"Oh?" Chiyo put down the kettle, dusted off her hands, walked to the rocking chair on the porch, sat down, and gestured for Shira to sit as well.
"Tell me. Have you come up with some crazy, unconventional method to mess with yourself again?"
Shira sat down on the stone bench next to her, organized her thoughts, and tried to explain the principle of the " Seven Heavens Breathing Method " as clearly as possible, as well as her idea of generating greater power by rubbing the air during high-speed combos, which she tentatively named " Wild Fist."
He did not mention specific activity levels or training details, only saying that it was a Taijutsu concept of "improving physical condition through special breathing techniques, combined with high-speed attacks".
As Shira spoke, Granny Chiyo listened with her eyes half-closed, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the rocking chair, her expression unreadable.
Ebizo kept his eyes closed, but he seemed to tilt his ears slightly as well.
After Shira finished speaking, the courtyard was quiet for a while, with only the faint sound of the wind blowing through the sea buckthorn.
"Is this still your breathing technique, to improve physical condition...?"
Granny Chiyo spoke slowly, her voice hoarse with the characteristic huskiness of old age, "Thinking about your original technique again, it is indeed quite interesting. It's not the orthodox Chakra refinement and utilization, but rather closer to the clumsy methods of 'qi cultivation' and 'body training' used by some ancient schools."
"However, to be able to make this clumsy method so ingenious, and even figure out how to make it 'active' at different levels, you kid, your unorthodox methods aren't entirely without foundation."
She paused, then looked at Shira: "Your ' Wild Fist' —were you just using your fists to ignite the air?"
"It's just a direction. I know we're still far from it," Shira answered honestly.
"The direction isn't wrong." Granny Chiyo rarely gave this affirmation, but then she changed the subject...
"If you go astray, you'll easily get stuck and hurt yourself. Let me ask you, where does that 'heat' and 'energy' in your body come from when you use breathing techniques to improve your state? Does it just appear out of thin air?"
Shira was taken aback and pondered, "Is it through breathing that I can utilize my body's energy more efficiently, and perhaps it also slightly guides the Chakra within my body?" He wasn't entirely sure himself.
" Chakra?" Granny Chiyo's lips twitched, a smile that seemed both ambiguous and indistinct. "Yes and no. Chakra is a mixture of spiritual and physical energy. Your breathing technique is more like making the 'furnace' of your body burn brighter, allowing the 'physical energy' part to produce more and circulate faster."
"But firewood alone won't make a strong fire. You also need to know how to fan the flames and control the fire."
She stretched out her withered fingers, tapped her temples, then her heart. "Here, and here. Your will, your focus, your 'feeling' and 'control' over the flow of every bit of power within your body—that is the 'wind'."
"Without this 'wind,' no matter how much firewood you have, it will just smolder, either not burning brightly or burning too much and blowing up the stove. Did you burn your fist that night?"
Shira felt a chill run down her spine and nodded. Although Granny Chiyo hadn't seen it with her own eyes, her words seemed to hit the nail on the head.
"That's right." Granny Chiyo leaned back in her rocking chair, swaying slightly. "You want your fist to be faster, to generate heat through friction, or even to make a name for yourself—that's fine. But you can't just think about making your 'fist' faster; you have to think about how to get the power of your 'whole body' to flow to your 'fist' in the smoothest, most integrated, and most economical way."
"When you unleash it, it's like the Chakra Threads of a puppet; the power originates from the core, passes through the joints, and is transmitted to the fingertips, controlling the puppet to make the most precise movements."
"Your current ' Wild Fist ' are like wildly swinging Chakra Threads, aren't they? You're putting in the effort, but it's scattered, chaotic, and wasteful, and the effect might not even be good."
Shira listened thoughtfully. Granny Chiyo was drawing an analogy from the perspective of puppet control, but the principle was the same. He had indeed been too focused on the superficial aspect of "punching speed" before, and he hadn't thought deeply enough about the overall coordination and control of power transmission.
"Furthermore," Granny Chiyo continued, her gaze becoming somewhat distant, "Your breathing technique sounds like a gentle, flowing stream. If that's the case, why insist on pursuing a momentary burst of fire?"
She looked at Shira, her gaze sharpening. "What is the wind like in Sunagakure? Is it a fleeting gale? Sometimes. But more often, it's a ceaseless, fine breeze that can smooth away rocks."
"Why can't your ' Wild Fist ' be like the wind of Sunagakure, not a momentary explosion, but a continuous, all-pervasive strike that carries a heavy, abrasive force at high speed?"
"How about making your opponent feel not like they're being burned by flames, but rather caught in an inescapable 'sandstorm' of countless fist shadows?"
"Each punch might not be explosive enough, but what about ten, a hundred, or a thousand punches? By the time he realizes it, his defenses will have been worn through, hahaha, his bones will probably be shattered."
Shira was struck dumb, frozen in place.
Good heavens!
Granny Chiyo's words were like a key, clicking open a door in his mind that he had never thought of before.
Yes! Why insist on imitating the " Morning Peacock " explosion?
The Seven Heavens Breathing Method Technique is characterized by its length, continuity, and deep strengthening of the body. Therefore, why can't the derived Taijutsu emphasize the characteristics of "continuous high-frequency strikes" and "heavy, abrasive" impact?
Like the sandstorms of Sunagakure, they are not dazzling, yet enough to bury everything.
The word "sandstorm" echoed repeatedly in his mind.
"Of course, these are just my old woman's wild guesses."
Granny Chiyo reverted to her usual lazy demeanor, waving her hand dismissively. "How you practice is up to you. But remember, follow your own natural innate abilities; don't just copy others' beautiful flowers."
"Your 'innate qualities' are that breathing technique, the temperament honed by the land of Sunagakure. Follow it, and you might achieve something different. Go against it, and you might twist your ankle."
She picked up the teacup beside her, took a sip, and then dismissed him, saying, "Alright, go back if you have nothing else to do. Don't keep me from sunbathing."
Shira took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed solemnly to Granny Chiyo and Ebizo: "Thank you for your guidance, Granny! I understand!"
Leaving the courtyard and walking back to the village, Shira's steps were both light and heavy.
The lighthearted feeling is that the world suddenly opens up, revealing a new direction that better suits me.
The heavy part is that this path is still full of unknowns and difficulties, requiring more thought, experimentation, and hard work.
But he was no longer confused.
" Morning Peacock " is the flame of the Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf of the Konoha.
His target, perhaps, is the Sunagakure's silent yet deadly " Sandstorm Barrage "! Hahaha!
He looked up at the vast, dusky sky of Sunagakure, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Yes, the wisdom of elders can indeed help you clear away the fog before your eyes.
Next, let's move in a new direction! Keep throwing punches! Just do it! Oh, let's go!