Jogan stayed with her for an hour, explaining the general layout of the village so that she wouldn’t get lost. He used the Hokage Monument as a reference point for everything. It sounded pretty dumb, but it did help, as it could be seen from nearly everywhere in the village. If she was ever lost, Jogan said to find the nearest Military Police patrol to ask for help.
Once he finished with his brief explanation of the village and the relevant buildings, which included the library, academy, bank, hospital, market, ninja supply store, and more, he finally started his long awaited lecture on chakra.
For nearly two months, she’s seen people use these mystical jutsu, sometimes literally mystical, and it was time for her to join them.
They both sat on the floor on the colorful rug, cross-legged with hands on their knees. Jogan watched her squirm in anticipation. “Chakra is the energy inside every living thing. You have chakra, I have chakra, plants, trees, fish—everything alive has chakra. A being without chakra is dead. To use chakra, you first need to learn to feel it. Just like how you can feel your own heartbeat if you focus enough, you can do the same for chakra.”
Jogan watched her wryly, but with a smile as she settled down. “Relax, take a deep breath. Close your eyes and clear your mind of distractions. Breath in slowly, and exhale slowly. Focus on the air moving in and out of your body.”
It took a few minutes of following his instructions, but Sano eventually calmed down. She’d never meditated before, but she remembered it was a thing back on Earth. People did it, so this wasn’t completely in the realm of fantasy yet.
Jogan must have seen her relax, as he spoke softly to continue his instructions. “Good. Now, swap your focus to your body. Chakra is different for everyone, and for me, it feels like a warmth. I have heard others call it a soothing cool. I don’t know what yours will feel like, but try to feel it. It’s always there, even if you can’t see it. Start with your stomach and your chest.”
She started with her stomach, searching for something other. After a minute or two of fruitless efforts, she slowly moved her focus upwards, scanning her abdomen, then her chest. Her heart beat at a steady, slow thrum, lulling her into a fugue. With every calming beat, she lost herself just a bit more in the meditation. The blood pumping through her veins, the warm blood—no, it wasn’t just blood. There was something else, warm and coursing.
This was it, her chakra. It wasn’t a pool of energy like she thought it would be, nor was it some physical thing like blood. It coursed and flowed like blood, but followed a different path.
“Good, Sano. You feel it.” She heard Jogan, if barely. He sounded far off, yet close at the same time. “Explain what you feel.”
Sano, eyes closed and still meditating, slowly raised her hands to sign… and that was the moment she lost it. She opened her eyes in frustration, letting out a soft tsk. ‘I lost it.’
Jogan chuckled at her frustration, but looked pleased. “You did much better than expected. It takes time to connect with your chakra. Now, tell me what you felt.”
After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she explained. ‘It flowed like blood. Warm. It was by my heart.’
Jogan nodded once, sagely. "Warmth is common. And yes, chakra does flow, just like blood. Very good." He raised his hand, tracing a path across his chest, starting from his heart. "It doesn’t start at the heart, but your chakra coils, located near your stomach, is where it originates. The heart plays a key role in its circulation, though. Chakra is always moving through your body, through pathways, like blood. As an Aburame, you had a separate pathway for your insects, flowing along the same channels. Now, keep practicing feeling your chakra when you can. The next step is circulating it intentionally. Start with trying to get the chakra to flow into your hands.”
Sano settled in to continue her practice as Jogan stood from his seated position. She peeked at him with one open eye questionably. Jogan caught her stare. “I will pick you up and take you to the academy the morning after tomorrow. Your situation is unique, so there will be some testing to see what class you should join. Rest up and prepare.”
Closing her eye again, she signed her goodbyes as Jogan left her new home. It wasn’t too terribly late in the evening, and she really wanted to use some jutsu. (Magic, in her mind.)
So, she practiced.
She probably should have seen it coming, but she woke up the next morning on the floor, not remembering falling asleep.
