Chapitre 328: CH_9.13 (328)
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The link is also in the synopsis
———
.
None of the recruits passed all their tests at the ANBU's recommended levels. Everyone had either failed or attempted at a level lower than the recommended.
Takuma was no different. He passed 10% of his mandatory criteria at levels above the ANBU recommendation, 70% at the recommended level, and the remaining 20% below the recommended level.
However, since he had agreed to exit training in six weeks, Takuma decided not to shore up his lacking skills. While Tapir and Ant told the recruits that not everyone relied on the criteria test results, this was a difficult decision for him.
Takuma carried a resume of his skills with him and wanted to build an internal ANBU version of the document. The only reason he was satisfied with leaving after six weeks was because he had a ton of additional, optional skills to make up for it.
Amami and Utamatsu had similar ideas. Amami took her tests at the recommended difficulty level and then applied for retesting her failures at a lower difficulty level, which she passed. Utamatsu took one chakra theory course because he had already enrolled in it before switching to the Amami's strategy.
Both of them were planning to leave training after four weeks.
The remaining guys all enrolled in courses to bring up their levels to the recommendation.
However, Takuma did opt for an additional course eligible for training. He figured it would be a bad look if his potential team learned that he spent six weeks in training without taking a single course when testing was all done early.
He needed a reason to stay in training for six weeks, so he chose a new skill he hadn't learned before.
During the third week of training, he faced an ANBU-nin no taller than 5 feet 5 inches. He was dressed in the standard black-and-grey Leaf ANBU tactical gear and had a sword strapped to his back.
Takuma had experienced what jōnin felt like when they didn't hide their presence; the man's presence was nowhere that of a jōnin, but it felt just as imposing. He walked up to Takuma wearing a 'duck' mask with khaki-coloured patterns.
"Greetings, Takuma. My codename is Campbell. I will be introducing you to kenjutsu."
———
It all started when Takuma was trying to figure out which skill course to pursue.
"What seems to be the issue?" Maruboshi asked as he sat opposite him under the warm kotatsu with a cup of steaming tea.
Takuma glanced at his teacher and landlord and was reminded that Maruboshi used a prosthetic for his lost left leg. He owned two models: home and tactical. The tactical model was made for combat and had a hidden blade concealed within that he used to strike with deadly precision. He had never used it against Takuma, who was never a challenge enough to warrant it.
He also used a tantō, a short blade, as his primary weapon of choice and was well-versed in the sword arts.
"Do you think I should learn kenjutsu?"
Maruboshi raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't interested."
They had previously discussed him learning a weapon, but the conversation happened when he was rapidly climbing the ranks in the Ring and was obsessively focused on improving his taijutsu and refining his fledgling chakra augmentation, which had brought him his success.
Back then, he had no time or desire to learn a weapon.
"I am still not sure," said Takuma, gazing at his hand as he clenched his fist. "My combat style revolves around my taijutsu and my chakra augmentation is my greatest weapon. I won't be able to use it as well if I am holding a sword—or be able to grab someone when they get too close. I use kunai, but it's not like I can throw a sword at my opponents... It just doesn't feel like a sword matches my style. It honestly feels like I would be abandoning everything I've built till now, and I know—I know that I'm trying to change my combat style, but I don't want to dump my foundation."
He wondered if he was resisting the idea because he had gotten comfortable and didn't want to face such abrupt change because it meant heading into the unknown. However, after thinking about it, he didn't believe he was averse to change. If abandoning his style and rebuilding it around kenjutsu was the right choice, he would've gone full steam ahead.
"I think you're misunderstanding something, Takuma." Maruboshi set his cup down. "Learning kenjutsu doesn't mean abandoning your current style. Does learning genjutsu mean you're abandoning ninjutsu?"
Takuma frowned. "No, why would I? They are two different things that serve different purposes."
"Learning kenjutsu doesn't mean you stop training your taijutsu or stop using it in combat. I draw my tantō when I think it will give me an advantage over my opponent, but if I judge taijutsu to be the better option for the situation, my sword will rest until I have a use for it."
