Chapter 38: The Fish That Slipped Through the Net
Whoosh!
"I didn't expect the leverage created through the Mathematical Chakra Form to be this powerful!"
As they continued pursuing the fleeing Kirigakure shinobi, Gōenji couldn't help marveling at how effective his new approach was.
During his previous battle, he had incorporated a new concept into the Great Dragon Fire Technique, creating a simple lever mechanism within the jutsu.
He had never expected such a small modification to force his opponents to deploy four Water Formation Walls just to completely block it.
He couldn't imagine how powerful a ninjutsu would become if he could create a far more complicated internal lever structure.
However, Gōenji understood that such a thing was probably unrealistic.
A simple lever was already enough.
With his current level of chakra control and spatial awareness, even manipulating something this basic was extremely difficult. If the structure became more complicated, he simply wouldn't be able to control it.
At least, he didn't think he could reach that level of control within ten years.
Put simply, chakra control had its limits.
After reaching a certain level, the problem was no longer merely one of control.
For example, combining multiple chakra-lever mechanisms would be like building a mechanical gear system. Each additional "gear" would demand greater control and a deeper understanding of spatial distribution.
Otherwise, the desired leverage effect simply wouldn't occur.
These were extremely subtle matters.
For the time being, Gōenji could only improve his abilities little by little and maintain his current progress.
Breaking through in this field would be extremely difficult.
"Even so, I still have a lot of room to grow."
Gōenji looked ahead.
Several Kirigakure shinobi had appeared in his path.
The corners of his mouth lifted.
Perfect. These guys can be my next test subjects.
Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique—Modified!"
Under the astonished gazes of Fūjin, Ryōma, and Zē, an enormous mass of flame erupted into the sky.
A terrifying wave of heat followed.
"This is... the Great Fireball Technique?"
"It's much hotter than before."
"Not just that. The attack speed is much faster too. The captain's Fire Release has gotten even stronger!"
The three stared blankly at the terrifying flames.
Wherever the fire passed, wood and stone were incinerated, leaving nothing but ash scattered across the ground.
This Great Fireball Technique seemed even more powerful than the Great Fire Annihilation Gōenji had previously used.
Rustle—!
Fūjin's insects seemed to sense the overwhelming danger. They continuously sent warning signals toward her.
At this temperature, the insects would probably be destroyed before they could even approach the flames, let alone absorb the chakra contained within the jutsu.
As for Zē and Ryōma, both were already sweating heavily from the heat.
Boom!
Far ahead, the four Kirigakure shinobi stared in terror.
"What the hell is this jutsu?"
They had never seen such terrifying Fire Release.
Its range was enormous, and its temperature was frighteningly high.
"Don't hesitate! Use your jutsu!"
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
The Kirigakure shinobi once again deployed their village's strongest defensive technique.
Boom!
Four enormous columns of water surged upward and converged into a wall before the Great Fireball.
Sizzle!
"It's blocked!"
Seeing the fireball disappear into a cloud of steam, the four Kirigakure shinobi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Next, use Hidden Mist Technique."
The Kirigakure shinobi knew their opponent was powerful and didn't dare lower their guard.
They quickly formed hand seals.
A thick mist suddenly erupted and spread in every direction.
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding forest was completely enveloped.
"Should we try to assassinate him?"
"No. That guy looks extremely strong. He's not someone we can deal with easily. We need to bring this information back to the village."
"You're right. Let's leave quickly. If only Captain Ao were here. He would definitely be able to defeat our opponent."
Ao was one of the few jōnin in their unit.
Their squad originally hadn't even had a jōnin, which was precisely why they had suffered such heavy losses.
Whoosh!
The four men immediately retreated.
They didn't hesitate for even a moment.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Gōenji's voice suddenly came from directly in front of them.
His hand was already wrapped around the hilt of his blade.
"Fire Release: Rocket Propulsion!"
Whoosh!
The sudden attack emerging from within the Hidden Mist caught the Kirigakure shinobi completely off guard.
They could only watch helplessly as a figure flashed between the four of them.
A moment later, all four collapsed simultaneously.
Clang!
Gōenji stopped his Body Flicker and calmly sheathed his sword.
With the Kirigakure shinobi dead, the surrounding mist gradually dispersed.
