Yamato Nakajima stood at the podium.
Using an eraser, he cleared the hand seal diagrams from the blackboard and replaced them with four large characters.
Chakra Extraction Jutsu.
“Class,” he turned around to face over thirty pairs of eyes.
“We just finished discussing hand seals.
But before you can use them, you need to understand something even more fundamental—what Chakra actually is.”
The classroom fell silent.
Even the children who had been whispering a moment ago shut their mouths.
Linbei rested Tom on his lap, keeping his back straight.
In his past life, his knowledge of Chakra was limited to the settings he’d seen in the anime; this was his first time learning it through a systematic approach.
“Chakra, simply put, is the combination of two types of energy,” Yamato Nakajima explained as he drew a simple diagram on the board.
“The first is physical energy, which is contained within every cell of your body.
The second is spiritual energy, which is accumulated through training and experience.
When these two energies are mixed and refined through a specific method, they form Chakra.”
He tapped the blackboard, his tone turning serious.
“However—I must tell you a truth first.
Do not think that just because this is the Ninja World, everyone can become a shinobi.”
This statement caused many of the children to look surprised.
“Shinobi make up only about ten percent of the total population of the Ninja World.
The remaining ninety percent are civilians.” Yamato Nakajima’s gaze swept across every student’s face.
“Some people are born unable to extract Chakra.
Others might be able to extract it but lack the control to coordinate it with hand seals to perform Ninjutsu.”
Two names immediately surfaced in Linbei’s mind.
Rock Lee.
Might Guy.
These two were classic cases of being able to extract Chakra but being unable to utilize it for Ninjutsu.
They poured all their energy into Taijutsu and ultimately carved out their own paths as powerhouses.
“Therefore,” Yamato Nakajima clapped his hands, “the Chakra Extraction Jutsu is the first threshold you must cross to become a shinobi.
Only after you cross it are you qualified to talk about the future.”
He began drawing a map of the human meridian system on the board, marking the routes through which Chakra flows.
“The method for extracting Chakra is as follows—first, feel the energy within your body.
Physical energy comes from every cell; you can imagine it like water, permeating your entire being.
Spiritual energy comes from your brain and your will; you can imagine it like a fire, burning at the center of your brow.”
Yamato Nakajima’s voice was steady, possessing a rhythmic quality that set people at ease.
“Then, mix these two energies at the dantian—a spot roughly three fingers below the navel.
Imagine the water and fire blending together to create something new.
That substance is Chakra.”
Linbei listened with extreme focus.
He knew that while bloodlines and talent were vital in this world, mastering basic knowledge was equally indispensable.
Why did Itachi become a genius?
It wasn’t just because of the Uchiha bloodline, but because his understanding of foundational theory far surpassed his peers.
“Now, everyone close your eyes and try the method I just described,” Yamato Nakajima said.
“Don’t rush.
It’s perfectly normal not to feel the energy on your first try.”
The sound of rustling filled the room as over thirty children closed their eyes.
Linbei closed his eyes as well.
He concentrated his attention inward, attempting to feel the “physical energy” and “spiritual energy” Yamato Nakajima had mentioned.
*Physical energy…
like water permeating the body…*
*Spiritual energy…
burning at the center of the brow…*
*Dantian…
mixing…*
One minute passed.
Two minutes passed.
Linbei felt nothing at all.
He wasn’t in a hurry.
He knew it was normal to fail at extracting Chakra on the first attempt.
In the original series, it took Naruto several days to learn the Chakra Extraction Jutsu—though, admittedly, that was partly due to the influence of the Nine-Tails.
(And the possibility that Naruto was just a bit of a knucklehead.)
But just as he was about to try again—
A sudden surge of warmth welled up from his dantian.
He hadn’t extracted it.
It had appeared out of thin air.
It felt as though someone had poured a cup of warm water into his body.
The warmth spread from his dantian, flowing through his meridians to his limbs and bones.
Linbei could feel it clearly—Chakra was flowing through him.
*What’s going on?*
Linbei snapped his eyes open.
He definitely hadn’t extracted that Chakra.
He had only been in the “feeling” stage; he hadn’t even officially started “mixing.” So where did this Chakra come from?
He looked down at Tom on his lap.
Tom’s eyes were closed.
The blue-gray cat in the tuxedo was currently sitting upright on Linbei’s lap, its two front paws folded together in a posture more perfect than any student in the room.
Its eyes were tightly shut, its whiskers twitched slightly, and its breathing was even and deep.
It was cultivating.
Linbei stared at Tom, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
A thought that made his heart race.
He sensed the Chakra inside him—the warmth was still pouring in continuously, as if there were an invisible pipe feeding something into his body without end.
And the other end of that pipe was connected to Tom.
Linbei took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
*Could it be!!
The strength of a Summoned Beast is fed back to the protagonist in real-time.*
Synchronized feedback.
It wasn’t “borrowing during battle” or a “temporary boost.” It was synchronized feedback.
Tom practiced the Chakra Extraction Jutsu, Tom extracted Chakra, and then that Chakra was fed back to Linbei simultaneously.
