Gathering enough leaves for chakra training, Alex led the girls back to the training ground at the military base. Today, he planned to open his students’ chakra pathways so they could begin learning how to control it. He was also considering whether to do the same for Saeko, Beatrix, Valmet, and Rei—such power would be an invaluable advantage in battle. Especially since chakra could be used as a protective barrier for the body, though mastering proper control was necessary for that.

Alex was thinking about skipping physical training today and focusing entirely on chakra control. While his students worked on that, he intended to continue upgrading the aircraft carrier—replacing all its weaponry and installing a massive cannon.

Upon arriving at the training ground, Alex immediately noticed that everyone was already gathered. His students, the masters from Ryozanpaku, and several others had come to watch whatever he was planning. When he and the girls appeared on the horizon, all eyes were drawn to the massive bundles of leaves they carried, sparking curiosity among the spectators.

Alex quickly scanned the area for a place to sit and was pleased to see that someone had thoughtfully provided a chair for him. However, aside from Saeko, Beatrix, and Valmet, he didn’t see the other girls. He quickly guessed they were still busy planning the layout of the room where they’d spend most of their time during their travels on the aircraft carrier.

He didn’t even want to imagine what they had come up with. In his mind, he could already see the walls covered in weapons thanks to Rebecca, a tea table insisted on by Yuriko, a mini-bar undoubtedly suggested by Rika, and many other contributions from the rest of the girls.

Sitting down, Alex ran a tired hand over his face before looking at his students. Judging by their expressions, they clearly weren’t eager to do anything.

“Alright, here’s some good news: starting today, physical training is temporarily suspended…” he began but didn’t even get to finish.

His words were immediately drowned out by cheers, whistles, and celebrations. Alex’s eye twitched. His “beloved” students were clearly overjoyed at not having to exhaust themselves physically anymore. Even Takashi and Jonah looked as if a huge burden had been lifted off their shoulders. Only Honoka, Malka, and Alice remained unfazed—they hadn’t been pushed too hard in training and didn’t even wear weighted gear. Alex had only been teaching them the basics of taijutsu.

However, watching this unrestrained joy was starting to get on his nerves. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. A loud sound echoed across the training ground, followed by a powerful shockwave that made everyone stagger slightly and left their ears ringing.

When the noise died down, Alex smiled. A truly kind smile. That was precisely what made all his students shudder—no one liked it when Alex smiled like that.

“Now that you’re quiet… let me continue. Starting today, we will focus on chakra control.”

“Um… I don’t want to ruin your moment, but…” Shino spoke up, raising her hand. “As far as I know, none of us have chakra. Like… at all.”

“Can I finish talking?” Alex rolled his eyes. “Today, I will open your chakra pathways so you can start learning to control it. That’s precisely why there won’t be any physical training for now—chakra work requires a lot of energy, and I’ve already explained why. Now, be good kids and sit down so I can get started. I have plenty of work to do, and I don’t intend to stay in Okinawa any longer than necessary.”

The students exchanged glances, unsure how to react. They were curious about what “opening chakra pathways” meant and how Alex was going to do it. Most importantly—would it hurt?

Alex smirked, seeing their confusion.

“Alex, do you mind if I observe the process?” Akisame suddenly asked, intrigued by what Alex was about to do.

“No problem,” Alex nodded. “I wasn’t planning on hiding anything anyway. If you have questions, just ask.”

Everyone took their places as Alex prepared to begin. A new stage of training awaited them.

Akisame smiled at Alex’s words. He was a man who had dedicated his life not only to the study of martial arts but also to human anatomy—both for healing wounds and for effectively disabling opponents. The other masters from Ryozanpaku also showed interest and followed Alex.

Alex decided to start with “his girls”—priorities had to be set right. Approaching Valmet, he placed his hand on her back. His palm glowed with a soft blue light, and the woman immediately felt a strange yet pleasant warmth spreading throughout her body. The next moment, her figure was enveloped in a thin layer of chakra, which then retracted back inside her after a second.

Being the “best husband of all time,” Alex subtly enhanced her chakra reserves without anyone noticing. It was his little trick—if he wanted to make his girls stronger, why not take advantage of this opportunity? Once the process was complete, Valmet stood up, clenching and unclenching her fists, adjusting to the new sensation of power.

The masters of Ryozanpaku watched this closely and exchanged glances. They had assumed that opening chakra pathways would be similar to the method used to unlock the Ki center, but it turned out to be quite different, despite some similarities.

