Second Hokage's Water Release: Water Formation Wall

Ever since the "Chakra Capacity Increase" mission he had obtained last time, he had once again seen the generosity of his Fate Grid.

Having just returned from a mission, he woke up late today, grabbed a quick bite, and headed straight to the Ninja Academy for work.

He didn't own a ninja sword, but the warehouse had plenty.

In fact, it was stocked with every type of ninja sword imaginable.

He bought two skewers of dango on the way, and the three thousand ryo he had scavenged from the corpses of the Anteater Bounty Group ninjas temporarily relieved his financial embarrassment.

It was fortunate that they had hidden their money well, or it would have been destroyed by the explosive tags.

"How should I learn the Summoning Technique? I don't even have a suitable summon to sign a contract with."

"It would be great if I could sign a contract with a summon from the Three Great Sage Regions. I've already slightly improved my talent for Sage Mode; perhaps I could try to learn senjutsu."

The power of senjutsu was beyond doubt.

Jiraiya, one of the Sannin of Konoha, practiced the senjutsu of Mount Myoboku and was able to go toe-to-toe with Pain in the later stages of the war; he only lost because he lacked intelligence on Pain.

If he had known all the abilities of the Six Paths of Pain, given Jiraiya's strength, he might have performed even better than Naruto in Sage Mode.

Byakuya suddenly realized that the Summoning Technique had become a bit of a white elephant—though that wasn't entirely fair to say; he could store ninja tools in a Space-Time Scroll to give his enemies a "surprise" during battle.

He opened the three heavy doors of the warehouse.

He searched for a ninja sword that felt right in his hand.

Just like when practicing swordsmanship, he centered his mind and swung the blade with absolute focus.

This kind of cultivation, where effort yielded direct results, was incredibly addictive. One had to realize that in this world, for many things, even after putting in countless efforts, all one ended up with was a mess.

"Practicing your blade, Byakuya?"

Hiroya appeared from out of nowhere and smiled kindly, "Seeing you so diligent, I am truly happy for your parents."

He stopped his swings, put on his black top, and bowed, "This subordinate greets the Principal."

"No need for formalities, no need. You and I don't need to be like that. I've come to you this time because there is a great opportunity!"

"I wonder what this good news might be?"

"Well, the mission to clear out the rogue ninjas had some unexpected turns, didn't it? To compensate you, you may choose one ninjutsu."

"Does the Principal mean that I can choose any ninjutsu I want?"

Byakuya emphasized the word "any."

Hiroya thought for a moment; Danzo had not set any restrictions, so he nodded, "That is about the size of it."

Byakuya's heart skipped a beat.

Though his body was that of a youth, his soul was mature. He could hear in Hiroya's words the implication that someone behind the scenes was pulling the strings. Who could it be?

"This is a rare opportunity; you won't find another chance like this."

"Are you sure it can be any ninjutsu?"

"Yes, yes." A sudden sense of unease rose in Hiroya's heart.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall."

"Huh? Water Formation Wall?"

Hiroya knew this defensive Water Release ninjutsu. After performing the hand seals, a vertical wall of water would rise from the ground to block attacks.

"Principal, what I want to learn is the Water Release: Water Formation Wall developed by the Second Hokage."

"Is there a difference?" Hiroya asked, confused.

Byakuya replied, "I heard it from someone else by chance. They said the Second Hokage's Water Formation Wall has unexpected effects."

Hiroya didn't know what was different about Senju Tobirama's Water Formation Wall, but since Danzo had given the order and Senkaku Byakuya had asked for it, he would just act as the errand boy.

"Let's get the ugly talk out of the way first: I might not be able to get the Second Hokage's Water Release ninjutsu approved for you, so be prepared... How about this? Name another ninjutsu, and if the application fails, I'll swap it for that one."

This was indeed a rare chance to fleece the Root organization. Byakuya thought it over and decided to stick with a Water Release technique. He would skip the Triple Rashomon; that technique required too much chakra.

"Then let's go with Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique."

The Hidden Mist Technique was only a D-rank Water Release ninjutsu. It created a thick fog to interfere with the enemy's line of sight and was a mandatory subject for the Anbu of Kirigakure.

This alone showed how useful the Hidden Mist Technique was.

