“Seriously?!” The moment he heard that, Izuna stopped circulating his chakra altogether.
His eyes lit up instantly, overflowing with excitement.
“Then teach me more, Big Brother!” He practically bounced where he stood.
“That Lightning Release technique you used before was amazing!
I want to learn that one!” Ryo couldn’t help smiling as he shook his head.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” “Ehhhh?!” Izuna immediately grabbed onto his sleeve.
“Come on, Big Brother!” “I already tested my chakra nature!
I have a Lightning affinity too, so I should be able to learn it!” Even without sight, Ryo could almost imagine the disappointed expression currently plastered across his younger brother’s face.
It was both amusing and slightly unfortunate.
Still, his answer remained unchanged.
“It’s not because I don’t want to teach you.” “You simply aren’t ready for it yet.” Izuna blinked.
“Why?” Ryo patiently explained.
“You already know that chakra can be transformed into five primary natures: Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning.” As he spoke, he lightly flicked Izuna’s forehead.
“But affinity isn’t the only requirement.” “Another important factor is how much chakra you possess.” His tone shifted into that of a teacher.
“For techniques of similar strength, Lightning Release generally requires more chakra and places greater strain on the user’s body.” “Your current reserves simply aren’t large enough to support that particular technique.” Izuna wasn’t the sort of child who threw a fit after being denied something.
Once he understood the reasoning, his disappointment remained visible, but he stopped arguing.
“Then how much chakra would I need?” He looked genuinely curious.
“To learn that really cool technique?” Ryo pretended to consider the question carefully.
“Hmm…” “For safety’s sake?” “At least twenty times your current amount.” Izuna froze.
Then his eyes widened dramatically.
“TWENTY TIMES?!” “Mm.” Ryo nodded.
“And that’s only the beginning.” “You’d also need to master nature transformation, become proficient with rapid hand seals, and improve your physical conditioning significantly.” A chuckle escaped him.
“The technique you’re talking about isn’t a standard Lightning Release.” “It’s something I modified personally.” “I designed it around my own combat style.” “So naturally, the requirements become even harsher for anyone else attempting to learn it.” Izuna stared blankly ahead.
“Twenty times more chakra…” He began counting on his fingers.
“More training…” “Nature transformation…” “Faster hand seals…” The more he counted, the more hopeless he sounded.
“Is looking cool while fighting really this difficult?” Ryo laughed.
“There’s no need to rush.” “As your body grows, your chakra reserves will naturally increase.” “For now, improving your physical condition and practicing hand seals will help you much more.” Then he gently rubbed Izuna’s head.
“Besides…” “There’s something else you can start learning immediately.” The disappointment vanished instantly.
Izuna perked up like a spring.
“What is it?” “Is it cool too?” Ryo hesitated.
“Well…” “I think it is.” “Although most shinobi don’t usually learn it until they’re already fairly skilled with hand seals.” “Then teach me!” “Haha…” “Alright.” Using his cane, Ryo slowly stood up.
“But promise me you’ll practice carefully.” Guiding himself toward a nearby wall, he stopped.
“Watch closely.” Immediately, Izuna focused all his attention.
Then he watched Ryo place one bare foot against the vertical surface.
A moment later, he took another step.
Then another.
And another.
Without effort.
Without hesitation.
He casually walked straight up the wall.
It looked as natural as strolling through the courtyard.
Eventually, he stopped halfway up, standing sideways on the wall as though gravity had simply ceased to exist.
Izuna’s eyes sparkled.
He had seen adults run across walls before.
He had seen shinobi leap between rooftops countless times.
But watching someone calmly stroll up a wall as if taking a leisurely walk felt completely different.
“That’s chakra too?!” “That’s right.” Ryo nodded.
“But it requires precise control.” “You can begin practicing on the large tree in the courtyard.” “Just remember to place a cushion underneath first.” “If you fall, you won’t get hurt as badly.” After turning around, he calmly walked back down the wall before sitting beside Izuna once more.
His expression became more serious.
“Shinobi don’t get to choose where battles happen.” “The terrain beneath our feet won’t always be stable.” “There may be marshes.” “Moss-covered rocks.” “Or even open water.” “When that happens, chakra allows us to create stable footing.” “As long as our control is sufficient, we can maintain our effectiveness regardless of the environment.” Izuna frowned thoughtfully.
“But why?” “How does chakra let us do something like that?” He tilted his head.
“Does it make a platform under our feet?” “Not exactly.” Ryo smiled.
“A better way to think about it is adhesion.” “We use chakra to attach ourselves to a surface.” He paused briefly.
“In a way, we’re convincing the surface to accept us as part of itself.” “At the same time, chakra distributes our weight evenly.” “That’s what creates stability.” “The amount required changes depending on the environment.” “The less stable the surface, the more chakra you need.” “And you’ll have to adjust that output constantly while moving.” He lightly tapped Izuna’s forehead again.
“Fortunately, the chakra consumption is extremely low compared to ninjutsu.” “So you don’t need to worry about exhausting yourself.” “At your age, when your reserves are still limited, training like this is much more valuable than learning advanced techniques.” A warm smile appeared on his face.
“I’ll teach you the basics.” “If something doesn’t make sense, ask immediately.” “Don’t pretend to understand.” “Alright?” “Okay!” Izuna nodded enthusiastically.
“I’ll ask questions!” By the time Madara finished cleaning Ryo’s room and stepped into the courtyard, a rather amusing sight greeted him.
Ryo was crouched beneath a tree, barefoot.
His arms hovered protectively behind Izuna while the younger boy attempted to climb the trunk using chakra.
A smile appeared on Madara’s face.
“Big Brother, are you teaching Izuna the tree-climbing and water-walking exercises?” “That’s right.” Ryo remained poised to catch the boy at any moment.
“Our Izuna is very talented.” “He’s already consistently managing seven or eight steps.” “Really?” Madara approached.
“That’s impressive.” “When I was his age, I could only manage three or four.” As soon as he finished speaking, Izuna’s footing slipped.
The boy immediately toppled backward.
Before he could hit the ground, Ryo smoothly caught him and lifted him into his arms.
“Not bad.” Ryo smiled.
“That was ten steps.” Izuna puffed out his cheeks dramatically.
“How am I supposed to control the chakra properly?” He looked thoroughly aggrieved.
“If I use too little, I fall.” “If I use too much, I get stuck to the tree.” “Sometimes it even throws me away!” His hands flailed wildly.
“And everything feels uneven!” “This is way too difficult!” Ryo laughed.
“That’s completely normal.” “It took me an entire day to figure it out.” Madara chuckled.
“There is a trick.” He crouched beside them.
“When you’re starting out, use your hands first.” “Once you understand how much chakra is needed, switch to your feet.” “Even if you lose balance, you won’t fall as easily.” Izuna’s eyes immediately brightened.
However, before he could respond, Ryo spoke.
“Wasn’t that method actually discovered because you fell out of a tree into a river?” Madara froze.
“You couldn’t swim.” “There weren’t any adults nearby.” “And while trying not to drown, you accidentally mastered the exercise faster than everyone else.” Madara’s entire face turned red.
“BIG BROTHER!” “You don’t need to tell people that!” “Hahaha!” Ryo burst out laughing.
“What’s wrong with that?” “I only learned because I climbed too high and got stuck.” His smile widened.
“I couldn’t get down.” “So I had to figure it out before going home.” “Otherwise, I’d have been in serious trouble.” Holding Izuna securely in his arms, he continued chuckling.
“The first time I used this technique, I was crawling up the tree with both hands and feet like a frightened animal.” “Compared to me, the two of you are doing wonderfully.”