“Well, how does it feel?” Alex asked, looking Valmet up and down.”I don’t know how to describe it… but it feels nice,” she answered with a slight smile, meeting his gaze.

“Alright, you two, enough flirting, there’s a line here, you know!” Rei loudly interrupted the moment.

Alex and Valmet just exchanged amused glances. He moved toward Rei, who was pouting in protest. Deciding to have a little fun, Alex used a special technique, causing energy to flow through her entire body… and, to her embarrassment, she couldn’t suppress a quiet moan. Realizing what had just happened, Rei instantly turned red, shooting Alex a furious glare, but he just winked at her mischievously, making it clear that this was his little revenge.

After that, he repeated the process with Saeko, then approached Beatrix, who was practically glowing with anticipation. Next in line were Malka, Honoka, and Alice—three young girls who were already imagining themselves breathing fire like Alex. He decided to slightly increase their chakra reserves so they could better protect themselves in the future.

Moving on to the rest, Alex thought for a moment and decided to do the same for Shino.

“Why not?” he thought.

For Takashi and Jonah, he also gave a small “bonus.” For everyone else, he opened their chakra pathways at a standard level, comparable to that of an elite Chunin.

“Did I forget anyone?” Alex looked around.

“Can I have it too?” Renka suddenly asked, running up to him.

He shrugged and asked her to turn around. Once the process was complete, Kisara approached him. Alex wasn’t even surprised—since he had been training her in Leaf Style, chakra would be a great addition to her techniques.

“Anyone else? Because after this, I’ll be busy,” Alex warned.

“Um… can I?” Miu asked hesitantly.

“Of course, come here,” he nodded with a smile.

Although Miu initially had her Ki center opened, Alex knew that Ki was merely a type of physical energy. When he unlocked her chakra pathways, he noticed that the Ki in her body completely transformed into chakra.

That was interesting. Alex narrowed his eyes slightly, noting that Miu’s energy reserves were quite impressive, and after the transformation, she now had a substantial amount of chakra in her body.

Hayato approached his granddaughter, carefully observing her with slight concern.

“Don’t worry, old man,” Alex reassured him. “Her Ki just turned into chakra. There won’t be any side effects—on the contrary, she’ll only get stronger.”

Hayato listened carefully to Alex’s words, but to be absolutely sure, he took Miu’s wrist and sent a flow of Ki into her body. Feeling that she was completely fine, he exhaled in relief. He knew that mixing different types of energy could cause an imbalance in the body, but as he examined Miu, he unexpectedly discovered that chakra was a purer and more stable energy than Ki.

The other masters, driven by curiosity, also approached to examine Miu and Renka, trying to understand what changes had occurred in their bodies.

“Alex, can you explain why Miu’s Ki was replaced by chakra?” Akisame asked, clearly intrigued.

Alex thoughtfully ran his fingers along his chin.

“Hm… To put it simply, Ki is a manifestation of a person’s life force and physical endurance, whereas chakra combines life force with mental energy. You could say Ki is just a part of chakra. So when Miu’s chakra started awakening, her Ki simply merged with it.”

The masters listened intently, processing his explanation. Since they understood the principles of Ki, they quickly grasped the essence of his words.

Meanwhile, those who had newly awakened chakra were getting used to the new sensations in their bodies. Takashi observed Alex, who continued his conversation with the Ryozanpaku masters, and wondered if Alex had done something special to him while unlocking his chakra pathways.

The question wouldn’t leave his mind until he recalled their first meeting in limbo, back when he was still David. Back then, Alex had helped him recover his memories, and now Takashi couldn’t shake the feeling that Alex had played a role in this as well. After weighing everything, he decided to just ask him directly.

At the same time, Alex moved on to the next stage of training.

“I see you’re slowly getting used to the new sensations,” he said, glancing at the group. “Now, we’re moving on to practical exercises. As I’ve explained before, chakra is the energy flowing within you. Your next task is to learn how to control it.”

“And how are we supposed to do that? Some kind of meditation or whatever?” R scoffed. “Are you even sure any of us can sit still for long enough?”

“No,” Alex replied with a smirk, holding up a leaf from a tree. “You’re going to control your chakra using an old but reliable method—with this.”

“A leaf?” Sasaki raised an eyebrow in surprise. “And what are we supposed to do with it?”

“I’ll explain in a moment. Just pick up a leaf, and I’ll tell you what to do.”

