Another day.
Naruto woke up earlier than before. This time, he opened his eyes just as the sun was rising.
He slowly sat up on the bed, stretched his arms, and let out a long sigh.
"Haaah…"
His whole body felt sore and stiff.
"Seriously… this hurts too much…"
Naruto clenched his fist and lightly pounded his arm, then twisted his neck from side to side. A dull pain spread through his muscles.
He knew exactly where this came from.
Yesterday's intense wood-chopping training.
In the past, when he trained in Konoha—whether it was taijutsu, chakra control, or Rasengan practice—he often experienced similar soreness. But back then, after one good night's sleep, his body would recover quickly.
Now, even after resting, the pain was still there.
Naruto sighed helplessly.
"My physical condition really is too bad now…"
He slowly stood up, stretched again, and felt a little better.
Then he suddenly realized something.
He hadn't bathed last night.
And he hadn't changed his clothes either.
A strange smell lingered around him.
"Ugh… this is really uncomfortable…"
Naruto quickly pulled open the curtains. The sunlight had just begun to spill into the room. It was still early.
Opening the door, he made a decision.
"I'm boiling water and taking a bath first!"
Without hesitation, he went to fetch water, prepared firewood, lit the stove, and boiled a pot of hot water.
After a familiar routine, he finally soaked himself in warm water.
"Haaah… much better…"
The soreness in his muscles eased a lot.
After bathing, Naruto washed yesterday's clothes and hung them outside to dry.
Then he boiled another pot of water and made tea.
He was already hungry.
Just as he finished preparing everything, he heard footsteps outside.
Opening the door, he saw Ichiro Tsuchigen walking toward him with breakfast.
"Hey," Ichiro laughed, "you're up so early today. Not bad! I thought you'd still be asleep!"
Naruto smiled.
"Yesterday was too tiring. I couldn't sleep late."
Ichiro walked in and put the food on the table. Seeing the teapot, he teased:
"Wow, you're really starting to fit in. You even learned how to make tea!"
Naruto ignored him and immediately opened the food.
He was starving.
Ichiro poured himself a cup of tea and shook his head.
"My goodness… you're eating like a starving wolf. I should've bought more."
Naruto quickly ate four meat buns, drank some tea, and leaned back in satisfaction.
"So good… Next time, buy three more. I can still eat them!"
Ichiro laughed.
"No problem."
Then he asked seriously, "How did you feel yesterday?"
Naruto sighed.
"Very tired. When I got home, I felt like my body was falling apart."
Ichiro nodded.
"I noticed. You barely had any strength left when I carried you back."
"Maybe it's just the first day," Naruto said. "I'll get used to it."
"That's the spirit," Ichiro replied. "Let's go."
Ichiro picked Naruto up and flew straight to the farm.
After handing him over to Tomu, he left immediately.
Today, Naruto continued working with Ah Shuo.
Chopping wood.
Sweating.
Repeating.
By noon, Naruto was exhausted again.
After lunch, he rested briefly and even fell asleep.
In the afternoon, Ah Shuo woke him up.
"Time to work."
Naruto rubbed his eyes and stood up.
Seeing Naruto's tired posture, Ah Shuo said seriously:
"Naruto, chopping wood like this isn't efficient."
"You need to find your own rhythm."
"Your breathing, your movements, your strength—all of them must work together."
"Only then can you use your body's power properly."
Naruto froze for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Oh…"
This time, he stopped trying to compete with Ah Shuo.
Instead, he carefully observed him.
How he stood.
How he breathed.
How he raised and lowered the axe.
How his body moved as one unit.
Naruto began to imitate him.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Gradually, Naruto realized something.
Ah Shuo's movements wasted almost no energy.
Each swing was precise.
Each breath matched his motion.
"This… makes such a big difference…"
Naruto was amazed.
He finally understood.
It wasn't just about strength.
It was about coordination.
Efficiency.
Control.
Just like chakra control training in Konoha.
But now, it was physical control.
"I see now…"
Naruto murmured.
He practiced this method for the entire afternoon.
During dinner, Naruto asked curiously:
"Ah Shuo, who taught you this way of working?"
Ah Shuo smiled.
"My teacher. Back when I was in the academy."
"The academy?" Naruto was surprised.
"Yes."
Before Naruto could ask more, Tomu came over.
"Naruto, time's up for today."
Ah Shuo patted Naruto's shoulder.
"Don't worry. We'll talk tomorrow."
Naruto nodded.
On the way back, Naruto felt unusually energetic.
He finally understood why Grandpa had sent him here.
This wasn't just labor.
It was cultivation.
When they landed, Ichiro smiled.
"You look happy today."
Naruto laughed.
"Yeah. I learned something important."
"Oh?" Ichiro crossed his arms. "Then I'm looking forward to it."
Naruto nodded confidently.
"Just wait and see."
As Ichiro flew away, Naruto shouted:
"Don't forget my three extra buns tomorrow!"
"Got it~!"
On his way inside, Naruto noticed a window upstairs in a nearby house.
A girl was peeking at him.
When their eyes met, she immediately closed the window.
"Huh?"
Naruto scratched his head.
"Maybe she's just scared of foreigners…"
He didn't think too much and went inside.
As usual, the water and firewood had been refilled.
"Haha… good timing. Bath time!"
He boiled water and took a long hot bath.
"So comfortable…"
Leaning in the tub, Naruto stared at the steam.
"When will I finally defeat the Otsutsuki… and return home?"
He sighed softly.
After drying himself, he lay on the bed.
He forced himself not to think too far ahead.
For now, he had to focus.
Grandpa's guidance was his last chance.
Ah Shuo's breathing and coordination method—
He had to master it.
With that thought, Naruto closed his eyes.
And fell asleep.
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