Tanya’s gaze immediately locked onto the scroll labeled Chakra Extraction Technique.
The moment she unrolled it, her attention became completely focused.
In her previous life, the manipulation of magical power had been drilled into her very existence.
Whether on the battlefield or in research facilities, controlling magical energy had become second nature.
As she read through the instructions, she quickly noticed the similarities.
Chakra.
A fusion of physical energy and spiritual energy.
While fundamentally different from the magic she once wielded, the underlying principles of gathering, circulating, and controlling energy possessed striking similarities.
Without hesitation, Tanya followed the instructions.
She calmed her breathing.
Focused her mind.
Then she carefully guided her physical and mental energies toward one another.
The result was immediate.
A strange sensation spread through her body.
Every cell seemed to awaken.
A subtle warmth flowed through her limbs.
Energy began gathering inside her.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Then—
Something was born.
Tanya’s eyes widened slightly.
An unfamiliar current moved through her chakra pathways.
It was entirely different from magic.
Yet at the same time, it felt remarkably natural to control.
“So this is chakra…”
A trace of amazement flickered across her face.
Instinctively, she began manipulating the newly formed energy using the control methods she had refined throughout her previous life.
The effect was astonishing.
The moment she exerted control—
Her pupils flashed gold.
Countless complex formulas seemed to flicker within her eyes.
A faint blue glow emerged from her palm.
Chakra gathered there obediently, swirling into a stable sphere.
Tanya stared at it silently.
Then a smile slowly appeared.
“I see.”
The frustration that had accumulated inside her since arriving in this world suddenly vanished.
The feeling was almost liberating.
In the Empire, magic required specialized equipment and computation jewels to maximize efficiency.
Here, chakra could achieve similar effects through direct manipulation.
No external equipment.
No complicated support systems.
Only herself.
This discovery instantly transformed her outlook.
The obstacle she had perceived earlier no longer seemed insurmountable.
After several moments, Tanya closed her hand.
The chakra dispersed.
The energy flowed smoothly back into her body.
She lowered her gaze and quietly assessed herself.
The excitement gradually faded.
A more practical concern surfaced.
“My reserves are still too small.”
Her expression became thoughtful.
The amount of chakra she possessed was limited.
Even with perfect control, she could only sustain a small-scale engagement before exhausting herself.
That wasn’t nearly enough.
Control alone could not compensate forever.
Increasing her chakra reserves would have to become a priority.
What Tanya didn’t realize was that she wasn’t alone.
Outside her room.
The orphanage director stood silently beside the door.
One ear was pressed lightly against the wooden panel.
When the chakra fluctuation appeared, her body visibly trembled.
Her eyes widened.
“Impossible…”
She immediately turned toward the courtyard clock.
Five minutes.
Only five minutes had passed since Tanya entered her room.
The director inhaled sharply.
A century-level genius.
That was the only explanation she could think of.
Throughout her years managing the orphanage, she had watched countless children attempt chakra extraction.
Some succeeded.
Many failed.
Even the most talented child she had ever seen required three full days before successfully producing chakra.
Yet Tanya had accomplished it in five minutes.
Five.
Minutes.
Had she not personally watched the girl grow up from infancy, she might have suspected someone had secretly replaced her with a prodigy from a shinobi clan.
The director’s heart pounded.
No.
One observation wasn’t enough.
She needed further confirmation.
A determined light appeared in her eyes.
I’ll watch for one more night.
If she can successfully learn even one of the Academy’s basic techniques before morning…
Then tomorrow I will report directly to the Hokage.
The director quietly stepped away from the door.
Her footsteps were nearly silent.
She didn’t want to disturb the child.
Not when she might be witnessing the birth of a future legend.
Inside the room, Tanya remained completely unaware of the commotion outside.
Having successfully extracted chakra, she shifted her attention to the second scroll.
The Academy Techniques.
The foundation of every ninja’s education.
As she unrolled the scroll, three familiar names appeared.
Transformation Technique.
Clone Technique.
Substitution Technique.
The descriptions beneath them were concise but clear.
The Clone Technique created illusory duplicates incapable of physical interaction.
The Transformation Technique allowed the user to alter their appearance.
The Substitution Technique enabled a shinobi to rapidly exchange positions with a nearby object while concealing the movement through timing and deception.
Tanya immediately began evaluating them.
Transformation Technique ranked first.
Without question.
To someone with military experience, the strategic value was obvious.
Infiltration.
Espionage.
Disguise.
Misdirection.
The possibilities were nearly endless.
Second came the Clone Technique.
Although Academy Clones lacked physical substance, they remained useful for confusion, distractions, and creating openings.
A simple technique.
But a practical one.
Substitution ranked last.
Not because it lacked value.
Rather, Tanya believed its effectiveness depended heavily on battlefield circumstances.
A skilled shinobi could already evade attacks through movement and positioning.
Spending chakra for a maneuver she could partially replicate through skill alone seemed inefficient.
At least for now.
Still, before studying the Academy Techniques, she wanted to test something else.
The Rope Escape Technique she had observed earlier.
Basic though it was, mastering another survival skill never hurt.
Tanya removed the tie securing her hair.
She wrapped it tightly around her wrist.
Then she began recreating the movements she had memorized from Dai’s demonstration.
Twist.
Shift.
Rotate.
The motions flowed smoothly.
She had already optimized several details based on her own body structure.
A soft click sounded.
The hair tie slipped free almost effortlessly.
Tanya examined her wrist.
Not bad.
Then she tried again.
This time, she infused a trace of chakra into the movement.
The chakra traveled through her wrist.
The tension within the binding shifted instantly.
A second later—
The hair tie dropped onto the table.
Thud.
Tanya nodded slightly.
As expected.
Chakra assistance dramatically improved efficiency.
She repeated the exercise several more times.
After confirming she could perform it consistently, she pocketed the hair tie and returned her attention to the Academy scroll.
Transformation Technique.
That would be her first target.
As for sleep—
Tanya dismissed the idea entirely.
Compared to military campaigns and corporate overtime from her previous life, a single sleepless night hardly qualified as hardship.
She could rest later.
Power came first.
Following the instructions, she refined chakra again.
The energy flowed through her pathways.
She circulated it throughout her body while visualizing a different form.
Nothing happened.
Only a faint warmth spread across her skin.
Failure.
Tanya remained calm.
She adjusted the flow.
Tried again.
Failure.
Again.
Failure.
Again.
And again.
Most students would have become frustrated.
Tanya only grew more focused.
Each failure revealed new information.
Each attempt improved her understanding.
Thanks to her previous experience controlling magical power, she could sense chakra movements with extraordinary precision.
Every fluctuation.
Every imbalance.
Every inefficiency.
She continuously adjusted the distribution of energy throughout her body.
Time passed unnoticed.
One attempt followed another.
Then—
During yet another transformation attempt—
A faint white glow emerged from her body.
Tanya’s eyes narrowed.
The chakra suddenly flowed with perfect synchronization.
The light intensified.
For a brief moment, her entire figure disappeared beneath the glow.
Then the radiance faded.
Silence filled the room.
Tanya slowly lowered her gaze.
Her former hands were gone.
In their place gleamed a pair of metallic blades.
Success.