Chapter 42: Steps to Stand On

Chapter 42: Steps to Stand On

The morning light filtered through the narrow window of Ren's new room, casting soft rays over the bare wooden floor. He sat cross-legged near the wall, already awake before the village stirred. It had taken him a long time to fall asleep last night. The room was small, worn down, but his. A thin mattress sat in the corner, and a chipped desk leaned against the wall. No decorations. No memories. Just silence.

And yet, he had done it.

Last night, after hours of effort and quiet frustration, Ren had managed to perform the Clone Jutsu.

It wasn't perfect. It had shimmered, half-formed, a pale image that disappeared in seconds. But he had done it. Alone, in a dusty room, without guidance. He hadn't told anyone. Not yet. Something inside told him it was too early to share.

Outside, the village buzzed to life. He stood, dressed quickly, and stepped out into the crisp morning. The streets near the Genin Corps housing were filled with movement now—other kids in mismatched clothes, shinobi running errands, old women setting up stalls. For the first time, he didn't feel like a visitor. He felt like someone trying to belong.

The training ground was already gathering dust by the time he arrived. The others had trickled in. Kota waved at him with a tired smile. The rest of the kids looked unsure of themselves, rubbing their eyes, yawning. No one had slept well.

Yuji stood a short distance away, arms crossed, staring into the treeline like he was waiting for a sign. He looked more like a mercenary than a teacher—sleeves rolled up, scarf wrapped lazily around his neck, posture just short of annoyed.

Ren tilted his head. Something felt… off. Yuji hadn't said a word yet.

The man rubbed his temple. Then sighed.

"Damn it." Yuji cursed under his breath, eyes narrowing. "I forgot to explain the jutsu yesterday, didn't I?"

The realization hit him like a thrown kunai.

"Right. Because I'm not a teacher. I'm a half-retired field shinobi with more scars than sleep. Who in their right mind thought giving me kids was a good idea?" He scratched his head, internally groaning.

Images of his old sensei surfaced in his mind—stern, no-nonsense, sharp as a blade. "If you forget to give clear instructions, you're wasting everyone's time," his sensei would say while chucking a clipboard at his head.

Yuji exhaled loudly, dragging a hand down his face.

Out loud, he muttered, "Alright, listen up. Yesterday I said you need to learn three basic jutsu to become genin. That part's true. What I didn't do was actually explain them, which is... yeah, kind of important."

Some of the kids blinked at him. Kota leaned in. "You didn't explain them at all."

"I noticed," Yuji grunted. "Let me fix that. Don't interrupt."

He cleared his throat, straightening his stance like he was trying to summon some ghost of professionalism.

"First jutsu: Clone Technique. Basic illusion. You make a fake version of yourself. It can't move, can't fight, just stands there looking dumb. Distraction, not defense."

A few kids exchanged confused looks.

"Second: Transformation Technique. You turn into something or someone else. A rock, a dog, your mom—whatever. Good for infiltration, terrible if you sneeze."

Kota raised a hand. "Can we turn into kunai?"

"No. Don't be stupid. Third: Substitution Technique. You swap yourself with something nearby. Log, box, chicken—anything. You vanish from danger, reappear elsewhere. Use it right and you don't die. Use it wrong and you hit a tree."

Silence.

Aki, still pale and reserved, looked genuinely baffled. "How do we do any of that?"

Yuji gave a long pause.

"...Good question."

Ren bit his lip, suppressing a laugh. Even Kota snorted. Yuji sighed deeply, like the weight of responsibility was physically painful.

"Look, I was never trained to teach. But here's the deal. You'll learn hand signs, chakra flow, and timing. It won't be easy. But right now, you don't need to master them. You need to try."

He motioned toward the open field.

"No chakra training today. First, we get your bodies moving. Push-ups, tree climbing, sprint drills, stretches. You're not going to cast a jutsu if you collapse from a single punch."

The kids groaned in unison. Ren, though, felt something settle in him. That strange mix of tiredness and quiet excitement. Maybe it was because he had a head start. Maybe it was just the thought that he wasn't starting at zero.

