Chapter 10: The Definition of Talent III

The morning training sessions Shiki did with Mito were where the Uzumaki matriarch began to question the definition of the word "talent" in her mind.

This was because they were the time where Shiki demonstrated his self created or self learned techniques from the library.

Each session brought something new.

*

It was during their first sparring session after Shiki had been taught the proper kata for basic taijutsu.

Mito had been letting Shiki attack with his still basic and unpolished taijutsu while calmly dodging or blocking but she then noticed the white haired boy take a sudden sharp deep breath.

'Nirvana Art: Three Bodies Breathing Method - Breath of Yang'

The completed first part of Shiki's first Nirvana Art, his personal brand of hidden jutsu. He named it "Breath of Yang" as it was mainly a physical enhancement.

As a sensory shinobi, before Shiki even moved, Mito noted a surge in the boy's chakra as his entire body entered a supercharged state of activation.

Shiki's form blurred with a massive increase in his speed.

He stuck to the ground, not wanting to be caught out mid air where he could not maneuver so with his diminutive height, a leg kick aimed at Mito's right knee joint flew out with boosted speed and power.

The redhead internally nodded with approval but just firmed her stance and let Shiki's kick land.

'Ouch.'

The boy bounced away with a bruised leg.

His pain resistance was extremely high, courtesy of his previous life but unexpected pain could still catch him off guard.

'What is she even made out of?' Shiki internally questioned, noticing a mischievous grin on Mito's face.

Determined not to take it lying down, he regulated his breathing once again, and jumped into action.

Focusing more chakra on his legs to strengthen his strikes, he went for a sweep.

Mito took a step back, raising her front foot to dodge the sweep and smoothly transitioning into a downward front kick at the short Shiki.

The redhead was taking it easy as the boy managed to jump away landing on his back and using the momentum to roll through and get right back up before dashing back into the fray.

As he got more and more used to it, Shiki's breathing method showed its worth as his speed and strength kept increasing while his stamina seemed to be very far from running out.

Aware of this, the boy started pouring more and more chakra into his moves, dashing faster, hitting harder but Mito still casually dodged his kicks, parried his punches and her expertly timed attacks broke Shiki's rhythm and forced him to dodge in weird ways to barely avoid get hit.

His frustration growing, Shiki mounted a final offensive, going all out without considering pace, the boy's Breath of Yang boosting his physical abilities to the maximum.

Another sweep and Mito dodged, trying to kick Shiki in the exact same way as before but this time . . . He was ready.

Not having put everything into the sweep, the boy slipped the redhead's kick and stomped hard on the ground, cracking it and destabilizing Mito who was supported by just a single leg.

The Uzumaki matriarch's expression stiffened a bit while Shiki let fly a gut punch with everything he had straight at her with a triumphant smirk on his face.

He impacted with a pleasant thud but the smirk froze on his face.

Mito hardened her abs and focused her chakra there, taking the punch without breaking a sweat, a devious smirk now on her face, showing everything was according to plan.

And so, unbalanced for putting everything in his punch, Shiki had no way to dodge the kick that cut air as it approached him.

The boy did his best to raise his arms in a block but the redhead's chakra enhanced kick sent him flying for several meters before he crashed and tumbled into the dirt, only stopping after hitting a tree.

Mito went to pick him up but to her surprise, Shiki was already dizzily standing up.

'Oh?' Her eyebrows raised.

'Hmm, it seems his strange breathing technique also boosts his durability if he took my kick with only some bruising.' The redhead concluded.

'It looks like the technique I saw him use during his practice before I adopted him but it has been improved considerably.' The Uzumaki matriarch internally nodded with some shock.

A mere four year old child developing such an effective and efficient self enhancement jutsu that seemingly had no demerits based on what she saw. It was truly surprising, even for her who had plenty of contact with some of the greatest prodigies in the world.

Shiki on the other hand, was reflective.

"Ugh." He moaned while internally chidding himself.

'I'm fighting one of the best sensors ever that can read people like a book. Of course a damn feint won't work.' It was a stupid mistake but in the heat of a battle, such mistakes are easy to make.

"I see you figured out what you did wrong." Mito called out.

"Don't worry, these things can only be fixed with experience." The Uzumaki matriarch gave wise advice but the near imperceptible smirk on her face told Shiki something different.

'You're a hundred years too early to catch me off guard brat!' Was what the redhead's expression communicated to the boy.

'I'll have my get back, Mito-sama. You just wait!' He internally swore. The visible frustration only adding to the mirth on Mito's face.

But while the Breath of Yang had given Mito quite a surprise, it was merely a tiny insignificant prelude.

*

It was the next day of physical sparring and Shiki had been adjusting the second part of the "Three Bodies Breathing Method" which he had deduced during his enlightened state.

He called it the "Breath of Yin" which involved using the body as a channel to connect with and boost one's spirit.

Unlike the "Breath of Yang" which boosted physical abilities, senses, durability and physical recovery, the "Breath of Yin" enhanced chakra flow, potency and control as well as mental recovery.

Best of all, it was meant to overlap with the "Breath of Yang", boosting the effects of both breaths as the "Breath of Yin-Yang".

As such, while Shiki had envisioned the "Breath of Yin-Yang" as the third and final stage of his breathing method, he instead made it the second stage.

With this new weapon in his hand, it was time to retry a serious spar with his mistress.

As they got ready to start, Mito could clearly tell Shiki had something new up his sleeve.

'My sweet summer child. Forget about Konoha, I'm the most powerful kunoichi alive. You will not be putting a single scratch on me for a long while.' The Uzumaki matriarch internally snickered at Shiki's ambitions.

'So confident in beating children. How about letting m-' A deep voice popped up without any welcome in the redhead's mind but, like always, it was helplessly smothered.

Mito believed she had already outgrown her more "questionable" tendencies but as a strange genin she had seen in the village is always saying, it seemed the flame of her youth had yet to die out.

But though Shiki was truly facing a hopeless uphill battle, the Uzumaki matriarch would still be getting yet another big surprise.

+++++

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