Chapter 79: Prototype of the Trade Route
Upon entering the training grounds of Tanaka's residence, Ishiro was slightly astonished. The area was vast, almost equivalent in size and layout to the village's official training grounds.
Although property prices in Iwagakure were not as absurdly high as in his previous life, they were still considerable. Owning such a spacious private training field within the village indicated that Tanaka's family was even more influential than he had originally assumed.
Ishiro bowed respectfully towards Tanaka's father, Inoue, greeting him politely.
Inoue observed the young man who was about the same age as his daughter and couldn't help but feel impressed. Back when he provided Ishiro with the medicinal diet recipes, he hadn't imagined that Ishiro's talent was so remarkable that he'd become a Special Jonin at such a young age.
Thinking of his own daughter, who was considered a rare talent within their clan, he realized the gap between her and Ishiro was still considerable. He felt fortunate that he had extended help to Ishiro in the past; perhaps one day, Ishiro would reciprocate that kindness to his clan.
At this moment, Tanaka informed her father about their intention to spar, asking him to act as the referee.
Inoue's eyes lit up; he also wanted to see Ishiro's current strength. He knew his daughter's level clearly—having been a Chunin for about a year, she was roughly at a typical Chunin level, which should be sufficient to gauge Ishiro's true ability.
With that in mind, Inoue agreed to act as the referee.
Ishiro picked up a wooden sword and stepped onto the field, ready to spar with Tanaka.
At first, Inoue did not pay much attention, but after observing a dozen exchanges between the two, his expression gradually turned serious.
Though Ishiro had not taken the upper hand initially, it was clear to Inoue that Ishiro's strength was above Tanaka's. The reason Ishiro appeared slightly disadvantaged was due to his overly basic swordsmanship.
But more importantly, Inoue clearly remembered Ishiro was primarily a ninjutsu-type ninja, and one who specialized in rapid hand-seals at that.
For a ninjutsu-focused ninja to hold his ground against a Chunin specialized in physical combat clearly meant one thing—Ishiro had already advanced to Jonin.
Only the comprehensive physical enhancement that came with becoming a Jonin could allow a ninja's taijutsu to advance so drastically within a short time.
"Hmm…" Inoue exhaled lightly, his gaze toward Ishiro growing more appreciative.
The battle changed suddenly when Ishiro found a brief gap and began forming hand-seals.
Inoue concentrated carefully, only to be immediately shocked. So fast!
Ishiro completed just a single seal, and his Mind Disturbance Technique instantly hit Tanaka. He swiftly followed with another four hand-seals, and before Tanaka could regain her composure, her wooden sword had been knocked out of her hands.
When Tanaka recovered and saw her fallen weapon, she felt a surge of frustration.
It wasn't that Tanaka wanted to compete directly with Ishiro. Rather, she was hoping to estimate the gap between herself and Ikura. Ikura had already made quite a name for himself in Iwagakure, and his strength undoubtedly surpassed Ishiro's.
Yet, since she couldn't even push Ishiro to his limits, assessing Ikura's strength felt impossible. At that moment, Tanaka felt the distance between herself and Ikura had widened even further.
Just recently, Tanaka had sparred with Uzumaki Yumi and had barely managed to win. She realized that Yumi had started her ninja career much later than herself, yet had already closed much of the gap. Tanaka couldn't help feeling that Ikura was also pulling away from her at a similar pace.
Inoue ignored his daughter's complicated emotions, focusing instead on Ishiro. He asked directly, "Ishiro, have you become a Jonin?"
Although phrased as a question, the tone was very certain.
Ishiro nodded without hiding the truth. "Yes, I've recently advanced to Jonin."
Inoue considered for a moment and then said, "With your current level, sparring with Tanaka no longer gives you enough challenge. How about we spar instead?"
Ishiro's eyes brightened. A chance for free guidance! Having recently become a Jonin, he had yet to properly fight another Jonin, and opportunities like this were rare.
Without hesitation, Ishiro agreed.
Inoue had already been training with Tanaka, so he was also in training gear. They started their sparring without further delay.
