“Just how much longer is this going to take?“ I murmured as I injected one last stream of chakra into Inu's pathway system.

  The only response my question received was a low whine. The small dog turned in his sleep once my chakra stopped flowing into his body.

  With Yahiko and Konan still outside meditating on their chakra, the two of us were alone in the cave that had become our home over the last fortnight.

  “It looks like it is working…but I cannot be sure yet.“

  My hand lifted from the unconscious dog’s back as I severed my connection with the Animal Path.

  I flopped down next to him and released a deep groan.

  Couldn’t Madara have left an instruction manual when he put these eyes in my head? I’m working blind here!

  With a click of my tongue, I absentmindedly began to pet the small dog. My fingers sank into his soft fur.

  At least he looks a lot healthier now… It is hard to believe that his entire ribcage was visible just a few weeks ago.

  His weight was not the only thing that had changed.

  I directed my Rinnegan past the dog's physical body and studied how the energy moved through his body. It was reminiscent of water rushing through a high-pressure pipe. My brows furrowed as I assessed the change my daily chakra infusions had wrought.

  There is definitely more than yesterday, and his coils are expanding even now…The Animal Path really is something else. This is not how that is supposed to work at all.

  A snort escaped me as my petting turned more vigorous. “I wonder if this means you‘ll be able to fight with me in the future…Will you learn how to talk like a summon? Will you grow bigger? Will you learn how to do jutsu?…I can’t wait to find out.“

  I smiled softly as Inu let out a content snore in response to my questions. I gave the dog one last pat on the back and straightened upward.

  My shoulders popped as I moved my limb through a few simple stretches. "Alright, that's enough sitting around for today….Time for me to get some training in." I huffed, "No pain, no gain, and all that.”

  Following a sudden impulse, I opened the Mind's Eye and locked my awareness onto Konan and Yahiko outside. A breath I didn’t know I was holding escaped me when I sensed they were fine.

  While I could not see what they were doing exactly, it was not hard to guess that they were still absorbed in the exercise I had given them. Their chakra was flowing smoothly without a hint of fluctuation.

  I nodded and turned my head to pinpoint the position of my personal training equipment. Four fist-sized rocks I had found near the cave and brought inside.

  They were all systematically positioned so that their immediate surroundings stood empty.

  My mind sharpened as I activated the Deva Path and made them rise up into the air. A week ago, such finesse would have demanded all of my focus and attention. Now, it was as easy as moving a limb.

  While making sure the rocks stayed afloat, I made my way towards the back of the cave.

  There, I came to a stop in front of a cleared spot next to the cushions that served as my bed and fell down to my hands and knees.

  I shifted back and forth in place for a few moments until I found a spot that was comfortable and assumed a push-up position.

  Let's get to it.

  I lowered myself toward the floor and held the position for a few seconds before I pushed myself back up. I carefully repeated the movements until I felt the strain in my upper body. As soon as I felt it, I transitioned into a squat and approached the next part of my workout.

  Once done, I crouched down low and, with a single leap, jumped high enough to touch the ceiling.

  Without pause, I planted my palm flat against the uneven stone and raised myself upward with a heave of effort until my face touched the stone.

  Once I finished with the set of pull-ups, I dropped to the ground and continued with another round of push-ups.

  That cycle continued until I had worked up a sweat.

  My muscles ached as I wobbled toward the table to rehydrate.

  Ahh…that would have been so much easier had I just used chakra.

  I was torn out of my thoughts when I sensed my companions outside move from their positions.

  I guess it is about time for their lunch break.

  A grin spread on my face as a brilliant idea formed in my mind.

  Immediately putting thoughts into action, I jumped up to the ceiling and crawled toward the entrance.

  This is going to be hilarious.

  I bit down on my lower lip as I sensed the familiar chakra signatures approach my position.

  “How much longer do you think Nagato is going to make us do this?“ Yahiko asked.

  “You already asked me this twice today…He will teach us the next step when he thinks we’re ready…we agreed to trust him.“

  The boy groaned. “I know, Konan! It's not that I don't trust him… Of course I do! I’m just getting bored of sitting in the rain for days on end…I haven’t lost control over my chakra circulation all day. I am ready for what’s next!“

  I pressed myself flat against the roof of the cave entrance as the voices drew nearer.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  A soft smile touched my lips as warmth spread through my chest.

