After the exam ended, Shinra didn't rest. While other students enjoyed their temporary freedom, he jumped straight back into training.
'No more Academy for the next two months. That means more time to experiment.'
Over the following weeks, his routine intensified. Physical workouts no longer felt exhausting, so he began wearing weighted gear to push his limits. He had completely mastered the Clone Technique— and was now able to produce three perfect clones simultaneously.
Rather than rushing into the next basic Academy technique, Shinra made a different decision.
'Time to train Earth Release.'
Why Earth Release?
'Out of all five elemental affinities, low-level Earth jutsu offer the most practical usage—offense, defense, even stealth. It's the most well-rounded element.'
He sat cross-legged in the training field, flipping through his notes.
'The core of Earth Release is altering the form and consistency of terrain—hardening dirt, softening stone. Ōnōki's techniques pushed this concept to the extreme, making objects too heavy to move… or light enough to float.'
To build a foundation, Shinra practiced manipulating the soil daily—hardening patches of dirt, softening small mounds. He focused on control over raw output.
A month in, he was ready to try his first actual jutsu:
Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique.
After memorizing the hand signs from the Academy library, Shinra formed the seal and directed chakra into the ground beneath him. The earth softened instantly. He began to sink.
'Feels like wading through thick mud… no, quicksand.'
He moved forward, submerged, toward a rabbit nibbling on some grass just a few meters away.
As he reached a point directly beneath it, his arms shot up through the earth, grabbing its hind legs and yanking it down into the ground.
He emerged moments later, brushing dirt from his sleeves, grinning at the sight of the confused rabbit—with only its head sticking out above the soil.
"This jutsu's a hassle to move around with… but it's a damn good stealth technique."
He studied the animal for a moment and remembered something.
Kakashi used this on Sasuke during the bell test…
'There's also a Camouflage Jutsu I remember, another Earth technique. But I think it was mostly used by Iwagakure during the Third Great Ninja War. It might not even exist in Konoha's archives.'
He'd chosen this particular D-rank jutsu for a reason—it wasn't flashy, but its utility was unmatched at its rank. Attacking from underground, hidden and protected by the earth, made it a versatile stealth tool.
But the drawbacks were just as clear.
'You can't cast another jutsu while submerged or you'll crush yourself and the ridiculous chakra consumption. Worse, there is no oxygen supply, leaving you with a little time to hide underneath.'
He glanced at the rabbit again and frowned slightly.
'That little move just cost me around 20% of my chakra… and the rabbit was barely five meters away.'
Still, he wasn't disappointed. Just thoughtful.
Shinra dusted himself off, marked the chakra drain in his notes, and began preparing for his next round of practice.
'The jutsus in the Academy library are only E and D-rank. To get high-level jutsu, there are three ways:
Get a jōnin-level sensei who's willing to invest in you.
Ask the Hokage—but you need to complete missions and flaunt your talents to Konoha and Danzo.
The most risky way: steal them. Every clan should have its own jutsu archive that records techniques passed down through generations. But you need to be strong enough to break in—and qualified to learn them in the first place.'
'I've spent the last year focusing on the basics. I'll be able to get my hands on the Shadow Clone Jutsu through Kenta soon enough, which will greatly boost my training efficiency. E and D-rank ninjutsu don't take much time to learn, but mastering them is a different matter.'
Even after an entire month of training, he hadn't managed to reduce the number of hand signs required for the Clone Jutsu. He might be missing something—or maybe he'd just gotten used to quick advancements.
After finishing his training for the day, Shinra packed up his scrolls and went to the shop to buy more weighted gear.
'Alright, my first Earth Release jutsu has been learned. It did take a month, but that was due to the need to train softening and hardening the earth. For jutsu with similar effects, it shouldn't take as long.'
While walking back home, he felt like he was being watched. Although he hadn't started sensory training, he had a strong feeling that someone was following him.
Shinra didn't make any sudden moves and continued walking slowly.
'This area is sparsely populated. I don't have anything important on me… What would they gain by following me? It shouldn't be enemy village spies… so is it Root?'
He took a turn away from his normal route home and began weaving hand signs. He started sinking into the ground, disappearing completely.
While underground, Shinra kept observing. Nearly a minute had passed, and the lack of oxygen started to creep in.
