Time passed just like the Senju clan—disappearing little by little.
Months slipped by without anyone noticing, buried in the rhythm of classes starting and ending. Looking back, it all felt like a fleeting dream.
Natsuki had gone through a few more rounds of experimental jutsu development in the special lab, but the progress on Suiton: Uzushio Futan had hit a bottleneck, with little headway made.
Thankfully, he wasn't pouring all his energy into just that one project.
Every now and then, to refresh his mind, he dabbled in researching other techniques.
For instance, after mastering the nature transformation of the water element, he created some simple and practical jutsu.
Suiton: Bōenkyō no Jutsu (Water Release: Telescope Technique) — by using chakra to condense moisture in the air, forming convex and concave lenses, he could create a telescope out of thin air, able to see up to two kilometers away.
This technique helped Natsuki immensely.
He'd always been lacking in reconnaissance—no bugs like Shino, no Byakugan to assist. Even after learning chakra sensing, his range was still quite limited.
But with this telescope jutsu, he could easily observe everything within two kilometers.
Suiton: Gengakyō no Jutsu (Water Release: Magnifying Glass Technique) — similarly, by condensing moisture into a large convex lens and focusing sunlight through it, the jutsu could create burns or even explosions.
This technique had appeared in the anime filler once, though the villain who used it seemed to be ice-element, not water.
Oh, and that same villain probably used the telescope jutsu too.
Honestly, while the filler characters weren't that powerful, their jutsu creativity was off the charts—definitely worth borrowing ideas from.
But the highlight of it all was that Natsuki finally completed his version of Rokushiki—the Six Styles.
Originally, he had equated Henge no Jutsu: Kami-e with Kami-e, and Shunshin no Jutsu with Soru. But the remaining four styles had made no progress for a long time.
Then one day, Shino casually handed Natsuki a pile of scrolls, saying they were all low-level jutsu for him to study. Once Natsuki had something useful, he'd have to share it.
Shino… seriously, I'm crying!
Natsuki felt like the best decision he'd ever made was becoming good friends with Shino.
And of course, he tearfully accepted the scrolls and dived into further research.
The scrolls Shino gave him mostly contained Suiton, Raiton, and Doton jutsu—considering Natsuki's chakra nature, it made learning a lot easier. There were things like Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu, Doton: Kōka no Jutsu, Suiton: Suijinheki, Suiton: Teppōdan, Raiton: Jibashi, and even Genjutsu: Naraku Mi no Jutsu, and a few medical ninjutsu.
Natsuki didn't care much about the official jutsu ranking system—many jutsu in the original didn't even have clear ranks.
But these were all commonly used in the original series. None of them were truly "low-level"—even the weakest were C-rank. Shino was straight-up lying with a straight face. And he was really generous too.
Besides being grateful, what else could Natsuki do?
He could only dive into his research and share the best results with his good friend.
To be fair, Natsuki could understand the standing of these jutsu within the Aburame clan. Since they primarily practiced insect techniques, most members didn't even train with elemental ninjutsu. That said, picking up some scrolls during missions was natural. Even if they were just gathering dust at home, they could still be sold during tough times.
Also, not every clan member was a bug-user prodigy. Some could definitely benefit from these jutsu.
And as the clan leader's son, Shino likely didn't need approval to give out these unappreciated jutsu reprints. Still, he probably consulted his father, Aburame Shibi.
So it was fine.
But Natsuki couldn't just take that kindness for granted—he had to return the favor.
Thus, after months of research, the Six Styles were finally perfected.
Tekkai (Iron Body): Modeled after Doton: Kōka no Jutsu, he used chakra to absorb the properties of iron from kunai, partially turning his body into metal.
Shigan (Finger Gun): By hardening his fingers with the iron transformation, he could perform rapid pinpoint strikes.
Geppō (Moon Step): By condensing moisture under his feet with chakra, he created propulsion points, allowing him to "run" in mid-air.
Rankyaku (Storm Leg): By compressing water vapor into a curved arc with a powerful kick, he created a crescent-shaped chakra blade.
It wasn't that Natsuki didn't want to explore new techniques—he just didn't need to. The Six Styles were already a well-rounded system combining offense, defense, and mobility. Why waste brainpower reinventing the wheel?
This chakra-based version of the Six Styles might not be as exaggerated as the One Piece version, but it was practical.
For instance, Tekkai was a godsend in a world like the shinobi world, where high offense and low defense were the norm. At least now he didn't have to worry about being killed by a random kunai. And Geppō gave shinobi the ability to temporarily fly—what's not to love?
Regardless of what others thought, for a physically weak clan like the Aburame, it was revolutionary.
—That day, Natsuki brought TenTen to Shino's house as guests—
Originally, Natsuki had wanted to invite Shino over to his place to teach him the Six Styles. But Shino turned the invitation around with a powerful reason:
He said they'd always eaten at Natsuki or TenTen's house—it was time to return the favor.
Natsuki had no objection. In fact, he was happy to meet Aburame Shibi. Not that he had any agenda—it was purely to express gratitude.
After all, Shino had given Natsuki so many jutsu scrolls for free. Not only had Shibi not objected, he even helped keep it a secret. That was a huge favor.
They could act like it was no big deal, but Natsuki couldn't treat it as such.
So, Natsuki and TenTen carried a whole box of smoked meat to the Aburame clan, where they were warmly welcomed by Aburame Shibi.
"Hahaha! So you're Natsuki and TenTen! Shino talks about you two all the time. Especially you, Natsuki—he's known you since the very first day of school, and you've always been close. As his father, I truly thank you both. Shino's never been good at interacting with others. To have friends like you—it means the world!"
Even behind his sunglasses, Shibi's eyes were moist with emotion.
His overwhelming fatherly love nearly drowned Natsuki and TenTen—it didn't feel like someone who had trouble socializing at all.
Natsuki quickly replied, "You flatter us, Shibi-ojisan. TenTen and I are the ones who should be grateful. Shino has helped us so much, we honestly don't know how to repay him."
TenTen followed up, "That's right, Shibi-ojisan! Shino has done so much for us. Being friends with him is our greatest honor!"
"No, no, I should be the one thanking you—"
"No, no, we should be thanking you—"
The three of them went back and forth at the entrance, tugging at politeness, while Shino stood silently off to the side.
Thankfully, he interrupted at just the right time, ushering Natsuki and TenTen inside and taking the box of smoked meat with him.
This was Natsuki's homemade smoked meat—Shino had tried it a few times and loved it. Now, of course, he'd store it carefully so he could eat it at home whenever he liked.
(End of Chapter)
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