Nintaijutsu!

"Every village has its own Nintaijutsu. The two most skilled in this art are Kumogakure and Konoha, represented by the successive Raikage and the Might family." On the vast, barren rocky plain, Orochimaru slowly explained it to me, his tone completely different from that of the impatient teachers at the Ninja Academy.

He was gentle and unhurried, yet completely at ease.

"The Might family?" I asked, startled. "You mean Might Guy and his father... Might Duy?"

"That's right." Orochimaru gave me an approving look. "The Might family's Nintaijutsu uses chakra to force open the gates, briefly surpassing the body's limits and making Taijutsu faster and stronger. That's the Eight Inner Gates."

My heart gave a sudden jolt.

He even knew about that!

"Strictly speaking, the Eight Inner Gates are undoubtedly superior in power and effectiveness." Orochimaru took hold of my arm and squeezed it, then gave a scornful smile. "But with a body like yours, you couldn't even handle the early physical conditioning, never mind opening any of the gates."

I pouted and lowered my head again. He'd hit the mark, but I was still furious!

"The other kind is Kumogakure's Nintaijutsu."

At that, I looked up again, brimming with anticipation!

"Kumogakure's Nintaijutsu gathers chakra around the body's outer layer, creating an effect similar to armor."

"It's a technique Kumogakure's ninja train in from childhood. They live on the high plateaus, exposed to the wind and sun, so they're naturally thick-skinned, tough, and strong. They already have a physical advantage, and the Lightning Release Armor naturally makes their Taijutsu even more formidable." As he spoke, Orochimaru suddenly grabbed my wrist and assessed me. "Your body, on the other hand, is soft, slender, and small... incredibly fragile. Even if you had Lightning Release protecting you, it wouldn't make up for your inner weakness. You'd fall apart after a single blow."

Damn it!

I clenched my teeth, grinding them audibly. Have you said enough yet? This won't work, that won't work. Are you going to teach me or not?!

"Don't rush, Akatsuki." Orochimaru noticed my agitation and smiled. "The truly good stuff is never shown to everyone."

Then he took a scroll from inside his robe, gently peeled away its wrapping, and spread it out in front of me.

"The Second once recorded a technique. It fuses Lightning Release into the body, gathering it in the muscles and bones at the moment you exert yourself. It supports the body, activates the cells, and uses Lightning Release Chakra to strengthen the body, allowing you to briefly surpass your physical limits."

The Second...? My heart gave another jolt, and then I latched onto the key phrase: "inside the body."

I swallowed, instinctively sensing danger.

Chakra was a high-energy substance, and Lightning Release Chakra was the most explosive and difficult to control of all. If it coursed through the body... wouldn't it hurt me?

"That's right. This technique is very dangerous. Training can easily cause serious bodily harm. At best, you could be crippled; at worst, you could die. So—" Orochimaru looked at me, making no attempt to hide the technique's origins.

"It was also classified as a forbidden technique."

So it really was forbidden! I furrowed my brow.

"But unlike the Eight Inner Gates, it doesn't require lengthy physical conditioning beforehand. In other words, even a child can try it."

"It's just more dangerous."

Orochimaru looked at me and suddenly asked, "Akatsuki, your father told me to do everything I could to keep you safe on the battlefield, but he also told me to give your training everything I had."

"But if your training could kill you, what would you choose?"

My face stiffened. My heart thudded twice, but after only a moment's hesitation, I made my choice.

"I trust you, sensei, and I trust myself." I looked at him, reaffirming my resolve once again.

Forbidden techniques were classified as forbidden because most people couldn't master them!

But if most people couldn't master them, that was most people's problem! It definitely wasn't the technique's fault!

Just like Sasuke, who could effortlessly copy Rock Lee's Hidden Lotus—a technique Lee had spent years learning—and even create his own finishing move, Lion Combo. All they'd been missing was a chance to learn.

Thinking about everything I'd achieved in my life so far, I felt a fierce certainty rising within me, a pride that welled up from the depths of my heart.

