"It's good that you know your mother's temper. While you were out on missions, she worried about you every single day at home."
"Ahahaha!" Higashino Jiro scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Higashino Shin thought for a moment and then explained, "How should I put it... it might be different from what you're thinking, Father. This sensory ability isn't from a Bloodline; it's an unexpected side effect of a special cultivation method of mine. I'll tell you more about it later, and I hope you can understand."
"Of course I understand. My son is starting to have his own little secrets."
Higashino Jiro nodded with a smile, then said solemnly, "Shin, you're right. A battle between Ninjas is a war of intelligence."
"It's correct for Ninjas to keep their methods strictly confidential. Having one's important Ninjutsu secrets mastered by others is a very dangerous thing. I hope you understand that."
"I've always understood."
"Very well. Then let me ask you a question. In a Ninja's battle... no, including Samurai, and even ordinary people, what is the most important thing in a fight between humans?"
"Is it Ninjutsu? Taijutsu? Genjutsu? Or a special Secret Technique, or a powerful weapon?"
Higashino Shin thought about it; they all seemed important, but clearly, his father's question had another answer. Ultimately, he shook his head: "I don't know."
"It's courage. The courage to overcome psychological fear, hesitation, and the urge to flee—to face life and death head-on and dare to fight."
"Find it, control it, let your blood boil, while keeping a clear head. Even in the most difficult desperate situations, never give up looking for even the slightest chance of victory."
"Courage is not impulsiveness. A clear head is more important than any other means."
"I understand. Thank you for the teaching, Father."
Higashino Jiro stopped speaking upon hearing this and suddenly threw a straight punch toward Higashino Shin's forehead. The speed of the attack wasn't very fast.
Higashino Shin's body instinctively wanted to lean back to avoid it, but he quickly realized this was a natural reaction from his previous life as an ordinary person.
But now, he was a trainee Ninja possessing the supernatural power of Chakra. Even though he was just over 4 years old, with his body augmented by Chakra, his reaction speed and strength far exceeded his thirty-something-year-old body from his previous life.
He instantly suppressed the urge to lean back. Instead, taking advantage of his small stature, he lowered his head and bent his waist, exerting force through his legs. Instead of retreating, he advanced, dodging the attack while simultaneously striking back with a punch aimed straight at Higashino Jiro's abdomen.
Higashino Jiro didn't dodge at all. His advantage was his height and reach. He bent his knee and raised his leg, striking toward Higashino Shin's face with his knee, meeting attack with attack.
Even half of his leg was longer than his son's entire arm; he would hit the opponent first.
The two were almost tangled together. The distance was too close to change moves, so Higashino Shin had to retract his punch and defend. He quickly crossed his arms in front of him and was sent flying by his father's knee strike.
Higashino Shin felt as if he had been hit by a truck. The immense force caused him to flip several times in the air. All he could do was strive to maintain his balance and control his feet to land.
As he landed, he even infused his right hand with Chakra, bending down to grip the ground tightly.
Even so, that force still made him slide two or three meters, dragging three straight furrows of churned-up earth onto the ground.
Throughout this process, his eyes were wide open, staring intently at his father's next move.
Sure enough, the other party rushed over, but as he approached, he disappeared from Higashino Shin's sight with a simple Body Flicker Technique.
"Behind you."
Higashino Shin couldn't see with his eyes, but he still had his sensory ability. Naturally, he discovered the move and immediately performed a half-turn sidekick, his sole colliding with Higashino Jiro's fist.
The difference in strength between the two was obvious, and he was sent flying once again.
Higashino Jiro didn't give him any chance to breathe. He rushed up again at extreme speed, using both hands and feet at an appropriate speed and strength to launch a continuous series of attacks against Higashino Shin.
Higashino Shin either dodged or blocked, like a small sapling enduring a storm, at risk of breaking at any moment.
But he kept his father's recent teaching firmly in mind, striving to keep a clear head and seeking an opportunity to counterattack.
Soon, he turned his disadvantage of being small into an advantage, dodging left and right, his fists and feet never leaving his father's kidneys and groin.
These were the vital areas he could currently reach and attack quickly.
