Kyohiko kept punching and dodging, using the sandbags to train his body's instincts and overcome the negative effects of his increased speed.
After training for a while, he sat down to rest and dispelled his shadow clone. A flood of knowledge rushed into his mind, leaving him exhausted and his ears ringing.
This was the limitation of an ordinary person's physique.
He couldn't maintain shadow clones for too long, or he risked backlash, which could even lead to death.
Kyohiko rubbed his temples.
As he was thinking and digesting the information, a bag dropped in front of him.
"Eat this."
"Huh?"
Kyohiko looked up, slightly confused.
Jiraiya smiled. "Special military ration pills from the hospital. With the way you're training, you won't last without these."
"Thank you, teacher."
Kyohiko was indeed hungry, his vision blurring with spots.
If Jiraiya hadn't brought the pills, he would have gone out to eat after catching his breath.
This was his first time trying military ration pills.
They didn't taste good.
But.
After taking them, the energy conversion was much faster than eating a meal. Soon, his hunger was alleviated, and he felt less weak.
"How is it?"
"No wonder they're a staple. They're really effective!"
Kyohiko praised.
Jiraiya left a bag behind, then his expression turned serious.
"While the pills can replenish your physical energy, they can't restore your mental energy. If your spirit is exhausted, you could still die."
"Teacher, I know."
Kyohiko nodded.
He valued his life too much to train himself to death.
Jiraiya finally smiled.
"The Matsuyama family sent word. They might arrive in Konoha tomorrow. Don't overdo your training. It's best to go to the hospital and treat those bruises."
Then, he got up and left without mentioning the meeting.
Kyohiko didn't ask either.
Because the meeting probably didn't go well, and Tsunade might have even smashed the table—
From what he knew, that was entirely possible!
...
In the evening, Tsunade arrived again, her body carrying the scent of soap mixed with alcohol.
She carried a bag, rudely climbing over the wall instead of using the front door.
The Sannin's manners were all about the same.
Kyohiko silently complained.
He stood up and bowed.
"Lady Tsunade."
"How's the reading going?"
Tsunade asked.
Kyohiko answered honestly.
"Although it's all basic stuff, it's been very enlightening."
"You've already seen results in such a short time?"
Tsunade was skeptical.
There was a big gap between what was written in the books and actually mastering and applying the techniques.
Tsunade glanced at the shadow clone, worried that Kyohiko was rushing things.
"You can test me."
Kyohiko was confident.
Some things showed immediate results.
For example—
[Water Release: Water Wall (Proficient)]
As an important defensive water technique, Kyohiko had studied the Second Hokage's notes and benefited from the improved chakra control gained from leveling up the Strength of Hundred Technique. After a few attempts, he reached the Proficient level.
At the Proficient level, Water Wall's chakra control was more refined, allowing him to adjust its range and defensive strength at will.
The next step was to try a two-handed seal Water Wall.
However, that required deeper understanding and exploration, not something that could be mastered just by reading.
For now...
Kyohiko formed hand seals.
Thanks to his usual training and practice, his fingers were nimble, and he quickly completed the seals.
Water Release: Water Wall!
Water gushed from his mouth, forming a high wall that rose around him, about five steps away.
As one of the Sannin, Tsunade might not use water techniques, but she had seen plenty of water-style ninjas.
In terms of Water Wall alone, Kyohiko's skill was already mid-tier.
From the last time until now...
In just a few days, he had improved again, and by a significant margin!
Tsunade became serious.
At first, she had only wanted to help this talented half-"clansman."
But now.
She couldn't help but associate Kyohiko with her deceased relatives—
If Nawaki had even half of Kyohiko's talent, he wouldn't have died.
Tsunade's gaze dimmed.
"Lady Tsunade, I heard from my teacher that the meeting didn't go well? I think you shouldn't take it to heart. Any kind of reform..."
"Kid, that's not your concern. I was just thinking about something else."
Tsunade reined in her emotions.
She looked away and tossed out a scroll.
"Take a look, but don't practice recklessly."
"What is it?"
Kyohiko caught it.
He opened the scroll—
There was no title, just the main text. The ink was fresh, as if it had been written that afternoon.
The content...
It was about the Strength of Hundred Technique.
"Is this the Strength of Hundred Technique?"
"Strength of Hundred... Hmm, that's a fitting name. It's pretty much what you imagined—rapidly refining, gathering, and releasing chakra. But while it sounds simple, not many can actually do it."
Tsunade's expression was serious. "Do you know where your problem lies?"
"After reading the Second Hokage's notes, my biggest takeaway is that many things are interconnected in principle. Chakra is like speed—if it's too fast, you can't control it effectively, and it will backfire."
"Mm."
Thinking this far ahead...
His comprehension is really high!
Tsunade was inwardly impressed but kept a calm face.
"Identifying the problem isn't hard. The key is, do you have a solution?"
"Slow down and reduce the power, but when necessary, I think it's worth risking injury to increase the power. We can't be limited by this..."
Kyohiko answered fluently—
Having the answers made it easy!
These were the solutions he had gained after leveling up.
However.
"Slowing down" and "reducing power" were relative.
For ordinary ninjas, the chakra control and physical strength required for the Proficient-level Strength of Hundred Technique were still very high.
Tsunade smiled.
"You've got the theory down, but can you actually do it?"
"I'm afraid of getting hurt, so I haven't tried recklessly, but I feel like I can."
Kyohiko had previously been below the required level.
But now.
His chakra control was no longer an issue.
This was the charm of "leveling up a skill."
But since Tsunade had repeatedly warned him not to experiment carelessly, he couldn't outright say he could do it.
"Then give it a try."
Tsunade said.
Kyohiko was surprised.
"You..."
"I don't need to see it to heal you."
Tsunade said lightly.
Kyohiko nodded.
"Alright!"
He stood up, recalling the tricks and key points.
Then, Kyohiko focused on the chakra in his body, slowing down the refining and gathering process.
A moment later—
Boom!
The ground cracked and caved in, forming a fist-sized crater.
Kyohiko checked his arm.
"Lady Tsunade, no injuries."
"Let me see."
Tsunade was relieved and came over to inspect his injuries. After sensing and confirming, she nodded slightly, but inside, she was amazed—
He actually did it!
This kid...
Is truly a genius!
She didn't know what kind of talent Tobirama had as a child, but she imagined it wasn't far from Kyohiko's.
In fact, even she wasn't sure if Kyohiko's approach was correct.
Because Tsunade had exceptional chakra control talent, she had been able to use the Strength of Hundred Technique freely from a young age. The only limitations were her age, chakra reserves, and physical strength.
As for insufficient chakra control...
Sorry, she had never experienced it, so it was hard for her to come up with effective ways to simplify and reduce the difficulty.
A genius's dilemma.
Now, Kyohiko had figured it out and made it work!
"Try increasing the chakra a bit more."
"Alright."
Kyohiko tried again.
This time...
The speed of chakra refining, gathering, and compression was about 10-20% faster than before.
Then—
Boom!
A punch.
The ground cracked, and rocks shattered.
The power was far more than 10-20% stronger!
"Did you notice?"
"A small increase leads to a big jump in power, but I feel this is about my limit. Any more, and it might strain my body."
Kyohiko shared his thoughts.
"Your chakra compression speed isn't fast enough, so it's hard to increase the power further. But your ability to control chakra with such precision is your strength."
Tsunade carefully observed, then sighed. "Even though you've simplified this technique, ordinary ninjas still wouldn't be able to learn it."
For Shizune...
Kyohiko's simplified version of the Strength of Hundred Technique was still a forbidden-level skill, not something to be learned or attempted lightly.