Half a month had passed since his consciousness fully awakened that day.
Ling's life had changed completely. By day, he was still a quiet, inconspicuous gray-haired boy at the Konoha Orphanage, merely a little more composed than the other children his age. His appetite also seemed to have grown considerably.
But whenever night fell and all was quiet, or he found a moment alone, the hellish training began.
[Your breathing rhythm is wrong! When molding chakra, your breathing must synchronize with the flow of energy to make every breath as efficient as possible! Again!] Tobirama's icy voice was like the most precise carving blade, allowing not the slightest error.
Ling sat cross-legged in the most secluded corner of the orphanage's backyard, his little face flushed red as he struggled to adjust his breathing. He had to devote most of his attention to sensing the faint current within his body while enduring the endless criticism and reprimands in his mind.
This Second Hokage was a perfectionist and a drill instructor from hell, through and through.
[Too slow! At that rate, do you think an enemy would give you time to build up chakra at your leisure? Faster!]
[Control! How many times have I told you? Control! Your chakra is like a wild dog off its leash! Nine parts out of ten are dissipating! Such waste is disgraceful!]
[Purity! Sense the purity of the energy! Use your mental power to remove the impurities! Hmph, even that filthy substance called "gutter oil" in your past-life memories was refined more carefully than what you're doing now!]
Countless times, Ling inwardly grumbled that even after being dead for so many years, this man's verbal firepower hadn't diminished in the slightest. Having seen Ling's past-life memories, he even knew about gutter oil. His cutting remarks could make anyone shut down. Still, Ling had to admit that under Tobirama's intense, exacting guidance, his progress in chakra molding and control was nothing short of terrifying.
In just half a month, the amount of chakra he could draw upon had far surpassed that of the orphanage's six- and seven-year-olds, even approaching the level of some genin. His control was even more refined. He could now easily concentrate chakra at his fingertip and maintain a steady output the size of an embroidery needle's point for longer than it took an incense stick to burn.
This was not merely talent. It was the result of Tobirama's scientific training methods, which pushed him almost to his limits and far surpassed the contemporary Ninja Academy curriculum.
"Teacher, I've finished today's quota of chakra control exercises," Ling reported inwardly, letting out a small breath of relief. Several consecutive hours of intense concentration had left him mentally exhausted.
[Hmm. Barely passable.] Tobirama snorted. [Next comes the important part. Go to the water jar and practice sensing "pure water."]
Ling walked over to the large water jar in the corner of the yard. At Tobirama's direction, he had begged one of the orphanage's caretakers to prepare it for him, using "I want to play with water" as his excuse.
[Put your hand in the water and close your eyes. Don't look with your eyes. Use your mind and your chakra to "feel" every drop.] Tobirama's instructions were concise and clear.
Ling immersed his little hand in the cold water and closed his eyes as instructed.
At first, there was only darkness and a cold sensation against his skin. But when he slowly extended his chakra through the water jar with the precise control Tobirama had taught him, bringing it into contact with the water-
A miracle happened.
His "vision" suddenly opened up!
The darkness was gone, replaced by an incredibly intricate blue world in constant motion! He could clearly "see" every tiny speck of dust in the water and feel the irregular thermal motion of its molecules. He could even sense the minute cracks at the bottom of the jar and the branching patterns of the moss.
This was no longer mere touch, but a sense of absolute control that reached down to the microscopic level, encompassing all three hundred and sixty degrees without a single blind spot!
[Do you feel it? That power you inherited from your mother.] Tobirama's voice carried the distinctive excitement of a researcher. [Ordinary Water Release shinobi sense and control "water found in nature," which contains countless impurities, minerals, microorganisms, dust... All of these create resistance to control and cause energy loss.]
[But you are different.] Tobirama's tone grew solemn. [What your bloodline has an affinity for, what it can control absolutely, is what your past-life memories defined as-"absolute pure water."]
Ling's heart jolted. Absolute pure water? The stuff that, in theory, contained nothing but H₂O molecules, without any impurities...
[Correct.] Tobirama confirmed his thought. [Your chakra-or rather, your kekkei genkai-allows you to naturally "reject" all substances other than water molecules when sensing and controlling water, resonating directly with water in its most fundamental form. That means lower control costs, greater penetration, higher energy transmission efficiency, and... ultimate flexibility in shape transformation!]
