Chapter 21: The Completion of Nintaijutsu
Previously, Nan had already completed most of the ninjutsu component of his Nintaijutsu—what remained was only the taijutsu half.
Once he thoroughly trained with the techniques he had learned from Chen, the taijutsu part would no longer be a problem.
Then, the final step would be to synchronize Lightning Release with taijutsu.
It sounded simple, but it was absolutely crucial.
The essence of taijutsu for a ninja lies in the internal flow of chakra, which generates explosive power from the inside out.
In contrast, Lightning Release stimulates the body externally, drawing out its potential from the outside in.
True Nintaijutsu was about harmonizing these two forces—internal and external—to maximize chakra efficiency.
If Nan ignored the taijutsu side and relied solely on Lightning Release to stimulate his body, it would be an extremely inefficient method.
Even with his ample chakra reserves, the drain would be unsustainable. That's why he was determined to raise his taijutsu ability.
Otherwise, he'd never achieve long-term combat effectiveness.
After returning home, Nan rested briefly before diving headfirst into taijutsu training.
And this time, it was completely different.
By integrating Chen-sensei's techniques, he immediately felt a dramatic improvement.
His body hadn't changed physically, but his chakra utilization had become significantly more efficient.
If, before, his chakra output in taijutsu was only about 30% of what he could achieve in ninjutsu, now—with Chen's guidance—it was easily above 70%.
His taijutsu skill, previously at the level of an elite genin, had instantly soared past the chūnin benchmark—more than doubling.
Nan couldn't help but admire Chen 's brilliance.
Back when he trained with Might Guy, Nan had progressed slowly. He even started to doubt whether he had a knack for physical techniques.
Now he understood: it wasn't a lack of talent.
It was Guy's brute-force training that didn't suit him.
Smart people, he told himself, need smart methods.
Having polished his taijutsu, Nan immediately tested it under the influence of Lightning Release.
Because Lightning chakra carries more raw energy than regular chakra, Nan discovered that his speed and power both increased dramatically while using it.
Speed in particular became his strongest asset.
Lightning stimulation made his body blindingly fast.
Nan's past weakness in taijutsu was mostly due to his age and small frame—he couldn't generate much force. But his agility and reflexes were already top-notch.
Now, his smaller build became an advantage.
Under Lightning Release, he was faster than ever.
His strength had just reached the level of an average jōnin, but his speed was likely comparable to that of a taijutsu-specialized jōnin.
When designing his Nintaijutsu, Nan had specifically allocated chakra to his nervous system, enhancing his reflexes.
Because raw speed was meaningless if your brain couldn't keep up.
Speed. Reflexes.
Combined with the high-speed visual tracking of his Sharingan, this was Nan's vision of perfect Nintaijutsu.
As for the offensive side, he didn't worry too much.
Most ninja were high offense and low defense anyway.
As long as he was fast enough, a single strike with any weapon to a vital point would be more than enough.
With all the key components in place, it took Nan only a few days to perfect his Nintaijutsu.
At last, he thought about naming it.
Sure, Kumogakure already had the famous Lightning Release Chakra Mode, which his technique resembled in some ways.
But this was his original creation—his very first jutsu.
There was no way he'd reuse someone else's name.
Besides, it might even cause "copyright issues" in the future.
After thinking it over, Nan decided:
"Since my jutsu focuses on acceleration, and my body is surrounded by lightning like a certain superhero… why not call it Divine Speed?"
Thus, he named his new technique:
[Shinsokuryoku – Divine Speed]
Even though he wasn't as fast as The Flash just yet, this jutsu was something that could grow with him.
Nan firmly believed that as he matured and his body became more resilient, his speed would only increase.
One day, "Divine Speed" would live up to its name.
With his newly completed technique, Nan felt confident that he could now match even jōnin-level ninja in taijutsu—but he still wanted confirmation.
Unlike Fire Release or Genjutsu, which the Uchiha clan excelled at and which he understood thoroughly, taijutsu was more foreign to him.
So he needed someone to test it against—to gauge just how effective Divine Speed really was.
And who better for that than Might Guy?
Guy had only recently become a chūnin, and even as a taijutsu specialist, his skill was probably only at the level of an elite chūnin.
However, thanks to Nan's influence, Guy had unexpectedly earned Chen-sensei's guidance.
Now, he was likely approaching jōnin-level strength in taijutsu himself.
That made him the perfect opponent to test Divine Speed.
Nan tracked down Guy—just in time.
Guy hadn't yet left the village on his next mission.
If Nan had come just a couple days later, he might've missed his chance entirely.
Nan explained his reason for coming to Might Guy, hoping he could help test the true power of his newly developed technique.
Guy readily agreed.
He had just recently mastered the Dragon God of Leaf technique and was feeling a major boost in his own strength—he, too, was eager for a sparring match.
So, the two began their bout.
At first, neither revealed their full power. They started off by cautiously testing each other's abilities.
Nan needed to understand exactly how much stronger he was when using Divine Speed, compared to his regular state. Only then could he accurately gauge the effectiveness of his new jutsu.
To begin, he used the move Leaf Great Whirlwind—the same taijutsu technique Guy had first shown during his spar with Chen-sensei—and launched a powerful kick at Guy.
Guy was surprised. He hadn't expected Nan to know his signature moves.
But he wasn't one to back down. He returned the attack with a Leaf Great Whirlwind of his own.
As their blows collided, neither could gain the upper hand.
Nan was able to stand his ground against Guy—something remarkable, considering that Guy had trained in taijutsu for years.
That Nan could match him in raw strength was astonishing.
This was largely thanks to the advanced techniques he'd "borrowed" from Chen, as well as his superior chakra reserves.
Guy was shocked as well.
He had long heard Nan called Konoha's number one prodigy, but given their six-year age difference, he'd never believed Nan could rival him in pure physical power.
As their spar continued, Nan mixed in other classic Leaf-style taijutsu techniques like Leaf Whirlwind and Leaf Rising Wind.
Nan quickly realized that, in his normal state, his speed and power were roughly on par with Guy's.
He was slightly weaker in terms of raw strength, but his greater agility and finesse made up for it.
However, as the fight dragged on, it became clear that experience was still a major factor.
Guy's superior combat intuition and refined taijutsu instincts began to overwhelm him.
Gradually, Nan found himself being pushed back.
At that moment, he was able to draw a firm conclusion:
In his base state—without Lightning Release—his taijutsu was clearly stronger than that of an average chūnin, but still fell short of a taijutsu specialist like Guy.
That meant his taijutsu skill was at least at the elite chūnin level, possibly even slightly above.
If Guy's strength was truly nearing that of a jōnin, as Nan suspected—which would make sense, considering that Kakashi was also about to be promoted to jōnin—then Guy, who constantly chased after Kakashi, wouldn't be far behind.
Especially now, after receiving Chen's guidance and unlocking the Dragon God of Leaf.
Now, Nan was ready to see what he could truly do with Divine Speed.
He looked Guy in the eye and said:
"Looks like I can't beat you in my normal state.
Now let me show you my new technique—Divine Speed.
You should activate the Eight Gates too.
We're already close in power, but if you don't open the gates, you'll never be able to handle me once I use Divine Speed."
With that, Nan began to prepare.
He summoned a large amount of chakra, channeling it through his entire body.
Sparks of lightning started to crackle and dance across his skin, wrapping around him like a living current.
The test of Divine Speed was about to begin.ll