Chapter 23- A little learning

Yama stuck around for a little while and made sure that Tsubaki was able to replicate her previous feat. When she had successfully increased the flame of the candle three times in a row, he left her to her practice with the following instructions.

"The next step in your training will come when you can enlarge the candle flame to the size of a fist. Until then, just continue what you are doing.

I know its boring, but practice is the only way to get good at this.

If you're bored, there are a few ways to make things a bit more interesting."

Tsubaki waved him away and didn't look up from her candle.

"I'll be fine, practicing right now."

Yama chuckled, scratched the back of his head and walked back to Classroom 3.

He had impeccable timing. As soon as he stepped into the classroom, Akimichi Domaru, who had been levitating a leaf for the last hour and a half, had finally run out concentration.

His thoughts faltered, and the leaf blew away, and slowly fell to the ground. As Domaru leaned over to grab it, he saw Yama, who was watching him from the threshold of the door.

Domaru said nothing, but Yama walked over and started talking to the young Akimichi.

"You're putting too much power into it. You've got large reserves, but they're hurting you right now.

You don't have fine enough control to accurately split off the power you need without excess."

Domaru frowned and sarcastically rebutted.

"Thanks Sensei. Anything else I should be enlightened about?"

Yama didn't seem to mind the insolent fellow though. He smiled at the kid and reached over to ruffle his hair.

Domaru swatted his Yama's hand away, but not before the man got in a few good rubs.

"The hell, ero-sensei? You got a thing for boys as well as girls?"

Yama laughed.

"Ero-sensei? Can't say that I'm particularly fond of that nickname. It reminds me of what I used to call my sensei, but he was an actual pervert.

Always peeping on outdoor baths and dressing rooms, and he would even make me stand watch for him, can you believe that?"

Domaru smirked.

"That explains a lot, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Yama looked off into the distance. His eyes glazed over for a split second, and a flash of wist crossed his face.

He turned back to Domaru.

"Hopefully that is the case. He was a very good teacher, and if I could be even a fraction as good as him, even someone like you could become Hokage."

"Hey, what do you mean someone like me? I'm the second best in the class."

"Then why are you in remedial lessons?"

"Because, you're an unfair jerk! And if your sensei is so good, why isn't he teaching us?"

Domaru regretted it as soon as he said it. Yama was old, and it was pretty rare to reach his age, much less to be even older. About the only Shinobi around that could be Yama's sensei would be a figure like Onoki, a living fossil.

Domaru winced and opened his mouth to apologize.

He didn't like Yama-sensei very much, but he wasn't trying to hurt the man. Yama-sensei was well within his rights to assign him chakra control exercises, which were quite frankly more useful than any chakra theory lectures he was supposed to give.

Domaru had received most of his theoretical training through the Akimichi clan, and the fact that Yama-sensei was allowing Domaru class time to practice control was better than getting lectured on things he already knew.

Yama smiled ruefully and saw through the kid instantly.

"Heh, Shinobi aren't supposed to show their emotions that easy; you still got a way to go there, brat.

Don't worry about it. My sensei died a long time ago. That's the nature of the world we live in."

Domaru nodded but he didn't have any words to respond with.

Yama continued.

"In fact, that was the best possible outcome.

If I outlive you, then I have failed completely and holistically as a teacher.

You'll see my funeral happen one day if all things go well.

Whether you show up or not, that's on you though."

Yama laughed a little at what he was saying before changing the subject.

"Here's a few questions I have for you right now.

What's your greatest asset?"

"My large chakra reserves."

"Why do you say that?"

"They allow me to perform more jutsus and fight longer. Any fight that comes down to stamina is my victory. I'll be able to fight long past when other people can't."

"What you're saying is true enough, and I'll grant you credit, you've got large reserves, even for a genin. You're definitely chuunin level on that front.

But here's the question, what happens if you have to fight a chuunin with the same size reserves as you to the death?"

Domaru thought for a moment.

"I'll probably die if I can't escape. I don't have the experience or the power to match him.

Can I stop you for a second, sensei?"

Yama closed his mouth and waited for Domaru to continue.

"I've heard everything that you're probably going to say.

If I have better control, my stamina will increase and my large reserves will be even more useful because I won't waste chakra.

If I practice control more, I'll have better peak power, and I'll be stronger at my current reserve level.

If my control was better, I'd be faster at performing jutsus.

Honestly, I've heard all of this before, and I do practice my control a fair bit, but there are other factors at play here.

My training in chakra reserves is more rewarding per unit time, and If I simply maintain my control at the expected level for my ranking, I'll eventually become a jonin with jonin level control but an exceptional volume of chakra.

That is what I am going for. I don't plan on neglecting control, but I do plan on training it over time as necessary but my focus will be in my reserve capacity."

Yama nodded along to what Domaru was saying.

"Theoretically, you're right."

Domaru nodded back, but Yama continued to speak.

"But in practice you're wrong."

"How so Sensei? This is the plan that I've gone over with my clan elders, and they have also signed off on it."

"Don't get a big head now, but the problem is that you're selling yourself short here."