Excitement surged through Ling as he listened. So his cheat was this scientific?!
[But that is only potential.] Tobirama threw cold water on his excitement. [Your control is still crude. You are merely using a portion of this property instinctively. Starting today, you must consciously "purify" the water you control. Use your will and chakra to construct a true domain of "absolute pure water," however small its range may be.]
[Now, try moving them. Don't stir them-command them! Use your intent to control "absolute pure water"!]
Ling concentrated, trying to issue commands to "gather" and "rotate" to the water in a particular area. This time, rather than crudely pouring chakra into it, he tried using his chakra as a "sieve" and a "mold" to guide the water molecules themselves.
A hum...
A small vortex, far clearer and more concentrated than before, quietly formed. Its rotational speed and stability far exceeded his earlier attempts, and it even seemed to give off a faint hum.
[Very good! That's the feeling! Maintain it! Try changing its shape at the same time! A cone!]
Ling struggled to maintain that wondrous feeling of "purification" and "shaping." The front of the little vortex slowly began to protrude, growing pointed.
Time flew by amid the tedious yet miraculous practice. Only when the sun was setting and the orphanage's dinner bell rang did Ling emerge from that mysterious state. His little face was pale, but his eyes shone remarkably bright.
This near-absolute ability to sense and control water fascinated him deeply. This was his cheat, the foundation on which he would stand!
At dinner, Ling wolfed down his food. The enormous expenditure of energy had left him ravenous.
Several slightly older children at his table saw how eagerly he was eating and deliberately picked a fight. One chubby boy reached out to snatch a meatball from Ling's bowl.
"Hey, Ling, what do you need so much food for? Give me one!"
Ling's gaze turned cold. He was not truly a three-year-old. With the memories of both his previous life and this one, his mental age far exceeded that of these little brats. Instinctively, he wanted to draw on his chakra and teach the boy a lesson.
[Fool!] Tobirama's cold rebuke hit him like a bucket of ice water. [Using your power over something this trivial? Is that the extent of your mettle? Conceal your strength and avoid meaningless conflicts. That is how you survive! Use finesse!]
Ling immediately calmed down. Just as the chubby boy's hand was about to touch the meatball, he raised his hand to block it in apparent panic, his fingers "accidentally" tipping over the nearby soup bowl.
"Oops!"
The slightly cool vegetable soup splashed squarely over the chubby boy's hand and clothes.
"Ah! My new clothes!" The chubby boy shrieked and jumped away, frantically wiping himself off. He no longer had any attention to spare for stealing meatballs.
Ling lowered his head, pretending to be frightened, while the corners of his mouth curled slightly upward.
[Hmph. Your reaction was acceptable, but your execution was crude and your acting exaggerated. You still need practice.] Tobirama's assessment was critical as ever, though he seemed a little less severe.
That night, lying in bed, Ling couldn't help asking, "Teacher, can 'absolute pure water'... really be achieved? In my previous life, it was only a theoretical concept."
[Hmph. Naturally, mortal technology would struggle to attain it.] Tobirama spoke proudly. [But chakra is the power of miracles, and kekkei genkai are miracles among miracles. Your body and soul are the finest experimental grounds and reaction furnace. If the theory exists, then realizing it is possible. I will combine your bloodline's properties, the laws of chakra, and those theories in your memories to create a training program tailored to you.]
[This is not merely training, but a study unlike any undertaken before. Ling, your very existence is a research subject that could overturn everything the shinobi world knows about Water Release.]
Tobirama's voice brimmed with a fervor for exploring the unknown.
Ling drew a deep breath, feeling both the immense weight and the limitless possibilities.
"I understand, Teacher. I'll work hard."
[Good. Now, sleep. Tomorrow, we will add "Chakra Polarity Fine-Tuning" exercises. They are the foundation for efficiently filtering and controlling water molecules. There will also be "Environmental Free Water Molecule Capture" exercises...]
Ling drifted into a deep sleep amid the hellish training plans the Second Hokage had devised by combining scientific ninja arts with modern theory.
Before you continue