In Maruboshi's words, if using a weapon was superior to bare-handed taijutsu, then every shinobi would be learning a weapon. But it wasn't true, and taijutsu, like everything else, had its strengths and weaknesses. The real skill was recognising those strengths and weaknesses to determine which to use.
"You're still unsure," Maruboshi commented.
Takuma nodded. "I have to fix my style, learn new ninjutsu, progress with my genjutsu training, fix the energy imbalance, get better at what I already know, learn new skills, and start a new job soon... there's so much to do; I don't know if it's the right time to pick up kenjutsu." He sighed. There was already too much on his plate, and it felt like the mountain of things to do would topple if he kept on adding more.
"I have to agree with you there. Sometimes, doing less is doing more. However, I believe learning a weapon, it doesn't have to be the sword, can be helpful to the current you."
"How so?"
"Kenjutsu and taijutsu are different skills. You want to change your combat style. Learning something new, which is so different from what you currently know, will force you into a direction you've never ventured into. The new discoveries may inspire you in positive ways precisely because they're so different. Your kenjutsu might benefit and influence your taijutsu, and the same will happen the other way around."
It was akin to bringing a fresh perspective. Takuma's taijutsu had become stale after not developing beyond the Ring and learning to use a weapon would bring in a direction to revitalise his stagnating progress.
"Please… help me," Takuma said as he bowed his head.
"You don't have to ask. However, let's not spar as much. These old bones are not what they used to be," Maruboshi smiled.
Takuma smiled as he gazed down at his calloused hands. His fingers felt weak for a moment, but he clenched into a fist to regain strength before they could tremble.
There was no time to get overwhelmed.
———
Takuma quickly enrolled himself in a kenjutsu course and received a teacher in three days. Because he was the only one among the recruits taking the course, it was to be a one-on-one tutelage—a boon, in his opinion.
"Do you have any prior experience with swords?" Campbell asked, looking Takuma over. His voice was flat but strong, and he sounded like he didn't care for whatever the answer would be.
"None," said Takuma before adding: "Well, I did use a sword to behead a man once." He killed one of Kon's lackeys with a sword but didn't remember much of the fight; his memories were all a blurry mess.
Campbell tilted his head and had a pause for a moment.
"...I see? Okay, well, let's make something clear. These lessons will not make you a beginner, much less a master. Bar a few of them, most of these training courses are supposed to be gateways. I'll introduce you to the fundamentals, and then it's up to you to how much you practice them. Finally, I'll be straight with you: unless you're a born prodigy, you will not be skilled enough to pass the lowest difficulty—so, if you're in this to earn a skill to put on your record, quit now and save us both some time. I will sort it out with Tapir, and you can choose some easy stuff."
"Do you not want to teach me?" asked Takuma.
"No, I don't want to waste my time. If you want to learn, I will teach you to the best of my ability."
"Then I want to learn."
"Great." Campbell delivered the response with all the enthusiasm of a deflated balloon. "Do you have any questions for me?"
"How long would it take for me to reach combat viability?"
Knowing the moves wasn't enough. He could learn the correct stance and train in the proper technique, but it was less than worthless if he couldn't defend himself or kill someone in a fight.
"That, once again, depends on your knack for the sword and how much effort you put in sparring and learning the techniques." Campbell tossed one wooden sword to Takuma and brandished the other. "Effort isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it won't disappoint. So, familiarise yourself with that sword because that will be in your life for a long while."
The wooden sword was uncomfortable in his hand; it was so different from kunai. For someone who fought barehanded, the weight distribution was wildly unfamiliar.
Takuma couldn't imagine how long it would take for the sword to become an extension of himself.
———
In an unidentified location in the Land of Fire, the ROOT agent codenamed Kon, knelt on his knees. One of his sleeves was half-empty from getting his arm hacked away at the elbow a few months back during a mission.
"You don't look well, Kon."
Kon pursed his lips. He had lost weight, a significant portion of it in muscle, and was much frailer than before. Maintaining their physique was drilled into ROOT agents's bones, and they were punished if they failed to pass their physicals. However, since Kon had lost his arm, he had let himself go and didn't look like a ROOT agent from any angle.
"M-My apologies, master," Kon lowered his head.
