"Today, we will study Ninjutsu," Ryuji Sensei said.
This single remark threw the whole class, apart from Renjiro, into a buzz. He had already learnt the three general academy jutsus. Renjiro had even managed to reduce the hand signs required to perform them to only one hand sign.
The clan kids in the class were the most elated of the bunch. This was because they would finally have an avenue to show off as they had already been exposed to Ninjutsu and even learnt some.
Ryuji looked around the class, he studied the various expressions on his students' faces and sighed.
'The Clan kids already have their chests puffed. This is going to be tiring,' before continuing,
"First, we will go through the twelve basic hand signs required to perform any Jutsu...."
Ryuji's Voice drifted off as Renjiro began thinking of ways in which he could improve his Ninjutsu.
The basic Ninjutsu system, that Renjiro managed to dig out from various media, was simplified into four basic steps.
At inception, the foundational step was Nature Manipulation. It involved understanding and harnessing the raw power of chakra. Basic Chakra Manipulation laid the groundwork, teaching one to mould and gather chakra within their bodies.
Basic Chakra Control ensured that the chakra was directed precisely, allowing one to maintain balance and finesse in their techniques. This foundational stage served as the foundation of ninjutsu.
This is what Renjiro had been practising ever since he joined the Academy. He had started to use chakra to change forms of a piece of clay and could now do the same for the ground although it was quite negligible because there was a jutsu that could do that.
'The great fireball Jutsu that Miwa taught me helped me master fire manipulation by forcing me to skip some stages.'
He had mastered only Fire, Wind and Earth nature manipulation in order of proficiency. Renjiro realized that he was not realistic when he set the goal for himself. He had failed to consider some variables.
Factors like Chakra affinities and nature weakness came into play as he failed to learn Lightning and Water Nature manipulations. The former was due to chakra affinity while the latter was due to his strongest affinity being weaker against water.
His chakra control had improved greatly with his sensor training. It turns out that learning to sense the chakra in objects helped him better his control of his chakra reserves.
The second step was Nature Transformation. Where Intermediate Chakra Manipulation, as Renjiro had termed it, became paramount, demanding a refined mastery over chakra. This stage compelled one to delve into the essence of their elemental affinity.
Their Chakra Control is forced to evolve, adapting to the nuances of moulding chakra into elemental forms. Nature Transformation opened the door to a spectrum of jutsu tailored to the chosen element.
There was a pseudo step that existed between this step and the next step, which Renjiro failed to come up with a term for it. This involved adding Yin and Yang Elements to nature transformation.
This was the source of all non-elemental techniques, such as the shadow imitation technique from the Nara clan, the multi-size technique from the Akimichi clan, Medical Ninjutsu and even Genjutsu.
The Yin Release is based on the spiritual energy of a shinobi, while the Yang Release is based on the physical energy of a shinobi. Together, they are used to perform the shadow and light style.
The transformations of Yin and Yang has to do with altering the balance between spiritual and physical energy in chakra.
The third step was Nature Release. Advanced Chakra Manipulation becomes a necessity, requiring one to sculpt and manifest their chosen nature with finesse.
At this stage, a shinobi transcends the limitations of basic elemental jutsu, harnessing the environment to their advantage. Intermediate Chakra Control ensures a delicate balance and enables the execution of intricate techniques without compromising the ninja's stability.
Nature Release embodies the art of commanding the very elements, leading to the birth of various styles such as Fire Release (Katon), Water Release (Suiton), Wind Release (Fuuton), Earth Release (Doton), Lightning Release (Raiton).
For those blessed with unique hereditary gifts, in the form of Advanced Nature Transformation, commonly known as Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tota, this stage demands nothing short of mastery of Advanced Chakra Manipulation, allowing the shinobi to fuse multiple elemental natures into unprecedented forms.
Advanced Chakra Control becomes imperative as the complexities of Kekkei Genkai require a level of precision that surpasses all prior stages.
