Chapter 5: Training Continues – “Hand Seal”

Finally, I finished… I thought, watching the leaf confidently glide across my hand, obeying the flow of chakra.

Four days. That's how long it took me to complete this seemingly simple chakra control training. At first, everything went relatively smoothly: in the first two days, I learned to steadily concentrate chakra at a single point, achieving its fixation to hold objects. However, it soon became clear that this was not enough. Simply accumulating energy wasn't sufficient—I also needed to direct it correctly.

The next two days I dedicated to more delicate work: I guided chakra throughout my body, trying to move the leaf along my skin. This turned out to be more difficult than expected. It wasn't just about holding the object, but also evenly distributing the flow of energy, making it move without disruptions.

To speed up the process, I practiced whenever I had free time—even during lessons. At first, I tried to make the leaf move under my clothes, but soon I ran into a new problem.

When chakra left my body and interacted with external objects, its consumption increased drastically. Simply holding an item in one place required minimal energy, but as soon as I tried to move it, the costs multiplied.

Now, finally, I can move on to seal training, I thought.

But I didn't head to the training grounds immediately—for starters, I needed to learn to form them slowly.

I had already chosen the first seals—they were the most popular and easiest ones.

The Confrontation Seal or Concentration Seal—a half-hand sign of the Tiger Seal that can be used to activate ninjutsu. This seal is often applied to concentrate chakra and use basic techniques, such as activating explosive tags.

Boar (亥, I)—used in the Substitution Jutsu (変わり身の術, Kawarimi no Jutsu). I would need this seal in the future.

I sat down, straightened my back, and relaxed my shoulders. The first thing I needed to do was simply get used to the movements. I looked at the scroll and slowly formed the seal according to the diagram, carefully making sure everything was identical.

Confrontation Seal. I brought my palms together, feeling the chakra start to concentrate at the center of my body. A simple yet important movement.

Boar. Crossed fingers, a more complex form. I repeated it several times until my muscles began to memorize the positioning.

At first, I moved slowly, striving for perfect precision. Mistakes were inevitable: sometimes my fingers wouldn't reach the correct position, other times they would slip, disrupting the seal's form. But I continued, repeating the movements over and over again.

About half an hour passed before my hands began to move more confidently. Now I could form these two seals without hesitation, but for now, I was doing it in a calm environment. In battle, where everything happens instantly, this method wouldn't work.

I stood up, stretched my wrists and fingers to prevent fatigue.

— Now it's time to move on to the next stage, — I muttered to myself.

The difficulty needed to increase gradually. I decided to try forming seals at speed, accelerating the movements but without sudden jerks. Everything had to be smooth yet fast.

Again, Confrontation Seal, Boar, Confrontation Seal… Dozens of repetitions, until my fingers started moving on their own, without hesitation.

The next step was to form seals while in motion. For that, I would need to go to the training grounds.

My plan remained nearly unchanged: forming seals while running to develop finger speed and chakra concentration in motion.

Increasing the pace, I started adding more complex combinations. Running in circles around the training field, I practiced seal sequences, trying not to lose rhythm. Mistakes happened, but each attempt helped refine my speed and precision.

When my muscles started to tire, I stopped, sat in a meditative posture, and focused on controlling my chakra, directing it to the tips of my fingers.

This training helped improve chakra sensitivity and accuracy when forming seals.

After a short rest, I continued my training, running in circles.

An hour of continuous practice left my hands aching. It was only two in the afternoon, but the new strain on my wrists and fingers had already made itself known. After resting, I moved on to strengthening them—finger push-ups and pull-ups.

While running, I mapped out my training plan for the near future: chakra control, seal speed, body strengthening. Maybe even try mastering kunai and shuriken.

But using techniques?

No, it was too early.

First, I was too weak. Chakra control was only the foundation, and I was still far from using it effectively in battle. Every technique required a precise balance of chakra quantity, shape, and nature. Even basic ninjutsu could place a heavy burden if used incorrectly.

Second, my chakra reserves were too small. Simply holding the leaf was already challenging, and techniques required far greater expenditure. Using ninjutsu without proper preparation was a quick path to exhaustion.

Third, even if I tried… the chance of success was negligible. If my chakra control was still weak, the technique simply wouldn't activate. If I formed the seals incorrectly, the chakra would disperse uselessly. And if I overstrained my body, I could suffer recoil or injury.

I realized that I was still far from being able to use techniques.

So for now, I needed to focus not on them, but on the foundation.

Chakra control—to spend it efficiently and effectively. Physical conditioning—so my body could endure stress and move swiftly. Seal speed—so I could perform techniques instantly in the future. Stats for Half a Month

Kotetsu Hagane

Strength – 9

Speed – 12

Chakra – 20

Chakra Control – 30

Genin – 100 in each stat

Techniques: -