Bab 2: Chapter 237: Is This Still a Human?
Among the twelve, Higashi Mao was the only woman. She looked petite, with an explosive hairstyle, resembling a tomboy.
After Higashi Mao, the next was a white-haired young man who appeared to be around twenty years old.
"Lord Shūichi, I am Kazuma, proficient in Earth Release."
Then followed five others: Daisuke, Fushū, Nakagin, Naoto, and Aozora.
Each of them was already adept at one type of chakra nature transformation.
Once all twelve had introduced themselves, Shūichi spoke:
"You already know who I am. As for what I'm skilled at..."
"I've mastered all seven nature transformations, as well as sealing techniques, taijutsu, and kenjutsu. You could say I'm reasonably proficient in each."
"So, whatever you wish to learn, I can teach you."
"But until you meet my standards, I wouldn't recommend training in new nature transformations."
Kazuma immediately asked, puzzled:
"Lord Shūichi, if one's progress with a specific nature transformation has reached a bottleneck, wouldn't learning another to complement it improve combat effectiveness?"
Shūichi glanced at him and said calmly:
"If you've hit a bottleneck under my training, it just means that's the extent of your talent."
Kazuma fell silent, unable to argue.
Shūichi took a step forward.
"We'll discuss training later. For now, let's go inside and take a look around."
He and Pakura led the way, with Asuma and the twelve following behind.
Kazuma whispered to Asuma,
"Doesn't Shūichi seem completely different today?"
Asuma replied without surprise,
"That's because today, he's not just our friend—he's our instructor, our teacher."
Kazuma nodded in understanding.
---
Shūichi and Pakura inspected the classrooms. Lessons were already in progress, and the instructors were ninja who had been eliminated during earlier experimental trials.
These instructors were more than capable of teaching students.
As for the teaching materials, they were moderately adapted from Konoha's Ninja Academy curriculum.
However, Shūichi had decided to enhance the "Will of Fire" doctrine, improving its philosophy and creating a more structured framework.
Without a clear purpose, the Will of Fire could be appropriated by anyone and reduced to mere rhetoric—it was far too cheap in its current form!
---
After touring the classrooms, Shūichi led the group to a training ground surrounded by trees.
Sweeping his gaze across Asuma and the others, Shūichi asked,
"Do you know why you're here?"
The group looked at each other in confusion.
Higashi Mao was the first to answer:
"Lord Shūichi, isn't it to improve our strength—to become the most reliable shield for the Daimyō and his sharpest sword?"
Shūichi smiled faintly.
"Is that all?"
Kazuma chimed in,
"The Daimyō established this base to train ninja, likely to reduce dependence on Konoha—or perhaps to bring Konoha completely under his control."
"After all, the Land of Fire doesn't need two voices. Even though the Hokage is technically subordinate to the Daimyō, that's not the reality."
Hearing this, Pakura was surprised by Kazuma's boldness.
Shūichi, however, neither confirmed nor denied it. He simply asked again:
"Anything else?"
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
Even Asuma didn't know what vision Shūichi had sold to the Daimyō.
He could only guess that the Daimyō's motives aligned with Kazuma's reasoning.
But Asuma also sensed there was more to it. Shūichi was a double agent, and the current Fourth Hokage was his teacher. How could he possibly help the Daimyō undermine Konoha?
Wouldn't that be self-sabotage?
Asuma had long since abandoned his naïve thinking.
Seeing no further responses, Shūichi turned to Higashi Mao.
"Improving strength to become the most reliable shield and sharpest sword for the Daimyō is absolutely correct."
"But who is the Daimyō? Who represents the Daimyō?"
"Are you protecting the person who holds the title, or the individual who will one day become the Daimyō?"
Asuma felt his heart tremble at these words. This touched on a question that had long troubled him—the relationship between the Daimyō and the Hokage.
Shūichi's gaze shifted to Kazuma.
"If Konoha had no Hokage and answered directly to the Daimyō, and the Daimyō appointed you as the leader, then..."
"Would the ninja follow you, or would they follow the Daimyō?"
"Would there truly be only one voice, or would yours become another?"
Kazuma frowned.
"Lord Shūichi, I would carry out the Daimyō's orders. If the ninja obey me, they're obeying the Daimyō!"
Shūichi smiled and asked,
"Then, if the Daimyō ordered you to attack an ally, such as Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, despite the risk of retaliation from the other great ninja villages, would you follow that order?"
