The next moment, Shinichi flicked his hand upward.
Whoosh!
The crimson flame in his palm shot out at once. The instant it left his hand, it did not expand or scatter; rather, freed from the constraints of rotation, its form became even smoother, like a crimson arrow of fire tearing through the frigid air with a sharp, piercing whistle.
Midway through its flight, the highly condensed chakra structure within the flaming arrow seemed to reach a certain critical point and suddenly released.
Boom!
The red flames violently spread open in midair, instantly transforming into a searing sea of fire that surged forward like raging waves.
Where the waves of flame passed, the snow vaporized in an instant, the ground turned charred black, and scorching heat rolled forward to meet the face. Fierce and devouring in momentum, though its destructive power was far inferior to the extreme point-like explosive force of the Great Flame Rasengan, its coverage, impact speed, and sustained burning effect still surpassed that of ordinary B-rank Fire Release techniques, and it even carried a unique sense of dense, advancing penetration.
What was this!?
Nintaijutsu?!
The pipe of the Third Hokage halted at his lips as a flash of astonishment burst forth in his eyes.
With his profound attainments and vision as a Professor of Ninjutsu, he had almost instantly grasped, at the very moment Shinichi made his move, the essential distinction and astonishing potential of this technique.
It had abandoned the Rasengan's signature rotation and the immense explosive force brought by extreme compression, yet successfully preserved the most core advantages of the Rasengan system: "no hand seals," "rapid activation," and "highly condensed chakra."
At the same time, it integrated Fire-attribute chakra in a more stable manner—one easier to shape and to control after leaving the body—forming an entirely new mode that combined the long-range attack of ninjutsu with the high-efficiency characteristics of "chakra shape transformation."
This was a solid step of exceptional creativity and feasibility toward the direction of Fire Release Nintaijutsu.
The Third's heart trembled.
He clearly remembered that only half a year ago, Shinichi had first proposed before him the concept of creating a Fire Release Nintaijutsu system.
At the time, although he had praised the ambition, he had also understood the difficulty involved, believing it to be a long-term objective that would require years—perhaps even longer—to explore.
He had never imagined that in such a short time, the boy would, at such astonishing speed, carve out a concrete and viable path along that direction.
The technique before his eyes, though still somewhat rough and unable in both power and completion to compare with a mature A-rank ninjutsu, displayed a line of thought and a unique understanding of chakra nature and shape transformation that were undoubtedly a key breakthrough in turning the concept of Fire Release Nintaijutsu into reality.
For now, it still required release from the hand, and its form was relatively singular.
But if one continued along this line of thinking?
The next step, perhaps, would be to wrap this highly condensed, stable fire-attribute chakra directly around his fists and feet for close-quarters combat.
Taking it one step further, it might even be possible—like the Lightning Release Chakra Mode passed down through generations in Kumogakure—to fuse fire-attribute chakra into the entire body and form a Fire Release Chakra Mode unique to Konohagakure: offense and defense in one, possessing power, speed, and explosive force all at once.
Shinichi… in such a short time, had actually already completed the most difficult "from zero to one" initial entry into Fire Release Nintaijutsu!
This talent, perseverance, and creativity—daring to carve out a new path—once again exceeded the Third's expectations.
He looked at the boy in the field, his breathing steady and eyes shining. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke slowly:
"This…" He had meant to call it a technique, but at the last moment he changed the term to something closer to its current positioning as a move or skill. "This move—have you already given it a name?"
Shinichi nodded, clearly prepared, and gave a concise yet somewhat special name: "Yamibarai."
"Or, put more directly, you could call it Dark Brush, Dark Hook Hand, or Dark-Dispersing Flame—taking the meaning of a flame that drives away darkness."
"A flame that drives away darkness…" The Third repeated softly, savoring the implication of the name. His gaze shifted again toward the patch of charred black ground not far away, scorched by the flames, and he nodded. "Not a bad name. It fits its form and attribute. Then, Shinichi—tell me in detail the concrete conception behind this other line of thought, and… how you managed, in such a short time, to find this path that seems like a step back, yet in truth holds a different world within it?"
Shinichi organized his words slightly, his gaze sweeping over his right hand that had just released the flames. Then he looked to the Third Hokage and the Monkey King and began to explain: "Third-sama, the starting point of this line of thought really did circle back to our original goal—Fire Release Nintaijutsu."
He raised his left hand, palm up, as if he were holding something invisible.
