Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique

Hatred can be inherited.

The fuse for the Third Shinobi World War was lit when Sasori of the Red Sands of Sunagakure assassinated the Third Kazekage.

The reason he did so stemmed from his parents dying at the hands of Konoha's Hatake Sakumo during the Second Shinobi World War.

Because Hatake Sakumo committed suicide, Sasori could no longer take revenge on his true enemy, so he turned his resentment toward the Third Kazekage for failing to protect the comrades within the village.

Hatake Sakumo was known as the "White Fang of Konoha" and was the father of Hatake Kakashi; the chakra shortsword "White Fang" that once shook the shinobi world is now in Kakashi's hands.

Hatred from one generation to the next continued as smoothly as this.

Like Sasori of Sunagakure or Hatake Kakashi of Konoha, how many more are there in the major shinobi villages?

Byakuya did not know.

But he did know that he had to kill the three Sunagakure Ninja nearby and seize their rations, otherwise, he would go hungry in this vast sea of forest.

His main body hid while his Shadow Clone, relying on the cover of night, quietly crept within the attack range of Storm Release: Torrential Lightning Flash and formed the hand seals.

He opened his mouth and spat out a brilliant flash of lightning that nearly dispelled the darkness.

It was as if the thunder from the nine heavens had condensed into a raging river, precisely engulfing the three Sunagakure Ninja.

Storm Release was simply too fast.

By the time the Sunagakure Ninja sensed the danger and picked up the ninja tools illuminated red by the campfire, it was already too late.

The Torrential Lightning Flash pierced their vitals.

Although they remained conscious for a moment, their entire bodies were paralyzed, making it impossible to counterattack or use secret techniques to transmit intelligence before death.

Byakuya's Shadow Clone threw shuriken to finish them off completely.

He searched the corpses.

The spoils were as follows.

Essential tools for wilderness survival, a Space-Time Scroll of unknown contents, three bags of Military Ration Pills that had barely been touched, four intelligence scrolls sealed with sealing techniques, a detailed map of the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers, and a Body Flicker Technique scroll.

Byakuya headed north with the loot; in any case, it was not in the direction of the Land of Fire to the east.

Pakura had the fog of war in her eyes, and so did he.

Without a god's-eye view, making the most correct decision at any given moment is actually a very difficult thing.

The move to ambush and kill the three Sunagakure Ninja was extremely risky.

Byakuya worried that releasing a Storm Release ninjutsu would expose his position, but he was equally uneasy about using kunai or shuriken for a mid-to-long-range sneak attack, as failing to kill them in one blow would allow the Sunagakure Ninja to send a signal to nearby comrades.

He had been sprinting through the forest at night for over two hours, yet his stamina remained abundant.

The captured Military Ration Pills had a strange taste, a spicy flavor, and he had no idea what had been added to them.

The feeling of satiety was good, slightly better than the Military Ration Pills Byakuya had brought with him.

He climbed a mountain.

The sky was turning a pale blue-white.

The wind was cold.

Only after arriving in the Land of Rivers did he understand how complex the terrain could be.

Below the mountain was a canyon, and he could faintly hear the sound of surging water.

Byakuya chose an easy path down the mountain, reached the foot, leaped, jumped across the canyon, and landed steadily on the opposite bank.

If his stamina, speed, and chakra reserves had not been enhanced, this canyon would have stopped him.

After rushing out of the sea of forest, he encountered a desert.

He realized it only in hindsight.

He had actually managed a successful strategic withdrawal from the hands of Pakura, who possessed Kage-level combat power.

Although the process was thrilling, it provided an incomparable boost to his practical combat experience.

Byakuya sighed: "The path of caution is truly difficult; if not for my diligent and hardworking training on ordinary days, I would have died under Pakura's Scorch Release nine times out of ten."

This was also attributed to his constant practice of the Shadow Clone Technique and the Substitution Technique.

The desert was not exactly devoid of people.

He passed through a town located on an oasis, took a satisfying hot bath, and rested for two days to recharge his energy before setting off again.

It was time to return to Konoha.

The benefits of increased vitality became apparent; despite the intense battle and excessive consumption of chakra, Byakuya suffered no aftereffects at all.

