Karma's life had officially become busy.
Not ridiculously busy.
Just busy enough that he had started wondering how adults managed to do this every day without complaining.
He had training in the morning, missions during the day, more training in the evening, dinner with Hashirama-sensei and Mito nee-san, and then sleep.
Then repeat.
'Being a shinobi sounded cooler before I actually became one.'
His latest D-rank mission was waiting for him at the mission office.
"Assist a local farmer with a livestock problem."
Karma stared at the paper.
"Livestock problem?"
The mission clerk nodded.
"Several goats keep escaping their enclosure."
Karma looked at the mission sheet again.
"Why does this require a shinobi?"
The clerk shrugged.
"It requires someone fast enough to catch them."
'Fair.'
Karma headed toward the outskirts of the village.
The farmer explained the problem as Karma arrived.
"They keep getting out through the same section of the fence. I've repaired it three times."
Karma examined the fence.
Then the ground.
Then the goats.
One goat looked directly at him.
Karma looked back.
"Don't."
The goat bleated.
Karma narrowed his eyes.
"I mean it."
The goat immediately ran.
Karma sighed.
"Of course."
He chased after it.
The goat was surprisingly fast.
Karma accelerated and caught it before it reached the road.
The animal kicked wildly.
"You're more trouble than half the Academy students."
He carried it back.
Then another goat escaped.
Then another.
Karma eventually stopped chasing them individually.
Instead, he inspected the enclosure properly.
He found the problem.
The ground underneath one section of the fence had become soft from repeated watering, allowing the goats to push beneath it.
Karma called a few Shadow Clones.
"Fix this."
The clones got to work.
Within a short time, the fence was reinforced.
The farmer looked impressed.
"That's all it took?"
"The fence was the problem."
The farmer laughed.
"You're a smart kid."
Karma smiled.
"Thank you."
On the way back to the village, Karma thought about the mission.
It hadn't been difficult.
It hadn't even been interesting.
But it had taught him something.
A shinobi didn't always need to fight.
Sometimes the problem was simply finding the right answer.
When he returned to the village, several people greeted him.
"Karma!"
He turned.
It was the shopkeeper he had helped earlier that week.
"Finished another mission?"
"Unfortunately."
The shopkeeper laughed.
"You're becoming quite famous."
Karma blinked.
"Famous?"
"Everyone knows Hashirama-sama's young student."
Karma scratched his cheek.
He hadn't really thought about it.
As he walked through the village, he started noticing it.
People recognized him.
Some smiled.
Some whispered.
Some simply watched curiously.
Karma had expected people to know him because of his early graduation.
He hadn't expected them to remember him because of the missions.
'Interesting.'
He reached Hashirama's house and found Hashirama waiting.
"Back already?"
"Yes."
"How did it go?"
"Goats."
Hashirama stared.
"Goats?"
"Lots of goats."
Hashirama burst out laughing.
Karma sighed.
"I don't see what's funny."
"You fought your first great enemy."
Karma pointed at him.
"Don't tell Madara-sensei."
Hashirama laughed even harder.
After lunch, training began.
Hashirama started with elemental practice.
"You've been using Lightning Release regularly," he said.
"Yes."
"Good. But don't neglect your other affinities."
Karma nodded.
Hashirama demonstrated several basic techniques, giving Karma something practical to work with.
A small burst of Wind Release.
A simple Earth Release technique.
A small flame.
A basic Water Release technique.
Nothing powerful.
Nothing complicated.
Karma copied each one.
The results were rough at first, but his understanding was immediate.
He adjusted the chakra transformation.
Then tried again.
Better.
Hashirama watched quietly.
"You really don't like doing anything the normal way, do you?"
Karma smiled.
"I don't know how to do things normally."
Hashirama shook his head.
"Just keep practicing."
Karma continued.
Lightning remained the most natural to him.
It responded quickly.
Sharp.
Precise.
Fast.
It felt right.
After elemental practice, Madara arrived.
"Come."
Karma immediately grabbed his sword.
Madara led him to the training ground.
"Show me what you've learned."
Karma drew his blade.
He moved forward.
Madara blocked.
Karma changed his angle.
Blocked again.
Karma stepped back.
Then forward.
A quick slash.
Another.
Madara continued deflecting every attack.
Karma stopped.
"You're not attacking."
"I'm testing you."
"That's worse."
Madara's mouth twitched.
"Again."
Karma attacked.
This time, he added Lightning Release.
A thin layer of chakra ran along the blade.
His next movement was faster.
Madara blocked.
Karma immediately changed direction.
Lightning pulsed through his legs.
His acceleration increased.
He appeared at Madara's side.
Madara turned just in time.
The wooden training sword struck his own.
The impact echoed across the training ground.
Madara pushed Karma back.
"Better."
Karma grinned.
"See?"
"Don't get excited."
"Too late."
Madara walked toward him.
"You're beginning to understand it."
"Lightning?"
"Swordsmanship."
Karma listened.
"Lightning can make you faster. It can sharpen your attacks. It can improve your reactions."
Madara tapped Karma's sword.
"But if your swordsmanship depends entirely on it, you're predictable."
Karma nodded.
"So I should use it as an advantage, not a crutch."
"Exactly."
Karma smiled.
'That's going to be useful.'
He resumed training.
For the next hour, he experimented with small bursts of Lightning Release.
Not large amounts.
Just enough to change his movement.
A burst through his legs.
A little through his arms.
A thin coating around the blade.
He quickly discovered that using less chakra often produced better results.
That realization made him smile.
He wasn't trying to make the strongest attack.
He was trying to make every movement efficient.
By evening, Karma was exhausted.
He returned home and collapsed into his usual seat.
Mito looked over from the kitchen.
"Long day?"
"Very."
"What did you do?"
"Fought goats."
Mito paused.
Then smiled.
"I see."
"They were dangerous."
"I'll be sure to take them seriously."
Karma nodded.
"Good."
Dinner was quiet and comfortable.
Karma talked about his mission.
Hashirama laughed at several parts.
Mito listened.
For a few minutes, Karma simply sat there.
He looked around the room.
The house was warm.
There was food on the table.
People were waiting for him.
It still felt strange sometimes.
Not bad.
Just strange.
A few months ago, he had been sleeping in the orphanage.
Now this was home.
Karma smiled.
Then Hashirama placed a mission sheet on the table.
Karma looked at it.
"Another D-rank?"
"Yes."
Karma picked it up.
"Assist with security for a supply caravan."
He looked at Hashirama.
"This sounds different."
"It is."
"How different?"
Hashirama smiled.
"The caravan is leaving the village."
Karma's eyes lit up.
"So I'm going outside Konoha?"
"For the first time."
Karma looked down at the mission sheet.
Finally.
Something new.
He smiled.
"When do we leave?"
Hashirama leaned back.
"Tomorrow morning."
Karma's smile widened.
'Now this sounds like a shinobi mission.'