Yuzhen possessed a simple, direct, and efficient assassination ability, but that did not mean he would give up on more varied offensive methods.
After all, for a ninja, the more methods one had, the more unexpected one could be in battle, and the easier it was to defeat one's enemies and achieve victory.
That was why Yuzhen worked so hard to learn Water Release techniques. With such a good opportunity right in front of him, of course he had to learn as much as possible from the younger version of the Water Release master.
Unfortunately, the master guarded his knowledge jealously. One life had only been enough to exchange for two B-rank techniques and one C-rank technique.
But it did not matter. There was no need to hurry. If he wanted to dig into someone else's corner, he ultimately had to rely on his own efforts.
After obtaining the three Water Release techniques and understanding the hand seals and the principles behind chakra circulation, Yuzhen immediately went to a place far from the camp and began practicing on his own.
He quickly learned the C-rank Water Release: Water Shockwave, but the two B-rank Water Release techniques were clearly much harder to master. Yuzhen's Water Dragon Bullet looked no more than an oversized water gun.
After practicing for an entire day without making any progress, he immediately went to ask the injured Water Release master for guidance.
To be frank, it was already quite generous of Tobirama Senju to teach him three Water Release techniques. He had no obligation to teach Yuzhen anything at all.
If Yuzhen could not learn those techniques, that was certainly his own problem and had nothing to do with Tobirama Senju.
Limited by their innate conditions and comprehension, many ordinary ninjas simply could not learn advanced techniques above B-rank. If Yuzhen was truly a rotten log that could not be carved, surely Tobirama Senju could not be blamed for it.
But there was nothing he could do. Who had told Yuzhen to keep hovering around Tobirama Senju and asking him questions?
Tobirama Senju could only suppress his discomfort and point out the key points to Yuzhen:
"For advanced Water Release techniques like this, transforming the Water Release chakra beforehand is essential. After converting enough Water Release chakra, you should ideally pre-compress it before releasing it..."
"You need to feel as if the chakra isn't being released, but catapulted or erupted."
"Every step has to match the rhythm of your hand seals. Guide the chakra's flow properly."
"In short, start by practicing the amount and speed at which you release Water Release chakra. Your proficiency in that area can only be increased by spending time..."
A master truly lived up to his name. Under his guidance, Yuzhen quickly grasped the essentials.
He was not a genius, so it would be difficult for him to learn such an advanced technique in a day or two. In fact, there was no need for him to be so anxious. In any case, after mastering the skills and techniques, Yuzhen believed that as long as he practiced for a while, he would certainly be able to master this advanced Water Release technique.
However, before Tobirama Senju left, he probably would not get to see the results of Yuzhen's training.
Three days later, Tobirama Senju had barely recovered enough to move. That meant he should leave this place... Under normal circumstances, that was how things would have gone. He had no reason to feel attached to this place.
Besides, being away from his clan for too long would inevitably make everyone worry. Tobirama Senju could no longer waste time outside.
That was what Tobirama Senju thought subjectively. Objectively, however, Yuzhen would create the conditions for him to stay.
Yuzhen knew that Tobirama Senju was about to leave. Therefore, when he sought him out again, he did not discuss Water Release anymore. Instead, he began discussing the development of a certain new technique.
It was a very good opening.
What kind of opening?
If you wanted to fish, you had to put down bait first, didn't you? Tobirama Senju's "lifesaving favor" had already been repaid. If Yuzhen wanted to pry something else out of him, he would have to offer something valuable this time.
And if one asked what the most valuable and impressive technique Yuzhen knew was, it was naturally something he could generously offer on someone else's behalf.
"Tobirama, I've seen your Body Flicker Technique. You could say that it gives you the ability to kill an enemy in an instant. However, when using the Body Flicker Technique, you can only attack with taijutsu and ordinary ninja tools. Have you ever encountered a situation where your attack power was insufficient? After all, Body Flicker attacks and slow hand-seal casting are mutually contradictory..."
