Testing the limits

Ryuto pushed open the wooden hut's door and headed straight for the tent on the other side of camp where Tobirama usually stayed.

The idea in his head was growing clearer, scratching away at him like a cat.

"A Saiyan's constitution, recovering from near death, a massive jump in strength..." Ryuto muttered as he walked. "Isn't that basically an official cheat? One you can farm over and over, at that."

The real question was, how could he farm it?

Last time, Madara had nearly killed him, triggering it naturally. He couldn't go risk his life against Madara every time, could he? How was that any different from throwing his life away?

He needed a controlled method.

He thought of Tobirama.

A few minutes later, Ryuto lifted the flap of Tobirama's tent.

Inside, Tobirama Senju was writing and sketching over a pile of scrolls without even looking up.

"Need something?" Tobirama asked.

"Yeah." Ryuto walked in and sat opposite him without ceremony. "Let's make a deal."

"Go on."

"You're very interested in my constitution, right?" Ryuto said. "The data you got from our last spar probably wasn't enough."

Tobirama's pen paused, and he looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll give you a chance to get a good, close look at how this constitution of mine actually works." Ryuto leaned forward. "But you have to work with me."

"How?"

"Go all out," Ryuto said. "Don't hold back. Simulate a fight to the death. Beat me within an inch of my life-within controlled limits, of course."

The tent fell silent for several seconds.

Tobirama set down his pen and folded his hands on the table, his red eyes fixed on Ryuto.

"What are you trying to test?"

"My limits." Ryuto made no secret of it. "I suspect that after taking extreme damage, coming close to death, and recovering, my strength skyrockets. After fighting Madara last time, I lay unconscious for days and woke up much stronger. I want to verify it."

"You want to exploit that trait to grow stronger quickly," Tobirama summarized.

"Right."

"The risk is high," Tobirama said. "'Controlled near death' is a difficult balance to strike. If I strike too lightly, the test proves nothing. Too hard, and you might actually die."

"That's why I need someone at your level," Ryuto said. "Precise strikes, good judgment. Besides, aren't you Senju skilled in Medical Ninjutsu? Have medical support ready beforehand."

Tobirama did not answer immediately.

He tapped his fingers on the table.

"In theory, this could yield extremely valuable physiological data," he said. "But in practice, I can't authorize it alone. We need my elder brother's approval, and ideally, he should supervise in person. The medical team must also remain on standby throughout."

"Fine." Ryuto nodded. "Go talk to him."

"Wait here." Tobirama stood, picked up the clipboard he had just written on, and hurried out of the tent.

Ryuto leaned back in his chair and waited.

Ten-odd minutes later, the tent flap lifted again.

Tobirama Senju returned, with Hashirama Senju following behind him.

Hashirama walked in and looked at Ryuto, his expression rather serious.

"Tobirama told me everything," Hashirama began. "Ryuto, are you sure you want to do this? This is no joke."

"I'm sure." Ryuto stood. "I want to get stronger, as fast as possible. This is one way, and I want to try it."

"What if something goes wrong?"

"Then I'll chalk it up to bad luck," Ryuto said. "But I trust Tobirama's judgment, and I trust the Senju's Medical Ninjutsu."

Hashirama looked at him for several seconds, then glanced at Tobirama.

"I've already sent word for the medical team to prepare," Tobirama said. "We can begin anytime."

Hashirama sighed.

"All right. I agree. But I'll be watching." He looked at Ryuto. "The moment I think something's wrong, I'll stop it."

"Deal."

The training ground was quickly cleared.

Several Senju ninja guarded the perimeter, keeping everyone away. Nearby, the medical team erected a makeshift tent and laid out various instruments and bottles of medicine.

Ryuto stood in the center of the training ground.

He drew a deep breath, removed all his makeshift weights-several cloth-wrapped stones-and tossed them to the edge of the field.

Then he loosened up his arms and legs and rolled his neck.

Ki circulated steadily within him, more obedient and more abundant than when he had first awakened a few days earlier.

"Ready?" Tobirama stood opposite him, roughly twenty meters away.

