Five Elemental Affinities and the Body Flicker Technique

As Shuichi's thoughts raced, Orochimaru did not stop teaching. "Since we've reached this point, let me explain the characteristics of the five major affinities in advance."

"Wind, fire, earth, lightning, and water—these five affinities have no inherent superiority over one another. Even if you can only use one affinity, if you can master it to the extreme, you can still be considered a top-tier expert in the Shinobi World."

"However, their nature transformations have clear differences. For example, in terms of pure destructive power and cutting ability, wind is even stronger than lightning and fire."

"But every affinity possesses traits the others cannot achieve. Take the Elemental Clone Technique, for instance. Earth Release has the strongest carrying capacity and the greatest stability. Earth Clones consume little Chakra and are the easiest to use to deceive opponents."

"Next are Water Clones. Since their stability is inferior to earth, they are less effective than Earth Release with the same amount of Chakra, but they can still be used in actual combat."

"Lightning Clones, due to the excessively violent nature of the Lightning Element, require an astonishing amount of Chakra to create stably enough to deceive an enemy. In exchange, they can paralyze opponents at the moment of detonation."

"Lightning Clones are the limit of Attribute Clones. Wind and fire, on the other hand, have no carrying capacity at all, so they cannot be used to create Attribute Clones. At the same time, though, they possess extreme destructive power and high temperatures that the other affinities lack."

With Orochimaru's detailed explanation, Shuichi understood. The wonder of ninjutsu lay in the user's heart. No affinity was inherently stronger or weaker; each had its own advantages, and it all depended on the user's skill.

"As for your last question, regarding the differences when ninja use the Body Flicker Technique. First of all, this technique is not difficult. It is only D-rank. Even a Genin like you can gather Chakra in a certain part of your body to enhance your strength."

"The Body Flicker Technique merely gathers Chakra in the legs, then uses an explosive burst to accelerate movement. But ninja of different levels achieve vastly different results with it."

"The first key point is control. When ninja fight in complex terrain, it is difficult to determine whether enemy traps are nearby. If you use a Body Flicker Technique beyond the limits of your own reactions, it is little different from courting death."

"Second, if you repeatedly use the Body Flicker Technique shortly after a battle begins, your opponent can easily calculate its movement distance. At that point, your danger will greatly increase."

"Because while you move very quickly when using the Body Flicker Technique, there is no foothold in the air, so you cannot change direction. Once the enemy figures out your movement distance, they will launch predictive attacks, and it will be difficult for you to evade them."

"Third, using the Body Flicker Technique as your primary means of combat is extremely difficult and highly risky. Of the strongest enemies I have fought, Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of Amegakure, was one of the Shinobi World's foremost experts in the Body Flicker Technique."

"If you want to use the Body Flicker Technique like him, making consecutive movements in different directions, I think you can understand the difficulty of constantly changing your Chakra output in a short period to control your landing points." As Orochimaru recalled Hanzo of the Salamander, he seemed to be carrying a certain emotion as well.

After hearing Orochimaru's explanation, Shuichi simulated the process of this continuous Body Flicker Technique in his mind.

For example, to complete three rapid directional shifts with the Body Flicker Technique within one second, he would have to do many things from the very first movement.

First, he had to observe the surroundings and ensure it was safe to move. Then he had to complete the following process: calculate his landing point, direct an appropriate amount of Chakra beneath his feet, activate the Body Flicker Technique, protect his feet with Chakra upon landing, then repeat the process for the remaining two movements.

If he used too much Chakra, he would move too far and remain airborne longer. If he used too little, his feet would not be protected by Chakra when he landed after the first movement. The impact might directly injure both feet, and there would be no point discussing the follow-up movements.

To perform continuous Body Flicker movements that his opponent could not predict required exceptionally high Chakra control, short-term calculation ability, and Dynamic Vision.

This was why only people like Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Shisui in the original work could use this fighting style well. Without extraordinary reactions and ninja qualities, it was better to honestly stick to fighting on the ground.

Today's gains had been exceptionally plentiful. Orochimaru truly was a good teacher, resolving all kinds of questions Shuichi had accumulated over the past two years.

Shuichi's understanding of Chakra had risen to another level. Although he was only a newly graduated Genin from the Ninja Academy, he had already begun planning his combat style, ninjutsu choices, and growth path.

During their subsequent instruction, Orochimaru also unexpectedly learned that Shuichi had already completed Tree Climbing and Water Walking training on his own. Therefore, his ninjutsu instruction continued according to the arrangements Orochimaru and the Third Hokage had made.

By dusk, after an entire afternoon of conversation in the forest, teacher and student had both gained a deeper understanding of each other.

After Orochimaru told Shuichi when they would meet next, Shuichi accepted the three Scrolls left by his father from his hands. Both sides were very satisfied with the results of their first lesson.

Before parting, Orochimaru also mentioned the arrangements for his future. "Since you graduated early, Teacher Sarutobi and I have decided to let you train independently this month. When we meet next time, we will tell you the village's arrangements for your squad and missions."

Konoha had different arrangements for children with different talents. Those like Shuichi, inheritors of the teacher-student lineage, enjoyed certain privileges in particular.

Among Konoha's graduates of the same class, children like Shuichi, who had the potential to become Hokage, would be assigned under teachers from the teacher-student lineage.

Children with the talent to become Jonin in the future would be assigned Jonin instructors. Those who only had the potential to become Chunin would only be taught by Chunin teachers.

From that point onward, the gap between them could be said to have opened up. An Elite Jonin's teaching quality would certainly surpass that of an ordinary Chunin, and there were also clear differences in mission safety and access to learning ninjutsu.

"I need to make good use of this month. There's quite a lot to learn, so I should plan things out tonight." Besides his father's Ninjutsu Scrolls, Orochimaru had taught Shuichi quite a few ninjutsu as well, seemingly not worried about his memory at all.

"Teacher Orochimaru teaches students according to his own standards, doesn't he? Anyone who can't learn like this will probably be abandoned by him, just like all that Cannon Fodder under him in the future."

Shuichi felt somewhat emotional. Orochimaru and Jiraiya were completely different types of people. Someone a little foolish like Naruto would probably be abandoned by Orochimaru very quickly.

After Shuichi returned home and hastily finished dinner, he began sorting through everything he had learned today.

The first thing he realized was that he had misjudged how to allocate points in the system. When he had first arrived in the Naruto World, he had thought increasing his Chakra quantity would be an effective way to improve his combat strength.

But after hearing Orochimaru's explanation today, he discovered that his third skill was more suited to a ninja's style. Both his first and second skills had already received three points, which was completely sufficient for him now.

Even if he further increased his Chakra quantity, it would not significantly improve his combat ability. Therefore, aside from his ultimate skill, he could prioritize maxing out his third skill.

That would raise his combat ability in the shortest time, shorten the time needed to learn ninjutsu, and improve his battlefield survivability far more than increasing his Chakra quantity would.

Especially after hearing about the characteristics of a combat style centered on the Body Flicker Technique, Shuichi realized that his third skill was practically a god-tier ability designed specifically for speed-type ninja.

Not only did it consume a moderate amount of Chakra, but it also gave him an overwhelming advantage against ordinary ninja. Becoming a ninja skilled in both speed and ninjutsu first, then making up for his Chakra quantity when he was nearly an adult, was the best strategy for now.

I checked Qidian's New Book Ranking today and couldn't find my book. It doesn't feel like it should be ranked that low, right?

Then I found it on the Newcomer Ranking. Is it because a book can't be on both rankings?

How did everyone discover this book? I'm really curious.