"Traditional ninjutsu—whether Great Fireball or Phoenix Sage Fire—derives its power, range, and area of effect from hand seals guiding large-scale changes in chakra form and nature. They're powerful, but they take time to activate, and once released, their trajectory and coverage are basically fixed. They're hard to use flexibly in high-speed taijutsu exchanges, and even more so to combine directly with fists and feet."
"And the core requirement of Nintaijutsu is the seamless fusion of technique and body. It demands that chakra usage be extremely fast, condensed, and stable, and that it be able to change instantly in accordance with bodily movement. Kumogakure's Lightning Release Chakra Mode is the model example: they tame and compress violent lightning-attribute chakra, enveloping the entire body with it, thereby obtaining unparalleled strength, speed, and defense."
"My initial attempt with the Great Flame Rasengan was, in fact, too rash," Shinichi admitted frankly. "From the very beginning, I tried to forcibly fuse the Rasengan system's two most violent traits—extreme compression and rotational tearing—and then inject Fire Release into it, hoping to create an ultimate breaching weapon. But the reality proved that, with my current level of chakra control and physical endurance, controlling such a complex and extremely unstable composite structure was still very forced, and the backlash it produced was too intense."
He shifted the direction of his words. "So I adjusted my priorities and chose, for the time being, to abandon the pursuit of extreme compression and rotational tearing."
The Third gave a slight nod.
"My new direction is to prioritize safety, stability, and controllability," Shinichi continued. "I retained the most valuable advantages of the Rasengan system—no hand seals and high-speed chakra condensation—but shifted the focus to how to let fast, highly condensed fire-attribute chakra form a stable, inert base state that is easy to shape and to control at a distance."
He raised his right hand again. A wisp of crimson flame, much gentler than before, condensed at his fingertips and burned quietly.
"This base state—or intermediate state—is the core of Dark Brush. Unlike the Great Flame Rasengan, whose interior is constantly on the verge of extreme volatility, this is more like a carefully forged flame crystal with a stable form. I can easily shape and maintain it in my palm because it is sufficiently stable; both the consumption and the risk are greatly reduced."
"When it's time to attack." Shinichi made a throwing motion. "I no longer need to expend enormous mental effort to maintain that dangerous balance. I only need to launch it like throwing a kunai. During its flight after leaving my palm, because its structure is stable, it can maintain its form. Only when it strikes the target—or when I trigger it remotely—does the highly condensed fire-attribute energy within it release in an instant, forming an explosion or a sustained wave of flame impact."
He concluded, "The essence of Dark Brush is the first building block I've forged to construct the Fire Release Nintaijutsu system—and the safety cornerstone most urgently needed at present. It first resolves the fundamental issue of how to let high-power Fire Release accompany taijutsu movements safely, quickly, and stably."
"Right now, it is a flame shuriken that can be thrown safely. The next step will be to try wrapping this stable-form flame around my fists and feet to create flame punches and flame kicks, achieving true close-range Fire Release strikes, and even laying the groundwork for the more distant goal of a Fire Release Chakra Mode."
"As for extreme compression and rotational tearing, they are only temporarily set aside…" Shinichi's gaze shifted toward the distance. "Those will be subjects for the future. When my chakra control, physical strength, and mastery over this foundational form—Dark Brush—reach a higher level, I will attempt to reintegrate them step by step."
"At that time, Dark Brush may evolve into a variant of greater power and more advanced form, and perhaps even feed back into the refinement of the Great Flame Rasengan."
The Third Hokage listened quietly as smoke curled slowly upward.
Shinichi's explanation was clear and well-structured, proceeding entirely from the perspective of practical combat and systematic construction, without the slightest trace of mystification.
He not only explained the principle of the new move, but also clearly outlined a developmental path: drawing lessons from failure, adjusting direction, and advancing step by step.
This sober understanding, solid methodology, and clear long-term planning moved the Third even more than the technique's power itself, filling him with both astonishment and gratification.
"Using a stable intermediate state as a foundation and transition, avoiding backlash, and gradually moving toward integration with taijutsu…" the Third slowly repeated the key points, the approval in his eyes deepening. "An excellent line of thought, Shinichi! You have not only found a way to resolve the backlash—you have also found a practical path leading to Fire Release Nintaijutsu."
He paused, his tone becoming more solemn. "Then what you need to do next is to continue along this line of thinking—constantly refining the stability of this flame carrier, the precision of its control, its adaptability when combined with different parts of the body, and its variations of application under different combat scenarios. This will require a great deal of practice, testing, and improvement. This path—I have confidence in you. Keep going, child."
"Thank you, Third-sama!"
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