"Heh, what are you thinking?"
"You still want a next time?"
Hearing Nawaki's halting request, Li Anshi snorted coldly.
"Nawaki, if after these hundreds of spatial transfers, you still haven't perceived the fluctuations of space, then it means you have no affinity for it, or your affinity is very low."
"Under these circumstances, it's simply impossible for you to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Moreover, the reaction you had just now from the transfers is proof enough that your neural response speed can't keep up with the speed of the technique."
"Even if you did learn it, you wouldn't be able to use it in battle."
"Otherwise, the moment of stiffness after using it would be enough for an enemy to kill you ten or eight times over."
In a ninja battle, every second counted.
The slightest mistake, and it was all over.
Ignoring Nawaki's pale face, Li Anshi patted his head.
"So, Nawaki, if you still can't sense the spatial fluctuations within three days, then give up on learning the Flying Thunder God Technique. Shift your focus to understanding the thought process behind the Second Hokage's development of it."
This sentence stunned Nawaki, and his nearly unconscious mind cleared for a moment.
Is Sensei telling me to give up?
Nawaki wanted to say something, but then he remembered the feeling of being dragged through rapid spatial transfers by his teacher, and he said nothing.
He was not an ungrateful person.
He also knew that if he really didn't have the ability to sense space, or if his neural response speed couldn't keep up with the negative effects of the transfers, then even if he did learn the technique, he wouldn't be able to use it in battle.
In that case, even if he used it to move in front of a comrade in danger, his reflexes wouldn't be fast enough to save them.
Perhaps, before he had even recovered from the discomfort, he would be killed along with them.
"I understand."
"Three days!"
"Sensei, give me three days."
"If I still haven't perceived the spatial fluctuations in three days, then I will give up on learning the Flying Thunder God Technique."
…
"Oh? Did Nawaki really say that?"
At the border stronghold of the Land of Fire, Tsunade asked Li Anshi while eating the grilled meat he had brought.
Although she had known from the moment he had wanted to learn it that the possibility of him succeeding was minimal, she had been prepared to let him waste some time on it. With Li Anshi teaching him, even if he didn't ultimately learn the technique, he would gain a much deeper understanding of how to create ninjutsu.
This would also be beneficial for his future.
Of course, at that time, she had also agreed because he had been so fixated on it, and she had been worried that his mindset would become a problem.
"Yes, Nawaki said it himself. If he can't perceive the spatial fluctuations within three days, he'll give up on the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"That's good."
Tsunade finished the meat on her skewer in one bite and nodded. "That boy, he's not completely stupid after all."
Both of them knew that since Nawaki had said this, it meant he had already moved on from his previous psychological shadow.
"Nawaki's chakra natures are water and earth. In the future, he might have a chance to awaken the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai."
"So, when you're teaching him, have him start practicing some chakra nature transformation as well."
"Mm, I'll pay attention to that."
Li Anshi nodded.
From the Warring States period until now, with the Senju clan's Sage Body and the Uchiha clan's Sage Eyes clashing for hundreds of years, there had always been super powerhouses who had awakened the Wood Release and the Mangekyo.
Therefore, the people of the ninja world all believed that the Wood Release was a Kekkei Genkai of the Senju, just like the Sharingan was to the Uchiha.
But he knew this was wrong.
The Uchiha's Mangekyo, besides being awakened by the reincarnation of Indra, could also be awakened by some exceptionally talented Uchiha after experiencing great trauma.
But the Senju's Wood Release could truly only be awakened by the reincarnation of Asura.
Even the later Yamato was a product of Orochimaru's experiments with the First Hokage's cells.
And his Wood Release was in no way comparable in power to the First's.
Therefore, he was skeptical about whether Nawaki could awaken the Wood Release by fusing his water and earth chakra natures.
But he didn't want to voice this pessimistic guess and shatter Tsunade's fantasy.
In any case, in his opinion, as long as Orochimaru didn't defect and Konoha supported his research, then one day in the future, it was not impossible for Orochimaru to activate the Wood Release for Nawaki.
If the problem was the lack of Asura's chakra, he wasn't without a solution.
At worst, after Naruto Uzumaki was born, he would have Orochimaru take some of his cells for research. It shouldn't be a big problem.
Even if Nawaki ultimately failed to awaken the Wood Release, in his opinion, it was not a big deal.
As long as he specialized in Water Release and reached the level of the Second Hokage, it would still be fine.
Yes, not the Second Hokage with the Flying Thunder God Technique, but the Second Hokage who was a master of Water Release.
Although he was the Hokage, in terms of Water Release proficiency alone, he was in no way inferior to even the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki.
If there was one thing the Second Mizukage was stronger in, it was probably his Kekkei Genkai secret technique, the "Steaming Danger Tyranny."
With this technique, he and the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, had perished together.
From this, one could see its terrifying power.
It was important to remember that Mu not only possessed the "Dust Release," a Kekkei Tota that surpassed even a Kekkei Genkai in terms of offensive power, but also had the ability to completely conceal his presence and hide his form.
Under these circumstances, one could say that he was the strongest of that era, besides Hashirama and Madara.
Even Mito Uzumaki had only become a step stronger than him after she had become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki after Hashirama had killed Madara.
