Chapter 40: Tsunade's Transformation

Clang!

Metal clashed against metal, and sparks flew in all directions.

Two figures crossed paths, then quickly turned around and rushed back, swinging their blades with a rapid, unbroken chain of metallic impacts.

Beneath the tree, Genichi Shita and Kakashi wielded their short blades, launching all-out attacks against each other.

Fast, precise, and ruthless!

Since the two shared the same mentor, this match boiled down to their respective reaction speeds and combat instincts.

Yet, the longer they fought, the more alarmed Kakashi became.

He... seemed to be losing the upper hand.

How could this guy improve so quickly?

Kakashi gritted his teeth, his blade speed growing increasingly frantic and the angles of his attacks more and more treacherous.

Genichi Shita responded with calm composure.

When it came to pure swordsmanship talent, he was inferior to Kakashi.

However, in terms of combat experience, he currently held the upper hand over Kakashi. Consequently, through this intense exchange, he managed to suppress him.

After dozens of clashes, the two entangled figures suddenly separated.

Genichi Shita sheathed his blade, though his right hand remained resting on the hilt. "Kakashi, watch out!"

Kakashi's gaze narrowed. He knew that the technique Genichi Shita practiced and used the most was the Quick Draw, a remarkably dangerous move.

"Bring it on!"

Kakashi said in a deep voice, wisps of electricity flickering across his body.

Genichi Shita looked on in surprise, then smiled. "Lightning Release? Using it to boost your speed?"

Kakashi replied, "I haven't figured out how to channel Lightning Release into my blade yet."

"In that case, I'll have to use my full strength as well."

Genichi Shita formed hand seals with both hands, activating the Soldier Mantra.

The next instant, the two bolted toward each other, moving so fast they left lingering afterimages behind.

"His speed has increased..."

Kakashi was startled. Realizing this definitely had to do with the hand seals Genichi Shita had just performed, his vigilance spiked significantly.

In the blink of an eye, the two collided once more.

With a sharp ring, their figures crossed.

Kakashi rushed forward for a short distance before coming to a halt, staring down at the broken blade in his hand.

On the other side, Genichi Shita looked at the nick on his own short blade with a hint of resignation.

It was time for a new weapon.

Moreover, he needed to switch to a katana, supplemented by a wakizashi.

For a Quick Draw technique, a katana was far more suitable.

"You win!"

Kakashi turned around.

Genichi Shita sheathed his blade and smiled. "This was just a sparring match. If it were a battle of life and death, the outcome wouldn't necessarily be the same."

That last slash had carried twenty-six years of cultivated power!

Kakashi shook his head. "If it were a life-and-death battle, that last slash would have already killed me."

"Your reactions are faster than mine."

His own Lightning Release was only preliminarily used to boost speed and could not be integrated deeply enough to enhance neural reaction times.

Genichi Shita's Soldier Mantra, however, enhanced all-around attributes comprehensively.

Naturally, Genichi Shita also held the advantage in raw physical strength, which was why he was able to shatter Kakashi's short blade with a single strike.

Of course, this short blade of Kakashi's was not the one that had belonged to Sakumo Hatake.

...

After sheathing their weapons, the two sat down to exchange insights.

Eventually, Kakashi asked, "Genichi, was that hand seal the secret behind your sudden boost in speed?"

Genichi Shita nodded. "I call it the Soldier Mantra."

"What do you think? Not bad, right? The enhancement it provides is no less than the change in chakra nature brought by Lightning Release. If you want to learn it, I can teach you!"

Kakashi shook his head. "I've studied it, but got nothing out of it. I'll pass, Lightning Release is fine for me."

Genichi Shita nodded.

Everyone had different talents, and sticking to what one excelled at was always the wisest choice.

Unless one was cheating like him, he wouldn't have wasted so much time delving into Wind Release nature transformation.

A day of training passed swiftly.

That evening, Genichi Shita dragged Shizune along to the Konoha Hospital once again, with Tsunade trailing behind them.

