Ayana's Talent

These thoughts only flashed through Chiba Shun's mind for an instant. Right now, he was in danger.

His already-strained defense immediately became riddled with openings after losing one sword.

At such close range, he simply had no time to use a jutsu to defend himself.

Killer B's next slash was already impossible for Chiba Shun to block.

Fortunately, A stepped in at that moment. He used Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Killer B and punched his sword aside.

Killer B also snapped out of it when A intervened.

Sakai Yushi hurried over to Chiba Shun. Seeing the small cuts on him, he asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Chiba Shun shook his head. His injuries were not serious, just superficial wounds.

Killer B said, "Thanks for the guidance. Here's your sword back."

As he spoke, he tossed back the sword Chiba Shun had thrown to him earlier.

That was not all. Killer B tossed over one of his own swords as well and said, "This one's for you. Consider it compensation."

Chiba Shun instinctively caught both swords, then froze in shock.

What a filthy rich guy!

Sakai Yushi was even worse off than Chiba Shun.

At first, he had thought Killer B had gone too far. It was only a spar, yet he had actually cut Chiba Shun.

But he did not think that anymore.

He desperately wanted to go up to Killer B and tell him, Cut me a few times too! Break one of my swords too!

But that was unrealistic.

He snatched the sword Killer B had given Chiba Shun and hugged it to his chest, refusing to let go.

Killer B had successfully completed the Six-Sword Style, and A was equally excited.

Just as he was about to say something, an Elite Jonin suddenly appeared and told him, "Killer B needs to return."

Killer B had used too much chakra today. Those responsible for protecting the Jinchūriki were worried that something might happen.

A nodded. After seeing Killer B off, he unexpectedly came back.

He walked over to Sakai Yushi, who was still rolling around on the ground while clutching Killer B's sword, and asked, "Sakai Yushi, are you practicing the Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique?"

Sakai Yushi did not understand why he was asking, but he nodded. "Yeah. Shun even helped me exchange for this jutsu."

Chiba Shun immediately understood A's intentions. He said, "You two talk. I'll head back to the Ninja Academy first."

A clearly intended to guide Sakai Yushi in the Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique, and Chiba Shun could not listen in.

Sure enough, A nodded, then said to Sakai Yushi, "I'll teach you."

After saying that, he demonstrated the Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique in front of Sakai Yushi before beginning to explain some of its finer points.

Sakai Yushi was overjoyed. He had encountered quite a few difficulties practicing the Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique alone. He had even overstimulated his body with Lightning Release chakra and suffered several minor injuries.

He had spent quite a bit of money treating those injuries. In just a few days, he had already spent tens of thousands of ryo.

If A could help him quickly master the Lightning Release Stimulation Method, he could save Chiba Shun a great deal of money.

A, the Raikage's heir, proved quite reliable when guiding someone else's training. Under his personal instruction, Sakai Yushi quickly got the hang of it.

A also said that although Killer B had contributed greatly to developing the Six-Sword Style Sword Art, the sword art could still be considered the work of Chiba Shun and Sakai Yushi. They could submit it to the village themselves in exchange for contribution points.

However, A also pointed out that while this sword art had reached A-rank, it was honestly too unconventional. The village probably would not have many people willing to learn it.

So the village likely would not store it as an A-rank Jutsu.

It would be best to submit it after they had established its reputation on the battlefield. That way, the village would take it seriously.

In the end, Chiba Shun could not win against Sakai Yushi's persistence. The next day, he gave him the sword Killer B had gifted him.

Watching Sakai Yushi become increasingly proficient with the Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique, Chiba Shun felt deeply envious.

Barring any surprises, once Sakai Yushi completed his training in the Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique, he would probably become a Jonin before long.

Chiba Shun's current strength, however, was still far from that of a Jonin. He still needed to train.

Chiba Shun mentally reviewed the two A-rank Earth Release techniques and made up his mind. Starting tomorrow, he would officially begin training in an A-rank Earth Release jutsu.

The first A-rank Jutsu Chiba Shun trained in was Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique.

In the original story, Kitsuchi of Iwagakure had used this jutsu to briefly restrain the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path after it absorbed a massive amount of Tailed Beast chakra.

Chiba Shun liked this jutsu very much, so he had demanded it during his negotiations with Danzo.

Konoha's foundations both amazed and delighted Chiba Shun. Danzo really did have this jutsu.

However, the difficulty of training in Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique exceeded Chiba Shun's imagination.

His chakra reserves had already reached the standard needed to use an A-rank Jutsu, yet even after multiple attempts, he still could not cast one.

Chiba Shun calmed down and thought it over. Then he understood what he lacked.

Willpower, a ninja way, and chakra level.

After all, he was only a Chunin. His chakra level was still not high enough for him to use an A-rank Jutsu.

The complexity of an A-rank Jutsu and its extreme demands on chakra control were also beyond what he could accomplish at his current level.

