Seeing the changes in the short knife, Tatsuma recalled the scene from a year ago when Orochimaru, as the examiner, assessed him and Minato during their graduation. At that time, Orochimaru seemed to have used this technique as well.
Tatsuma had a deep impression of that moment because he had used the Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu taught by Jiraiya. His hair, empowered by Chakra, became as tough as steel threads.
However, Orochimaru, wielding the Blade of Wind, casually cut through his hair. It was the first time Tatsuma felt the powerlessness brought about by an absolute gap in strength.
In fact, besides Orochimaru at the current stage, Tatsuma and Minato had also "fought" against the even more powerful Sakumo Hatake. Even back then, Tatsuma was even weaker, and the gap between the two sides should have been greater.
Yet, Sakumo Hatake was truly something. At that time, Tatsuma couldn't summon the sense of danger and helplessness he felt against Orochimaru, thanks to Sakumo's restraint.
And now, knowing that he has the opportunity to learn this Ninjutsu, Tatsuma found it difficult to remain calm. After all, with his impressive Sensory talent, he can sense that Orochimaru lost very little Chakra while using the Blade of Wind.
In other words, whether casting or maintaining the Blade of Wind, it doesn't require a significant amount of Chakra. This is precisely what suits Tatsuma's current Ninjutsu abilities the most.
In terms of destructive power, the Rasengan he secretly practiced is more potent, but it consumes more Chakra and cannot be sustained for as long as the Blade of Wind. It is more suitable for explosive attempts focused on critical points.
As for other elemental Ninjutsu, such as fire, earth, and water release techniques, the power they unleash is closely related to the caster's Chakra quantity.
However, Wind Release is not as stringent in this aspect. It emphasizes control over Chakra, such as compressing Chakra to stir up the wind, giving the technique a sharper nature.
Because of this characteristic, among the four elemental Ninjutsu he has learned, Tatsuma's favorite is Wind Release.
Seeing Tatsuma's eyes shining with excitement, Orochimaru also smiled and askd, "Can you understand this technique?"
Tatsuma didn't immediately respond but carefully sensed the Blade of Wind in Orochimaru's hands. After a while, he said, "Sealing Jutsu?"
"Exactly," Orochimaru's eyes showed approval. He continued, "Many people tend to think that Sealing Jutsu is separate from elemental release techniques. However, after learning from Mito-sama for so long, you should understand. Elemental release techniques and Sealing Jutsu mutually inspire and complement each other. For example, the Four Violet Flames Formation draws inspiration from many Fire Release concepts. Similarly, the Water Prison Jutsu in Kirigakure borrows characteristics from Sealing Jutsu.
The maintenance of most Ninjutsu forms requires a considerable amount of Chakra, from the five elemental release techniques to techniques like the chakra scalpel that purely condenses Chakra. However, once a seal is formed, it only requires minimal Chakra for maintenance.
Just like the Blade of Wind in my hand, it is not merely Wind Release Chakra; it is a solidified structure formed by condensing Chakra into a porous form. Through the arrangement of these pores, a Sealing Jutsu pattern is formed, allowing the form to be sustained for a long time."
Speaking, Orochimaru lightly swung the Blade of Wind in his hand. The Blade of Wind cut into the desk, but it didn't easily cut through; instead, it got stuck. At this moment, Orochimaru continued speaking:
"Also, due to the existence of the seal, while it possesses the sharp nature that Wind Release Chakra should have, it doesn't have the same cutting ability as Wind Release Ninjutsu."
"But that day," Tatsuma interrupted, wanting to mention the incident where Orochimaru effortlessly cut his hair. However, as he spoke, he realized.
Orochimaru looked at Tatsuma's suddenly enlightened expression, nodded, and said, "The porous structure allows you to input flowing Wind Release Chakra anytime, like this."
"Swoosh~"
The Blade of Wind instantly swept through the table it was stuck in, leaving behind deep cutting marks on the desk. Orochimaru continued, "The arranged solidified porous structure allows you not to worry about the direction of Chakra output."
"In the shortest time, with the least amount of Chakra, making the Chakra blade possess the highest cutting ability—this is the value of this technique."
"The porous structure doesn't seem like some ancient and profound Ninjutsu."
Tatsuma looked at Orochimaru, who modestly smiled and said, "I made some minor modifications. The Blade of Windis a B-rank Ninjutsu, but mine might not be, depending on if you want to learn."
"Orochimaru-sama, with you expounding so much on a new technique, how could I refuse?"
Upon hearing Tatsuma's response, Orochimaru nodded, his admiration for Tatsuma deepening. He even teased, "Then be prepared not to go to the battlefield."
'Is he joking about not letting me go to the battlefield if I can't learn it? This sense of humor...'
Thinking to himself, Tatsuma maintained a smiling face on the surface. Orochimaru then took out a scroll from his robe and handed it to Tatsuma, saying:
"You now have two mission scrolls in your hands—one for Ninjutsu. The choice is yours."
"I understand. Thank you for your help today, Orochimaru-sama."
Tatsuma took the Ninjutsu scroll handed to him by Orochimaru. Both missions were scheduled to begin the day after tomorrow. If he could learn Orochimaru's improved Blade of Wind within these two days, he could join the combat team. If not, he would have to comply with the arrangement and honestly become a construction worker and follow a team to set traps.
'Wait a minute! I smell a good opportunity!'
Turning around and already taking steps toward the exit, Tatsuma suddenly stopped, turned back, and asked, "Orochimaru-sama, if you didn't have to improve this ninjutsu, and instead receied this ready made scroll, how long would it take you to learn it?"
Orochimaru squinted his eyes, pondered for a moment, and said, "It won't exceed three days."
Orochimaru was extremely confident because he was already proficient in the Blade of Wind. His mastery of Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation was profound, and although he hadn't received guidance from a master like Uzumaki Mito in Sealing Jutsu, his skills in that area were also commendable.
He possesses all the necessary conditions to learn this improved version of the Blade of Wind. All he needs is to understand Ninjutsu, build a porous Chakra structure, and solidify it using Sealing Jutsu. Three days at most.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's response, Tatsuma pursed his lips and then said, "Even a genius like you needs this much time to learn? But it seems I have only two days to learn and join the battlefield."
"How about we make a bet, Orochimaru-sama? I bet that I'll learn this Ninjutsu within 36 hours. If I win, you can't hinder me from going to the front lines for any reason."
"An interesting proposal. I accept. So, you're betting that it will take you at most 36 hours to master this technique. However, you only mentioned what happens if you win, not what happens if I win."
"If you win, I'll acknowledge your skill!"
After Tatsuma finished speaking, he saw Orochimaru's mouth twitch visibly. In the end, Orochimaru said, "Truly worthy of being taught by both Jiraiya and Tsunade at the same time."
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