Tracking Mission

"Crack!"

With Shuichi burst out icy water fragments, then gently exhaled.

This Ice Release technique is no less difficult than the Explosion Release technique. It requires not only high-speed Wind Release movement but also a certain frequency of Water Release chakra rotation.

When the transformed chakra emerges from the human body and comes into contact with the external environment, the chakra will transform into a corresponding mimicry.

Therefore, the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai has many limitations; for example, ice can only be created by oneself.

Under normal circumstances, there are two ways to generate water: through internal Nature Transformation and by using water produced by the body itself, rather than controlling the temperature to turn natural water into ice.

There are no techniques like the "Ice Age" that freeze the sea surface, as in other worlds, let alone forcibly freezing the opponent's Water Release ninja.

If it truly possessed such power, the Yuki Clan wouldn't have been wiped out due to insufficient strength, and Kirigakure wouldn't have overlooked Kekkei Genkai that counters Water Release.

"The basics are complete. Now all you need to do is keep practicing. For developing related Ice Release Ninjutsu, you can refer to the chakra flow of Water Release..."

Shuichi his mind that conventional Ice Release Ninjutsu wouldn't significantly improve his strength; its specific effect was something he had already planned out:

He created ice bullets, containers to carry the Flying Thunder God Mark, or weapons like ice swords, and finally attempted to combine them with Senjutsu to create Ice Man Technique capable of fighting against various Gundam Tailed Beast.

"That's enough for the development of Kekkei Genkai. There's no need to research new varieties."

From the Shuichi planned his future training. After mastering Ice Release, he possessed three Kekkei Genkai, leaving him with no weaknesses in combat.

There's no need to continue working on bloodline limits like Storm Release and Dust Release; the right path is to focus on improving at the Yin-Yang Release level.

The development of Ice Release was slower than expected, but fortunately it was finally successful after half a month, without delaying the start of Haku's new semester.

After Itachi understood all the details of Wind Release training, all that was left was to spend time practicing hard. Shuichi was very confident in his mindset and taught him Wind Release Ninjutsu such as Vacuum Orb and Vacuum Wave in advance.

Teaching such a genius is incredibly easy, just like Orochimaru did when he mentored him. The only person who truly understands you is yourself.

As the saying goes, "The master leads you through the door, but the practice is up to you." If a ninja doesn't exercise self-discipline, he deserves to lose his life...

Time passed slowly in the orderly rhythm of life. In his spare time, Shuichi's main training focused on improving his proficiency in Ice Release and Sage Mode, while his secondary training focused on Fuinjutsu and his knowledge of the human body.

He will soon turn 18, and all four of the system's skills will be maxed out. From then on, only Passive Skill will allow him to continue to grow stronger.

After the final boost to his Mental Energy, Shuichi reached his peak condition, so he began preparing in advance for fusing with Hashirama Cells.

He hadn't yet decided whether to acquire a pair of Sharingan, or how to reach the pinnacle of Yin Release, but he already had several ideas in mind and didn't need to rush...

In July, the sun blazed fiercely, and the Land of Fire was unusually hot this year. If you sprinkled water on the ground, it would probably dry out in no time.

The birds hiding under the shade of the trees didn't even want to chirp anymore; they wished they could bury themselves in the ground and never come out again.

Swoosh--

Several figures darted quickly through the woods, the sound of the wind startling the animals, but they went about their business after finding nothing amiss.

After passing through the forest, the team soon arrived at the entrance of Konoha. The three-person team was none other than Shuichi's team.

"Ugh... my clothes are all dried out, it's so uncomfortable!" Ishikawa Tatsuki, covered in dust and grime, felt a strong, rancid smell emanating from him.

It was the stench left after being soaked by rain, mixed with sweat, and then evaporated. He could imagine that the inside of his vest was probably blackened, and these clothes were no longer worth washing.

Shuichi and Yūhi Kurenai, standing nearby, were in no better shape. Their team's mission was intelligence gathering, which meant they spent a considerable amount of time traveling between the Land of Rain and the Land of Rivers.

The weather was already hot, but it became even more humid and hot in the Land of Rain, and you inevitably got soaked to the bone, so you can imagine how unpleasant this trip was.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go home and clean up. See you later!" Ishikawa Tatsuki said before quickly disappearing.

Now that we're all adults, our hormones are raging, and men and women should be eager to be intimate when they're together.