Domaru gave Yama a quizzical look. Yama sighed before speaking.

"I really don't want this to get to your head, but your reserves are exceptional, and I do not say that lightly."

Yama thought back to his childhood, and his reserves were comparable to Domaru's even though he had the Kurama altering and affecting his chakra coils.

Yama continued.

"Here's what I foresee happening if you stick to your current plan.

You will hit puberty and you reserves will start growing even faster.

Your control will start lagging your reserves by even more.

You'll end up hitting the watershed moment at which point your reserves are so over capacity compared to your control, that you wont be able to efficiently practice your control. Your ability to practice control will markedly decrease.

At that point, even if you stop actively enhancing your reserves, the momentum might be too much, and your natural growth and maturity will outstrip your ability to train your control.

It might take until your 30 for your reserves to stop growing naturally, and you could be in a situation where you cannot effectively use your power until you get you control up to jonin level, and if you can only start catching up at age 30, it might take you until you're 40 or 45.

Who knows if you can even live that long, and even if you did, you probably wouldn't be active service by then.

You will have lost your field years completely.

I must disagree with your elders plans.

The problem here is that they just don't understand how spectacular you are.

You're going to need to train control every single opportunity you can, and to be honest, you'll never have good control even if you do that.

If you chase after control with your entire might, it may just barely keep up with your reserves.

The only reason you haven't encountered trouble yet is that you're still a child.

You're on the road to crippling yourself."

Domaru was somewhat surprised by what his sensei was saying. It was completely different from what the Akimichi elders had been saying. Domaru trusted them more than he trusted Yama though. The elders were all jonin level, and they were definitely more qualified than Yama-sensei, even if Yama-sensei was well meaning.

Domaru would never let Yama know, but even though Yama had told him not to get a big head, Domaru was still very pleased that his sensei was complimenting his reserves.

Domaru couldn't completely hide his smirk as he replied to Yama.

"I understand your concerns, but even If you were right, the elders wouldn't change their plans that easy, and they won't let me change my training just based on, no offense, an academy teacher.

I'm being nurtured as the next right hand man of the main family. Chouji-san was just born, and he will become the next head of the clan after Chouza-sama, and I will serve Chouji-san as an advisor and bodyguard.

Besides, they are jonin level ninja, I can't see them making such a mistake."

Akimichi Domaru said those words with a certain level of pride.

He was not born to the main family, and there was no way he could ever become the clan head if a family as large as the Akimichi, but to be selected to become the right hand man of the next clan head was an honor.

The position was a symbol of strength and potential, and it was at least part of the reason the Akimichi Domaru had a little bit of arrogance in the way he carried himself.

"I don't mean to offend, Yama-sensei, but what rank did you reach before you had to retire?"

Domaru was still however polite enough to not casually reference that his sensei was crippled, and instead euphemised the incident as a forced retirement.

Yama's face was expressionless and he stared at Domaru.

"Genin."

Domaru shrugged and had a helpless look on his face.

"I don't think you'll be able to convince the elders, and I am beholden to them, even if it means that I can't follow your training plans. I can still do the control exercises at school though, but what I do outside the academy is outside your jurisdiction."

Yama sighed deeply, and rubbed his brow.

"I'll just have to meet them then. Let your family know that I'm doing a house visit for you this Friday, 3 days from now. If the elders could be there, that would be best, but a representative would be fine. It just needs to be someone with authority."

"I will let them know, Yama-sensei. If you don't have anything else, Hikaru-kun has been staring a hole into the back of your head and I think he wants to speak with you."

"Very well, Domaru-kun."

Yama turned around, and true to his Domaru's work, Hyuga Hikaru was looking at him with the signature pupilless eyes of the Hyuga clan.

Yama walked over and spoke to the boy.

"What can I help you with, Hikaru-kun."

"I have finished the prescribed reserve training."

Yama nodded and waited for the boy to continue.

"And I read the scroll you gave me."

"And?"

Hikaru looked at Yama blankly.

"How am I supposed to do this?"

and he gestured at the scroll which was unrolled and draped across his desk before continuing.

"You want me hold a leaf against my body with each and every tenketsu point on my entire body.

There are hundreds!

How would I even begin to do this? I can barely keep one on each hand and foot right now."

Yama chuckled.

"How would you begin?"

"Yes!"

"One at a time I suppose!"

Hikaru was obviously not pleased with the answer.

"Very funny, but seriously sensei, how do I go about this?

I have no doubt that If I did this, it would be extremely effective chakra control practice, but I don't think that this is even feasible."

Yama replied.

"I am being serious.

For now, just keep one leaf on your body using one tenketsu.

I recommend you start with one in your hand.

When you can do that, you do the same on the other side of your body.

Get one on either hand with one tenketsu.

Than do the same with your feet.

Then do a set on the arms.

Then the legs.

Then comes the chest, back, abdomen, and head."

Hikaru sighed.

"It just seems like its impossible."

Yama nodded.

"It might be."

"Then, why would you tell me to try it?"

"Because it will work even if you never complete it, this is not an exercise you complete. It is a path you can tread.

This is something you can practice for the rest of your life.