"What do you want to see me about?" asked Shimura Danzo, the founder of the organisation known as ROOT, formerly part of the Hidden Leaf. He was the Shimura clan's leader, the Second Hokage's student, one of the prime candidates for the Third Hokage, and an esteemed jōnin and elder feared by everyone.
Kon swallowed, his mouth dry from nervousness. It was his first time doing something like this; a few months ago, he wouldn't have even dreamed about it, much less daring to think about it.
"Do not waste my time," Danzo warned. His narrow eyes bore down on him as if analysing his existence and considering his worth. There were two ROOT agents in the room, and a twitch of his finger would be enough to end Kon's life.
"M-My arm, master," Kon trembled, and so did his words.
"Yes, you lost your arm... Genin Takuma, was it? The one who took away your arm. That boy, whose voice has barely cracked, handed you one defeat after another. So many of our plans failed. I'm not pleased, to say the least."
The more Danzo spoke, the more Kon trembled in fear, every orifice of his body pouring sweat. ROOT-nin didn't demand anything from their leader; they were supposed to be happy and content to have the life and purpose they were given.
Danzo continued, "Your arm is gone, so I assume you want to substitute it with one of our experiments?"
Kon remained silent. His real arm was gone, crushed into a pulp. There existed development projects in the field of iryōjutsu that could help him recover an arm. He didn't know what specific procedure would work for his specific case, but seeing that he had been once heavily involved in managing many such developmental projects, he had some preferences. As long as he could get the approval, he could pull some threads to ensure things went his way. The process would be difficult and with no guarantee of success, but he would take it as long as he had a chance.
"Very well. Despite your mistakes, you have served the foundation well, and I wish to reward you for your loyalty and dedication," said Danzo.
Kon's heart swelled. Getting his arm was the first step to returning to his previous status and taking back everything stolen from him. And once he had the power and influence to move, he would take his revenge.
"But you must prove that you remain worthy because your failures don't inspire the investment during these... turbulent times," said Danzo.
After their ex-communication from the Hidden Leaf, the ROOT lost their funding and now had to survive as an independent organisation, which required huge, sweeping changes. They had to attain stability as soon as possible to secure their safety and achieve their new purpose.
"You must prove your worthiness. Here, take this," Danzo held up a mission file.
Kon received the file before kneeling again. He read the contents, only to be shocked to find that it was a type of mission given to trainees early in their training—something a kid could do in his sleep.
Asking him to do such a mission was a slap in the face.
"Master, this..."
"You will start from the bottom and climb your way back up. Show me that you're still dedicated to our cause. When I see you that you still possess the drive you did back then, you will get your arm back, and that will be the day you will rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Until then, prove to me that you are one, son."
The words made Kon's feel like he could soar through the sky. Danzo had never spoken to him like that, nor had he heard him speaking to others like this; the encouragement and warmth in his words made Kon realise how much he must believe in him.
All of the pain and suffering he had experienced till now was just for this moment.
He wanted to be called 'son' again.
Blood roared in his ears. "I will not disappoint!"
Not only would Kon return to his peak, he would also recover everything the ROOT had lost because of him. He would show that he was the most loyal, and to prove that, he required Takuma's head to complete not only his revenge but to send a signal.
To prove even though ROOT had changed their home, they were just as strong.
.
———
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The link is in the synopsis!
Chapitre 329: CH_9.14 (329)
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to Patreón @
[ https://www̧̧.patreón.com/fictiononlyreader ]
The link is also in the synopsis
———
.
Even though the Third Hokage had advised Takuma that he should focus on advanced chakra training before attempting to learn a B-rank jutsu, he wasted three days by overestimating himself. If a fresh-out-of-academy Naruto could learn the A-rank version in a couple of hours, he could learn the B-rank version in a few days is what he thought.
Alas, Takuma wasn't the protagonist, nor did he have the talent. Learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu was among his top priorities to increase his training by employing the clones to train beside him and on his behalf when he was busy.
However, he failed.
Fortunately, he only wasted three days, but they were enough to make him understand why he couldn't grind his way to mastery. In those three days he had dedicated all his personal time to learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu and failed 100% of the time. Each failure was expensive because the jutsu cost an exorbitant amount of chakra.