—-----------
The Hidden Leaf was a bustling village. Everywhere she looked, people flocked in small groups with friends or family, going about their days, heading to work, or shopping for supplies—Just like she was doing.
As she was technically a Genin, having done an assortment of missions in the past, she had some savings under her own name at the Konoha Bank. It wasn’t much, but it was more than enough for her to pick up some daily necessities. She wouldn’t be buying any ninja equipment, though. Those things were a little too expensive to go about buying willy-nilly.
As she walked, taking in the sights of her new home, she noticed that people gave her a wide berth. Nearly everyone around was a civilian, non-shinobi, and she figured that would have been the reason. It was slightly off-putting hearing the real reason, as she caught the tail end of a hushed but hurried conversation between a mother and daughter. “... Insect host, stay away if you don’t want to get infested.”
The focused stare and raised brows thrown their way only increased the speed at which they scurried away.
It shouldn’t have been surprising, because she had the exact thoughts that they did when she woke, but she didn’t have insects living inside her. How did they even know she was an Aburame?
Moving the surrounding people out of her mind, she focused on her shopping. Food was prevalent, readily available at the many vendors lining the majority of the market district streets. Many vendors watched her with hawkish eyes, but didn’t say much. Buying things without being able to speak was interesting, lots of games of charades and flipping through her keyring for phrases. Most of the hawkish glares faded when the eventual ‘Why can’t you speak?’ got asked, and she showed them the ‘War Injury’ card. She got a good amount of pity thrown her way then.
Not being able to haggle was a fucking curse though. From what it looked like, she was going to be paying full price for everything in her life. These greedy bastards didn’t even try to play nice or work with her on that end. The first time haggling blindsided her, as she hadn’t even thought about it at all.
It took around two hours to find all of her groceries, daily supplies, and some odds and ends to spruce up her pretty drab new home. Her arms were full as she made her way back to drop everything off.
“Oh?! A young leaf in need? My, my! It makes me remember the times of my youth!” An energetic, exuberant voice practically declared from beside her.
Next to her, a fucking weirdo in a green tracksuit made of spandex and some of the bushiest eyebrows she’d ever seen stood with his hands on his hips, striking a confident pose. He looked like he was in his late teens? Going by his headband, or hitai-ate, worn proudly on his forehead, he was also a Shinobi.
She just kinda… looked at him. It wasn’t like there was much she could do. Her hands were full and she couldn’t sign or flick through her keyring. He stared back, blinking every second or so as he awaited her response. Seeing as he was going to just stand there, she handed him one armful of her groceries, which he readily took hold of, and used her now free hand to flick through her keyring. ‘I cannot speak’ ‘War Injury’.
Weirdo’s bushy eyebrows sprang up to his hairline, but his full face smile didn’t fade in the least. “I see! Can’t speak, huh?”
He raised a hand high in the air, his splayed fingers slowly making a fist as he made a fool of himself. “You don’t need words to show your strength! Actions will speak louder than any words!”
He then did an admittedly impressive punch, one that displaced enough air to cause her hair to waver. “Strength, determination, and heart! The power of youth! That’s what really matters!”
Sano flipped through her keyring faster than she had ever before, eventually finding her wanted phrase. ‘I have to go.’
As the man read the notecard, she quickly swiped her groceries back, tucked her metaphorical tail, and sped away.
“It was nice to meet such an interesting youth!!! Go forth, and I, Might Duy, will watch your career with interest!!!”
Sano flicked her eyes around at the people surrounding her, who stared at her and Might Duy with pure, unadulterated cringe. They made way for her escape as her face heated. Her face grew as red as a ripe tomato from the public embarrassment.
Once she made it a few blocks away, she stood off to the side of the street, placed her things onto the ground, and covered her face with her hands, unimaginably embarrassed.
“Oi, buy something or leave. No loitering.”