Everyone exchanged glances but followed his instructions, picking up leaves from the ground. Even Miu and Renka, despite already having their own abilities, decided to participate. For them, this was a chance to try something new.

The masters of Ryōzanpaku watched everything with great interest. They had been following Alex’s training methods for a long time and understood just how effective they were. They had even borrowed a few exercises to… develop Kenichi.

When everyone was ready, Alex continued:

“Now listen carefully. Your task is to keep the leaf in one place without letting it fall.”

With these words, he attached a leaf to his forehead.

Everyone watched as the leaf remained still, even when a light breeze blew. The masters immediately understood the point of the exercise: it required using just the right amount of energy to keep the leaf in place, preventing it from falling or blowing away. They nodded in understanding.

Miu and Renka immediately repeated Alex’s demonstration and easily kept the leaves on their foreheads. Alex nodded approvingly at them, and the girls smiled in response.

“Can I ask a question?” Takeo spoke up, holding the leaf in his hand. “Why are we doing this? After this, will we be able to breathe fire or walk on ceilings like you?”

Alex smirked:

“Something like that, Takeo. To master those skills, you need to learn chakra control. Without it, you won’t be able to walk on walls or use elemental techniques.”

“Can you show us?” Honoka raised her hand, bouncing in place. “We’ve already seen you breathe fire, turn into a living railgun, and move faster than the wind…”

“Of course,” Alex grinned. “Now I’ll show you why chakra control is important.”

Alex asked everyone to clear a bit of space for the demonstration. Quickly forming hand seals, he used an Earth Release technique: “Stone Wall.” After completing the jutsu, a small stone protrusion rose from the ground.

“And that’s it? Doesn’t seem very impressive,” R said with a hint of sarcasm.

“That’s what happens when you have terrible chakra control,” Alex replied, smirking. “Now, let me show you what this technique is really supposed to look like.”

He formed the seals again and then slammed his palm into the ground. In that instant, a massive stone wall erupted from beneath the surface, towering above everyone. Its shadow covered the group, causing many to look up in awe.

“I have a question, Alex,” Akisame’s voice rang out as he studied the sudden barrier with interest. “Why do you form hand seals before using techniques?”

This question made everyone turn their heads toward Alex. They were also curious why he performed those movements every time. Alex nodded, recognizing that this was the perfect moment to explain.

“Let me explain it so that everyone can understand. You’ve seen movies about wizards, right? Well, the purpose of the hand seals is no different from casting a spell or waving a magic wand. It’s just a method of focus. As the saying goes, if you have the fastest hands in the Wild West, you can spam spells without a break.” Alex smirked, causing some to chuckle.

“Do we… have to… well, form hand seals?” R asked, rubbing his nose in slight embarrassment. “Don’t get me wrong, but it seems a bit… childish.”

“Haha! What, you don’t want to be a shinobi?” Alex joked. “But don’t worry, you don’t need to do it. There are so many techniques that you’d get a headache trying to learn them all. It’s enough for you to practice chakra control and reach a certain level of mastery.”

“And what should we be able to do?” Lutz asked with slight confusion.

Alex looked at everyone, then decided to demonstrate what they should aim for. He approached the stone wall, which everyone was watching with curiosity, and without saying a word, placed his foot on its surface. To the surprise of those around him, Alex began calmly climbing upwards, as if gravity no longer affected him. Reaching the top of the wall, he turned to the group, looking down at them.

“You need to learn how to walk on walls, as well as strengthen your body with chakra. I’ll explain how this works now, so listen carefully.”

Alex jumped down and returned to his chair, sitting with an obvious sense of relaxation. The masters, intrigued, also grabbed themselves a bench to listen attentively. Even the regular spectators, who had come just to watch the training, didn’t rush to leave—they were interested.

When everyone settled down, Alex began explaining the basics—chakra control. He clarified that the better your control, the easier it is to manipulate objects with chakra. To demonstrate his words, Alex showed this on himself: leaves stuck to each of his fingers, as if they were still on the tree.

Next, he moved on to reinforcing the body with chakra and showed what it should look like. His hand was enveloped in a bright blue glow, making the process more visual. To finish, Alex explained the principle of movement on vertical surfaces.

Giving the group time to process the information, he lit a cigarette, showing that he wasn’t in a hurry and was ready to answer questions.

“So, what else can you do with your chakra?” Renka asked excitedly, her eyes literally sparkling with curiosity.