Using the jutsu a decent number of times for training meant abandoning everything else due to the chakra requirement. He could not have that. Not only did he have the jutsu recommendations from Tapir to learn, but Takuma also had a few ninjutsu he wanted to learn in his own time.
Dedicating all of his time to Shadow Clone Jutsu when he was starting work soon wasn't ideal, so he would have to build his way up from the basics.
———
.
"I want to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu as my first B-rank jutsu," Takuma said to Mikoto as their lesson ended. They had resumed their once-a-week genjutsu training lessons, but they would soon become irregular once he started working.
Still, Takuma planned to attend them whenever they had time together. He couldn't tell her he already had access to the jutsu, so he framed the conversation in the context of the future where he wanted the Shadow Clone Jutsu to be his first B-rank jutsu.
"You have the chakra for it," said Mikoto as she considered his choice, "but I suggest you go with a Water Release or Earth Release jutsu for your first B-rank. You'd have an easier time learning them. Shadow clones have excellent utility on the field, but you should first sort out a strong offensive or defensive option before you learn this."
Takuma agreed with her. However, the training exploit was too tantalising for him to wait for until later. The advantage was compounding, meaning a year's difference would result in fewer results.
The earlier he learned the jutsu, the greater its benefits.
"I still have a year before I can learn a B-rank jutsu. Maybe I will change my mind, but until then, I'm thinking about advanced chakra training," said Takuma, bringing up the topic he wanted to discuss with her.
"Smart choice. Many make the mistake of going right into learning the ninjutsu," Mikoto smiled, impressed. "B-rank jutsu and beyond requires a deeper understanding of chakra to learn and use them, and for most people, their existing knowledge and skill isn't enough to cut it... You need to be worthy before you can wield the power."
Chakra was the basis of all jutsu. Even taijutsu relied on chakra as it strengthened the body, allowing a shinobi to move in ways ordinarily impossible. When a shinobi used a jutsu, they transformed and manipulated chakra to achieve the desired effect.
"What are the two advanced methods of manipulating chakra?" asked Mikoto.
"They are nature and shape transformation," Takuma replied, already having done his homework on the topic.
"Correct~!"
Nature transformation was an advanced form of chakra manipulation that entailed moulding and defining the chakra's nature, altering its properties and characteristics. Takuma transformed his raw chakra into water or earth nature chakra when using Water Release or Earth Release ninjutsu. Similarly, others could transform their chakra into the five basic natures—Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning—depending on their ninjutsu release.
Shape transformation was another advanced form of chakra manipulation that involved controlling the form, movement, and potency of chakra and determining the size, range, and purpose of the jutsu.
Chakra didn't have a defined shape and could be moulded into any form desired by the user. The tentacles in Water Release: Eight Tentacle maintained their form due to shape manipulation holding the water together.
Takuma's chakra augmentation was a pure shape manipulation jutsu. The First Form started out as an application of chakra repulsion but slowly became something more. He created the Second Form when he became able to propel a concentrated package of chakra at high velocity.
Most jutsu worked via both methods of advanced manipulation working together. At D- and C-rank, the hand seals took all the burden of manipulation, allowing shinobi to use them without a deeper understanding of the mysteries of chakra. But at higher ranks, hand seals weren't enough; the shinobi needed to supplement their own advanced understanding and skill to bring jutsu to fruition.
Today, he wanted advice on nature transformation.
"The Shadow Clone Jutsu isn't part of any basic nature families. It's a jutsu from the Yin-Yang Release," said Takuma.
The Shadow Clone jutsu was classified as a Yin-Yang Release, meaning it used both cyclic natures. It was not to be confused with a combination nature as Yin and Yang worked separately and together to make the jutsu possible.
"How do I train Yin and Yang nature manipulation?"
There were more natures outside the five basics. Bloodline limits possessing shinobi had the gift to merge basic natures to create a combination nature. Other than that, there were the cyclic natures—Yin and Yang—not to be confused with physical and spiritual energies.