After realizing that, Chiba Shun shed his impatient mindset and began studying his first A-rank Jutsu bit by bit.

Ninjas could raise their chakra level through battle, jutsu training, or by finding their own ninja way.

The last method was faster. As long as a ninja found their true ninja way in their heart, they could grow quickly.

But that was far too difficult.

Especially for Chiba Shun. His thoughts were too complicated for him to form any pure, extreme conviction.

His way of thinking differed from everyone else's in this world.

He knew the war of the sages that would inevitably happen in the future, so his views on chakra and ninjas differed from those of other ninjas.

He rarely had thoughts about protecting others or sacrificing himself for the village.

So it was difficult for him to grow quickly by finding his ninja way.

The only thing he could do was raise his chakra through battle or jutsu training.

When he had advanced to Chunin before, he had done so through day after day of sword training.

Too many messy things had happened recently, and Chiba Shun's mindset had begun to drift.

His negotiations with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, and the others, along with his contact with the Third Raikage and the advisers, had caused him to misjudge his own position.

His interactions with Minato Namikaze, A, Killer B, and the others had caused him to misjudge his own talent even more!

Fortunately, he had sobered up now. He was still just an insignificant Chunin.

And he had only become a Chunin one year ago!

"I'm only a genius in the eyes of ordinary people. Compared with people like A and Minato Namikaze, I'm far inferior."

"I can't just think I'm a genius because I've had some contact with them!"

"The Third Raikage and A value me not because of my talent, but because of my unconventional ideas. They see me as an adviser."

"Training in A-rank Jutsu and slowly raising my chakra level—that is the path to advancement for an ordinary ninja like me!"

After getting his head straight, Chiba Shun began the dull routine of training day after day.

Of course, Chiba Shun had not forgotten his actual job.

He had not set aside his work at the Ninja Academy. Every day, he still spent time searching through thousands of students for those with unusual talent.

Whenever he encountered talented students, he continued to show them care in the name of the Will of Lightning and helped look after their daily lives.

One day, Chiba Shun came to Asano Yujin's office.

Asano Yujin had lost an arm in a Kirigakure shinobi ambush. Since he was skilled in Sealing Scrolls, Chiba Shun had invited him to the Ninja Academy.

Today, Chiba Shun intended to check in on his colleague and see whether he was adapting well to life at the Ninja Academy.

However, Chiba Shun saw Ayana in Asano Yujin's office.

After thinking about it, Chiba Shun realized that Ayana was also a survivor of the battle against the Kirigakure shinobi. She and Chiba Shun had both helped Asano Yujin seal corpses.

So it was only natural that she knew Asano Yujin.

Ayana was seriously drawing something on a special sheet of paper under Asano Yujin's guidance.

Chiba Shun watched for a while. Only after they stopped did he clear his throat and ask, "Ayana, why are you here?"

Ayana glanced toward the door upon hearing him, then said in surprise, "Teacher Shun?"

She stood and bowed to Chiba Shun before saying, "Teacher Shun, Teacher Asano needs an assistant to make scrolls."

"When Teacher Shun and I helped Teacher Asano seal the corpses at the border last time, I found Sealing Scrolls very interesting."

"Teacher Asano is somewhat inconvenienced, so I came over to help."

Ayana's constitution was much stronger now than before she had gone to Konoha.

When she, Shosuke, and the others were in Konoha, they followed Chiba Shun's advice. They ate well and trained hard every day, improving their physiques somewhat.

After returning to the village, she also received the fifty thousand ryo in cash that Chiba Shun had given her.

Although she had grown up an orphan, perhaps because she had witnessed Konoha's prosperity and experienced a brush with death, she was not miserly.

She knew that money only counted as money once it was turned into strength.

So, like Chiba Shun, she had maintained the same food allowance she had in Konoha and never neglected her daily training.

Her current strength was still weak, and fifty thousand ryo was enough to support her training for a long time.

Chiba Shun nodded to Asano Yujin, then looked over the scroll Ayana had made.

After thinking for a moment, Chiba Shun asked Asano Yujin, "Senior Yujin, how is Ayana's talent?"

Asano Yujin smiled. "Ayana has good talent. At first, I merely tried explaining the principles behind Sealing Scrolls to her, but I never expected her to understand so easily."

"When I studied under my captain back then, theory alone took me more than a month."

"Ayana has only been learning from me for a few days, yet she has already grasped the basics of making Sealing Scrolls."

Chiba Shun nodded. "Kumogakure has fewer talented people than Konoha in every field. If Ayana has talent in this area, then please guide her well, Senior Yujin."

After a pause, he added, "I'll allocate some funds for the two of you to research Sealing Scrolls."

Calling it research was really just Chiba Shun using his authority to draw on the Ninja Academy's budget and give Ayana and Asano Yujin special treatment.

This was authority Aoki Yuyi had granted Chiba Shun, and it also aligned with the Ninja Academy's goal of cultivating specialized talents.

So Chiba Shun was not violating any rules.