Today, Tobirama had traded his dark blue clan outfit for black training clothes that allowed greater freedom of movement. He was not holding his clipboard, either.

"Come on." Ryuto took his stance.

Hashirama stood at the edge of the training ground, arms folded, watching the field without blinking.

"Begin," Tobirama said.

The instant he spoke, his hands flashed through hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Two water dragons, twice as thick as those from their previous spar, shot skyward from the water tank beside the field. Roaring, they lunged at Ryuto from either side.

Ryuto did not take them head-on.

He kicked off the ground, leaving an afterimage as he shot straight through the gap between the two water dragons.

He was more than thirty percent faster than in their previous spar!

He really has improved. The thought flashed through Tobirama's mind, but his hands never stopped moving.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

A curved wall of water rose before him, not to defend, but to obstruct vision.

The instant the water wall rose, Tobirama himself vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.

Ryuto had just slipped past the water dragons when the wall blocked his sight. He immediately extended his Ki Sense.

Left!

He twisted sharply sideways. Tobirama's fist brushed past his chest, the wind of the punch carrying damp moisture.

Ryuto countered with a punch, ki instantly gathering over his fist.

Tobirama did not dodge. His other hand met it, chakra glimmering faintly in his palm.

Thump!

Fist met palm, a blast of air erupted, and both men retreated two steps.

"Your strength has increased, too." Tobirama shook out his slightly numb hand. "Keep going."

He formed hand seals again.

"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"

A high-pressure stream of water shot from Tobirama's mouth, fine as a hair yet razor-sharp, slicing toward Ryuto's neck.

Ryuto's scalp prickled. Without thinking, he activated the Flight Technique, his body abruptly floating backward and upward.

The water stream skimmed beneath his feet and silently sliced a wooden training post behind him in half.

"Holy shit, you're serious!" Ryuto shouted from the air.

"You asked to simulate a fight to the death." Expressionless, Tobirama pressed his palms together, his chakra surging violently.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

All the water in the tank beside the training ground was drawn out, becoming an enormous torrent that swept toward Ryuto in the air.

It covered too wide an area to dodge.

Ryuto gritted his teeth and crossed his arms before him. His ki erupted at full force, forming a curved, pale golden barrier in front of him.

Boom-!!!

The waterfall slammed into the barrier with a deafening crash.

The immense force drove Ryuto from the air toward the ground. His feet sank into the gravel and plowed two deep furrows.

The barrier shuddered violently, its golden light flickering.

His ki was draining rapidly.

"That's more like it..." Ryuto gritted his teeth and held on.

Several seconds later, the torrent ran out and splashed to the ground, instantly turning the training field into a stretch of puddles.

Ryuto dismissed the barrier and took a breath.

He had used roughly thirty percent of his ki.

Tobirama stood across the puddles, his breathing still steady.

"That was only the beginning," he said.

The next second, his figure blurred into four or five afterimages that charged at Ryuto from different directions.

Shadow Clone Technique? No, visual afterimages left by high-speed movement with the Body Flicker Technique!

Ryuto pushed his Ki Sense to the limit, locking onto the most solid figure.

That's the real one!

He charged toward that figure, gathering power in his fist.

But just as they were about to collide, Tobirama's figure suddenly burst into a puddle of clear water with a pop.

A Water Clone Technique!

Where's the real one?

"Behind you." Tobirama's voice came from behind Ryuto as a vicious knife-hand strike sliced toward the back of his neck.

Ryuto had no time to turn. His ki instinctively surged to the back of his neck, forming a dense protective layer.

Smack!

The knife-hand struck the ki layer with a sharp crack.

Ryuto used the force to throw himself forward, opening some distance before looking back.

Tobirama stood where he was, frowning slightly.

"If that had been a fight to the death, you would already be seriously injured," he said. "Your reactions can't keep up with my tactical changes."

Ryuto rubbed the back of his neck. It still hurt a little.

"I know," he said. "Again."

The two clashed once more.