I was definitely going to master it.

Because I was a genius!

"Sensei, I want to learn."

"I want to learn this technique."

Orochimaru wasn't surprised by my answer. Instead, he seemed impressed. He had always liked people with courage.

"Of course. Once mastered, the benefits it brings are nothing like those of ordinary Taijutsu." He added this without hesitation, affirming the value of the technique.

As expected, risk and reward went hand in hand!

"Especially for a ninja like you, with plenty of chakra but weak bones and muscles. You could say this technique is a perfect fit for you—it might as well have been tailor-made."

Orochimaru smiled and narrowed his eyes, like a fox.

"It's remarkable, though. The Second, who couldn't use Lightning Release, still studied this technique so thoroughly. It's almost as if he observed the practitioner in minute detail for many years." Orochimaru paused, then continued as I watched him in confusion. "This person must have been an unparalleled Taijutsu master. That's why the Second took him so seriously—he even analyzed his Nintaijutsu in detail and recorded it for posterity."

"Who was he, sensei?" He'd piqued my curiosity. Someone the Second studied so closely must have been his equal, right?

"I'm not sure. The records date back to the Warring States period."

"The Warring States period..." I thought about it, then suddenly remembered someone from the original story. His description had been: [A swordsmanship prodigy with no openings, a Taijutsu master who strengthened his body with Lightning Release.]

And his name was Uchiha Izuna!

Could it really have been Izuna? My heart skipped a beat. It did seem to fit! And considering what sensei had said about how the practitioner had been observed in minute detail for many years, it seemed even more likely.

After all, Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Izuna had been lifelong enemies. They'd started fighting when they were young, each determined to kill the other! And many of Senju Tobirama's techniques had been developed specifically against the Uchiha Clan, such as the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique and various large-scale Water Release techniques! So the Second must have had his own methods for studying Uchiha Izuna's techniques!

Could this technique really have been left behind by my ancestor, Uchiha Izuna?

"Come here, Akatsuki." Orochimaru spread the scroll out in front of me, revealing page after page of writing. It looked like a handwritten copy, and even included diagrams of the human body, so precise they resembled illustrations in a medical textbook.

I frowned again.

It was as if someone had written it after dissecting a person.

He had me sit beside him and put an arm around me as he said, "This technique is quite complicated, so it's usually taught in stages. You're too young, so I'll only teach you the first stage for now. Once your body can handle more, I'll teach you the rest."

"The first stage?" I asked, curious. "How many stages are there?"

"Four in total." Orochimaru pointed to the writing, explaining with great patience. "Generally speaking, the first stage of this Nintaijutsu only gathers Lightning Release Chakra in the bones, forming supports that strengthen the body and help people as weak as you train in Taijutsu."

"In the second stage, the Lightning Release Chakra seeps into the meridians, blood, and muscles. The body becomes more agile and powerful, and physical strength improves significantly."

"In the third stage, the Lightning Release Chakra spills out of the body, forming a protective layer over the surface. It can also coat objects, giving you powerful offensive and defensive capabilities."

"What about the fourth stage?" I asked.

"In the fourth stage, the Lightning Release Chakra undergoes a transformation into actual lightning, granting the ability to fight at close and medium range." He narrowed his eyes, as if recalling something. "The fourth stage is the most difficult and dangerous, and the hardest to control. But it's also the most powerful."

"Wow... actual lightning..." My eyes practically sparkled.

Wasn't that just like Kakashi's Lightning Blade and Sasuke's Chidori?!

That was so cool!!!

"Heh, but this technique is incomplete. There should be a fifth stage." Orochimaru's gaze drifted as he fell into thought.

"In theory, at the final stage of this technique, the practitioner can freely control lightning, changing its form, shape, even its sound and color at will. Whether you want to kill with it or do anything else you desire, you can." He paused, then said gravely, "That's the limit of talent and hard work. So far, I haven't met anyone capable of it."

