The next morning, Shira woke up in excruciating pain, feeling as if her whole body was falling apart.
Even the slightest movement, oh my god, it feels like the bones in the seams are rusted, making a creaking sound.
The pain was particularly severe in the arms; even lifting them to pour water caused severe tremors. Although the abnormal flush on the skin had faded, the fists and wrists still felt hot and swollen to the touch, as if they were filled with burning coals.
He grimaced as he got up and looked at himself in the blurry bronze mirror in the house. The person in the mirror had dark circles under his eyes, slightly chapped lips, and a pale complexion from exhaustion.
But deep in his eyes, the light that had ignited because of last night's successful test hadn't completely died out; it was just shrouded in exhaustion.
When his mother, Rira, saw his appearance, she was startled and repeatedly asked if he was tired from the journey or if he was sick.
Shira gave a vague answer, only saying that the training was a bit too much. Rira felt sorry for him and fried two more eggs for him, while also mentioning that she would go and get some herbal soup to nourish his body.
His father, Shiya, glanced at him silently a few times without saying anything, but at breakfast, he put the largest piece of meat from the plate into his bowl.
The physical pain is real, and the feeling of weakness is real.
But Shira felt unusually calm, even somewhat at ease.
This pain is an inevitable reaction after exerting too much force and reaching one's current limit; it's the body protesting and also recording its actions!
It clearly told itself: Look, this is what you did last night. But it also reminded him: This is the current state of your body, don't be too arrogant, or neither of us will get a good juice!
Last night at the quarry, the moment my fists burned and the air distorted, the excitement of touching the edge of "possibility" still makes my heart race slightly when I think back on it.
But the exhaustion and excruciating pain that followed, almost draining my body, are equally vivid in my memory.
" Morning Peacock " is beautiful and powerful. But that is based on Kai's monstrous physical abilities and the almost self-destructive explosive power of " Eight Gates Released Formation ".
And what about himself now? Relying on his own " Seven Heavens Breathing Method," which he's figured out through trial and error, and with this still-developing, far from perfected teenage body, how far can he go?
He thought of Rock Lee, the black-haired boy in the Konoha training grounds whose flame never went out, even when he was defeated time and time again.
Rock Lee's talent is zero in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, but his dedication to Taijutsu and physical resilience are absolutely monstrous.
Moreover, in the original Rock Lee story, there is Might Guy. That man in green with a bright smile, who can interpret the way of Taijutsu to the extreme, is Rock Lee's most solid and dazzling guide and mentor.
Kai not only taught Rock Lee Taijutsu, but also used his burning life to light up Rock Lee's path, telling him the direction to strive for and the heights he could reach.
Oh dear! But what about myself? I don't have a dedicated Taijutsu instructor! ⌓‿⌓
Master Kenmei taught him swordsmanship, how to hone his skills. Granny Chiyo occasionally offered guidance, mostly regarding Chakra control and mission experience. Master I Fūgetsu also helped him grow.
These people all respect each other, but they don't actually have a specific mentor to guide them.
As for the continuous development of the Seven Heavens Breathing Method, it was also achieved through breakthroughs made when I was on the verge of life and death, and when I was pushing myself to my limits time and time again.
No one told him whether this was the right path, what lay ahead, or how to proceed more steadily and further.
Everything was done in the dark, by stumbling and crawling along, groping for clues.
Even the future "self" in the original work only seemed to have reached the " Third Activation " during the Shippuden era. Will there be a fourth or fifth stage later on?
Are there any unknown side effects or limitations? We have no idea.
Where did that "self" ultimately end up?
Unknown. Everything is unknown.
Without a renowned teacher to guide him, without the experience of predecessors, all he had was a resilient body and a fierce determination to refuse to accept his fate.
He whispered to himself in the mirror, his voice hoarse from a dry throat, " Shira, you don't have the right to be in such a hurry."