Facing the experienced Jonin, Inoue, Ishiro dared not underestimate him. He abandoned the reckless idea of fighting purely with taijutsu and carefully chose ninjutsu instead.
As this was only a sparring session, Inoue continuously attacked using basic physical techniques, not employing any special abilities, while Ishiro used his Water and Earth ninjutsu to spar cautiously.
They exchanged blows back and forth for about half an hour before stopping.
Though neither had gone all-out, Ishiro could clearly sense Inoue's strength greatly exceeded his own, not just in raw ability but also in battle experience.
Additionally, Ishiro realized his physical stamina still lagged behind an experienced Jonin like Inoue. After just half an hour of sparring, he felt notably fatigued. In contrast, Inoue looked as if he'd just finished warming up.
Afterward, Inoue patiently offered Ishiro valuable tips for combat between Jonin-level ninjas.
First, he emphasized the importance of conserving stamina. Outside of wartime, battles between Jonin typically began with cautious testing, not full-powered moves from the start. If one lacked sufficient stamina, they could easily be worn down and defeated. During wartime, stamina was even more crucial to surviving complex battlefields.
Secondly, Inoue taught Ishiro how to identify an opponent's fighting habits. Each Jonin developed their own combat style, each with its strengths and weaknesses. If he could quickly grasp his opponent's rhythm, Ishiro could anticipate openings and seize the initiative.
Moreover, Inoue advised Ishiro on methods to conceal his own fighting style or deliberately present a misleading style to trick opponents. He provided detailed examples of feigning vulnerabilities to lure enemies into pre-set traps.
Lastly, Inoue shared several personal experiences from his battles against foreign Jonin, analyzing intricate details that surprised Ishiro. Revealing one's personal combat tendencies was typically reserved only for direct disciples or close family members.
Though uncertain why Inoue was being so generous, Ishiro listened carefully.
After their conversation, Ishiro was about to mention his reason for visiting Tanaka when Inoue raised his hand, signaling him to wait a moment.
Ishiro saw Inoue briefly leave the training ground, returning shortly with two scrolls.
Handing the scrolls to Ishiro, Inoue said, "You mentioned earlier you've exchanged for a B-level swordsmanship technique, so I won't provide you with more taijutsu manuals. These two scrolls—one is a B-level Water Release jutsu we captured from a Kirigakure Jonin during the Second Shinobi War, which should suit you well. The other contains training methods complementary to your swordsmanship."
Ishiro quickly understood the situation. It seemed Inoue was treating him as an investment.
After a moment of hesitation, Ishiro accepted both scrolls without reluctance.
As someone without a family or clan backing him, having the support of a ninja clan was advantageous. Although this offer came slightly late, Inoue seemed sincere in forming a relationship of mutual support rather than a full alliance.
Since Ishiro had initially approached Tanaka intending to borrow her clan's resources anyway, this situation actually benefited him greatly.
Seeing Ishiro accept the scrolls, Inoue smiled faintly, satisfied. Due to Tanaka's friendship, his family was already on good terms with Ishiro, and providing these scrolls merely deepened their mutual goodwill. After all, B-level ninjutsu was not impossible for Ishiro to acquire, and it wasn't a critical gift at this stage.
With their connection strengthened, discussing the trade route project became smoother. Ishiro's trade route idea was straightforward for Inoue, who readily assigned a merchant group to follow Ishiro's instructions specifically for trade between the Land of Earth and the Land of Rain.
Having achieved his goal, Ishiro chatted briefly with Tanaka before bidding farewell.
Upon returning home, Ishiro opened the scrolls eagerly. The B-level Water Release technique was Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave, a ninjutsu perfectly suited to him, possibly intentionally chosen by Inoue.
Ishiro felt encouraged. This ninjutsu might even pave the way for his stalled development of a large-scale water-line technique.
Unable to contain his excitement, Ishiro rushed outside to the riverbank and immediately began practicing.
After an hour's effort, he successfully unleashed the technique. However, lacking control, he accidentally got caught in his own massive water surge, ending up drenched and sore.
Yet, despite this minor setback, Ishiro smiled with satisfaction. The new ninjutsu would undoubtedly become a powerful addition to his arsenal.
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