Learning Invisibility Wrong

After finishing their ramen, the two teams left the shop together.

After saying their goodbyes, Aozora was about to return to the Clan Compound when he suddenly noticed the three members of Team 1 staring intently at Team 3.

Hyūga Yō spoke first. "You'd better work hard, because we'll catch up to you soon."

Kurama Saki said disdainfully, "You only got lucky. We'll show you which class from the forty-ninth intake is truly the strongest!"

Yagyū Ichirō added, "We'll catch up to you soon!"

Having made their declaration, Team 1 left with their guiding Jonin, Aizawa Konan.

Watching Team 1's departing backs, Aburame Shibi said, "See that? Those are your opponents. Relax for even a moment, and they'll catch up to you."

Sai clenched her fists. "Hmph, we won't let them catch up to us!"

Gekko Hayate nodded seriously. "We won't give them the chance."

Aozora did not care much about it. It was nothing more than childish rivalry. "I never look back, because everyone I surpass only gets farther and farther behind me!"

With that, he waved and returned to the Clan Compound alone.

Gekko Hayate and Inuzuka Aya watched Aozora, feeling even more anxious. Team 1's declaration had made them a little nervous, but Aozora's words placed immense pressure on them.

As Aozora's teammates, they had gradually come to understand just how powerful he was. If they did not work harder, they believed they would soon be left behind.

The next day, Team 3 had its regular day off.

Though it was a holiday, Aozora was even busier.

In the morning, Aozora got up at six sharp.

At 6:20, Aozora arrived at the mountaintop beside the Clan Compound and began cultivating his Yang Eye. As he cultivated the Yang Eye, Aozora found that his eyesight was getting better and better. At the same time, the gaze of his big Carslan eyes became increasingly sharp.

At 6:40, Aozora ate breakfast as he headed down the mountain.

At 7:00, Aozora arrived at the dense forest below the mountain and began practicing the Body Flicker Technique. Since he did not use it often, he was somewhat rusty. Only after crashing into several trees did he regain his usual level and begin darting swiftly through the forest.

After growing familiar with his current speed, Aozora did not hesitate to accelerate further, once again beginning the cycle of crashing into trees—getting up—crashing into trees.

As the morning sun rose, mottled shadows fell through the trees. A figure flickered and leaped amid the soft rays streaming into the forest.

The Shinobi World was a real world, so ninjutsu were not skills with fixed power. With enough hard training, one could continuously improve them, master them, and even engrave them into one's bones until they became instinct.

Through years of Guidance and Qi Cultivation, Aozora had strengthened his Chakra control to the point that learning ninjutsu was as easy as eating and drinking.

Logically speaking, Aozora could have relied on his abilities to rapidly learn hundreds or thousands of ninjutsu and become some kind of Ninjutsu Doctor.

However, Aozora knew that quality mattered more than quantity. The same was true for ninjutsu.

Namikaze Minato had become famous throughout the Shinobi World with a single Flying Thunder God, while Uzumaki Naruto had kneaded Rasengan all the way to the end.

Learning a ninjutsu was only the beginning. Only through constant practice could one truly bring out its power, perhaps even two hundred percent of its power.

Rather than spend time learning more ninjutsu, he might as well focus on practicing the ninjutsu he needed to rely on.

The Body Flicker Technique was one such ninjutsu.

A ninja's body was far stronger than an ordinary person's, but before water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning, the human body was still too fragile.

Staying alive was the foundation of all damage output, so Aozora attached particular importance to his only movement skill.

Only after practicing for a full two hours did Aozora head to the nearby river to practice Fire Release.

As his Chakra became more refined, the power of his Fire Release ninjutsu gradually increased. Aozora needed to familiarize himself with their destructive force.

Ninja battles could break out at any moment. If he was unfamiliar with the power of his own ninjutsu, at best he would damage public property; at worst, he might accidentally injure his teammates and cause unfavorable consequences.

Fire Release - Great Fireball Technique!

Fire Release - Great Dragon Fire Technique!

"..."

Blazing flames continuously appeared and vanished above the river, evaporating huge amounts of water and causing mist to rise and clouds of vapor to swirl nearby.

