"'Breathing Techniques'!?" Shion blinked, puzzled. "Never heard of that at the academy. What are they?"
Uchiha Shinji explained, "You can think of 'Breathing Techniques' as a kind of taijutsu secret art. They don't involve chakra. It's a set of techniques that use breathing to mobilize your body, drawing out the hidden strength within."
Shion's eyes lit up. "That sounds amazing!"
Shinji nodded and continued, "As a priestess, you're actually one of the best-suited people in the shinobi world to practice 'Breathing Techniques'!"
"Why's that?"
"Didn't I just say? 'Breathing Techniques' don't rely on chakra, so the stronger your physical body, the better the results. Take us, for example. If we both practiced 'Breathing Techniques,' my results wouldn't compare to yours, because as a priestess, your physical strength is on a whole other level."
Shinji gave an example.
After his explanation, Shion quickly grasped the concept.
She understood that 'Breathing Techniques' were a method to purely tap into physical power. If a person's body was like a mine, 'Breathing Techniques' were the equipment to extract its resources.
Some people were naturally robust and gifted, with abundant 'resources.' Others were frail, with fewer.
So, even with the same 'Breathing Techniques' as their tool, different people would yield different results.
"The 'Breathing Technique' I'm teaching you is called 'Water Breathing.' It's a very balanced technique. Once you master it, your taijutsu abilities will improve several times over!"
With that, Shinji began detailing the techniques and key points of 'Water Breathing' to Shion.
Realizing 'Breathing Techniques' were a valuable taijutsu secret, Shion shed her usual carefree attitude and studied with utmost seriousness.
One taught meticulously, the other learned earnestly.
Soon, Shion began to sense the flow.
As she breathed in and out, she eagerly asked Shinji, "Shinji, is this right? Like this?"
Shinji moved behind her, secretly activating his Sharingan and using the Byakugan he wielded through 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' to closely observe the oxygen's circulation path in her body. Spotting errors, he immediately pointed them out.
After several repetitions, Shion astonishingly grasped the basics in one go.
Huff…
Exhaling softly, Shion's face lit up with amazement.
She could clearly feel her fists brimming with power, her body far lighter than before.
Even the pain in her backside from earlier had subsided significantly under the influence of the 'Breathing Technique.'
She shouted, "Shinji, Shinji, I can feel it!"
Shinji nodded with satisfaction, saying two words: "Not bad."
Undoubtedly, Shion's speed in mastering 'Water Breathing' far exceeded his expectations, even surpassing his own progress when he first learned it.
But on second thought, this made sense.
As the priestess of the Land of Demons, Shion's physical constitution was beyond what the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer world could compare to. Even someone like Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a near-divine figure in that world, couldn't match many of the shinobi world's geniuses in terms of physicality—let alone Shion, a priestess.
Add to that Shinji's Byakugan, which allowed him to monitor Shion's breathing circulation in real-time, correct her mistakes instantly, and guide her promptly. With all these factors combined, Shion's rapid progress was only natural.
Seeing Shion engrossed in practicing 'Breathing Techniques,' Shinji suggested, "Want to spar again?"
Shion nodded eagerly. "Sure!"
Thud, thud, thud…
Soon, the two clashed again.
This time, with the boost from 'Breathing Techniques,' Shion's combat ability was noticeably stronger. However, because she wasn't yet proficient and had to focus on maintaining the technique, she got distracted. Before long, she was defeated again.
Shion waved her hands. "That doesn't count, doesn't count! I was too focused on 'Breathing Techniques,' so you beat me so easily!"
Shinji smiled faintly. "Then your next training task is to maintain 'Breathing Techniques' at all times. Whether you're eating, sleeping, or even using the bathroom, you can't stop!"
"What!?"
Shion was shocked.
Shinji said, "This is a necessary step in mastering 'Breathing Techniques,' called 'Total Concentration: Constant.' It'll be tough at first, but once you get used to it, your body will naturally be enhanced by the technique over time."
Shion looked conflicted. "Even… in the bathroom?"
Shinji nodded seriously. "There's no time for you to ease into it. You need to master 'Total Concentration' as soon as possible to keep your physical condition at its peak."
"Fine, I'll do my best!"
Thinking of the shinobi world's crisis, Shion didn't complain.
"Good!" Pausing, Shinji continued, "As for using your priestess powers, I can't help you there, so you'll need to train that on your own. I recall you brought the sealing technique scrolls for the Land of Demons' priestesses last time, right?"
Shion nodded blankly.
"Perfect, saves me a trip!" Smiling, Shinji said, "Besides practicing 'Breathing Techniques' around the clock, spend all your remaining time training the sealing techniques of the Land of Demons' priestesses!"
"What!?"
Shion was utterly dumbfounded.
Maintaining 'Water Breathing' all day was already pushing her limits. She never imagined Shinji would be so ruthless as to add training in priestess sealing techniques.
Shinji said, "When we counter-attack their world, your priestess sealing techniques will likely be crucial, so you need to take this seriously!"
Shion could only nod with a pained expression.
Seeing her misery, Shinji chuckled inwardly.
He knew the sealing techniques of the Land of Demons' priestesses were rooted in their bloodline.
In other words, only Shion could practice them; no one else in the shinobi world could.
Because of this, once Shion fully awakened her priestess powers, she would naturally master many of the sealing techniques without needing to invest too much effort.
Shion then extended her hand to Shinji. "Where's the cloak?"
Shinji was puzzled. "What cloak?"
"The Akatsuki cloak, obviously!" Shion said confidently. "Didn't you say I'm one of you now?"
Shinji was a bit speechless. "Uh, I haven't prepared one yet. I'll get you one later!"
Shion leaned closer to Shinji. "So, what's my codename?"