'Was I being paranoid? Do I make a run for it?'
Just as those thoughts started to form, he heard footsteps echoing above him. He moved slightly backward and pushed his head to the surface.
He observed the person following him—cloaked in dark fabric from head to toe. He caught the edge of a white mask peeking out from within.
'It's definitely Root. What do they want with a civilian child?'
Memories from the original Naruto series began flashing through his mind before Shinra's eyes widened.
'Orochimaru is still in the village… which means the human experiments are still going on. And since I don't have any real relatives other than Grandma, I should be a prime target—along with other orphaned kids.'
Seeing the ninja still searching, Shinra realized he only had two choices.
'I either wait down here until he leaves, but I might end up exhausting my chakra—or run out of oxygen. The other choice is to strike first. Since he hasn't found me, he shouldn't be a sensor. If I catch him off guard, pull him under, exit and land a kunai in his neck immediately… I win.'
Shinra closed his eyes and made his decision.
He began moving toward the ninja from below—and struck.
A pair of hands burst from the ground and grasped the ninja's legs, pulling him downward. At the same time, Shinra surged upward, kunai in hand, stabbing toward the ninja's neck.
But before the kunai could pierce flesh, the Root ninja's left hand broke free from the earth, deflecting the strike. Yet the force redirected Shinra's blade—plunging it straight into the ninja's right eye.
Landing the second attack Shinra's eyes widened in shock—but he didn't hesitate. He leapt back and began forming hand signs mid-run. Three clones appeared, sprinting alongside him as he fled.
The Root ninja pulled himself up from the hole and locked eyes on the retreating Shinra. He gave chase.
'If I escape now, he'll report to Danzō—who'll want to nip a future problem in the bud. I need to kill him silently and get rid of his corpse.'
Shinra sprinted back into the nearby forest.
Once there, he dispelled his clones—created mainly to avoid getting hit in the back—and tore off his weighted gear.
The Root ninja arrived moments later and was greeted by a shuriken which he easily evaded, he pulled out his short sword and charged. Metal rang out through the forest as the two clashed.
After a few exchanges, Shinra looked far worse than his opponent—shallow cuts covered his arms and legs—but his eyes stayed locked onto the masked figure.
Each time the Root ninja attempted to form hand signs, Shinra threw a shuriken to interrupt him, closing the distance and forcing taijutsu exchanges. It cost him, but it prevented larger jutsu from being cast.
Shinra took a deep breath and began bouncing on the tips of his feet. He clutched a kunai tightly—then hurled it.
The Root ninja sidestepped easily, but before he could react further, he felt a sharp pain in his side.
The shuriken he had evaded—was attached to ninja wire—had pierced his ribs.
He turned in shock, only to see Shinra appear in front of him—barely waist-height.
Shinra drove a kick into his groin and latched onto his leg, drawing another kunai and stabbing both thighs repeatedly.
The ninja toppled forward, and Shinra—still full of adrenaline— jumped onto his back and began stabbing his neck over and over again.
Only after a full minute did he stop and stare at his bloodied hands.
His breath came in short, ragged bursts. The metallic scent of blood clung to his skin. Yet he felt… nothing. No nausea. No tears. Just a strange clarity.
'I killed someone… yet I don't feel guilty. Is it because he was after my life—or am I just a psychopath?'
He looked around and started rummaging through the corpse for loot.
He found two pills and a scroll that contained a list of names the ninja was assigned to capture. Most were unfamiliar, so he set it aside.
'There's a high chance they'll find his corpse, even if I hide it. I can't let the Yamanaka clan look through his memories… or all this will be for nothing.'
Shinra took the short blade and stabbed the ninja's skull repeatedly, making sure the brain was thoroughly damaged. The scene was gory, but it had to be done.
After finishing the cleanup, Shinra began weaving hand signs and sank into the earth again—this time, dragging the corpse down with him.
He buried the body deep underground, then ran to the nearby river and scrubbed himself clean of the blood that painted his skin.
Only after that did he return home—taking a discreet route to avoid being seen.
When he arrived, his grandmother was sitting on the couch, looking at him with worry.
"…I'm sorry for being late?"
—
A/N:
I am sorry for the late chapter, there had been a lot of pressure due to exams and other irl events.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.