Only a few days, and you've improved again, you bastard?

Kyohiko threw punch after punch, dodging and weaving, using a multitude of sandbags to hone his body's instincts, aiming to overcome the negative side effects brought on by his excessive speed.

After training for a good while, he sat down to rest and dispelled his Shadow Clone; a flood of complex knowledge surged into his mind, leaving his head feeling incredibly weary and his ears ringing with a dull hum.

This was the physique of an ordinary person.

He could not maintain the Shadow Clone indefinitely, or he risked a backlash, which could even lead to death.

Kyohiko rubbed his temples.

Just as he was thinking and processing the information, a bag dangled down before his eyes.

"Eat up."

"What is this?"

Kyohiko looked up, feeling slightly dazed.

Jiraiya chuckled, "It's a Military Ration Pill specially made by the hospital. If you train like this, how are you supposed to handle the exhaustion without them?"

"Thank you, Teacher."

Kyohiko was indeed hungry; stars were already dancing before his eyes.

If Jiraiya hadn't brought the Military Ration Pill, he had intended to catch his breath and head out to grab a meal.

This was his first time eating a Military Ration Pill.

It didn't taste good.

However.

After consuming it, the energy conversion was much faster than eating a regular meal, and before long, it alleviated his hunger, leaving him feeling less weak and debilitated.

"How is it?"

"No wonder it's become the staple of field rations; it's truly impressive!"

Kyohiko praised it endlessly.

Jiraiya left a bag behind, his expression turning serious.

"Although Military Ration Pills can replenish physical energy, they cannot replenish mental energy. If your spirit is exhausted, you could still die."

"I know, Teacher."

Kyohiko nodded.

He cherished his life above all else; how could he possibly train himself to death?

Only then did Jiraiya reveal a smile.

"The Matsuyama Clan sent a letter; they will likely arrive in Konoha tomorrow. Don't train too hard, and it would be best to go to the Konoha Hospital to treat those bruises."

With that, he stood up and left, not mentioning a word about the meeting.

Kyohiko didn't ask, either.

Because in that meeting, there were likely many unpleasantries, and Tsunade might have even smashed a table—

Based on his understanding, such a thing was highly probable!

In the evening, Tsunade arrived once again, the scent of body wash clinging to her, mingled with the smell of alcohol.

She carried a bag in her hand and, with utter lack of decorum, vaulted over the wall to enter, ignoring the front gate entirely.

The Sannin were all cut from the same cloth.

Kyohiko grumbled inwardly.

He stood up and bowed.

"Lady Tsunade."

"How is the reading coming along?"

Tsunade asked.

Kyohiko answered honestly.

"Although it is all foundational material, it has been very enlightening for me."

"You've already seen results in such a short time?"

Tsunade was somewhat skeptical.

There was a long road to travel between what was written in the books and actual mastery and application.

Tsunade glanced at the Shadow Clone, worried that Kyohiko was being too eager for success.

"You may test me."

Kyohiko was very confident.

Some things were immediate in their effect.

For instance—

[Water Style: Water Wall (Proficient)]

As an essential defensive Water Style ninjutsu, Kyohiko had studied the books left by the Second Hokage, and thanks to the chakra control gains brought by his Strength Enhancement Technique, he successfully reached the Proficient level after a few trials.

At the Proficient level, Water Wall allowed for more precise chakra control, enabling him to freely manipulate its range and defensive layers.

His next step was to attempt a two-hand-seal Water Wall.

However, that would require deeper understanding and exploration; it was not something that could be mastered simply by reading books.

For now...

Kyohiko formed the hand seals.

Thanks to his daily training and accumulation, his fingers were nimble, and he completed the seals rapidly.

Water Style: Water Wall!

A stream of water erupted from his mouth, transforming into a high wall that rose up about five paces around him.

As one of the Sannin, even if Tsunade did not use Water Style herself, she had certainly seen plenty of Water Style ninjas.

In terms of Kyohiko's level, his Water Wall alone could already be ranked in the middle tier.

From last time until now...

It had only been a few days, yet he had improved again, and the progress was immense!

Tsunade grew serious.

At the beginning, she had only intended to help this talented "kinsman" of sorts.

But now.

She vaguely linked Kyohiko to her deceased loved ones—

If Nawaki had possessed even half of Kyohiko's ability, he wouldn't have died.

