Inheritance

CHAPTER 23

"It''s called Ninpo: Naibu Shōten, although to call it a jutsu is probably an exaggeration. It's purpose is simple. Your chakra is drawn inwards to your core, and suppressed. This minimizes your chakra output, and once you've mastered it, makes it difficult for even the most adept sensors pick up your chakra signal, because sensors work by being able to sense the chakra you expel naturally through your tenketsu points, rather than the chakra already within you. This has a secondary effect of making you incredibly light on your feet, as the chakra is pulled away from the muscles in your legs and arms. Unfortunately, it is not a substitute for being able to move silently, but as you haven't mastered that just yet, it will definitely give you a little bit of an edge."

"When you learned to pull on your chakra in the Academy, you should have learned to feel your 'core', yeah?" Naruto nodded, understanding that Jiraiya was only asking because of the Academy's methods when it came to teaching, or no not as the case may be, the blond. "Good. All you need to do is focus on your core, and the chakra flow coming out of it; and rather than 'pull' chakra from your core as you would when using a jutsu, you draw back the chakra already circulating through your system, as though you're trying to roll it all up into a ball within your core."

Naruto closed his eyes, and did as requested, feeling out the chakra within his system, and focused his attention his own core. Then, he began to draw on the chakra, pulling it back within himself like Jiraiya had described, trying to form it into a ball. However, he quickly found that his chakra was less than willing to comply. Each time he wold attempt to draw more in to his core, chakra he had gathered earlier escaped, leaving him no better off whenever he tried.

The Sannin had apparently noticed the blond's concern.

"This is both an exercise in control and, perhaps more importantly, inner calm. You need to relax, clear your head before you try it. Your chakra will respond to your state of mind, if you're calm, it will be so too, and therefore easier to gather and contain. You won't be able to gather it all on your first go, so just take it incrementally. Gather some into a ball within your core, and compress it as small as you can, and then progressively add more. Don't worry about finishing before we have to leave, you don't have to master it tonight, just get it to the point where you could hide your chakra from most Chunin without much trouble, which to be honest, won't take you very long at all."

Naruto nodded once again, and silently conjured a dozen Kage Bushin to help with the technique, determined to nail it that night.

The old pervert had been right. A new jutsu was an excellent way to take his mind off of the mission ahead of him.

"So, are you ready to talk me through your plan, Naruto?"

The blond in question looked up from the paper he'd been using to scribble some rough notes and diagrams on, and answered with a confident 'yes'. Once again, the Sannin found himself being impressed with his student. Another half a day of travel and they had made it to a spot just inside the borders of Wave Country, and not too far away from Gatou Corp's base of operations. Already, Naruto had gotten sufficiently good enough with the Naibu Shōten to reduce his chakra output to a level where only particularly talented sensors at Chunin level, or an average Jonin would be able to pick up on his chakra output. They were rare enough either way, and Jiraiya considered the chances of the company hiring yet more ninja to be incredibly slim.

More importantly however, he seemed to be a little more at ease with his mission. It was pretty blatant that Naruto didn't like it, but he had resolved to accomplish it, and for the right reasons too. The hard part off course, was when the deed was done and the guilt kicked in, but that bridge would have to crossed when they came to it.

And so, because Naruto was already at an acceptable level with the killing techniques, and the jutsu, he had spent the time since they had made camp making plans and devising strategies for infiltrating the admittedly impressive headquarters of Gatou Corporation.