"Minato, how—how did you do that?" Akaseki asked in surprise.
Given Minato's talent and strength, Akaseki wouldn't have been too surprised if he had managed it after some time, but—
Right now, it looked as though he had suddenly achieved enlightenment after hearing just a few words from Orochimaru!
Orochimaru studied Minato, appreciation appearing in his eyes. Then he looked at Akaseki, and his eyes filled with—
Curiosity.
Orochimaru really was curious!
Since Akaseki could master those "combination ninjutsu," he was something of a prodigy when it came to chakra transformation, so why—
—did he seem so slow on the uptake?
Could it be—
That this was connected to his dreams, too?
"What Captain Orochimaru just said helped me understand a few things. After that—the wind simply felt clearer." Minato smiled, describing the sensation to Akaseki as best he could.
"Understanding the essence of ninjutsu can itself improve your chakra transformation. You could even say—this kind of research is the fastest, most correct approach." Orochimaru took the opportunity to slip in his own agenda.
"Its essence? Like—how you explained Wind Release just now?" Akaseki still didn't quite understand.
Seeing this, Orochimaru tried another explanation.
"Exactly. And it isn't limited to Wind Release. You're more familiar with Fire Style, aren't you, Akaseki? In terms of chakra transformation, raising the temperature naturally increases heat output. That's easy to understand.
"But the aspects that seem mysterious to mediocre ninja, such as adhesion or difficulty of extinguishing, also have an underlying essence. Adhesion, for example, involves making Fire Style chakra lower the ignition point of the object it adheres to. Making it harder to extinguish means allowing Fire Style chakra to burn under a broader range of conditions." Orochimaru used Fire Style, which Akaseki ought to know better, as an example.
Akaseki looked thoughtful