"Yin Release allows one to control imagination, creating form out of nothingness. Yang Release controls vitality, granting life to forms that have none," Takuma said with a frown. "I am familiar with how I'm supposed to train nature transformation for the basic five, but I must admit, I'm confused when it comes to Yin and Yang. Even my understanding of the cyclic natures is shoddy at best..."
He understood water because he drank it, used it for bathing, cleaned clothes and utensils with it. He was well-familiar with all of the basic five, even lightning to some extent—but yin and yang weren't things he experienced in his day-to-day life.
However, he did know that— "Genjutsu is Yin Release," said Takuma.
"It is," Mikoto snapped her finger.
Takuma sat straighter when he looked up to meet Mikotot's gaze, the red sharingan and its tomoe spinning in her eyes. The day outside turned into night, and the slightly cold wind turned freezing in a second.
"This is my imagination, controlling your imagination and reality, creating a vision that doesn't exist. And yet, the cold bites your body; you feel it, don't you?" said Mikoto as she sat before him.
Takuma was affixed inside the genjutsu the entire time, his unique constitution unable to pull him out instantly—a testament to Mikoto's skill and potency of her genjutsu. She was the one who knew the most about his genjutsu resistance; they had experimented and explored it often. She could keep him there for longer if she wished.
And if she, a retired shinobi, could overcome his natural resistance, he couldn't help but shiver at what an active jōnin who specialised in genjutsu could do to him. He knew that as it stood, he couldn't recklessly rely on his resistance.
"What are you waiting for?" she asked with a pointed gaze.
Takuma felt something change, and he closed his eyes before sending three pulses of chakra through his body, shattering her control over him. When he opened his eyes, the day was back, and the cold weather suddenly felt warm compared to the arctic freeze.
She had weakened the genjutsu to the point where she thought he could break it.
He remained silent in contemplation for a moment before nodding.
"I understand, but this can't be all there is to it," said Takuma. Taking water as an example, the usage of water in Eight Tentacles and Wild Water Wave was completely different from each other.
"Of course, there's much more to it. The Uchiha clan is aligned with Yin just as we are with Fire. We have only explored the genjutsu side of it—but the Nara clan has done something quite different with their Yin affinity," said Mikoto as she pointed at their shadows cast from the sunlight outside. "Their clan's hiden jutsu allows them to manipulate shadows. Tell me, how is a shadow formed?"
"Shadow is the absence of light. When a body obstructs light from a source, it casts a shadow," answered Takuma.
"Well put. Shadow is the absence of light— it's nothing," Mikoto smiled.
Realisation struck Takuma. "Creating form out of nothingness," he muttered.
"Correct, it's nothing, and yet it exists. Not only that, you can alter shadows by altering the light or the obstructing body... which shows it can be manipulated. The Nara clan simply created another way to manipulate shadows and even give them a corporeal form by using the properties of Yin. It's a tremendous and fascinating example of jutsu craft."
Takuma felt his clarity and confusion increase simultaneously.
"Don't lose your head over it. If you want to train the Yin nature transformation, just train your genjutsu. It's only one aspect, but it'll be enough for the Shadow Clone Jutsu," Mikoto interrupted when she saw him falling into his thoughts.
Takuma nodded before asking, "What about Yang?"
"Yang controls vitality, granting life to forms that have none," Mikoto repeated his words. "People often confuse 'granting life' with the creation of something living—in actuality, it means bringing possibilities into reality." Noting his confusion, she hummed. "...Hmm, do I know a Yang Release ninjutsu? Oh, I do! Here, look at this."
She weaved a quick set of hand seals before showing him her fingertips. Her beautifully manicured fingernails suddenly grew longer, sharper, harder, and menacing until they were more suited to be called claws or talons than nails.
"This is a Yang Release ninjutsu. It uses my chakra to transform my nails into claws... I don't want to ruin something here, so just believe when I say that I could slice your flesh to the bone with these nails right now," she said as she looked for something to cut but failed to find anything disposable. "My nails are capable of growing—that's something that already exists. What Yang does is that it hijacks the process and temporarily recreates it rapidly. These nails you see right now are real in every sense, as if I had grown them naturally."
Takuma couldn't help but be surprised. "Real? But humans can't grow nails like that."
