Naruto : A Fool's Errand.

With his physique enhanced by the clown potion, it only took Tachibana fifteen minutes to run laps around the training ground.

"Colour me impressed." Maruboshi said with a friendly smile but it soon morphed to become sly, "Now that the warm-up is done, I want you to complete a hundred pushups while you read this book."

Although exasperated, Tachibana caught the book that Maruboshi threw at him. 'From Good to Great, How to Become a Shinobi.'

Tachibana opened the book and placed it under his face as he lay down in the plank position to perform pushups while reading.

Turning the first page, he heard Maruboshi's question, "What are the different ways to unlock chakra?"

Tachibana mulled over his words before speaking calmly while keeping his pushups.

"There are three ways to unlock your chakra, one is by meditating to increase your senses to feel your physical energy. Another way is using the help of a different person who can push their chakra into your system. And the last method is just to be born with the ability."

Maruboshi nodded and then asked another question, "What does the colour of one's chakra indicate?"

"Different colours indicate the affinity of one's chakra to different elements."

"What is the method by which one can unlock their chakra with the help of others?"

"An experienced sensei can help unlock the ability to sense physical energy by pouring their chakra into the student's body. The student needs to be fully tired when this is done because suddenly kneading a lot of chakra could cause strain on the chakra pathways and damage them."

"Good. Keep reading and I'll keep asking you questions like these."

Tachibana nodded and soon managed to complete the challenge of a hundred pushups. But Maruboshi was relentless, he made Tachibana move on to sit-ups, pull-ups and also forced him to maintain the horse stance with weights on his arms all while he was asking him questions about everything he was reading.

It was a little difficult and by the end of the day, Tachibana felt his entire body aching. But he knew this was important for the next thing on the agenda so he bore through it.

"It took a little longer than I expected but your energy for today is drained. Good. This means from tomorrow we'll be able to train for longer."

Tachibana nodded and then sat down cross-legged in front of Maruboshi.

"Now that you're tired it'll be easy to help you."

Maruboshi placed his hand on Tachibana's back and after a few seconds, when Tachibana's breathing had stabilised, poured chakra into his chakra circulatory system.

Unlike the warm sensation when Tachibana had consumed the potion to become a Beyonder, he felt a cool sensation fill his body. At first, the sensation was only in the middle of his back, but it soon spread across his body like a stream of water flowing down a glacier.

The sensation crept through his entire body, interacting with all his cells. It made him feel tingly. As if being brushed by a feather.

Tachibana's posture relaxed as he immersed fully in this sensation. The initial high slowly died out and soon Tachibana felt his entire body in detail. It was as if a map of his body was imprinted in his mind.

"How are you feeling?" Maruboshi asked without removing his hand from Tachibana's back.

"Like I can see everything happening inside my body."

The statement was true since Tachibana could feel the several tenketsu along the chakra pathways coursing around his cells. It was an intricate web of connecting pathways and fibrous tubules that filled his entire body.

"I see. That likely indicates you have a good talent for sensing. Let's move on for now. Try stimulating the cells around your navel region."

Tachibana did as he was told and imagined a sensation of tickling the cells around his navel.

And much to his surprise Tachibana suddenly felt a new energy leave his cells. It felt like he was extracting something from his cells. It made them feel heavier and he didn't feel as good as before.

"Is this supposed to happen? Like I feel someone stopped tickling my stomach. This is physical energy right?"

"Haha~ Yes. Although that's an interesting way to put it, it is supposed to happen and is physical energy or Yang energy. Now, I want you to 'tickle' your brain in the same way and extract a similar amount of Yin or spiritual energy energy from it."

Tachibana did the same and to his surprise, he felt his brain produce spirituality instead of physical energy.

"Now what?"

"Pull the spiritual energy towards your navel where the physical energy is. Just like you read in the book."

Tachibana did as told and brought the two energies closer to each other. And just as they came together they merged suddenly into a more tactile feeling. It felt like someone had filled the area surrounding Tachibana's navel with water.

"Good. You've formed chakra." Maruboshi complemented as he removed his hand and caused the chakra he'd pushed into Tachibana's body to dissipate.

"Circulate it around the pathways you'd just seen so that you get used to moving it and how it feels."

Tachibana nodded and began to circulate the chakra all around his chakra pathways. And after a few minutes when he felt he got used to it he opened his eyes.

"Why do we produce chakra in the tenketsu around the navel Sensei?" Tachibana asked as he turned around to look at Maruboshi.

"Good question." Maruboshi nodded, "But can you think of a reason why?"

"Because it's the largest one?"

"Precisely because of that. Spiritual and Physical energies mix only inside tenketsu points in the chakra pathways. So doing it in the biggest one makes it much easier for everyone."

"Is there a use to using the other Tenketsu for it?"

"There is, but it is a high-level concept that you don't need to bother yourself with now."

Tachibana nodded and then his eyes suddenly turned expectant and gained a small glimmer as he looked at Maruboshi with a smile.

"*sigh* why did I think you'd be any different from kids your age.", Maruboshi said happily as he pulled out a small scroll from his pocket. He tossed the scroll to Tachibana and spoke, "That's the most basic of the three academy jutsus, the Transformation jutsu."

Tachibana nodded with a smile and stood up from his position.

"I'll master it by tomorrow!"

"No way. You will not. Be realistic. It isn't as easy as you think to learn even the simplest of jutsus. Why do you think students spend six years in the academy if it was so easy to master the three academy jutsus?"

"I dunno? Maybe they're lazy?" Tachibana thought considering how Itachi and Kakashi had graduated much earlier than the rest in the anime.

'In just six months if I'm not wrong.'

"Which kid have you ever seen that isn't excited to learn how to use 'superpowers'?" Maruboshi asked with sneaky smile.

Tachibana's sugar rush ended but before he could crash, Maruboshi spoke to encourage him a little, "What I want you to do is learn everything about the jutsu by tomorrow. The theories about how it works, what disadvantages and advantages it has and what are its limits."

Tachibana nodded and then bowed politely, "Take care Sensei. I'll see you tomorrow."