"The captain keeps getting stronger. Why does that make us feel more useless every time?"
Zē and the others walked over, looking at the dead Kirigakure shinobi with complicated expressions.
Buzz—!
At that moment, the sound of fluttering wings came from nearby.
Two insects flew out from Gōenji's hand before circling back toward Fūjin.
Gōenji smiled.
"Thanks to Fūjin's insects. Otherwise, those guys might really have escaped."
He was now extremely confident in his new method.
Even an ordinary Great Fireball Technique had become powerful enough to force four enemies to rely on Water Formation Walls to stop it.
There were certainly differences in individual ability, but the result still demonstrated that the power of his ninjutsu had fundamentally changed.
As for Kirigakure's Hidden Mist Technique, he didn't have any particularly effective countermeasure.
If he were alone, he would have to rely on mathematics and physics to calculate the enemy's likely position.
Unlike Fūjin, who could directly locate the approximate position of an enemy through her insects, Gōenji could only use mathematical probability, human psychology, military strategy, and similar knowledge to narrow down their location.
This was another reason why having a reliable teammate on the battlefield was so useful.
"Hehe. Fūjin isn't very old, right?" Ryōma teased. "Captain, why don't you consider it? The captain is so talented and handsome..."
Fūjin immediately interrupted him.
"The captain is indeed handsome and impressive, but I have no plans to date anyone. Captain, please don't misunderstand."
"Hahaha! Captain, you got rejected!"
Zē burst out laughing.
"..."
Gōenji's face darkened.
"I'm not even old enough to be thinking about marriage, and I have no interest in dating..."
He paused.
Damn it, why am I even explaining this to you? Let's go. We still have a mission to finish.
Whoosh!
Zē and Ryōma exchanged glances, both grinning.
Teasing their captain made the battlefield feel a little less oppressive.
They quickly followed after him.
Fūjin was momentarily stunned.
Then the corners of her lips curved upward slightly before she followed the others.
...
Whoosh! Boom! Clang!
Throughout the forest, the fighting continued.
With Uchiha Shisui and Gōenji's squad joining forces, most of the Kirigakure infiltrators were slaughtered among the trees.
Their corpses would eventually become fertilizer for the forest.
Whoosh!
After failing to find any further trace of the Kirigakure forces, Gōenji produced a large scroll and spread it across the ground.
Its surface was densely covered in sealing formulas.
He formed a series of hand seals before pressing both palms against the scroll.
Chakra flowed into the sealing array.
The markings rapidly expanded across the ground, covering the corpses.
Then, like a gourd swallowing Sun Wukong, the scroll sucked the bodies inside.
"Captain, you actually brought a corpse-storage scroll with you? And you know this technique too?"
Zē couldn't help praising him.
"I never realized you'd been hiding this much ability!"
Normally, this kind of technique was specifically taught to members of the corpse-processing teams attached to Konoha's medical units. They were responsible for storing and transporting bodies inside scrolls.
It was a specialized technique developed for corpse disposal.
Gōenji shrank the scroll and put it away.
"Information isn't something you can only obtain from living people. Corpses can provide information too."
"I learned this technique as a precaution. Looks like it came in handy."
To develop powerful Fire Release techniques, he needed plenty of existing ninjutsu as references.
Apart from the Uchiha clan's own collection, the largest source available to him was Konoha's ninjutsu library.
Of course, accessing those techniques required contribution points within the village.
When he had returned previously, he had deliberately exchanged for a few techniques to study.
He hadn't researched them deeply.
They were merely simple techniques he had obtained to accumulate more contribution.
Ryōma sighed in admiration.
"That's impressive. Your understanding of the Body Flicker and Fire Release is already so deep, and I didn't know you also understood techniques like this."
"You really are an Uchiha."
He suspected that it had something to do with Gōenji's Sharingan.
According to legend, the Sharingan possessed many abilities—the Copy Wheel Eye, Hypnotic Eye, observational abilities, and more.
Ryōma assumed that Gōenji's extensive knowledge was probably related to the Sharingan's ability to copy techniques.
Whoosh!
Just then, a figure landed nearby.
"Big Brother Gōenji, have you seen Ao from Kirigakure?"
Uchiha Shisui had arrived.
Gōenji shook his head.