Chapter 7: Lessons in Survival

Chapter 7: Lessons in Survival

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Hikaru wiped the sweat from his forehead as he stood in the training field, his breath heavy. The spar with Kosuke had left his body aching, his mind buzzing with new information. He had lost. Badly. But he had learned more in those few minutes than he ever had training alone.

Kosuke leaned against a tree, arms crossed. "Lesson one: The moment you think you've figured out your enemy, you're already dead."

Hikaru exhaled, nodding. He had relied too much on his Wood Release—expecting it to be the answer to everything. But Kosuke had read him the moment he made his move.

Kosuke smirked. "Tell me what you did wrong."

Hikaru thought back to the fight, analyzing every moment. "I telegraphed my jutsu. The second I pushed my chakra into the ground, you knew what I was doing."

Kosuke nodded. "And?"

Hikaru frowned. "I should have hidden my attack. Used it as a distraction instead of my main move."

Kosuke grinned. "Now you're thinking like a shinobi."

Hikaru clenched his fists. He had power. His chakra was strong. His body was getting stronger. But raw strength wasn't enough.

The best shinobi weren't the ones with the strongest jutsu.

They were the ones who knew when to use them.

Kosuke pushed off the tree, tossing Hikaru a kunai. "Lesson two: A shinobi's greatest weapon isn't jutsu. It's deception."

Hikaru caught the kunai, frowning. "I thought it was adaptability."

Kosuke chuckled. "That too. But adaptability means nothing if you can't fool your opponent."

He gestured toward the spot where Hikaru's roots had sprouted. "That was a good attempt. But next time, don't make it obvious. Let them think they've got you figured out before you strike."

Hikaru exhaled. That was the real difference between an Academy student and a true shinobi.

He had been fighting reactively. Kosuke had been controlling the fight.

Hikaru looked down at the kunai in his hand. "So what's next?"

Kosuke smirked. "Now, we see how well you learn under pressure."

Before Hikaru could react, Kosuke vanished.

Hikaru's instincts screamed at him.

He rolled to the side just as a kunai whistled past his ear. His heart pounded as he scanned the area, searching—

Kosuke was nowhere to be seen.

Hikaru swallowed. This was different from their first spar. He wasn't attacking—he was hunting.

A real shinobi wouldn't fight fair.

Kosuke's voice echoed through the trees. "A fight isn't just about speed or strength. It's about control."

Hikaru's breathing slowed. He needed to think.

Kosuke was hiding his movements, meaning he was either masking his chakra or moving too fast to track. If Hikaru relied only on his eyes, he'd lose.

He had to find another way.

Hikaru pressed his fingers to the ground.

He had just unlocked his Wood Release—it was still weak, but maybe…

He pushed his chakra downward.

The earth beneath him trembled.

Not enough to be obvious. Just a small pulse.

A few feet away, the tiniest shift in the soil caught his attention.

Hikaru's eyes snapped to the side.

There.

He launched himself forward, twisting midair, throwing his kunai toward the spot—

A blur of movement. A shadow shifting—

Kosuke appeared.

The kunai missed his chest by an inch, embedding itself into a tree. Kosuke raised an eyebrow. "Not bad."

Hikaru barely had time to process before Kosuke closed the distance.

Hikaru threw up his arms to block, but Kosuke's leg swept low—

Hikaru's feet were kicked out from under him.

He hit the ground hard, coughing.

Kosuke crouched beside him, smirking. "Lesson three: Even a good plan means nothing if you can't back it up."

Hikaru groaned, pushing himself up. "I thought I had you."

"You almost did," Kosuke admitted. "But your body still isn't fast enough to keep up with your mind."

Hikaru clenched his fists. That was the problem.

He had the instincts. The intelligence.

But his body wasn't there yet.

Kosuke stood, crossing his arms. "So? What do you think you need to work on?"

Hikaru exhaled. "Speed. Reaction time. And…" He glanced at his hands. "Chakra control. I need to make my jutsu faster."

Kosuke grinned. "Now you're getting it."

He tossed Hikaru another kunai. "From now on, your training is simple. You're going to dodge. And dodge. And dodge. Until your body moves faster than your mind."

Hikaru sighed. He already knew this was going to hurt.

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For the next two hours, Kosuke didn't let up.

Hikaru had to dodge kunai, avoid surprise strikes, and react instantly to Kosuke's movements. At first, he was too slow.

Then, his reflexes started improving.

By the end, he wasn't dodging everything. But he was dodging enough.

His body moved on instinct.

And when Kosuke finally stopped, Hikaru collapsed onto the dirt, exhausted.

Kosuke nodded approvingly. "Not bad for day one."

Hikaru just groaned.

A new notification flickered in his vision.

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[Skill Gained: Instinctive Evasion]

→ +2 AGI, +1 STR

→ Dodge success rate increased by 10%

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Hikaru exhaled, staring at the sky.

He wasn't there yet.

But he was getting stronger.

And that was all that mattered.

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To Be Continued…