Early morning, by the riverside training grounds.
Perhaps due to yesterday's mental breakthrough and finding his true self, Taiichi's training today was exceptionally effective. Whether it was sword practice or Ninjutsu, everything flowed smoothly, achieving twice the result with half the effort.
Especially here by the babbling brook, watching the endless flow of water, Taiichi found his Water Nature Transformation particularly responsive.
"Water Style: Great Water Prison Jutsu!"
Taiichi slapped his palm onto the water's surface. Twenty meters away, a wall of water over five meters high surged upward. It didn't stop there; with lightning speed, it extended outward, forming a perfect circular encirclement in the blink of an eye.
But that wasn't the end. The top of the water walls crashed inward with tremendous force, while the entire encirclement tightened toward the center.
From the initial rise of the water wall to the final closure, the whole process took only two or three seconds. A massive sphere of water was formed.
If someone were close enough to observe, they would see the water inside the sphere flowing rapidly and chaotically. This turbulence was designed to disorient and trap anyone inside, preventing escape.
As the first original Jutsu he had developed, Taiichi knew it intimately. And he knew it still had plenty of room for improvement.
For instance, how to form water blades inside the sphere to shred the trapped target?
Or how to increase the velocity and power of the turbulence to twist the enemy into a pretzel?
These were the directions Taiichi was researching, but he had hit a wall until now. With his mind clear and the river aiding his focus, inspiration began to flood in.
> [Epiphany in progress. Water Nature Transformation +500]
Gradually, as Taiichi poured more chakra into the technique, the massive water sphere began to compress, shrinking in volume.
The surface of the sphere started to bulge unpredictably, and occasionally, jets of high-pressure water would shoot out. Every time a jet hit the ground, it blasted a small crater into the earth, showcasing terrifying power.
As time passed, sweat beaded on Taiichi's forehead. But seeing the water prison stabilize again, he gritted his teeth and held on.
Just as it seemed success was within reach, Taiichi started to smile—
BOOM!
The water prison collapsed violently.
The pressurized water exploded outward, transforming into countless indestructible water arrows shooting in every direction.
The moment the prison destabilized, Taiichi knew he was in trouble. There was no time to cast a defensive Jutsu. He used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat backward at max speed.
Barely a second after he moved, the spot where he had been standing was riddled with water arrows. And they were still coming, chasing him as he fled.
Fortunately, even while running, Taiichi managed to weave hand signs. "Water Style: Water Wall!"
A wall of water rose up in front of him.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The sound of impacts was continuous, splashing water everywhere as the arrows hammered the defensive wall.
Three to five seconds later, silence returned.
Taiichi lowered the Water Wall and looked around. His jaw dropped.
Everything within a fifty-meter radius, centered on the exploded water prison, had been turned into Swiss cheese.
With a pounding heart, Taiichi walked forward to inspect the damage. A large tree about forty meters from the blast center had four holes punched clean through its trunk.
A large gray rock by the riverbank, closest to the explosion, had over a dozen holes in it. Taiichi poked a finger into one; it was so deep he couldn't feel the end.
If that hit a human body... it wouldn't just be a flesh wound. It would turn them into a sieve. Taiichi shivered.
The more he looked, the more cold sweat gathered on his forehead. He realized he had just been one step away from death. Developing new Jutsu was insanely dangerous.
Staring at the now-calm river for a long time, Taiichi suddenly burst out laughing.
"Ha... Ha... Hahahaha!"
Why? Because even though the improvement to the Great Water Prison Jutsu had technically failed, he had accidentally created a terrifying new technique. Judging by the destruction, he wouldn't be surprised if someone called this an S-Rank Jutsu.
Once he calmed down, Taiichi realized he had stumbled upon two different applications for his modified technique.
The internal version: The original concept. Trap the enemy and crush them with turbulence and water blades.
The external version: The "failure" he just witnessed. Compressing the water until it explodes into omnidirectional piercing arrows. Perfect for wiping out groups of enemies.
He even had the names ready.
Internal: Water Style: Great Water Prison Jutsu.
External: Water Style: Wild Water Dance.
Now, all he had to do was refine them. Of course, next time, he would take better safety precautions. He wasn't sure if he'd be lucky enough to dodge a second explosion.
The system chimed in with a notification:
> [Epiphany in progress. Water Nature Transformation +100]
> [Congratulations. You have developed new Jutsu: S-Rank Water Style: Great Water Prison Jutsu (Modified) Lv0 (32/100), S-Rank Water Style: Wild Water Dance Lv0 (45/100)]
Seeing the "Lv0" status, Taiichi was fired up to continue. But when he tried to channel chakra, he stopped awkwardly.
He was empty. The practice and the failed experiment had drained him dry. He'd have to wait to recover.
He looked up at the sky. It was already noon. Time had flown by. Taiichi decided to call it a day, strapped his tanto to his back, and strolled back toward the village.
The midday sun baked the stone streets, but the heat didn't dampen the villagers' enthusiasm.
The aroma of grilled eel rice balls and soy-glazed saury wafted through the air. Red-painted torii gates cast short shadows, and the curtains of dango shops fluttered in the warm breeze, revealing steaming bamboo baskets of treats.
Taiichi was debating what to have for lunch when he looked up and saw a white-haired ninja crouching on a distant rooftop.
The scene gave him a massive sense of déjà vu. He followed the ninja's gaze to the building below. Sure enough, a large sign with the character for "Hot Water" (湯) hung out front.
No need to guess. A guy peeping on a women's bathhouse in broad daylight? That had to be Jiraiya.
Watching Jiraiya adjust his crouching position, practically laying flat on the tiles to get the perfect angle, Taiichi felt a mischievous urge rising.
Jiraiya was ecstatic. He had just finished a grueling S-Rank mission and was on his way to report in when he passed this bathhouse.
He double-checked. Yep, it was a brand new place. Grand Opening Special. Lots of pretty ladies were flocking inside.
His "researcher's soul" ignited immediately. After checking that no one he knew was around, he snuck around back and vaulted onto the roof.
He was a pro at this. He listened carefully to the sounds from below, pinpointed the location of the women's bath, and licked his finger—which had gone dry from excitement. He poked a tiny, silent hole in the paper window.
Impatiently, he pressed his eye to the hole. His breath hitched, then quickened, and he started letting out creepy little giggles.
His butt wiggled left and right as he tried to find the optimal viewing angle.
Just as Jiraiya was deeply immersed in his "research," a loud, girlish shout rang out from a nearby roof:
"JIRAIYA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"