And yet, even someone as strong as Mu had died under the "Steaming Danger Tyranny," which showed just how terrifying the secret technique was.
"By the way, today in the village, Danzo..."
After talking about Nawaki, during a pause in Tsunade's eating, he also told her everything Danzo had done in Konoha.
"Heh, has that guy been cooped up in the village for so long that he's gone stupid?"
"Even when he goes out to fight, he has to put on a show."
Tsunade scoffed at his actions.
"Tsunade, you shouldn't underestimate this show."
Seeing her indifference, he shook his head. "Although you look down on these underhanded tricks of his, at certain times, these shows are what most people in the village see."
"For example, right now, the upcoming battle with the Rain is classified information. Let alone the ordinary villagers, even among the ninjas, probably only the jonin and some well-informed chunin know about it."
"Now that he's making a high-profile departure for the front, in the hearts of this part of the population, he's a hero who is protecting the village and fighting for it."
"When the war is over and he returns to the village safely, his prestige will be raised even higher."
"At that time, even if you want to make a move against him, if it's not handled properly, these people will become an unstable factor."
"It's very difficult to change their first impression of him."
"After all, with their preconceived notions, they might just define it as a political struggle after you've taken power."
"At that time, even if you are the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the founder of medical ninjutsu, your reputation will be greatly affected."
"Tsk..."
Hearing this, a look of disgust appeared on Tsunade's face.
"Those who play politics, their hearts are so dirty."
"But, Anshi, you're not one of them, so how do you know so much?"
Although she was disgusted by his actions, she still didn't pay them much mind.
Compared to that, she was more concerned about how he had been able to see through the situation behind his actions.
"Haha, maybe it's because their moves are just too childish in my eyes," he said with a laugh.
This was no exaggeration.
His nine years of compulsory education in his previous life, and the five thousand years of historical heritage, had elevated his perspective to a higher dimension.
This level of political struggle in the ninja world was like child's play in his eyes.
Combining the situation in the ninja world, the situation in the village, and his own understanding of the "human heart," if he didn't know what these people were doing, then fine. But the moment he did, he could directly see through the hidden motives behind their actions.
This was also the main reason why he didn't want to become the ruler of the ninja world.
It was too boring!
With the time and energy it would take to rule the world, wouldn't it be better to just live his own life well?
As long as he possessed invincible strength, then no matter how the world changed, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest.
Tsunade said nothing, just continued to eat.
"By the way."
"This meal today might be the last for a while."
"At Danzo's speed, if they travel through the night, they might be able to get here by noon tomorrow."
"In order not to let him know more about me, I won't be coming back."
"You should also tell your subordinates to keep their mouths shut."
"At least, until the war with the Rain Village is over, don't expose my presence to him."
"Don't worry."
"The day before yesterday, I already told them about his intention to use everyone as disposable pawns."
"Currently, all the ninjas at this stronghold have already pledged their allegiance to me."
"When they see him, if they don't act against him, it's already out of respect for the village."
"How could they possibly tell him about you?"
A smile appeared on her lips.
Although she had been tricked by him this time, in her heart, she was still a little grateful.
Before today, the only ones she could control were the medical ninjas at the Konoha Hospital.
Although their status was not lower than that of ordinary ninjas, because they focused on medical ninjutsu, most of them were very weak in actual combat.
The ninjas who had survived through slaughter surpassed the medical ninjas by more than a step, whether it was in the timing of their attacks, their combat mentality, or their willingness to risk their lives.
The dozens of medical ninjas in the hospital could be wiped out by at most one jonin team.
It could only be said that, with the exception of Tsunade, the medical ninjas, as a support unit, were considered elites. They were the reason why the ninjas of a village were not afraid to fight to the death.
But they were not warriors on the front lines.
Now, because of his actions, Tsunade had completely taken control of the troops at this stronghold.
Even after this war was over, these ninjas who had pledged their allegiance to her would continue to gather around her, with her as their leader, to protect their own interests.
It could be said that they were now completely hers.
"Mm, it's good that you have a plan."
Li Anshi nodded. "If you run into any problems, you can activate the spatial mark I left on you with your chakra. I'll appear by your side in an instant."
"This war is meaningless to me."
"But if you were to fall in it, this world would lose most of its meaning to me."
Smooch...
Tsunade planted a kiss directly on his cheek, her smile radiant.
She knew what he meant.
The entire ninja world, just like Konoha, didn't hold much meaning for him.
It was only because of her, because of the bond they had formed since childhood, a bond that had deepened step by step, that Konoha had a different meaning for him than the other villages.
This war was the same.
If he didn't want to participate, then neither Konoha nor any of the other great villages would risk angering him by attacking.
Their war with Konoha was about fighting for the various resources of the Land of Fire, and the battlefield would be limited to its borders or just inside its territory.
But they would not be so arrogant as to lead a large army to attack Konoha itself.
Don't forget, besides him, Konoha also had a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki who was in no way weaker.
If the ninjas of the world could be divided into Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and everyone else, then the Tailed Beasts could be divided into the Nine-Tails and all the others.
Just as Hashirama and Madara could suppress the entire ninja world, the complete Nine-Tails could also suppress the other eight Tailed Beasts.
And Mito Uzumaki's own strength was not weak. She could forcibly seize the Nine-Tails' chakra without its consent, entering a perfect Jinchuriki form.