Feiyun's Nighttime Talk

"Water Release: Water Gun Technique!"

A deep-blue Water Ball half a meter in diameter and packed with Chakra shot toward a huge boulder. With a bang, the boulder shattered to pieces upon impact! Its power rivaled that of an Explosive Tag!

The Chakra compression of the Water Release: Water Gun has improved again, and its destructive power has increased dramatically! Its previous power posed little threat to ninja above Chunin level, but it's different now. If an ordinary Jonin takes a hit, he won't get off lightly! Jiogan thought.

Moreover, when Jiogan had just used Water Wall, he had felt that, if he wanted to, he could simultaneously use Water Wave, allowing the rotating Water Wall to unleash Water Waves with even greater impact! But Jiogan dismissed the idea, since it would damage the outpost and cause far too much commotion!

It could be said that Jiogan had now grasped the essence of Water Release Ninjutsu, gaining an initial sense of being endlessly flowing, both gentle and unyielding.

After watching Jiogan awaken from his meditation and consecutively perform two Water Release Ninjutsu that left her dumbfounded, Kurama Feiyun had countless questions she wanted to ask him.

Once Jiogan had fully recovered from his cultivation state, Kurama Feiyun finally could not help asking, "Jiogan-kun, what was that phenomenon just now? What Ninjutsu did you use? It felt far more powerful than Water Wall! I recognize Water Release: Water Gun, but its power was far too great!"

Seeing Kurama Feiyun's curious, question-filled expression, Jiogan shook his head with an amused smile. He thoughtfully wiped the rainwater from her face first, then pulled up the hood of her raincoat.

This girl had stood in the rain watching him for so long. Honestly!

Kurama Feiyun blushed. "I was too absorbed in it just now. I didn't even notice I wasn't wearing my rain hat."

Jiogan's heart stirred. He clapped his hands together, and the rainwater on his body and clothes seemed to come under his control, peeling away from him as his body and clothes dried. He then put on his raincoat, while the rainwater that had separated from him fell freely to the ground.

Kurama Feiyun was even more stunned when she saw this. "Jiogan-kun, what was that? That's incredible!"

Jiogan said to Kurama Feiyun, "Just now, in the rain, the environment gave me some insight. You know I have Water Release, and I'm naturally close to the water element. I entered an indescribable state that I call the Enlightenment State. After entering it, I felt as if my body and soul had merged with heaven and earth!"

Jiogan did not hide anything from Kurama Feiyun. "The Heaven and Earth Qi within heaven and earth entered my body, changing it and greatly increasing my control over Water Release. The most direct manifestation is the change in how I use Ninjutsu. I can use them without hand seals, and the forms they take are no longer restricted by their original limitations. That rotating Water Tornado just now was actually Water Wall! The increased power of Water Release: Water Gun came from this as well!"

Kurama Feiyun covered her mouth and said in disbelief, "To use such powerful Water Release Ninjutsu without hand seals, Jiogan-kun, that's something only the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, could do!"

"I'm still far from the Second Hokage, but becoming—and surpassing—Lord Tobirama in Water Release is my goal!" Jiogan said.

"You can do it! Jiogan-kun, after seeing what happened to you tonight, I believe you can definitely accomplish it!" Kurama Feiyun said.

"Feiyun, don't mention what happened tonight to anyone, including Yoru and Heiji-sensei! Next, I have something important to tell you!" Jiogan said.

"I only mentioned the changes this enlightenment brought to my body. In truth, it also had a tremendous effect on my soul. It's difficult to describe, but you only need to know that my soul can briefly merge with heaven and earth and sense everything around me. Its range can almost cover the entire Patrol Squad 36 defense zone!"

"What!? Jiogan-kun, this... you've become a Sensor Ninja!!" Kurama Feiyun did not know how many times she had been shocked tonight. There was no such thing as being most shocked—only more shocked!

"And I can sense everything, not just Chakra!" Jiogan added.

"..." Kurama Feiyun only felt lightheaded. Her brain simply could not process any more.

"Of course, it isn't without limitations. The larger the sensing range, the more Chakra it consumes. I could sense the entire defense zone only because I had just emerged from enlightenment and was influenced by heaven and earth. If I want to do that again later, the Chakra consumption will be terrifying!" Seeing Kurama Feiyun numbed into a daze by shock, Jiogan still told a well-intentioned lie.

In truth, Jiogan's sensing relied entirely on the qi in his Dantian merging with Heaven and Earth Qi. In other words, it only consumed qi and had nothing to do with Chakra.

Even so, Kurama Feiyun only came back to her senses a quarter of an hour later. "Jiogan-kun, just how strong have you become? You already had Chunin-level strength before, but now I truly can't imagine it!"

"I think I'm probably at the Special Jonin level. We haven't had many missions, and our actual combat experience is still lacking. But I don't place much importance on ninja ranks. Even if a ninja reaches Kage-level, he must still hide himself and deliver the decisive blow at the crucial moment—unless his strength has reached the point where there is no need to hide it!" Jiogan said.

That was right. Once one's strength reached the level of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, what did it matter even if you knew their intelligence? You simply could not stop them. There was no stopping them at all!

"Mm, Jiogan-kun, I understand. I'll keep it secret. What happened today will be known only by the two of us!" Kurama Feiyun said.

Looking into Kurama Feiyun's eyes, Jiogan suddenly thought of the Genjutsu he had been trapped in. In that Genjutsu, Kurama Feiyun had told him she wanted to marry him. He could not help revealing an indulgent smile.

Seeing Jiogan's smile, Kurama Feiyun's heart began racing. She wanted to avoid him and run away, but Jiogan grabbed her hand. "Feiyun, when we both come of age! I'll personally ask Heiji-sensei for your hand in marriage! You're the only one I acknowledge as my bride!"

Kurama Feiyun nodded shyly and gave a faint, mosquito-like "Mm." Then she shook off Jiogan's hand and fled back to her tent as though escaping for her life, but she could not fall asleep no matter what.

Jiogan was left standing in the rain, grinning foolishly.

Two days later, this phase of the Patrol Mission ended. Patrol Squad 36 assembled and returned to the Eastern Front Outpost to report in, receiving one week of rest.

Before the incoming squad arrived at Patrol Squad 36's defense zone, personnel from the three bordering defense zones to the north, south, and west would temporarily take over. In reality, however, as soon as Jiogan and the others returned to the outpost and finished their report, the incoming squad set out. At most, there was only half a day in between.

After Jiogan and the others returned to the outpost and reported in, they met Commander Torifu Akimichi again. Based on their patrol performance, Jiogan was credited with three C-rank Missions and one B-rank Mission, while the other five each received credit for three C-rank Missions. Since Jiogan had killed the lone Kirigakure Chunin by himself, the B-rank Mission credit went to him alone. None of them had any objections.

After reporting in, Jiogan and the others received a rare week-long rest period. However, they had to rest inside the outpost and could not return to the village.

At this time, Kurama Heiji was not at the outpost. Half a month earlier, he had formed a Jonin Squad and gone out on patrol. A Jonin Squad's patrol area was vast and their schedule was irregular, so Jiogan and the other two might not necessarily see their teacher and father during this rest period.