Ryu Uchiha: The Beast Inside [Book 1]

Chapter Ten: Chakra Control Training!

     Team 7 stood together outside the finished wall that surrounded the Village Hidden in the Rocks, packed and ready to leave, and Akihiro stood with them as well.

     "Thank you so much for your help," Akihiro said. "I can tell you and your team are destined for greatness, my nephew."

     "I saw that the first time I laid eyes on them," Tsuyoshi said, smiling.

     "Well, goodbye!" Chi said as the team began heading back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Arriving days later from the north-west, Team 7 reached their home, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Without stopping anywhere to talk, Tsuyoshi led the team through the village and to a forest area, where they then unloaded their stuff.

     "We're pretty behind in training, due to the fact that we ran into trouble at the Village Hidden in the Rocks," Tsuyoshi said. "So, I'll leave Ryu and Chi to train here by themselves, while I go and train Jun personally. As it turns out, his Chakra nature is Earth, like mine."

     Ryu and Chi frowned because they'd have to be alone together.

     "I'll leave you with something to work on," Tsuyoshi said, walking over to a giant tree. "This training exercise should help you with Chakra control. You focus a fixed amount of Chakra to the bottom of your feet, and using that, you can be able to climb the tree without even needing your hands. Too little Chakra, you lose your footing and fall off. Too much, you will be pushed back from the tree, and probably break the tree on the point your foot touched it. Here's an example."

     Tsuyoshi walked towards the tree, and then, began walking up it, as if he was walking on regular ground. He continued walking up, until he reached a branch, which turned him another 90 degree angle, making him stand upside down.

     "You see?" he said.

     They nodded, and Tsuyoshi jumped down from the tree. "You guys have fun. Come on, Jun." Tsuyoshi and Jun then disappeared in a flash.

      Ryu and Chi just stood there, looking at the tree.

     "First one to the top wins," Chi said.

     Ryu sighed. "You always find a way to make everything into a competition, don't you?"

     Chi made a wide smile and said, "That's my job as your rival. Anyway . . . Go!"

     Chi dashed for the tree. She leaped onto it, and began running up. After three seconds, her Chakra input grew too weak, and, losing her footing, fell down. She was at least fifteen feet in the air, and had not planned on what to do if she fell.

     Luckily for her, at the last second, Ryu appeared underneath her as she fell. His arms were stretched out, and he caught her before she could hit the ground.

     "Th-Thanks."

     "Stupid. You have to repeatedly focus the same amount of Chakra all the time, or else you fall down."

     "I knew that!"

     "Sure you did."

     Chi's cheeks grew red and she pushed Ryu away, and landed on her feet. Looking at him, she said, "Since you seem to be the expert, why don't you give it a go."

     "With pleasure."

     Ryu dashed towards the tree, and then began running up it. Since he was already skilled in Chakra control, it was easy for him to continue focusing the same amount of Chakra to his feet as he climbed up. About thirty seconds later, he had reached the top.

     He looked back down at Chi, smirking. "See?"

     "Shut up!" Chi yelled as he charged up the tree as well. 

     She kept on going, and, forgetting how to stop, slammed into Ryu, making both of them fall off the top of the tree.

     "Ahh!" she screamed as they both rushed toward the ground.

     Ryu, quickly grabbing Chi around her waist, he focused Chakra into his hand and touched the side of the tree as he fell. Immediately, his hand stuck and they stopped falling. He threw Chi onto a tree branch before jumping onto it himself.

     "You're such a drag," Ryu said, annoyed. He sat down on the branch, his feet dangling below and looked down.

     "I am not!" Chi yelled.

     Not listening, Ryu asked, "Doesn't this remind you of the time Tsuyoshi stood on top of the mud in the Village Hidden in the Rocks, while everybody else was sinking. Maybe this is similar, and if it is, then it might work the same with water!"

     Standing up, he jumped and began running up the tree again. When he had reached the top, he had a clear view of his surroundings. He spotted a lake in the distance, and said to Chi, "Head north-east from where you are. I'll meet you at the lake."

     He jumped from the top of the tree and onto another, and then another, and another. He kept doing this until he reached the lake he had seen. 

     He jumped down from the tree and stood next to the water. A few seconds later, Chi emerged from the forest. She stood next to Ryu, watching the lake.

     "On three, we both take a step onto the water," Chi said.

     Ryu nodded.

     "Three, two, one . . . Go."

     Stretching out one foot, they both placed their feet on the water. For a while, it didn't sink, but as the water moved, the Chakra wasn't strong enough to hold their foot up, and their feet began sinking. They both pulled their feet back before they completely sunk.

     "This is going to take a while," Ryu said.

     And it did. It took them twenty minutes and a half-soaked foot to finally get the technique correctly. Finally, Ryu and Chi both stood on top of the water, walking and running around.

     "At this rate, we'll be Jonins in no time," Chi said, smiling.