[Great Sage: Combined with the host's advanced swordsmanship, its destructive power increases exponentially.]
That sounded promising!
But a flash of inspiration struck Lei Dou. He could optimize it further: the high-density chakra inside would focus solely on temperature, while the ordinary chakra outside would focus on acidity.
Wouldn't that mean a double critical hit, physical and magical?
[Great Sage: Reanalyzing...] [Analysis in progress...] [Estimated feasibility has surged to 80%.]
Then quit wasting time and start calculating!
[Calculation initiated...] [10%...20%...]
The calculations ran so absurdly fast that Lei Dou barely had time to react.
Naruto hadn't even popped a single balloon yet, while Lei Dou's progress bar had already filled up.
[Congratulations! The host has acquired a new skill: Boil Release: Hot Breath Blade.] [Boil Release: Hot Breath Blade: Uses micron-level chakra control to perform layered Boil Release nature transformation.] [The high-density inner chakra generates astonishing heat, granting the weapon unparalleled thermal cutting power.] [The outer chakra forms a corrosive aura. The host is immune; all other matter is subject to corrosion.] [Upon striking a target, hot breath is instantly injected. High-temperature steam erupts internally, burning the target, while acidic chakra corrodes flesh, delivering a devastating blow.]
As he read the skill description projected onto his retina.
Lei Dou couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face.
With that kind of power, it was practically a work of art born for slaughter!
Hot breath injected the instant the blade struck-who could withstand that?
No matter how brief the contact, even a grazing hit would probably cause instant nerve death in the struck area. They wouldn't even feel pain.
Then the corrosive breath would enter their body, breaking them down from the inside out.
This technique really has something going for it!
Lei Dou held his sword in one hand. Faint, deep-blue patterns emerged on its pitch-black blade.
He quickly formed a seal with one hand.
Boil Release: Hot Breath Blade!
Hissss-!!!
A teeth-grating noise suddenly erupted. Naruto, still wrestling with his balloon, snapped his head up.
His pupils contracted at the unbelievable sight before him.
Lei Dou held his sword in one hand. No flames rose from the blade; instead, white steam billowed upward, warping the air.
The piercing hiss was the shriek of steam vibrating at high frequency.
Lei Dou quietly gauged how quickly his chakra was draining.
As expected of Boil Release, its mana cost was steep, like leaving a faucet running.
But this move's greatest advantage was that it erupted outside his body, unlike Unrivaled Monster Strength, which stirred things up inside him.
When he activated Unrivaled Monster Strength, his chakra boiled inside him like a pot on the stove. There was no way he could spare the attention to cast another ninjutsu.
Now things were different. Even while maintaining Hot Breath Blade, Lei Dou could still instantly cast other release techniques.
That instantly expanded his combat options, keeping him from becoming a brute who could only spam basic attacks.
Although he couldn't use the Total Concentration Breathing Technique while it was active, his fundamental swordsmanship alone was enough to cut down a few Jonin like chopping vegetables.
And with Hot Breath Blade added to the mix...
Hissss!!
The steam billowed ever more fiercely, and the surrounding temperature climbed sharply.
Lei Dou flicked his wrist and slashed.
The moment Zangetsu cut through the air, the hot breath clinging to its edge surged along the slash like a beast freed from its cage.
He could expend chakra to launch a hot-breath slash wave without making direct contact.
But its range left a lot to be desired.
After traveling a little over a meter, its energy rapidly dissipated.
Lei Dou didn't mind. He raised Zangetsu, pointed it straight ahead, and poured chakra into it, releasing the hot breath at full power!
Boom!
Rolling heat wrapped in acidic mist blasted straight ahead like a white dragon.
It wasn't particularly fast, but wasn't this essentially a miniature, high-pressure Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique?
The hot breath swept across five or six meters and slammed into a tree so thick it would take two people to encircle it.
No wood chips flew. There was only a scalp-prickling sound of dissolution.
Before his eyes, the middle of the trunk melted away under the intense heat and acid, like butter meeting a hot knife.
Crack! Crash!
The tree groaned, and its upper half came crashing down, throwing up a cloud of dust.
Naruto was so startled that he dropped his balloon, his mouth hanging open in a blank stare.