They trained under the growing heat. Ren focused on his breathing. Every movement mattered. He remembered Raiku's words. Climbing the steps, one at a time.

Sweat ran down his face as he practiced basic form exercises. Kota tripped over his own feet. Aki quietly copied Ren's movements, keeping her distance. Others fell behind, but none gave up.

Yuji sat nearby, arms crossed again, watching like he was grading them in his head. Or maybe just wondering how he'd ended up stuck with this gig.

When the sun dipped lower, Yuji finally called it.

"That's enough for today. Same time tomorrow. Maybe this time I'll remember to explain the hand signs before we start."

The kids chuckled, and Yuji cracked a crooked grin. Just for a moment.

Ren wiped his brow and looked at his hands. Small. Still soft in places. But they had made something yesterday. A step.

As the group dispersed, Ren stayed behind for a moment longer, facing the empty field.

He held the seal again. Concentrated.

Nothing.

He closed his eyes. Breathed. Slowed down.

His chakra moved differently now. Not just in waves—it responded. Followed his intention.

When he opened his eyes, a shimmer stood beside him.

A flickering image of himself.

Not perfect. But clearer than last night.

He didn't smile.

He just nodded once.

---

Yuji scratched his head, eyes scanning the handful of kids gathered in front of him with the kind of nervous energy usually reserved for substitute teachers on their first day. A wide bandage clung to his left cheek, and his flak vest was slightly crooked. He'd clearly thrown it on in a hurry.

"Alright," he said, clearing his throat. "Yesterday was... something. But I realized I might've gotten ahead of myself. I didn't even explain what chakra types or genjutsu really are. Heh. Sorry. Not a teacher, just a guy with rank and bad decisions."

The kids gave him blank looks, though Kota offered a polite nod. Ren stayed quiet, mind already turning. Yuji was a mess, but sometimes people like that let things slip without realizing it.

"Okay, so. There are two sides to chakra," Yuji said, drawing two lopsided circles in the dirt with a stick. "Yin... and Yang."

Author's Note (because sometimes, dear reader, even the narrator needs to step in): Now, technically speaking, Yin and Yang chakra manipulation is a complex, advanced topic that usually doesn't come up until you're dealing with jutsu like Shadow Clones or Creation of All Things. But Yuji, bless him, is about to give a description so vague and hilariously off-base that it might actually help someone.)

"Yin chakra," Yuji went on, tapping the first circle, "is like... imagination. It makes illusions. Stuff that's not real, but your brain thinks is. Like dreams. That's why genjutsu works with it. It messes with your mind."

The kids blinked at him.

"Yang," he said, tapping the second circle, "is the opposite. It's physical. It heals. Moves your muscles. So together, they make chakra, which lets you do jutsu. Yin is form, Yang is vitality. That's what my old sensei used to say. Honestly, I just remember it like this: one helps you trick people, the other helps you punch 'em."

Another long pause.

Kota raised a tentative hand. "So... clone jutsu uses Yin?"

"Exactly! It creates an image. A fake body with no real punch. It's all illusion. Great for confusing people in battle. Unless your enemy has good perception, then you're basically doing a magic show."

Ren stared at the circles.

Yin creates form... Yang breathes life.

The words stirred something. Not from this world, but from his memories of the other one. Duality. Balance. The idea of body and soul working together.

Then Shadow Clone... it must use both.

He blinked slowly, trying to suppress the shiver running through his spine. Yuji, completely unaware of the small revelation he'd just inspired, went on.

"Anyway, the reason we start with clone, transformation, and substitution is simple. They're illusions. They teach you control. These jutsu won't win battles, but they teach you how to mold chakra, push it out, shape it with your intent. They strengthen your mind more than your muscles. Genin who can master these usually handle advanced jutsu easier."

Another authorial intrusion, because hey, this is important: What Yuji doesn't realize is that these early jutsu, while considered simple, are actually foundational. In more ways than one. He's technically correct. The best kind of correct.

"Now," Yuji said, standing, "watch carefully. This is the Clone Jutsu."

