Grant Marshall, the world-changing ninja

Weeks passed, and my focus on seals began to shift slightly as I observed the world around me more closely. The Karama compound was alive with activity, its members bustling with daily routines. Yet, I often found myself apart, an outsider even within my own clan.

It wasn't that they ignored me—I was simply… different. My interests, my methods, my silent pursuit of knowledge, all of it set me apart from the others my age. The younger children played games or trained in basic jutsu under their parents' guidance, while I buried myself in scrolls and experiments.

One morning, as I practiced simple chakra flow exercises near the training grounds, a voice called out.

"Grant! Want to spar?"

I turned to see Natsu Karama, a boy a year older than me. He was one of the more sociable members of the clan and always seemed to be surrounded by friends.

"Not today," I replied, brushing dirt off my hands.

Natsu jogged over, his smile undeterred. "Come on, you can't spend all your time with seals. You're going to need to fight eventually, right?"

I hesitated. He wasn't wrong—I'd been neglecting physical and ninjutsu training in favor of fūinjutsu and chakra theory.

"Fine," I said finally, standing up. "But don't hold back."

The spar was short but intense. Natsu had clearly been training diligently, and his taijutsu skills far outclassed mine. Within minutes, he had me pinned to the ground.

"You're quick," he said, helping me up. "But you rely too much on avoiding hits. If you can't block or counter, you'll be in trouble."

I nodded, brushing myself off. "I'll work on it."

"Good." He grinned. "And next time, bring one of those seals you're always tinkering with. Let's see if they can give you an edge."

Later that day, as I sat by the stream that ran through the compound, I found myself thinking about Natsu's words. He was right—I couldn't afford to neglect other aspects of my training.

I pulled out a notebook and began drafting a plan to integrate seals into combat. Could I create seals that enhanced speed or strength temporarily? What about defensive seals that could act as barriers?

The possibilities excited me, but they also highlighted how much I still had to learn.

The next few days were spent testing simple combat seals. My first attempt was a speed-boosting seal that could be activated mid-fight. The design was straightforward—a single-layered array etched onto a slip of paper and activated by touch.

When I tested it, the results were promising. My movements felt lighter, quicker, as if the world around me had slowed down.

But the effect was short-lived, and the strain on my chakra reserves was significant.

"It's a start," I muttered, jotting down notes.

One evening, as I returned from the training grounds, I found Aunt Naori waiting for me.

"I hear you've been sparring with Natsu," she said, her tone neutral.

"Only once," I replied.

She studied me for a moment. "You're starting to form bonds, Grant. That's good. But remember, trust is a two-way street. If you rely on others, they'll rely on you in return. Make sure you're ready for that responsibility."

Her words lingered with me as I sat in my room that night, staring at the half-finished seals scattered across my desk.

"Please check out my main story and send power stones!

Every 10 power stones on my main story gets you an extra chapter on Saturday for each story."