"Thank goodness. That means I can use the self-destruct strategy in ordinary matches from now on. It won't feel great, but it's powerful. I just don't know what the other match modes are like.
"But I can't touch the other modes right now. Betting matches cost you part of yourself, and death matches cost you your lifespan. I need to play it safe.
"But why give me Water Dragon Bullet? I don't even know how to weave Hand Seals."
Shangguan Yue thought of how quickly Nawaki could weave Hand Seals, then looked at his own clumsy fingers. It was ridiculous. He could barely even use them to stir a pot.
"Give me a Hand Seal technique."
Shangguan Yue felt the drain on his mental energy. "Mm, I should be able to do this five more times. Then I'll have to sleep to recover. That should be enough."
"Start match mode."
After the last two matches, Shangguan Yue took a long, deep breath before he finally calmed down.
"Damn, that took so much mental energy. It felt awful, too."
Still, seeing what he'd earned in the log left Shangguan Yue satisfied.
"Obtained: D-Rank Ninjutsu, Substitution Technique."
"Obtained: D-Rank Ninja Basics, one Seal-Weaving Experience Pack."
Looking at the unclaimed rewards, Shangguan Yue chose to accept them all. In an instant, the method for performing the Substitution Technique, its chakra flow, and the amount of chakra required appeared in his mind.
When it came to the Water Dragon Bullet hand seals and the Seal-Weaving Experience Pack, Shangguan Yue shut his eyes tight. In his mind, a little figure practiced weaving Hand Seals.
Shangguan Yue's body also raised his hand without his control. His fingers intertwined along with the little figure, and white light enveloped both hands as they moved faster and faster.
It might have been a second, or it might have been several years. Shangguan Yue opened his eyes, exhaustion filling them.
"Why does this feel like a punishment? Making me practice along with it is one thing, and not letting me quit halfway is another, but why punish me when I make a mistake???"
Just thinking about Hand Seal training made Shangguan Yue want to throw up. It had been two whole years of training!
"But now I can do four seals in a second. That's pretty good. I just don't know what level that puts me at.
"If only I could start school sooner. Let's see, it's still more than half a month away.
"I'd better see what this ninjutsu is all about."
Shangguan Yue looked at the Substitution Technique in his memories, and his scalp prickled.
"This is the Substitution Technique? It's way too crude. The Clone Technique has at least three seals."
Substitution Technique: Use a substitute item prepared in advance (an item, animal, clone, or other object imbued with your chakra).
When an enemy attacks you, you can use it to escape. Smoke will conceal your presence, and you'll reappear at a random spot within a three-meter radius.
Note: Can be improved with practice.
All that appeared in Shangguan Yue's mind was the description of the Substitution Technique and a chakra flow sequence.
"That's it? It's that simple? This is way too haphazard."
Shangguan Yue left the space and stepped outside. He looked up at the blazing midday sun.
"Looks like time in the space passes at about the same rate as it does out here. It's already noon. I'll try the Substitution Technique first, then go grab some lunch."
He found a wooden post and infused it with chakra. "Huh? Someone has to attack me? I don't know what counts, so I'll try running into a tree."
Once everything was ready, Shangguan Yue charged straight at the tree. "Thump!" Before he could even feel the impact, he turned into a wooden post, surrounded by smoke, while his real body appeared in an open space nearby.
The sudden feeling of weightlessness made him fall over. "Huh? Did it work?"
Shangguan Yue looked around, and finally spotted the big tree he'd just run into at the bottom right.
He went over to the tree and picked up the wooden post for a closer look. "Mm, it's in the same condition as before."
Shangguan Yue thought back to what it had felt like. One moment, everything had suddenly gone black; when he opened his eyes, he was already on the other side.
That mysterious feeling was strangely familiar to him.
"What exactly is that feeling? No, I have to try again."
Shangguan Yue charged at another tree. "Thump!" This time, a tremendous crash rang out, and a shower of leaves fell.
"Damn, that hurts!"
After sensing the information in his mind, Shangguan Yue was speechless.
"Wait, how could they not mention something as important as a cooldown?"
No one could hear Shangguan Yue's complaints. Chuuni had vanished without a trace and hadn't appeared since. He had no idea what it was up to.
"But now that I think about it, who came up with the Substitution Technique? It's incredible—a lifesaving skill! The cooldown is a pain, though.
"Overall, it feels profound. Like it involves some kind of law.
"Even with the cooldown, it doesn't cost any chakra, and the steps are simple. Any ordinary ninja can learn it. There's more to it than meets the eye.
"But it's pretty dangerous, too. You can't control where you end up. On the battlefield, you might appear right on someone's blade and die without even knowing what happened.
"Oh well, it's still pretty good. Let's see what Water Release: Water Bullet Technique is all about. Though, speaking of which, what's my nature? Can I even use Water Release?
"I'll have to ask Tsunade when she gets back. As a medic, she should know."
Shangguan Yue followed the seals in his memory, guiding chakra through his body. "Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
Chakra surged up, and he spat it out. A huge ball of water appeared in front of him and shot toward a wooden target in the distance. "Crash!"
When the splashing water settled, Shangguan Yue looked closely. "Whoa, that was pretty powerful."
The wooden target had vanished from where it stood, reduced to wood chips scattered across the ground.
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