He formed hand seals: Ram, Snake, Tiger.

A puff of smoke, and a single, poorly-made clone appeared beside him. It wobbled slightly and had a nose too big for its face.

"Still got it," he grinned.

The kids giggled. Even Kota cracked a smile.

"Now you try. Focus your chakra in your chest, visualize yourself, and use the hand signs. Ram. Snake. Tiger."

They all spread out, clumsy fingers forming seals with varying degrees of success. Kota kept mixing up Snake and Tiger. One of the younger boys accidentally poked himself in the eye. Another girl, Kana, burst into smoke before even finishing the sequence.

Ren sat down cross-legged, ignoring the chaos.

Yin and Yang. Illusion and life.

His fingers moved slowly, forming the signs, letting his chakra pool inside. He pictured his body in perfect detail. Not just the face, but the way his shoulders slouched when tired, the way his hair curled around his ears. He imagined himself stepping forward from nothing.

He whispered, "Clone Jutsu."

A puff of smoke.

He opened his eyes.

No one noticed. Yuji was busy helping Kana get back up. Kota was mumbling the signs again.

But there, sitting beside Ren, was a copy of him. Solid-looking, but unmoving. It didn't speak. It didn't breathe.

Then it shimmered... and vanished.

Ren exhaled slowly.

Not perfect... but closer.

Yuji clapped his hands. "Alright, good effort, kids! Keep practicing. You won't get it in a day, but if you keep at it, you will. Remember: chakra is like a limb. If you never move it, it stays weak. But train it, and it becomes part of you."

As the others resumed practicing, Ren remained seated. He wasn't just molding chakra anymore. He was listening. Listening to the way it moved, how it responded. The whisper of form. The flicker of breath. Yin and Yang, dancing.

For the first time, he wasn't just trying to mimic what others did.

He was starting to understand why it worked.

---

Ren sat cross-legged on the worn tatami floor of his small apartment. The walls were thin and bare, and the room held only a futon and a small chest for clothes. It felt temporary—like it belonged to someone else before him. Maybe it had. He hadn't asked.

The moonlight spilled through the window, casting pale light over his fingers as he held a familiar hand seal in front of him.

Clone Jutsu, he thought.

But that wasn't what he really wanted to try.

Yuji's explanation from earlier still buzzed in his head. Something about yin chakra, illusions, strengthening the mind. Something had clicked—somewhere in that vague, almost clumsy speech. Ren knew the term "yin chakra" from the Naruto world already, and he vaguely recalled how the Shadow Clone Jutsu used both yin and yang chakra in perfect balance. The mental image and the physical substance, combined.

He looked down at his hands, slowly shifting through half-remembered signs. If I can control both... maybe...

A part of him wanted to try. Just try. The Shadow Clone Jutsu. The real one. He knew it was a B-rank technique, far above the level of an academy student. It could split your chakra improperly if done wrong. He could hurt himself—or worse.

But what if I could pull it off? Just once.

He closed his eyes, trying to sense his chakra. He imagined it flowing through him—just like his meditations. Then, he tried to mold it the way he thought the jutsu required.

A faint flicker. A twitch of air. A half-formed swirl of smoke.

Then nothing.

Ren exhaled sharply, heart pounding a little faster than he expected.

No clone. Not even a bad one.

"…I don't even know how to use yin and yang chakra properly," he muttered, frustrated. "I barely understand how they work. I just… remember the terms."

And that was the truth. He knew the words, the theory from memory—yin is imagination, yang is vitality, right? But how did you feel yin chakra? How did you separate it from yang? Mold them together?

He was a child in a world where children became soldiers.

Ren let his hands fall to his lap. The urge to push himself was strong—but recklessness could get him killed before he even took a real step forward.

Start with the basics, he told himself.

He stood up slowly, walked over to the small window, and looked out at the village. Lanterns flickered in the streets below. Somewhere, people were still training, still surviving.

He touched the wood of the window frame, grounding himself.

"Not yet," he whispered. "Small steps."

And he turned back to the center of the room—ready to begin again tomorrow.

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