After dinner, Fujimoto Tōma returned to his room and opened the book on chakra extraction.
If he were honest, he'd never studied this seriously in his previous life.
He already had a basic understanding of chakra. Not the method, but the concept. He'd once asked his mother to teach him, only for Fujimoto Sana to shake her head and decline. She could still use chakra, but the theoretical framework had long since faded. More importantly, she didn't recommend extracting chakra before the age of six. It wasn't dangerous, but it did affect growth.
And that aligned with Tōma's own understanding.
Chakra was formed from the combination of physical energy and mental energy. Extracting it inevitably placed stress on the body.
From Tōma's perspective, mental energy determined how much chakra could be drawn at once, while physical energy defined total capacity. Only after mental energy actively converted it could physical energy become usable chakra.
Physical energy itself depended on two factors.
First was physique, which could be improved through training.
Second was bloodline, which could not.
An ordinary person had a low baseline. To reach a decent chakra pool, they needed an exceptional body. Meanwhile, certain bloodlines, like the Uzumaki, possessed abnormally high efficiency. Even without extreme physical training, their chakra reserves were terrifying.
Bloodline also affected recovery speed, but that mattered less. Most fights ended in a handful of exchanges. Rapid recovery rarely decided the outcome of a single battle.
Tōma had wondered before if this world had anything that could permanently improve bloodline quality.
After thinking it through… probably not.
Hashirama cells?
No, thanks.
He had no interest in turning into something half-human. If he were going that route, he might as well scheme for a tailed beast instead. Either option ran directly against his goals.
Tōma wanted to climb as a human. In human form. Even if other states were stronger, he didn't want them.
If that wasn't the case, he could just lurk behind two walking miracles and focus on survival.
He wasn't obsessed with power.
If he could grow strong, great. If not…
Then he'd accept that too.
Still, the conclusion was annoying.
There really was no shortcut here.
He sighed. In another kind of world, there were always rare treasures that boosted fundamental potential. Hard to get, but at least imaginable. Here? Either you mutated, or you didn't.
If an option like that did appear now, he'd probably take it anyway. When you were weak, principles had a way of becoming flexible.
If it appeared later… he'd refuse.
That was assuming he'd grow that far at all.
Setting the thoughts aside, Tōma closed the book. His stomach felt settled.
"Mom, I'm heading out."
"Don't stay out too late. Be careful," Sana replied automatically.
She was used to this by now. She'd thought Academy life might finally slow him down, but apparently not.
He wasn't going out to play.
His body was the basis of his future chakra pool. If he wanted to avoid running dry after a handful of techniques later, he couldn't be lazy now.
Tōma estimated his current physical level to be roughly equal to an average second-year Academy student. He'd trained consistently, but cautiously.
Recently, though, something had changed.
Even though his training volume hadn't increased, his recovery felt smoother. Stronger. Likely simple age growth catching up.
That meant it was time to raise the limit.
Carefully.
Training should push potential, not squeeze it dry. His body was still six years old. Intensity mattered, but so did growth resources. He couldn't afford short-term gains that crippled long-term development.
One or two experiments would be fine.
He just couldn't repeat them recklessly.
With that in mind, Tōma headed to a secluded training area.
As expected, someone was already there.
Rock Lee.
He saw Lee almost every time he trained. When Tōma arrived, Lee was already working. When Tōma left, Lee was usually still going.
A talent forged through effort.
Honestly, Tōma doubted his own body could handle Lee's regimen. In theory, his ceiling might be higher.
But theory assumed unlimited time.
Growth windows closed. And Lee burned through his with terrifying efficiency.
Realistically, Tōma didn't see himself surpassing Lee physically anytime soon. Nor did he want to. Lee's effort deserved respect.
"Oh! Tōma!" Lee lit up when he noticed him. "You're thirty minutes late today! That means extra sets!"
"Sure," Tōma replied casually.
Today, he was planning to push his limits anyway.
That answer caught Lee off guard. Tōma usually refused added training.
Then Lee's eyes ignited.
"Oho! You agreed! The flames of youth burn brighter today! I, too, will reward myself with extra sets!"
Tōma wiped sweat from his brow.
Still dramatic.
They trained side by side. Same field, different methods.
Lee favored intensity. Tōma favored control.
Lower load. Longer duration.
Time passed.
Despite the moderated pace, Tōma's breathing grew heavy. His muscles screamed. He was near his current limit. Mentally, he could still force it.
Lee watched with glistening eyes.
So inspiring. So youthful.
Then, suddenly, Tōma's movements smoothed out again.
Lee recognized it instantly.
The breakthrough.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"This… this is youth!" Lee whispered emotionally.
Tōma exhaled slowly.
"So this is it."
The limit he'd reached before hadn't been the true limit. Just the edge of comfort. This was the real threshold.
After a short while longer, Tōma stopped and waved goodbye, legs heavy as stone.
His body was exhausted. His mind was clear.
He went home, showered, and read more about chakra extraction before bed.
The next day, his body felt fine.
Surprisingly fine.
Encouraged, he pushed the limit again.
On the third day, reality struck back.
Fatigue clung to every movement. He could only manage basic exercises.
So there it was.
Breaking limits was possible.
Just not consecutively.
That interval… that rhythm between strain and recovery…
That was the key he needed to understand.
Tōma let out a slow breath.
Building the body. Accumulating chakra.
The road ahead was long.