In the following days, the guidance from Might Guy had already begun to show results.
First, it was about controlling the intensity of training. In the past, Kaito wasn't sure how much his body could handle, but now he could complete his training goals in a much shorter time.
Next, it was about managing the training volume, and Might Guy even calculated Kaito's progression rate. This helped save a significant amount of time.
However, Might Guy wasn't around every day. He only meticulously observed in the beginning, and afterward, Kaito and Lee continued to train together most of the time.
Kaito had full confidence in Might Guy's understanding of taijutsu — after all, this was the man who almost brought about a major victory using just his footwork.
Finally, there was the state of Sennin Mode's tranquility. Since that day, Kaito had been unable to re-enter the state of calmness for several days.
However, Kaito was in no hurry. He had reached that state once before, and he could clearly sense that he was still heading in the right direction.
Finally, after several days, Kaito managed to re-enter that tranquil state without having to push his limits, and this time, he remained in that state much longer.
Yet, even in this state, Kaito still couldn't sense any natural energy — there was just emptiness.
In the days that followed, Kaito found that the entry requirements for the tranquil state became less demanding, allowing him to enter it with more ease. Even though it didn't seem particularly useful, he wasn't discouraged. After all, it was just a prerequisite state for Sennin Mode; it wasn't supposed to yield many benefits on its own. The next step was to continue reducing the threshold for entry until he could reach it at will, even in a completely rested state.
After all, during a battle, it's not like one can just take time to train or exhaust oneself to the limit. Even if he managed to enter that state, how much energy would he have left to fight?
Thus, he needed to continue practicing.
However, as his practice progressed, Kaito started to feel that something was off. Whenever he entered that state, he could actually think — even observe.
Observe what exactly? Kaito wasn't sure. Maybe, later on, he would be able to observe natural energy too.
One day, when Lee approached Kaito, who was almost in that state, Kaito suddenly opened his eyes, staring at Lee, shock lingering in his gaze.
He had seen it. Or rather, in that state, he had perceived the chakra flow within Lee's body and the naturally dissipating chakra.
So, was this state akin to the Byakugan?
Kaito shook his head. No, not exactly. It wasn't as if he could simply see chakra. Instead, he sensed the flow and could visualize it in his mind, constructing an image of the chakra pathways within Lee's body. But it definitely wasn't the same as Byakugan's full range.
He believed this state had more uses that he had yet to discover.
As for Lee's chakra, it wasn't anything strange. Lee couldn't use chakra effectively, but it wasn't like he didn't have chakra at all. If he were completely devoid of chakra, techniques like the Eight Gates wouldn't work for him.
After all, Kaito remembered that the Eight Gates involve unlocking the wild chakra confined within the body. Without any chakra, what's there to release?
After coming out of that state, Kaito continued practicing chakra form transformation, focusing his chakra into the palm of his hand.
This time, Kaito clearly felt that even as the chakra left his body, his connection with it seemed significantly stronger.
This was strange. Just yesterday, things weren't like this. Kaito looked at the spherical chakra forming in his hand for the first time, pondering for a moment before turning it into a cube.
He stared blankly at the cube for a moment, then resumed his attempts. This time, however, he failed, and the chakra slowly dissipated into the air.
Had his progress really been that significant in just one day? After so much practice, Kaito had a clear understanding of his own rate of improvement.
Was it that the previous state had enhanced his perception? Even with the chakra released externally, he could still sense and control it with increased precision, leading to this breakthrough?
Kaito wasn't certain, but if that was the case, then the state had greater value than he originally thought.
This also strengthened Kaito's determination to master Sennin Mode. For now, his goal was to sustain this state for longer periods.
One day, while in the state of tranquility, Kaito's perception reached a new level. Though it would still be impossible to match the Byakugan, he could cover most close-range combat scenarios.
In this heightened state, he could observe his opponent's chakra flow, anticipating their next move — an invaluable advantage.
Unfortunately, at this point, the effective range was still limited. Even if he could sense an opponent's next move, it might be too late to react effectively — especially in close-range taijutsu.
After a while, Kaito remained in that state and realized something — why hadn't he considered this before? He should've realized it when he noticed Might Guy earlier.
He'd been so caught up in the idea that this state was only for sensing natural energy that he didn't even consider using it to sense chakra. Chakra, after all, was easier to detect — it was abundant and familiar to him.
Was it possible he had overlooked other uses because of his own preconceived notions?
In this heightened state, he could generally sense the direction of chakra but only pick up on the finer nuances when very close. The range was rather limited.
But what if, within this small range, he focused on himself rather than someone else?
The answer was self-evident. He himself was within that range!
With that thought, Kaito turned his gaze inward for the first time. He focused his perception on his own body and saw the chakra flowing through his pathways.
Unlike sensing someone else's chakra, Kaito didn't need perception to observe his own — he could see it directly, in a far more detailed way.
And through this observation, Kaito noticed something different. He could see the elements — wind and lightning — inherently present within his chakra.
Until now, Kaito couldn't use elemental chakra effectively, even though he knew it was there. He had intended to explore chakra nature transformation once he became adept at controlling his chakra externally. But now, he could see it clearly.
As he observed the wind and lightning aspects within his chakra, he quietly focused on their flow and transformation.
Suddenly, Kaito understood something. If someone were to observe closely, they would see small electric arcs dancing on his skin, while a gentle breeze surrounded him.
For the first time, Kaito willingly opened his eyes, stepped into an open area, and performed a hand seal that he had memorized long ago but never used.
Though it was his first time, Kaito felt confident enough to succeed, and more importantly, to do it well.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
As the hand seals completed, the jutsu succeeded. Normally, Great Breakthrough would scatter the wind in all directions with mediocre power, but Kaito's version formed a small, concentrated wind blast, more like an air bullet than a broad gust.
Kaito looked at the condensed air bullet, and realization dawned on him. By following the textbook seals and instructions, he could have executed the usual Great Breakthrough, which dispersed its force and had limited lethality. But with a deeper understanding of wind's nature, he managed to compress the air, focusing its force in one direction.
However, the compression wasn't strong enough. While he had formed an air bullet, its power was still limited. But the experiment was a success!
Kaito then focused on his arm, where small arcs of electricity were dancing across his skin. He smiled.
Today, he had taken a significant step forward in chakra form transformation.
As for what to call this state, it certainly wasn't Sennin Mode yet. Since it was just a state of consciousness, he decided to name it the "Void State." Perhaps, if this were a world of magic, it would be akin to meditation — it's possible, perhaps.
While others might use this state solely to sense natural energy, Kaito found it incredibly useful for observing his own chakra.
Of course, this would have limited use for others. By the time most people learn Sennin Mode, they've already mastered form transformation. The Void State wouldn't be as helpful. For Kaito, however, being an under-leveled ninja who suddenly learned a higher state of awareness, the Void State brought tangible advantages to other facets of his training.