  This almost makes me not want to do this…almost.

  My smile sharpened.

  With bated breath, I waited for the moment they crossed the entrance beneath me.

  “I know—"

  Before Konan could finish her reply, I dropped down landed behind the two orphans. I shot upward and inhaled deeply.

  "BOO!" I shouted.

  "AHHHH!"

  “AHHH!”

  Two high-pitched screams rewarded my efforts. Yahiko nearly fell down in fright, while Konan jumped so high into the air, she hit her head on the ceiling.

  A laugh ripped out of me.

  They’re like frightened cats!

  A moment later, I was faced with the sight of two children whipping toward me with their shoulders tensed.

  I inclined my head and observed as the wild look in their eyes shifted into accusatory glares.

  “That was not funny, Nagato.“

  “Konan is right…I thought the shinobi had discovered our home!“

  The grin slipped from my face.

  Right…maybe pulling a prank like that on a pair of war orphans wasn’t the best idea.

  I averted my gaze and rubbed the back of my head.

  “Ah…sorry about that...I did not mean to scare you that hard…It was supposed to be a…uhh…a teaching moment!" I nodded solemnly. "Yes, that's right. This was a lesson.“

  Konan crossed her arms and stared at me with furrowed brows. For a drawn out moment, the sound of water dripping from their wet raincoats onto the floor was the only noise filling the cave.

  “And what exactly was this supposed to ‘teach“ us, Nagato?“

  Yahiko's glare slowly transformed into a smirk as his eyes alternated between Konan's uncharacteristically displeased face and my own expression.

  “Yeah, Nagato… What were you trying to teach us? Don’t be shy now, Sensei…We are your most eager students!

  I gritted my teeth at the boy's tone.

  This brat…who does he think I am? There is no situation I cannot bullshit my way out of!

  “You can’t figure it out? Of course, it’s that you should never forget to look up when entering a room. That is Shinobi 101.“

  I spread my arms out on both sides. "Luckily, I suspected you might not know, and so, Big Bro Nagato came through to teach you." I smiled benevolently. "My eager students.“

  A scoff answered my words.

  “Big bro Nagato? Who is that? You know, I am way taller than you!" Yahiko clicked his tongue. "If anything, it is you who should be calling me big bro.“

  I glared at the ginger brat. “I will have you know that height has nothing to do with maturity. I am an old soul! You should never judge a book by its cover.“

  A sudden giggle interrupted our exchange. I turned away from the smug ginger and addressed the laughing girl with arched brows.

  “And what are you laughing at? We are the same height!“

  Konan amber eyes twinkled. "I’m sorry…It‘s just that…the way you get mad every time Yahiko teases you about your height..it's funny." Her lips curved upward. "You look cute when you’re pouting.“

  My mouth fell open.

  What…what the hell? Where did the nice girl I met not even two weeks ago disappear to?...Yahiko is corruption her!

  The impudent boy observed my stunned expression with a smirk on his face. “Konan is right! Look at you getting riled up like that…You really remind—"

  His speech cut off. The smirk vanished as his eyes grew vacant.

  A moment later, he smiled shakily and spoke up again.

  “Well…never mind that… Instead, how about you tell us how you just did that? You weren’t behind us when we first entered the cave.“

  Konan closed the distance between them to put her hand on his bare arm. When the boy peered down at her, she smiled gently up at him. His expression soon grew to match hers.

  My brows furrowed. Who do I remind him of?… Did Yahiko have a younger brother?

  Recognizing the sensitive topic for what it was, I accepted the boys' change of topic and nodded in agreement. “That, my young friend…Was the result of chakra control.“

  Yahiko visibly brightened at my words. Konan turned toward me and similarly gained a spark of interest in her eyes.

  “Yes! Are we finally going to do something other than sit in the rain for hours and meditate?“

  I smiled at his relief.

  I understand why they’re excited. At their age, I doubt I could have sat down still for even one hour.

