Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Fire Release Swordsmanship!
Due to Minato Namikaze's severe injuries, the originally planned vacation had to be extended.
Shūichi Hoshita was quite pleased with this. After all, aside from Shisui Uchiha, Kakashi, and Guy, he also had Tsunade, a Jōnin, as his sparring partner.
Time flew by, and soon it was August 20th, when Minato was discharged from the hospital, fully recovered.
However, Shūichi and his two teammates were soon informed that Minato had another important mission.
As a result, the three of them operated as a temporary team, taking on D-rank and C-rank missions, rarely leaving the Land of Fire.
Autumn quietly arrived.
On September 12th, beside Konoha Hospital...
After just finishing a sparring session with Tsunade, Shūichi sat on the ground, his mind fully focused on the Tag Tree.
He had finally mastered the Dance of the Crescent Moon technique.
With that, he had fulfilled all the requirements for the Swordsmanship Expert Tag.
Activate!
As the Swordsmanship Expert Tag leaf turned green, Shūichi immediately felt a surge of energy within him, similar to chakra but far more powerful.
The Swordsmanship Expert Tag had two effects: a 100% increase in swordsmanship talent and the ability to designate a ninja tool, enhancing its quality by 100%.
He had yet to test the talent boost, but the surge of energy within him was clearly meant for enhancing the designated ninja tool.
Without hesitation, Shūichi drew his Totsuka Blade.
This short chakra blade, gifted by Tenka, was rather unremarkable among chakra blades, yet it was still incredibly valuable.
In the ninja world, even among Jōnin, not everyone had access to such a highly conductive chakra tool.
High conductivity meant minimal chakra loss.
With a thought, Shūichi guided the newfound energy within him into the Totsuka Blade.
It flowed effortlessly.
The energy instantly responded to his will, flooding into the blade.
Shūichi felt the Totsuka Blade in his right hand tremble slightly, and a faint humming sound reached his ears.
Soon, the energy had fully merged with the Totsuka Blade, disappearing without a trace.
When Shūichi infused the blade with chakra again, his face lit up with delight.
He could hardly feel any chakra loss.
He then took out a kunai and swung the Totsuka Blade. There was no sound of clashing metal, yet the kunai was sliced cleanly in two.
The cut was incredibly smooth.
True—it can cut through iron like mud!
Although the kunai was just an ordinary one, most of the ninja tools on the battlefield were of similar quality.
"My Totsuka Blade should now be considered a legendary weapon, right?"
Shūichi chuckled to himself, sheathing the blade and picking up the split kunai before standing up to leave.
"I've almost mastered the Yin Healing Wound Destruction technique. Next, if I can fully master the Chakra Scalpel medical ninjutsu, I'll be able to acquire the Medical Expert Tag."
"It's now September. If I aim to achieve this by the same time next year, with the Tag's enhancements, I'll soon become a true medical expert."
Shūichi silently plotted out his plan. "However, medical ninjutsu, like basic physical training, is a long-term pursuit. For now, my primary focus should still be on swordsmanship and kenjutsu."
If his initial swordsmanship talent was at level 1, the Ninja Tool Expert Tag would have brought it to level 2.
Then, with the 50% boost from the Konoha Genius Tag, it would be at level 3.
Finally, with the current 100% boost from the Swordsmanship Expert Tag, it would reach level 6!
"With such talent, I should already surpass Shisui, Kakashi, and the others, right?"
Although he had some doubts, Shūichi was confident.
Before long, he arrived at a small grove.
This was the place where he originally trained with Guy, and now it served perfectly as a secluded spot for his solo training.
Because the time had come for Shūichi Hoshita to forge his own path in swordsmanship—a path that would lead him to becoming a Jōnin!
First, he created a shadow clone to grind leaves, continuing his training in Wind Release chakra nature transformation.
Meanwhile, Shūichi himself sat cross-legged under a tree, laying the Totsuka Blade across his knees.
He then pondered a crucial question: What kind of swordsmanship or kenjutsu technique should he develop? It needed to be at least an A-rank jutsu.
His initial thought was to focus on Wind Release. Utilizing the cutting power of wind in combination with the Totsuka Blade seemed ideal, and it would certainly rival the Lightning Blades of Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
However, he had yet to complete his training in Wind Release chakra nature transformation.
Although more than two months had passed, he hadn't dedicated much energy to it, only accumulating experience slowly through a single shadow clone.
"Now I have two options: I could first unlock the Wind Release Expert Tag, gaining a boost in Wind Release talent, and then quickly finish my Wind Release chakra nature training. Once perfected, I could apply it to my swordsmanship."
"Alternatively, I could complete the Wind Release nature transformation training first, then quickly master five Wind Release jutsu, unlock the Wind Release Expert Tag, and apply that to my swordsmanship."
"Or, I could continue to have a shadow clone grind away at Wind Release nature transformation, while I focus on developing a swordsmanship technique suited to my current abilities!"
Shūichi's thoughts raced, and he soon made a decision.
For now, his talent in Fire Release clearly surpassed that in Wind Release; there was no need to overlook the obvious.
"Let's start with Fire Release!"
"Is there any precedent in the ninja world for combining Fire Release with swordsmanship?"
"How can I merge them to achieve a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts?"
Having set his direction, Shūichi began a brainstorming session, doubling his concentration.
"The nature of Fire Release: high heat, explosion..."
"Explosion can be put aside for now."
Shūichi considered, "High heat... In reality, when Lightning Release is infused into a blade, aside from the paralyzing effect of the electricity, it primarily utilizes high-temperature cutting."
He recalled the battle between Killer Bee and Team Taka. (T/N: That Episode was Awesome!)
Killer Bee had infused his blade with Lightning Release, cutting straight through Zabuza's Executioner's Blade.
But in the end, it was about high temperatures.
Just like plasma arc cutting, which involves high-current plasma arcs.
Moreover, Killer Bee could also infuse Lightning Release into a pen, using high-frequency vibrations to enhance its piercing power.
Shūichi stood up and drew his blade, infusing it with Fire Release chakra.
The blade of the Totsuka Blade began to turn red, and the air around it started to warp.
Suddenly, Shūichi stopped, frowning slightly as he looked down at the gradually cooling blade.
"No, I shouldn't just be heating the blade."
"The Totsuka Blade is fine—it's of high quality and has been enhanced by the Tag, so it can withstand high temperatures. But other weapons might not be so durable."
"Also, heating the blade results in significant energy loss and takes time."
"I should instead create a high-temperature layer directly on the blade's surface, or even across the entire blade."
Shūichi thought of the Rasengan.
The Rasengan was a non-elemental jutsu that involved orderly chakra rotations layered into a chaotic spinning sphere.
Likewise, he could construct an orderly Fire Release chakra flow on the blade.
"Yes, I'll start by covering the entire blade and then refine it."
Shūichi resumed his experimentation.
A layer of flames enveloped the blade, but soon, under his control, the flames disappeared, leaving only a red glow surrounding the blade.
Shūichi gradually refined the technique, wrapping the Fire Release chakra around the blade like wires, spiraling around it in continuous loops.
With each loop, the red glow deepened.
After the first layer, he added a second, compressing the first layer of Fire Release chakra, and repeated the process, layering and compressing over and over.
The glow enveloping the blade constantly shifted in color.
Red, dark red, cherry red...
By the tenth layer, the glow had turned a deep orange-red.
By this point, Shūichi was drenched in sweat, pushing his limits.
He immediately dashed forward, the blade slicing through a thick tree trunk.
(End of Chapter)
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