The freshness of Konoha's return was like water dripping onto scorching sand, evaporating in an instant.
The task reward and bounty were tucked heavily into his pocket.
Shira thought of the " Morning Peacock " technique that Might Guy used after opening the Six Gates in the original work. It was dazzling, domineering, and a phenomenal level of violent aesthetics that Taijutsu could achieve!
Shira yearned for this power. It wasn't blind envy, but rather an almost instinctive longing and trembling that seeped from the very marrow of a fellow practitioner of Taijutsu upon seeing an even higher peak.
Guy's " Eight Gates Released Formation " is a technique that breaks through the "gates" of Chakra points in the body, releasing restrictions and gaining an explosive boost.
This is a different path to advancement from the " Seven Heavens Breathing Method " he practices, which aims to stimulate the body's potential by optimizing the depth of breathing rhythm.
" Eight Gates Released Formation " is like blasting open a dam, allowing a torrent of water to pour out.
The " Seven Heavens Breathing Method " involves digging deeper into the spring to make the water flow faster, stronger, and longer.
In the original work, the future version of himself, with a chest injury, was able to fight to a standstill with the Five Gates of Rock Lee after activating the Third Activation, which has already proven that the potential and resilience of this path are by no means inferior.
Kai lit the torch, illuminating a possibility ahead on the path of Taijutsu. What Shira had to do was to see if the path of " Seven Heavens Breathing Method " beneath her feet could also lead to similar, or even different, magnificent scenery.
What is the core of " Morning Peacock "? According to the official description and Shira's own understanding, it is to use extremely fast punching speed to deliver a high-frequency continuous attack based on the body's functions being raised to a certain terrifying threshold.
The fist rubs violently against the air, generating high temperatures that ignite the air and create a wide-ranging, continuous flame impact.
High speed! High frequency! High temperature! Area attack!
How far can I go now?
Late at night, in a remote, abandoned quarry near Sunagakure. Here, jagged rocks lie scattered, far from any human habitation, with only the eternal howl of the wind whistling through the rock walls.
The cold moonlight cast long, jagged shadows on the rocks.
Shira stood on a relatively flat open space, took off his coat, and was only wearing his close-fitting training clothes. The coolness of the night stimulated his skin, but a warm current was slowly surging within him.
He didn't start immediately, but closed his eyes and carefully recalled and perceived.
Seven Heavens Breathing Method - Second Activation! Activated!
Unlike the relatively gentle and lasting overall improvement of the First Activation, the Second Activation is more like igniting a small, violent furnace within the body.
"Breathe--"
A unique breathing rhythm, far deeper and more rapid than the First Activation, was established.
My heart felt like it had been fitted with a turbine; the pounding sound reverberated in my ears, and the speed of blood flow suddenly increased, bringing a slight buzzing.
A scorching power exploded from deep within his abdomen, instantly sweeping through his limbs and entire body! The muscle fibers trembled slightly, as if electrified, filled with an explosive sense of power!
An abnormal flush appeared on the surface of his skin, his body temperature rose significantly, and with each breath, his breath carried a scorching heat, condensing into a brief white mist under the cool moonlight.
Excellent! Second Activation, stable on!
The body, which normally feels good, now seems to have broken free of heavy shackles, feeling light and powerful, with the five senses elevated to a new level.
Shira could hear the rustling of gerbils burrowing in the distance, see the finest textures of rocks under the moonlight, and even subtly sense the movement of air.
But what follows is a clearer sense of burden.
My internal organs felt like they were being gripped by an invisible hand, my blood vessels were throbbing, and a throbbing, aching sensation deep within my muscles, a desire to release yet also a premonition of tearing, was rising within me.
This is a strength, but also a burden. He knows that with his current physical condition and control, the Second Activation cannot be sustained. Many of his previous battles had been depleting his body, and he needs to be more stable if he wants to develop sustainably.
"So, first, let's test the maximum speed."
He slowly raised his arms, assuming the most basic straight punch stance. His gaze locked onto a point of nothingness in the air ahead.
move!
