Chapter 67 – Refining Ninjutsu
Morning.
By the riverbank, mist curled over the water.
Perhaps it was because of the clarity he had gained the night before — the peace that came after understanding himself — but Taichi's training that day felt entirely different. Every movement flowed more smoothly, every technique came more naturally. His body and chakra were in perfect harmony.
Both his swordsmanship and ninjutsu showed clear progress. But it was his Water Release that responded most vividly.
Standing beside the quietly flowing river, Taichi felt as if he and the water were breathing together — fluid, endless, alive.
He formed seals rapidly.
"Water Release: Great Water Prison Technique!"
Slamming his palm into the river's surface, he channeled his chakra outward.
With a roar, the calm water surged upward twenty meters away, rising into a massive, five-meter-high wall that encircled the riverbank like a living creature.
The water wall didn't stop there — it curved, twisted, and linked together at blinding speed, forming a seamless circular barrier.
Then, the top folded inward, the flow cascading down in a spiraling torrent. The walls pressed closer, collapsing toward the center until, in only a few seconds, a gigantic water sphere had formed — swirling violently with power.
If someone had been close enough to see, they would have noticed the currents inside moving in chaotic, high-speed turbulence — designed deliberately to prevent anything trapped inside from moving or escaping.
This was Taichi's first original ninjutsu — and he understood every detail of its mechanics.
But even now, he knew there was more to refine.
"If I can create razor-edged water blades inside the sphere," he thought, "I could cut down anything trapped within almost instantly."
Or perhaps increase the turbulence even more — enough to shred an enemy to pieces through sheer pressure.
These were the directions he had been pondering for weeks. But only now, with a clear mind, did inspiration truly begin to flow.
[Epiphany achieved — Water Nature Transformation +500]
---
He continued channeling chakra, maintaining the shape of the giant sphere. Slowly, the water mass began to compress inward, shrinking in size while becoming denser and heavier.
The surface rippled with bulging pressure — round humps swelling and collapsing in unpredictable patterns. Occasionally, powerful jets burst from the sides, striking the ground and leaving behind small craters. The sheer destructive force of each blast was astonishing.
Sweat ran down Taichi's forehead, but he didn't stop. He grit his teeth, maintaining control, stabilizing the formation as it compressed further and further…
It was almost perfect. The prison was stable, compact, powerful—
And then, it exploded.
---
The sphere imploded in a violent burst. The pressurized water erupted outward in every direction, transforming into a storm of high-velocity water arrows.
Taichi's eyes widened.
"—Not good!"
There was no time to form hand seals, no time to think. He body-flickered backward, barely escaping before his previous position was torn apart by the barrage.
Dozens of water arrows punched through the air where he'd just been standing, carving holes through the ground and trees alike. Even as he retreated, a second wave of projectiles followed.
Taichi's fingers flashed through signs.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A towering wall of water surged up before him — just in time.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Each arrow struck the barrier with a sound like exploding drums, splashing great waves into the air.
After a few seconds, the barrage faded.
Silence.
Taichi lowered the water wall and looked around—then froze.
The riverbank had been obliterated.
Everything within a fifty-meter radius was riddled with holes — like the aftermath of a hailstorm from hell.
He approached cautiously. A thick tree, forty meters from the blast point, had four clean holes drilled straight through its trunk.
Nearby, a large boulder by the river — the closest object to the explosion — was pocked with more than a dozen punctures. Taichi pressed a finger into one… and couldn't even feel the end.
He exhaled sharply.
If that had hit a person, there wouldn't have been anything left but a sieve.
A chill ran through him. Sweat beaded at his temples.
He had been one misstep away from death.
So this, he realized, was the danger of developing new ninjutsu.
For a long moment, he just stood there, staring at the calm river as it quietly reclaimed its surface.
Then, slowly, a laugh escaped his lips.
"...Ha. Ha. Hahaha!"
Why laugh, you ask?
Because while his experiment had failed—the result itself was a complete success.
That uncontrolled detonation? It wasn't a failure at all. It was the birth of a new jutsu—one of extraordinary power.
Judging by its destructive range and intensity, it could easily qualify as an S-rank Water Release technique.
Once he calmed down, Taichi began organizing his thoughts.
This accident had revealed two distinct modes of use:
Internal Control Mode — the original Great Water Prison Technique, perfect for trapping and crushing enemies within.
