Kyohiko kept throwing punches and dodging, using the numerous sandbags to hone his physical reflexes and overcome the negative effects caused by his excessive speed.
After training for a while, he sat down to rest and dismissed his shadow clone. A flood of complex information surged into his mind, leaving his head exhausted and his ears ringing.
This is the limitation of an ordinary human physique.
He couldn't maintain the shadow clone for too long, or he risked being overwhelmed and even possibly dying.
Kyohiko rubbed his temples.
As he processed and absorbed his training, a bag dropped in front of him.
"Eat this."
"Huh?"
Kyohiko looked up, somewhat confused.
Jiraiya smiled, "This is a special military ration pill made by the hospital. Training as intensely as you do, you won't keep up with the energy drain without one."
"Thank you, Sensei."
Kyohiko was indeed starving, and he was starting to see stars.
If Jiraiya hadn't brought the ration pill, Kyohiko would have had to take a break before heading outside to eat.
This was his first time eating a military ration pill.
It wasn't tasty.
However…
After swallowing it, the energy conversion was much faster than eating food, and soon the hunger and weakness dissipated.
"How does it feel?"
"No wonder this food became so popular—it's incredible!"
Kyohiko was impressed.
Jiraiya left a bag behind, then his expression grew serious.
"Though the ration pill can restore physical energy, it can't replenish mental energy. If you deplete your mind, you'll still die."
"Understood, Sensei."
Kyohiko nodded.
He valued his life too much to train himself to death.
Only then did Jiraiya smile.
"News from the Matsuyama family—they might arrive in Konoha tomorrow. Don't train too hard, and it'd be best to go to the Konoha Hospital to treat any bruises."
Then he stood and left without discussing the meeting.
Kyohiko didn't ask either.
He guessed that the meeting might not have gone well and that Tsunade could have even smashed the table.
From what he knew, that was very possible!
In the evening, Tsunade appeared again, carrying the fragrance of her body wash mixed with the scent of alcohol.
With a bag in her hand, she rudely hopped over the wall to enter, not using the main entrance at all.
The three legendary Sannin were all alike in that way.
Kyohiko inwardly complained.
He stood and greeted her.
"Lady Tsunade."
"How's your reading going?" Tsunade asked.
Kyohiko answered honestly.
"Even though it's basic stuff, it's very enlightening for me."
"You've already benefited from it in such a short time?"
Tsunade seemed skeptical.
The gap between what was written in the book and mastering the techniques in real life could be quite large.
Tsunade glanced at his shadow clone, worried that Kyohiko might be trying to progress too quickly.
"You can test me if you'd like," Kyohiko said confidently.
Some things had instant results.
For example—
Water Release: Water Wall (Mastered)
Kyohiko had studied the Second Hokage's writings on this key defensive Water Release technique. Combined with the chakra control boost he gained from practicing the strength technique, he managed to achieve mastery after a few trials.
A mastered Water Wall allowed for more precise chakra control, with adjustable range and defense layers.
Next, he planned to attempt a two-seal Water Wall.
But that would require deeper understanding and exploration, not something achievable from merely reading.
Kyohiko formed the hand seals.
Thanks to his regular training, his fingers were very nimble, quickly completing the seals.
Water Release: Water Wall!
A stream of water spouted from his mouth, rising to form a tall barrier about five steps away in all directions.
As one of the Three Sannin, even though Tsunade didn't use Water Release, she had seen many Water Release users.
With Kyohiko's level of skill, his Water Wall was already in the mid-range.
From the last time until now…
In just a few days, he had improved again, and his progress was immense!
Tsunade became serious.
Initially, she just wanted to help this talented "half-clansman."
But now…
She began to see Kyohiko as a reminder of her lost family.
If Nawaki had half of Kyohiko's abilities, he wouldn't have died.
Tsunade's gaze turned somber.
"Lady Tsunade, I heard from Sensei that things didn't go smoothly. You don't have to dwell on it—any kind of reform…"
"Kid, that's not your concern. I was just thinking of something else."
Tsunade held back her emotions.
She diverted her gaze and tossed him a scroll.
"Take this. Don't train recklessly."
"What's this?"
Kyohiko took it.
Opening the scroll—
It had no title and went straight into the main content. The ink was fresh, as if written just that afternoon.
It was the Strength Technique.
"This is the Strength Technique?"
"Strength… hmm, calling it that works too. It's not far off from what you had in mind: rapid chakra refinement, gathering, and explosion. But while it sounds easy, very few can pull it off."
Tsunade's expression was serious. "But you know your issue, don't you?"
"After reading Lord Second Hokage's notes, my biggest insight was that many concepts are interconnected. Chakra, like speed, if too fast, becomes uncontrollable, ultimately harming the user."
"Correct."
Thinking this far ahead…
Such impressive insight!
Tsunade admired him inwardly, though her face remained calm.
"Recognizing the problem is easy. The real challenge is, do you have a solution?"
"Slow down the speed, reduce the power, but if necessary, I think I can increase the power at the risk of injury. I don't want to be limited by it…"
Kyohiko replied without hesitation.
Quick answers showed his comprehension!
These were techniques he had gained after advancing a level.
However…
"Slow down, reduce" was relative.
For an ordinary ninja, the chakra control and physical condition required to perform even a basic-level Strength Technique were still high.
Tsunade chuckled.
"Your theories sound great, but can you actually do it?"
"I'm afraid of getting injured, so I haven't tried recklessly, but I feel I can manage."
Previously, Kyohiko had been below the required standard.
But now…
Chakra control was no longer an issue.
This was the allure of leveling up in skills.
However, since Tsunade had repeatedly warned him not to experiment, he refrained from saying he could do it.
"Go ahead and try."
Tsunade replied.
Kyohiko was surprised.
"I don't have to see the result to heal you," Tsunade said coolly.
Kyohiko nodded.
"All right!"
He stood up, recalling the key points.
Then, he gathered chakra within him, slowing down the refinement and gathering process.
A moment later—
The ground split and sank, forming a basin-sized crater.
Kyohiko checked his arm.
"Lady Tsunade, I'm not injured."
"Let me see."
Tsunade relaxed, examining his condition, then nodded slightly. Internally, though, she was amazed—
He had actually done it!
A true genius!
She didn't know what talents the young Tobirama Senju had shown, but she guessed it must have been similar to Kyohiko's.
In reality, she wasn't certain whether Kyohiko's theory was even accurate.
Because Tsunade, with her exceptional chakra control talent, could wield her strength effortlessly from a young age. Her limitations were in age, chakra reserves, and body strength.
But issues like lacking chakra control…
She hadn't experienced that, so it was hard for her to devise simpler training methods.
A genius's dilemma.
Now, Kyohiko had figured out a method and even managed to achieve it!
"Try adding a bit more chakra."
"All right."
Kyohiko tried again.
The speed of his chakra refinement, gathering, and compression was slightly faster than before.
Then—
Boom!
A single punch.
The ground cracked, sending dirt and stones flying.
This time, the power was far more than just a slight improvement!
"Notice anything?"
"Increasing it just a bit has a huge effect on power, but I feel like this is about my limit. Pushing further might strain my body."
Kyohiko shared his thoughts.
"You're not compressing chakra fast enough to boost power further, but you do have fine control over chakra. That's your strength."
Tsunade carefully assessed, admiring, "Even though you've simplified this technique, an ordinary ninja still wouldn't be able to learn it."
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