The team gathered again at the training field. Akihiro was practicing Ninjutsu alongside Aiko and Hiroshi . So far, they had focused on learning the most basic jutsus that they hadn’t mastered in the academy, including the Body Flicker Jutsu, Body Repcement Jutsu, and Rope Escape Jutsu. Although they hadn’t fully mastered any of them yet, they could use them to some extent.

  The Body Flicker Jutsu was both the simplest and the most complicated, as it involves moving at high speeds, allowing for short or long movements at an almost imperceptible speed. This jutsu is very useful in combat, but while it consumes little chakra, after using it a few times, an average ninja could quickly run out of chakra. Therefore, it’s best used for escaping or to quickly finish a battle by taking advantage of the opponent’s carelessness.

  The Body Repcement Jutsu is more complex than the Body Flicker Jutsu. It allows the user to swap their position with another object, like a log or a nearby animal. It is useful for dodging attacks and confusing the opponent, making them believe, for a moment, that they’ve hit their target, which allows for a surprise attack from behind or to escape using the Body Flicker Jutsu. The technique works by swapping position A with B at the moment of receiving an attack. This movement is almost instantaneous and requires little preparation, but if the user is tied up or captured, executing the technique becomes impossible.

  The Rope Escape Jutsu is simpler to understand and can hardly be considered a true jutsu. Of course, it is more painful than anything else, as it requires techniques like dislocating limbs and adopting awkward positions to free oneself, which is not a pleasant experience.

  In addition to these, they also improved their skills with the Cloning Jutsu and the Transformation Jutsu, as both are extremely useful. Outside of this, they also trained their coordination and carried out simple missions in the vilge.

  As the sun began to set behind the tall trees, the sound of footsteps approached the training field. Miyuki suddenly appeared, grabbing the group's attention.

  —Hey, guys! —she shouted, her voice full of energy—. It’s time to take a break and refuel! I brought some food.

  Akihiro, Aiko, and Hiroshi stopped, happy to hear the news. After hours of practice, a little break was exactly what they needed.

  —Awesome! —excimed Hiroshi , as he approached Miyuki, his stomach already growling—. What did you bring?

  Miyuki smiled and began pulling boxes of food from a bag slung over her shoulder. There were onigiri, sushi, and some sweets she had prepared that morning.

  —I took the liberty of making a bit of everything. I want you to have enough energy for the next round of training —she said, distributing the food among them.

  Aiko sat on the ground, crossed her legs, and grabbed an onigiri.

  —This is amazing, Miyuki. Thank you! —Hiroshi said with his mouth full, which made the others ugh.

  Akihiro took some sushi and a few onigiri. Although the taste wasn’t comparable to that of a restaurant, the dedication put into it made it somehow taste even better.

  Once the group finished eating, Miyuki stood up.

  —Well, now let’s start a new routine —she commented while pulling out some small papers.

  Akihiro recognized them immediately as Chakra Paper.

  —It’s time to confirm your chakra natures —she said with a smile.

  The group exchanged gnces. Knowing the nature of their chakra was a crucial step toward becoming stronger ninjas, as it would allow them to specialize in jutsus that maximized their potential.

  —How does it work? —Aiko asked, leaning in towards the papers.

  Miyuki smiled and expined:

  —Simple. Each of you will hold a piece of paper and channel your chakra into it. Depending on the nature of your chakra, the paper will react in different ways: it can burn, get wet, tear, or crumple.

  Hiroshi , excited, took a paper and held it between his fingers.

  —And what does it mean if it burns?

  —That indicates your nature is fire —Miyuki replied—. If it gets wet, you’re water; if it tears, your nature is wind; and if it crumples, it’s earth. Some may even have a combination of natures, which is less common.

  Akihiro felt a bit nervous. Although he already knew this from the original work, he was more anxious about having a weak or strong nature.

  —Who wants to go first? —Miyuki asked while passing out the papers.

  —Me, me! —Hiroshi shouted, unable to contain his enthusiasm. He pced the paper in his palm and closed his eyes, concentrating.

  The group watched in silence as Hiroshi channeled his chakra. Soon enough, the paper began to sizzle before bursting into fmes, quickly burning in his hand.

  —Fire? —Hiroshi excimed, looking dejected.

  —Looks like your path to mastering Lightning Ninjutsu will be much longer —Aiko said, giggling slightly.

  —You’ll be a great fire ninja —Akihiro said, trying to hold back his ughter.

  Miyuki handed another paper to Aiko.

  —Your turn.

  Aiko took the paper and, after a moment of concentration, saw it crumple.

  —Earth —she said, a mix of surprise in her voice. She didn’t have a particur interest in any of the natures, so she didn’t care much which one she got.

  —Perfect —Miyuki replied—. Earth is solid and resilient; it will give you great defense.

  Finally, it was Akihiro’s turn. He felt a bit more anxious but took the paper with some expectation. He closed his eyes and, after concentrating, felt his chakra flowing through it. When he opened his eyes, the paper slowly began to get wet.

  —Water? —he asked, feeling a bit annoyed. Of all the natures, he had to get Water.

  —Yes —Miyuki confirmed, smiling—. Water is versatile and can adapt to many situations. Although it doesn’t have much lethality, it’s a good support nature.

  —Now that we know our natures, what will we do with this? —Hiroshi asked, eager to learn more.

  —We can start looking for jutsus that align with your natures and delve into them —Miyuki replied—. But before that, I want to check something —she commented as she moved her hand. Immediately, Akihiro, Aiko, and Hiroshi felt as if they were in a dream.

  Each one, from their perspective, noticed how the reality around them began to fade, and everything turned dark. Suddenly, they found themselves in a surreal ndscape, surrounded by mirrors reflecting distorted versions of themselves.

  —What… what’s happening? —Akihiro asked, feeling a mix of confusion and fear, only to realize moments ter what was happening—. It’s a genjutsu! —Akihiro shouted, recalling everything he knew about them.

  Miyuki, who seemed to be enjoying her power, smiled mischievously.

  —I wonder if any of you will have the potential to learn Genjutsu.

  —I didn’t expect you to mess with me just for this nonsense —said someone as they stepped out from among the trees.

  —I would have done it myself if I had any talent for it —she commented while looking at her former teammate.

  —Didn’t you have to practice a little more? Anyone can learn Genjutsu with a bit of brainpower —he replied.

  —What are you trying to say with that? —she asked, frowning.

  —Nothing, let’s just see how this ends.

  Akihiro looked around, confused. Although he knew about genjutsus, he didn’t remember much about how to escape them, mainly because the characters who fell into genjutsus were usually immune to them or had alternative methods to get out, like with the help of a Bijuu. So, traditional methods for escaping were rarely shown, and nobody really cared.

  —This will take some time —he commented with a sigh.