…”
Under Umino Ikkaku’s guidance, Kuroda Ren’s mastery of Konoha-Style Taijutsu improved rapidly.
A single morning of training brought him far more improvement than an entire week at the Ninja Academy.
This made Kuroda Ren feel that his money had been extremely well spent.
Of course, this might also have something to do with Umino Ikkaku’s personality.
An ordinary shinobi might not necessarily be this dedicated.
From Umino Iruka’s performance in the original story, it was obvious that he had an open-minded and warm-hearted personality.
It was very likely that he had inherited that nature from his father, Umino Ikkaku.
Regardless of whether that was truly the case, from Kuroda Ren’s perspective, the tens of thousands of ryo he had spent on this “sparring fee” were undoubtedly money extremely well spent.
During the lunch break, Kuroda Ren and Umino Ikkaku found an empty spot on the edge of the training ground and ate a simple boxed lunch.
“Your stamina is excellent, and your chakra reserves are enormous.”
Umino Ikkaku spoke while eating.
“If you’re willing to work hard, you can try increasing your training volume.”
“With your physical condition, six to eight hours of taijutsu training every day shouldn’t affect your physical development.”
The practical combat classes at the Ninja Academy lasted roughly three hours.
In other words, following Umino Ikkaku’s recommendation, Kuroda Ren would have to train for another three to five hours after school every day, all the way until late at night.
It would certainly be exhausting.
But after only a brief hesitation, Kuroda Ren nodded.
“Then I’ll trouble you, Senior.
Please design my training plan according to that schedule.”
“For high-intensity training, you need sufficient nutrition to keep up with it.”
Umino Ikkaku looked at Kuroda Ren and reminded him:
“At your age, you should make sure you’re getting enough milk and meat.”
Kuroda Ren froze before showing a troubled expression.
The village’s subsidy for orphans wasn’t particularly small.
But it was only enough to cover basic living expenses.
For Kuroda Ren, whose financial situation was already tight, eating well was definitely a considerable burden. You are reading on novelping.com, the official source.
Find a way to make money?
Putting aside the business methods Kuroda Ren knew from his previous life, most of them required startup capital.
And at his current age, it would be difficult for him to do anything capable of earning serious money.
“What is it?” Umino Ikkaku immediately noticed that something was wrong with Kuroda Ren’s expression.
“If there’s a problem, you can tell me.”
“It’s nothing.”
Kuroda Ren shook his head.
“I was just thinking about how I can make more money.”
“I’m sorry.”
Only then did Umino Ikkaku realize that the child in front of him had a special situation.
“I forgot about your circumstances.”
He had also been thinking about how expensive shinobi training could be.
Kuroda Ren was only a first-year student, so there weren’t too many expenses yet.
Once the second semester began and he started learning how to use kunai and shuriken, however, his expenses would skyrocket.
Shinobi equipment cost money.
Even the most basic kunai and shuriken weren’t particularly expensive, but they had to be replaced regularly.
They were consumable equipment, meaning they represented a long-term, fixed expense.
As for more expensive items such as explosive tags and soldier pills, they were already a considerable burden for ordinary Genin.
For a child like Kuroda Ren, who relied on the village’s subsidy to make a living, they were even more unaffordable.
After an entire morning of training, Umino Ikkaku had developed quite a favorable impression of this serious, hardworking, and talented child.
If there was anything within his ability to do, he was willing to lend Kuroda Ren a hand.
After thinking for a moment, Umino Ikkaku said:
“You’re still a student, so you can’t accept shinobi missions.”
“The best you can do is take on some odd jobs or find a part-time job.”
“You’re a little young, but it should still be worth trying.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for any suitable opportunities.”
Kuroda Ren didn’t refuse.
He nodded.
“Then I’ll trouble you, Senior.”
“If I become a shinobi someday, I’ll definitely repay you.”
“I’m not doing this for your repayment.”
Umino Ikkaku smiled.
Kuroda Ren didn’t reply.
After finishing their boxed lunches and resting for a while, Kuroda Ren suggested that they continue training.
Umino Ikkaku naturally had no objections and accompanied Kuroda Ren in continuing his taijutsu training.
By the afternoon, quite a few more people had arrived at the training ground.
Some were shinobi who had completed their missions and were currently on leave.
Others were students from the Ninja Academy.
There were even children who hadn’t entered the Ninja Academy yet, already beginning to receive preliminary shinobi training under the guidance of their shinobi parents.
At one corner of the training ground, two white-haired shinobi walked side by side.
The middle-aged man swept his gaze across the training ground before stopping briefly on Kuroda Ren.
“Kakashi, isn’t that your classmate?”
Hatake Sakumo gestured in Kuroda Ren’s direction.
“I remember seeing him on the day school started.”
“Yeah.”
Wearing a mask that concealed his expression, Hatake Kakashi replied in his usual flat tone:
“His physical abilities are very strong.”
“But that’s about it.”
“If it weren’t for the school’s rules, I could easily defeat him.”
The rules for practical combat at the Ninja Academy allowed students to use only techniques they had been taught at school.
And right now, taijutsu wasn’t actually Hatake Kakashi’s greatest strength.
His greatest strengths were the Hatake clan’s inherited swordsmanship, along with Earth Release and Lightning Release ninjutsu.
Kakashi, who had already mastered several ninjutsu as well as the Hatake clan’s swordsmanship while still in his first year, was unquestionably the greatest genius in this generation of Ninja Academy students.
Naturally, he was also proud and looked down on many of his classmates.
“Don’t become too arrogant, Kakashi.”
Hatake Sakumo knew his son very well and smiled.
“You were able to learn ninjutsu at such a young age, so your talent is indeed excellent.”
“But your classmate may simply never have had the opportunity to come into contact with ninjutsu.”
“If he had a way to learn ninjutsu, he might not be any worse than you.”
Compared with the still immature Kakashi, Hatake Sakumo understood Konoha’s “rules” much more clearly.
To a large extent, these rules made it difficult for civilian shinobi without any background to turn their talent into actual strength, even if they possessed exceptional aptitude.
The available channels for learning ninjutsu greatly restricted the development of civilian shinobi.
Ever since Hatake Sakumo had risen to fame during the Second Shinobi World War and become one of Konoha’s most prestigious and powerful shinobi, he had been trying to change this situation.
However, there was no need to tell Hatake Kakashi about such things yet.
“Kakashi, let’s practice your swordsmanship.”
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a father-and-son match.”
“Let me see how much you’ve grown!”
Hatake Sakumo drew his short blade.