Throughout the entire morning, Aozora practiced the ninjutsu he had learned.

Only in the afternoon did Aozora have time to learn new skills.

Before learning a new skill, Aozora first considered the use of the Merit Water Droplets.

During the previous bandit-suppression mission, Aozora had gained seven drops of merit from killing people and setting fires.

Merit Water Droplets could nourish the soul, nurture the spirit, and also complete Divine Abilities.

Aozora did not know what effects the Divine Abilities gained from learning Invisibility Jutsu and Summoning Jutsu would have, so he did not want to waste seven drops of merit on them.

"Outer Body Incarnation or Yin-Yang Eye? Or perhaps True Fire of Samadhi?"

"Outer Body Incarnation! I've long wanted to hide in the rear and develop while my Clone conquers the world. And the Clone can help farm merit too. I want to experience double the happiness."

Having made up his mind, Aozora directly visualized the four pale-gray ancient characters for "Outer Body Incarnation" in the Heavenly Book.

Golden Droplets rapidly poured into them.

When the first drop merged in, the pale-gray ancient characters solidified.

When the second drop merged in, there was no change.

When the third drop merged in, there was no change.

Even after all seven drops of merit had merged in, "Outer Body Incarnation" remained pale-gray ancient characters and never glowed with golden light.

Aozora could not help frowning.

After completing Divine Abilities several times, Aozora already knew that gray Divine Abilities in the Heavenly Book represented incompleteness. They lacked the most crucial element and thus could not be learned.

Back then, Aozora had gained the Heavenly Book's feedback of "Weapon Control" through kunai throwing. However, because he did not know how to split his consciousness and attach it, he had been unable to learn true Weapon Control. He could only barely alter a kunai's flight direction through the incomplete inheritance.

Only after learning the Shadow Clone and obtaining the crucial knowledge did "Weapon Control" shine with golden light, allowing him to truly control ninja tools as he wished.

The changes to "Outer Body Incarnation" showed that this Divine Ability lacked crucial knowledge. Even merit could not forcibly complete it.

Aozora found that somewhat regrettable. After all, if merit were that powerful, he would not need to learn new knowledge in the future. He could simply focus on doing good deeds.

With a sigh, Aozora calmed himself and prepared to practice Invisibility Jutsu and Summoning Jutsu.

Since Invisibility Jutsu was simpler, Aozora decided to practice it first.

Invisibility Jutsu was not difficult. Though it was one of the Advanced Three Body Techniques, its difficulty was merely C-Rank.

Using his skilled deduction through Hand Seals, Aozora easily grasped the Chakra circulation method of Invisibility Jutsu.

Invisibility Jutsu!

Aozora did not form Hand Seals, but the Chakra in his body flowed according to the circulation method of Invisibility Jutsu. His Chakra circulated rapidly before surging from the pores across his body.

Just as the Chakra pouring out of his body was about to form a transparent membrane, that membrane was instantly evaporated into water vapor.

Aozora walked before a mirror and saw faint mist shrouding his slender figure, making him look ethereal and immortal.

"Is this invisibility?"

Aozora was speechless. He used Invisibility Jutsu again, but the result only made the mist bursting from his body thicker.

Release!

After dispersing the mist, Aozora considered why he had failed. He was certain there had not been the slightest error in his Chakra circulation.

As his palm passed through the mist, Aozora felt a trace of coolness.

"Is Invisibility Jutsu related to Water Release?"

"That membrane reflected all light passing through it, thereby achieving visual invisibility?"

Drawing on the knowledge of his two lives, Aozora came up with a guess about the principle behind Invisibility Jutsu.

"My Chakra's fire attribute is currently too strong, so I can't use Water Release. The special membrane formed by Invisibility Jutsu was evaporated, which is why I can't become invisible."

Aozora used Invisibility Jutsu again and carefully sensed it, detecting traces of coolness when his Chakra transformed.

"What a pity. Perhaps after I gradually complete True Fire of Samadhi, I'll find a way to balance my Chakra. But for now, Invisibility Jutsu and I are fated to miss each other."

"Still, it's not bad for showing off. It's time to have a set of ethereal, immortal-looking clothes tailored."