Mei Terumi's Lava and Boil Release was an example of this step as Kekkei genkai and the Tsuchikage's Dust release was an instance of Kekkei Tota.
Besides the advanced chakra control and manipulation needed to reach this step, Luck also plays an important factor in this.
Otherwise, Hiruzen, the 'Professor of Shinobi', who had mastered all of the five chakra natures would have numerous Kekkei Genkai.
'The easiest way to learn the Nature release must be learning more Jutsus. After all, it is a tried and tested method.' Renjiro Surmised.
'Since I already have a fire-release Jutsu, I should probably learn a wind-release one.' Renjiro thought as he signed.
'Konoha is probably the worst place to look for Wind Jutsus as there are few notable Ninja with Wind Chakra affinities. Even Naruto's jutsus were self-developed apart from the Rasengan. Maybe I could look for Minato and ask for pointers as he should now be a genin or a Chunin at best.'
Realizing that he let his Intrusive thoughts get the better of him, Renjiro decided to quickly shut that thought down,
'If I approach him, it would seem suspicious. Let me just wait and besides, I could always play the clan card and use Kushina to make our meeting less forced.'
After school, Renjiro Visited the clan library in search of wind jutsus due to the scarcity of wind natures in Konoha. The clan had a lot of wind jutsus since most of them had been copied from Suna Shinobi.
It took some effort, but Renjiro managed to shortlist the available jutsu to seven that more or less fit his preferences.
For the first option, he considered the Wind Cutter Technique (Fuuton: Renkuudan). This Jutsu would empower him to create razor-sharp blades of wind, a deadly arsenal to assail his foes and cut through impediments in his path.
For close combat, the Gale Palm Jutsu (Fuuton: Kazekiri no Jutsu) beckoned. The technique would allow Renjiro to manipulate the air around his hand, fashioning a blade of wind for swift and precise strikes, emphasizing speed and agility.
When it came to long-range fighting, the allure of explosive impact drew him to the Vacuum Sphere Jutsu (Fuuton: Kekkai: Rekkuu). This Jutsu would grant him the ability to craft a sphere of compressed air, a versatile tool for both offence and defence, capable of launching towards enemies with devastating force.
For swift assaults, Renjiro considered the Air Bullets Jutsu (Fuuton: Kaze Dangan). This technique, focusing on rapid projectiles of wind, offered strategic advantages in battles where quick, precise strikes were paramount.
Considering close combat, the Tornado Fist Jutsu (Fuuton: Tatsumaki Kobushi) captivated his interest. By infusing his punches with swirling wind chakra, Renjiro could unleash a torrent of force, disorienting opponents and amplifying the impact of his blows.
Wanting to work on his defence, Renjiro explored the Wind Cloak Jutsu (Fuuton: Kaze no Mahou). This technique, shrouding him in a protective layer of wind chakra, not only deflected incoming attacks but also enhanced his overall agility, offering a dynamic edge in battle.
To learn jutsu was Air Burst Jutsu (Fuuton: Shinkuutai Naihatsu), which was also a long-range technique, one had to focus on the air around them, and the user is capable of causing parts of the wind to "burst" suddenly, causing anything nearby to be knocked aside.
The burst does not do any damage, however, and its primary purpose is to interrupt and leave the enemy open for further attacks. However, the bursts can only be created within a twenty-metre radius of the user and only at spots they can see.
Clearly assessing his options, Renjiro decided on the last jutsu, the Air Burst jutsu. All the Jutsus were D-ranked as that was the topmost rank of Jutsus Renjiro could access as an academy student. He did not mind, of course, as even an E-rank Jutsu could be lethal when used correctly.
'The Air Burst Jutsu meets the criteria and the impact of the bursts depends on the amount of chakra used. Its low chakra cost is a plus making it easy to spam this in a battle. It can also be used to stun opponents but that comes at the cost of large chakra consumption.
Combining this with the great fireball jutsu could cause quite the damage.' Renjiro could not help but smirk at the thought of that.
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