(Edited)
Today, Senju Tobirama spoke about the nature of ninjutsu. Ninjutsu, as used by ninjas, is diverse. Aside from special techniques, most of them rely on the elemental nature transformations based on the five primary elements. The ninjutsu used in combat mainly revolves around these elemental techniques.
The use of ninjutsu is rooted in hand seals. Only through forming the correct hand seals can ninjutsu be unleashed. This is because the hand seals guide chakra within the body. There are twelve basic hand seals, each corresponding to a specific flow of chakra. The more complex the ninjutsu, the more seals are required, leading to more intricate chakra circulation within the body, which in turn unleashes the power of the ninjutsu.
As Fumori Masaki understands, ninjutsu is composed of two fundamental chakra transformations. One is the change in nature, which forms the basis of all elemental techniques. Without nature transformation, corresponding elemental techniques cannot be performed. The other is the change in form, which enhances the power of chakra by altering its shape.
Generally speaking, the higher the degree of nature transformation and the more refined the form change, the greater the power of the elemental technique. Every elemental ninjutsu must adhere to these principles.
However, while the ninja clans understand that the power of ninjutsu is determined by these two factors, they each have their own methods for improving them.
At this time, there was no standardized method for practicing elemental techniques. The scrolls passed down within the clans contained records of hand seals, along with the developer's experiences and insights. When clan ninjas practiced ninjutsu, they would focus on the hand seals, allowing the chakra to circulate and then learn the elemental technique. This method heavily relied on the learner's talent.
The chakra flow guided by hand seals is limited. Those with exceptional talent could understand the nature transformation from the chakra circulation, while those with lesser talent struggled to grasp it quickly, requiring constant practice to learn. Improving the nature transformation of chakra was even more challenging.
But today, Tobirama introduced a method to master nature transformation without the need for hand seals. In the past, nature transformation was practiced through hand seals because the ninja clans didn't know how to perform it directly. They had to rely on the guidance of hand seals to grasp the feeling of nature transformation and learn.
Due to the demands of war and the focus on inheriting secret techniques, the ninja clans lacked the time to study the underlying principles of nature transformation, which led to the traditional reliance on hand seals. Tobirama, with his research spirit, couldn't let this situation continue. After thoroughly studying various scrolls and combining them with his own understanding of ninjutsu, he finally uncovered the secret of nature transformation.
"Simply put, it's about making chakra exhibit the corresponding properties," Tobirama explained. "The elemental techniques we use might seem like they create real substances, but in truth, they mimic or attract external matter. The true power still comes from the chakra."
"While we classify chakra into fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning, the true meaning of nature transformation is not literal but conceptual," he continued, bringing out a bowl of water. "For example, when using Water Release, the goal isn't to turn chakra into actual water—that's just on the surface and meaningless—but to make chakra exhibit water-like properties."
Tobirama dipped his fingers into the water and injected chakra. Before the eyes of everyone present, the water began to circulate, forming a small whirlpool.
A collective gasp of surprise echoed through the classroom. None of them had seen nature transformation performed purely with chakra before. Tobirama's demonstration left them in awe.
"That's the general idea," Tobirama said as he removed his fingers, allowing the swirling water to settle. "The elemental techniques we use are just like the Transformation Jutsu—a camouflage of chakra. The true power lies within the chakra itself. What I just demonstrated was making chakra exhibit the characteristics of flow, and flowing chakra inherently has power, giving it an impact like water."
"Tobirama-sama, if that's the case, then are all elemental techniques based on similar principles? But why can Fire Release set trees ablaze or burn others?" Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly asked.
Instead of answering directly, Tobirama asked, "Sarutobi, why do you think fire can light trees?"
"This..." Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated, lowering his head in deep thought.
"Let me rephrase the question. When you don't have a fire source, how would you start a fire?" Tobirama prompted.
"Uh, Fire Release... no, that's not it!" Sarutobi Hiruzen stammered before shaking his head, realizing his mistake. "I've heard that nobles use a type of stone that can spark when struck, which then ignites something flammable."
"That's not wrong, but what I'm asking is the essence behind it. It's said that people used to create fire by rubbing wood together until sparks appeared, which would then ignite the fire. What causes those sparks?" Tobirama asked.
"It's heat," a voice replied. Tobirama looked up to find Fumori Masaki speaking.
Fumori Masaki met Senju Tobirama's gaze and said, "It's the heat. Extremely high heat causes burning. I believe that's the reason, Tobirama-sama."
Tobirama gave Fumori Masaki a deep look before addressing the others. "I share Fumori's view. The reason fire can ignite objects is because of the heat it generates. For Fire Release, our intuitive feeling is that it's hot, isn't it?"
"That's true," Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed after a moment's thought.
At this point, Tobirama turned to Masaki and asked, "Then, Fumori, what do you think the nature of Wind Release chakra should be?"
Fumori Masaki, recalling what he knew from the manga about Wind Release, confidently replied, "Tobirama-sama, I believe the nature of Wind Release chakra is cutting."
Tobirama suddenly laughed, drawing surprised looks from the others. Tobirama, who was known for his serious demeanor, was rarely seen smiling.
"Well said, Fumori," Tobirama applauded. "I didn't expect such an insightful answer from you. You've exceeded my expectations."
The others glanced at Fumori Masaki with varying emotions—surprise, puzzlement, even jealousy. Their impression of Fumori Masaki was rooted in the past, but now he had surpassed their expectations, and he had also earned Tobirama's praise. Everyone knew that making a good impression on Tobirama meant being one step closer to becoming his disciple.
Fumori Masaki sighed inwardly. He knew Tobirama's character, so he spoke up to make an impression. While he had the qualifications to potentially become Tobirama's student, that wasn't his ultimate goal. His true aim was to become the heir to the Hokage title. To achieve this, Fumori Masaki had to demonstrate other qualities, and his answer aligned perfectly with Tobirama's intentions.
"You're amazing, Masaki-kun," Uchiha Kagami whispered to Fumori Masaki.
"It's nothing," Fumori Masaki replied with a faint smile.
At this time, Tobirama addressed the class, "I'll stop here for now. You can try practicing on your own or exploring other chakra properties. I believe that if you follow this path, the threshold for learning chakra nature transformation will be lowered. But keep in mind, whether it's flow, heat, or cutting, these are just ideas from Fumori and me. You don't have to follow them strictly. Feel free to explore other directions, and you may discover your own insights. If you need any guidance, you can always ask me."
Tobirama then led everyone to the practice field. The practice field at Konoha Academy was large enough to accommodate all 38 students. Upon arrival, everyone was eager to test the theories Tobirama had shared. They first wanted to assess their current ninjutsu skills. If what Tobirama said was true and could reduce the difficulty of learning nature transformation, they could try developing other chakra attributes—a privilege that was once reserved only for geniuses.
Fumori Masaki was also preparing to test it—even though he already knew from the manga that Wind Release chakra was indeed like this. Uchiha Kagami quickly followed and said with a smile, "Masaki-kun, don't forget we agreed to practice together."
"Yes," Fumori Masaki nodded with a smile. "Let's do it together, Kagami-kun."