This would probably be my last extensive training before the Chunin Exam, and although it was tiring, I was happy with how it was going.

Tetsu asked me to try forming the golem's arm without using wood from the environment, so I did.

At first, I tried to make my own arm grow and develop that way, but without success. It always grew awkwardly and was extremely heavy, making it impossible for me to use effectively — at least most of the time.

I then moved on to an idea that seemed to make sense in my head.

Instead of using my own body, I would use one of my clones for this.

'Maybe that's the principle behind wooden golems, right?' I thought.

It took me a long time to reach this conclusion, as well as a large amount of chakra. By the time I realized it, everyone was already gathering to go to lunch and then return to training.

"Riku, are you coming with us?" Renji asked, noticing I was already sweaty from training.

"Nah, I'll go later, Renji. I want to keep trying before I lose concentration," I said, glancing at him and the other two watching in the background.

"Well, it's up to you then... just don't push yourself too hard," he said, walking toward Tetsu and Sora.

They seemed to get the message and started walking away.

"Sure! Just don't fall behind, or soon you won't stand a chance against me."

"Heh, we'll see about that, Riku."

Renji smiled and quickened his pace to catch up with the rest of the team.

'Right. Where was I? Oh, I remember,' I thought.

The wooden clones had an interesting feature — they possessed their own vitality and didn't disappear when struck — and they also worked like shadow clones, transmitting the information they gathered to me.

With that in mind, I tried simply changing their form so one would become a kind of golem.

I started by increasing their density — some were larger, others bulkier, and some had traits of both.

'Uff. This is really tiring.' After making a few of them, I grumbled inwardly.

The fatigue from not sleeping well last night also added to this feeling.

[Chakra: 205/430]

'I've already used half my chakra, and I still haven't achieved what I wanted.' I looked at my clones.

"Goodbye, everyone."

The clones waved and vanished as soon as I finished my hand seal.

'Okay, let's go — one more time...'

I made hand seals with my eyes closed, picturing the image I wanted to create. In my mind, I molded the chakra and wood as if they were clay, trying to understand their construction before forming them.

As I worked, I began to feel slightly different, as if the chakra was taking on a greenish color — unlike the natural blue — and then my strength surged dramatically for a few seconds.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a wooden gargoyle before me. Its body was perfect, and it stared at me as if waiting for me to control it with my mind. Around me, nature felt more alive.

[You have acquired a new technique!]

[Technique learned: Wooden Gargoyle]

...

[Your chakra changed during the process. Continue to acquire a secret technique.]

'Secret technique? Could the system be referring to senjutsu? That's the only explanation.' I became more excited at that moment, but then I saw my chakra and stamina bars rapidly decreasing.

[Chakra: 130/430]

[Stamina: 100/350]

I breathed heavily, feeling as if my chakra and stamina had been sucked out by nature.

The wooden gargoyle began to peel away with the loss of my chakra, but it still remained standing.

"I need to be careful with this energy. If I slip up, who knows what could happen to me..." I muttered.

"Anyway, I'm here for a reason. Show me your arm, gargoyle."

The gargoyle obeyed my voice command, raising one of its arms, which made the wood creak. I watched in awe at how impressive my creation was.

The arm was far from the size of the one I had built in the forest, but it looked just as powerful. The creature's claws looked sharp, ready to attack any enemy in a lethal manner.

'This is better than I expected for this attempt. It's no coincidence that it appeared as a technique for me.'

My body was getting heavier and heavier, and sweat was pouring faster than normal. My chakra was being constantly drained to keep the gargoyle active. If this were a real battle, I would only be able to keep it up for a short time before passing out.

"Let's see what you're capable of." I quickly made hand seals and pointed at one of the training dummies nearby.

The gargoyle advanced at an impressive speed toward the dummy and used its arms as if they were blades, cutting it with a single blow. The upper part rolled across the ground in a morbid fashion, even though it wasn't a living being.

"If I can learn to keep you going without using so much chakra..." I thought as I tried to control my breathing.

But before I could finish the thought, I felt a strong pull, almost as if something wanted to rip me from the ground. My chakra was leaking into the creature in an uncontrolled flow. I made the seals to dispel it, but nothing happened.

"Calm down..." I said, somewhat in disbelief at what was happening.

A soft sound of footsteps approached. I turned my head and saw Tetsu returning alone, carrying a bowl of soup.

"Look, Riku, I brought you some soup..."

"Hm. That's new." He frowned when he noticed the gargoyle.

"I... I think I went a little too far, sensei."

Tetsu approached calmly, observing the creature from head to toe. He placed his hand on the gargoyle's shoulder, and the wood seemed to give way to his touch, as if it were a living creature.

"It acts like a person. What did you do to create this jutsu?"

"Remember when I asked you about senjutsu? I think it has something to do with that..." I said breathlessly.

"I remember. I tried to research it a little, but I didn't learn much... I just know that it can make you much stronger, right?"

"Something like that, but if I absorb too much or use it badly, I could turn to stone, or worse."

Tetsu listened calmly, made a quick seal, and with a snap, the gargoyle shattered into pieces that fell to the ground. The feeling of drainage disappeared instantly, and I fell to my knees, relieved.

"That's a good start, I think. At least you didn't turn to stone." He smiled carefreely and placed the soup in my hands.

"Eat. You'll need to replenish your energy."

I took the soup and drank it. As usual, my energy began to return, though not completely.

"The Chunin exam is coming up soon," Tetsu continued.

"And that technique could be decisive for you. I saw the damage it did to the training dummy, but you need to master it." He looked at the destroyed dummy on the floor as he spoke.

I looked at the splinters on the floor, remembering the green glow in the gargoyle's eyes. Part of me wanted to try again right away. Another part knew that if I took one wrong step, I could lose more than just chakra.

"I'll master it, sensei."

Tetsu smiled and continued talking to me for a while longer.

....

Did you like my novel and want to help me continue writing?

Consider supporting me on that other place!

patreon . com / rekaiz

See you in the next chapter!

Oh, and if you have any suggestions or ideas I could follow, feel free to send them to me!