  “Yes, you will. But first, dry yourself off a bit, and then let’s grab something to eat.“ I cocked my head. "That is what you came here for, isn’t it?“

  I sauntered past the duo while they rapidly went to take off their outdoor clothes and approached the makeshift dining area.

  On the way there, I passed Inu's bed and cast a glance at the still sleeping dog.

  He will likely stay like this for another couple hours…I wonder how this process feels from his end?…can’t be too unpleasant. He’s always excited after waking up and brimming with energy.

  I sank into the cushions and waited until the others had dried themselves off and joined me. The children practically vibrated in their seats as they devoured their meal.

  A grimace twisted my own features as I inspected the contents of my own plate. It looked…edible.

  We really need to get ourselves some better food. Fast…I don’t know for how much longer I can do this.

  ——-

  I lowered my fork next to the empty plate and addressed the two orphans.

  "The easiest way to describe chakra control, is that it allows you to use the exact amount of chakra necessary for any given task. Not only will that make you more efficient, but it also..." I lifted the fork back up. "Lets you do fun stuff like this.“

  The fork stuck to my palm.

  Yahiko tilted his head. "Like…what? What are you doing?“

  I grinned at the boys' clueless expression.

  "Try to take the fork from me.“

  He blinked.

  After a short pause, he reached out and grabbed onto the metal object.

  It didn’t move an inch.

  His skepticism was replaced by astonishment.

  He tried again with both hands this time and then stared at me with wide eyes. "How are you doing that?“

  "The same way I sneaked up on you earlier…With precise enough control, you can use chakra to connect things to you." I answered, "Or yourself to them.“

  To demonstrate, I left my seat, approached the cave wall, and placed my foot against the rock. My arms crossed behind my back as I defied gravity and ascended the vertical surface.

  Loud gasps echoed from behind me when I dropped down from the top.

  Knowing from experience that a flood of questions would soon burst out of the excitable preteens, I quickly pivoted and spoke up.

  "Don't worry! Unlike my Rinnegan abilities, this I can teach you. It is the next part of your training, and this time...“ I sent Yahiko a knowing grin as I recalled his earlier words, "You won’t even have to go outside and suffer through the rain." I smiled lightly. "Clean up your lunch, and we‘ll get to it right after.”

  A flurry of movements later found the three of us standing next to the wall I had used to demonstrate the iconic shinobi technique.

  "Now that you have full awareness of your chakras' movement. In theory, this next step should be easy."

  I propped my foot up against the jagged wall. “What I am doing here is concentrating my chakra at the bottom of my feet. This creates a kind of magnetic force that lets me stick to it…Too little and I will slide off; too much and I will be blasted away.“

  I rotated toward my students. “I have full trust that you will both manage to master this technique.“

  My lips curved as I traced their focused expressions with my eyes.

  “Now…do you have any questions?“

  They had many.

  —————

  I wonder how long it will take them to figure this out.

  My steps were soundless as I marched out of the cave exit, leaving my companions behind.

  I had already all I could to answer their questions. The rest was up to them.

  Now, it was time for me to return to my own training.

  With my eyes sealed shut, I extended the Mind’s Eye as far as I could handle. As always, I was confronted with countless life forms hidden away all around me. A deep sigh escaped me at the result of my efforts.

  Still can't sense the nearest village… It's only a few miles away…I need to be better than this.

  I shook my head and locked onto the highest concentration of life within my sphere of awareness.

  Chakra suffused my muscles as I took off in a sprint.

  I came to a stop at the bank of a broad river.

  It’ll work this time… I‘m sure of it.

  I stepped onto the fast-flowing water with steady feet. My gaze sharpened as I reached the middle of the river and sat down in the lotus position.

  My pulse slowed as I turned my attention inward.

  Reading my intent, my chakra rushed to fulfill my demands like a well-trained pet.

  A moment later, the rain stopped hitting my skin. My clothes were still wet, but no more water landed on them.

  I raised my drying hand in front of my face and observed as the rain was repelled from my skin by a barely visible layer of chakra.

  The corners of my mouth lifted.

  This is just the beginning.