9 Ah Crap, He Broke Through (1/2)
Since Kokuo was useless, it was time to find someone else to teach her about chakra.
Unfortunately, since she had little control over her chakra, she might end up popping out those damned tails again. If she asked some random people in the street, they might found out about Kokuo and raised some hell.
She still couldn't trust the Inuzuka. While Tsume wasn't particularly hostile to her, their relation was shallow at best. She couldn't rely on her just yet.
Thankfully, yesterday's incident provided her with a solution.
Let's just get Kiba to teach her!
He had been attending the academy for a year or so. Even the biggest idiot would've learned a thing or two after so long, right?
That morning, she intercepted him right before he was about to go out of the house.
”Huh? Teaching you about chakra? No way!”
Unfortunately, getting his cooperation didn't seem to be easy...
”Just ask that monster inside of you.”
”I did, but a spirit beast and a human are different by nature...”
”...In short, he's useless.”
'Insolent kid! This One shall show you who's the useless one!'
'Ssush, ssush, Venerable One, be patient! Be merciful!'
While she was busy placating the rampaging beast, Kiba nonchalantly turned away.
”Anyway, get off my back. I want to enjoy my rare day off.”
”Aaah, wait, please teach me!”
She hastily grabbed his wrist, preventing him from going any further.
Getting irritated with her antics, he tried to push her away, but found out that her grip was so strong, he couldn't even move his caught arm. When he tried to forcefully drag her with him, it also ended up in failure. No matter how much strength he exerted, she still wouldn't budge.
Ah, heck, she had such a small frame, how did she end up being so strong?
”Let go!”
”No! Please teach me!”
”Aaargh! Why does it have to be me in the first place?”
”I can't ask anyone else!”
”Like I care! I'm leaving!”
Kiba had also (accidentally) trained in her cultivation method. Combined with Inuzuka clan's physical talent, his current strength wasn't something to joke at when he was getting serious. By exerting a bit more force than usual, he was slowly getting a bit ahead in their tug of war.
What to do... at this rate, he'd really abandon her...
...
Oh, wait, she got an idea!
”I mean, you've learned about chakra in the academy, right? It's not like you don't know about it because you slept in or skipped out, right...?”
The boy immediately stopped struggling. His heart was getting pierced by invisible arrows.
H-how did she know-
”N-none of your business! Let go!”
”Please, teach me? Surely a genius young master like you can easily do it, can't you?”
Her voice grew softer, as if placating a child.
Kiba failed to notice her tone. He was focusing more on the part where she had called him a 'genius'.
”Heh, let me tell ya, even if you praise me, I won't-”
”It's true! You're strong, brilliant, not to mention extremely talented. Please show this humble one how it should be done!”
”...Heh.”
He scratched his nose, feeling embarrassed. However, he was nonetheless really satisfied with her words.
”Fine! Can't be helped! This Great I will show you the way! Come with me!”
He beckoned her to follow as he changed direction toward the outskirt of the village.
”...Woof...”
Witnessing how easy his master got bought out with sweet words, Akamaru let out a disapproving bark....
Kokuo, on the other hand, just squinted at Hikari.
”What is it, Venerable One?”
”...Glib-tongue.”
”I got called that a lot. Heheh... this type of person, just by flattering them a bit, we can get a lot of benefit...”
”...”
In its mind, Kokuo noted that it should never take whatever this girl said to heart.
They were all lies. Lies, it say!
---
The place that Kiba had chosen for their training was a clearing not too far from the village border.
According to his explanation, it was quite a popular spot for students of the academy to train in their spare time. On day offs like these, though, it was practically deserted.
”Alright, let's start! Don't waste my time! Listen carefully!”
With a smug look on his face, he began to recite the lines that he'd memorized from his teacher back in the academy.
”There are two types of energy within us, they're called physical energy and spiritual energy. Physical energy comes from our body, while spiritual energy comes from our mind. When we combine both of them, we get 'chakra'.”
He pulled out a booklet with a title that reads reads, 'Basic of Ninjutsu'. From the worn-out state of its cover, it seemed that the boy had been reading it for quite a while.
He then proceeded to flip through the pages until he found a simple drawing of a human with lines drawn above it.
”Look, this is called chakra pathway system. Think of it like veins, but instead of blood, it's for our chakra. Our physical and mental energy will converge in these organs called chakra coils, which will be distributed throughout our body by the pathway!”
She stared at the drawing, comparing the pathway to the meridian veins that she knew. There were a few minor differences, but they were essentially the same. How miraculous.
And these chakra-producing organs, weren't they just dantian? The location was also the same, with the most important one located below the abdomen.
'Interesting... instead of gathering energy from the world, these people could produce them within their own bodies?'
Similar concept existed in her old world, but inner qi wasn't something that could be increased with mere training. That was why refining outer qi became fundamental to cultivation.
”Question!” She raised her hand.
”What is it?”
”What do you mean that physical energy comes from our body? From what part exactly does it come from? What about spiritual energy? What kind of training do we have to increase its output?”
”...”
How could he know? They haven't covered that yet in class!