Shikai remained silent.
"Hanzo," he murmured. "He must have been terrifying."
Tsunade nodded. "He was, especially with his poison."
After their conversation, Shikai walked away to meditate near the stream. The moon reflected on the water, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
He focused on his water blade, further perfecting his mastery. He knew he had to quickly reach Tsunade's level, and he needed to not only learn techniques but also understand their essence to perfect them.
Weeks later...
Near a lake fed by a waterfall, Tsunade faced Shikai, her expression serious yet encouraging. She struck the ground with her foot, causing the earth beneath them to vibrate slightly. "Shikai, today I'm going to teach you some Suiton techniques that my great-uncle Tobirama taught me. They require precise chakra control, and an aquatic environment will be perfect for this."
She motioned for him to come closer. "The first one, the Water Wall (Suiton: Suijinheki), is a quick and flexible defense. It will save your life in many situations. Watch."
Tsunade quickly composed a series of hand seals. An immense wall of water erupted from the lake, forming a solid and translucent barrier, protecting Tsunade from any potential danger. "Now, try it."
Shikai stepped forward, forming the same hand seals. He channeled his chakra and directed it towards the lake. A wall of water rose.
"Ah, you already know it!"
"Well, of course. Do you think my Chunin rank was stolen, Aunt Tsunade?" Shikai asked with a sarcastic tone.
He smiled, satisfied, but Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "But excuse me, heir of the Yondaime... Don't rest on your laurels. Now, continue with the Water Dragon Bullet Technique (Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu)."
Tsunade moved away and composed new hand seals. "This technique is one of Tobirama's most iconic. It's powerful but demanding. Observe."
She summoned a gigantic dragon made of aquatic whirlpools from the water. The dragon roared before crashing into a rocky target, reducing it to pieces.
Shikai's eyes widened. "Impressive. But it requires a lot of chakra, right?" He could already perform the Water Dragon Bullet, but it was not at this level.
Tsunade nodded. "Yes, but with your chakra reserves, you can master it. Give it a try."
For hours, Shikai worked on this technique. His initial dragons were powerful, but he was still unable to maintain their form and explosiveness. But after a day of intense effort, he succeeded in creating a larger and more powerful dragon, capable of striking with precision.
Tsunade smiled proudly. "Not bad. Keep training, and this technique will become a formidable weapon in your arsenal."
Exhausted but satisfied with his progress, Shikai lay down under the starry sky. The campsite was simple: a crackling campfire cast a warm light on the surroundings. Tsunade, seated by the fire, sipped her sake calmly.
Shikai gazed at the stars, meditating on the techniques he had learned that day. He already envisioned ways to combine his new skills with his own inventions and strategies. In a fight, he wouldn't necessarily use all his techniques, but he had grand plans, and to achieve them, he had to become a master of all jutsu.
But as the peaceful night enveloped the campsite, the sound of stealthy footsteps echoed in the shadows. Shikai instinctively sat up, his gaze scanning the surroundings.
A band of bandits emerged from the bushes, armed with blades and axes. Their leader, a tall and bearded man, chuckled. "Looks like we've stumbled upon a nice little campsite. Hand over everything you have, and maybe we'll spare you."
Tsunade remained seated, unmoved. She threw a glance at Shikai. "This is a good opportunity to test your new skills. Take care of them."
Shikai stood up, his expression serious. "Ah... Guys, really, I'm not in the mood for this," he said in a calm but authoritative voice.
The bandits burst into laughter. "You think you can scare us, kid? Come on, grab them!"
Shikai quickly composed hand seals. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"
A water dragon erupted from the ground and crashed into the bandits, scattering their group. Several of them were thrown to the ground, some with broken bones.
The leader got up, furious. "Don't just stand there, attack him!"
The bandits regrouped and charged at Shikai. He took a slight step back, using the Water Wall to block a volley of arrows. Then, he combined his enhanced chakra scalpel with Suiton, making agile movements as he swiftly sliced their throats. A cut under their throats as life left their eyes.
As an expression of unease crossed Tsunade's face at the sight of the blood, Shikai had a slight maniacal smile. It had been a long time since he had seen eyes lose their shine under his blade.
He composed new hand seals. "Suiton: Water Vortex!"
A swirling column of water formed, capturing three of the bandits in a watery sphere.
*Lightning explosion*
As the bandits were electrocuted to death, the leader attempted a desperate last attack, but Shikai cut off his hand with surgical precision using the chakra scalpel. His blood sprayed onto Shikai's face.
"Idiots..."
Tsunade, who had observed the confrontation from the campfire, finally stood up. She walked towards Shikai, a satisfied smile on her face. "Not bad. You made good use of what you learned today. But remember, every fight is a lesson. You could have conserved more chakra if you had better anticipated their movements."
Tsunade ruffled his hair, her hands slightly trembling as she looked at the blood on his face.
Shikai nodded, grateful for the advice. "Thank you, Aunt Tsunade. I'll continue to train."
'Oh, interesting. I had almost forgotten she was afraid of blood.' He thought with an inner smile.
Tsunade hugged him tightly. "And you didn't have to get your hands dirty..."
In Tsunade's opinion, it was the first time Shikai had killed, and it should have been a trying experience for a child, even if his expression didn't show it. She knew he was trying to hide his emotions to not worry her.