CHAPTER 56

After the three of them finished lunch and cleaned up, Mizuki turned to Haruno Sakura and asked, "Did you finish reading all the materials I gave you?"

"It's all done, Mizuki-sensei," Sakura said. With the real training about to begin, her tone carried a mix of nerves and anticipation.

"Um…" Yamanaka Ino spoke up tentatively. "Should I excuse myself? It doesn't feel right to overhear another ninja's training."

Mizuki glanced at her and replied casually, "No need. You wouldn't understand it anyway."

Ino's jaw tightened. That stung. Earlier, she had sneakily skimmed through Sakura's study notes. It was all arcane symbols, seals, and terminology—completely incomprehensible, like some ancient ghost text.

"I read everything," Sakura admitted, "but… honestly, I don't understand most of it."

"That's fine," Mizuki said. "Understanding can come later. What matters first is the foundation. So let me ask you—what do you think chakra really is?"

"Chakra?" Sakura repeated, puzzled. "Isn't that a basic academy question?" Still, she answered with confidence: "It's the energy produced by combining physical energy from the body and spiritual energy from the mind. It's what we use as a base for all jutsu."

Mizuki nodded. "A textbook-perfect answer. You've memorized the theory well. But that answer doesn't touch the essence of the question."

Sakura blinked. "Is it wrong?"

"It's not wrong," Mizuki said, "but it's like saying 'sunlight comes from the sun and helps plants grow.' That tells us the result, not the underlying mechanism. Most people never ask what sunlight actually is—or, in this case, what chakra really is."

The question made Sakura's mind spin. She thought about it, but couldn't find an answer. "I don't know, Mizuki-sensei. I've never considered it like that."

"If you want to rise above the average, you need to start thinking about these questions."

"Yes, please teach me," Sakura said sincerely.

Mizuki looked her in the eyes. "There are many theories about chakra. Everyone has their own interpretation. In my view—chakra is the bridge between a shinobi's soul and the physical world."

"A bridge between the soul and reality?" Sakura repeated, confused. She had never heard anything like that.

"Exactly. Chakra is formed by the fusion of the body's cells and the spirit—meaning it can carry one's will. It's not just energy. It's a medium—a way to project thoughts into action, to turn dreams into real impact."

He continued, "Why do you think shinobi can do things ordinary civilians can't even imagine?"

"Because they have chakra…?" Sakura answered instinctively.

"Yes," Mizuki said. "But most shinobi never reflect on how fundamental that is. They're so used to it, they take it for granted."

Sakura nodded slowly.

"The ninja world is harsh," Mizuki went on. "Survival leaves little room for philosophy. And many don't need to ask these questions at all. Think about it—Uchiha Sasuke with his Sharingan, Naruto with that enormous chakra pool, Gaara with his automatic sand defense. They're outliers. With the right guidance, they'll naturally become chunin, maybe even kage one day."

"…Is Naruto really that strong?" Sakura asked skeptically.

"You'll see for yourself soon enough," Mizuki replied. "But what I'm saying is—those with gifts don't need what I'm about to teach you. They fight with instinct and power. You, however, will have to take a different path."

Sakura's eyes sharpened. "So if I want to keep up with them, I need to learn what they don't bother with?"

"Exactly," Mizuki said. "You may not have their bloodline limits or monstrous reserves—but you have something they lack. Precision. Intelligence. You're capable of grasping techniques that require real insight."

He held out his left hand and channeled chakra. A pale blue light enveloped his palm. Then, with a small forward swipe, a sharp arc of chakra sliced through the air. The chill it left made Sakura's breath catch.

Mizuki nodded, pleased. Since returning from the Land of Waves, his skills in medical ninjutsu—once average at best—had improved drastically. His chakra scalpel was now fully under control. Even the unnatural vitality drain from earlier experiments had proven useful in sharpening this edge.

"Did you catch that?" Mizuki asked. "Most ninja rely on tools—kunai, shuriken, explosive tags. But with proper chakra control, your own hands can become your weapons. That was a chakra scalpel."

"Chakra scalpel?" Sakura asked. "Isn't that a medical ninjutsu?"

"It is," Mizuki confirmed. "Once you master this, I'll teach you the Mystical Palm Technique. Medical ninjutsu can heal—but when used offensively, few are more dangerous than a skilled medic-nin."

He pulled out two scrolls—one for the chakra scalpel, one for the palm healing technique—and handed them to her.

"Study these at home."

Sakura accepted the scrolls carefully and tucked them away.

"By the way," Mizuki added, "have you checked your chakra nature yet?"

"Yes. I'm water and earth."

Mizuki smirked. "Flexible like water, solid like stone… no wonder Tsunade trained you to punch mountains. A good fit for a combat medic."

He straightened. "Now, question time. Anything on your mind?"

"Yes," Sakura said. "All the symbols and techniques you've shown me lately—sealing arrays, incantations, formulae… they're way beyond anything we learned at the academy. Some of it feels harder than decoding encrypted messages. What are these things?"

Mizuki paused, then explained simply: "Think of them like formulas or algorithms. A paper-based technique system. Each symbol is a knot in a web of logic. Dozens of combinations, thousands of functions."

He gestured toward her notes. "Most of the runes I gave you are battle-tested. Not perfect, but enough to get you started. They're the groundwork. When mastered, they can form barriers, traps, enchantments, seals. If you want to understand advanced ninjutsu—truly understand it—you start here."