A right fist thrusts out!
This isn't the kind of speed you hold back during regular practice; it's a true, unreserved strike that pushes your reflexes, muscle power, and body coordination to their absolute limit in this Second Activation state—a full-speed attack!
"Whoosh--Crack!"
The shrill whistling sound of the air being torn apart and the sonic boom-like crackling of the fist reaching its limit exploded almost simultaneously! The sound was short, sharp, and exceptionally jarring in the silent quarry.
The air in front of the fist visibly twisted and compressed, forming a small, blurry, ripple-like shock wave that then dissipated.
Shira withdrew her fist, feeling a distinct tingling and slight burning sensation in her arm.
It wasn't a muscle strain; it was because the speed and force were too great, causing friction between the body tissues and air resistance to create instantaneous high pressure.
Shira looked down at his fist, and emmm, the skin on his knuckles seemed a little red.
If it were a rock, Shira confident she could carve a deep dent.
But one punch is far from enough.
"Next, frequency."
He adjusted his breathing, trying to control and direct the violent energy brought by the Second Activation into his arms.
The waist and hips are in perfect harmony, the core acts like the most stable foundation, and then!
With both fists, they began to strike alternately!
Right! Left! Right! Left!
At first, he tried to control the rhythm and pursue the power of each punch. But soon, he gave up. What he wanted to test was the "extreme combo frequency," the ability to unleash the speed granted by the Second Activation at the highest density in the shortest time!
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh--!!!"
Suddenly, a series of incredibly dense, chilling shrieks, like a violent storm tearing through cloth, erupted from the quarry!
That wasn't just the sound of wind breaking; it was a continuous sonic boom created by a fist repeatedly piercing the air at terrifying speed!
Shira's figure became blurred in the moonlight, with only her two arms turning into wildly dancing afterimages, like two out-of-control Gauss cannons, hurling a storm of metal punches into the air in front of her!
The reaction force even plowed two shallow grooves into the hard sandy ground beneath his feet!
Five seconds! Ten seconds!
The air in front of the fist was no longer dissipating ripples, but formed a persistent, violently disturbed, and even faintly white distorted area! Even the moonlight passing through that area was strangely refracted!
Fifteen seconds! Twenty seconds!
Shira's breathing became like a broken bellows, each inhalation accompanied by the burning pain of her lungs, and each exhalation spewing out scalding white steam.
The sweat wasn't just flowing out, it was "exploding," instantly soaking through the training clothes and then rising into a white mist under the high temperature on the skin.
The soreness and numbness in my arm turned into a stinging pain, then a tingling sensation, as if it no longer belonged to me. The most terrifying thing was the clear, increasingly intense burning sensation coming from the skin of my fist!
It's not internal heat, it's external heat generated by intense friction with something!
Could it be? Yes! Air friction!
With the Second Activation support and a punching speed exceeding previous cognitive limits, the intense, high-frequency friction between the fist surface and the air finally began to generate perceptible heat!
Although it is far from enough to ignite the air and create a flame, it is indeed "heat"! It is the first step in empirical evidence leading to the " Morning Peacock " principle!
"Hold on! Watch my limit!" Shira clenched her teeth so tightly that blood even seeped from her gums.
His eyes were bloodshot from the high-speed movement and lack of oxygen, and he stared intently at the air in front of him that was distorted and agitated by his fist.
Twenty-five seconds! Thirty seconds!
The punch speed inevitably began to decrease, the afterimages became discontinuous, and the distorted air area began to become unstable.
The stinging pain in my arm turned into a piercing, tearing pain, as if the muscle fibers were screaming and on the verge of snapping.
His body temperature was alarmingly high, and the sweat dripping onto the ground made a soft "hissing" sound.
How did it reach its limit...?
"Ugh--!"
Around the thirty-third second, Shira let out a suppressed growl, forcibly stopping his punch. The moment he finished, the immense inertia caused his vision to go black, and he staggered forward several steps, almost falling to the ground.
