Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu

In Konoha's forty-second year, he had spent a year at the Ninja Academy. He was still the same dead last in physical fitness, with abysmal ninja tool throwing. Yet in the unseen realms of the mind and theory, his progress had been nothing short of astonishing.

He had already read Father Shaliu's scrolls of insights on Wind Release and Earth Release training countless times. Though his threadbare chakra prevented any actual practice, that did not stop him from repeatedly deducing and simulating everything in his mind—the sequence of every hand seal, the path of every strand of chakra, and how they drew upon natural energy to produce the corresponding ninjutsu effects. His immense mental energy and exceptional memory made this kind of "armchair warfare" training remarkably effective.

His chakra control had also been honed to increasingly monstrous levels through this extreme form of "microscopic" cultivation. Manipulating that tiny thread of chakra was like using the most precise instrument to control an embroidery needle. It demanded absolute precision and stability rather than brute force.

That afternoon, the weather was unusually less scorching. Shaye was alone in the small courtyard at home. Looking at the dry, sandy ground beneath his feet, a thought he could no longer suppress surfaced—he wanted to try the Earth Release technique he had simulated countless times in his mind.

He chose the most basic D-rank Earth Release technique—Headhunter Jutsu. This technique was not meant for direct attack. Instead, it injected chakra into the ground, softened the earth around the user, allowed the user to burrow underground, then launched a surprise attack from beneath the enemy's feet, dragging them into the soil with only their head exposed. It was an auxiliary ninjutsu that emphasized technique and surprise attacks.

"Theoretically, this technique doesn't require that much chakra in absolute terms. It focuses more on releasing chakra instantaneously and precisely altering the soil's properties..." Shaye recalled the key points from the scroll and his own analysis. "With my control, perhaps... I can try using it at minimum power?"

Overwhelming curiosity and the urge to put it into practice overcame everything else. He took a deep breath and slowly, yet extraordinarily steadily, began forming hand seals—Ram, Snake, Tiger. Every seal was textbook-perfect, the result of practicing them thousands upon thousands of times in his mind.

At the same time, he precisely mobilized the pitiful thread of chakra within his body, circulated it through a specific path of chakra channels, and finally concentrated it in his feet.

"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"

He gave a low shout and fiercely injected chakra into the ground beneath his feet!

Bzzzz...

A faint yet exceptionally precise chakra pulse spread outward. The ground beneath his feet instantly softened into mud, like quicksand. His body immediately began sinking!

It worked! Shaye's heart surged with excitement.

However, the joy of success lasted less than a second.

Just as everything below his shoulders had sunk into the earth and he was preparing to maintain a small underground space with chakra and move according to the technique's principles, a problem arose—his chakra was exhausted!

That thread of chakra, precisely controlled as it was, had only been enough to complete the first step: softening the earth and sinking himself into it. As for the continuous chakra output needed to "maintain an underground space" and "move through the earth," it was simply a fantasy for him!

His descent came to an abrupt halt.

He was like a radish planted in the ground, completely buried from the neck down in the softened soil, with only his little head sticking out. Without chakra to sustain it, the soft dirt rapidly hardened and compacted, trapping him firmly inside!

"???"

Shaye froze and tried to struggle, but his body was tightly wrapped in rapidly solidifying soil. He could not move at all. With only his head exposed, he looked utterly ridiculous—and somewhat pitiful.

He tried to mobilize chakra, but his body was completely empty. That tiny thread of chakra had been used up entirely. His powerful mental energy was useless now; even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice.

The sun slowly set in the west, stretching his shadow long—though it was only the shadow of a head. The courtyard was silent, save for the faint sound of wind brushing over sand and gravel. For the first time, Shaye truly understood what it meant to be completely unable to move.

He began reflecting on the entire process and analyzing the cause of failure. "Calculation error. I underestimated the technique's sustained consumption and overestimated my total chakra reserves. The energy output was controlled precisely, but insufficient total energy storage is a fatal flaw. I need to remodel it, or... find a lower-consumption alternative..." He was completely immersed in technical analysis, even temporarily forgetting the embarrassing predicament of being stuck in the ground.

After an unknown amount of time, the courtyard gate was pushed open.

Shaliu, returning home from work with weary steps, entered the courtyard, habitually intending to see what his son was doing. Then he saw an astonishing sight—in the middle of the family's courtyard, from the flat ground, a little head was sticking out! It was his son, Shaye! Those black eyes looked at him, filled with calm analysis... and a trace of helpless embarrassment.

"...Shaye?" Shaliu suspected that he was so tired he was hallucinating. "What... what are you doing?"

"Father," Shaye said calmly despite the bizarre scene, "I'm practicing Headhunter Jutsu. But I didn't have enough chakra, so I got stuck. Can you help me out?"

"..." Shaliu stood stunned for several seconds before his shoulders began trembling uncontrollably. He struggled to hold back his laughter, and the ridiculous sight washed away much of the exhaustion from his face. He walked over, looked at his son stuck in the dirt with such a serious expression, and finally burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahahahaha... Headhunter Jutsu... hahaha... you really did get the 'head' out for the 'hunter'... hahaha..." Shaliu laughed as he crouched down and began digging away the hardened earth around his son with his hands.

Watching his father laugh so freely for once, Shaye also showed a helpless smile on his little face. This time, he had truly embarrassed himself.

Before long, Shaliu had "dug" his son out of the ground. Shaye was covered head to toe in dirt, looking like a little mud monkey.

"You..." Shaliu brushed the dirt from his son's body, his tone both amused and heartbroken. "The idea was good. Your control seems fine, and your hand seals were very standard. But your chakra reserves... sigh..." He sighed and rubbed Shaye's head. "Next time you want to practice, wait until I'm home, understand? It's too dangerous."

"Mm." Shaye nodded obediently. This experience had made him understand with absolute clarity what his greatest weakness currently was—energy reserves. He had a top-tier control system and design concepts, but no power source to drive them.

At the same time, he had become even more certain of his strengths. With such a minuscule amount of chakra, he had still precisely activated the first stage of the technique. That level of control was likely beyond even many Chunin. Moreover, while buried underground, his powerful perception had clearly captured every minute detail of chakra flow and property changes within the soil. That, too, was valuable experience.

The road to becoming stronger was still long, but its direction had never been clearer.