Chương 450: CH_12.17 (450)

Scorched Wolves was the first node in an extended branch, and Tern went right for it with the vigour of a kunoichi possessed. She interrogated the leaders and lieutenants, handling their transport and detention to the nearby city, and coordinated with the administration and shinobi in the city for the simultaneous capture of the fixers.

"Something bothering you?" Maruboshi asked as they trekked through the uneven terrain of the great outdoors, walking a few steps ahead of Takuma.

"Just worried about something at work and a subordinate." He had left Tern on the first day after completing the transport of the mercenaries to a nearby city. Most would remain there in detention until they were judged under the law; they weren't important enough to be transferred to the Hidden Leaf Village. He returned to the village with all the Leaf genin he had hired for the mission.

She wanted to keep a handful of those she liked, but he refused because he didn't want the recruiters to think they could dump their unwanted work on them any time the squad had a mission. Instead, all ten genin operatives remained with her to see the fixers' captures to the end. He worried about how they would get along, knowing that the operatives weren't thrilled to be working with a Shimura, let alone taking orders from one.

He hoped they would be professional enough not to let it interfere with their work too much. He also brought one of the co-leaders and two lieutenants home with him as a precautionary measure. The rest remained with Tern and would come into ANBU's custody upon her return. He decided to trust her, but this particular mission stuck in his mind because of what had happened at the Maizuru Quarters. Jōnin Commander Kumagoro had tipped off the fixers working the illegal mission market, causing them to go underground.

It had taken a great deal of effort to track them down and get the case moving. It was still a sore spot for him because it was among the cases that had gone cold. He didn't want this case to end up like that one; sure, they would still get the names of the influential people, part of Danzo's network, but he still wanted to take direct swipes at ROOT. He simply wished that when he returned to work the next day, she would be there to report that everything had gone well.

"Thinking about work away from work. I'm not surprised. You should learn to live in the present moment, my dear child."

"Isn't that the truth," he sighed. He hadn't lived in the moment since he had arrived in this world. When he thought about that day over five years ago, it only filled him with frustration and disappointment towards himself because even though he had come a long way, he didn't think much had changed. In many ways, he was still just as vulnerable as he was that day in the academy classroom. In fact, he had put himself in more danger by making enemies of people like Danzo.

They arrived at a sizable lake that was fed by a stray tributary, surrounded by a wide spread of thick woods in all directions. All around the lake, animals ranging from deer to antelopes came up to the shore to drink. Waterfowl and wading birds, such as ducks and herons, swam and hunted in the lake—the body of water was the lifeblood of the fauna residing in the woods.

"It's good to be back," he smiled, taking in the beauty before him. The first time he had gone camping, it was with Maruboshi, who had shown him how to survive and sustain in the wild with limited supplies before returning alone to test his learnings. Since then, he had spent time away from civilisation whenever he needed just some time alone. It was one of the few ways to recharge himself, even if his visits had become increasingly sparse over the years.

"Let's set up before we start," Maruboshi instructed. They quickly set up a base in a dry spot, gathering stone and wood for a future fire, before changing into swimming trunks. They swam to the lake's centre before getting up to stand on the water's surface.

"We both know the Wild Water Wave. Let's compare you and I," said Maruboshi. Takuma nodded, genuinely excited about having a training session, which wasn't sparring or advice about topics he already knew. Maruboshi's approach to help had always been very hands-off. It was the first time since the academy days that he had agreed to teach him something new. He had learned a great deal about non-combat skills from him over the years, including gardening, cooking, and leatherwork, among other valuable skills.

However, this was the first time they were doing something related to combat. The subjects they were exploring were their shared chakra affinities. Both of them primarily used Water Release and Earth Release ninjutsu. However, unlike him, who had identical levels of affinities, his teacher was more attuned to Water Release than Earth Release. He released a torrential wave of water, which had gotten stronger with skill gained over the years, and was further boosted by the presence of a water source beneath his feet.

Maruboshi signed hand seals; his fingers moved faster, and he released his torrential wave—only it was nearly twice as voluminous, swift, and powerful in terms of pressure. The wave of disturbance that it created in the lake made Takuma's look like a child's work in comparison to that of a true craftsman. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Youth is truly worth more than gold," Maruboshi sighed, seemingly not satisfied with his performance. Takuma remembered Anko's Fire Release ninjutsu. She, too, had somehow boosted the performance of her C-rank whip ninjutsu. Kurenai talked about chakra enlightenment; it wasn't one bit surprising if Maruboshi had already attained that enlightenment.

"My energy imbalance is much worse than yours, Takuma. At my age, it's only natural. Then why do you think I was able to cast a stronger ninjutsu than yours?"

"Skill. Chakra enlightenment?"

"You're not wrong. It's difficult to put it into words. Simply put, chakra enlightenment is the understanding and insight into chakra. I simply understand it better, and thus, I'm able to pull more out of the jutsu without overcharging." Every jutsu could be overcharged by pushing additional chakra into it, beyond its internal limits, but doing so provided quickly diminishing returns.

