Chapter 6: Learning Chakra Control

[Jiraiya's Perspective]

I pushed open the door to the Hokage's office, greeted by the all-too-familiar sight of my old sensei drowning in paperwork. Shikaku Nara sat across from him, looking equally exhausted as they worked through the aftermath of the Nine-Tails' attack.

This is exactly why I'll never be Hokage—so much work, no freedom.

Hiruzen glanced up from his desk. "Jiraiya, if you've come to help with paperwork, I'd be eternally grateful."

"Yeah, no thanks, Sensei." I waved him off. "I actually have something interesting to tell you. Something you'll definitely want to hear."

"If this is about Naruto again—"

"It's not," I cut in, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. "And I'm still not becoming Hokage just to take care of him. I wouldn't even have time to raise the kid if I did."

Hiruzen sighed. "Then you already know my answer."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's the real reason, Sensei? 'Being a bad influence' is just an excuse."

There was a brief silence before Shikaku finally spoke up. "It's about the Nine-Tails. After the attack, the village's power balance has become unstable. Many clans suffered heavy losses, and the Uchiha are still under suspicion for the incident. With trust between factions eroding, the presence of a Jinchuriki only complicates things further."

I frowned. "You're saying the clans don't trust each other enough to let anyone raise Naruto?"

Shikaku nodded. "Whoever adopts him would gain a significant advantage in negotiations. If the Hokage took him in, the Sarutobi Clan would gain too much political power, and the other clans wouldn't allow it. So, a compromise was made—Biwako Sarutobi will raise him, but Naruto will not be affiliated with any clan. He will live as a civilian ninja."

I clenched my fists. "But Sensei, you promised Minato and Kushina you'd take care of him! This is bullshit!"

Hiruzen looked away. "It's not that simple, Jiraiya. If I went against the clans now, Konoha could tear itself apart. We could end up like Kirigakure, drowning in civil war."

I gritted my teeth. What's the point of being Hokage if you're trapped by politics?

I exhaled sharply, deciding to shift gears before I got too pissed off. "Forget it. That's not why I came here. I found a kid today—one with a body that can naturally absorb and use nature chakra without turning to stone."

"What?!" Both Hiruzen and Shikaku stared at me like I had just told them I found the secret to immortality.

I smirked. "Yeah, that was my reaction too."

I explained everything—how I met Shinji, his family background, and the bizarre nature of his chakra. By the time I finished, they were already thinking of ways to utilize his talents for the village.

Of course, I shut that down immediately.

"I've already taken him as my student," I declared. "I'll train him myself and turn him into the best sage this world has ever seen. So don't get any ideas about turning him into some secret weapon for Konoha."

Hiruzen sighed but nodded. "Alright. Just train him carefully. If he truly has this potential, he could become someone the village depends on in the future."

With that, I left the office, already planning out Shinji's training regimen.

[Shinji's Perspective]

I woke up at 4:30 AM, already mentally prepared for another gruelling day of training.

After a quick stretch, I called out to my two companions. "Shiro, Kuro—ready to train?"

They barked in unison, tails wagging excitedly.

As we ran through the village, I noticed how early life in Konoha started. Shopkeepers were already setting up for the day, and shinobi were out training, just like me.

"I guess the ninja world doesn't believe in sleeping in," I muttered as I arrived at the training ground where I had met Jiraiya yesterday.

The place was still and quiet, the soft morning light filtering through the trees. I wasted no time, starting my warm-up with sprints through the forest while perfecting my 'Naruto run.'

After a few minutes, Jiraiya finally arrived, dressed in his usual outfit—minus the massive scroll.

"Morning, Shinji. Done with your warm-up? Good. Sit down and get into position. We're doing the leaf concentration exercise again. This time, you'll focus only on your physical and spiritual energies. I'll handle the nature chakra interference."

He pulled out a black wooden stick from his scroll. I stared at it warily. "Sensei… what exactly is that stick for?"

Jiraiya smirked. "Oh, this? Don't worry about it. Just focus on your chakra. The less you mess up, the less you'll feel this stick."

I sighed, already resigned to my fate.

I placed a leaf on my forehead, closed my eyes, and concentrated. This time, I focused entirely on differentiating the energies inside me, trying to isolate chakra from the chaotic mix within me. But as expected, the flow became unstable.

CRACK!

A sharp sting ran down my back as the stick struck me.

"Focus," Jiraiya ordered in a tone that left no room for argument.

Surprisingly, the pain wasn't as bad as I had expected. Maybe there was some technique to it, a way to disrupt nature chakra without actually hurting me too much.

I pushed forward, emptying my mind and trying again. Slowly, I started to sense the distinction between each type of energy. It was like discovering an entirely new sense—one that went beyond sight, sound, or touch. Every energy had a unique feel, and for a moment, I understood them.

Then they mixed again, becoming an uncontrollable mess.

Another CRACK! As the stick hit my back.

This became my life.

Days passed in a brutal cycle: stamina and chakra control in the morning, taijutsu and strength training in the evening, and studying jutsu and hand seals in between. My body was constantly sore, my back constantly stinging from Jiraiya's 'method,' but I could feel myself improving.

A week later, I sat in front of a summoned toad, eyes closed, and a leaf resting on my forehead. Seconds passed, then minutes. Finally, the leaf slipped from my skin and landed softly on the ground.

The toad beside me croaked, "Three minutes and forty-eight seconds."

I opened my eyes, releasing a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

A slow smile spread across my face.

It took a week of suffering, but I finally did it.

I had achieved chakra control.