TPMITWON Chapter 42: Requirements for Applying to Study Kugutsu no Jutsu

Aomi paused for a moment, then smiled widely, as if satisfied to see someone truly interested in the art of Kugutsu.

Souta held his breath. He was waiting for that answer.

An answer that could bring Souta closer to his dream.

...

...

...

Aomi, hearing Souta's question, fell silent. Aomi's expression remained calm, but there was a flash of thought in Aomi's eyes as he looked at the boy.

Aomi's gaze lifted slightly, observing Souta's posture—the five-year-old boy sat upright with his hands on the table, his sharp eyes staring straight at Aomi, without a hint of doubt or confusion like other children his age.

Aomi knew that Souta was not an ordinary child.

In the five months since the boy and the other children began learning at the Ninja Academy, Souta had already shown a maturity that was hard to find in children his age.

Souta's demeanor was always thoughtful, his words were never spoken carelessly, and the way he observed things always reminded Aomi of someone much older than their actual age.

Not only that, but the environment in Sunagakure indeed shaped its children to mature faster. Living in a village surrounded by barren sand and scorching hot air forced everyone in this village to fight harder for survival.

Even children as young as five or six already understood that weakness could lead them to death. However, despite many children in Sunagakure being forced to grow up faster, there was something different about Souta—his maturity was not just formed by a harsh environment, but also by something else.

Aomi let out a soft sigh. Aomi knew the reason.

Souta was an orphan.

Since birth, the boy had lived without parents, facing the world alone. Aomi knew exactly how it felt, as Aomi had once been in the same position. Aomi understood how loneliness could shape someone to be stronger, how distrust in the world could make someone learn faster, and how loss could make a child stop being a child.

When Souta posed his question earlier, Aomi could sense that the boy was not just curious—Souta genuinely wanted to learn Kugutsu no Jutsu. This was not merely the desire of a child wanting to try something that seemed cool. There was determination behind Souta's sharp eyes, a deeper drive than mere curiosity.

Taking a deep breath, Aomi shifted his gaze across the classroom.

The other children sat in their places, some lazily leaning on their desks, some whispering to each other, and some even looking confused by the question Souta had just asked. The classroom, made of compacted sand, felt a bit hotter than usual, perhaps due to the sunlight streaming through the small window in the corner of the room. Fine grains of sand carried by the wind swirled in the air, shimmering faintly in the light.

After ensuring all the children were paying attention, Aomi finally spoke.

“When you have mastered the three basic Ninjutsu—Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique), Kawarimi no Jutsu (Substitution Technique), and Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)—and have reached your fourth year at the academy, you can apply to study a special lesson, which is Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Technique).”

Aomi paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink into the students' minds.

“As for your question, how to learn Chakra Threads?” Aomi looked at Souta more seriously. “That depends on how well you can control your Chakra. If you can control your Chakra with precision, then channeling Chakra out of your body to create Chakra Threads is not impossible.”