External Burst Mode — the explosive version he'd just witnessed, capable of annihilating everything in the surrounding area with a rain of water arrows.
He grinned, naming them on the spot.
The internal version would remain "Water Release: Great Water Prison", while the external one would be called "Water Release: Raging Water Dance."
Two techniques, two functions — both deadly in their own right.
All that remained was refinement and control.
Next time, he would come prepared—because if he lost control again, he wasn't sure there'd be a next time.
-
Just as Taichi was catching his breath, the familiar blue system panel appeared before his eyes, glowing faintly in the midday sun.
[Epiphany achieved — Water Nature Transformation +100]
[Congratulations! You have developed new jutsu:
S-rank Water Release: Great Water Prison (Revised) Lv.0 (32/100),
S-rank Water Release: Raging Water Dance Lv.0 (45/100)]
Two unfinished, Lv.0-level S-rank jutsu…
Taichi couldn't help but grin, a spark of excitement lighting up his eyes.
He'd barely scratched the surface — there was still so much to test, so much to refine.
But when he tried to mold chakra again, he stopped mid-motion, his expression twisting awkwardly.
Of course — the earlier experiments had completely drained him. His chakra reserves were empty.
"Guess that's enough for today," he muttered with a tired smile.
Lifting his head, he realized the sun was already high in the sky. He had trained all morning without noticing the time.
With a soft sigh, Taichi slung his short blade across his back and started strolling toward the village.
---
The midday sun beat down on the streets of Konoha, heating the stone paths until they shimmered with haze.
Yet that didn't stop people from filling the markets and food stalls.
The air was rich with the smell of grilled eel rice balls and soy-glazed saury.
Paper lanterns swung lazily in the heat, and the bright red torii gates of the nearby shrine cast short, crisp shadows. From the open flap of a dango shop drifted clouds of fragrant steam — three-colored dumplings fresh out of the bamboo steamer.
Taichi paused, torn between hunger and indecision.
"Hmm… grilled eel, or dango first?" he murmured to himself.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught something… odd.
A lone figure squatting on the tiled roof of a nearby building.
White hair.
Red markings under the eyes.
And the kanji signboard hanging below the roof read a single, unmistakable character: "湯" (Bath).
Taichi blinked, then sighed with a wry smile.
Of course.
Who else would it be but Jiraiya, the so-called "Toad Sage" — or more accurately, the "Pervy Sage."
The man was crouched like a hawk, body tense with unnatural focus. Every few seconds, he'd shift positions — leaning left, then right, then even sprawling flat on his stomach in search of a better angle.
Taichi's curiosity got the better of him, and he slipped quietly into the shadow of a nearby wall, watching the legendary sannin in his natural habitat.
---
At that very moment, Jiraiya was practically glowing with glee.
He had just returned from completing an S-rank mission and was on his way to report back when fate blessed him with a sight that could make any man's heart tremble — a newly opened hot spring bathhouse.
And not just any bathhouse.
It was hosting a grand opening event.
Translation: discount entry for women.
There were ladies everywhere — elegant older sisters, blushing young maidens, giggling kunoichi washing away the fatigue of training.
Jiraiya's so-called artistic inspiration surged through his veins.
After a quick scan of his surroundings to ensure no one familiar was nearby, he stealthily circled around to the back of the building and climbed the outer wall with the agility of a professional voyeur.
Once on the roof, he crouched low, listening carefully. The muffled laughter and splashing below confirmed it — this was definitely the women's section.
He rubbed his hands together, then — with a little too much enthusiasm — licked his finger and poked a tiny hole into the wooden panel of the roof.
"Just a little peek… for research purposes…" he whispered.
The moment his eye met the scene below, his breath hitched. Then came the rapid panting — and finally, the unmistakable soft, perverted chuckle.
"Heh… heh heh… perfect… absolutely perfect…"
His hips wriggled left and right as he adjusted his viewing angle, muttering about "composition" and "aesthetic balance."
It would have been a tragic display — if it weren't so absurdly entertaining.
But then a sharp voice suddenly cut through the air from a nearby rooftop—
"JIRAIYA! What do you think you're doing!?"
The voice was crisp, furious, and unmistakably feminine.
Jiraiya froze mid-peek, the color draining from his face.
He didn't even need to look to know who it was.
Tsunade.
And if there was one thing scarier than an enraged kunoichi, it was an enraged Tsunade.