On the road, Yakumo carried her bag, munching a rice ball and sipping milk as she walked.
Compared to before, her complexion was clearly better, her mood brighter and more positive.
But…
Masahiko hadn't forgotten—
That day she'd dealt a vicious blow to Kurama Unkai!
Keeping his gentle, kindly smile, he said, "Slow down, don't choke. We're not in a rush."
"Mm!"
Yakumo nodded, then rolled her eyes and tilted her head closer. "Teacher, you want to learn genjutsu?"
"Mainly to train Chakra-control skills."
Masahiko nodded.
Yakumo blinked, lowered her head and bit her rice ball.
"That… I can't help with."
Her illusions were strong, but they came from talent and a Bloodline Limit—nothing she could actually teach.
"Your dad's teaching me, and that's only because of you. Round it up and you're doing me a huge favor."
"You can calculate it like that?"
Yakumo blanked for a second, feeling something was off but unable to pin it down.
Masahiko said, "Sure can."
He chuckled and changed the subject.
"This past while I've had you sketch while walking. You've made progress—now you can cast while moving, right?"
"Mm!"
Yakumo nodded. "Way better than at first, but…"
She hesitated.
"Is this method even useful?"
"In battle no one lets you draw. Walking and sketching is step one; next you need to handle enemies who close the distance."
Masahiko said.
"Of course, no one's perfect. A good Ninja plays to strengths and avoids weaknesses; you don't need to brawl."
He smiled and continued, "You know Chakra Threads, right?"
"Mm."
Kurama Yakumo nodded.
Your Chakra-control talent is off the charts; you could draw multiple lines at once, even…"
A gleam flashed in Masahiko's eyes. "Control a puppet with one hand, paint with the other."
Yakumo froze, then her eyes widened, surprise and joy racing across her face.
Right!
Puppetry!
In an instant she saw Masahiko's point.
"That way I can become an outstanding Ninja too…"
At that moment Kurama Yakumo felt a surge of excitement.
"What is 'outstanding'?"
Masahiko asked, gently stroking her head.
"Yakumo, once you learn this you can go more places, see more views… don't let others define you!"
"Don't let others define me…"
Yakumo murmured, dazed.
No one—not even her parents—had ever said such a thing.
The closest they came was voicing hopes—
Hopes that she would shoulder the clan's future.
Only her teacher… Kurenai Yuhi wanted her To Live healthy and free.
Masahiko wanted her to chase her own ideals, not someone else's idea of 'outstanding.'
Her heart felt heavy yet light, a complicated mix.
Before they knew it the Ninja Academy came into view.
"Go on in."
"Mm!"
Kurama Yakumo nodded and headed toward the gate.
At the entrance she turned back, cupped her hands like a little megaphone and shouted:
"Thank you, teacher!"
Masahiko merely smiled warmly and waved goodbye.
That whole conversation would definitely make the final cut!
…Ninja Body Technique training space.
Masahiko turned his palm downward; water-nature Chakra condensed along his entire arm, swirling at the fist tip and converging to a single point.
One punch—
Bang!
The instant the fist landed, water burst outward from that point, instantly cracking a small pit into the ground.
"Speed not fast enough, Chakra not concentrated enough… but stronger than ordinary taijutsu."
The intelligent projection assessed.
Those were the two problems Masahiko had to solve—
After a day of training he'd already grasped the second plan.
For this Ninja Body Technique, pursuing peak power was naturally hard.
Settling for basic form, the difficulty wasn't too great.
He tried mimicking the "Painful Sky Kick," gathering Water Release Chakra in his foot for a smash.
But—
Using it in the foot, his Chakra control was even worse than in the hand; he couldn't manipulate it finely… he had to abandon the idea for now.
Masahiko looked at the panel floating before him:
[Unnamed: Entry / Incomplete]
He pondered a few seconds and said, "Let's call it Collapsing Flow."
The next moment "Unnamed" vanished from the panel.
Masahiko gathered Chakra again.
Water converged, condensing to a point at the tip.
The jutsu's power was weaker than Rasengan or Hard Vortex Water Blade, and couldn't match Superhuman Strength Technique, but… it needed no hand seals.
If his Chakra-control improved, unleashing it the instant he attacked wasn't impossible.
Moreover—
If he could inject Water-nature Chakra into an opponent and then detonate it, it might mimic the Gentle Fist effect.
However—
After several more tries he soon felt his arm muscles ache.
"Monitoring shows: because your Chakra control isn't refined, Water Release: Collapsing Flow places a load on your arm. Avoid frequent use in the short term."
The intelligent projection warned.
Masahiko was satisfied.
Worthy of an advanced module—even a free projection held far more value than the basic course.
"Next…"
"Push it to Proficient."
An entry-level jutsu, being unpolished, was too crude for real battle.
At Proficient it could finally be fielded… That night Masahiko ran the laps he'd missed around the village perimeter.
Water Release: Collapsing Flow had reached "Proficient."
But—
[Collapsing Flow: Proficient / Incomplete]
It was still an unfinished technique.
And the very thing blocking its rise was his current Chakra-control ability.
He ran while training Chakra Threads.
Reaching a secluded outskirts spot, Masahiko stopped to catch his breath.
In the shadows, a Black-Robed Man hid among the trees.
Suddenly his pupils shrank and he stepped back—
A leaf drifted past Masahiko.
This was a Shadow Clone!
The instant he retreated, a blade shot from the oblique rear, the edge whisking a hair's breadth from his nose.
The next second the blade curved like a crescent moon and slashed at him.
Clang!
Kunai and Aota blade clashed with a screech; the Black-Robed Man borrowed the force to Body Flicker back, landing on a branch.
Just then he heard several soft pops.
From the side, from below, three or four "Masahikos" struck together—some fast, some slow, impossible to tell which were real.
He frowned, hands flashing through seals, Chakra forming a thin blade across his palm, and the moment an incoming "Masahiko" slashed—
He brushed with his hand.
Yet as he landed the hit he saw the opponent's hands forming seals… Water Release?
Puzzled, his Chakra Scalpel chopped down—only to watch the Shadow Clone explode into a vast sheet of water.
Damn!
The Black-Robed Man immediately shouted, "I mean no harm—I only want to talk cooperation…"
"You must be a Shadow Clone."
A voice brushed past his ear.
In the next instant water burst in front of him; Yagyu Masahiko shot out of the spray, blade flashing across the man's shoulder.
"If you want to cooperate, at least show some sincerity."
The next second the black-robed figure dissolved into a fading silhouette.