It was in the middle of the day as Kuroichi stood a bit further from his shelter, letting his eyes wander over everything. A satisfied expression appeared on his face. All this had been nothing more than a crude sleeping spot a while ago, and now it had changed tremendously.
Over the past few weeks, it had become obvious to Kuroichi that he needed a more permanent spot to sleep.
Other than surviving and training he didn't have much to do anyway, so whenever he did have time to spare over the past weeks, he would be working on improving his shelter.
What before would have barely qualified for being called an adequate spot to sleep, had now become a good shelter, and best of all was that Kuroichi built it by himself, making him feel contend and a mix of pride. There was also ambition to do more, he liked the feeling of getting things done by himself.
Thick branches were reinforcing the walls, woven together with vines, they created a barrier for any wind and rain coming from the sides. He created a proper roof, held together by his self-made rope and large leaves, making the whole thing water proof. A small fire pit was placed in the center, surrounded by smooth stones he gathered from the river. He wouldn't be able to actually cook with fire inside, but using some hot coals from a fire pit that was outside could keep him nice and cozy if it were to get chilly during the nights.
As proof of his growing skill as a hunter, a 'drying rack' for meat stood by the side. It had pretty much become something of a snack pantry for him.
Looking at it all, a smile tucked at his lips. He had taken a time period of uncertainness and shaped it into something different.
His life settled more into a rhythm and he didn't have to be stressed about every little thing. His body took this time to visibly improve across the whole board.
His strength made a big jump, now he could easily stand horizontally on trees for a prolonged amount of time, and walking them up and down had become something like second nature to him.
Through all the running and sprinting he did, his stamina had increased by a lot. Before Kuroichi awakened his memories, his body obviously never experienced much exercise, just like he didn't really work out in his previous life either, so seeing progress, in whatever area it may be, was very exciting and rewarding for him.
His agility, while not particularly focused on, also improved simply because of how it connects to overall fitness.
He had also gotten a lot more flexible, with much more control over his body, especially fine motor control. His dexterity definitely improved, so he was thinking about starting to add Kata into his training. Eventually he would need to learn taijutsu either way, but he didn't want to add too much to his for plate for now.
As the clone jutsu started to become easy enough for him to use without any glaring issues, he gradually set his sights on the next of the academy three. His proficiency with the clone jutsu could definitely be improved upon, however more so in the area of making quicker and using fewer hand-seals. He tried manipulating and molding his chakra on his own, trying to leave out some of the seals, but he made only very little headway.
His plan was to be able to use the academy three and master them so that they can seeminglessly be integrated into his taijutsu, combining everything, including the rest of the jutsu in the scrolls, together to create a strong enough foundation for his fighting style as a whole.
Clone jutsu to confuse the enemy, the body replacement jutsu to evade and taijutsu to drain chakra and wear down the enemy while going for the kill with another jutsu, for example.
Actually practicing and getting used to fighting, as well as using clones in fights, would only be possible against real opponents, but having different strategies and ways to take advantage of what he could do was vital for his survival.
All in all, it was a very basic fighting style, but almost every shinobi fought in a similar way when they left the academy.
There were still a few hours to go until it started getting dark, so Kuroichi took the time to relax by the river for a while. This had become an almost regular thing for him, as whenever he finished his training early, was feeling exhausted or just bored, he'd head over there for a few hours.
By this point he knew the way to the river by heart, and even though the sight when just arriving was something he had seen a few times already, it still mesmerized him every time he saw it. The way the sunlight played with the tree branches, the water and the air, or how the sounds of the river made one feel relaxed almost immediately.
Sometimes Kuroichi would be in the water, sometimes sun-bathing on the rocks and other times he'd just be snacking on smoked meat.
Roughly an hour before the sun was about to set, Kuroichi sat cross-legged on a big smooth stone, hands resting on his knees and eyes closed. His breathing was slow and deliberate, taking in fresh forest air on his inhales and relaxing further, softening the tension in his limbs in his exhales.
As the leaves rustled and the bird's chirped, for a brief moment there were no worries, no hunger, no training, no aches, only the nice warmth of his chakra flowing within himself in slow, rhythmic pulses.
His chakra now flowed with ease, spiraling from his core out to his limbs like the steady current of a river. Since he was deeply focusing and concentrating on his chakra flow, he could feel it tracing pathways just beneath his skin, flowing in his palms, coiling at the soles of his feet.
It felt like an integral part of him, alive and responsive, pulsing in harmony with himself. For the first time, he wasn't just aware of his chakra, he felt like he was in sync with it.
This state of mentally being in tune with his chakra was an eye-opening experience for him. As he came out of his meditative trance, the state of being one with his chakra lingered, and he felt like reality all of a sudden seemed more colorful, like something had been missing before.
Kuroichi was a bit dazed as he made his way back to the shelter. It was dark by now, so he had a little trouble finding the right way back, however, the state he was was too relaxed to worry or panic about anything.
Each step he took on the mossy ground made no sound, only the gentle crunch of fallen leaves underfoot. The air was cool and sweet with the scent of damp earth and faint blossoms. High above, the canopy held small windows to the slowly dark sky where stars began to peek through. It was peaceful, until…
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