In other words—Tom cultivates, and he gets stronger.
He didn’t even need to practice himself.
Linbei looked down at Tom’s focused cat face, the corners of his mouth curling up uncontrollably.
How fast was Tom’s cultivation speed?
From the time the teacher finished explaining until now, it had been less than ten minutes.
Within those ten minutes, Tom had understood the principles of the Chakra Extraction Jutsu and successfully extracted Chakra.
This cat’s learning ability was superior to every six-year-old child in the room.
No, it would be more accurate to say—this cat’s learning ability was superior to every adult shinobi present.
Linbei remembered the words Tom had written on the blackboard, the medals on its chest, the chalkboard it had pulled out of nowhere, and that trophy.
Tom was a master of piano, cooking, construction, combat, academics, mimicry…
He was omnipotent.
And being omnipotent meant he learned everything fast and did everything well.
Including cultivating Chakra.
Linbei sat in his seat, trying his best to keep his expression calm.
But his fingers tapped lightly on his knee, betraying his inner excitement.
Beside him, Itachi seemed to sense something and glanced over at Linbei.
“You’ve extracted Chakra?” Itachi’s voice was very soft, audible only to Linbei.
Linbei hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Itachi’s expression didn’t change much; he simply said, “Not bad.”
Then he turned back and continued to close his eyes to extract Chakra.
Looking at the side of Itachi’s face, Linbei felt a sudden surge of complex emotions.
To Itachi, something like the Chakra Extraction Jutsu had likely been mastered at the age of four—or perhaps even earlier.
As the young master of the Uchiha Clan, Itachi had received the finest clan education.
He had already mastered the Three-Body Technique, Shurikenjutsu, Kunai throwing, and even the C-rank Fireball Jutsu—the Great Fireball Jutsu.
So, in Itachi’s eyes, “extracting Chakra in ten minutes” was probably just “okay.”
But what Itachi didn’t know was that Linbei hadn’t extracted it himself at all.
Linbei looked down at Tom.
Tom was still cultivating.
Its breathing had grown even deeper, and its fur stood up slightly as if wrapped in a layer of invisible energy.
Linbei could feel the Chakra in his body continuing to increase.
From nothing to something, from a little to a lot.
Linbei didn’t have to do a single thing during this process.
He just had to sit here, holding Tom, and he would grow stronger.
Linbei pulled Tom a little closer into his arms and redirected his gaze to Yamato Nakajima on the podium.
The teacher was now explaining Chakra control methods.
“Chakra control is the foundation of Ninjutsu,” Yamato Nakajima said.
“No matter how much Chakra you have, it’s useless if you can’t control it.
It’s like having a bucket of water, but your ladle is full of holes; the water you try to pour out spills before it ever reaches its destination.”
Linbei committed these words to memory.
Even though he could gain Chakra and strength through Tom’s feedback, he still needed to learn the theoretical knowledge and technical skills himself.
“Alright,” Yamato Nakajima clapped his hands.
“That’s all for today’s lesson.
Everyone, practice the Chakra Extraction Jutsu when you get home.
Aim to be able to extract Chakra consistently within a week.
Next week, we will begin learning the Transformation Jutsu.”
“Yes, sir!” the children answered in unison.
Linbei stood up with Tom in his arms, preparing to leave the classroom.
“Linbei-kun.”
A voice called out to him.
Linbei turned and saw Izumi Uchiha standing at the classroom door, holding a bento box.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she looked a bit shy.
“I’ll share half of today’s bento with you.” Izumi held out the bento box, though her eyes were fixed entirely on Tom.
“Such a cute cat…”
Hearing the word “cute,” Tom immediately struck an elegant pose—he placed one paw over his chest, slightly raised the other, tucked his chin, and put on a deep, melancholic look in his eyes.
He looked like an actor performing a Shakespearean play.
Izumi’s eyes instantly lit up.
“He has so much character!”
Linbei: “…”
He took the bento box and offered his thanks.
Izumi ran off with a red face, glancing back at Tom one last time before she disappeared.
Linbei carried Tom out of the school building as the setting sun painted the rooftops of Konoha a vibrant orange-red.
He looked down at Tom, and Tom looked back up at him.
“Do you know what this means?” Linbei whispered.
Tom tilted his head.
“You cultivate, I get stronger,” Linbei said, his voice low but filled with irrepressible excitement.
“You learn everything fast, so I learn everything fast.
You can never die, which means I have the ultimate shield.”
Tom blinked, seemingly processing the meaning of those words.
Then, he reached out a paw and patted Linbei on the shoulder.
His expression seemed to say: *Don’t worry, leave it to me.*
The boy and the cat walked down the streets of Konoha in the twilight, their shadows stretching long behind them.
But neither of them noticed that on the rooftop of the Ninja Academy building, a figure wearing a white mask stood watching Linbei’s retreating back from above.
Beneath the white mask, the corners of the figure’s mouth curled up into an ambiguous smile.
“Interesting.”
The voice was faint, quickly scattered by the wind.