"How much do I need to train before I can learn the Body Swap Technique?" In Sasuke's eyes, there was only this ninjutsu.
Mizuki, "When your chakra control allows you to perform one-handed seals, you can learn the Body Swap Technique."
"One-handed seals? You can form seals with just one hand?" Sasuke's eyes widened, as if the door to a new world had opened.
Mizuki explained, "As your chakra control improves, releasing ninjutsu becomes easier. When you reach a certain level, you can perform one-handed seals. With even more control, you can simplify the seals. For example, the Fireball Technique normally requires six seals — Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. After simplification, you don't need seals at all. Just clap your hands together and release the ninjutsu."
Sasuke was stunned, "One-handed seals, or even releasing ninjutsu without any seals — can anyone really do that?"
Mizuki smiled, "As for one-handed seals, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze could do it. As for releasing ninjutsu without seals, that exists too. The First Hokage Hashirama Senju, for example. Oh, right — your classmate Naruto Uzumaki can also do the same as the First. Clap his hands together, shout, and unleash techniques."
Sasuke looked at him, thinking he was joking, "Stop kidding around. Naruto, that dead-last, can't even use the Clone Technique properly and couldn't even graduate. You're saying he can release ninjutsu without seals?"
Mizuki smiled without explaining.
Sasuke asked again, "Just practicing tree climbing and water walking probably isn't enough to achieve one-handed seals, right?"
Mizuki nodded, "Learning to climb trees and walk on water is far from enough. You need to train consciously. Control your chakra to change its form — create a vortex in your palm, or shape it into small animals. In short, your goal is to make chakra completely obey you."
Although he spoke in general terms, Sasuke already had a goal and direction.
"Alright, practice on your own."
Mizuki took on disciples only for the system's teaching rewards. He had no intention of truly treating Naruto, Sasuke, and the others as disciples, nor of pouring his heart and soul into cultivating them.
So, train yourself. This master has already received his benefits and has no interest in supervising or guiding. As they say: the master leads you through the door, but cultivation is up to the individual.
After reminding Sasuke not to spread word of the Body Swap Technique, he turned and left.
As he walked, he pondered — there was still one more teaching reward opportunity with the emo boy.
"So, what should I give? How about the same as Naruto — a bowl of ramen?"
Last night, using Body Swap Technique once consumed a third of his chakra. This made him realize that his chakra, slightly more than Kakashi's, still wasn't enough.
"My current total chakra is about 1.1 Ka. Using Body Swap Technique once consumes about 0.37 Ka."
A massive consumption. He also suspected that the consumption might be related to distance. The farther the distance, the greater the consumption.
"I'll test it tonight to see if distance affects consumption."
He wouldn't use a mutated ninjutsu carelessly during the day. Someone was secretly monitoring him, and Hiruzen's Telescope Technique was undetectable. If he used Body Swap Technique openly, the old man would know immediately.
Better to be cautious. Only at night, testing the ninjutsu in pitch darkness, could he feel at ease.
"There's also Air Walking Practice. I need to find time for that too. Stepping on air, rising step by step — that sounds incredibly awesome."
Everything would wait until tonight.
The Ninja Academy was on break today while graduates took photos and registered. With nothing to do, Mizuki went fishing by the river outside the village.
In his previous life, he was a fishing enthusiast — fishing in the coldest winter and hottest summer, forgetting to eat and sleep, never wavering. Even after transmigrating, he couldn't abandon his hobbies.
And his reasoning was sound.
"I have a system, so I don't need to train. If I don't fish, what else can I do? I can eat the fish myself — boiled fish, fish with pickled vegetables, grilled fish... I'll save on groceries. What I can't finish, I'll sell to supplement my income. Fishing is a very promising enterprise."
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At the Hokage Building, Hiruzen sat behind his desk, puffing on his pipe. The newly graduated ninja registration files were complete. He could handle other matters now.
A knock sounded.
Hiruzen said, "Come in!"
The door opened. Shikaku Nara walked in, closing the door behind him.
"Third Hokage, you were looking for me?"
"Shikaku, I have a task for you." Hiruzen nodded. He took out the fake Chakra Control Pill, "This pill enhances a ninja's chakra control, but it only works for members of the Senju and Uzumaki clans. Yesterday, Naruto Uzumaki took two pills. His chakra control improved greatly, reaching the level of the First Hokage. He doesn't need seals and can release ninjutsu directly."
Shikaku was shocked, "Third Hokage, you're not joking? Just two pills can make a kid's chakra control reach the level of the God of Shinobi? That's impossible."