Tsunade's gaze dimmed.

"Lady Tsunade, I heard from the teacher that things aren't going very smoothly? I don't think you need to take it to heart; any kind of reform..."

"Brat, that is not your business. I was just thinking about something else."

Tsunade reined in her emotions.

She shifted her gaze away and tossed a scroll toward him.

"Take this and look at it, but don't practice blindly."

"What is this?"

Kyohiko caught it.

He opened the scroll—

There was no title, just the main text. The ink was fresh, looking as if it had been written just this afternoon.

The content...

It was exactly the Strength Enhancement Technique.

"Is this the Strength Enhancement Technique?"

"Strength... hm, you could call it that. It's actually not much different from what you envisioned. It's just the rapid refinement, gathering, and explosion of chakra. But while it sounds easy, not many can actually do it."

Tsunade's expression was stern. "Take you, for example. Do you know where your problem lies?"

"After reading the Second Hokage's notes, the biggest inspiration I gained is that many things are connected in principle. Chakra is just like speed; if it's too fast, it cannot be effectively controlled, and it will eventually backfire on you."

"Hm."

To think so far ahead...

His comprehension is truly high!

Tsunade sighed inwardly, though her face remained indifferent.

"Identifying the problem isn't difficult. The key is, do you have a solution?"

"Slow down the speed, reduce the power, but when necessary, I think one can risk injury to increase the output; one shouldn't be limited by that..."

Kyohiko answered fluently—

Having the answer made it easy!

These points were the solutions he had gained after leveling up his skill.

However.

"Slowing down" and "reducing" were relative terms.

For an ordinary ninja, the chakra control and physical constitution required for a Proficient-level Strength Enhancement Technique were still at a very high standard.

Tsunade smiled.

"You have a theory for everything, but can you actually do it?"

"I was afraid of getting hurt, so I didn't try it rashly, but I feel that I can."

Kyohiko had previously been below the required standard.

But now.

His chakra control was no longer an issue.

This was the charm of "Skill +1."

However, because Tsunade had repeatedly forbidden him from experimenting recklessly, he found it difficult to explain that he could actually do it.

"Then give it a try."

Tsunade said.

Kyohiko was somewhat surprised.

"You..."

"One doesn't necessarily need to see it to treat it."

Tsunade said indifferently.

Kyohiko nodded.

"Alright!"

He stood up, recalling the techniques and key points.

Then, Kyohiko brewed the chakra within his body, slowing down the speed of refinement and gathering.

A moment later—

Bang!

The ground cracked and caved in, forming a fist-sized crater the size of a washbasin.

Kyohiko checked his arm.

"Lady Tsunade, no injuries."

"Let me see."

Tsunade felt relieved and came over to inspect the injury. After sensing and confirming, she nodded slightly, though she was incredibly astonished inside—

He had actually done it!

This guy...

He really was a genius!

She wasn't sure what kind of talent or situation Senju Tobirama had as a child, but she imagined it was much the same as Kyohiko's.

In reality, even she wasn't sure if what Kyohiko said was correct.

Because Tsunade possessed a strong talent for chakra control and had been able to use the Strength of a Hundred at will from a very early age; the only things limiting her had been her age, chakra reserves, and physique.

As for insufficient chakra control...

Sorry, she had never experienced that, so it was hard for her to come up with effective ways to break it down or lower the difficulty.

It was the trouble of a genius.

Now, Kyohiko had come up with a method and even realized it!

"Try increasing the chakra slightly."

"Alright."

Kyohiko tried again.

This time...

The speed of his chakra refinement, gathering, and compression was ten to twenty percent faster than before.

Immediately.

Bang!

One punch.

The ground cracked, and earth and stone shattered.

The power was definitely more than ten or twenty percent greater than before!

"Did you notice?"

"Increasing it a little has a huge impact on the power, but I feel this is about my limit. Increasing it further might put a strain on my body."

Kyohiko spoke of his own experience.

"Your speed in compressing chakra isn't fast enough, making it difficult to increase the power further, but you can control chakra with great nuance; that is your strength."

Tsunade sensed carefully and couldn't help but sigh, "Although you have lowered the difficulty of this technique, ordinary ninjas still wouldn't be able to learn it."

As for Shizune...

The simplified Strength of a Hundred that Kyohiko had created remained at the level of a forbidden technique, not something to be easily learned or attempted.