But as time went on, the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist Kawaki Aoba displayed became more and more complete. Yuhi Shinku had no choice but to believe him, and by now, he was completely numb.
At the same time, Yuhi Shinku hit harder and harder.
This brat's talent was downright inhuman. It was so infuriatingly enviable—and what made it worse was that he'd dared to steal his precious daughter away. You little punk, get ready for a loving lesson from your future father-in-law!
As for Kawaki Aoba, he'd wanted to let Teacher Shinku vent a little, but he hadn't expected Yuhi Shinku to hit him so hard. That was partly because he'd taken the medicine beforehand, which meant Yuhi Shinku didn't have to worry about seriously injuring him. And the boost the Chakra Cloak gave a ninja was simply outrageous.
Even with his newly acquired, powerful Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, he was still getting thrashed by his jealous future father-in-law.
Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist was powerful, but it depended on who was using it. In Bang's hands, it was a peerless martial art worthy of ranking him third among the S-Class heroes. In the hands of an ordinary student at a dojo, though, it was just a fighting style a little better than regular karate.
As for Kawaki Aoba, even though the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist was no match for Yuhi Shinku, who'd donned the Chakra Cloak and reached Elite Jonin strength, it at least let him protect himself.
Well, by "protect himself," I mean simply that he wasn't getting killed.
But that was enough for Kawaki Aoba. As long as he didn't get killed and could keep his opponent occupied, he had nothing to fear, with his endless supply of potions.
Just like now, as time passed, the medicine's effects on Yuhi Shinku wore off, and the Chakra Cloak's effects gradually weakened.
Thanks to the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, Kawaki Aoba was holding out much better than before.
Still, he wasn't foolish enough to counterattack once Yuhi Shinku's medicine wore off. That would only bring trouble down on himself and offer no other benefit.
After letting Yuhi Shinku vent his grievances, he proved to be a pretty good captain and future father-in-law.
He gave Kawaki Aoba all the insights he'd gained over the past few days while developing the Chakra Cloak.
At the same time, he asked about the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.
"Brat, you'd better tell me what's going on with that strange fighting style of yours. There's no way you came up with such a powerful style out of nowhere in just a few days. And don't try to tell me you'd already come up with a rough version before. Your old Taijutsu moves showed no sign of this at all."
"Ahem." Kawaki Aoba gave a light cough, then immediately took a book from his ninja pouch and handed it to Yuhi Shinku.
"A manual? Don't tell me you got absurdly lucky and found something an old master left beh—"
As he spoke, Yuhi Shinku opened the book. But before he could take a proper look, the contents inside left him stunned.
Shocked, he snapped the book shut and stared at Kawaki Aoba in disbelief. "The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist manual! How did you get your hands on this?"
"Someone from the Hyuga Clan personally gave it to me, of course." As he spoke, Kawaki Aoba told Yuhi Shinku everything that had happened to him over the past few days, along with his suspicions.
Yuhi Shinku listened intently, but his expression was just as grim.
"These so-called noble clans are truly despicable. They even came up with a scheme like this. I was careless. Aoba, why don't you move in with me after a few days? Your teacher may not carry as much weight as the Hyuga Clan, but with my current strength, I can definitely protect you."
To his surprise, Kawaki Aoba shook his head. "Teacher Shinku, do you really think that at my current strength, I'd still be afraid of them pulling little tricks behind my back?"
Hearing this, Yuhi Shinku finally understood. He'd been so angry that he'd nearly forgotten: Kawaki Aoba's current strength was already nearly on par with his own. With the Chakra Cloak on top of that, Aoba could even go toe-to-toe with him in his normal state.
Besides, the brat was as cunning as a monkey. If he was ready for them, the Hyuga Clan would find it nearly impossible to do anything to him.
Then Yuhi Shinku heard Kawaki Aoba add, "Come to think of it, I should thank the Hyuga Clan. If they hadn't provided me with this Gentle Fist manual, I never could have drawn on the current's power while bathing in the river and created the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist."
Just as he'd thought, Yuhi Shinku said to himself. His mouth twitched, and though the explanation sounded ridiculous, he could just about accept it.
What else could he do? Aside from Kawaki Aoba, there probably wasn't another person in the entire Shinobi World who knew the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. It would even be difficult to find another Taijutsu style like it.
So no matter how absurd it sounded, he could only believe that Kawaki Aoba had created the style while bathing in the river.
No—judging from their earlier exchange, it wasn't merely an ordinary fighting style. It could draw on the Water Release Chakra within the body to coat attacks. That put it in the realm of Nintaijutsu.
Now, the Hyuga Clan had offended a monster like this. Judging by Kawaki Aoba's personality, the Hyuga Clan was bound to face a major upheaval in the future.
"Teacher Shinku, what do you think of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist?" In the courtyard of the Yuhi Residence, Kawaki Aoba openly passed the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist on to Yuhi Shinku.
At first, practicing a fighting style created by his own student made Yuhi Shinku feel a little awkward. But after following Kawaki Aoba's instructions and giving it a try, he was instantly won over.
"As for the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, your teacher may not have as much knowledge as the Hokage, but the results speak for themselves. It's at least an S-rank Nintaijutsu. Even among the village's treasured techniques, it would rank near the top.
"Its potential is no less than the Lightning Style Ninjutsu secretly passed down in Kumogakure."
Yuhi Shinku didn't think he was exaggerating at all. If anything, he was being conservative.
Kawaki Aoba felt the same way. And just now, while teaching Teacher Shinku the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, he'd discovered another hidden benefit: practicing it could effectively train one's Water Release Chakra.
Yuhi Shinku even relied on his instincts to determine that if someone practiced the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist for a long time, it could build a solid foundation for developing the nature transformation of Water Release Chakra, even without a natural aptitude for it.
That effect was truly heaven-defying.
Before you continue