Its adaptable too. If you want to focus on control of chakra strength, then switch the leaves with rocks or something else that's heavier than a leaf.

If you want to focus on flexibility and adaptability of chakra, replace the leaves with drops of water.

You could also replace the leaves with rice paper to practice fine control.

You could replace the leaves with anything to achieve your goals.

You could try to hold a stack of leaves.

You could try to levitate the leaves.

The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

This exercise is something that I would say is only suitable for a devoted chuunin or an experienced jonin.

So why am I giving it to you?

Because even though you are just a genin right now, I believe that you are mature enough to understand the situation.

You will not be good at this exercise. It will be very hard. Success will be rare and hard-won.

I haven't know you for very long, but I have lived a long time, and I can read people pretty well.

It will take someone like you, with your dedication and mindset to make this method shine.

So the real question is 'Are you up to the challenge?'."

Hikaru's face was set with a grim smile.

"Of course."

Yama smiled at the boy.

"Then good luck. Most of your upcoming path will have to be determined by yourself, but you can come to me with questions or use me as a sounding board at any time."

"Thank you, Yama-sensei."

Yama walked back to the front of the classroom and sat quietly and watched the students.

Tsubaki had ended up bringing her candle back into classroom 3.

When Yama looked at her, she replied to him without him even asking.

"Isolation and quiet might have been good to learn the feeling, but I will need to learn how to mold fire chakra in battle one day. Might as well start with in a classroom."

Yama agreed with her, and he figured it wouldn't matter too much in the long run.

Her training might be a little slower like this, but she wouldn't have to do as much practical/battle training on the back end either. It would probably even out.

Mizuki was quiet, head stuck in the Body Flicker Scroll, trying to unravel its contents. Every once in a while, he would make a hand seal and move his chakra around.

He wasn't actually trying to perform the jutsu, but he wanted to get moving the chakra through his pathways and start to build up some slight muscle memory and habit.

Aburame Shimiko had brought in her clan texts and was quietly studying at her desk. She wouldn't really need anything from Yama for now. It seems that she was a very conscientious girl and between her and her clan, there were no holes in her training.

Akimichi Domaru continued with his chakra control exercises. he didn't completely believe what Yama-sensei had been saying, but even so he still practiced his control as directed. One of the reasons, unbeknownst to him of course, for him being chosen to be the right hand man of the next Akimichi head was a healthy respect and deference towards authority.

Hyuga Hikaru, having completed his chakra reserve exercises, started on his control exercise. He had chosen to start with his right hand, where he was currently trying to keep a leaf stuck to his index finger, using only a single tenketsu.

Iruka still had his head down and wasn't doing anything. Yama let the boy mourn.

It hurt Yama quite a bit to see Iruka in his current situation, but he couldn't do anything right now.

He would have to wait for the boy to reach out on his own. Right now, the boy was emotionally raw, and a casual approach would do more harm than good.

Eventually, the morning class session ended, and everyone broke for lunch.

Kakashi had chosen that moment to check in on Yama, and the two ate together in relative silence.

When they were done eating, Kakashi started to talk to Yama.

"How's day two?"

Yama laughed.

"As good as the first!"

"I saw that you brought home all the village martial arts manuals last night. What was that for?"

"I had to learn all of them to keep my instructor position. I can't go around teaching kids my style exclusively, I should know quite a few more as an instructor so I can tailor a style for each student."

"That'll take a long time probably. How long do you expect it to be?"

Yama tilted his head at Kakashi and gave him a questioning look.

"Its just taijutsu? There are only so many ways to move your body. I learned them all last night.

I have a lot of experience over the years, so picking up new things comes pretty fast since I can draw from my memories."

Kakashi was annoyed at the flippant answer.

"Just taijutsu, huh? We still got fifteen minutes in lunch. How about a light spar?'

"Sure."

Yama was happy to spar with Kakashi. It would be a new and fun experience to spar with his former sensei, especially because his sensei was only 15. The Kakashi that Yama had known was 12 years older than his current state and much better.

Yama smiled a bit. Maybe he could teach his sensei a thing or two this time around?

That being said, it seemed like he had said something that had upset Kakashi. Yama couldn't exactly figure out what, but it was fairly obvious to an outsider.

Kakashi was currently getting his ass kicked by Might Guy every single morning. Guy's taijutsu was unmatched, and Kakashi dashed himself against him again and again in order to hone himself.

When Yama says something like "Its just taijutsu" Kakashi couldn't help but be incensed for several reasons. One, taijutsu was obviously not that easy since he kept on getting beat up by Guy every morning.

Two, and more importantly, Kakashi, on some level, felt that such a lackadaisical comment was extremely insulting to someone like MIght Guy who focused on taijutsu, and even though Kakashi was loath to say it, he respected the dude.

Yama was also lacking a little self awareness. During his time crucified to the god tree, his soul had synced up to other shinobi countless times.

When Yama soul synced up to another Shinobi's last moments, his soul was influenced by their life energy, and by extension their bodies and muscle memory.

Yama felt that all forms of Taijutsu were easy to practice because he had essentially already practiced all forms of it for countless years.