Weight seals ?

Kazeo stared at the seal, excitement flickering in his tired eyes. 'Yes… Finally. One step closer.' But aloud, he asked, "What does this seal do? Wait... are these weight seals?"

Chen scoffed, scratching his stubbled chin. "Weight seals? Tch. Nah, those things mess with your joints if used too long. This one's different and I ain't explainin' it. Just shut up and try it."

Kazeo blinked but said nothing. 'He's not wrong. During these last six months, I tried looking for weight seals that increase atmospheric pressure or weight around the body to train, like in those fanfics. But those don't exist in reality. If they did, Guy wouldn't have made Lee wear actual weights all the time.'

He stood up, slapped the seal on his body, and channeled chakra into it. Most of Konoha's training seals had the same activation method, he had experimented with some before, so this part felt familiar.

At first, nothing happened. Ten seconds passed in silence. He turned his head slightly, giving Chen a confused glance. 'Did this guy just hand me a dud?'

Chen didn't say a word, he just smirked knowingly.

Another fifteen seconds, and Kazeo began to feel... lightheaded. It wasn't dramatic, just a creeping dizziness. Twenty more seconds, and a faint anxiety curled in his gut.

'Why do I feel so off?'

His heart began thudding louder, his breath came quicker. Unconsciously, he clenched his fists.

'Something's wrong.'

His lips and fingertips were faintly tinged blue, though he hadn't noticed. After several more seconds, his knees wobbled, and his breathing turned to harsh gulps.

Then came the real struggle—his lungs screaming for more air, but nothing came. It was like drinking water and still feeling thirsty. His mouth opened wide as he gasped, but it wasn't enough.

'I can't think anymore. I'm going to pass out.'

That's when he heard it.

"Cut the chakra flow to the seal," Chen's voice came, calm but firm.

Kazeo didn't hesitate. He released the chakra instantly and the moment the chakra flow stopped, the pressure started lifting. Slowly. The air returned in harsh, desperate gulps. He dropped to his knees, panting like he'd just run a hundred laps. His whole body was trembling—not from fear, but from pure exhaustion and lack of oxygen.

A minute passed before he could even speak.

Then finally—hoarse, still gasping he asked, "Hah... hah... What... what does this seal do, exactly?"

Chen plucked it back from his chest and casually explained, "It cuts your oxygen intake to fifty percent gradually and takes a full minute to kick in. That's why you didn't notice right away."

Kazeo was still wheezing, but his brain was catching up now.

Chen added, "Still, your stamina's pretty damn good for a brat. You just fought me and lasted more than half a minute on reduced air. Means you've been training right."

Why do you think I trained my pink muscles for, old man? he thought bitterly but asked aloud, "But why this seal? You're a taijutsu master. Shouldn't you give me techniques or something more hands-on?"

Chen snorted and tossed the seal back. "Kid, this is hands-on. These seals were made to let lowland shinobi experience high-altitude conditions. They push your cardiovascular limits, build lung capacity, and stretch your stamina to hell. I even adjusted it to match your level. It'll only reduce your air after you've adapted to each stage. Now beat it. Don't come back until you can train, move, and fight like normal on fifty percent oxygen."

Kazeo frowned. "I didn't come here to build stamina—I'm already working on that. I came to learn your techniques. Your insight."

Chen gave him a sideways glare. "Yeah, yeah. I know that, you stubborn little pest. You remind me every damn day but your body's not ready. If you just want flashy moves, wait 'til you're a genin. You could learn from village library."

He turned his back and muttered, "If you're serious about learning from me... then train with that seal for a couple of years. When you can breathe in 50% less air, come find me."

With that, Chen vanished in front of Kazeo's eyes. He quickly activated his chakra field but Chen was already gone.

He waited the whole night, sitting under the stars but Chen didn't returned.

---

The next day, by afternoon, Kazeo was still at the same spot doing sit-ups with a thick stone disc tied to his hands like makeshift weights. Sweat dripped down his face as he sighed.

'He's not coming back while I'm still here, huh!

Weeks of trying to earn his attention, waiting for some spark of mentorship... and now this.

Did I just wasted my time?'

But then, he thought about the seal in his pocket.

'No... maybe not. If he's giving me this, then it must matter. Maybe his technique needs insane stamina to pull off. That leaf dragon god technique he used in the anime—it was cool though. If fighting in low oxygen is step one... then maybe it's worth it.'

He collapsed onto the ground, staring up at the sky.

'But damn, that choking feeling... I really don't want to feel that again. Sigh, I hope this wasn't a mistake.'

After resting a few minutes, he stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Without another word, he disappeared toward home.

Ten minutes later, Chen reappeared at the clearing. He looked around, confirmed Kazeo was gone, and gave a long sigh of relief.

"Finally. The brat's gone." he muttered, heading back inside. "Now I can think in peace… If I'm right, this new technique'll take another year and a half to complete. But if it works... it'll rival the Eight Gates, at least up to the sixth or seventh gate."