However, he felt that Tsunade seemed a bit different today.

She wasn't drinking.

Nor was she slouching around looking completely listless and devoid of hope.

Could it be that yesterday's speech had actually had some effect?

After a brief thought, Genichi Shita pushed the matter aside and earnestly threw himself back into his research and various experimental trials.

"The rejection reaction in cell transplantation might be resolved through pharmacological means."

While Genichi Shita was busy at work, Tsunade's voice came from behind him.

Genichi Shita turned his head and smiled. "That is indeed a feasible solution."

"However, I lack the necessary conditions and foundational knowledge to pull it off."

Tsunade gave a noncommittal hum. "You have high talent; you could try developing your own Kekkei Genkai instead of relying on cell transplantation."

"You must understand that the more powerful a power is, the harder it is to control, and the more dangerous it becomes."

Tsunade knew all too well about the heavy losses Konoha had suffered back during the Hashirama cell transplantation experiments.

Especially the Senju clan...

If not for those experiments, perhaps the Land of Whirlpools would not have been destroyed.

Facing Tsunade's suggestion, Genichi Shita accepted it gracefully. "I do have thoughts about developing my own."

"However, cell transplantation isn't just used to acquire Kekkei Genkai; it can also be used to treat diseases."

"For instance, blood disorders and immune deficiencies can be remedied through bone marrow transplants to restore hematopoietic and immune functions."

"Aside from matching with blood relatives, unrelated donors also have a certain probability of a successful match, though that requires a massive database."

Hearing this, Tsunade fell into deep thought. "This is indeed a massive undertaking, but if one wants to accomplish it, it isn't entirely impossible."

Genichi Shita's eyes lit up.

The discussion continued.

As the conversation deepened, Tsunade unconsciously became more involved.

Compared to this top medical ninja of Konoha, Genichi Shita was little different from an elementary school student.

He began to obsessively absorb the rich and delicious nourishment from Tsunade.

Of course, do not misunderstand—he meant her medical knowledge.

Before he knew it, it was eleven o'clock.

Genichi Shita had no choice but to conclude the session and head home with lingering reluctance.

The next day.

Genichi Shita went to Kakashi's house, only to find that Kakashi had already gone out on a mission.

"Genichi, this is the ninjutsu you asked for."

Sakumo Hatake handed him a scroll.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Genichi Shita took it with a smile.

Sakumo Hatake explained, "This scroll contains not only the village's reward but also techniques obtained from that Ice Release ninja, though they are incomplete."

Genichi Shita opened the scroll and quickly scanned its contents.

Water Severing Wave—an A-rank ninjutsu, clearly the reward for capturing the Ice Release ninja.

Following that were Water Release: Water Severing Sonic, Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique, Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, Ice Release: Ice Armor, and Ice Release: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death.

There were quite a few jutsus, but none of them were complete.

"It was a pleasant surprise to begin with, and they'll be great for research."

Genichi Shita didn't mind, then rolled up the scroll and put it away. "Teacher, I want to learn a Wind Release ninjutsu."

Sakumo Hatake asked, "To counter techniques like the Hidden Mist Technique?"

"No problem, let's start by teaching you the C-rank ninjutsu, Great Breakthrough."

"Since you've already mastered the basics of Wind Release nature transformation, learning it shouldn't be difficult."

A C-rank ninjutsu represented the difficulty level of a Chunin.

Being able to master Wind Release nature transformation—even if it was only enough to slice through a leaf—was more than enough to learn this technique.

Furthermore, the Wind Release: Great Breakthrough jutsu relied not on the cutting destructive power of wind, but on blowing targets away, which had relatively low demands on nature transformation mastery.

With the ninjutsu in hand, Genichi Shita headed out to train.

With plenty of time left before his next future overdraft, he naturally couldn't just sit around and wait to use the future for training.

He needed to master Water Severing Wave as soon as possible.