After all, no matter how powerful a Ninja was, they could not withstand the pain of having their balls crushed.
He hoped Higashino Megumi wouldn't kill him if she found out.
As a top-tier Chunin, Higashino Jiro naturally couldn't be hit in a vital spot by a kid who had just learned to fight.
He blocked repeatedly, swatting away the wicked little hands attacking his lower body, while gradually increasing the speed and strength of his counterattacks to force his son to adapt to combat quickly.
The two went back and forth in the small training ground, their figures moving swiftly in a fierce battle of offense and defense.
Higashino Shin knew his father was helping him adapt to combat, and he was undergoing a rapid transformation. His habits as an ordinary person from his previous life were slowly disappearing, gradually merging into the combat rhythm of the naruto world. At the same time, his brain became uncontrollably excited, and he began to enjoy the thrill of the duel.
---
A moment later, Higashino Shin sat on the ground panting heavily. The stamina that usually allowed him to endure long periods of training was exhausted in no time during the battle.
However, his emotions were exceptionally excited. The massive secretion of adrenaline made his small face flushed red, and his body trembled slightly.
Higashino Jiro stood beside him with a look of satisfaction: "Very good. I didn't expect you to find the feeling so quickly and overcome your body's instinctive reactions so fast."
"This is somewhat beyond my expectations. As expected of my son. Perhaps you really do have talent that isn't inferior to Kakashi's."
"But I didn't win, did I? Father, not only did you not use the swordsmanship you're skilled in, you didn't even use Ninjutsu, and you kept your strength and speed within a range I could handle."
"Silly boy, how old are you, and how many years have you been cultivating? To be able to do this much in your first battle is already incredible."
"But I heard that when Kakashi was 5 years old, he had already defeated two Chunin."
"Who did you hear that from? How come I didn't know?"
"I heard someone in the Village mention it before."
Whether anyone in the Village had actually said it, Higashino Shin didn't know. His source of information was the anime he had watched in his previous life, where Kakashi had easily dealt with two Chunin who were beating up Might Guy.
"Well, maybe so. After all, he is that person's child. But son, Genin, Chunin, Jonin, and Kage are just classifications of rank. You must never use them as a standard to judge a Ninja's strength."
"Even among Genin, there are those whose strength can rival a Jonin. The strength difference between Chunin in the Village is also extremely large. After all, the number of Jonin in the Village is controlled within a certain range by the higher-ups. It's not just that you can be promoted once your strength reaches that level."
"Jonin are the Village's power-holding class. They have the right to vote in the Jonin Squad to decide the Hokage candidate and influence the Village's policies. At the same time, the proportion of their origins maintains the balance between Ninja Clans and Civilian Ninjas. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I understand. Whether one can be promoted to Jonin is not just a matter of strength, but also involves political considerations."
Higashino Jiro raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"Quite sharp, kid. You understand immediately. Your dad only figured this out after you were born."
"You made it so obvious, how could I not understand? By the way, Father, why don't you apply for promotion to Tokubetsu Jōnin?"
"That kind of thing is just a consolation prize; it doesn't mean much to me. Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about something meaningful. Shin, has your training been feeling too easy lately?"
"Yes, Father. Even without refining Chakra, just with physical strength, I can easily complete those previous routines."
"But increasing the training time would affect my study progress. Does Father have any good ideas?"
"After a Ninja adapts to Chakra for a while, their Physique will be greatly enhanced. This is a normal phenomenon. So, that's why I'm here today."
After Higashino Jiro finished speaking, he walked to where he had been hiding earlier and returned with a backpack. It looked quite heavy.
After Higashino Shin opened it, he found it was a set of special equipment. He immediately picked it up and put it on, including a set for his arms and legs.
"Weighted gear, huh? That's also a good method."
"I prepared this specifically for you. The weight should be suitable for your current Physique. Most of the slots on it are empty. In the future, as your body grows, you can insert metal blocks with Fuinjutsu. I've placed them in the study."
"Thank you, Father!"
"Alright, continue your training. Pay attention to your body's limits. Don't blindly increase the weight and damage your body's Foundation. Even Lady Tsunade wouldn't be able to help you recover then."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"I believe you. After all, you've never disappointed us."