"If the Daimyō issued a command that clearly defied ninja common sense, would you carry it out?"
Kazuma quickly replied,
"I would advise the Daimyō and offer a better course of action."
Shūichi countered with a question:
"In that case, whose voice is it—the Daimyō's or yours?"
Kazuma froze, momentarily speechless.
Shūichi withdrew his gaze from Kazuma and said calmly:
"The Daimyō handed you over to me, perhaps simply to mold you into the sturdiest shield and sharpest sword, or maybe to personally take control of the ninja force."
"But my purpose here is threefold."
"First, to unite all ninja and end the system of one country, one village."
"Second, to unify all nations and put an end to the era of inter-country warfare."
"Third, based on these foundations, to bring an end to the ceaseless conflicts since the Warring States Period and create an unprecedented world of great peace—a world without war!"
At this moment, all twelve members of the group were stunned.
Creating a peaceful, war-free world wasn't a new idea.
Countless people had chanted such slogans before—if not a thousand, then at least hundreds.
But uniting all ninja and all nations? That was unprecedented, a vision so vast it seemed no one had dared to dream it before—or even consider it possible.
After all, the world had always been divided into multiple countries.
Could something like this even be achieved? Could Konoha truly subdue the other villages and unify all ninja?
If that were accomplished, dominating other nations would indeed seem feasible.
"Lord Shūichi, is this really possible?"
Higashi Mao swallowed hard and asked:
"Although you defeated the Third Mizukage and the Fourth Raikage, if faced with a joint attack from the other villages, even you might not be able to hold them off, right?"
"I heard the Third Raikage died after being exhausted in battle against tens of thousands of Iwagakure ninja."
"Konoha's forces wouldn't be able to withstand a combined assault from the other villages, either."
"And even if you train more ninja here, it probably wouldn't be nearly enough."
The others nodded in agreement.
Shūichi chuckled lightly.
"That's why I'm here, and you're standing opposite me, receiving my instruction."
Hearing this, the group couldn't help but feel a sense of shame.
Kazuma gazed at Shūichi, his eyes gleaming with admiration.
"Someone who could defeat both the Third Mizukage and the Fourth Raikage truly has a vision far beyond my own!"
"With such ambition, titles like Daimyō or Hokage seem insignificant—mere placeholders."
"Unifying all ninja is the true mission of someone truly strong!"
---
"To have such lofty ideals and the ability to act on them—it's no wonder he's achieved extraordinary success at such a young age and earned the Daimyō's trust," Kazuma thought to himself.
Daisuke, standing nearby, reflected quietly:
"Following someone like this makes even the most difficult goals seem within reach."
Asuma, however, pondered deeply:
"It seems the village has agreed to Shūichi's plan. And the Daimyō... the Daimyō isn't so easily deceived. This suggests he doesn't fully trust Shūichi but is temporarily turning a blind eye due to their shared goal of unifying the nations."
"This also means that, for now, both the Daimyō's faction and the village have aligned under a common objective."
---
Each of the twelve wore a different expression.
After their initial shock and subsequent shame, their perspectives began to shift.
Compared to Shūichi's vision, their previous ambitions suddenly felt trivial—almost laughable.
Shūichi's gaze swept over their faces, his smile fading as he spoke:
"Keep those thoughts in your heart. To achieve any goal, you need the strength to support it."
"It's only because I have my current strength that I dare to say these things, and why the Daimyō is willing to back me."
"A person's vision can be infinitely large, but what they can truly achieve depends on the power they wield."
"So, for the upcoming training, I hope you won't let yourselves or the Daimyō down."
As he finished speaking, five shadow clones appeared on either side of Shūichi.
"Now, enjoy the training!"
With that, Shūichi and Pakura vanished.
The group exchanged uncertain glances until one of Shūichi's shadow clones spoke:
"Those specializing in Lightning Release, follow me!"
Higashi Mao, Kita, and two others exchanged looks before quickly following the clone.
The other clones soon called out as well: "Water Release," "Earth Release," "Fire Release," and so on.
Before long, the training ground was nearly empty, with only one shadow clone remaining alongside Asuma and Kazuma.
Shūichi's clone looked at Kazuma.
"Kazuma, you're from the Fire Temple and possess a unique heritage. While I can't provide direct guidance, many principles are universal. You're welcome to ask me any questions."
"Additionally, I'll be stricter with you in taijutsu training."
Kazuma nodded quickly.
"I understand."
Shūichi then turned to Asuma.