His expression hardened with resolve.

---

Kazeo arrived home and cleaned thoroughly with the help of his clones and Wind Release. He hadn't returned home once since he left to train with Chen. After finishing, he checked his mailbox.

To his surprise, a letter was waiting.

'A letter? From who?' he thought, flipping it over.

It was from the academy, dated three days after he'd started camping outside Chen's treehouse. Upon opening it, his eyes narrowed.

'Wait… They're asking why I haven't been attending the chakra training rooms and using the chakra crystals? I didn't even know we had access during vacation!'

The letter demanded a written explanation to be submitted to Okabe.

What Kazeo didn't know was that Hiruzen had already provided some reason for his absence to the academy. Otherwise, multiple letters and even a teacher might've visited his home. Hiruzen himself was curious to see whether Chen would accept Kazeo as a student, knowing what it felt like to lose one.

In the past, Hiruzen hadn't wanted to declare Chen dead but at Chen's own request, and for other complicated reasons, he had to eventually agree.

'I guess I should head to the academy now for training. But… I've got some questions about that seal.'

He told the questions to a shadow clone and sent it off to ask Chen directly.

After locking his home and leaving three clones to stay inside, Kazeo headed toward the academy.

---

Kazeo was sitting in front of the Earth crystal when memories from the clone suddenly flooded in. The last thing the clone saw was Chen stomping its head with his foot.

"Didn't I tell you not to come back until you can fight with 50% less air, brat? Can't you understand simple instructions?"

Despite the rough treatment, the clone had done its job. Before attacking, Chen had answered some questions.

One question had been: "How long should I wear the seal each day?"

Chen had said it could be activated constantly even during sleep—since it passively drained chakra unless manually deactivated. But he warned that once Kazeo reached 30% reduced air, he should stop using it during sleep or keep it below that level while sleeping.

Kazeo shook off the memory and turned his focus back to the Earth crystal. 'I'll activate the seal again after I leave this chamber.'

---

The vacation was over. Days had slipped by in training, one blending into the next. 

As the sun peeked through the rooftops of Konoha, Kazeo stood in front of his door, locking it with a quiet click. A few clones shuffled behind him inside, already starting their routine tasks.

He exhaled slowly.

Even now, with every breath, he was pulling in about 7% less air than normal. The seal, ever since he'd activated it—had never been turned off. It was subtle at first, starting at 1%. Barely noticeable. But by now, more than a full month later, his body had adapted to 7% less oxygen in the air around him.

And somehow… it felt normal. It was strange. He didn't feel dizzy or weak. Actually, he didn't feel anything at all. The seal just worked, silently, like a weight pressing on him from the inside. Its power increased the longer it stayed active.

There was a reason this seal wasn't popular. It wasn't banned—it just wasn't used. Only maniacs or obsessed battle-junkies ever trained with it. For most people, even with chakra, adapting up to 30% air loss in a year was considered impressive.

After that? Every single percent became torture.

The anxiety. The tight chest. The quiet panic of not being able to breathe enough, it was enough for most of them to deter from using it.

His footsteps echoed down the hallway of the Academy as he made his way to class. He found his seat, slid into it like usual, and looked around.

New faces.

A few students he hadn't seen before were scattered around the room. The chatter buzzed around him, but he leaned back, his arms folded.

Minutes later, the door opened and class instantly became silent. Okabe walked in with the headmaster. The class straightened up immediately.

Introductions began. The new students stood proudly as the headmaster spoke about Konoha, about duty, about the Will of Fire. It was the usual speech—one they'd all heard in different versions over the years.

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for.

"As is tradition for fourth-year students, you are now eligible to take the graduation exam. That means, from this year, you can attempt to become Genin and leave the academy."

Excitement rippled through the room. Most students already knew this from their families but hearing it here, officially, made it real.

Finally. They could be shinobi for real.

Protect the village. Fight evil ninjas of other villages. Make their name known.

The headmaster smiled, clearly used to this reaction. He raised a hand gently and continued, "I know many of you are eager, but remember, this is a big decision. You don't have to rush. Before applying for the exam at the end of the year, talk to your teachers, your seniors, your families. If you're not ready... there's always next year."

Some heads nodded. Others looked a bit unsure now, the weight of the decision settling in. Then, a hand rose from the third row.

Toru.

A civilian-born student. Joined the elite class in second year, and despite expectations, no one had taken his spot since. He stood up slowly, his voice clear but a little nervous.

"Headmaster," he said, "what about the chakra training rooms? And the elemental crystals? Will we lose access after graduation?"

The room went still again.

Of course. In the excitement, no one had thought to ask that. All thirty students turned their heads toward the front again, eyes waiting.

Out of them, maybe one or two actually knew the answer, those lucky enough to have already asked their guardians.