Harassing him with Water Release Ninjutsu while combining exquisite Taijutsu with an elusive Body Flicker Technique, Tobirama drove the battle at a blistering pace.

Ryuto was somewhat overwhelmed and took several hits. His ki protected him from serious injury, but the pain and expenditure were real.

His ki dwindled little by little.

Forty percent... fifty percent...

Yet Ryuto's eyes grew brighter.

Because he could feel that although Tobirama's attacks were sharp, although they could suppress him, injure him, and wear him down...

They always lacked something.

Something that could truly drive him into a desperate corner and give him that feeling he had faced against Madara last time: that he would die in the next second.

They lacked lethal intent, the madness of destroying an opponent regardless of the cost.

Ultimately, this was only a test, not a real fight to the death.

Tobirama knew his limits and had a line he would not cross.

And subconsciously, Ryuto himself knew this was only a test, not a struggle for his life.

With that mindset, how could he truly reach "near death"?

Several more minutes passed.

Ryuto had used roughly sixty percent of his ki, gained quite a few bruises, and begun to slow down.

Tobirama drove him back with a Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet, then paused his attacks.

"That's about enough," Tobirama said. "If we continue, you'll suffer worse injuries, but I suspect you'll still be some way from the 'limit' you want."

Ryuto stood where he was, panting as he looked at Tobirama.

He rapidly compared the situations in his head.

His last fight against Uchiha Izuna had truly been a struggle for his life. Izuna's Susanoo really had been trying to cleave him in two with its blade. Back then, he had been weaker than he was now.

Now his strength had increased dramatically, while Tobirama was probably about evenly matched with Izuna.

In other words, in his current condition, even if Tobirama went all out, without forbidden techniques that would kill them both, he would struggle to actually bring Ryuto to the brink of death.

Unless Tobirama struck to kill.

But that was impossible.

"Let's stop," Ryuto said suddenly.

Tobirama paused in surprise.

Hashirama also looked over from the edge of the field.

"No more testing?" Tobirama asked.

"The test is over." Ryuto straightened and wiped the sweat from his face. "The conclusion is that you can't beat me into the state I want."

"Why?"

"Because you're about as strong as Izuna," Ryuto said bluntly. "Back then, I could defeat Izuna when pushed to my limits, and now I'm a lot stronger than I was then. So under normal circumstances, you can't beat me. Unless you fight dirty or strike to kill."

He paused.

"But this is a test, so you won't do that. There's no point continuing. At most, I'll take a few more beatings and burn some ki. That's still a long way from 'near death.'"

The training ground fell silent.

There was only the sound of wind blowing across the puddles.

Tobirama remained silent for several seconds, then nodded.

"Your analysis makes sense. Judging from the data from our exchange, your overall combat strength does indeed exceed my estimate of Izuna's level. Using conventional methods, I cannot drive you into a truly desperate situation while ensuring your survival."

Hashirama walked over from the edge of the field.

"So, the test failed?" he asked.

"Not a complete failure," Ryuto said. "At least we verified two things. First, this constitution of mine isn't triggered by just any beating. It takes a real, lethal threat. Second..."

He looked at Tobirama.

"I know roughly where I stand now. Fighting you? No problem. Fighting Madara... I've still got a long way to go."

The corner of Tobirama's mouth seemed to twitch, but he said nothing.

Hashirama patted Ryuto on the shoulder.

"Go get your injuries treated first. The medical team is ready."

Ryuto nodded, turned, and walked toward the edge of the field.

After a few steps, he looked back and said to Tobirama:

"But you got the data, right? My recovery rate while taking hits, the Ki consumption curve, and all that."

"I did." Tobirama pulled a small scroll from inside his clothes and waved it. "It's very valuable. Though we didn't get the 'limit data' you wanted, we now have a preliminary model of your constitution's baseline endurance and recovery."

"That's good, then." Ryuto waved a hand. "At least I didn't take that beating for nothing."

He walked toward the medical team's tent. The thought of "how to exploit a bug" hadn't left his mind; instead, it had become clearer.

Regular sparring won't work.

I'll have to find a tougher opponent, or... a more extreme method.