Weaknesses

As Nagato's chakra continued to flow into him, Chiba Etsu felt an increasing sense of fullness and power.

So this is what it feels like to possess a massive amount of chakra.

The sensation was so intoxicating that, for a moment, Chiba Etsu couldn't even find the words to describe it.

It felt exactly like someone who had been starving for their entire life finally having their fill.

A moment later, Chiba Etsu tentatively began to cast ninjutsu. Previously, he would have exhausted his entire reserve after casting Earth Flow Spear ten times, but now, he unleashed dozens in one breath and still had nearly half of his chakra remaining.

Only now did Chiba Etsu truly grasp the disproportionate gap between their chakra levels.

Fortunately, he could now borrow this power for himself.

With this level of chakra, he no longer had to worry about being left far behind by Yahiko and the others.

Just as Jiraiya had said before, he could now drastically accelerate the development of his body's elemental affinities.

Originally, there were no shortcuts for such development; one had to slowly adapt the body through the repetitive use of various techniques.

But now, by increasing his chakra, he was effectively accelerating that process.

Perhaps it wouldn't be long before he could develop a second affinity, and a third was not entirely out of the question.

This was, without a doubt, the exclusive privilege of a Jinchuriki.

Even if one's talent was insufficient, one could compensate for the gap in technique through the sheer volume of training, much like Naruto.

If he ever had the chance to obtain the Shadow Clone Jutsu, although the training performed by a shadow clone could not physically transform his own body, it could certainly expedite the mastery of various chakra nature transformations, greatly enhancing the power of his techniques.

The thought alone made Chiba Etsu incredibly excited, though these were just daydreams for now. The Shadow Clone Jutsu was nowhere to be found, but once Jiraiya eventually left, he might be able to find a way to scheme for it.

Seeing Chiba Etsu finally shake off the gloom of the past few days, a bright smile finally appeared on Nagato's face.

The happiness of being needed and being able to help a friend was something that no amount of developed techniques could ever replicate.

Yet, just as Chiba Etsu grew more and more excited, Jiraiya's expression darkened as if he had suddenly thought of something.

Silently watching Chiba Etsu, who was excitedly casting techniques, Jiraiya suddenly spoke up: "I suddenly regret teaching you this method."

"Huh?"

Chiba Etsu and Nagato turned back in astonishment, confused as to why he would say such a thing.

Looking at Chiba Etsu with a grave expression, Jiraiya said earnestly: "Although this method might bring you faster growth in the development of ninjutsu, it may also hinder your growth in other areas."

"You must understand that the training you did with your own chakra before, while slow in progress, was a process of tempering and familiarizing yourself with your own energy. Even if it didn't seem obvious, your total chakra capacity and recovery speed were actually increasing bit by bit."

"Furthermore, your control and familiarity with your own chakra were constantly being strengthened during that process."

"But now."

Jiraiya frowned as he spoke.

"I don't know if I've harmed you by doing this. You must realize that one's own chakra and physical ability are the foundation of a ninja. No matter how strong a technique is, it is merely an external tool. I have never heard of anyone becoming a powerhouse by relying solely on techniques."

"If you only know how to rely on Nagato, I can state right now that your achievements will stop at Chunin. Perhaps you can exert some combat power while by Nagato's side, but I don't believe you can provide any real help to him. I am certain that the same amount of chakra in Nagato's hands would produce far greater combat power than in yours. You would become completely worthless."

"Master Jiraiya!"

Nagato looked at Jiraiya anxiously, then back at Chiba Etsu, his face full of panic.

He had finally seen Chiba Etsu's smile again and didn't want Jiraiya to continue discouraging him and making him sad. He quickly tugged at Jiraiya's clothes, his eyes filled with pleading.

However, Jiraiya ignored Nagato's pleading gaze and continued to look at Chiba Etsu with determination: "Although I may sound harsh, you must understand that I am doing this for your own good. If you only know how to rely on Nagato, you will only become his appendage."

"Nagato will still be Nagato without you, but you will be nothing without Nagato. When that time comes, the gap between you and them will truly be widened to an irreparable extent."

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Chiba Etsu had only considered the benefits of having massive chakra and hadn't realized that borrowing it could stifle the growth and recovery rate of his own reserves.

However, Chiba Etsu quickly pushed this worry to the back of his mind.

There were many ways to increase chakra in the world of the Hokage. The most common was to become a Jinchuriki, though that carried certain risks.

Beyond that, he could potentially seize the Samehada from Kisame; if he planned it properly, it wouldn't be a problem.

He could also develop sealing techniques, or utilize the methods of the various bosses who would later rely on cursed objects, ley lines, or even transplanted bloodlines.

There was also natural energy, which was essentially a super cheat code.

At the very worst, he could develop the Yin Seal like Tsunade, storing chakra during peaceful times and releasing it during battle.

In an instant, Chiba Etsu thought of many things he could utilize.

Compared to the gains in strength from ninjutsu, this minor loss was nothing. Without sufficient power, he wouldn't even have the qualifications to scheme for these things.

Of course, basic physical conditioning was still necessary, and his use of Nagato's chakra had to be moderate. He couldn't let himself become a "three-second man."

It would be truly pathetic to be exhausted after only a few minutes of fighting.

After clearing his thoughts, Chiba Etsu bowed respectfully to Jiraiya and said, "Thank you, Master Jiraiya. I have learned my lesson."

"Hmm."

Seeing that Chiba Etsu had taken his words to heart, Jiraiya's tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed.

"In fact, I may have exaggerated the consequences just now. I only said that to keep you vigilant, so you wouldn't become addicted to external power and neglect your own chakra cultivation."

"Actually, if utilized appropriately, it is undoubtedly quite suitable. After all, one can only become a powerhouse if both their techniques and chakra are formidable; sacrificing a bit of chakra growth speed in exchange for the strength of one's techniques is, in fact, a viable path."

"Mm."

Chiba nodded earnestly.

He naturally understood that Jiraiya was being strict for his own good; if it were anyone else, they likely wouldn't have considered things as thoroughly as Jiraiya had.

Yet, a question suddenly occurred to Chiba.