Naruto : The Return of Senju

I hesitated for a moment before asking, "Does everyone have the same amount of chakra?"

Grandmother shook her head slightly, her expression serious. "No. Chakra varies from person to person, just like physical and spiritual strength. But with training, you can increase your chakra reserves. The exercises we did earlier today? They help with that. When you push your limits, when you exhaust your chakra, your body adapts—just like how muscles grow stronger with exertion."

She paused, watching me closely. "But just like muscles, chakra must be controlled. Overuse can lead to injury. And without proper control, chakra can backfire."

Her voice softened slightly, but there was still an unmistakable firmness behind her words. "The next step is learning to control your chakra, and that begins with focus. The first technique I'm going to teach you is called the Leaf Concentration Exercise. It's simple but essential for refining your control."

She plucked a small, fresh leaf and handed it to me. I took it carefully, my fingers closing around its delicate edges as I looked up at her expectantly.

"To begin, you need to focus your chakra into a single point," Grandmother explained. "For this exercise, that point will be the leaf. Place it on your forehead and use your chakra to make it stick. The forehead is one of the hardest places to concentrate chakra, so this will test your control. The goal is to refine your focus to the point where the leaf stays in place without falling."

I nodded, determination burning in my chest. "Understood. I'll give it my best effort."

Grandmother gave me a small nod of approval. "Let's begin, then. If you can master this, it'll be one step closer to mastering your chakra—and to becoming a true shinobi."

Taking a deep breath, I carefully placed the leaf on my forehead, closing my eyes to focus. At first, it fell almost instantly.

I frowned but didn't let frustration creep in. Instead, I steadied my breathing, exhaling slowly as I tried again.

This time, I concentrated harder, channeling my chakra with more precision. The leaf clung to my skin for a few seconds before slipping away again.

I repeated the process. Again. And again.

Gradually, the leaf stayed in place longer—a few seconds, then half a minute, then a full minute. My forehead grew warm from the effort, my mind buzzing with focus as I worked to shut out all distractions.

This was just the beginning. But I wouldn't stop until I got it right.

As time passed, I began to understand something important: it wasn't just about the chakra. It was also about focus.. By lunchtime, I had managed to hold the leaf for a full ten minutes without it falling. My concentration wavered towards the end, his chakra beginning to wane as I struggled to maintain focus. But the improvement was evident. The leaf stayed firmly in place longer than it had at the start, and I could feel my chakra flowing with more ease. I knew I made progress, and the satisfaction of it pushed me to keep going, determined to master the exercise.

After a hearty lunch, fatigue from the morning's intense training began to settle in. My body ached, muscles burning from the strain, and my mind felt sluggish. Accepting that rest was just as important as training, I decided to take a short nap. The quiet hum of the house wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and before I knew it, sleep claimed me.

By the time I woke up, the clock showed 3 p.m. The soreness still lingered in my limbs, but it was the satisfying kind—the kind that told me I was growing stronger. Stretching out my stiff arms, I let out a slow breath before heading back outside to the training ground.

Grandfather was already there, waiting. He stood tall, arms crossed over his chest, his calm gaze studying me as I approached. Even in his older years, he had an unshakable presence—a quiet, controlled strength that I couldn't help but admire.