"Wh-what kind of ninjutsu is that?"
Lei Dou dispersed the hot breath on his blade and turned to Naruto.
"Nothing much. This place is too cramped. Keep practicing. I'll find somewhere roomier to test my new move."
A new move?
Naruto couldn't wrap his head around it. When had this guy developed another ninjutsu?
During those few days he'd been away from the village?
Was developing ninjutsu as easy as eating and drinking?
What kind of monsters did this guy have living in his brain?
Naruto's head was full of questions, but before he could ask any of them, Lei Dou had already used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished.
He arrived beside a fast-flowing river outside the village.
Lei Dou leaped straight into the middle of the river.
He drew his sword.
This was the perfect place to train.
If he practiced that move on the woods, he'd strip the whole forest bare in no time. And damaging public property meant a fine.
Slashing at river water was a different story.
At worst, he'd evaporate some water and pollute it a little. It would all flow away soon enough.
Now that he'd successfully developed the technique, Lei Dou immediately used the interface to replace the skill in his passive slot with [Boil Release: Hot Breath Blade].
Tenfold training efficiency, plus idle training with no expenditure-it was practically the ultimate cheat.
Now it was time to grind proficiency like mad.
He activated [thought acceleration] mode.
"I'll try to grind Boil Release up to the threshold for composite fusion before dinner!"
"Ice Release has been idling long enough. After tonight, it'll definitely meet the requirements."
That would take care of both chakra control and release strength.
His only remaining weakness would be his physique.
Conveniently, he was heading out on a distant mission tomorrow. The trip would be nothing but walking and running, so he could treat it as endurance training.
By the time he returned from the Land of Waves, he'd have shored up that weakness too.
That was perfect time management.
"Time to get to work!"
Standing in waist-deep river water, Lei Dou began swinging Zangetsu furiously.
Huge quantities of scalding steam erupted instantly. The once bone-chilling water began warming at a visible rate.
That stretch of river became a boiling hot pot, bubbling furiously.
His Boil Release proficiency soared. The river water was constantly corroded and evaporated, while the chakra inside Lei Dou burned at a furious rate.
Greater consumption meant more intense nature transformation.
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Lei Dou could clearly feel his blade growing hotter, its overpowering ability to corrode everything becoming stronger.
He'd only intended to protect the environment, yet he'd stumbled upon the fastest way to level up.
At this ridiculous pace, he'd definitely reach the standard set by Great Sage before dark!
Lei Dou became so absorbed in training that he forgot everything else, utterly tireless.
Under his near-masochistic barrage of sword swings, his Boil Release strength skyrocketed.
As the sun neared the western horizon.
Great Sage's emotionless mechanical voice finally sounded.
[Great Sage: Analysis complete. The host's current Boil Release strength has reached the critical threshold for fusion.]
"Done already?"
Lei Dou exhaled deeply and dispersed the hot breath on his sword.
He'd spent the entire afternoon soaking in boiling water. His body could handle it, but he was mentally exhausted.
He jumped onto the bank, shook the droplets from his sword, and took a closer look.
After an afternoon wrapped in high-intensity Boil Release chakra, Zangetsu's originally deep-blue blade patterns had changed color.
The blue had faded, revealing a faint, eerie dark-red glow.
Had this sword... evolved?
Lei Dou was puzzled, but he didn't dwell on it. As long as it worked.
He sheathed his sword. Boil Release was taken care of; now he just had to wait for good news from Ice Release.
Once he woke tomorrow morning and collected his idle training gains, Ice Release would naturally reach the required strength.
He returned to the training ground.
To his surprise, Naruto had also managed to grind his way to the third stage.
The Rasengan had three steps: a balloon, a rubber ball, and finally practical application.
Right now, Naruto was stubbornly battling a rubber ball.
Watching the ball twitch like a heart in his hand without bursting, Naruto collapsed dejectedly onto the grass, panting heavily.
"This is too hard! No human could learn this thing!"
Lei Dou walked over and nudged his foot. "All right, haste makes waste. That's enough for today. It's almost dark. Let's head back."
