Chapter 36 Ninjutsu Training
The night sky was a canvas of stars, their pale light reminiscent of corn kernels scattered on freshly tilled soil. The full moon added to the spectacle, casting a silver glow that seemed to touch every corner of the world.
This ethereal luminescence also graced a training ground near a sand stronghold, where three figures stood in the vast expanse.
"Lady Tsunade, you're here? If you needed me, you could have sent someone. You should be resting," Kazuki said, surprised to see Tsunade and Nawaki approaching him on the training ground.
"It's fine," Tsunade responded softly, shaking her head. She gently nudged Nawaki, who had been watching Kazuki intently, towards him.
Kazuki was momentarily puzzled by her actions, but his confusion was soon replaced by understanding as Nawaki took a deep breath and bowed deeply before him.
"I can't thank you enough for saving me, Kazuki-San! I'm truly sorry for the trouble I caused and for putting your life at risk!!" Nawaki's voice was loud and clear, filled with gratitude and respect. He maintained his bow, his forehead nearly touching the ground.
"This…you really don't need to-" Kazuki began, trying to interrupt Nawaki's apology, but he was cut off.
Thud!
Suddenly, Tsunade's bandaged arms crossed Kazuki's, pulling him into an embrace. His head rested on her shoulder, her hand gently patting his back.
"Thank you…thank you for saving my brother…thank you for saving me…thank you for everything!" Tsunade's voice was filled with emotion, leaving Kazuki momentarily stunned.
"I just did what I felt was right, Lady Tsunade! Nothing special!" Kazuki quickly regained his composure, responding calmly. His simple words carried a deeper meaning.
He wasn't as altruistic as Tsunade might have believed. The loss of either Nawaki or Tsunade would have prolonged the war significantly. He didn't save them out of love for the village or compassion; he simply wanted the war to end so he could safely unlock his template back in the village. He didn't want to be thanked for being selfish.
Thup!
"Don't be modest!" Tsunade said, misunderstanding Kazuki's words. She released him from the embrace, stepping back to give him a grateful smile and a pat on the shoulder.
Kazuki remained silent, stepping forward to help Nawaki straighten up from his bow.
An awkward silence fell over the training ground for a moment after Tsunade thanked Kazuki. But Tsunade quickly broke the silence, pushing Nawaki towards Kazuki again.
"Kazuki-Kun, if it's not too much to ask, could you guide my brother in his water style training?" Tsunade asked hopefully. "He's actually Orochimaru's student, but he's not as proficient in water release as you are. Coincidentally, my brother also has water as his main chakra property, so your guidance would be a great help."
After losing Dan, Tsunade didn't want to lose Nawaki. The only way for Nawaki to survive in this harsh world was to become stronger. The most suitable people to guide Nawaki in water style training were her sensei and Kazuki. However, her sensei was too busy with village affairs to train Nawaki, making Kazuki the best choice.
Kazuki was silent for a moment, recalling Dan's request to train him and Nawaki. "Yes, I can train him, but I can't guarantee drastic improvement, Lady Tsunade. Teaching can only take you so far if you don't put in the effort and focus," he finally agreed.
"Great!" Tsunade exclaimed, visibly relieved. Nawaki also expressed his gratitude, saying, "Please take care of me, Kazuki-San!"
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Nestled between the forest, a short distance from the sand stronghold, lay a serene lake. Its surface shimmered beautifully under the moonlight that danced upon it.
Tsunade sat on the lush grass, a little away from the lake, her gaze fixed on two figures standing at the water's edge.
"As Orochimaru-San might have already explained, mastering ninjutsu involves improving both your chakra form and chakra nature," Kazuki began, addressing Nawaki who stood beside him. This marked the official commencement of Nawaki's training, as requested by Tsunade.
"The better you are at changing your chakra form, the easier it becomes to shape your chakra and then transform it into water, fire, or any other property you excel in, known as changing your chakra nature," Kazuki continued. Nawaki listened attentively, his recent brush with life and death seeming to have matured him somewhat.
"Of course, it's limited by the amount of chakra you possess. If you don't have enough chakra, no matter how good you are at changing your chakra form and nature, you can never release an S-Rank Jutsu," Kazuki added. "Since your main chakra property is water, and I excel in that as well, I'll be guiding you specifically in water release."
"Changing your chakra form is mostly linked to a person's chakra control ability, so let's focus on that first!" With that, Kazuki bent down to pick up a dense, fist-sized stone and moved closer to the lake.
He gently placed his right hand on the lake's surface and tossed the stone held in his left hand into the water.
"Amazing!!!" Nawaki couldn't help but exclaim in admiration as he watched the dense, hard stone float on the water's surface instead of sinking.
"Take a closer look!" Kazuki suggested calmly. Nawaki leaned in closer to the floating stone, and the moonlight soon revealed something incredible.
"How is this even possible!!??" Nawaki asked loudly, disbelief etched on his face. He had just witnessed what absolute control over water truly looked like.
Underneath the stone in the water was a tiny cyclone, about the same width as the stone. The spinning cyclone provided the perfect force to keep the stone afloat without affecting the surrounding water, which remained perfectly smooth.
"Nothing is impossible with the power of chakra; our thinking is the only limit!" Kazuki responded with a straight face, leaving Nawaki in awe of the man who was even younger than him.
Ignoring Nawaki's impressed reaction, Kazuki picked up another stone, this one smaller and lighter. "We'll start your training with lighter stones and gradually increase the weight. I can even keep huge boulders on the surface, but it will take you a long time to reach that point," Kazuki explained, handing the stone to Nawaki.
"Do you really think I can achieve your level, Kazuki-San?" Nawaki asked, doubt evident in his voice. His dream was to become Hokage, but his career as a shinobi had been rather disappointing so far, marked by weakness and average potential.
"All you're lacking is hard work, nothing else. You're the grandson and nephew of two former Hokages, so don't belittle yourself!" Kazuki reassured Nawaki, being born with a Senju physique was a huge advantage. With enough hard work, it was possible to achieve great things as a shinobi.
"Yosh!!! Let's start, Kazuki-San!!" Nawaki's words were filled with a newfound desire to become stronger, urging Kazuki to start the training immediately.
"Slowly channel your chakra through the water and…" Kazuki began Nawaki's formal training, with Tsunade watching from the sidelines.
"Excellent combat awareness, superb in water style, and equally wonderful in teaching; it's truly like I'm watching you, Second Grandpa!" Tsunade remarked nostalgically, her eyes full of emotion as she focused on the silver-haired kid who reminded her so much of someone she had grown up under.
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Iwagakure.
The village was surrounded by a rocky mountain range that provided a natural stronghold. Most of the village's infrastructure was built from the surrounding rocks and stones, shaped into towering structures interconnected by a network of bridges.
At the center of the village stood a tall structure with a cone-shaped roof, the residence of the Tsuchikage.
Iwa Council.
In a spacious room made of grey square stones, a large table sat at the center, surrounded by four chairs on each side and a larger chair at the front.
Currently, none of the chairs were empty. Everyone wearing a red jacket had their eyes on the man of short stature sitting in the front seat, who was carefully reading the contents of an unsealed scroll in his hands.
{two chapters today}
Read chapters ahead on P@treon.com/Gojo6666.