Although it wasn't a pure defensive ninjutsu, it allowed one to find an enemy's flaws through the thick fog, consider whether to advance or retreat, and utilize the mist for tactical coordination.

"Wait here in the warehouse; I'll be back in a flash."

"I trouble you, Principal."

Hiroya's sudden enthusiasm made the alarm bells in Byakuya's mind ring loudly.

He watched him hurry away.

Byakuya picked up his ninja sword and took a deep breath, calming his turbulent thoughts. No matter what, he would have to meet whatever came his way.

The best solution was to increase his own strength as quickly as possible.

Swing the blade!

With the instructions from Lord Danzō, the cautious Hiroya devoted his full attention to the matter of Byakuya.

Although he did not strictly need to report to Shimura Danzō, he decided to request an audience because Byakuya had specifically asked to learn the Water Formation Wall of Senju Tobirama.

"I have an urgent matter to discuss with Lord Danzō."

"You again."

"Please, it is a bother."

"Wait here."

Less than ten minutes passed.

"Follow me."

"Many thanks."

Hiroya walked into Shimura Danzō's room, trembling with apprehension.

"Hiroya, what business do you have seeking an audience with this old man again?"

Not daring to be negligent, he hurriedly repeated everything Byakuya had said, word for word.

Danzō said calmly, "This old man will not pursue how he came to know of Lord Tobirama's Water Formation Wall. However, if the upcoming mission is botched, this old man will have no choice but to dispose of him as a worthless piece of trash."

"Understood."

"Wait here; this old man will go retrieve the copy of the Water Formation Wall."

Hiroya was instantly shocked; he had not expected that the Water Release: Water Formation Wall of Lord Tobirama would be so precious that it required Lord Danzō to retrieve it personally.

It took a full half-hour before Danzō returned and tossed the ninjutsu scroll to Hiroya: "Tell Byakuya that once he has learned it, he must return the scroll. This old man only has this one copy."

"This subordinate obeys; I will keep it firmly in mind."

Hiroya waited a moment longer, and seeing Lord Danzō looking slightly weary as he flipped through intelligence reports, he quietly backed out of the room.

At the same time, he sighed inwardly, thinking that Lord Danzō was truly the anchor of Konoha. Without Lord Danzō, who knows how many would run rampant or act with impunity? Alas, Lord Danzō was willing to remain in the shadows for the sake of Konoha, leaving the credit to the Third Hokage; he truly felt it was a pity for his lord.

When Hiroya returned to the Ninja Academy warehouse.

Byakuya was still swinging his blade.

He decided to watch from the side and wait for Byakuya to finish his training.

Every swing was executed with focused concentration, and the rhythm of his breathing was controlled to perfection.

Seeing such arduous training, Hiroya suddenly felt a bit more confident in Byakuya's ability to successfully carry out the next mission.

He had seen the intelligence on the mission; it was very dangerous, and a moment of carelessness could lead to a bitter end.

He had intended to wait for him to finish, but unexpectedly, the sun was high in the sky, and it was nearly noon, yet Byakuya showed no signs of stopping his blade work.

"Ahem, Byakuya."

"Ah, Principal, it is my rudeness..."

"It is no matter. Focused training is a good thing. As your strength increases, you will be better able to execute your missions."

"Yes." Byakuya cursed Hiroya's shamelessness in his heart; if not for this old schemer, he wouldn't have to lick blood off the edge of a blade.

"Here, take it. This is the Water Release: Water Formation Wall you wanted. I cannot give you the ninjutsu scroll; return it once you have finished practicing. The sooner, the better."

"Many thanks for the Principal's cultivation!"

He acted excited and surprised, but his heart shuddered. Could it be that the one pulling the strings of the old schemer Hiroya was that old bastard Shimura Danzō?

The only reason he had asked for the Water Release: Water Formation Wall developed by Senju Tobirama was to harbor a suspicion and test the waters. This test had left his scalp tingling.

The old bastard Danzō was a disciple of Senju Tobirama; it was only natural that he would possess his Water Release ninjutsu.

Hiroya patted Byakuya on the shoulder: "Your parents' spirits in heaven would surely feel comforted to see you like this."

Byakuya lowered his head. You old schemer!!!! I wish I could give you two punches!

"Yes."