**Chapter 19: I Want to Learn Water Release**
Inside the Hokage's Office, Kakashi was reporting to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"A Shadow Clone Jutsu that cannot be seen through by the Sharingan."
"A Water Release Ninjutsu to counter Fire Release."
"And even a request for a jutsu that seals one's field of view."
Kakashi smacked his lips. "Is this kid even an Uchiha? Why does he want to learn jutsu that counter his own?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe.
Smoke rings floated in the air. The wrinkles on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face shifted like wriggling earthworms as he spoke,
"If he also requested the Flying Raijin Jutsu, I'd suspect that Lord Tobirama himself had been resurrected."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took two more sharp puffs. "Why would this child want to learn these jutsu? He..."
At this thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen gently waved his left hand, and a masked Anbu ninja instantly appeared in the room.
"Lord Third!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly. "That Uchiha kid, has he had a conflict with anyone in the clan?"
The Anbu immediately replied, "Indeed. He had an argument with Uchiha Shinobu of the Police Force in a ninja tool shop. The specific content of their dispute still needs to be investigated."
At the same time, a certain eyebrow-less scapegoat ninja, who was monitoring Konoha from atop a high tower, let out a violent sneeze.
"Achoo!"
Uchiha Shinobu rubbed his nose. "This is truly a tough job! I've caught another cold!"
Hearing the answer, the Third Hokage nodded. "That explains it. Children can be like that..."
Perhaps Naruto's situation had made the Third Hokage lose his judgment regarding precocious children. He continued, "Never mind, no need to investigate."
He frowned slightly and instructed Kakashi:
"Since the kid wants to learn Water Release, teach him."
"Water Release?" Kakashi hesitated. After all, his mastery of Lightning Release far surpassed Water Release, and Uchiha Ren's chakra affinity clearly included Lightning.
To neglect Lightning for Water seemed a bit wasteful.
"Water Release Ninjutsu isn't that easy to learn. He might want to learn something else in a few days," the Third Hokage said with a wave of his hand. "You may go. Let me know if anything comes up. Oh, right!"
He suddenly interrupted Kakashi's Body Flicker Jutsu and said with a firm expression, "The academy teacher mentioned this child's character issues. You need to pay special attention to this, Kakashi."
Kakashi became uncharacteristically serious, straightening his posture. "Understood. Leave it to me."
Sunlight spilled onto the shimmering lake surface as Uchiha Ren followed Kakashi to the edge of this tranquil lake.
Kakashi stood by the lake, his reflection casting a faint silhouette in the clear water. His gaze was calm and focused, as if contemplating how to impart this complex ninjutsu to the student before him.
"Water Release Ninjutsu is not just about controlling chakra; it's also a dialogue with the natural elements."
Kakashi's voice was calm and strong as he began to explain the fundamentals of Water Release. "First, you need to feel and understand the flow of water. Only then can you truly control it."
Uchiha Ren gazed at the lake's surface, his Sharingan slowly rotating, attempting to capture the movement of every water droplet.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing his senses to become more acute as he tried to establish a connection with the water in the lake.
"Now, try to gather your chakra in your palm. Imagine it as a part of the water, and feel its flow and changes," Kakashi instructed, a hint of expectation in his voice.
Uchiha Ren followed Kakashi's instructions and began to gather the chakra within his body. He slowly concentrated it in his palm, feeling the fluctuations of that energy.
His palm began to glow with a faint blue light, and the connection between his chakra and the water gradually established itself.
"Very good. Now, release your chakra into the lake. Don't try to control it; let it merge with the water," Kakashi continued to guide him.
Uchiha Ren slowly extended his palm toward the lake's surface. His chakra made contact with the water through his skin. He could feel its coldness and flow. The chakra gradually merged with the lake water, forming a subtle balance.
Suddenly, ripples began to spread across the lake's surface. Circles of waves emanated from Uchiha Ren's palm. He had successfully fused his chakra with the lake water, influencing its flow.
A faint smile touched Kakashi's lips. He saw Uchiha Ren's potential. "Not bad. You've already taken the first step. Learning Water Release Ninjutsu is a long process that requires continuous practice and understanding."
"Can't I learn it in one day?"
Kakashi put a hand to his forehead. "In your dreams."
***
A day later, the "Ren Arakawas" held a meeting after synchronizing their memories.
Stephen Fang: "Kakashi as a teacher? Is he reliable?"
Main God Ren Arakawa: "Following Kakashi on missions might be an opportunity."
After much thought, Pirate Ren Arakawa expressed his gratitude to Uchiha Ren. "Learning Water Release... you must be doing that for my sake, right?"
Uchiha Ren did not deny it. "Whether it's the power system of the One Piece World or the Devil Fruits..."
"Freeing you will be a qualitative improvement for all of us."
"What's more, my primary enemies, Uchiha Ji and Uchiha Obito, are skilled in Fire Release. Water Release is a good choice to counter them."
Pirate Ren Arakawa: "Alright."
He then synchronized his memories with everyone else.
Last time, after Pirate Ren Arakawa escaped from Hannyabal using the Substitution Jutsu, he fled to Impel Down's Level 2, the Beast Hell.
The Beast Hell housed many ferocious beasts, and prisoners on this level faced the constant danger of being attacked by them.
There were no safe havens here; prisoners could be assaulted by beasts at any moment.
The difficulty of survival was significantly higher than in the Crimson Hell.
The strength of the prisoners was also a large cut above those in the Crimson Hell.
Million-Beri bounties were a thing of the past; ten-million-Beri bounties were commonplace.
As the only person there without a bounty, Pirate Ren Arakawa seemed somewhat out of place.
Fortunately,
when you're out in the world, you make your own identity.
He named himself—Doflamingo Unlimited Ren.
It sounded a bit convoluted, but as soon as the fake thirty-five-million-Beri bounty was mentioned, the other prisoners didn't dare to lay a hand on this kid.
After all, who in Impel Down would have thought an idiot would run from the upper levels to the lower ones?
Wasn't that just asking for trouble?
As for a wanted notice from the Marines,
based on Pirate Ren Arakawa's own understanding of Hannyabal,
that guy loved to shift blame whenever he got into trouble, wishing all his colleagues would be removed so he could be the sole commander.
It would be a miracle if he reported a prisoner escaping under his watch.
So, after a few days, aside from having to avoid the "great animal migration" twice a day, Pirate Ren Arakawa
was doing a bit better than he had been in the Crimson Hell.
The other Ren Arakawas finished reading Pirate Ren Arakawa's experience and collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Sharing a single soul, they couldn't bear to see any of their companions suffer, much less face life-threatening danger.
Unfortunately, none of the other three Ren Arakawas could offer much help with the predicament the most endangered one among them was about to face.
"Sorry, Water Release is harder than I imagined. Even with my Gene Lock active and the Sharingan, I can't learn even the simplest Water Release jutsu," Uchiha Ren muttered in their shared space.
Main God Ren Arakawa immediately waved his hand. "Don't worry, I won't die on this trip."
After ten days of training, Main God Ren Arakawa's combat experience had reached the level of a battle-hardened veteran.
After synchronizing his combat abilities with everyone, Main God Ren Arakawa felt relaxed. "Communication will be temporarily cut off until I return from the next horror movie reincarnation."
"The penalty for killing a team member is one thousand reward points. I currently don't have that..."
"So, depending on the situation, if circumstances allow, I will save some points to exchange for more chakra."
"Until then, you all should improve as quickly as possible."
After saying this, a voice appeared in Main God Ren Arakawa's mind.
[Enter the pillar of light within one minute. Transfer target locked: Alien: Covenant.]
(end of chapter)