[Bonus Chapter +1000PS!]
Shino thought, maybe he could help Natsuki get more jutsus.
Even if the jutsus were of a lower rank, that wasn't important. What mattered was giving Natsuki more exposure to ninjutsu. From there, Natsuki would surely come up with even more wild and creative ideas.
That way, Natsuki would definitely grow stronger faster.
Of course, Shino knew Natsuki wouldn't accept it for free—he'd definitely offer something in return.
But that was simple too. As long as Natsuki shared the techniques he developed, like the one-handed hand seals and the Shiyo no Jutsu from before, it would already be a huge benefit.
That way, they'd both grow together. Wouldn't that be great?
Shino had made up his mind, but didn't tell Natsuki right away. He planned to collect some jutsu first and then pass them to Natsuki without letting him refuse—otherwise, he'd just nag him endlessly.
"Take action first, explain later"—this tactic worked well on Natsuki. It was the same strategy Shino used every time he mooched meals from Natsuki's house without warning.
At that moment, Natsuki still had no idea what kind of surprise his good friend was preparing for him. As class began, Iruka-sensei started teaching the Kinbaku no Jutsu. But Natsuki already knew it, so he didn't really need to listen.
He was fully immersed in dissecting the Mizurappa he practiced the night before.
Water had many properties, and when it came to infusing water-nature into the Rasengan, the concept was akin to a powerful vortex. The keywords were "twist" and "grind." Just imagine a person falling into a deadly whirlpool and being ground into pulp—absolutely terrifying.
In addition, viscous water should have adhesive properties. When fused with chakra threads, it could create sticky threads.
Water under high pressure had terrifying impact and cutting power. That could evolve into techniques like high-pressure water jets or Water Blades.
In short, chakra held infinite possibilities. It all depended on one's imagination and creativity—but it also had to follow a degree of scientific rationale. You couldn't just think anything into existence.
Chakra felt like a blend of science and mysticism—sometimes logical, sometimes abstract.
It all came down to who could harness this power to the fullest.
The next day was a rare day off.
Natsuki, Shino, and Tenten went to the riverside to train.
Originally, they planned to train in Tenten's home dojo, but since Tenten was learning how to walk on water, the setting wasn't ideal. The riverside was far better.
At this point, Tenten could already walk up trees. Her chakra control had become much more precise.
In fact, the best time to learn chakra control was during school, when chakra reserves were relatively small and thus easier to manage. Once someone graduated and their chakra increased, control became more difficult.
So even though Tenten wasn't particularly talented in chakra control, she had still learned tree climbing after just half a month of training.
Next up: water walking.
Tenten focused her chakra into her feet and stepped cautiously onto the water. Immediately, her ankles were submerged.
Natsuki instructed, "Water isn't stable like tree trunks, so it requires even finer chakra control. You have to stay fully focused. Try to stand steadily first—once you get used to it, it'll become a habit."
"Mm! I'll do my best."
Tenten tried to balance herself, but the moment her mind wandered, she fell right into the water.
Luckily, she wasn't the pampered type. Without a word, she got right back up and continued training.
Natsuki, meanwhile, created a shadow clone and sparred with Shino to help him get used to performing one-handed seals and using Shiyo no Jutsu in combat.
Of course, to avoid being spied on, Shino released his bugs to keep watch around them.
As for Natsuki himself, he placed a sheet of paper on his palm and started trying to comprehend the nature transformation of water chakra.
He had tried doing this in the gravity chamber before, but the chamber would respond to his intentions. If he willed the paper to get wet, it would—making it impossible to properly grasp the process.
So he could only practice in the real world.
Thankfully, with his future girlfriend and best friend keeping him company, he didn't feel lonely or bored at all.
Time flew by, and by noon, Natsuki sent a shadow clone home to cook and bring over a nutrient-rich meal. Sure, grilling fish at the riverside would've been fun, but training was exhausting. Grilled fish alone just wouldn't cut it.
Tenten, who had been working hard nonstop, was drenched in sweat by now.
Natsuki felt a twinge of heartache but didn't stop her.
Tenten wanted to become stronger, and suffering was part of training. If she couldn't handle a bit of hardship, she could forget about her dreams and settle for being a quiet, well-behaved girl.
This was Tenten's choice, and not only would Natsuki not stop her, he should be cheering her on.
"Natsuki, this spicy beef is amazing!" Tenten praised between mouthfuls.
After intense training, people often lost their appetite. Spicy food helped stimulate taste buds, and beef was great for protein. No wonder she found it delicious.
Shino was too busy scarfing down food to say a word.
After the meal, everyone felt refreshed.
Tenten leaned against a tree, gazing at the rippling river with a dazed expression. "Water walking is really tough… But I think I'm getting the hang of it. I should be able to master it in the next couple days."
Shino immediately raised the bar. "Tenten, just walking on calm water doesn't count as full mastery. Look, this river is completely still—easy mode. To truly master it, you need to run on raging waters."
"Eh? Run on raging waters…?" Tenten was stunned. She was still struggling with standing still on water, let alone this crazy difficulty.
Natsuki quickly said, "Don't worry. I'll train with you."
Tenten blushed and smiled sweetly at him. Maybe she was really tired, because she soon dozed off, her head tilting and landing gently on Natsuki's shoulder.
Natsuki hadn't expected such a bonus—his heart soared with joy.
Just then, Shino made a hand gesture.
Natsuki turned to look and saw a cute blonde girl walking toward them, a mischievous smile on her face.
It was Ino!
Just as she was about to say something, Natsuki quickly signaled her to stay quiet.
Ino noticed the girl with the twin buns resting on Natsuki's shoulder, fast asleep. She covered her mouth and giggled, refraining from speaking but also not leaving. Instead, she came over and sat down beside them.
"Natsuki, is that your girlfriend? She's pretty cute," Ino teased in a hushed voice, her eyes full of gossip.
Natsuki glanced at Tenten sleeping soundly, then replied, "Not yet… but almost. And you're super nosy, you know that? Just 'cause you saw me and Tenten grocery shopping together, you've been spreading it all over class."
Ino scratched her cheek with her finger. "Tsk tsk, what's there to be shy about? I even saw you two holding hands—her face was red, yours too. And now she's sleeping on your shoulder? Come on, how is she not your girlfriend? Her name's Tenten, right? That twin-bun hairstyle really suits her."
(End of Chapter)
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