Chapter Twenty-Six: Rapid Progress

"Foot Shave String!!"

However, Yu did not stop his movements. He spun his body in mid-air, utilizing his momentum to lash out with a powerful whip kick.

Eight nearly transparent, thin threads erupted from the tip of Yu's foot.

"BOOM!!"

The massive boulder sitting in front of Yu let out a thunderous roar.

Gravel flew in every direction as the rock was sliced clean in two by Yu's long-range kick.

The residual force did not stop there; Yu's strike even carved a long, deep trench into the ground before him.

"Rapid progress, indeed..."

"In just one year, have you already developed the abilities of the String-String Fruit to this extent?"

Without any warning, the Demon's enchanting voice echoed in Yu's ear.

Over the past year, Yu's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds; not only had he upgraded his Single-Color String technique to the Five-Color String, but he had also gradually developed other abilities and moves for the String-String Fruit. This Foot Shave String was one of them.

Foot Shave String—creating eight nearly transparent, thin threads from the tip of the foot, combined with a linear kick reinforced by the razor-sharp threads, it was powerful enough to send an opponent flying with a single blow.

This move was somewhat similar to a kicking version of the Five-Color String; its power could split a building in two, and even the strongest armor could not provide complete defense against it.

"Tch..."

"This level is still far from enough."

Hearing the Demon's praise, Yu seemed far from satisfied.

His amber, clear eyes were filled with an endless pursuit of power.

"We are currently in the most intense period of the Third Shinobi World War..."

"Facing the cruel meat grinder of the battlefield, no matter how strong you are, it will never feel like enough!"

"Water Style: Hard Vortex Water Blade!!"

Thinking of the brutal and fierce battlefield outside, Yu gritted his teeth, a sharp, piercing glint erupting in his eyes.

In the palm of his right hand, he condensed a Vanishing Rasengan, which bloomed with a blue light as it usually did.

After the Vanishing Rasengan formed in his palm, Yu carefully injected his own water-natured chakra into it.

"WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH!!"

A massive, roaring sound of rushing water erupted, and the Vanishing Rasengan in Yu's hand underwent an incredible transformation.

A highly concentrated water lance formed on Yu's right hand, covering his entire arm like a spiraling water tornado.

It emitted a constant, earth-shaking roar, as if Yu were holding an entire, highly compressed waterfall in his hand.

"What is this?!"

"You're insane! Stop it immediately!!"

"This technique is still too early for you!!"

Seeing the violent changes in the Vanishing Rasengan in Yu's hand, the Demon's voice shrieked in alarm.

BANG!!

But it was too late.

Before Yu could even feel a sense of accomplishment, the highly compressed, high-pressure water lance in his hand exploded.

The terrifying shockwave sent his entire body flying.

"A failure again, then..."

"Damn it, that hurts."

Yu, who had been thrown quite a distance away, sat up from the ground.

He looked at his right arm, which was covered in countless lacerations and dripping with blood.

Mystical Palm Technique!!

Without a moment's hesitation, while his arm was still functional, Yu immediately formed the hand seals.

A mass of green chakra condensed over his left hand. Under the healing effects of this incredibly sophisticated medical ninjutsu, Yu's blood-soaked right arm began to recover rapidly.

Mystical Palm Technique—a medical ninjutsu of a higher grade than ordinary healing spells.

It could achieve astonishing recovery speeds for both internal and external injuries through the emission of chakra, and it could even be used to treat targets from a distance of one meter.

It was also a super-high-level ninjutsu capable of disrupting the chakra circulation within another person's body to induce a comatose state, among other effects; because of its potential for great destruction to the human body, it was known as a combat medical ninjutsu.

However, due to the extremely high requirements for chakra control, there were very few users, and the technique had almost gone extinct. Even among the many medical ninjas, those capable of using the Mystical Palm Technique were a tiny minority.

It could activate all the cells in a wound, healing it in just five minutes; even Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, considered it difficult in the original records.

But after spending a year, Yu, who possessed immense talent for ninjutsu, had mastered this super-high-level medical ninjutsu at the age of six.

If anyone in the outside world knew, they would likely regard him as a shocking monster.

"Do you not want your arm anymore?!"

"If you keep acting so recklessly, you'll lose your life!"

Seeing the severe injuries on Yu's arm finally begin to heal under the super-strong therapeutic effects of the Mystical Palm Technique, the demon's irritable tone clearly revealed that her anger had not yet subsided.

Hard Vortex Water Blade was an original move Yu had developed by referencing an S-rank ultimate Water Style ninjutsu used by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, from a game in his past life called Ultimate Ninja Storm.

Such a ninjutsu did not exist in the Naruto World where Yu currently resided; it allowed for both long-range and close-quarters combat by creating a water vortex in the hand and condensing its form into a water javelin that rotated rapidly in layered, non-directional patterns.

If thrown with force, it would form a massive water tornado upon contact with the target, possessing immense attack power and a magnificent, overwhelming destructive force, making it the strongest known Water Style ninjutsu.

"Uh... if I just died like that..."

"Wouldn't you be able to devour my soul?"

The severe injuries on his arm had finally fully recovered under his own exquisite medical ninjutsu. However, feeling the demon's mix of heartache and anger, Yu could not help but feel stunned.

"You!!"

"I'm truly going to be angered to death by a guy like you!"

Seeing Yu's dull reaction, the demon could not help but choke with rage. She simply let her voice fade from Yu's ears and returned to a state of slumber.

"What is this..."

"She's just going to get angry like that?"

Feeling the demon's anger dissipate, Yu stood where he was, feeling completely bewildered.

"I really don't understand women... they're much more troublesome than practicing ninjutsu."

"However..."

After pulling his thoughts back, Yu looked at the sleeve of his right arm, which had been completely shredded and destroyed, and could not help but reveal a wry smile.

"Trying to infuse nature transformation into the Vanishing Rasengan without reaching the Jonin level... it really was too much of a stretch."

"After all, I'm not a freak like Naruto, who possesses both the Nine-Tails and the Uzumaki clan's constitution..."

A year had passed, and Yu, now six years old, had grown slightly taller than the year before. His hair was like moonlight, his eyes like amber, and his youthful face appeared increasingly refined and handsome.

Through a year of training, rain or shine, not only had his String-String Fruit abilities and ninjutsu practice seen leaps and bounds in progress, but his chakra level had also just managed to break through to the level of a Chunin.

Under the modification of the Paramecia Devil Fruit, his chakra reserves were not something an ordinary Chunin could even compare to.

Yu made a slight estimation in his heart: ordinary Chunin were no longer his match, and even if he faced a Jonin, he could guarantee a safe retreat even if he could not defeat them.