Looking over her shoulder, she locked eyes with a grumpy-looking man. A scar ran down the side of his face, and it looked gnarly. Swiveling her gaze around, she saw she was standing in front of a unique clothing store—almost like a hand-me-down or surplus store.
The grumpy guy spit, hawking a gross loogie out onto the ground beside her. “If you’re gonna cover your face so much, buy a mask or something.” Then, the guy reached out of sight behind the opened door, and tossed a small black piece of fabric towards her. Either through immense skill or luck, it slid right into one of her bags.
“100 Ryo.” He said lazily, eyes running up and down her form as if impatient.
Seeing as it was cheaper than a loaf of bread, she flicked the guy a one-hundred Ryo coin and gave him a nod. He caught the coin with a lightning quick snatch, yet seemed bored. “Thanks for your patronage, or whatever.”
Satisfied about the whole loitering thing, the man stalked off back into his dimly lit store.
Reaching down, Sano pulled out the mask she’d just inadvertently bought. It looked well made, if simple. It was as black as her hair, and slightly stretchy. Peeking over to the guy who had just slumped down into his chair behind a counter, she looked back at the fabric. With a shrug, she pulled the thing over her head and settled it in place.
The mask was breathable, more so than she thought it'd be. It was nearly form fitting as well, smoothly covering the entirety of her lower face and down her neck. The soft, stretchy fabric sat on the bridge of her nose. And it was… comfortable?
She peered back suspiciously at the store owner… He just stared back unflinchingly.
With a sigh, she leaned over, picked up her stuff, and finally headed home.
—------------------------
After returning home and putting her things away, she grabbed her Leaf head protector, put it on, and made her way towards the library. The library was a public library, not only for Shinobi. Her uncle Jogan said it would be a good place to study.
Entering inside the medium-sized building, she immediately came to a reception desk. Seeing as nobody was in line, she made her way forward to the woman manning it. She was pretty, with wavy brown hair and striking purple eyes. “Hello, what information are you looking for today?” She asked, voice in the classic ‘I am talking to someone I don’t know, so pitch up my voice and sound pleasing’ tone.
It was a real thing. She did it on phone calls… Or at least she thinks she did.
Sano quickly signed ‘Genjutsu and Fuinjutsu’, earning a snort, raised brow, and eventually a nod.
“Right door, section 2-A for Genjutsu, and 17-D for Fuinjutsu.” The receptionist replied, after looking through some kind of binder in front of her.
Sano wasted no time and made her way to the said sections of the library, picking out a wide assortment of introductory books. Once she sat down at an empty table, she looked at her small stack, smiled, and got to work.
She would speak again! Even if it was a pale imitation of the real thing!
The first book wasn’t very dense, titled ‘Genjutsu Fundamentals: A Beginner’s Guide to Illusions.’ A well written, comprehensive, and easily digestible piece of literature—she needed that, as she was still getting used to learning Japanese. It was an interesting read, and she quickly realized why people didn’t typically specialize in Genjutsu.
This shit was fucking complex.
While the book itself wasn’t overly hard to read, the concepts inside heavily, and she meant heavily, about chakra control, and the imagination. It was all about creativity and trickery, with fine control.
‘Chakra control is the cornerstone of any ninja's ability to perform jutsu, and it is especially crucial when it comes to the delicate art of Genjutsu. Unlike ninjutsu, which typically rely on channeling chakra to create external effects, Genjutsu operates entirely within the mind of the target. This requires not only a steady flow of chakra but also precision and balance.
When you perform a Genjutsu, your chakra must enter the target’s system subtly, manipulating their sensory perception. Too much chakra, and the illusion can become too overwhelming, causing the target to break free. Too little chakra, and the illusion may not take hold at all, leaving the target unaffected.
Beginners often struggle with chakra leakage, where their chakra flows erratically, causing the illusion to flicker or collapse. Fine-tuned chakra control is necessary to maintain an illusion long enough for it to have an effect. The longer the illusion lasts, the more chakra it consumes, requiring constant adjustment and management.
