Satisfied, Yuki turned back to Kenshin. "All right, Kenshin. Let's start by getting a feel for how much wind chakra you're releasing with Wind Burst. We'll gradually work on reducing the hand seals from there."
Kenshin nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. He formed the 15 hand seals once again, activating Wind Burst, and pushed his palms forward. This time, Yuki's sharp eyes tracked every detail—the angle of his hands, the amount of chakra he was releasing, and the direction the wind flowed.
"Too much output at once," she said, walking over to him. "Try adjusting your hand position. It looks like your palms are directing the chakra unevenly."
Kenshin followed her instructions, narrowing the space between his fingers and making his palms more even, releasing a smaller but more controlled burst of wind. He didn't move as far back this time, but the precision of the burst was noticeably better.
"Better. You can already see the difference," Yuki remarked. "Now, try again, but this time… drop two of the hand seals. Focus on controlling the wind without relying so much on them."
Kenshin hesitated for a moment but took a deep breath and formed only 13 seals. As he released Wind Burst, the chakra felt less stable, but he could still manage the technique, though with less power.
"It's weaker, but that's expected," Yuki noted. "With practice, you'll be able to build the power back up while using fewer seals. Let's keep at it."
Meanwhile, Kana glanced over at them from time to time, her eyes sparkling with envy. She couldn't help but mutter, "I want to do that instead of staring at scrolls…"
A floating piece of ice that Yuki had made suddenly touched the back of Kana's neck, making her let out a loud squeal as she got up on her feet, holding the cold area with both hands.
"Focus on what's in front of you." Yuki scolded, as the piece of ice pulled back. "Gosh, you're 37 years old and a mother of two. Isn't it time for you to start acting your age? You act more childish than your daughter did when she was six."
Kana pouted, her hand rubbing on where the ice had touched, trying to heat up the area as it was an extremely cold winter day.
"The average lifespan of Uzumaki is about 150-170 years. I'm still very much in my youth. At least, by Uzumaki standards, I'm still a child. My grandpa was over 200 years old." Kana said, reluctantly looking back at the scroll.
Kana gave a playful shiver, still rubbing her neck. "Maybe by your standards, I should be more serious, but we Uzumaki age differently. Don't blame me if I'm still enjoying my childhood!"
Yuki shook her head, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Excuses, excuses. But keep studying, or I'll turn you into a popsicle."
Meanwhile, Kenshin tried another Wind Burst, dropping yet another hand seal, leaving him with just twelve. This time, his release was smoother, though the power still fluctuated slightly.
Yuki gave a nod of approval. "Good. Keep pushing the limits. Soon, you'll be able to execute this with no seals at all. But for now, let's get you to ten."
Kenshin felt a surge of determination, realizing that each step brought him closer to mastering his jutsu.
He formed the twelve seals again, concentrating harder this time, and released another controlled burst of wind. It felt more natural with each attempt, though he could still feel the strain.
Yuki crossed her arms, watching him intently. "We'll keep refining it, but let's switch to Gust Bullet now. Show me your current limit."
Kenshin nodded, gathering wind chakra around his body again, the familiar thin layer swirling over him before condensing into the gauntlet on his forearm.
He focused, feeling the strain of maintaining the form, and fired off a series of Gust Bullets into an extremely thick ice wall Yuki formed. He managed three before the gauntlet dissipated, his breathing heavier now.
"Three shots," Yuki said, her tone thoughtful. "Not bad, considering how much you practiced Wind Burst. You need to work on sustaining the wind chakra mode longer, but the bullets themselves are strong. With training, you'll be able to improve the density and output of the wind chakra."
She paused, glancing at the ice wall, which now had several clean holes and cracks all over. "We'll keep at it. You have a lot of potential, but don't rush. Mastery takes time."
Kenshin nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Understood, Sensei."
Yuki gave him a firm nod, then gestured to Kana, who was still staring longingly at the ice walls. "Kana, once you finish your studies, you'll get your turn. I'm planning on arranging a mock battle with another team where you'll lead the kids. Maybe then you'll appreciate the strategy behind all of this."
Kenshin nodded again, pushing his hands against his knees as he caught his breath. The toll of maintaining two advanced techniques back to back was catching up to him, but he didn't want to slow down.
"Alright, let's try one more," Yuki said, her eyes sharp. "But this time, try combining both techniques—Wind Burst to reposition yourself and then immediately follow up with a Gust Bullet."
Kenshin's eyes widened slightly. "That's going to take a lot of control."
"Exactly," Yuki replied. "You need to learn how to seamlessly switch between techniques in a real fight. Take your time and focus. One misstep, and you'll lose too much chakra."
Taking a deep breath, Kenshin steeled himself. He formed the necessary seals for Wind Burst, reducing it to just ten this time, and with a sudden burst of wind, he shot backward.
As his body still hovered in the air from the recoil, he summoned wind chakra around his forearm for the Gust Bullet, aiming it at the ice wall mid-movement.
With a sharp crack, the bullet hit its mark, puncturing the wall with a solid thud.
But the effort cost him. As soon as he landed, his legs buckled slightly, and the wind chakra dispersed, leaving him breathing heavily. "That...was harder than I thought," he admitted between breaths.
Yuki's expression was unreadable for a moment, but then she gave a nod of approval.
"You managed it, though. Combining techniques is always tough at first. The important thing is that you don't lose control. With time, you'll be able to use both effortlessly. To think you came this far without guidance, you can go very far if you work hard enough."
Kana, watching the display, huffed. "Okay, now I'm really jealous."
Yuki gave her a smirk. "Study hard, and you'll get to show off too. You'll need all the skills you can get for the mock battle. Leading a team is no joke."
Kana sighed but nodded. "Fine, fine... but when I get my turn, I'm gonna smush the other team."
---------------------------
Once again, thank you everyone for your continued support and power stones. And as always, please give me your power stones and comment your opinions. They make a big difference and motivate me to write more.