Chapter 16: Refining Combat and an Invitation

[Shinji's Perspective]

To take down a flying enemy, I needed to trap it first. That was why I had chosen a barrier jutsu and had been training relentlessly to master it. But I wasn't just stopping there—I had also begun working on a special technique to take out Nue when the time came.

During one of my training sessions, Might Guy watched as I finished our sparring routine. He crossed his arms and grinned.

"You've finally mastered the basic form of taijutsu," he said proudly. "Now, you just need to learn—or create—a style that best suits you. I would teach you mine, but my taijutsu requires rigorous training and puts immense strain on the body. If you're willing to commit a significant amount of time, I'd love to pass on even my secret technique."

I didn't need to ask to know what he was referring to.

I shook my head. "Not right now, but I'd definitely love to learn from you in the future."

While I had no plans to learn Eight Gates yet, I knew that one day, it could be the difference between life and death. But right now, I didn't have the time or energy to dedicate to such an extreme technique.

Guy nodded. "A wise decision. Focus on your foundation first." Then, his expression turned curious. "How's the training with those other things you do?"

I smirked. "Fūinjutsu is the same as always—slow but steady. As for ninjutsu, I've completely mastered multiple C-rank jutsu, but I'm still stuck on a B-rank one. No matter what I try, I can't seem to progress further."

Mastering Water Dragon Jutsu had been deceptively easy at first. But as I trained, I found too many unnecessary hand seals embedded within it. Within the first week, I had already cut the sequence in half. However, my progress stalled after that. Even after three months of intense training, I still needed at least seven hand seals to activate it.

I had mastered plenty of other jutsu in that time, but this one would have to wait until I gained a deeper understanding of hand seals and jutsu mechanics.

Guy clapped me on the back, nearly knocking the air out of me. "Don't worry! With your talent and hard work, nothing can stop the flames of your youth!"

I laughed. "Thanks, Guy. I won't stop until I figure it out."

With that, we parted ways for the day.

Back home, I took a quick shower before heading to my personal training room. Without hesitation, I summoned two clones—both armed with real swords.

For months, I had been fighting against myself, using both Shadow Clones and Curse Clones to refine my combat style. Battling my own technique was the best way to expose my weaknesses and correct any flaws in my swordplay.

My past life as a national kendo champion had given me confidence in my swordsmanship, but I was still nowhere near the level of Killer Bee or the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. However, I was leagues ahead of the average shinobi.

Each of my clones specialized in different combat styles:

Curse Clone: Used shadows in tandem with its blade, creating unpredictable attacks and setting up traps with Shadow Sink.Shadow Clone: Enhanced its sword with Lightning Chakra, making each strike more lethal and difficult to block.Me: Experimenting with chakra infusion, attempting to coat my body and sword with raw chakra—similar to samurai techniques.

The result?

I was getting my ass kicked.

The moment I overcommitted to a strike, my Curse Clone used Shadow Sink to throw off my balance.

Whenever I focused too much on avoiding that, my Lightning Clone capitalized with a speed-enhanced slash.

'Damn it. Chakra reinforcement doesn't work well for me. It improves my strength and precision, but it's not my style.'

I deactivated the chakra coating and shifted gears.

'Fine. Instead of forcing myself to be a chakra-based swordsman, I'll perfect Lightning and Shadow sword techniques until they can truly cause damage.'

Before I could continue experimenting, the doorbell rang.

I flickered to the entrance, opening the door to find Akane standing outside.

She looked… oddly nervous.

I raised an eyebrow but stepped aside, letting her in.

[Akane's Perspective]

I stood in front of Shinji's apartment, heart pounding for no reason.

'This is ridiculous. I just need to invite him to dinner. That's all. Nothing strange about that.'

This was all Akira's fault.

He had casually mentioned Shinji during dinner, telling our parents about his skill, how people compared him to Itachi, and how he had supposedly mastered multiple jutsu beyond our level.

My parents already knew of him, but the moment Akira started sharing details, they got more and more interested. When I corrected some of his exaggerated claims, my mother suddenly asked:

"Aren't you his friend? Why don't you invite him for dinner, dear?"

I froze, heat rushing to my cheeks.

"Akira is also his friend! They spar all the time. He could invite him!" I argued.

My mother just smiled knowingly. "Oh? You don't want to? Is he scary?"

"No! It's just—" I cut myself off, realizing I had no excuse.

And that's how I ended up here.

Shinji led me inside, heading toward the kitchen. I sat on the sofa, trying to calm down. A few minutes later, he came out carrying dumplings.

He placed them in front of me. "Sorry, this is all I had for now."

I perked up immediately.

Dumplings were my favorite.

"So," he leaned back, "what's up?"

I hesitated before answering, "My mom wanted to invite you for dinner tonight after we talked about you."

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Talked about me? And what exactly did you tell them?"

I instantly regretted saying that.

My face heated up. "It was Akira who wouldn't shut up about you! I just corrected him when he said ridiculous things."

His smirk widened. "Oh? What ridiculous things?"

I glared at him before muttering, "He… he said you peek into bathhouses."

Shinji immediately choked on a dumpling.

I passed him water, crossing my arms. "Well? Is it true?"

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Let me explain. Jiraiya-sensei dragged me on a morning run. Suddenly, he disappeared, and I followed him. Turns out, he had a hidden spot overlooking the hot springs. I caught him and tried to call him out—but the kunoichi inside caught us both."

I narrowed my eyes. "So… did you look?"

"What?"

"Did. You. Look?"

He hesitated. "...I caught some glimpses."

I glared harder.

After a moment of awkward silence, I sighed. "So? Are you coming?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'll be there."

I smiled back, completely forgetting about our previous argument.