Naruto: Stormbreaker

Chapter 5: Hands down. the best exercise ever

Keeping the leaf stuck to the soles of my feet was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do, aside from potty training.I had to be very careful and precise about my chakra control in order to keep the leaf stuck there. It required more effort, for some reason. It felt like my mind refused to acknowledge that I was basically practicing to stick to the ceiling upside-down. However, that didn’t stop me from trying. I was now five years old, and my chakra control had become decent. Not quite good enough to walk on walls yet, but decent compared to other kids in the orphanage. I was pretty sure clan kids would still give me a run for my money, but considering I was a neglected, underfed orphan, I was doing pretty well. Plus, by this point, I was convinced our caretakers ate some of the meat sent to feed us and probably sold the rest. Or at least that was my theory.

Now that the academy would start in a year, I had to kick things into the next gear. I started spending more time in the forest, taking advantage of the caretakers’ increasing negligence. Since I could now control my chakra better, I decided to try something new. After climbing a tree the old-fashioned way, I sat on one of the branches, closed my eyes, and focused on the forest's sounds. I could hear the few remaining birds chirping, the soft rustle of dry leaves, and the occasional distant animal sounds. I stayed there for a long time until it finally happened. I heard something moving across the leaves, not too far away. The steps were very light and almost silent, but after isolating the other noises, I got a general sense of its direction. I opened my eyes and focused on that area, spotting a rabbit slowly moving across the ground, cautiously looking around for danger.

I felt overjoyed. Birds didn't have a lot of meat, but rabbits had much more. I took one of the rocks from my pocket, carefully aimed, and threw it as fast as I could. However, I underestimated the animal's instincts. Somehow, the rabbit noticed the incoming rock and dodged it with impressive agility. Without hesitation, I jumped down from the branch and threw another rock slightly ahead of the fleeing rabbit. It struck a tree, spooking the animal into pivoting sharply to the right and hopping away quickly. I kept chasing it, but it was heading toward a dense part of the forest, where it would become impossible to pursue.hing I kept focusing on was my sensing ability. It wasn't exactly chakra sensing. Not yet, or at least not in the traditional way. After several hunts, it evolved a bit. First, I picked up sounds, then smells, and gradually a vague sense of chakra presence that all creatures in this shinobi world had. It wasn't precise like a real sensory ability, but I could vaguely tell direction and distance. After sensing a target, I carefully jumped from tree to tree, occasionally checking again so I wouldn't lose track.

My plan was to hunt down bigger prey before the academy application test came. Something substantial enough to boost my strength and performance. But I never imagined my senses would lead me to one of the most dangerous animals I have ever encountered.