Talent (Part 1)

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This is Little Whale's first time writing fanfiction, so please excuse any rough spots.

"Ow, I can't take it anymore! I can't take it!"

After Fukuyama had kept attacking him for about five minutes, Suifeng finally couldn't take it and yelled, "I can't—!"

Bam!

A hard kick sent Suifeng flying five or six meters. With a thud, he crashed to the ground.

"Teacher Fushan, I told you I couldn't take it anymore!"

Uchiha Fukuyama didn't answer right away. Instead, he thought back to how his attacks had felt when they landed on Suifeng.

It hurt. It hurt a lot. It hurt like hell!

Suifeng had just stood there, completely unable to block Fukuyama's attacks. But in the end?

Fukuyama had used nearly all the chakra and strength a Chunin could muster, yet Suifeng had still remained standing. That final kick, in particular, had contained the power of an elite Jonin, and only then had it sent him flying so far.

"How long can you maintain this technique?!"

"It depends entirely on your physical fitness!" Suifeng got to his feet, rubbing his backside. "The better your physical fitness, the greater your control over your body, and the longer you can hold out!"

"Excellent!" A hint of delight flashed in Fukuyama's eyes.

The technique's effects had far exceeded his expectations. In fact, they were completely beyond anything he'd imagined. A child so young had developed a Body Technique like this—no, it wasn't entirely a Body Technique. It was a Nintaijutsu.

A Nintaijutsu that could greatly enhance one's defense. From his fight with Suifeng, Fukuyama could easily tell that this Nintaijutsu was even more practical and powerful than Suifeng had described to him before.

It required no Hand Seals, had exceptionally strong defensive power, activated quickly, and had a low training threshold. These four qualities alone were enough to prove that its value was in no way inferior to that of an A-rank ninjutsu.

In fact, in terms of potential, even an A-rank ninjutsu was nowhere near as valuable as this Nintaijutsu. More precisely, it was a Nintaijutsu that was almost on the level of an S-rank technique.

A freshly graduated Genin had actually created a ninjutsu that was both practical and full of potential. If that wasn't genius, what was?

Thinking it over, if the clan could possess this Nintaijutsu, wouldn't its strength increase tremendously?

After all, the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan was naturally adept at controlling chakra. Once someone awakened it, learning this Nintaijutsu wouldn't be difficult. You could say that anyone could learn it.

If every shinobi in the Uchiha Clan learned this Nintaijutsu, then the clan's strength...

Even just imagining it was thrilling!

But it was only an imaginary scenario.

This Nintaijutsu was immensely valuable, but precisely because its value was so great and its potential so astonishing, it was never going to be made widely available. At most, it would be secretly passed around among the upper ranks of the Uchiha Clan.

Besides, given the Uchiha Clan's current relationship with the village, if the village learned about this, it would inevitably grow even more wary of the clan, making the Uchiha Clan's position in the village even more awkward.

"Mm, I have to admit, the Body Technique you developed is quite valuable."

Fukuyama immediately grasped the implications. He turned to Haku and Hideki and said, "Keep this matter quiet from now on. Neither of you may tell anyone what happened here. Also, you must not reveal the Nintaijutsu Suifeng developed. Understood?"

"Yes!"

Hideki and Haku had already been stunned by the fight between Suifeng and Fukuyama. Fukuyama was an elite Jonin of the clan. If he went all out, the two of them wouldn't last even five seconds. Yet Suifeng had held out for a full five minutes. If he hadn't run out of strength and relaxed, he probably could have held out a little longer. "Is all that thanks to that Body Technique?" Haku and Hideki exchanged a look, then gazed at Suifeng with envy before silently leaving the training ground.

"Are you planning to offer this technique to the clan?" Fukuyama asked Suifeng after Haku and Hideki had both left.

"Of course I'm going to offer it to the clan. But this technique hasn't been fully developed yet; I've only made a start. Is it really okay to hand it over to the clan like this?"

"Of course it is!" Fukuyama said. "Your technique has unique merits, and it can clearly enhance the strength of the clan's shinobi. If you submit it, the clan will reward you handsomely."

"All right, then should I just give it to you, Sensei?"

"Of course not. There'll be a clan meeting tomorrow, and I'll use the opportunity to announce the new Nintaijutsu you developed. But until then, it's best to keep it secret. This is also for your safety."

"I understand!" Though Suifeng had already suspected as much, he still put on an expression of shock and confusion. "You're still young. You don't understand all the complications."

Fukuyama sighed softly. "Come with me."

A short while later, they arrived at the Great Elder's residence.

The Great Elder was somewhat surprised by their sudden arrival, but he still received them as quickly as possible.

"An S-rank Nintaijutsu? What are you talking about?!"

Ten minutes later, after hearing Fukuyama's account, the Great Elder was completely dumbfounded. It all sounded like an absurd fairy tale. "You're saying Suifeng developed an S-rank Nintaijutsu that can enhance defense and strength all by himself?"

"Yes, Great Elder," Fukuyama said seriously. "I tested it myself. The effects are indeed astonishing!"

"Did he put Iron Body blocks on himself again or something?!" The Great Elder looked at Suifeng with an unreadable expression, sounding uncertain.

"Great Elder, I'm telling the truth!" Fukuyama looked up. "I know this is extremely hard to believe, but I'd rather believe it was an accidental discovery. Suifeng told me about his ideas before, but the technique didn't have such powerful effects back then. This time, it must have been an accidental discovery."

"An accidental discovery. Mm, that's certainly possible." The Great Elder stroked his short beard thoughtfully.

It wasn't impossible to stumble upon a powerful ninjutsu by chance. There were precedents, after all. And that would explain a lot, too. Of course, before confirming this, he still needed to see whether the Body Technique the boy had developed was really as miraculous as Fukuyama claimed.

"Uh, Great Elder, actually, this time it wasn't just the development of a Body Technique!" At that moment, Suifeng, who had been standing beside Fukuyama like an invisible presence, suddenly raised his hand to speak. "The development of this technique was certainly partly accidental—maybe even largely so. But more than that, I believe it really was a coincidence, because this wasn't the only coincidence!"

"Oh? What other coincidences were there?"

This time, Suifeng didn't answer. He simply stood up and walked to the window. Looking out over the empty courtyard, he formed Hand Seals, completing them in a second. The next moment, he opened his mouth wide, and a golden-red light burst forth, instantly bathing the surroundings in a crimson glow.

"Is this... Lava Release?!"

The Great Elder's body stiffened. He nearly toppled over!