Yujin possessed simple, direct, and efficient assassination skills, but that didn't mean he would forgo more varied offensive techniques.
After all, for a ninja, the more versatile the methods, the more unpredictable one becomes in combat, making it easier to defeat enemies and claim victory.
That's precisely why Yujin worked hard to learn Water Release techniques. With such a great opportunity in front of him, he was determined to learn as much as possible from the younger version of the Water Release master.
Unfortunately, this master was rather tightfisted—one life saved had only earned Yujin two B-rank jutsus and one C-rank jutsu.
But that was fine. There was no rush. Ultimately, if he wanted to pry something loose, he'd have to work for it himself.
After obtaining the three Water Release techniques and grasping the hand seals and chakra flow mechanics, Yujin immediately went to a secluded spot far from camp to begin self-training.
He quickly mastered the C-rank Water Shockwave, but the two B-rank Water Release jutsus were clearly much harder to learn. His Water Dragon Bullet looked more like an oversized squirt gun.
After a full day of ineffective practice, he promptly sought guidance from the injured Water Release master.
To be fair, it was already quite generous of Tobirama Senju to offer him three Water Release jutsus—he had no obligation to teach Yujin how to use them.
If Yujin failed to learn, it was clearly his own problem and had nothing to do with Tobirama.
Due to personal limitations and lack of comprehension, many ordinary ninjas could never master B-rank or higher jutsu. And if Yujin turned out to be unteachable, no one could reasonably blame Tobirama for that.
But still—Yujin kept showing up, pestering Tobirama for advice.
With a great deal of restraint, Tobirama finally pointed out the key:
"For high-level Water Release jutsu like this, pre-conversion of chakra into water nature is essential. After converting a sufficient amount of chakra, it should ideally be pre-compressed before release..."
"You should feel as if the chakra isn't just being released, but rather ejected or blasted out."
"Each step must align with the rhythm of your hand seals, directing the chakra's flow properly."
"In short, start by practicing the amount and speed of water-nature chakra release. This proficiency can only be gained with time and repetition..."
As expected of a master—under Tobirama's guidance, Yujin quickly grasped the essentials.
He wasn't a genius; mastering such a high-level jutsu in a day or two was beyond him. But there was no need to rush. Once he understood the technique and its principles, Yujin believed that with time, he'd surely master these advanced Water Release jutsu.
However, Tobirama probably wouldn't be around to witness the results of Yujin's training.
Three days later, Tobirama had barely regained enough strength to move. This meant he should be leaving soon... and under normal circumstances, he would. He had no real attachment to this place.
Moreover, being away from the clan for too long would inevitably cause concern. Tobirama couldn't afford to waste more time here.
That was his intention—but Yujin had other plans.
Knowing Tobirama was about to leave, Yujin approached him again—not to discuss Water Release, but to talk about the development of a new jutsu.
It was the perfect hook.
And what kind of hook, exactly?
Well, if you want to fish, you've got to chum the water first, right? Tobirama's "life-saving favor" had already been repaid. If Yujin wanted more out of him, he'd have to offer something valuable in return.
And when it came to Yujin's most valuable, show-stopping jutsu, it was—naturally—something derived from someone else's brilliance.
"Tobirama, I've seen your Body Flicker Technique. You have the ability to kill in an instant. However, when using it, you can only attack with taijutsu or standard ninja tools. Have you ever run into situations where your offensive power was insufficient? After all, instant movement and the long hand seals needed for powerful jutsu are inherently contradictory…"
It sounded like an academic discussion—much easier for Tobirama to engage in than giving Water Release lessons. So he paused his goodbye and said, "That's true. Sometimes I can't break through an enemy's defenses. No matter how fast the flicker, it's meaningless."
Yujin nodded, his expression saying "just as I thought." "Then have you ever considered pairing the Body Flicker with an instantly-cast, seal-less jutsu?"
"Seal-less jutsu? I've thought about it, even experimented—but I've never seen real results. Traditionally, converting abstract energy into a concrete form requires both seals and technique. Seal-less jutsu defy that foundation."
"Form... yes, you do need form," Yujin agreed. But then he added, "But that form doesn't necessarily have to be shaped by hand seals. In fact, extreme physical chakra transformation alone can produce devastating power."
As he spoke, Yujin raised his left hand, and a spinning chakra sphere appeared in his palm. However, the sphere lacked sufficient energy density and rotational speed—it clearly wasn't very powerful.
That's right—Yujin was talking about the Rasengan.
From the moment he arrived in this world and realized he was in the shinobi world, Yujin had begun developing this high-power, high-difficulty technique. He had already spent a year working on it.
The Rasengan was one of the few jutsu in the original work whose training process was fully detailed, so it made perfect sense for Yujin to focus on it.
But the training was absurdly difficult, and he hadn't made much real progress.
It wasn't because he lacked intelligence or learning ability—it was simply that his natural talent wasn't enough. His chakra quality and density were too low to meet the Rasengan's minimum requirements. It was like trying to cook without ingredients.
"It doesn't seem very practical…"
Tobirama stared at the chakra sphere in Yujin's hand for a while before shaking his head with disappointment. Still, he was clearly interested in the development of this new jutsu.
As everyone knows, Tobirama Senju was the greatest, most imaginative, and most eccentrically brilliant inventor before Orochimaru. The development of new jutsu was absolutely one of his greatest passions.
"To make this jutsu effective, you need three things: high-density chakra, extreme compression, and rapid rotation. Right now, I can't achieve all three at once," Yujin explained.
Previously, his chakra wasn't up to standard. But now, he could give it another try.
In the Konoha era, Naruto Uzumaki—arguably the most famous Rasengan practitioner in history—made incredible contributions to the jutsu's development.
It was thanks to Naruto's "dumb method" that the Rasengan's super-A-rank learning difficulty dropped to something below B-rank—because he had the brilliant idea to use Shadow Clones.
Using hand seals for a seal-less jutsu seemed contradictory. Whether it was evolution or devolution was debatable. Let's just say Naruto had a very unique way of thinking.
"The goal is, of course, to use it with one hand for instant release—that's the most practical. But during the development phase, we don't need to be that strict. First get the jutsu working, then worry about combat effectiveness."
As he spoke, Yujin placed his right hand over his left. The loose chakra gradually compressed at the center of his palms, finally forming a small pale-blue sphere.
It finally looked a bit like a Rasengan. Unfortunately, it was only a façade—the chakra sphere was static.
"One hand maintains the chakra release, the other maintains its shape. But sadly… I don't have a third hand," Yujin said with obvious regret.
Tobirama reacted quickly—he even cut in: "A third hand? What about a Clone Technique?"
"I come from a small clan with no real inheritance. I don't know how to use solid clones."
"I…"
Tobirama almost blurted out "I do"—but he stopped himself just in time.
Because he realized: he was being played again.