#10 Training and Stealing

For the next two days, Karin acted weaker to not waste too much time wasting her chakra on the injured and went to the mostly isolated herself to the confines of her grimy room, avoiding unnecessary interactions with her captors. Suprisingly she even got an extra Meal. She spent most of the time carefully analyzing the notebook of Jutsu she had taken from the Chunin, memorizing the sequences of hand signs and their meanings. Each sign felt like a piece of a larger puzzle—Rat, Ox, Tiger, and so on—and though their purpose seemed straightforward, Karin quickly realized the underlying complexity of combining them into coherent techniques.

Despite it's simplicity whoever came up with it was a Genius. She found it fascinating how each hand sign served as a sort of"key" to unlock different effects of chakra. While she studied the patterns, her mind drifted back to the training exercises the Chunin had described. Tree Climbing had caught her attention the most—not for its intended purpose, but for the potential it represented.

That night, Karin slipped out of her room and into the forest again. This time, however, she wasn't hunting. She had other goals. She found an old, gnarled tree with deep grooves in its bark and began experimenting. Following the weaklings instructions, she pushed chakra to her feet, attempting to stick to the tree's surface.

At first, she overestimated the amount of chakra she needed and felt a sudden burst of energy beneath her feet. The force of the expulsion sent her hurtling several meters into the air. She flipped midair, landing gracefully, her feet skidding against the dirt and leaving two small furrows.

Her second attempt was more deliberate. This time, she adjusted her chakra output carefully, letting just enough energy flow to adhere to the bark. Karin placed her foot firmly against the tree and took a step upward. Then another until she reached the top.

Satisfied with her control, she leapt back to the ground, landing with barely a sound. She glanced at the faint crater where she'd landed earlier before a slow smile spread across her face.

Karin's third attempt was no longer about climbing. She stayed on the ground and used the same principle as with tree climbing. She intentionally overcharged her chakra, focusing the energy into the soles of her feet. She crouched down and bent her knees and with a sharp exhale, released the built-up energy deliberately into a single burst while jumping.

The result was instantaneous. Her body shot forward like a bolt, her speed leaving a visible crack in the ground where she'd launched herself. She skidded to a stop a dozen meters away, crouched low and steady, her heart pounding with exhilaration. A grin spread across her face as she inspected the small impact mark behind her.

"It's cruder than I'd like," she muttered to herself, brushing dirt off her palms. "But it works."

By the end of the night, Karin had polished the technique into something usable. Through experimentation, she learned to adjust the chakra bursts to control the speed and distance of her movement. She could launch herself forward, use it to ease landings after a high altitude fall, and even stationery propel herself upward from the ground.

She named this Movement Technique the Earthbound Eruption Steps, a tribute to the cracked earth she left behind with every use.

The next day, Karin returned to her captors' grim routine of chakra draining, her body still bearing the bite marks from previous sessions. She feigned her usual meekness, offering no resistance as they drained her reserves.

She bid her time until nightfall, slipping out of her quarters and making her way toward a ninja utility store. Karin thought such a shop would Qualify and have items like Chakra Nature Paper—the key to identifying her elemental affinities.

Using her chakra sensing ability, Karin avoided the patrols with ease. The shop was lightly guarded, its defenses relying more on deterrence than active vigilance.

With her Earthbound Eruption Steps, she propelled herself over the outer wall in a single, controlled burst. She landed silently in the courtyard. With a faint crack left behind as she quickly as she moved through the shadows, slipping inside the storage room.

The paper was easy to find, stored neatly in a labeled box alongside other tools and scrolls. Karin debated stealing more but ultimately decided against it. Drawing more attention to her actions would be foolish.

With the paper in hand, she returned to her room, careful to cover her tracks.

Karin sat cross-legged on the cold floor, holding the thin slip of paper between her fingers. She closed her eyes, channeling her chakra into the material.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the paper became damp. "Water" Karin murmured. Her smile widened as she set the paper aside. Water, the element of adaptability. "How fitting."