"The two tenets of jutsu and chakra are shape and nature manipulation. You understand shape manipulation; you do it every time with your augmentations." Takuma's chakra augmentation was an application of pure shape manipulation with zero nature manipulation. It was chakra in its base form being propelled out of his body. Other jutsu transformed raw chakra into other elemental natures in conjunction with conforming it into the required shape.

"Then what about nature manipulation? When you were working on your B-rank Earth Release ninjutsu, how did you improve your nature manipulation?"

"I followed the instruction on the jutsu scroll. I believe it's called Earth's principle of hardness," Takuma said, recalling what he had read in the jutsu scroll. The ninjutsu that utilised the principle infused the earthen material with the earth nature chakra, which then bonded with the material, fortifying and reinforcing its natural bonds and giving it strengthened structural integrity, making the material much more difficult to break.

"It's the same with most of my other jutsu." With Earth Release: Earthen Dome, a dome of loose soil could be hardened into the hardest of rock that could endure any amount of punishment. In the case of Earth Release: Earth Spear, the earth nature chakra was infused and bonded with every part of the user's body, strengthening it to supernatural levels. Even the spike ninjutsu, like Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears, and others, utilised the same property.

"Do you think you understand the principle of hardness?" Maruboshi asked.

"Yes, I do." He looked at the lake, which was still faintly rippling.

"Do I understand it completely? I don't think so. I get it now. If my understanding of the principle rises, so would the efficacy of my ninjutsu." Simply put, the secret behind Maruboshi and Anko's stronger ninjutsu was nature manipulation." Earth Release: Hiding in Rock Jutsu, what principle does that jutsu use?" Maruboshi asked.

"I don't know, actually. C-rank scrolls don't have much about shape or nature manipulations," Takuma said. Those scrolls were kept simplified for the sake of not overwhelming those trying to learn the jutsu.

"But if I had to guess, the jutsu softens the earth… to such a degree that it makes it…possible to…. traverse…" He gazed at his teacher, who had a small smile on his face.

"Antipode! It's not just making it hard; it can be soft as well, the opposite!" Maruboshi nodded.

"Depending on the principle, it's not unwise to think about its opposite."

"You've already given me so much to think about."

"Is one principle the limit per jutsu?" Takuma stilled again. Maruboshi's simple question shattered something within him. He hadn't thought of that possibility because he didn't even know it was even possible. He stared at the faint rippling near his feet, caused by the chakra in his soles, which kept him afloat, whereas the water near Maruboshi was completely still. Even though it was faint and both of them could stand on water all the same, it was a representation of the gap in knowledge and skill between them.

He squatted on the water's surface with a sigh. Shape manipulation, although difficult to train, was simple enough to understand. Now, a whole new world was opening to him. He had just followed what was written in the scroll, but now he was understanding that there was so much more to it. Every chakra affinity had its set of principles that had to be deciphered to bring out the most from their releases.

His respect for jōnin went up when he thought about how they had to master two affinities when even doing so for one seemed so vast.

"The mysteries of chakra are boundless, containing enough that would take lifetimes to explore. Even Lord Hokage would only boast to know a small fraction." And he couldn't even imagine what sort of mind the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, God of Shinobi, possessed with his comprehension of all five base affinities.

"There's so much out there to learn," he said, feeling stressed about whether he would be able to make it in time.

"Perhaps that's the difference."

"What is?"

"The difference between mediocrityand talent." They said that the best way to know something was to ask the right questions. He had read the scroll and saw that a single principle was being used, and he assumed that every jutsu would employ a single principle. He didn't challenge the knowledge presented to him and simply accepted it. If he couldn't even ask the right questions, was there any hope for him? He feared that one day, hard work, regardless of how many clones he put in, would no longer be enough.

That there was always a limit for someone like him. Seeing Takuma squatting down with his head hung low, his body loose and without energy, Maruboshi stepped forward to lift him up, because he could understand the feeling. They might not be the same, but he had felt despair when he was trying to rebuild himself as a shinobi after losing his leg. But just as he took a step forward, Takuma stood up and put his hands on his hips with a resolute expression.

"No one grows alone. All of us stand on the shoulders of giants; I wouldn't have been able to learn Earth Spear if its creator didn't craft it. The Third Hokage learned under the First and the Second. He then taught the Toad Sage of the Sannin, who then imparted his knowledge to the Fourth Hokage. They had their teachers. I have mine. I have you, Lady Mikoto, Mitarashi Anko, and many others who are willing and want to help.

"I'll bitch and moan about my mediocrity only once I've exhausted all options. Until that happens, there's only one path: to believe that there are no limits and pursue them with no regrets." Maruboshi paused. What mental fortitude, he thought before smiling.

"I lack in comparison to those personages, but if you're willing to give it your all, it's only natural for me to do my best too."