It's best not to stay and be a third wheel, lest you see something you shouldn't and cause yourself unnecessary trouble.

Of course, the above is just what Ishikawa Tatsuki was thinking.

If Shuichi found out, he would be indignant. Even if he were extremely horny, he wouldn't have such a heavy taste. If he wanted to be intimate, he would definitely have to do it secretly without letting others know.

Upon arriving at the Hokage's Office to submit the mission report, the Third Hokage, as expected of a seasoned veteran, remained unfazed despite his keen sense of smell and the unavoidable strong odor, and began reading the report first.

"Is there anything else unusual about Hanzo?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, exhaling smoke.

"No, he's still very concerned about his safety, and his guards are always on duty." Shuichi said wearily, arms crossed. "Besides that, there's been no unusual activity in Amegakure, nor have we discovered any powerful forces, and the same goes for the Land of Rivers..."

Even after the Nine-Tails' Rampage, Konoha did not slacken its intelligence gathering on neighboring small countries, with the Land of Rain being one of the key targets.

It must be said that the village's high-ranking officials, with their extensive experience, did indeed deduce many things. For example Hanzo may have encountered an unknown powerful enemy and become cowardly, and then a few months later, Konoha was attacked by Masked Man with bizarre methods.

Perhaps this person is the mysterious force active in the Land of Rain, which is why Konoha has been vigilant about this small country for the past few years, frequently sending out experts to gather intelligence.

Shuichi volunteered this time. After learning about the mission to the Land of Rain in the village, he took Ishikawa Tatsuki and Kurenai with him, partly out of concern that they might encounter the Rinnegan while he was away.

The routine reconnaissance has now been completed, and the group will not be returning anytime soon. The other areas are relatively peaceful and pose no significant threat.

Although Shuichi was very confident in his own strength, he would never underestimate the power of the Rinnegan. If he happened to discover Nagato's whereabouts, he would definitely take action to eliminate him. Unfortunately, Nagato never showed up again after scaring away Hanzo and Danzo.

Shuichi had conducted a detailed intelligence analysis specifically targeting this enemy. He concluded that the key to Six Paths of Pain's safe deployment lay primarily in Konan's abilities, not Nagato.

These two were about five years older than him, and according to the normal growth trajectory of a ninja, they were just entering their peak period.

Without powerful Flight ability, Nagato's physical body would be in extremely danger, and he would certainly need time to adapt after connecting with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

So the Akatsuki Organization probably started recruiting people within the next year or two, which is still a long way from becoming a mercenary organization active in the Shinobi World.

"I think it would be easier to focus on Hanzo. If things change in the Land of Rain, he'll definitely be a key figure," Shuichi suggested to the Third Hokage.

"I sensed his chakra; to be honest, it wasn't particularly strong. The Anbu can withdraw some of their power, and I'll just have to personally make two or three trips a year from now on."

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't think Shuichi was arrogant, because after the Hokage candidates were decided, the two would occasionally spar. After all, the Hokage couldn't afford to waste his strength, and Purple Aurora was the best sparring partner.

After only a few encounters, the Third Hokage had to admit that Shuichi's reputation was absolutely genuine, and that some of the previous assessments were even somewhat underestimated.

Not only did his multi-attribute Ninjutsu outpower Minato's, but his speed was also subtly Minato.

This was without even using his Kekkei Genkai, and he wasn't even out of breath after the fight. His chakra level was almost comparable to that of Tailed Beast. If he had really fought, he probably could have dismantled his old bones in just a few minutes.

Even Danzo was brought in without Shuichi's knowledge, suggesting that since First Hokage Cells were difficult to control, researching Shuichi's cells was a good alternative, and surprisingly, the two advisors did not object...

Shuichi never expected that his cells and Genes would become so sought-after. After discussing the affairs of the Land of Rain with the Third Hokage, he prepared to leave.

Suddenly, a slightly hurried voice came from the rooftop, and a masked Anbu jumped into the office in a few swift movements, kneeling on one knee to report to the leader:

"Third Lord, we have received news from the Intelligence Department that a team of Anbu has gone missing, and the Nakagawa Squad, which was on a mission in that area, has also been unaccounted for for an extended period."

The Third Hokage frowned as he retrieved the mission log. "Nakagawa Squad, a rescue mission operating in the southern region?"