"He couldn't do it either? Wasn't he the one who created the technique?" I pointed to the person on the scroll, picking up on something else he'd said. "Sensei, have you been studying this technique all along?"

"No, he wasn't the one who created it." Orochimaru didn't answer my question directly. Instead, he said, "So he didn't reach that stage. At least, according to the Second's records, he didn't."

"What?" Uchiha Izuna wasn't the creator? Even more confused, I asked, "Then who created it? Did they reach the fifth stage? Could they control lightning freely?"

"Heh, perhaps. But even if they could, there'd be little value in studying them. They died a long time ago, so long ago that there's hardly any useful information left. Most of it was burned in the wars."

"Oh..." I was a little disappointed. I was just so curious about this person. It felt as though I were inexplicably connected to him, and I couldn't help wanting to know more.

Seeing how downcast I was, Orochimaru smiled and tried to cheer me up. "There's no need to envy others. The achievements of those who came before you are there for you to surpass. I believe you have what it takes, Akatsuki."

You're really making me some grand promises, huh? Easy for you to say!

I rolled my eyes and said nothing.

Why don't you try surpassing Madara Uchiha? Or Senju Hashirama?

I can barely keep myself alive right now!

Orochimaru could see I was discouraged, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he moved closer and gently reassured me. "Don't rush, Akatsuki."

"Now that you're my student, I'll teach you everything I know, one thing at a time, as long as it's something you want to learn."

"One day, you'll reach heights no one else can."

"Until then, I'll always be here to help you."

I looked into his eyes, and something suddenly stirred within me.

Was he serious?

His words left me stunned. I didn't know what to feel, but they were like a reassurance that slowly pressed down the restlessness I'd felt when I first arrived at Military Headquarters, replacing it with a sense of calm.

As our eyes met, I couldn't see any hint of pretense in his gaze. My feelings were complicated.

Could a bad person be a good teacher?

Or would Orochimaru be different in this life?

This time, when his cool hand touched my cheek and he leaned close to my ear, even though he was right beside me, I didn't feel like pulling away.

Beneath the vast sky, the sun slowly sank toward the horizon. A child practiced a new jutsu, performing one Hand Seal after another.

He had a good memory and was quick with Hand Seals. After performing the dozen-plus complex seals—which were all different from one another—just once, he could already reproduce them perfectly.

"Good. Do it again." Orochimaru patted my shoulder and corrected the position of my fingers.

"Hand Seals help you better control the chakra inside your body, but some exceptionally talented children can shorten them or even perform jutsu without using any Hand Seals at all."

"Akatsuki, has that ever happened to you?"

I thought about it, then shook my head.

Those are the gifted ones. I'm not that amazing.

"Good." Orochimaru didn't seem to mind. He moved behind me, took hold of my arms, and adjusted my posture.

"You've got the hang of it. You can try it for the first time now."

"Yes, sensei."

He looked at me and repeated, "Remember, this technique is dangerous. Be careful, and don't let your guard down."

"Yes, sensei!"

I was so excited I could barely contain myself, just like the first time I performed the Great Fireball Technique.

Lightning Release! This was the first Lightning Release Ninjutsu I'd ever learned!

If Lightning was my first nature, then... what kind of jutsu would I be able to perform?

Just before activating the technique, I glanced up at the sky. It was already afternoon. The sun was a searing red, its blood-colored light turning the whole earth a brilliant scarlet.

"Oh, right, Akatsuki."

Just as I was about to begin, my teacher suddenly pressed a hand to my shoulder.

Then he held something out to me. It was a pill, gleaming brown, unlike any I'd taken before.

"This is a tranquilizer. It'll calm your mind and provide your body with some protection." Orochimaru explained, "Take it first, in case anything goes wrong."

"Yes, sensei." I was about to take it, but he brought his hand to my mouth and ordered, "Swallow it whole. Don't bite into it."

"Yes."

I answered, swallowed the pill from his hand, and closed my eyes to steady myself. After a moment, I sat back down.

"Then I'll begin!"