"I see. Then we really ought to thank Iruka-sensei properly," Sina said, visibly surprised before smiling warmly.
Kairi's chakra capacity had exceeded even her expectations. She remembered clearly both she and Kairi's father had average chakra reserves at best. She hadn't anticipated their son turning out this gifted.
The truth was, Kairi's decent chakra capacity was partly due to his lineage both his parents had been shinobi. But more importantly, it was the result of years of discipline and self-care. He'd never once slacked off, and when it came to nurturing his physical growth, he'd never shortchanged himself.
"Oh, by the way, little Kairi, you've already gone through the Three Basic Techniques, haven't you? How did they feel? If there's anything you don't understand, I can demonstrate for you. I'm not great at explaining things, but I can at least show you how it's done," Sina offered cheerfully.
"I've already mastered all of them," Kairi replied.
"Hm? Hm?" Sina nodded instinctively, then paused. Once she registered what Kairi had just said, her eyes widened. She knew her son well enough to know he'd never lie about something like this but still, to master them all on his first try?
Kairi smiled at her stunned expression, quickly formed a hand seal, and a puff of white smoke rose up.
The next moment, two Sinas one large and one small stood facing each other.
Kairi could've used more chakra to match his mother's height perfectly, but for demonstration purposes, it felt unnecessary to waste it.
Sina stared at the miniature version of herself, dazed. It wasn't just that Kairi could perform the Transformation Jutsu it was the level of detail. Aside from the height, the transformation was so precise that someone not paying close attention might actually mistake it for the real thing.
After dispelling the Transformation Jutsu, Kairi proceeded to perform both the Clone and Substitution Jutsu. His hand seals were noticeably faster than before. The Clone Jutsu took him just under two seconds now, and the Substitution Jutsu a little over two seconds still not quite his top speed, but getting close.
To Sina, it was astonishing. Kairi's speed was already faster than hers when performing the same jutsu.
It was in that moment that she truly understood her son's talent. She'd always known he was gifted, but this wasn't just "gifted" this was genius-level ability.
Still, even geniuses walked a dangerous path as shinobi. Sina let out a soft sigh. She didn't object to Kairi becoming a ninja, but the weight of concern still lingered in her heart. After a moment of thought, she turned and went into her room.
Kairi watched her go, a little confused.
Soon after, Sina returned carrying several scrolls and handed them to him.
"What's this?" Kairi asked, surprised.
"These are ninjutsu scrolls I exchanged a long time ago all C-rank. Actually, the Shadow Clone Jutsu I gave you earlier was originally something your father planned to trade in for a B-rank Wind Release technique, the Vacuum Sphere. But since he hadn't fully mastered the C-rank ones, he held off," Sina explained with a casual tone, clearly long used to such memories.
"I'd planned to give them to you after you officially became a ninja, but since you're already this talented, there's no point in waiting. No need to waste time."
"With your talent, I'm sure you'll pick them up in no time. I know I probably don't need to say this, but still remember to know your limits. Don't push yourself too hard."
"I understand," Kairi said solemnly as he accepted the scrolls.
He skimmed through them quickly. Four ninjutsu, all C-rank: Wind Release: Gale Palm, Wind Release: Wind Cutter, Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, and Lightning Release: Ground Surge.
The Wind techniques must've come from his late father. The selection was quite well-rounded Great Breakthrough for wide area attacks, Wind Cutter for focused strikes, and Gale Palm for close quarters. With this set, Kairi felt there was no need to acquire any other C-rank Wind Release jutsu.
As for Ground Surge, that one likely came from his mother. But he remembered hearing it wasn't particularly practical on its own. Most battles took place on land, so its true power only came out when paired with Water Release.
Still, Kairi had no intention of learning these techniques right away. While his chakra capacity was probably sufficient to use them, even casting the weakest versions would drain him significantly likely limiting him to just one or two uses per session. The training efficiency would be too low.
Instead, it made more sense to focus on low-cost techniques like Substitution Jutsu for now. He could also begin practicing the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Despite being a B-rank technique, it simply divided chakra among the clones. The total amount of chakra determined how long they could last. As long as he didn't make the clones use chakra-based techniques, even with limited reserves, they should persist for a decent amount of time.
"Alright, Mom. I'm heading out," Kairi said as he tucked away the scrolls.
"Okay. Be sure to thank Iruka-sensei properly, alright? And if there's a chance, bring him to the barbecue shop where I work. I'll make sure you get the freshest ingredients," Sina said.
"I'd love to, but I doubt Iruka-sensei would agree to that," Kairi replied honestly.
"Mm. He really is a good teacher," Sina nodded thoughtfully, a trace of admiration in her voice. Finding someone like that it was a kind of luck in itself.
. . .
Outside Ichiraku Ramen, Kairi arrived a bit early. Iruka hadn't shown up yet. Watching the lively shop, Kairi couldn't help but admire how well it was doing.
Then again, it made sense. The food really was delicious, and the prices were fair. The old man at the counter looked a bit younger than in the anime version, too.
"Kairi, you're here already?" Iruka asked, surprised as he spotted the boy. He thought he'd arrived early only to find Kairi had beaten him to it.
"Of course. I'm the one treating you, so it's only right I come early," Kairi replied.
"Well, there's no harm in being a little late sometimes," Iruka said, scratching his head. Once again, he felt like he was talking to someone his own age, not a kid.
"Let's head inside, Iruka-sensei," Kairi said, deflectFing the comment.
"Alright." Iruka still couldn't shake the strange feeling that this conversation was a little too mature for a child.
"Old man Teuchi, we'll have two of your deluxe bowls, please," Kairi called out.
"Coming right up. Oh, Kairi! What's the occasion today?" Teuchi asked with a bit of surprise. Normally Kairi didn't order the deluxe set, though he didn't go for the cheapest either. The boy had always believed growing kids needed plenty of meat, eggs, and milk, so he never cut corners on meals.
"There were a lot of great surprises today," Kairi said seriously. From mastering the Three Basic Techniques to learning Shadow Clone Jutsu, to receiving those extra scrolls it had truly been a day full of surprises.
"Kairi, you didn't have to go all out like this," Iruka said gently.
"You can just call me Kairi, sensei. And even this doesn't feel like enough. Unless you agree to come with me to the barbecue place sometime. You know my mom works there, so we'd get a discount," Kairi said sincerely.
"Well… haha, we'll see. Maybe next time," Iruka replied, scratching his head and dodging the offer once again.
Kairi didn't press the issue and simply sat quietly, waiting for the ramen to arrive.
During that time, Iruka kept glancing at Kairi with a hesitant look. He'd been dealing with something lately not directly related to Kairi, but close enough to raise questions. And Kairi just so happened to be the person closest to that situation.
"If there's something you want to ask, Iruka-sensei, just ask. If I know the answer, I'll tell you," Kairi said, having already noticed his teacher's hesitation.
"Was it that obvious?" Iruka laughed awkwardly, then grew serious. "Kairi, I want to ask what do you think of Naruto Uzumaki?"