"We can't, you're right. However, chakra is an energy potent enough to overcome natural boundaries. If chakra can help us grow our bodies beyond natural limits, then it mustn't be surprising that it could make nails grow stronger."
"You said they are real? Do you mean your nails will remain like that?" he asked, unable to accept that her nails were real.
"Not at all." She stopped the jutsu, and after a puff of smoke from each fingertip, her nails returned to normal.
"Then it's not real," he frowned.
"It was real, now it's not," she smiled.
Takuma only found himself more confused. "Huh?"
"Who says that something real has to last?" Mikoto pointed at the empty tea cups sitting between them. "You tasted the tea when you drank it, but the taste has disappeared now. Does that mean that the taste was not real?"
"But I can drink tea once more to taste again."
"And I can use the jutsu again to grow my nails." Mikoto shook her head with a light chuckle. "It's okay if you don't understand; it's confusing because it's complex, and you must learn a lot to make sense of it. Even I don't understand much of it because it's not my affinity. But I will give you an example we both are familiar with: Iryōjutsu."
"Iryōjutsu is Yang Release," Takuma nodded. Ai was an iryo-nin, so he knew some things about Iryōjutsu from conversations.
"If you boil it down to the simplest terms, iryōjutsu simply boosts the body's healing to an extraordinary limit. Your body is still the one doing the healing, but it's getting help from the iryōjutsu. Of course, it's infinitely more complicated than what I said, but that's the gist of it," Mikoto lazily waved her hand.
She continued, "There's a law associated with Yang: unlike with Yin Release, you can't create something out of nothing. I used my chakra to boost the pre-existing growth of my nails. Iryōjutsu is no different. The iryo-nin uses their chakra to take the burden of accelerated healing away from their patient's body."
Injuries that would take several months or even years to heal recover within days or weeks. It was a miraculous feat that transcended human limits, many times more impressive than something like breaking the human speed limit.
"It works because chakra is a potent force that supports life itself."
"So, it's like equivalent exchange?" asked Takuma.
"Hmm, perhaps it is. I am not that knowledgeable," Mikoto shrugged.
"What about the Akmichi clan's hiden jutsu, Calorie Control? Isn't that also Yang Release? I understand Iryōjutsu because the body possesses the ability to heal on its own, which can be considered the 'form'— but what about the Akimchi clan's ability to grow in size and turn into giants? Where's the form in that? Humans can't do that normally."
"That's even more difficult for me to answer," Mikoto sighed. "It's a hiden jutsu. I know next to nothing about it... but if I had to take a guess, then the body itself is the form. They can grow their body parts to a tremendous size, but in the end, they're still human body parts, just blown up in size. I'm sure there is complexity to it all that the Akimichi clan has painstakingly solved over generations, but I can say with confidence that it's so complicated that they can't do it with chakra alone."
"What do you mean?"
"Calorie Control, as the name suggests, burns the calories in an Akimichi's body to give them their power. I could grow the nails because they're relatively simple—but think about complex organs strong enough to support their giant frames—theoretically you could do it with chakra alone, but it would require god-like knowledge and skill. This is not to say that the Akimichi clan is unskillful; I just don't believe anyone in this world is that skilful. So, they sacrifice a part of their own body to fuel the jutsu."
"What do you mean?" Takuma asked.
"Think about it, first they burn the carbohydrates, then they burn the fats, and if the situation is dire, they burn the protein in their muscles. What if they didn't control which muscle would be burned first? What if it's the heart? Do you understand what I mean?"
Takuma nodded. The Akimichi's jutsu could eat away at their hearts, leaving them weak—and a weak heart would beget a whole host of health complications, death being the worst of them. Despite its miracles, Iryōjutsu wasn't all-powerful; there were risks and limitations.
"Perhaps that's why they eat so goddamn much and store resources in their bodies," said Takuma solemnly.
Mikoto silently nodded.
"You can't learn Iryōjutsu, so I will suggest a simple Yang Release jutsu. Buy and practice that for Yang nature transformation training," she said.
"Thank you," Takuma bowed his head, grateful for her guidance.
.
———
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The link is in the synopsis!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
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