Chapter 6: A Year of Silent Effort
A year had already passed since the walk through Konoha where he'd spotted Sakura and Ino playing in the distance.
Kiba hadn't stopped for a single day. His routine was relentless. Every morning he ran long distances with Akamaru and Yun until he felt his body reach its limit — legs shaking, lungs burning, sweat pouring down. Afterward, he devoted hours to more precise training.
His internal chakra control had become excellent. He could circulate his energy through his whole body with impressive fluidity, without waste. His hand technique had also progressed a great deal: he could form complete sequences of seals at speeds that would be considered absurd for a child his age.
In the past, he'd asked Tsume several times to teach him a basic jutsu.
"Mom, teach me something? Anything."
Tsume always answered firmly, but with affection:
"Not yet, Kiba. Your body isn't developed enough yet. I'll teach you when the time is right. There's no use forcing it."
Hana, whenever he brought it up, also refused:
"You'll only start learning the clan's techniques once you enter the Academy. Be patient, little brother."
Kiba accepted the refusals without complaint and even understood their reasoning. The Inuzuka clan was focused mainly on close combat and tracking, and their wild-style training would surely be brutal. He trained with what he had, and the results were visible. Not absurd power for his age, but enough to make him extraordinary.
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One afternoon, after another intense session, Kiba was resting in the yard. Akamaru lay beside him, panting, while Yun sat a little farther off, watching everything.
Tsume walked over, arms crossed.
"You never stop, huh? Training every single day... You're really pushing yourself, little wolf."
Kiba wiped the sweat from his face and answered calmly:
"I want to get strong."
Tsume ruffled his hair.
"You will. But don't push too hard. Your body's still growing."
As Tsume headed back inside, Kiba stayed sitting, petting Akamaru. His thoughts flowed coldly:
'My internal chakra control is already really good. My hand seal sequences keep getting faster. If I keep this up... no one in the future will be able to compare to me. Not the genin in my class, not even the older ones. I'll surpass them all.'
He looked at Akamaru and Yun, determined.
'You two are going to get strong too. We'll master this together.'
Kiba stood up, his body tired but his mind sharp.
'One more day. One more step ahead of everyone else.'
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End of Chapter 6