[You picked up a special skill: Flying Thunder God Technique] [You picked up 1000 points of Flying Thunder God Technique experience] [Your Flying Thunder God Technique has been upgraded, currently: lv2 (0/1000)]
Kazuya couldn't help but smile broadly. He had bet correctly! The experience from both techniques was indeed interchangeable. The legendary Flying Thunder God Technique was now within his grasp.
In the original storyline, only two ninjas had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique: the Forbidden Technique Master Senju Tobirama and the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato. Both were among the most talented ninjas in history. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, renowned as the "strongest Hokage in history," hadn't managed to learn it despite having access to the scroll for decades. This technique's difficulty was unimaginable.
However, Kazuya's path to mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique was comparatively simple—just some shuriken practice.
More than ten meters away, Shiranui Genma frowned. "Captain Kazuya, why did you throw your shuriken at us?"
"Sorry, it slipped," Kazuya said, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Alright..." Genma replied, still puzzled. "Captain Kazuya, did you catch the technique clearly?"
"The speed is too fast; I couldn't see it clearly," Kazuya admitted with a smile. "You three might need to work a bit harder today!"
"It's no trouble," Iwashi Tatami said. "As Konoha ninjas, everything we do is for the village."
"It's worth the effort!" Genma agreed. "We struggled under the Fourth Hokage for over a year before we could barely grasp the technique. Our qualifications are really lacking."
"Let's see if Captain Kazuya can go further!" Genma added, with a tinge of hope in his voice. Mentioning the Fourth Hokage always brought a somber mood.
"I'll do my best," Kazuya assured them.
With renewed energy, the three prepared to demonstrate the technique again.
Whoosh! Another shuriken flew past.
[You have picked up 50 points of Flying Thunder God Technique skill experience]
Genma, now twenty meters away, sighed. "Captain Kazuya, did your hands slip again?"
Slipping? Not really. Kazuya needed to engage in combat scenarios to gain skill experience.
"Genma, you saw through it," Kazuya said calmly. "I was using the shuriken to confirm the position and chakra flow of the technique."
Such advanced thinking! Genma was impressed. They knew little about the Flying Thunder God Technique, but the Fourth Hokage had mentioned something similar.
"Good!" Genma exclaimed. "Just don't aim for my face!"
"We'll do our best!" Iwashi and Hayate chimed in, feeling inspired. If Kazuya mastered the Flying Thunder God, it would benefit the entire village.
The next day was spent in intense practice. Kazuya observed the Flying Thunder Formation Technique closely, discussing related skills with Genma and the others. He picked up countless points of chakra and Flying Thunder God Technique experience.
[You picked up 40 points of Chakra] [You picked up 50 points of Chakra] [You picked up 50 points of Flying Thunder God Technique skill experience] [You picked up 60 points of Flying Thunder God Technique skill experience] [You picked up 30 points of Flying Thunder God Technique skill experience]
The golden light of experience points kept merging into Kazuya's body.
[Your Flying Thunder God Technique has been upgraded, currently: lv3 (0/1000)] [You picked up 20 points of Flying Thunder God Technique skill experience] [You picked up 15 points of Flying Thunder God Technique skill experience]
As Kazuya's Flying Thunder God Technique reached level 3, the skill experience from the trio diminished significantly, eventually stalling.
"Well..." Kazuya sighed inwardly. The easy journey was coming to an end. The Flying Thunder Formation Technique had done its part, elevating his Flying Thunder God Technique to level 3.
By dusk, Kazuya's Flying Thunder God Technique was locked at level 3 (500/1000), with no more experience forthcoming.
Fortunately, each new skill level started with 1000 experience points, allowing him to advance. Otherwise, he'd still be stuck at level 2.
After training, the four of them went to Ichiraku Ramen for some well-earned seafood ramen.
The next day, Kazuya didn't meet the trio again. With the skill pack exhausted, further training would be a waste of time. Instead, he headed to the bustling commercial street to order a batch of special kunai.
The kunai used in the Flying Thunder God Technique needed to be able to attach to chakra, unlike ordinary kunai. In the original story, Namikaze Minato's kunai were specially made. Kazuya decided to follow this proven design rather than invent something new.
As he walked, the streets were filled with joyful villagers. That afternoon, Konoha and Cloud Shinobi Village would formally sign a peace agreement.
Two days ago, the Cloud delegation had arrived, and high-level negotiations had been ongoing since. The signing ceremony was scheduled for three o'clock.
For Kazuya, these matters were handled by Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Konoha Elders. His current rank didn't allow him much involvement.
"The position is still not high enough..." Kazuya sighed softly. The recent events had made him appreciate the value of power and status. As a common ninja, he wouldn't have had access to the Book of Seals or the training from the experienced trio.
Status and power were crucial. Kazuya had high expectations for his future.
Soon, Kazuya found a ninja shop, paid a deposit, and ordered a batch of special kunai. The price was high, but as a Jōnin, he could afford it. He opted to use the same style as the Fourth Hokage.
Namikaze Minato was the strongest user of the Flying Thunder God Technique, and his equipment was well-tested. Kazuya had no intention of making things difficult for himself. His philosophy was simple: if he could take it easy, he would never complicate things.