"Asuma, let me see your Wind Release nature transformation."
Asuma nodded, retrieving his chakra blades, the Flying Swallow.
Asuma's chakra blades buzzed sharply as a layer of blue, razor-sharp chakra enveloped their edges.
Shūichi observed and remarked, "This level of control is already at a jōnin standard."
In terms of difficulty, a jōnin-level technique would be considered B-rank.
Looking at Asuma's Flying Swallow blades, Shūichi asked, "Asuma, have you ever seen a saw?"
Asuma paused, startled. "Yes, my blades actually use a serrated edge design similar to that of a saw."
Shūichi nodded. "And do you know why that design is effective?"
Asuma fell into contemplation.
Shūichi continued, "Mastering Wind Release nature transformation involves honing your chakra to be as thin and sharp as possible. A saw cuts through wood faster than a knife or an axe because it takes advantage of friction and shearing force."
"Currently, you're just applying Wind Release chakra to your blades to make them sharper."
"The next step is to focus on shape transformation. You need to make the Wind Release chakra on your blades flow—move at high speeds. This will enhance its cutting power even further."
Asuma's eyes lit up with realization.
Shūichi raised his hand, forming his palm into a blade. First, he coated his hand with chakra. Then, the outer layer of the chakra underwent Wind and Fire Release transformations, creating a flowing blue flame.
The flow was so rapid that it was imperceptible to the naked eye. However, the aura it radiated was one of extreme sharpness and searing heat.
"This is a technique I developed by combining Wind and Fire Release. I call it Blue Flame Vacuum Slash. The wind's rapid flow amplifies the cutting power, while the heat adds destructive force."
"At the same time, Wind Release enhances the control and versatility of Fire Release."
"Asuma, I remember you're proficient in Fire Release as well as Wind Release."
Asuma laughed wryly. "Just mastering shape transformation for one nature is already difficult enough. Combining two natures without hand seals and achieving such harmony—that's definitely an A-rank technique."
Shūichi nodded. "It is A-rank, but it's not unattainable. With effort, you can achieve it."
"Now, this next one will depend on your talent…"
He opened his right hand, palm facing upward, and quickly formed a spinning Rasengan. Then, he infused it with Wind Release chakra.
The Wind Release Rasengan!
Asuma and Kazuma stared intently.
Another seal-less jutsu that combined both shape and nature transformations.
At least A-rank!
"This is an A-rank seal-less technique," Shūichi explained. "Asuma, this shouldn't be too difficult for you."
Asuma's eyelid twitched violently. I don't remember ever claiming that…
Suddenly, his pupils shrank as a sharp, piercing whine filled his ears. In front of him, the spinning chakra sphere in Shūichi's hand expanded, transforming into a massive, rapidly rotating chakra shuriken.
"So… so strong!"
Asuma and Kazuma exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide in awe. It was their first time seeing such a technique.
"This must be S-rank, right?"
Kazuma was utterly shocked. "The last one, I might have been able to block with all my strength. But this one? Not a chance. Even the strongest defenses wouldn't hold up against this."
Shūichi explained, "Asuma, this is the pinnacle of Wind Release nature and shape transformations combined—a perfect fusion creating an S-rank forbidden jutsu: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken."
"Once you've mastered the Wind Release Rasengan, you can consider learning this technique."
"Of course, neither of these may perfectly suit your combat style. But training with them will significantly improve your control over nature transformation, shape transformation, and chakra manipulation."
"Sometimes, mastering a jutsu isn't about the jutsu itself—it's about what you learn along the way."
Asuma felt immense pressure, yet a spark of determination ignited within him.
Shūichi raised the stakes even higher. "If you're adept at close combat, you could consider developing a Wind Release Chakra Mode."
"A Wind Release Chakra Mode?" Asuma immediately asked. "Is it similar to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode?"
Shūichi nodded, and his body was instantly cloaked in a fiery aura. "This is the Fire Release Chakra Mode I developed."
"I haven't created a standalone Wind Release Chakra Mode, but…"
Shūichi infused Wind Release chakra into the fire cloak, which immediately became denser and more refined. "This is what it looks like when Wind Release is integrated."
"Now, this is the Lightning Release Chakra Mode."
He deactivated the fire cloak and replaced it with the familiar glow of Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Asuma and Kazuma were left utterly speechless, their mouths agape in shock.
To think someone their age could accomplish all this… Was he even human?
(End of Chapter)
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Status Power Mingguan
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