The first year of the ninja academy focuses primarily on basic theoretical knowledge and some physical training. Originally, it doesn’t involve learning any ninjutsu or genjutsu. Even taijutsu is just laying the groundwork. The children entering the academy are all capable of refining chakra; those who cannot are filtered out at the entrance stage and cannot attend the academy.
Among these children, only a few come from ninja families. Before they enter the academy, they have already refined their own chakra and started training under the guidance of their family’s chunin or even jonin. Family secret techniques are introduced from the moment they can refine chakra. Typically, training within their family is more suitable for these children than at the academy. However, after the Second Hokage established the ninja academy system, all the children of appropriate age from ninja families in Konoha, including those from major clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga, are sent to the academy at the age of five or six.
The training of these children does not require much attention from the academy’s teachers. Traditionally, the academy primarily nurtures civilian ninjas and some less privileged children from ninja families.
Different innate conditions and growth environments directly affect the dynamics within the academy. The most obvious difference is that children from ninja families have already refined their chakra and started formal training, while the new civilian children at the academy start with theoretical knowledge. Children of ninja parents have an easier time, even if their parents are just regular chunin because they absorb and understand the material quickly. The hardest part is for those civilian children with no foundation. Their first year is crucial as they must understand what a ninja is, what chakra is, and most importantly, how to refine and use chakra.
Among the three types of ninja techniques—ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu—taijutsu is the easiest to start with. Ninjutsu and genjutsu are taught later before the children can fully understand and control their chakra. This includes the three basic techniques (Three Basic Techniques).
Naruto, who has been in the academy for a little over a year, naturally couldn’t learn any ninjutsu or genjutsu in the curriculum. However, this didn’t deter Naruto. With his well-behaved and smart demeanor, Iruka has always seen him as a very active, cheerful, intelligent, and sensible child. Although Iruka hesitated when Naruto first asked to learn the three basic techniques early on a day off, he eventually considered Naruto’s talent, which was comparable to those from ninja families (at this time, Naruto is the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, which is known to all ninjas in the village. However, only the high-level leaders of Konoha and the top-tier jonin know his identity as the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze’s son). Given that the three basic techniques are indeed fundamental, teaching them to Naruto early didn’t seem like a big issue.
After considering these points, when Naruto asked a second time, Iruka went ahead and taught him the seals and basic points of the three basic techniques. Then, as in the original story, something strange happened. Naruto mastered the Transformation Technique and the Substitution Technique almost immediately, with only proficiency needing improvement. This wasn’t a concern, as more practice would perfect these techniques. However, the Clone Technique, which Naruto couldn’t master even after several attempts to graduate in the original series, also continued stumping him in this lifetime.
Naruto followed all of Iruka’s instructions for the seals and chakra control with no apparent issues, yet he couldn’t master it. It had been three months since he started learning the three basic techniques from Iruka. The Substitution and Transformation Techniques were mastered in a day, and his practice only refined his speed and efficiency. But the Clone Technique remained elusive.
This failure affected Naruto’s training plan, which aimed to enhance his physical condition further and see if he could learn a few more ninjutsu or genjutsu from Iruka, considering he is a chunin and might know some C-rank techniques. However, this obstacle with the Clone Technique challenged Naruto’s stubborn nature. He refused to believe he couldn’t master it, feeling that he must learn it since it’s considered the most basic ninja technique.
This morning was the usual taijutsu training. After lunch, Naruto planned to continue practicing the three basic techniques. He spent some time reinforcing the previous two techniques, particularly the Substitution Technique, which he viewed as the most practical, even in high-level battles. The rest of his time was dedicated to the Clone Technique.
“Clone Technique!”
Poof!
A white cloud of smoke appeared, dispersing to reveal Naruto and two deformed clones lying on the ground, twitching slightly. Naruto couldn’t help but twitch his mouth at the sight of these abominations.
“Release!”
With a sigh, Naruto made a seal to cancel the Clone Technique.
Poof
The two blobs disappeared.
“Where did it go wrong?”
Naruto sat cross-legged on the ground. Today marked yet another failure in a long series. He had followed all the instructions for the seals and chakra control perfectly. Why wasn’t it working?
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