Chapter 42 : Grind Hard

Training with Hinata was always fun, especially teasing her. After coming back from the Wave Mission, I didn't plan to take any more missions and instead focused on my training. After all, I needed to get strong for the upcoming Chunin Exam.

So, I trained with Hinata and spent some time under Kurenai.

Right now, I was focusing on strengthening my base. This was crucial if I wanted any chance of becoming a Chunin. To be able to fight against the likes of Sasuke, Neji, Naruto, or Lee, I had to match their physical qualities. And so, I worked really hard.

I made two clones to handle Water-Style training and practice Zabuza's skills, while I concentrated on Taijutsu.

There were two areas where I was lacking: speed and Taijutsu. That was one reason I spent so much time with Hinata. Being a Hyuga, she was exceptional at Taijutsu compared to others.

As time went on, she also started to get stronger. Her physical power improved to the point where even I began to have trouble keeping up. But that was a good thing; it was exactly what I was aiming for.

I basically borrowed her from Team 8 for most of the time. Half of that was to help her, and half was for my own training.

Of course, Taijutsu wasn't the only thing we were working on. We also focused on Water-Style, which both of us were diligently practicing.

Out of all the Konoha 12, besides me, Hinata is the only one who has Water-Style abilities. So, I tagged along with her while learning Water-Style jutsu.

Having Zabuza's skills also helped. While Hinata helped me with Taijutsu, I assisted her in learning some of Zabuza's techniques.

It worked wonders for her, especially when combined with her Byakugan. Imagine a Hyuga using the Hidden Mist Technique to blind everyone while she herself can see everything and sneak in to block all the enemy's chakra points.

It's an absolute menace, and I can't help but think about the chaos it could cause.

However, it won't work against someone like Neji, who also has the Byakugan. It's not clear if she will end up fighting Neji like in the anime, but I want her to be prepared if that happens.

Though I'm not sure how she can beat that emo Hyuga, I do have an idea that, if she can pull it off, might make it possible.

Earlier, I planned to train with Team 9 under Guy. Although I didn't know them all, I was sure that with a little favor from Tenten, I could have made it work. However, I only wanted to train under them for one reason: Taijutsu. But that is no longer necessary.

So, the only team I plan to connect with before the Chunin Exam is Team 8.

Besides working on my Water-Style and Taijutsu, and refining my basics, I also made sure to train with my shikigami.

In one-on-one fights, I can't use shikigami, so being able to utilize their powers without summoning them is essential. I need to learn it.

Healing is coming along, and now it's time to utilize Max Elephant's Water. To do this, I just need to sit down and focus on drawing Max Elephant's water.

The real reason I wanted to learn this, in particular, is that creating water with chakra is too costly. Being able to draw water from the moisture in the air is a Kage-level skill.

That's why Water-Style users are at a disadvantage when fighting in places with no natural water sources are available.

I know two shinobi who don't fall into that category: Kisame and Tobirama Senju.

One has so much chakra that he makes Naruto look like a child, and the other can directly draw water from the air. Both are cheating.

So, I need a cheat of my own, and that cheat is Max Elephant. Just like how Sukuna was able to use Max Elephant's water without summoning the shikigami, I want to draw water from Max Elephant and use it in conjunction with my Water-Style jutsu.

This will significantly reduce my chakra usage. Not to mention, I also want to use Convergence. It's a powerful technique and one of the best in Blood Manipulation.

And here's the kicker: if my chakra control is good enough, I can essentially bend water, aka Water Manipulation, like the Kumo Clan does with Blood Manipulation.

It will require a lot of work. Saying that I can master it in just three months is a stretch, but with shadow clones, it's possible. With two clones working every day for three months straight, it's almost like training for six months.

I might be able to pull it off.

And that's just the basic work. With the help of canon information, I already know who I'll most likely be fighting in the future. So, I need to be ready for all of them.

After much thought, I've figured out how to handle most of the tricky opponents.

Fighting Naruto? Just go all out and don't give him a chance to open his mouth. As long as he doesn't open his mouth, everything will be fine.

Fighting Neji? I need to capture him with Shadow. He's the only tough opponent I can actually capture and hold in shadow possession.

Lee? Just use Genjutsu.

Both Gaara and Sasuke are tricky. Gaara, for obvious reasons, and Sasuke because I'm not sure if he'll open his Sharingan or get the curse seal. Those two factors are crucial in determining his threat.

And lastly, Orochimaru. Well, I'm staying far away from that snake.

xxx

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