Alex smirked, raised his hand, and replied:

“Well, for example, this.”

A spinning sphere of concentrated chakra began to form in his palm. It was a Rasengan.

As the Rasengan appeared in Alex’s hands, he slowly explained the name of the technique. Upon hearing the familiar word, Valmet, Saeko, Rei, and Beatrix immediately focused their gaze on the shimmering chakra sphere. They recalled how Brunhilde had told them about the Rasenshuriken—the advanced version of this technique—and now they finally saw what it was based on.

The masters watched the Rasengan with genuine interest. The energy spinning in chaotic directions inside maintained a perfect spherical shape, mesmerizing with its dynamic movement.

Renka, being naturally curious, wanted to touch the unusual phenomenon but didn’t get the chance. Alex instantly withdrew his hand and then lightly flicked her on the forehead. The girl immediately grabbed the bump that appeared, pouting in frustration.

“Why so sudden?!” Renka exclaimed, almost on the verge of tears. “I just wanted to touch it!”

Alex sighed heavily, shaking his head.

“Are you a child who has to stick their hand into everything?” he grumbled irritably. “Didn’t Mistress Ma teach you not to touch things where you’re not asked?”

Renka opened her mouth to respond, but just then Alex directed the Rasengan toward the ground. There was a dull thud, and where his palm had made contact, a deep vortex-like hole appeared.

In that moment, Renka froze, realizing what could have happened to her hand. She swallowed quietly, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.

Alex squinted, watching her reaction closely. Under his stern gaze, Renka shivered and lowered her head. That expression reminded her of the look her mother gave when she caught her or her brothers misbehaving. One glance was enough to understand—they were in trouble.

“Well, do you want to touch it again?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

“N-no! Absolutely not!” Renka shook her head.

“Good,” Alex nodded in satisfaction. “Now, since I’ve made the training plan, I’m going to get back to work.”

He stood up from the chair and said his goodbyes, mentioning that if anyone had questions about the training, they could approach the masters of Ryozenapku, who had enough experience, or find him at the docks.

After exchanging a few words with the girls, Alex made sure they didn’t need anything for the moment. They promised to ask their questions later, during the break. Before leaving, he reminded everyone not to overexert themselves—they weren’t in a rush.

Finishing with this, Alex headed toward the docks, humming a tune. However, halfway there, he realized he had forgotten to bring GIR, MIMI, and Stitch with him. Stopping, he whistled, calling the trio. Within a couple of seconds, the three small helpers caught up to him, and together they headed for the docks.

As he approached his workplace, Alex remembered something else.

“Hm, seems I forgot to return you, Tachimaru,” he muttered, taking the small mouse off his head. “Well, never mind. I’ll give you back to Shigure when I come back.”

“No need to search. I’m here,” came a quiet voice behind him.

Alex turned around and saw Shigure standing nearby.

“Hm? Didn’t you stay with everyone?” he asked, surprised.

“Mmm… I’ll watch your work,” she replied calmly, nodding.

“Well, alright,” Alex shrugged. “It’ll be boring anyway. If you get tired, you don’t have to stay here until night.”

“It’s fine. I won’t get bored,” Shigure shook her head. “By observing a person, you can learn everything about them.”

She took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Their faces were so close that their noses nearly touched.

Alex involuntarily held his breath, feeling her warm breath on his skin. He looked into her calm eyes, trying to understand what she was thinking, but to no avail.

“Damn, she’s definitely like a willful cat, doing whatever she wants,” he sighed inwardly.

Deciding not to dwell on her intentions, he took a step back. As soon as he did, a barely noticeable smile appeared on Shigure’s face—as if she had just won a game whose rules only she knew.

Upon reaching the docks, Alex immediately set up a chair for her so she wouldn’t have to stand the whole time. Then, he unfolded the blueprints for the aircraft carrier’s weaponry again.

Soon, a new round of discussion began between him and his three small assistants. Initially, the conversation flowed calmly, but within five minutes, it descended into their usual bickering and then a full-on fight.

Shigure, sitting off to the side, watched the chaos with sparkling eyes. Tachimaru, in particular, seemed to be enjoying himself, eagerly cheering on his “opponents.”

“Enough fighting, we’re adults here!” Alex finally sighed, trying to break up GIR, MIMI, and Stitch.

“I’m not an adult, daddy!” MIMI huffed, crossing her paws over her chest.

“I’m not human,” GIR declared, mimicking her posture.

“Me neither, me neither!” Stitch chimed in, energetically nodding.

