Ino tilted her small face, her pale blue eyes full of seriousness, as she spoke to Inoichi Yamanaka and Mrs. Yamanaka. "Chakra isn't just a combination—it's more like a vibration. It's as if there's an invisible string. When I make the Rat sign, this string is plucked, and then it vibrates the power out of my body... Um, it's like, it's like..." Ino struggled to find the right words, then suddenly spotted a cushion nearby. "It's like this cushion, and Chakra is the dust on the cushion—"
Inoichi Yamanaka and Mrs. Yamanaka exchanged looks, skeptical of Ino's claim that Chakra was a power vibrated out of the body through the vibration of an invisible string.
However, since Ino hadn't finished speaking, the two didn't feel it right to interrupt and ask questions.
"The cushion!"
Ino pointed at the cushion, wanting it.
Mrs. Yamanaka reached out and handed the cushion to Ino. Ino used her small hand to slap the cushion hard.
Thwack!
Ino said, "The dust is hidden inside the cushion. Only when we hit it hard and it vibrates violently can the dust come out."
Unfortunately, Mrs. Yamanaka was a very diligent housekeeper and never gave the cushion much of a chance to collect dust.
So, Ino didn't manage to knock anything out of it.
Seeing that Ino had finished, Inoichi Yamanaka finally asked, "Ino, did you feel this yourself?"
Ino said with an innocent face, "Yes! I felt it after trying a few more times."
Inoichi Yamanaka nodded and said, "So... Chakra isn't actually a product of the combination of physical and spiritual energy, but a more complex situation—our meridians are affected by the Hand Seals and produce vibrations. It's quite a vivid description. An invisible hand plucks the string, vibrating out the power."
Mrs. Yamanaka said, "Doesn't that mean Chakra is actually a physical ability, just vibrated out from a hidden state into a manifest one?"
"Hmm... Ino, don't tell anyone else about this, okay? This is our family's little secret..."
Inoichi Yamanaka ruffled Ino's soft, pale yellow hair, coaxing her not to speak of these things—these seemingly insignificant words actually touched upon the fundamental mysteries of Chakra.
Ino's short speech just now was enough to overturn the entire balance of the Ninja World—regarding any subject, the results produced by 'correct understanding' versus 'incorrect understanding' are worlds apart, just as the effects of 'realizing' versus 'not realizing' are completely different.
"Sound has changes in pitch, timbre, and volume. So, does the string that produces Chakra have similar properties?"
Ino thought of another question. Inoichi and his wife weren't surprised that Ino could say such things—
Their daughter was a genius to begin with, and in the process of 'learning to read,' she had read almost every book in the house that contained text. It was normal for her to say some 'terms' that sounded profound but were hard to understand.
"Pitch, timbre, volume?"
Mrs. Yamanaka repeated these three terms—her achievements in Ninjutsu weren't high; currently, she was just a Chunin who didn't rely on missions for her livelihood.
Inoichi Yamanaka was different. He immediately connected them to the 'elements' of Chakra. First was the amount of Chakra produced:
"Some people refine Chakra quickly, while others do it slowly. This should be caused by the difference in the 'volume' of their meridians. Some Ninja from certain clans are gifted with a higher 'volume' than ordinary people, so they produce more Chakra and recover faster."
Second was the Nature Transformation of Chakra:
"Nature Transformation is a process of purification, so the key is 'timbre'?"
Third was the Shape Transformation of Chakra:
"Shape Transformation should be 'pitch,' then."
...Mrs. Yamanaka pondered and said, "So, the length, thickness, and vibration intensity of the string actually determine the quantity, nature, and shape of the Chakra—then Ninjutsu..." An answer was already about to emerge—
Ninjutsu is an effect produced by the organic combination of the three elements of Chakra: quantity, nature, and shape.
Ino clapped her hands. "Mom is so amazing."
Mrs. Yamanaka said, "How can Mom be as amazing as you, little one? Ino, Mom asks you, what do you think the relationship is between the quantity, nature, and shape of Chakra?"
Ino: "..."
This question was a bit beyond her level.
Afterward, the family stopped talking about this topic. Inoichi continued to play parent-child games with Ino as usual, giving her horsey rides. It wasn't until Ino fell asleep that the couple spoke of her again. Inoichi was silent for a long time before saying, "What Ino said today really overturned my understanding of Chakra..."
"Ino... is truly incredible." Mrs. Yamanaka leaned close to Inoichi, both filled with a sense of happiness... The first snow of winter fluttered down. Upon waking, Konoha was completely covered in white. After Ino got up, she changed into her cotton clothes and boots and built a small snowman in the yard, leaving behind a trail of tiny footprints.
The child, dressed like a fluffy little ball, returned to the porch. Her small hands formed the twelve seals in order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Bird, Dog, and Boar.
Inside her tiny body, her meridians vibrated like strings. Streams of Chakra were vibrated out evenly, permeating her body.
A total of twelve streams of Chakra, mutually generating and overcoming each other, returned to the meridians in her body in sequence, completing a full cycle.
One by one, the meridians manifested in Ino's perception.
The twelve principal meridians.
The Collateral Vessels associated with the twelve principal meridians gradually revealed themselves as well.
"Ino, Ino, come inside. It's cold out, be careful not to catch a cold..." Mrs. Yamanaka called Ino back into the house and brought out breakfast. Watching Ino clean her plate, her face was filled with unmistakable affection—this little one really gave Inoichi a headache while learning the twelve seals... Twelve seals, and she took from summer all the way to winter to learn them. Seeing the year turn, she was about to be four years old.
However, since he finished teaching the twelve seals, Inoichi's attitude toward Ino was completely 'hands-off'... Whatever books she wanted to read, he would provide. As for training like'seal speed' or family Secret Techniques, he didn't even mention them.
With such a self-determined daughter, the father was very much at ease.
Inoichi often joked with Mrs. Yamanaka, saying, "Our Ino has definitely set the record for the slowest speed in learning Hand Seals."
---------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!