Chapter 107: A New Rhythm

[ Hi everyone, Ito-kun here ^.^ thanks for you support, i'm sorry i delayed because i'm not having a lot of time and i didn't want to rush the chapters :) thanks for understanding!

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Only a handful of days had passed since the exam, yet in Ren's mind, those events seemed distant. An insatiable desire to improve burned within him, a fire that pushed him beyond his limits. That morning, with a decisive gesture, he increased the weights on his ankles from twenty to twenty-five kilograms.

Finally, he thought, it's been a while since I increased the weights, long enough to grow too accustomed to them. Now I feel the difference again.

His daily routine was carved in stone: a long run to awaken his body, followed by a swimming session in the lake, and finally, handstand walking. Every inverted step was a triumph of will, a way to demonstrate that the body could be shaped by the mind. Ren's hands pressed against the damp ground, sensing every irregularity and tiny vibration beneath him. Blood pulsed through his arm and shoulder muscles, burning with the intensity of constant effort. Every movement required perfect balance, total concentration that isolated him from everything else. The world seemed to disappear, leaving him alone with the rhythm of his breath and the challenge of the next step.

497, 498, 499, 500... That'll do for today.

Finished with his training, Ren leaned over the clear water to refresh himself. The reflection staring back surprised him: more defined shoulder muscles, slightly sculpted triceps. He couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

Not bad. I wonder how far I can go with physical training, he thought, running a wet hand through his hair. The cool wind brushed his skin, invigorating him.

"Alright, time for a general review," he said to himself, sitting in a meditative posture. He began with chakra control exercises, then elemental chakra: water, wind, earth, and finally the last one he had learned, fire. Only lightning remains, he thought, and I should have a basic understanding of all five elements.

Shortly after, he got up and started reviewing jutsu as well. He began with the simplest ones, moving up to Water Clone Jutsu, Water Wave, Water Barrier, Rock Bullet, and then to sealing techniques, mentally going over every single step as if engraving it into his muscle memory.

"Time to attempt the Shadow Clone", he finally said, closing his eyes to concentrate. He had tried and retried countless times, but once again, after hours of effort, he had to give up: the clone formed but dissolved almost immediately. Frustration cut through him like a blade.

Better save some chakra, or I won't be able to handle my work at Tatsumi's, he thought, rising with a deep breath.

---

The following day, dawn found Ren already on his feet, determined. Ankle weights strapped on, his mind clear, his body tense and ready. The routine was identical, except for one difference: that morning, he decided not to use chakra for the jutsu, knowing he would meet Ganryu later that morning.

The latter awaited him with his usual inscrutable expression, like an enigma that Ren could never fully decipher. No words about the exam, no questions about how he managed to rank first or what happened with the Shibuki. Ganryu merely observed him, noting his progress without offering praise. That silence was worth more than any compliment, and Ren perceived it as further motivation to improve.

" Mizutani" Ganryu interrupted during their sparring session, "use all of yourself today, even the wind element in the tanto."

He's been good, but he took too many risks. If that boy with the Shibuki had been better prepared, Ren would have faced much greater difficulties, Ganryu thought, watching him closely.

Ren followed his instructions, starting to use the wind element in the tanto during sparring. Every movement required meticulous precision to avoid wasting energy.

"You're dispersing much more chakra than necessary when infusing the wind element," Ganryu said, stopping him with a sharp gesture. Then he added, "Where did you learn to infuse natural elements?"

Strange, this is the first time he seems so "concerned," Ren thought. "On my own," he replied simply.

Learning to manipulate the wind element alone... a real talent. That might explain why his wind chakra feels disturbed, Ganryu reflected. He then explained: "Each nature of chakra interacts differently with metal. Water flows and adapts, making it ideal for crafting precise blades; wind cuts and increases penetration but must be concentrated along a thin line to avoid dispersion. Fire, on the other hand, requires intensifying without melting the metal itself. Each element demands a specific strategy."

Ren nodded, absorbing every word. These teachings were invaluable—another step toward complete chakra mastery.

After training with Ganryu, Ren decided to relax a bit, avoiding the mistakes of the past and letting his mind find peace as well. He headed to the ramen stand, savoring a steaming bowl before returning to the shop. To his surprise, he found Kurara helping Yuki with some errands.

This isn't what I meant by relaxing, Ren thought, watching Kurara move with her usual calm. After notifying his mother that he'd be heading out again, he left the shop.

Walking through the streets of Kirigakure, he tried to clear his mind when, in the distance, he saw Shinji in the company of an older man.

"Hey, Ren!" Shinji greeted, raising a hand.

Ren approached with a smile. "Shinji, sir," he said, pretending not to recognize the older man from the Mizukage ceremony.

Shinji grinned. "What 'sir'? This is my father. Let me introduce you: Genji Karatachi, the strongest ninja in our clan!"

I've never heard of him. Could it be that Yagura wiped them out while under Obito's control? Ren thought.

"Ren Mizutani, correct?" the man said with a faint smile. "Genji Karatachi. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard about you. You made quite the impression during the exams."

"Thank you, sir," Ren replied respectfully. "It was a team effort, but I'll do my best to improve even more."

Shinji's father nodded faintly, his expression unreadable. "That spirit will take you far."

Ren seized the opportunity to satisfy his curiosity. The Karatachi clan... they're so reserved.

I wonder what I could discover. I wanted to relax today, but opportunities like this don't come every day

"Shinji," he began in a friendly tone, "I'm looking for inspiration to improve some techniques. How about some sparring?"

Shinji glanced at his father for approval, but the man remained silent. "Unfortunately, we already have plans today," Shinji replied with a nervous laugh, while his father nodded vaguely.

Ren smiled, hiding his disappointment.

This time the Shame no Jutsu didn't work, it seems.Fine, that means I'll be able to relax. What should I do? Maybe I'll visit the library to look for new jutsu for when I master the Shadow Clone technique.

With that thought, Ren headed to the library, where he had an epiphany: he should start training in the lightning element.

[Thanks everyone specially Jayroy_63 , BagusPardana, 12Fenix, DstarS, akari_000, Acnol, Overlord_Of_KARMA,Victor_Bivol, Matheus_Santos_9759, Cordell_Clinton, Daoist0thxiB,Ian_Clark_6978, DaoistAZmi17, Kay_smiles101, Strandarn, AKIB19, DarkGambit, and Miguel_024!

 Sincerely Thanks and remember about the Power Stones, these are the motivation for my work :) ]