"Good. Your powers of observation have improved." Sakumo affirmed Shinji's answer.
"Your Sharingan gives you an exceptional ability to read your enemy's movements, even anticipate their next move. That is an enormous advantage you were born with. But, Shinji, your blade must not simply follow your 'eyes.' It must also follow your 'heart.' Once you have anticipated a move, 'breaking through' is not your only option. A more sophisticated approach is to 'guide,' to 'control,' to establish a rhythm of battle that favors you. Try deliberately holding back thirty percent of your strength with every attack. That reserve is not meant to go to waste. It lets you keenly sense the response the instant your blade touches its target-are they blocking, dodging, or deflecting it with finesse? At the same time, that reserve gives you the means to respond to any 'unexpected developments' on the battlefield. As for your Fire Release chakra..."
He paused, his gaze passing over the flames dancing in the campfire. "It does not represent only destruction and explosive power. In battle, it can disrupt and erode an enemy's chakra flow. It can create favorable conditions by altering your immediate surroundings, such as evaporating Water Release or setting a forest alight. It can even... become a blazing screen when necessary, a temporary barrier protecting the comrades behind you. The key lies in the 'meaning' you give it in your heart when you swing your blade."
Those words struck Shinji's heart with the deep, clear resonance of temple bells in the mountains, dispersing some of the haze left by his fixed assumptions.
He had always pursued greater power, greater speed, and more precise points of attack, yet unconsciously neglected the most subtle and important elements of battle-"rhythm" and "control."
Sakumo's guidance taught him no specific moves, yet it