8 Beggar Sect, is it? (2/2)
”...”
What a petty reason...
”W-what's with that gaze? It's your fault for disturbing my happy time with Akamaru!”
”If you didn't like it, can't you just tell me off from the start?”
It was a bit too late to pay her back now, wasn't it? They'd been running marathon all over Konoha for the past three months!
”...Akamaru didn't seem to hate it, so...”
”...”
This kid... his reasoning starts with 'Akamaru likes it' and ends with 'Akamaru doesn't hate it'.
If Akamaru wanted him to jump off a cliff, perhaps he might really do it? Kinda worrying...
”A-anyway, why did you show those weird tails? You're just asking for someone to find it out sooner or later!”
”I can't help it, alright?!”
”This human can't control This One's chakra properly, so they leaked out,” Kokuo explained. ”'Tis why This One shall teach her how to control chakra, lest this incident will repeat itself.”
”Controlling chakra? Are you a shinobi, too?”
That term again. Ninja. Shinobi. According to her new body's memory, these terms were interchangeable. She couldn't find a match with her old language though.
”What's a 'shinobi'?” She asked.
Kiba was genuinely surprised with her response.
”Seriously? You already stayed with us for so long and you have no idea what a shinobi is? Oi, Fish-Face, why didn't you tell her?”
”Watch your mouth when talking to This One, human,” Kokuo harrumphed. ”This One thought that she already knew.”
After all, who in this world wouldn't know about shinobi?
Apparently, this girl over here.
Kiba let out a sigh.
”Let me educate you then. Shinobi, or ninja, are incredible people who can wield their chakra to perform jutsu. My entire clan are ninja. Actually, this entire village is. I'm currently learning to become one in the academy!”
Jutsu. That translated relatively to 'techniques'...
...Hmm...
So, ninjas were people who can use 'energy' to perform 'techniques'...
”Cultivators?” She blurted out in her old language.
”...?” Naturally, it was met with everyone's confused gaze.
”She did spout out random words...”
”This One already warned you.”
”So, what do 'ninja' do with their power?” She inquired further, ignoring their remarks.
”Hmm...” Kiba scratched the back of his head. ”I'm not too sure, but from what I've learned in class, we do missions involving espionage, escorting important figures, and even assassination. A good shinobi operates in the shadow, undetected by their foes. You know mom and sis sometimes went away for days, right? It's for that kind of business.”
”Espionage... assassination... moving under the radar...”
Ah, she got it!
”Beggar Sect, is it?”
”...Huh?”
She was met with even more confused gazes.
”Who'd you call a beggar...! you know what, nevermind,” Kiba sighed, somehow getting mentally tired. ”Normal people can't use their chakra properly. Only us ninja can. That's why if you can control yours, that usually means you're also one of us.”
Was she?
Nevertheless...
”I'm not a ninja. I'm a cultivator!”
She was just being stubborn, but she really couldn't just put down the way of living that she'd walked through for the last thousands of years. Perhaps if she had drunk the entire course of her Five-Fragrance Tea, she could accept the new reality more easily, but sadly that wasn't the case.
Whether it was futile or not, she didn't care. She just wanted to keep walking in the path that she believed in!
”I'm telling you, I have no idea what a 'cultivator' is...”
Then again, it was her life, so Kiba had no desire to interfere. He'd gotten his hand full with his own.
”...But you still have to learn how to control chakra, at least to hide those tails.”
”...I know...”
Anyway, this 'chakra' thingy could be this world's version of 'qi'. If she wanted to further her cultivation level, learning more about it is a must.
”That's all then. I'm leaving.”
”Ah? Wait-”
”Don't bother me, I'm not in the mood to play chase with you today. Relax, I said I won't tell anyone about your... situation, so I won't.”
No, actually she wanted to tell him to get back to class... but eh, whatever.
With Kiba and Akamaru out of sight, she turned back to Kokuo.
”Now then, Venerable One, please teach me about chakra!”
”Hmph. This One will only say it once. Remember it carefully!”
She nodded, straining her ears so that she wouldn't miss any wisdom that the Tailed Beast would impart.
”Listen, chakra is...”
...
Uh...
Chakra is... what?
”Venerable One?”
Kokuo coughed.
”...Fool. Words alone won't be enough to describe it. This One shall demonstrate it to you instead.”
Faint red glow began to gather around her body. At the same time, she could feel strength coursing throughout her veins. This feeling was awfully similar to qi circulation.
So it was true! Chakra was this world's version of qi!
”Do you get it now? This is chakra.”
”I see!”
She was ecstatic. If she could wield this so-called chakra, cultivating further was highly possible!
”Then, Venerable One, how to control this energy?”
She'd tried to utilize her dantian, but it showed no reaction whatsoever. The red-colored chakra simply coursed through her body as if they had a will of their own. Maybe this world employed a different method?
Kokuo blinked rapidly. If it was a human, it would be breaking out cold sweat at the moment.
Uh, how to control the chakra again...?
”Just... think about it in your mind?”
”I did. Nothing happened...”
”This One can do it just fine.”
The red chakra grew thicker, rousing her with more power. However, the fact remained that no matter what she did, she could only feel the effect but couldn't control them.
After a few more minutes, she finally arrived to a conclusion.
”...Venerable One... are you...”
Was it actually clueless about how humans control their chakra?
”...”
The great Five-Tails, one of the exalted Tailed Beasts who wielded power beyond mortal belief. For the first time in its storied existence, it turned its head away in shame...