He knelt on one knee, barely supporting his body with his trembling arms.
"Ho... ho... ho..."
His heavy breathing, like a broken bellows, echoed in the silent night. Sweat poured from every pore of his head, face, and body like a stream, quickly spreading a large, dark patch on the sand beneath him.
His arms hung limply at his sides, trembling violently and uncontrollably. His skin was flushed, especially his fists and wrists, which felt like they had been baked by a high temperature, and a burning, stinging pain emanated from them.
My mouth was filled with the taste of rust, and my ears were ringing with the roar of my blood and the frantic pounding of my heart.
He struggled to lift his head, looking in the direction where the fist had been pointed. There, the turbulence in the air was slowly subsiding, but in the moonlight, he could still see a faint, almost imperceptible visual residue caused by changes in air density, like the distortion of rising hot smoke, or perhaps an illusion.
Of course, there are no flames now, and certainly no peacock displaying its tail feathers.
Only a continuous, supersonic, frantic barrage of punches lasting thirty-three seconds, and the real burning pain on the skin of the fists.
Shira grinned and smiled.
His smile was distorted by exhaustion and pain, but his eyes burned with an unprecedentedly bright light.
He did it. In the Second Activation state, he touched the threshold of "high-speed, high-frequency continuous attack" and even truly felt the initial signs of "friction generating heat".
Although there is still a huge gap between igniting the air and creating a flame impact like the " Morning Peacock "—that might require a third or Fourth Activation, or even more sophisticated control and guidance of "heat" and "shock waves"—at least he proved that the path of the " Seven Heavens Breathing Method " has the theoretical possibility of leading to a similar realm!
Kai's " Morning Peacock " is based on the " Gate of View," which provides an instantaneous and explosive boost.
His path may be based on the " Seven Heavens Breathing Method " to deeply and continuously explore the body's potential, ultimately achieving a qualitative change through quantitative change, allowing the fist to not only generate heat through friction during ultra-high-speed movement, but also to draw on air energy, forming a unique, perhaps less explosive but more enduring, or other phenomenal Taijutsu!
Shira struggled to move to the side of a rock, leaned against it, and sat down, waiting for her strength to gradually recover.
With trembling hands, he pulled a charcoal pencil and a small hardcover notebook from his pocket, and by the moonlight, he wrote down in neat handwriting:
" Second Activation benchmark test."
"Extreme jab speed: estimated at 3+ times the normal speed, producing a noticeable sonic boom and air shockwave."
"Extreme punching frequency: lasts approximately 33 seconds, decreasing by about 40% in the later stages. A noticeable burning sensation is felt on the fist surface, and the air continues to distort, which is visible."
"Body load: Immense. Bones, muscles, and internal organs are all under high pressure. Suspected minor capillary rupture. Recovery time to be determined."
Conclusion: The 'high-speed, high-frequency' path is feasible, confirming the basic principle of 'frictional heat generation.' However, it is far from achieving a qualitative leap. Further improvements in activity level and body strength are needed, along with research into the possibilities of guidance and superposition.
Let's tentatively name this high-speed continuous attack mode ' Wild Fist '.
After writing the last word, Shira was almost exhausted. She leaned against the rock and looked up at the Sunagakure.
My body ached as if it were being disassembled and reassembled, but my heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.
" The Morning Peacock " is beautiful; that's Kai's peacock.
What he seeks is his own " Peacock of Sand," born from the depths of the " Seven Heavens Breathing Method," perhaps not so dazzling, but more resilient, like the Sunagakure that tempers everything!
Shira jogged home, lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep amidst the howling wind outside the window and the lingering pain in her body.
In my dream, the punches I threw no longer just tore through the air, but instead stirred up a raging sandstorm. The sand grains rubbed and burned at high speed, transforming into a dim, blazing sandstorm screen that enveloped everything!
Hmm, I'm thinking about how to speed things up. We can't get into the Shippuden era yet, but I also need to give the protagonist more trump cards...