Hiruzen's expression was serious, "It's true."
For a moment, Shikaku didn't know what to say.
Hiruzen told him about yesterday — Naruto's performance, the pill's origins, Mizuki's explanation, last night's test.
"Last night I tested it personally. Powder scraped from the pill's surface reacted when it encountered Naruto's blood. But with other blood, there was no reaction at all. Exactly as Mizuki said."
After recovering from his shock, Shikaku asked, "So the task you're giving me is...?"
Hiruzen said, "The Nara clan has deep expertise in medicine. I order you to take this pill and research it carefully. Do your utmost to improve it and eliminate its bloodline restrictions. If we succeed, Konoha's strength will advance by leaps and bounds, reaching the heights of the First Hokage's era — perhaps even surpassing it. The Land of Fire will no longer be threatened by other nations. The entire shinobi world will welcome peace."
Shikaku wanted to refuse, but Hiruzen gave him no choice, directly handing over the pill.
He could only accept it and say, "Third Hokage, I can only guarantee I'll research it with the utmost effort, but I can't guarantee success."
Hiruzen waved his hand, "This task has no time limit. Ten years, twenty years, fifty years, a hundred years — as long as Konoha exists, as long as the Nara clan exists, the task must continue until it succeeds."
Shikaku was shocked by this determination.
"In that case, I will do my utmost, and the Nara clan will spare no effort."
After Shikaku left, Hiruzen sighed.
"I hope they can research it soon. And I hope the ANBU sent to the Uzushiogakure ruins can find more of these pills."
After a few puffs on his pipe, he took out his crystal ball and performed the Telescope Technique.
Three minutes later, blood suddenly gushed from his nostrils and he fell backward. He struggled to get up, his face still flushed.
"That Naruto — he doesn't learn anything good, just comes up with ridiculous ideas. He actually combined the Sexy Jutsu with the Shadow Clone Technique and developed the Harem Jutsu. Absolutely outrageous. Konohamaru's following him around; I have a feeling he'll be led astray."
He controlled the Telescope Technique, shifted his view, and quickly found Mizuki.
"Fishing?"
Hiruzen couldn't understand it. A proper ninja — not practicing ninjutsu, not refining chakra, not practicing shuriken or kunai — but going fishing instead? So young, yet living like an old man?
"I haven't even retired yet — what gives you the time to fish?"
Watching Mizuki sitting quietly by the river, staring at his float, Hiruzen felt jealous. But he also saw in this man a sense of tranquility, a love of life.
"Would someone like this really defect? Or has he noticed someone monitoring him, so he's deliberately fishing, pretending to love life and Konoha, to make the village drop its suspicions?"
Hiruzen, as a veteran schemer and politician, was skilled at interpreting people's hearts with the greatest suspicion. He felt that Mizuki was putting on an act.
"Hmph, you might fool others, but if you think you can fool me, you're still too green."
He added a label of "skilled at deception" to Mizuki, and his vigilance toward him deepened.
"However, a Chūnin fishing — this is far too unprofessional. The Ninja Academy is about to have a two-month summer break; I can't let him idle around all day. He plans to defect, so I can't let him take missions outside the village. In that case, perhaps..."
He quickly drafted an appointment letter, then summoned an ANBU member.
"First thing tomorrow morning, deliver this appointment letter to the Chūnin Mizuki's home and hand it to him personally."
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Time passed, and evening arrived.
After nightfall, Mizuki closed his doors and windows, drew the curtains, and turned off the lights. In the pitch-black room, he began testing the Body Swap Technique.
His target was a chair. For the first test, the chair was in the living room while he stood in the bedroom — a distance of 10 meters.
With a poof, white smoke appeared. Mizuki and the chair successfully swapped positions.
"About one-tenth of my chakra consumed. As expected, less than last night."
Last night, the distance between him and his target was over 30 meters, close to 40. The results were clear: the farther the target, the greater the consumption.
He continued testing. He increased the distance to 15 meters — the maximum his home allowed. He performed the Body Swap Technique again. Chakra consumption was about one-third higher than before.
"It's directly proportional to distance. Based on my calculations, every meter requires an additional 0.01 Ka of chakra. With my current total chakra, a single Body Swap Technique can move me a maximum of 110 meters — but my chakra would be completely depleted."
110 meters was nothing for a ninja. If he wanted to use this technique to defect from Konoha, it would be impossible.
"My total chakra is far from enough. I'll take Sasuke for ramen tomorrow."
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
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That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)