Chapter 17: [BONUS] This Kid Is A Genius
Jiraiya first taught Nagato and Yahiko a simple C-rank Water Release Ninjutsu.
He stood on the sea, forming hand seals, with two fingers held to his lips.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
A giant water ball spewed from his mouth, rushing towards the distant sea, stirring up huge waves.
"Amazing!" Yahiko's eyes sparkled as he watched, exclaiming in awe.
Jiraiya smiled. Jiraiya was definitely a qualified teacher. He meticulously explained to Yahiko and Nagato how to perform this Ninjutsu.
After speaking, Jiraiya gave Yahiko and Nagato time to explore on their own.
Starting Ninjutsu instruction the day after successfully extracting Chakra was extremely fast progress, but Jiraiya had no choice but to do so.
Because this was not Konoha, and Yahiko and the others were not Konoha villagers. Jiraiya could not stay here for a long time so he could only teach them all the Ninjutsu as quickly as possible.
Even Jiraiya himself didn't know when he would receive an order from the village.
He guided Konan on the other side, helping her develop her unique origami abilities.
Konan was an exceptionally intelligent girl, she often only needed a hint from Jiraiya to understand.
While Yahiko was still exploring, Nagato had already successfully performed the Ninjutsu.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
A small water ball spewed from Nagato's mouth, falling into the sea, and ripples immediately spread out in circles.
Jiraiya looked at this scene in surprise.
He succeeded on the first try?
Jiraiya's eyes met Nagato's.
He marveled in his heart, 'As expected of the wielder of the Rinnegan.'
'I can't fall behind either.'
When Yahiko saw that Nagato beside him had already mastered the Ninjutsu, a sense of crisis and fighting spirit was instantly ignited within him.
He took a deep breath and began to work even harder, repeatedly performing the Ninjutsu according to what Jiraiya had explained earlier.
Haruki blinked. When Jiraiya had performed the Ninjutsu, he had activated his cursed technique.
Perhaps it was because his cursed technique was activated by cursed energy, causing Jiraiya to be completely unaware.
Haruki's body had been transformed into Yuta's body, so Yuta's cursed technique was as if etched into his bones. Without him even realizing it, he began to copy Jiraiya's Ninjutsu, following his deepest desires.
Haruki stopped his training and ran to Jiraiya's side.
"What's wrong?"
Jiraiya saw him and thought he had encountered difficulties during his taijutsu training.
Haruki pursed his lips, looked at the sea with anticipation, and said to Jiraiya, "That one just now... can I try it too?"
Jiraiya didn't react for a moment.
It wasn't until Yahiko and the others' gazes focused on Haruki that Jiraiya belatedly realized, Haruki... wants to try Ninjutsu?
But that was too absurd. Haruki didn't even have Chakra.
Jiraiya looked at Haruki with regret, but when his gaze met Haruki's sparkling eyes, he didn't know how to refuse.
So, Jiraiya suppressed the bitterness in his heart and said to Haruki, "Give it a try."
Jiraiya only hoped that the result wouldn't hurt Haruki.
Haruki was waiting for exactly that sentence. His body moved as his heart desired, the Water Release Ninjutsu felt as familiar as if he had used it thousands of times, exceptionally smooth and effortless.
Haruki's hand seal speed was extremely fast.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
A giant water ball slammed violently into the sea. The soaring waves drenched all five people on the shore.
Including Haruki himself.
...
Jiraiya, under the shock, didn't even manage to dodge. He was disheveled in the wind. His worldview suffered a huge impact.
The understanding he had built in the Ninja World had all collapsed into ruins at this moment.
He looked at the sea, which had not yet calmed down, and then at Haruki beside him.
Is this normal?
Is this possible?
Is he dreaming?
No Chakra, but able to use Ninjutsu?
How on earth was this done?
Jiraiya was certain that this Ninjutsu was definitely not activated by Chakra.
First, Haruki had no Chakra.
Second, the power fluctuation did not belong to Chakra.
Within his perception range, this power did not exist.
In other words, this was a strange power similar to Chakra, but not Chakra.
Jiraiya recalled the scene just now and added another piece of information.
Moreover, the strength of this power was no less than that of Chakra.
"Haruki, how did you do that?" Jiraiya squatted down seriously and asked Haruki.
Yahiko and the others also looked over curiously. But they didn't show as much shock as Jiraiya.
They had no idea that there was only one type of power in the world: Chakra. Their understanding of the Ninja World had not yet been built up like Jiraiya's. Therefore, at this moment, they could easily accept Haruki's difference.
Just as they quickly accepted Rika's existence back then.
"After watching it once, I just did it the way Jiraiya-sensei did."
"I felt a power within my body supporting me to perform it." Haruki said, half-truthfully.
He observed Jiraiya's expression, seeming very scared.
Jiraiya realized that his attitude might have scared the child a bit. He patted Haruki's shoulder reassuringly.
His mind kept replaying Haruki's words.
Watched it once?
Could he perform it just by watching it once?
Jiraiya lowered his gaze, and an idea formed in his mind.
To verify his guess, Jiraiya stood up and said to Haruki in front of him, "I'll perform another Ninjutsu. See if you can... learn it?"
Jiraiya still used the word "learn" even though Haruki's speed was almost a replication.
Jiraiya quickly formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
This Ninjutsu was not only a B-rank Ninjutsu, surpassing C-rank, but Jiraiya's hand seal speed was also very fast, and he didn't explain it like the previous Ninjutsu.
If Haruki could still learn it under these circumstances, then Jiraiya could almost confirm one thing.
Just like with the previous Water Release: Wild Water Wave, as soon as the thought of performing this Ninjutsu arose in Haruki's mind, muscle memory already led his hands to quickly form hand seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
The air expelled from Haruki's mouth appeared in the shape of a blade.
The sharp, knife-like aura instantly pierced through the air, cutting the water waves in front of it in half.
After the Ninjutsu's effect stopped, the water waves gathered together again, swallowing all traces.
Haruki looked at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's pupils trembled, his face and eyes were filled with shock.
This kid is a genius!