The Land of Water and Zabuza
Considering that using the Flying Thunder God in actual combat would be a long process, Shuichi decided not to be overly ambitious. He would first make it usable and then gradually improve it, while also not neglecting his other training.
"To adapt quickly, I can first increase the chakra output several times over in the spatial portal construction, so that I can stand firmly when using it alone, and then selectively modify it according to the needs of actual combat..."
While recalling the original work, he thought of some details. When Minato was about to be sucked into the Kamui Dimension, he activated the Flying Thunder God. After landing, even he couldn't control his body and ended up sitting on the ground like Shuichi.
Furthermore, the Flying Thunder God Spell Formula cannot sense other dimensions, indicating that the temporarily constructed spatial passage can be interfered with by other spatial factors, so this technique still carries considerable risks.
If the spatial channel goes out of control, it's uncertain whether the caster will disintegrate directly. Therefore, increasing chakra output for fixation is a safer approach.
On the edge of a mountain somewhere in the Land of Fire, a figure was fleeing through the forest, constantly changing direction. Judging from his speed, this person was not very strong. There was another person following him at a leisurely pace, like a cat playing a game with a mouse.
"Damn it, looks like there's no escape." The ninja dressed like a bandit stopped to catch his breath. He wondered what the Konoha pursuers behind him were planning—were they afraid of his dying counterattack?
"Whoosh!" At that moment, a Kunai flew over and stuck in the tree trunk at his feet. There were strange spell marks wrapped around the handle at the end, making it look rather unusual.
The rogue ninja thought his opponent's Kunai missed. When he looked up at the newcomer, the other person suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of his movement.
How is that possible?
"Brush!"
Shuichi flashed to his side with the "wei" seal on one hand, and when his attention was distracted, he pressed his other hand on his waist, "Bang!"
A muffled thud came from inside his body, and blood gushed out instantly. Due to the sudden increase in internal pressure and the rupture of multiple organs, the blood inside was forced out of his mouth and nostrils, indicating that he was enduring intense pain before he died.
Seeing the rogue ninja die, Shuichi himself felt that the kill was a bit awkward. It was obviously a weak Chunin who could have been killed Chunin a single slash, yet he used such a stiff method to finish him off.
"For now, the Flying Thunder God Technique can only be used for escaping and changing positions," Shuichi thought to himself. "No rush, take it slow. I need to find a method that suits me."
After carefully storing his Kunai and its accompanying technique, and crossing the person off the list of missing-nin, he began his return to Konoha.
He had spent a lot of time practicing the Flying Thunder God Technique, and what he just did was the result of giving it his all. Overall, it didn't help improve his strength, but his ability to escape was at a top level in the Shinobi World.
This is normal, though. Even Minato took several years to master it in actual combat; it is indeed Ninjutsu that only highly skilled practitioners can use.
Currently, Shuichi's Flying Thunder God technique consumes about three times the energy of Minato's version. This is a usage plan that he has figured out that is more suitable for him. He first focuses on improving his skills in using it, and then considers reducing energy consumption later.
Upon returning to the village and arriving at the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage was frowning as he looked at various intelligence reports, and did not immediately respond when he saw Shuichi return.
"Lord Hokage, the mission is complete."
Shuichi handed him the mission report, asking with some curiosity, "What? Is another major battle about to break out soon?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Can you stop Crow me? It seems like something bad always happens every time you mention war."
After saying that, he handed the intelligence report in his hand to Shuichi, indicating that he should take a look.
"Something unusual happening in the Land of Water?"
This is news from the Anbu, who are responsible for monitoring the Land of Water. In recent months, Kirigakure has received far fewer requests from within the Land of Water, and they haven't been seen operating anywhere else in the Shinobi World. It's obvious they're gathering within the village, and we don't know what's going on.
"Is Kirigakure strong now? Could they be facing off against the Land of Fire?" Shuichi hint of speculation after a moment's thought.
"A major incident recently occurred in Kirigakure." The Third Hokage didn't rush to answer, but instead explained the cause and effect to him, "A graduate named Momochi Zabuza killed all his classmates, which caused a stir in Kirigakure, and the news even spread to other parts of the Land of Water."
"Shortly afterward, a decision may have been made within Kirigakure, though we can't pinpoint exactly which Anbu was involved. Their village is far too isolated. But based on our analysis, it's not good news; a war is very likely."
"Why is this?" Shuichi now felt that Konoha was indeed a bit unlucky. His side did not want to start a war, but other countries had nothing better to do than want to attack Konoha. What could he do?
"It might be related to the special circumstances inside the Kirigakure..."
After the Third Hokage's explanation, Shuichi gradually understood the situation in Kirigakure.
The competition within this village is extremely bloody and terrifying. Every year, graduates of the Ninja Academy kill each other in pairs. Although the number of these ninjas is not large, a significant portion of the elite ninjas come from this group.
Shuichi his previous life had many doubts about this. Ninjas weren't like cabbages; half of the ninjas they painstakingly trained were killed by their own people before they could even be put to use. Had the higher-ups in Kirigakure lost their minds?
That's not actually the case, because the situations in Kirigakure and Konoha are completely different. The purpose of this Ninja Academy is to select a small number of elites from the common people who can serve as captains, representing only a small fraction of their top fighters.
The main strength of Kirigakure consists of ninjas from various clans, including the Hozuki, Terumi, Kaguya, and Yuki Clan. Their internal promotion system is unabashedly cruel to Civilian Ninja.
The ninjas from these large and small clans never attend Ninja Academy, because from Genin to Jonin and even kage, they are all elected through a power struggle within their clans, and Ninjutsu training is also conducted within their own clans.
This is the complete opposite of Konoha's approach, which can be gleaned from the composition of the Jonin both sides.
Elite members of Konoha who can serve Jonin captains must graduate from the Ninja Academy and be personally appointed by the Hokage; not to mention the qualifications for Hokage election.
In Kirigakure, the path to advancement is determined from birth. If you are a clan ninja, you only need to compete with your peers within the clan. If you are good enough, you can continuously advance to Chunin, Jonin, or even Kage.
It can be said that these families had already divided up the positions of Jonin and Chunin captains in advance, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the entire village. The remaining third consisted of commoner graduates who had fought their way out of the Ninja Academy.
If one is of commoner origin, then there are two paths one can take.
Within Kirigakure, chakra training methods are not prohibited from being passed down from father to son. If a commoner's father is a ninja, he can inherit his elder's Ninjutsu and insights, essentially becoming a "commoner family." He can choose not to attend the Ninja Academy.
If a commoner's father was not a ninja but still wanted to become one, he could only advance through the Ninja Academy. After graduating, he might even have the opportunity to become Jonin the village's Ninjutsu through his battle achievements.
"So that's how it is!" Shuichi suddenly realized. If you don't go to the Ninja Academy, a commoner can also become a ninja, but they'll be a "follower" for life.
The resources available to you depend entirely on how much your father left you. If you become Genin, you'll be a Chunin (team member) to the Chunin captain. If you become a chunin, you'll be a subordinate to the Jonin captain. If you can become Jonin, you'll be an assistant to the kage or higher-ups. In any case, you'll be a subordinate for life.