It seemed like an academic discussion. This sort of conversation was easier for Tobirama Senju to accept than being instructed about Water Release, so he temporarily suppressed his farewell and said, "That is indeed the case. Sometimes I encounter situations where I cannot break through an enemy's defenses. No matter how fast the Body Flicker is, it is meaningless."
Yuzhen nodded, wearing an expression that said he had expected as much. "Then have you ever considered using an instant, seal-less technique in conjunction with the Body Flicker Technique?"
"A seal-less technique? I have considered and experimented with that, but I never achieved any practical results. After all, only by using seals and techniques to transform abstract energy into a concrete form can chakra display its true power. Seal-less techniques run contrary to this conventional understanding."
"Form... Yes, form is indeed necessary." Yuzhen agreed with him, but immediately added, "However, form does not necessarily need to be achieved through hand seals. In fact, the ultimate physical transformation of chakra can also produce destructive power beyond imagination."
As he spoke, Yuzhen raised his left hand. A rotating chakra sphere immediately appeared in his palm. However, the energy density and rotation speed of this chakra sphere were severely lacking, making the technique appear to have no power.
That was right. Yuzhen was talking about the Rasengan.
The moment he arrived in this world and confirmed that he was in the ninja world, Yuzhen had begun developing this powerful and difficult technique. In other words, he had already spent a year working on the Rasengan.
The Rasengan was one of the few techniques in the original work whose training process had been described from beginning to end. It was not strange that Yuzhen had focused on it.
However, this technique was absurdly difficult to practice, and as a result, he had made no substantial progress.
That was not to say his insight and learning ability were exceptionally poor. The reason was simply that his talent was not quite up to par... The quality and energy density of his chakra could not even reach the threshold for learning the Rasengan. It was a case of a clever housewife being unable to cook without rice.
"It doesn't seem very practical..."
Tobirama Senju stared at Yuzhen's left hand for a while, then shook his head in disappointment. It was obvious, however, that he was very interested in developing this new technique.
As everyone knew, before Orochimaru, Tobirama Senju had been the greatest, most imaginative, and most unorthodox inventor. Discussing the development of new techniques was absolutely where his excitement lay.
"To bring out this technique's power, three conditions are necessary: high-density chakra, extreme energy compression, and ultra-high-speed rotation. Right now, it's difficult for me to achieve all three at once," Yuzhen said.
In the past, his chakra had not met the requirements. Now, he could try again.
Naruto Uzumaki of the Konoha era, the most famous master of hand-rolled chakra balls in history, had made an unimaginable contribution to the development of the Rasengan.
It was precisely because of Naruto's "stupid method" that the Rasengan's difficulty, which had been above A-rank, fell below B-rank. When using the Rasengan, he had innovatively added the Shadow Clone Technique.
One had to form hand seals when using a seal-less technique. It was hard to say whether this was an evolution or a regression of the Rasengan. All one could say was that Naruto's way of thinking was quite unconventional.
"This technique is naturally meant to be released instantly with one hand. That is what makes it most practical. However, during the process of breaking it down for learning, there is no need to be so strict. Develop the technique first. Only afterward can you consider actual combat and practicality."
As he spoke, Yuzhen covered his left hand with his right. The loosely formed chakra began compressing bit by bit toward the center of his hands, eventually gathering into a small, pale-blue sphere.
It seemed to look a little like a Rasengan now? Unfortunately, it only had the appearance. The chakra sphere was static.
"One hand maintains the energy release, while the other maintains the change in form. Unfortunately, I don't have a third hand." Yuzhen's tone was full of regret.
Tobirama Senju reacted quickly. He had practically learned to answer first. "A third hand? How about the Clone Technique?"
"I come from a small ninja clan lacking a proper inheritance. I don't know the Clone Technique that creates a physical clone."
"I..."
Tobirama Senju nearly blurted out the words "I know it," but stopped himself before they left his mouth.
Because he realized that he seemed to have fallen for another one of Yuzhen's tricks.
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