Alex tiredly closed his eyes.

“Alright, I get it. Let’s come to a compromise so we don’t argue. Otherwise, I’ll tell your mom Brunhilde that you’re misbehaving…” He narrowed his eyes. “And she’ll take away all your snacks.”

The trio instantly tensed up.

“Okay!” they all shouted in unison, immediately raising their paws in agreement.

Finally agreeing to a peaceful discussion about the aircraft carrier’s weaponry, Alex suggested that each of his little helpers pick one type of weapon to be installed. This suggestion avoided further arguments and allowed everyone to finally breathe a sigh of relief. The trio eagerly accepted the offer and immediately began looking into their options.

While GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were busy with their decisions, Alex decided to talk to Shigure. As usual, she was brief in her responses, answering shortly and with restraint, but even so, Alex was able to understand her a little better.

“Are you sure you’re not bored?” he asked once again, observing Shigure.

“No, it’s fine. It’s peaceful with you. A very pleasant feeling,” she replied, slightly tilting her head.

Alex couldn’t fully grasp what Shigure meant, but decided not to dwell on it. Once again, he was reminded that this girl was like a willful cat, doing whatever she pleased without caring about anyone else around her.

He took snacks and drinks out of his backpack, offering them to Shigure so she could have a bite. After receiving the treat, she simply nodded in silence and began eating, her slightly gleaming eyes revealing her satisfaction.

The sun had completely dipped below the horizon, and the lights in the docks flickered on, illuminating the dark docks and the pier. Realizing it was already late, Alex decided to wrap things up. He didn’t want to hear the girls grumbling about how he had disappeared again or how he should’ve spent the night in the bunker instead of outdoors.

“It’s time to head back,” he said, turning to Shigure.

She nodded silently, and together with Alex and his restless trio, they left the docks. Along the way, no one spoke, but even in the silence, Alex enjoyed being near Shigure.

When they reached a fork in the road, they had to part ways.

“Good night, Shigure,” Alex said, looking at the girl.

“Mmm. Good night,” she replied quietly, watching him closely.

Alex turned and headed toward the bunker, while Shigure watched him for a few more seconds before disappearing into the darkness.

Arriving at the bunker, Alex and his three little helpers began descending. As they went down, Alex heard the lively voices of the girls. They were discussing something eagerly, and by listening closely, he realized that the argument about the captain’s bridge setup hadn’t yet died down.

When he reached the bottom, no one even acknowledged his presence. Shrugging it off, Alex headed to the kitchen, intending to have a snack. On the way, he caught Brunhilde’s eye, who was also part of the discussion. Smirking, he winked at her and continued on his way.

He hoped the argument wouldn’t escalate into a fight.

Once in the kitchen, Alex opened the fridge, searching for something tasty to quickly prepare. Finding the necessary ingredients, he started cooking while humming to himself. Half an hour later, a fragrant dinner was ready, and he eagerly began eating, savoring the moment of solitude.

However, his solitude didn’t last long.

“Why are you eating alone?” Valmet’s voice came from the doorway as she entered the kitchen.

“I didn’t want to disturb you guys,” he shrugged, smiling. “And why aren’t you participating in the discussion about the bridge’s interior?”

“It’s turned into complete nonsense. Koko wants to put in a jacuzzi. Now Brunhilde is arguing with her,” Valmet said with a crooked smile.

Alex choked.

“Wait, Koko wants what?”

Valmet slowly repeated her sentence.

Alex tiredly rubbed his face. He began wondering how to explain to Koko that the aircraft carrier would be used only for crossing to the shores of Alaska, not for relaxing spa treatments.

While he pondered this, Valmet, taking advantage of the moment, grabbed his fork and began eating from his plate.

“You could’ve at least asked…” Alex sighed, watching her finish his dinner.

“I want more,” Valmet said, nodding, but not stopping from eating his food.

Already resigned, Alex started cooking again.

At that moment, the other girls barged into the kitchen, attracted by the smell. Seeing that Valmet was eating something delicious, they immediately wanted to try the same and began asking Alex to cook for everyone.

Not wanting to refuse, he got back to work.

Namiyo stepped in to help, taking over part of the cooking. Soon, the food was ready, and the girls, satisfied, took their portions and headed back to the break room.

Taking plates and drinks, Alex and the others settled in front of the screen to watch a series.

To be continued…

+3 Chapters on my Patreon: /GreedHunter

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep