Three-Body Technique

A week passed in the blink of an eye. During this week of grueling training, the boys found themselves in a state of painful yet joyful growth.

A month had already passed since the start of their physical conditioning. Through this month of rigorous exercise, the boys' spirits had undergone a significant transformation. It wasn't just that they had slimmed down and hardened their bodies; the change in their temperament was even more profound.

Back when they were wandering as orphans, they had been, if not gaunt and sallow, certainly malnourished. After a month of proper care, they had finally regained the vitality expected of youths. The wretched, desperate aura they carried while wandering had been replaced by a burgeoning sense of vigor. With Jiraiya's protection, the boys no longer lived in constant trepidation, and they were gradually rediscovering their courage and self-confidence.

The boys' appearance was now completely different from before. They had long since discarded their tattered rags for brand-new ninja uniforms. While these uniforms held no appeal to Yuehua Ai in terms of fashion or aesthetics, the material itself was excellent—highly durable and lightweight, making it perfectly suited for a ninja's training and combat. Compared to their old clothes, there was simply no comparison.

The saying "clothes make the man" was undeniably true. There wasn't a trace of the street urchin left in them; they now looked exactly like the promising young ninja one would expect to see in a hidden village.

By noon today, Jiraiya had already tested their proficiency with hand seals. After a week of repeating the twelve basic seals countless times, they had finally integrated them into their instincts.

The result was ideal, but the process had been anything but easy. This instinctual mastery was built entirely upon the boys' blood and sweat. Over the past seven days and nights, aside from the time strictly necessary for eating and sleeping, they had spent every waking moment practicing seals. They practiced while doing physical training, while meditating, while walking, and even while attending to their physiological needs. Because of the repetitive strain, the skin on their fingers had worn raw, and at times, their hands would even spasm uncontrollably. Jiraiya taught them to use chakra to nourish their fingers and maintain the meridians in their hands, but even then, they frequently suffered from uncontrollable tremors. This was not just physical pain; it was a psychological ordeal.

Fortunately, they were all training together, urging and encouraging one another, which allowed them to persevere until the end.

Hard work always yields results. Even Jiraiya was secretly startled by their level of dedication. Fortunately, this world possessed chakra, which allowed for the rapid recovery of stamina and injuries. If this were his previous life, training at such an intensity without that advantage would likely have left their hands crippled within three days.

Having successfully met Jiraiya's requirements for hand seals, the boys began learning actual combat ninjutsu that afternoon.

"Today, I am going to teach you the Three Body Technique. These are the foundational courses taught at the Konoha Ninja Academy and are skills every ninja must master. Once you have mastered them, you can apply for graduation from the academy. If you succeed, you will transition from a student to a true ninja—a genin."

"Alright, enough talk. Let me give you a detailed introduction to the so-called Three Body Technique."

"The Three Body Technique is not the name of a single jutsu, but a collective term for three basic techniques: the Clone Technique, the Substitution Technique, and the Transformation Technique."

"The Clone Technique uses chakra to create an image of yourself. This clone has no physical capability; it is merely an afterimage, primarily used in combat to confuse the enemy's line of sight."

"The Substitution Technique is a more advanced skill. It allows the user to swap places with an object nearby, serving primarily to dodge attacks and create opportunities for a counterattack."

"To learn the Substitution Technique, you must first study the Transformation Technique. As the name implies, it allows the user to transform into other things—people or objects. In terms of difficulty, the Transformation Technique is the hardest because it requires precise control over one's chakra. Of course, for those with an excess of chakra, it can be easier. Just like the mental energy of Little Ai that I mentioned before—quantity can lead to a qualitative change. Although they might waste more chakra, the effect is not much different from precise control."

Jiraiya smiled after saying this and glanced at Nagato.

"Among you, only Nagato can learn the Substitution Technique without needing micro-control. His chakra reserves are the highest of any ninja I have ever known. Even I cannot compare to Nagato in terms of raw storage."

"Don't smirk, Nagato. Even though you have the talent, you must still learn to control your chakra precisely. You should know that what you will encounter in the future is far more than just these three techniques."

When Jiraiya mentioned Nagato's chakra reserves, Yahiko couldn't help but pout, looking somewhat envious. Nagato responded with a smile; clearly, he was quite proud of his own chakra. After all, he was still a boy at heart, and as most of his emotional burdens lifted, his youthful temperament began to surface.

As for Nagato's extraordinary chakra, Yuehua Ai was undoubtedly just as envious as Yahiko. He knew this was the advantage of the Sage Body. As descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, the Uzumaki Clan inherited the traits of the Sage Body: massive chakra reserves and immense vitality. To be honest, Yuehua Ai had always wanted to study Nagato's constitution. To a biological science geek from his past life, the Sage Body held an unparalleled attraction, and he was desperate to decode the secrets hidden within that physiology.

Unfortunately, he was still just a little brat, and he lacked proper research tools or an environment. For now, it was all just a pipe dream.

"Jiraiya-sensei, when I heard stories about ninja games, I heard that the Three Body Technique included the Body Flicker Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique!" Seeing Jiraiya pause, Yuehua Ai couldn't help but ask his question.

To be honest, he wasn't a fan of the Naruto series in his past life, and his knowledge of the lore wasn't detailed. In his impression, the Body Flicker and Shadow Clone were part of the Three Body Technique!

"Uh..." Jiraiya was stunned for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter. He reached out and ruffled Yuehua Ai's hair.

"You said it yourself—those are ninja games. Things passed down through stories are bound to be distorted. Since Little Ai brought it up, I'll mention the Body Flicker and Shadow Clone techniques."

"Let's start with the Shadow Clone. It is actually an upgraded version of the basic Clone Technique. Unlike the standard clone, which is just an intangible afterimage, the Shadow Clone is a solid entity. This clone possesses all the capabilities of the original, including the ability to fight and use ninjutsu. It is a high-level technique, and its only drawback is the massive chakra consumption. A Shadow Clone splits the user's chakra equally; if the original's reserves are low, both the user and the clone will lose the ability to use ninjutsu. That is why most ninja can only create two or three before they are spent; otherwise, they become a liability in battle. The basic Clone Technique doesn't have that problem. Since they are just afterimages, as long as you have enough chakra, you could create hundreds or even thousands."

"Calling the Shadow Clone part of the Three Body Technique isn't entirely wrong, as it is indeed an upgrade to the basic clone."

"Then is the Body Flicker Technique also an upgrade to some other jutsu?" Hearing Jiraiya's explanation, Konan couldn't help but wonder if the same applied to the Body Flicker.

Jiraiya shook his head. "The Body Flicker is different from the Shadow Clone."

"The Body Flicker is indeed one of the 'Three Body Techniques,' but it refers to a different set—what we might call the 'High-Level Three Body Technique.'"

"In the hidden villages, these are generally only taught to powerful ninja or those in special departments. Like the basic set, it consists of three techniques: the Body Flicker, the Immobilization Technique, and the Invisibility Technique."

"The effects of the Immobilization and Invisibility techniques are self-explanatory—one freezes the enemy, and the other hides the user. These are easy to understand, so I won't dwell on them. I want to focus on the Body Flicker."

"The Body Flicker is not one specific jutsu. In fact, any technique that achieves instantaneous movement can be called a Body Flicker. Space-time ninjutsu, high-speed taijutsu, and even the Substitution Technique I mentioned earlier are all technically included under that umbrella."

"Techniques that qualify as Body Flicker are not only practical but powerful. Aside from common ones like the Substitution Technique, the others are extremely rare and precious. In a duel between masters, the Body Flicker is often more decisive than large-scale destructive ninjutsu."

"Alright, you only need to know this much for now. Given your progress, it will be a long time before you reach that level. For now, don't get ahead of yourselves. Let me teach you the basic Three Body Technique."

After Jiraiya's explanation, Yuehua Ai and the others cleared up their confusion. Although they longed for the high-level techniques, they sat up straight and focused intently when Jiraiya began to detail the basics. Jiraiya-sensei was right; things like the Body Flicker were still far off, and they didn't need to worry about them yet. For now, they were simply happy to be learning something new.

The rain fell silently, and within the small cabin, all restlessness was masked by the sound of Jiraiya's voice.

"The hand seal sequence for the Transformation Technique is Ram-Snake-Tiger. The Clone Technique only requires the Tiger seal. The Substitution Technique is... Alright, memorize the sequences first. Next, I will explain the flow and frequency of the chakra you must coordinate with the seals. This is the most critical part..."

"Ouch... Jiraiya-sensei, why did you hit me!?" The boy's confused voice rang out.

"Hey, hey, hey, you idiot Yahiko! The Transformation Technique is Ram first, then Tiger. You fool, even if the two seals look similar, that is no excuse for getting it wrong. I'm only tapping your head now, but if you mess up again, I'll give you a Fire Style blast just like a grilled fish!"

"Ah, no, that's too cruel!" Yahiko groaned.

"Heh heh, you call that cruel? Just wait until later—I'll show you what a real nightmare is!"

Jiraiya squinted and chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the others sitting cross-legged nearby.

"Little Ai, Konan, Nagato, don't you laugh either. If you make a mistake, you won't fare any better than Yahiko!"

"Uh..." The group, who had been gloating over Yahiko's scolding, suddenly fell into a terrified silence.