Furthermore, after completing the second Fate Choice and having his chakra quality significantly improved, the chakra in his body actually began to grow slowly.

It also gave Byakuya the feeling that his chakra was very pure.

He learned the captured Sunagakure Body Flicker Technique and developed it into the Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique. The principle was not complex: using the explosive acceleration of Storm Release chakra to achieve the effect of a body flicker. Because Storm Release is a Kekkei Genkai created by the combination of lightning and water natures, the Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique was faster, more accurate in its landing point, and easier for controlling body balance compared to a standard Body Flicker Technique.

Taking stock of the ninjutsu he currently knew, the Transformation Technique—one of the Three Basic Jutsu—could not deceive someone like Pakura, who possessed roughly Kage-level strength, and he had not used it during the battle, but it should be quite useful when fighting one-on-one against a ninja of similar strength to himself.

The Clone Technique now had a replacement, which was also the Shadow Clone Technique that Byakuya focused on cultivating.

The Lightning Release offensive ninjutsu Earth Flash was a mediocre skill; its pros and cons were both glaringly obvious.

Water Release: Water Wave was in the same boat as Lightning Release: Earth Flash.

There was no need to mention the Summoning Technique; being able to travel light in the Land of Rivers was all thanks to the Summoning Technique used in tandem with the Space-Time Scroll.

The methods for using Space-Time Scrolls were diverse, and the Summoning Technique was merely one category among them.

Those exorbitantly priced Space-Time Scrolls did not even require additional operations; they only needed a touch of chakra to activate.

However, he had finally mastered the Senju Tobirama version of Water Release: Water Formation Wall, giving Byakuya a defensive ninjutsu.

His battle with Pakura also proved that his Kekkei Genkai, Storm Release, could go toe-to-toe with Scorch Release.

An extremely perilous battle had tested the fruits of his recent training.

For this handover mission, he had to think carefully about what rewards to ask from Root.

Forbidden jutsu?

That was definitely out of the question; if he dared to bring it up, the Root organization would surely grow suspicious of his motives.

S-rank ninjutsu, specifically Senju Tobirama's Water Release: Water Severing Wave?

To be honest, Byakuya was very tempted; once he learned the principles of Water Severing Wave, he could use them to develop new Storm Release ninjutsu.

Much like that move Uchiha Madara used, Sage Art: Storm Release Light Fang.

Standing on the shoulders of Senju Tobirama to develop Storm Release ninjutsu would be much easier.

Learning the nature transformation and shape transformation of Earth-style chakra also needed to be put on the agenda; taking this opportunity to ask Root for a few Earth Release ninjutsu could also be an option.

Sounds of battle drifted from ahead.

Byakuya stopped in his tracks and looked left and right.

Located in a desert, he had no Earth Release and nowhere to hide.

Just as he was about to change direction and dash toward the Land of Fire, the battlefield of the two sides rapidly approached him.

They were dressed in the attire of Iwagakure Ninja and Sunagakure Ninja.

Seven Iwagakure Ninja were hunting down four wounded Sunagakure Ninja.

This was the Third Shinobi World War, a chaotic mess.

Byakuya thought it made sense; the ambitious Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Ōnoki, would never let Sunagakure go now that it was without a Kazekage.

Perhaps because a mysterious person in a black trench coat wearing a Shuten-doji mask had suddenly appeared, the Iwagakure Ninja worried he was Sunagakure reinforcements, while the Sunagakure Ninja feared Byakuya was an Iwagakure spy lurking in the Land of Rivers. Both sides pulled back and stared in unison at his every move.

"Why are the ninjas of Iwagakure in the Land of Rivers?" Byakuya asked in a hoarse voice.

The Sunagakure Ninja replied, "They want to take a detour to attack our Land of Wind. We encountered their troops while scouting. Who are you?"

"Anbu, here in the Land of Rivers to eliminate spies threatening the village."

Byakuya was not lying, though he was merely an external member of the Anbu Training Department of Konoha.

The four Sunagakure Ninja immediately relaxed and laughed loudly, "You Iwagakure pups, was hunting us down fun? We'll show you what true pain is! Come over here, and we'll slaughter these Iwagakure pups together."