Chapter 52: Ryūun Steel and New Jutsu

Leaving the Shikkotsu Forest, the first person Yuto saw was Tsunade.

"You're back? How was the talk with the Slug?"

"It went well," Yuto said, rubbing his nose. "We actually had a lot in common."

"Haha, when I was a kid, I often played in the Shikkotsu Forest. The Slug would even tell me stories... Here." Tsunade handed him a black strip of cloth. "The Slug took the fabric from the middle of the Shibuki and forged a brand new tool using senjutsu."

"Its name is Ryūun Steel!"

This black band was about one and a half meters long and three fingers wide. Yuto weighed it in his hand and estimated that its density was about one-third that of wrought iron.

This was a piece of clothing once worn by Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Although not a Six Paths tool, its excellent properties made it a treasure.

"The Ryūun Steel is extremely tough... very tough!" Tsunade said softly. "It's resistant to tearing and stretching, insulates heat, and doesn't hinder chakra transmission. You can even increase its hardness instantly by infusing it with chakra."

"It flows like a cloud but can be as hard as steel."

While listening, Yuto slowly wrapped the band around his right arm. From his fingers to his shoulder, his entire right arm was bound with the black band.

His chakra constantly flowed in and out of his skin, switching the Ryūun Steel between extreme softness and extreme hardness.

It didn't take long for Yuto to figure out the trick. By utilizing a layered structure similar to shrimp shells, his fingers, wrist, and elbow moved freely, while the rest remained as hard as steel.

"Let me try that technique..." he murmured.

Boom!

"So fast!" Tsunade was surprised as she turned in shock to see the young branch family member who had crashed into an abandoned house.

Yuto pushed away the fallen beam on him, dusting off his head. His right hand, wrapped in the black band, was now covered with a one-centimeter-thick chakra arm guard. This guard enveloped his entire right arm, with fierce fangs at the fingertips, and the roar of high temperatures and gales buzzing like a beast's howl.

The S-rank jutsu, Lion's Fang Bite, could now be used without any burden.

"You're too fast..." Tsunade clicked her tongue. This speed surpassed most Jonin. Even with Lightning Release to stimulate muscle speed, it wouldn't match Yuto's.

Yuto exhaled and dispersed the Lion's Fang, retracting the chakra infused in the Ryūun Steel, making the black band soft again.

He only chuckled at his sensei's praise and didn't refute it. Yuto knew that using Lion's Fang made him exceptionally fast.

While using the Body Flicker Technique, he placed his right arm wrapped in Lion's Fang in front to cut through the air, reducing wind resistance to almost zero.

Moreover, since Lion's Fang emitted high temperatures, the air in front of Yuto would heat up significantly. With pressure constant, the density would decrease, causing the colder air behind him to move forward—essentially, the air behind would push him forward due to molecular thermal motion.

With no wind resistance and an added push from behind, combined with his already exceptional Body Flicker Technique, it was hard for Yuto not to be fast.

Lion's Fang Bite had three incredible points: straight-line speed, the hardness of the arm guard, and the final chakra burst "bite."

Powerful and difficult to master, Yuto wouldn't have been able to use it without injury if not for the Ryūun Steel.

"It's a really good tool..." Yuto said, stroking the black band wrapped around his right arm. He apologized to Tsunade, "Sorry, sensei, for wrecking a house in the clan compound."

"No problem," Tsunade said generously. "It's better this way. Those houses have been uninhabited for years and weren't sturdy anymore."

Yuto laughed, "Sensei, I'll head to the back mountain to get more familiar with these."

"Go ahead." Tsunade waved her hand. "I'm going to argue with the old man."

"...Huh?"

"He promised you a reward for being promoted to Jonin, but he's been delaying a jutsu..."

While Yuto practiced Lion's Fang Bite in the back mountain of the Senju clan's territory, Tsunade had already pushed open the Hokage's office door, sitting on the desk, glaring down at Hiruzan Sarutobi.

"Sigh... Little Tsunade, you're the only one in all of Konoha who dares to glare at me like this..." Hiruzan Sarutobi sighed helplessly. "What's the matter this time?"

Tsunade spread her hands in front of the Third Hokage. "Where's the scroll?"

"What scroll?"

"The scroll! The one you promised Yuto with the long-range jutsu."

"Oh? Oh, that one..."

"Don't tell me our Hokage-sama has completely forgotten~" Tsunade's expression turned menacing.

"How could I... Tsunade, I'm your sensei and the village's Hokage. At least..."

"There's no one else here."

Hiruzan smiled wryly, having no way to deal with his student. He had watched Tsunade grow up and spoiled her as long as it wasn't a matter of principle.

"Alright, Tsunade, tell me again about Yuto's strengths and techniques, and I'll think about what suits him best."

Tsunade huffed but patiently began explaining.

Hiruzan listened intently. He hadn't forgotten about the matter but had been under too much pressure recently. Moreover, there were few suitable long-range jutsu for Yuto, causing the delay.

Giving a C-rank jutsu wouldn't cut it, and Tsunade would definitely get angry.

Most B-rank or A-rank long-range jutsu were elemental jutsu, which wouldn't suit Yuto, who had trained in Gentle Fist from a young age.

As for S-rank jutsu... leaving aside the difficulty of mastering them, Hiruzan wasn't ready to grant them without significant merit. Plus, Yuto was already learning Yin Seal, and the series of jutsu based on Creation Rebirth would require immense effort. It wouldn't be wise to overburden him.

However, as Tsunade continued, Hiruzan Sarutobi's eyes suddenly lit up. "You said... his speed is very fast after using his new self-developed jutsu? How fast?"

"Not as fast as Minato's Flying Thunder God," Tsunade paused before continuing, "but in terms of straight-line speed, it's faster than Lightning Body Flicker."

That's indeed very fast, Hiruzan Sarutobi thought, impressed.

"In that case, this jutsu would be perfect for him..." He formed a secret seal and handed a scroll to Tsunade. "Give this to Yuto."

"Alright... I'll destroy the scroll after he memorizes its contents. The Senju clan's back mountain is vast, perfect for practicing this jutsu." Tsunade glanced at the jutsu's name, looking satisfied.

"Yuto will leave the village in three days, with many, many others," Hiruzan said softly. "Let him study this jutsu on the way."

Tsunade paused, then exhaled deeply. "The war... it's finally starting..."

(End of Chapter)