Training in chakra control doesn’t just help with casting illusions—it also enables you to weave the illusion more seamlessly, allowing you to make subtle adjustments without alerting the target to the illusion’s true nature. Without mastery over chakra control, your Genjutsu will always lack the precision and effectiveness needed to deceive a skilled opponent."
Seeing as she just felt her chakra for the first time last night, maybe she was jumping the gun. Sano regretfully placed back some of the more advanced books and did her best to find chakra control books without bothering the receptionist.
She succeeded and went through, ‘The Art of Balance: Mastering Chakra Control.’
“Chapter 3: Refining Your Chakra Flow
Chakra control is not merely about how much chakra you can produce, but how you can guide it with purpose and delicacy. The goal is to harness your chakra, refining its flow to be more efficient and focused, so that every movement, every action, is smooth and purposeful.
Suggestions for Improving Chakra Control:
Focus on BreathingOne of the first things you must master is the synchronization of your breath with your chakra flow. Practice breathing exercises while visualizing the chakra running smoothly through your body. Imagine it as a river—never too forceful, but always flowing steadily. By controlling your breath, you control the flow of chakra, leading to more precise use in jutsu. This simple training will prepare you for when your breathing fluctuates during battle.
Physical AwarenessChakra control is deeply connected to the physical body, as chakra flows through the body’s network of tenketsu points. A common exercise is to practice moving through different stances or forms while maintaining a steady, consistent flow of chakra to key points in your body. Try simple Taijutsu exercises while focusing on how chakra is being channeled into each muscle. The more aware you are of your body’s movements, the more control you’ll have over the chakra flowing through it.
Start with the BasicsIt’s essential to focus on small, controlled exercises before attempting more complex jutsu. Start by practicing the basic chakra concentration exercises, such as the tree-climbing and water-walking techniques…
Avoid Chakra LeakageChakra leakage occurs when chakra flows improperly and escapes your control. This can result in an unstable technique or cause your chakra to dissipate too quickly. A key exercise to improve in this area is to visualize your chakra as a sealed container. When you exert force, only the precise amount needed for the task should leave the container, and the rest should remain sealed within you. It’s about restraint as much as it is about strength…
Mental FocusChakra control isn't just a physical discipline; it is deeply rooted in your mental state. To improve, practice meditation and mental clarity exercises. A focused mind can regulate chakra far better than a distracted one. Try sitting in a quiet space and focusing entirely on the flow of chakra through your body. Clear your mind of distractions and let your chakra flow naturally, while staying aware of every sensation…”
Sano closed the book, slumping down in her chair as she wished for Wikipedia hyperlinks. This book readily assumed you knew what half the things it mentioned were already. What the hell were the ‘Tree-climbing’ and ‘Water-walking’ techniques? Were they jutsu? Tenkestu points?
She spent several hours in the library, mostly alone and unbothered during her entire stay. It was harder to digest nearly every single book other than ‘Genjutsu Fundamentals: A Beginner’s Guide to Illusions.’
Her reading level wasn’t really up to snuff for many of the books she read. It was a slow process, reading. Back on Earth, she could read quite fast…? Probably, she couldn’t really remember.
The Fuinjutsu books were easier to read than the others, going solely by the fact that they included pictures. ‘Sealing Fundamentals: A Beginner’s Guide to Fuinjutsu’ was the first of the stack she’d picked out, and similar to the Genjutsu book, this one wasn’t too dense.
It did stress safety in what felt like the end of every section, but it was informative. The most important bit, which nobody fucking told her, is that you can make a Bag of Holding—A Storage Seal. Apparently, it wasn’t even difficult to make either! At least in the grand scheme of things.
That sounded like pretty important information to skip in all the talks with her uncle. They would have words.
