Wok Shadow Ninja

Chapter 64: Body Flicker Technique

The scorching Great Flame Technique surged like an overwhelming wall of fire, fiercely crashing against the Water Formation Wall.

A significant portion of the water was visibly consumed, but the Water Formation Wall inherently possessed a cyclical nature. Utilizing its rotational force, the missing sections were quickly replenished by the natural flow of water in the environment.

Seeing that Ino was not struggling, Asuma immediately increased his chakra output, causing the flames to turn a deep crimson.

Ino, without hesitation, also accelerated the absorption and rotation speed of her water wall.

With each rotation, the water wall not only did not thin under the assault of the flames but instead grew thicker due to the addition of natural environmental water.

Both of their "Nin" stats were likely at a level of 9, indicating equal control over ninjutsu. Their "Stamina," representing total chakra, was also similar, with Asuma slightly higher, probably at 7, while Ino was very close to 7. Their remaining stats, including hand seal proficiency, elemental jutsu levels, and the level of the ninjutsu itself, were all comparable.

The Fire Release techniques of the Sarutobi clan had unique aspects, and the Water Formation Wall, modified by the Second Hokage, was an exceptionally powerful Water Release technique. Most crucially, water overcomes fire.

The Second Hokage's rigorous training in Water Release was undoubtedly aimed at countering the Uchiha clan's Fire Release.

The Fire Release: Great Flame Technique was completely blocked by the Water Release: Water Formation Wall!

Asuma increased his chakra output twice in succession, but due to the elemental disadvantage, he could not breach Ino's defense.

Asuma's true expertise lay in taijutsu; ninjutsu was merely supplementary for him. Seeing that the ninjutsu battle was at a stalemate, he immediately switched to his forte.

"Be careful!" He dashed forward in a flash.

After the collision of the two techniques, a large amount of steam filled the air. This time, Ino did not use the Hiding in Mist Technique, nor did she intend to engage Asuma in taijutsu. Her mediocre taijutsu skills might suffice against someone like the current Sasuke, but against an elite jonin, it would be suicidal.

She took a deep breath, ignoring Asuma's rapid approach for close combat, and infused her chakra with water nature transformation, her hands swiftly forming seals.

"Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!"

Her chakra transformed into a surging torrent of water, rushing straight toward Asuma.

"Not bad with this technique!" Asuma praised.

He discerned the direction of the water flow, leaped up, and ran atop the water, continuing his forward assault.

The title "Mountain Boar" should really go to you! Ino silently Make complaints. She crossed her index and middle fingers into a cross, forming the "Ram" seal, and created a shadow clone.

The shadow clone quickly formed three seals: "Water Release: Water Trumpet!"

Asuma, without using any weapons, sidestepped at an extremely precise angle, narrowly dodging the Water Trumpet, his assault speed barely diminished.

Ino's shadow clone drew a kunai and thrust it at Asuma's throat, but the disparity in their taijutsu skills was too great. In less than a second, the shadow clone was effortlessly dispatched by Asuma.

Thanks to the brief delay caused by the Water Trumpet and the shadow clone, Ino finally completed her final technique.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" After rapidly forming fifteen seals, a water dragon surged from the surface, carrying a mighty impact, and with a roar, it charged straight at Asuma.

"This move is a bit rigid," Asuma commented, stepping to the left twice to evade the Water Dragon Bullet. However, his peripheral vision caught Ino still holding the final "Bird" seal after releasing the Water Dragon Bullet.

This technique isn't over yet??

Facing a Water Release technique of jonin level, Asuma dared not take it head-on. He dashed several steps further to the left. Ino let out a soft shout, and the winding water dragon, already off-course, relied on chakra control to turn back, curving around to strike again.

"This is Old Man Gen's move, isn't it? Interesting!" Asuma finally got serious. He drew his chakra blade, wearing it like brass knuckles, and clenched his right fist. Wind-natured chakra enveloped the blade. Seeing the water dragon's approach, the pale blue chakra, sharp as a blade, cleaved the water dragon from a third of its length, shattering it. Then, instead of retreating, he pressed forward, breaking through the Water Formation Wall.

Ino immediately raised her hands in surrender.

"I concede!"

Asuma sheathed his chakra blade and, after a moment of thought, said, "Your Water Release skills are quite impressive, and your chakra seems abundant. However, you need to strengthen your close combat abilities. You can't just concede every time an enemy overcomes your Water Release, can you?"

For Ino, who aspired to be a long-range artillery unit, she was well aware of her weak taijutsu, but there was little she could do. As she entered puberty, her physical attributes were growing daily. It would be wasteful to allocate points to her stats before her body reached its peak.

With the Ino-Shika-Cho team by her side, being a stationary artillery unit suited her just fine.

Ino's reliance was on her teammates. She could always allocate points to her taijutsu attributes after maxing out her Nin, Speed, and Stamina.

She humbly accepted Asuma's advice but had no immediate plans to change her approach.

Asuma also knew that close combat skills couldn't be developed overnight. It required perseverance, diligence, and a lot of sweat.

He taught Ino a renowned taijutsu technique the Body Flicker Technique to enhance her survivability. Then, combining various Water Release techniques, he developed a Water Body Flicker Technique particularly suited for Ino.

Ino becoming a master of the Body Flicker Technique was unlikely, given her mediocre taijutsu skills, but it could serve as an escape mechanism in critical moments.

Asuma created a shadow clone to accompany Ino in Body Flicker training, while he turned to Shikamaru: "Come on, kid, attack me!"

Through combat, he assessed the trio's strengths and tailored training methods to address their weaknesses.

He didn't need to instruct them on their clan's secret techniques, nor did he want to overstep that boundary.

He focused on reinforcing their weak points.

Ino and Shikamaru didn't worry him. The former, in his eyes, was undoubtedly a prodigy. At least, Asuma himself certainly didn't possess such strength at the age of twelve. In terms of talent, among his peers excluding the older generation and the unfamiliar Uchiha clan perhaps only Kakashi could surpass Ino.

Shikamaru's talent was also notable. Though the boy often complained about the hassle, when it came to actual effort, he never backed down. He clearly understood his responsibilities and how to fulfill them.

The real challenge was Choji. Despite the mantra "With great power comes great responsibility," the boy's mindset remained immature, not fully transitioning from a student to a ninja. He didn't quite grasp why his peers were so driven, often merely following Ino and Shikamaru's lead in rigorous training. This fundamental mindset was flawed.

Asuma wasn't his father, so there were many things he couldn't say. Instead, he increased the boy's training load run laps! How many? Until you can't run anymore!