Master and Disciple

The marked improvement in Shaye's body and chakra was like a stone cast into a lake, sending ripples through the hearts of those who cared about him. Among them, Elder Chiyo felt it most deeply and acted most swiftly.

She had personally witnessed the entire process of the child going from frail and feeble to brimming with vitality. She had also seen his resilience, wisdom, and near-greedy thirst for knowledge, all far beyond ordinary. Hidden Sand Village had suffered greatly after the war, and talented people were scarce. At a time when capable hands were needed, such an uncut gem could not be allowed to remain buried or left to grope his way forward alone.

One day, Chiyo summoned Shaye to the study in her home, her expression more solemn than usual. She did not mention investigating the source of the changes in his body. Instead, she directly spread out several vastly different scrolls.

"Shaye," Chiyo said steadily, her voice carrying unquestionable weight, "now that you have crossed the most difficult threshold, you can no longer be satisfied with piecemeal learning. True strength comes from systematic understanding and a solid foundation. From today onward, aside from your work in the Manufacturing Division, you will spend all your remaining time training according to my arrangements."

She never spoke the words "taking a disciple," but the meaning behind her words already showed that she regarded Shaye as one of her inheritors. Shaye was shaken, then immediately composed himself and lowered his head respectfully. "Yes, Granny Chiyo. I will give it my all."

Thus began a comprehensive course of training far more intense than anything before. The path Chiyo laid out for Shaye precisely targeted his strengths and needs.

Wind and earth nature and shape transformation: this was the core of ninjutsu cultivation. Chiyo no longer confined him to any fixed technique, instead beginning to teach him the most fundamental principles.

Earth nature transformation: she guided Shaye to sense the meanings of "weight," "solidity," and "bearing" within chakra. Rather than simply creating clumps of earth, he practiced giving chakra the "density" of earth, attempting to alter the hardness and plasticity of a small patch of ground. Shaye would often sit before a patch of earth for half a day, sensing the subtle changes as minute chakra adjustments turned soil from loose to hard, then from hard to quicksand.

Wind nature transformation: this meant sensing "sharpness," "flow," and "tearing." Chiyo had him use chakra to slice leaves, create ripples on the water's surface, and control air currents to blow grains of sand along specific paths. This demanded extremely precise chakra control, but it happened to play to Shaye's strengths. He could make a stream of air as sharp as a blade, or let it flow endlessly like a gentle breeze.

Advanced Medical Ninjutsu and human body materials: this part of his studies was directly tied to his ultimate goal of repairing himself. Chiyo opened up more precious internal materials to him, including some of her personal research notes.

His studies advanced from basic Healing Technique and Hemostasis Technique to the theories behind the more profound Chakra Scalpel, for precise cutting, and the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique, for removing toxins and foreign objects. Though his chakra reserves still prevented him from practicing high-level Medical Ninjutsu, he had begun accumulating theoretical knowledge.

More importantly, he delved deeply into the human meridian system, the functions of acupoints, cellular vitality, and chakra reactions. This provided crucial theoretical support for further improving the Body Refining Furnace in the future. He no longer viewed the human body merely as a black box, but had begun to understand the precise mechanisms of energy circulation within it.

Advanced Sealing Formulae: the sheer volume of this section was staggering. After Bunpuku learned that Shaye was receiving Chiyo's systematic training, he also increased both the depth and breadth of his teachings.

The curriculum began with basic forms such as the Evil Sealing Method and Four Symbols Seal, then expanded into complex Composite Barrier Technique, Energy Binding Technique, and even ancient runes involving the concept of spatial confinement.

Bunpuku's teaching was clear and accessible, while Shukaku's on-the-spot mockery provided plenty of negative examples and practical perspectives. Shaye had to spend enormous amounts of time memorizing, deducing, and understanding these incredibly complex formula structures. The burden on his mental strength was immense, but it also deepened his understanding of the "rules" of energy. This knowledge would become vital to upgrading the Puppet Core and the Body Refining Furnace in the future.

Advanced Puppet Technique and puppet-making technology: this was the foundation of his livelihood, and Chiyo's demands were even stricter here.

She began teaching him sophisticated control techniques beyond the basic scrolls, such as training to multitask by controlling multiple Chakra Threads at once for different operations, as well as how to attach nature chakra to puppets to strengthen their attacks.

In terms of construction, he began working with more complex transmission mechanisms, energy circuit optimization, and ways to apply Sealing Formulae to puppet cores in order to enhance their performance or grant them special abilities. She even allowed Shaye to observe her repairing and crafting advanced puppets, and the techniques contained within benefited him immensely.

Such an overwhelming volume of study nearly squeezed dry all of Shaye's time and energy. Like a sponge thrown into an ocean of knowledge, he absorbed everything with wild hunger. During the day, after completing his work in the Manufacturing Division, he used every spare moment to deduce nature transformations or memorize Sealing Formulae. At night, after tending the Body Refining Furnace, he would study by lamplight, researching medical notes or puppet blueprints.

Was he tired? Of course he was. But Shaye relished it. He could feel himself growing stronger at a terrifying pace—not merely in raw power, but in every aspect, building strength upon a deep and solid foundation.

As Chiyo watched Shaye absorb the knowledge she gave him at an astonishing speed, she was filled with amazement and became even more dedicated to nurturing him. Though they lacked the title of master and disciple, they had already fulfilled the reality of that relationship. Hidden Sand Village's future needed fresh blood like this, someone who possessed wisdom, perseverance, and creativity.

Shaye also understood that he had to walk this path toward strength, personally paved by Elder Chiyo, and he had to walk it well. For himself, and so that he would not disappoint her expectations.

(End of Chapter)