“Chapter 2 - Drawing Your First Seal: The Basic Storage Seal
The simplest form of Fuinjutsu that most beginners learn is the Basic Storage Seal. This technique allows you to seal small objects or items within a container, such as a scroll, or even within an object like a small box. This seal is useful for a variety of practical purposes, such as carrying large weapons or materials without carrying them physically.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Prepare the Medium: Choose a blank, flat surface. If you are working with a scroll, make sure it is unfolded and securely placed in front of you. It’s important to also prepare special ink that can channel chakra, as Fuinjutsu requires the ink to store and transfer energy effectively.
Focus Your Chakra: Calm your mind and focus on your chakra flow. As you prepare, visualize the energy flowing from your core and into your hand. With every breath, you should feel your chakra gathering and becoming one with the ink.
Begin the Drawing: Use your chakra-infused hand to draw the basic shape of the seal. This shape is usually a circle, whirlpool, or hexagon, which will form the central structure of the seal. There are many ways to create a seal, and each has their advantages, disadvantages, and purposes. As you draw, the chakra should flow into the ink, and the markings should glow faintly, indicating the chakra’s presence. For more intricate seal additions, please reference Chapter: 7 - Seals Markings And Their Uses.
Seal Activation: Once the basic shape is completed, channel your chakra into your hand and focus on the storage space. If successfully made, the application of chakra will activate the seal, storing whatever is stacked upon it. To withdraw stored items, focus your chakra on the relevant extraction seal marking, normally a 9-Pointed-Star, Counter-Spiral, or Triskelion, and will the item to appear.
Warning: This is not a guide to make your first Storage Seal. Please consult your mentor and have supervision when creating any seal. Never rush the process. Sealing is a precise art, and if you draw too quickly or too carelessly, the seal could malfunction. The chakra flow should be deliberate and controlled at all times. If the chakra isn’t properly synchronized with the ink, the seal will fail to activate, and could potentially cause the stored item to be lost, damaged, or in the worst case, cause death.”
Fuinjutsu was neat, and much more fluid than she had originally thought. While it was certainly complex, positioning and, once again, chakra control were key. There also seemed to be a near endless amount of Seal Markings. Some Fuinjutsu applications have been standardized; such as the Basic Storage Seal, Explosion Tag, Binding Seal/Tag, and Chakra Sealing Tag/Barrier, but even those could be tweaked or even made in a completely unique method. Fuinjutsu was all about making something that you needed, no matter what it was.
Sano’s first thought when reading about the Chakra Sealing Tag was that it sounded useful. According to the text, it would seal most of the chakra within a target, tricking the body and preventing them from using nearly any of their chakra—But ‘nearly any of their chakra’ wasn’t none. There was potential laid within this seal...
It would let the target use such a scant amount of chakra that they couldn’t even cast a D-rank jutsu by tricking their body into thinking they didn’t have enough, effectively making them useless to everyone but civilians. This, of course, assumed that the target had a pretty good grasp of their chakra—a moderate level of control—the baseline average.
What if someone had extreme chakra control? Could someone squeeze every ounce out of what little chakra the seal allowed you? Could she? It sounded like a great training method, kind of like training weights for your chakra.
When reading about chakra throughout the day, chakra control and quantity came up often. One way to increase your maximum chakra capacity was by draining yourself of chakra to the point of where you felt fatigue, and forcing your body to adapt. Another way was to constantly use your chakra, regularly using it to stretch your pathways.
Back on Earth, people would train their muscles at maximum exertion to have them grow bigger to handle the increased demand placed on them. While chakra wasn’t a muscle, it sure sounded similar. Wearing a tag and forcing her body to adapt, as well as the seal actively fighting against her chakra, sounded like good training—the best of both worlds. When you eventually removed the tag, your body would have still already adapted.
She’d need to do some more research, but this sounded like a good plan for the future, once she got the basics handled. There had been no mention of chakra reverting to a baseline like muscles… If that was true, this had legs to stand on.
With a new item added to her shopping list, Sano left the library. It was time to prepare for her first day at the academy.