At those words, Naruto immediately sprang to his feet. "Lei Dou! You're finally back! I was about to put up missing-person notices!"
"Yeah, I'm done. Looks like you're making pretty fast progress."
Naruto scratched his head sheepishly and grinned. "Hehe, it's all thanks to your teaching. Otherwise, I'd still be stumbling around like a headless chicken."
What did I teach him?
All I did was talk.
They walked back side by side, passing Ichiraku Ramen along the way.
"Lei Dou! Come on, let's grab a bowl of ramen!" Naruto's eyes gleamed hungrily.
Ramen?
Lei Dou immediately shook his head, refusing with a righteous expression.
Was he kidding? Naruto and Sasuke had blown every last bit of his money last time.
Now his pockets were completely empty. He couldn't find a single coin anywhere on him.
Ramen? He'd be better off going home and digging through the fridge for leftovers.
"Fine... If you're not coming, I'll go alone. I'm starving."
After saying goodbye to Naruto, Lei Dou dragged his exhausted body home.
His backside had barely touched the sofa, before he could even slump into it.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone knocked at the door.
Who now? Had Naruto forgotten his money and come begging for help?
Lei Dou got up and opened the door.
"Who is it?"
"Lei Dou... So you are home."
Seeing Hinata standing prettily in the doorway, Lei Dou paused.
The Hyuga Clan's young lady had actually managed to slip out this late at night?
"Hinata? Did you need something?"
"Um... I heard you're leaving on a distant mission tomorrow... so..."
Hinata had barely spoken before her cheeks visibly reddened. Steam was practically rising from her head.
Lei Dou smiled helplessly and stepped aside.
"Come inside. It's windy out."
"Huh? I-inside?" Hinata looked like a startled rabbit.
"What else? Leaving a beauty like you out in the cold would make me a terrible host."
Hinata took a deep breath, as though making some momentous decision, and shuffled stiffly inside.
Lei Dou's little home was simple, even shabby.
The whole place was visible at a glance. There was nothing beyond the essential furniture, giving it the chilly, lonely air of a bachelor's home.
"Have some water."
Lei Dou set the glass on the coffee table and gestured toward the sofa.
Hinata kept her head down, her eyes darting everywhere except toward Lei Dou. Clutching her glass, she curled up in a corner of the sofa like a timid little hamster.
"What were you trying to say earlier?"
Lei Dou took a sip of water and asked casually.
"I... I wanted to say... Lei Dou, your mission this time... you'll be gone for several days, right...?"
"Yeah. I'm going to the Land of Waves. Probably for about a week."
Hinata worked up the courage to lift her head and glance at Lei Dou, only to recoil as if she'd been shocked the instant their eyes met.
She fumbled around in her pocket until she finally pulled out a finely crafted Omamori.
"This... is for you, Lei Dou! I... I hope you come back safely!"
A protective charm?
Lei Dou accepted the Omamori, still warm from her touch. Warmth spread through his chest, and he smiled. "Thanks, Hinata."
She had come all this way just to deliver it so late at night. The girl had probably spent ages lingering nearby.
Touched, Lei Dou couldn't help leaning a little closer.
Seeing his handsome face draw nearer, Hinata's brain instantly shut down, leaving her flustered and at a complete loss.
"I... I'm getting late! I have to go home!"
She started to get up and flee.
"Sure. I'll walk you home."
Bang, bang, bang!!!
Just then, another frantic round of knocking sounded at the door.
Lei Dou was a little bewildered. Was today some kind of auspicious day? Why was everyone showing up one after another?
The moment Hinata realized someone was outside, her face went deathly pale.
If anyone saw the Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter in a boy's home in the dead of night, and word got out, her father would tear the place down!
"Who's there?"
Lei Dou called toward the door.
When he looked back, Hinata was pacing in circles, so frantic she was nearly in tears.
Lei Dou caught on, too. A boy and a girl alone together in one room-if that misunderstanding blew up, it really would be hard to sort out.
"Open up, Lei Dou! It's me!"
Hearing that rough, booming voice, Lei Dou slapped his forehead. His headache only got worse.
It was Uncle Masano!
Counting the days, this uncle he'd acquired really was due to drop off his living allowance. He was certainly punctual.