Chapter 21: The Body Remembers
Kota's recovery was swift. The medics, experienced in handling battlefield injuries, made quick work of his broken leg. By the time the sun rose the next morning, Kota was stable, his leg encased in a reinforced splint wrapped with healing-infused bandages. The swelling had gone down considerably, and he was breathing evenly, though still unconscious.
Ren watched the process unfold with awe. Healing jutsu wasn't just some fantasy—it worked. Bones realigned, tissue repaired itself, and energy flowed through someone's body like invisible hands stitching a person back together.
"It's like nothing's impossible here…" Ren murmured under his breath as he sat outside the medical tent, eyes still wide with wonder.
The next day, Kota regained consciousness. Aki and Taro celebrated with soft whoops, careful not to disturb the other patients. Ren smiled, but he didn't join in fully. Something about the entire experience stuck with him—etched into his brain like a lesson written in ink.
Later that week, Juro-sensei called the kids together.
"You've seen chakra used for healing," he said, arms crossed, his voice deep and steady. "But that's not all it can do. There's another level to understanding your body and chakra—something called the tenketsu."
They were seated on logs outside the camp's training area. Juro drew a rough outline of a human figure on the dirt with a stick.
"Inside your body are 361 tenketsu," he explained, tapping the figure's chest, then limbs. "These chakra points are the doors that chakra flows through. Learning to control them can give you an advantage—greater speed, better chakra control, even advanced techniques someday. But don't get ideas. You're not ready for that yet."
Aki raised his hand. "So... if I learn to use these, can I punch harder?"
Juro grunted. "Eventually. Maybe. But first, you'd have to find them."
That night, Ren sat alone, cross-legged just outside the perimeter of the camp. The moon hung low and full above the trees, bathing the earth in silver light.
He began meditating, breathing deeply as he always did. Centered in his old world's knowledge, he visualized his chakra. He tried to trace its path through his body—imagining it flowing through his limbs, curling in his fingers and toes, wrapping around his spine.
It was then, during the slow rise and fall of his breath, that he felt something—faint pulses, like tiny sparks along his limbs. He focused on them, one by one.
Twelve points.
Six in his hands, six in his legs. They pulsed in unison, almost like they were calling to each other. Unlike the seven chakra centers from his old world, these felt connected—like a circuit forming its own small system.
"These must be part of the chakra points Juro-sensei mentioned…" he whispered.
He concentrated harder. Tried to find more. But the rest stayed hidden—locked away or buried beneath layers he couldn't access yet.
Still, the twelve he could sense felt alive. He experimented slowly, moving his hands, shifting his stance, imagining chakra flowing through each point. It felt... smoother. More responsive.
"If I can learn to control these twelve, maybe I can learn to use chakra with more precision. Even in a fight."
A rush of quiet determination surged through him. The world of chakra wasn't just made of fantasy—it was something he could feel, map out, and understand. But it would take time.
A long time.
And he was okay with that.