- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 9
“Well… You did well, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
During an attack, it’s not just about targeting the opponent’s exposed weaknesses. More importantly, you must constantly watch their hands for hand seals. The moment you notice your opponent disappearing, you should immediately move and anticipate attacks from blind spots…”
Back in the training room, Chiriku forced himself to put on a serious expression as he began to evaluate and guide Leo’s recent combat performance.
Leo, not letting his easy victory make him complacent, listened intently and occasionally asked questions.
His combat experience was indeed extensive, but that was in scenarios without chakra and ninjutsu, against opponents who also lacked chakra and ninjutsu. Today was his first real combat against a ninja, and it was only against a lower-ranked ninja.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. Go and digest what you’ve learned.”
Seeing that Leo remained humble and eager to learn, despite his victory over Kuuhai, Chiriku felt even more satisfied.
Now, he needed to devise a comprehensive training plan for Leo, covering the foundational theoretical knowledge necessary for a ninja, learning new ninjutsu, and engaging in practical combat training.
As the head monk, Chiriku hadn’t felt this motivated in years.
After the Shinobi Temple civil war, out of the twelve like-minded companions, only Asuma and he had survived. Asuma returned to Konoha, while Chiriku, disheartened, returned to the Temple of Fire and took on the role of head monk.
Originally, he planned to train the promising child Sora, but a few years ago, Sora encountered health issues that could not be resolved, making it risky to continue his ninjutsu training.
“Yes, Master!”
Leo bowed respectfully to Chiriku and left the training room.
The guidance from Chiriku, an elite jōnin, provided Leo with new insights into combat.
“Squeak.”
Closing the door to the training room, Leo walked down the corridor towards his private room.
Passing the training ground, he noticed the ninja monks occasionally glancing at him. Their eyes now held less jealousy and mockery, replaced with a hint of respect.
During his month at the Temple of Fire, Leo had not interacted much with the ninja monks, not due to a sense of superiority but because he saw no need.
He had joined the temple to enhance his strength, and any interactions unrelated to this goal were a waste of time.
From his previous life’s experience, he knew that as long as he became strong enough, others would naturally respect and seek his favor. Even a simple smile could be seen as charismatic.
Back in his room, Leo continued his daily chakra extraction training.
While his physical and mental strengths were significant advantages, increasing his total chakra required consistent effort and time.
A ninja’s chakra capacity is determined by their talent for the upper limit and their effort for the lower limit.
Without talent, one could never achieve the vast chakra reserves of someone like Naruto. But without hard work, one wouldn’t have enough chakra to perform even a high-level ninjutsu.
After finishing his chakra extraction training, Leo adjusted his breathing and posture, emitting a sound akin to a cat’s purring.
This was the unique technique of Xingyiquan, known as the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound, where the muscles and bones resonate.
In his previous life, martial artists not only improved their physical fitness through regular training but also broke through their limits using standing exercises and breathing techniques.
Masters of the visible strength practiced standing exercises, while those of hidden strength focused on breathing techniques, training the body from the inside out.
The stance of Xingyiquan is called the Three-Body Stance, and the breathing technique is known as the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound.
Although Leo had now learned chakra extraction and started ninjutsu training, he continued to practice his breathing techniques diligently.
Physical strength is the foundation, and the stronger the foundation, the more chakra one can extract, leading to greater combat power when chakra is enhanced.
Standing exercises and breathing techniques are unique to this world, providing Leo with a significant advantage.
…
A month later, at the pond in the backyard of the Temple of Fire.
Leo carefully walked on the water’s surface, wrapping chakra around his feet and evenly distributing it to avoid falling into the pond.
Since his spar with Kuuhai, he had undergone systematic ninja training under Chiriku’s guidance.
The main focus was on theoretical knowledge. This wasn’t about subjects like astronomy, geography, physics, and chemistry, which Chiriku assumed a prince like Leo already knew.
Instead, Chiriku taught him about different types of ninja tools, the advantages and disadvantages of various blades in combat, and the use of explosive tags and soldier pills.
Leo also learned about ninja codes, common combat strategies, basic ninja signals, the unique techniques of the major ninja villages, and other essential knowledge.
While this information was less relevant for the ninja monks of the temple, who might never leave its vicinity, it was crucial for a future elite ninja like Leo.
Chiriku himself had suffered from a lack of this knowledge during his travels after leaving the temple and joining the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
Fortunately, his friendship with Asuma, a Konoha ninja, had filled these gaps. Asuma shared valuable ninja knowledge from Konoha, and in return, Chiriku taught him the Temple of Fire’s secret techniques.
Beyond theoretical knowledge, Leo focused on chakra control training. He started with walking up trees by attaching chakra to his feet and progressed to walking on water.
Practical combat training was put on hold after the spar with Kuuhai. Chiriku believed that Leo’s combat skills were sufficient for now and that he needed to focus on mastering theoretical knowledge and chakra control to advance his ninjutsu learning.
Once Leo had a solid grasp of new ninjutsu, they would integrate these into his combat style through practical training.
Leo acknowledged that joining the Temple of Fire had been the right choice. Even in Konoha, no jōnin would have the patience or time to guide him so meticulously.
Moreover, his understanding of the ninja world was limited. His previous knowledge, gleaned from childhood anime, barely scratched the surface and had faded over time.
“Not bad. Your chakra control has improved significantly.”
As Leo walked on the pond’s surface, Chiriku approached, holding several rectangular paper slips.