Uchiha Kiyo had long studied the principles behind the Body Flicker Technique. His mastery over both the standard Body Flicker and the Taijutsu-enhanced variant was exceptional.
However, his previous approach had been too linear—he had believed that refining the technique simply meant minimizing its side effects through continued training.
Now, after witnessing Namikaze Minato's flawless execution, he realized something crucial. The two variations of the technique—one relying purely on chakra propulsion and the other utilizing physical strength—could actually be combined.
This discovery didn't render his prior efforts useless. In fact, his training had laid a strong foundation for further improvement.
Within just two days, Kiyo had successfully integrated both versions of the technique, though the current results were not ideal.
Since he had yet to fully optimize the ratio of chakra-based propulsion to physical bursts, his speed had actually decreased slightly compared to using just the standard Body Flicker. However, the upside was that the side effects—namely, the stiff rebound effect—were significantly reduced.
Now, Kiyo needed to adjust his body to better handle chakra propulsion.
A full-body chakra pull was impossible to eliminate, but if he could limit it to half—or even less—then it would no longer be a problem.
As he refined his technique, Kiyo made an interesting discovery.
The core principle of Taijutsu-enhanced Body Flicker was simple: By explosively releasing chakra at the soles of the feet, a ninja could generate enough force to push off the ground with tremendous speed.
The chakra itself did not propel the user forward; rather, it strengthened the feet and amplified the force of their push-off.
This explained why excessive use of the technique often led to foot injuries—it was the immense pressure exerted on the ground, rather than the chakra release itself, that caused damage.
However, Kiyo had previously experimented with a slight variation:
Instead of merely strengthening his legs, he had occasionally used chakra bursts outside his body—between the soles of his feet and the ground.
By releasing chakra at the moment his foot left the surface, he could create an additional push that enhanced his acceleration.
This technique had proven highly effective, allowing him to improve the speed of the Body Flicker without increasing the strain on his legs.
Given his current level of physical conditioning, any minor injuries sustained from this method were negligible.
The results were promising. Even when combined with the traditional Body Flicker, this external chakra burst boosted his speed by approximately 10%.
This was a major breakthrough.
Now, Kiyo's mind turned toward optimization.
If an external chakra burst alone could generate such a force, then refining the nature of the burst could yield even greater results.
The current chakra bursts were inefficient. They were crude, brute-force explosions. If he could improve the precision of the burst, he could amplify its effects.
One key factor stood out: The force behind the burst came primarily from the rapid expansion of air due to heat generated by the explosion.
If this was the case, then manipulating the expansion rate of the air could enhance the push force.
That was when an idea struck him.
What if he used water instead of air?
More specifically—water vapor.
Water had a low boiling point compared to the temperature generated by a chakra burst. If he could instantly vaporize a small amount of water under high heat, the resulting steam explosion could create a much stronger driving force.
This principle had been used in various mechanical systems in his previous life.
"Machines in the past used steam power for propulsion... If I apply the same concept with chakra, I might be able to refine this technique even further."
If he introduced a thin layer of water around the chakra burst, he could control the vaporization process.
The rapid phase change from liquid to gas would absorb the excess heat from the explosion, preventing unnecessary damage to his feet.
Additionally, since his feet were protected by chakra reinforcement and the soles of his sandals, he wouldn't have to worry about burns.
The more Kiyo thought about it, the more viable the idea seemed.
"This could actually work."
The excitement of discovery filled his mind.
To test the theory, he released a small mass of chakra, shaping the outer layer into a thin water shell while keeping a dense chakra core inside.
Once the structure was set, he withdrew his spiritual energy to trigger the chakra explosion.
Boom!
The water balloon shattered instantly.
"...It didn't vaporize. It just got blown apart."
Kiyo frowned. The reaction was too violent, causing the water to scatter before it could properly convert into steam.
He needed a way to control the vaporization process more precisely.
The solution? Containment.
If he could temporarily restrain the water with a chakra membrane, the water would be forced to vaporize fully before the membrane was released.
An alternative approach was setting a threshold—once the pressure from the expanding steam reached a critical level, the membrane would automatically break.
Both methods seemed feasible.
With this in mind, Kiyo tried again.
This time, he carefully controlled the outermost chakra layer, ensuring the water remained contained.
As expected, when he withdrew his spiritual energy, the chakra core exploded. However, instead of dispersing immediately, the water slowly vaporized, generating a powerful internal pressure.
At just the right moment, Kiyo released the chakra membrane.
Fwoosh!
A concentrated burst of steam erupted, generating a distinct push in all directions.
This process took less than a second.
"It worked!"
For the first time in a while, Kiyo felt genuinely pleased with his research skills.
However, he quickly identified the next issue.
Even though the conversion was much smoother now, it was still too slow. One second might seem fast in normal conditions, but in battle, it was an eternity.
He needed to increase the vaporization speed.
The solution? Distribute the chakra core more evenly.
If he split the chakra core into multiple, smaller explosions throughout the water balloon, the vaporization process would be more uniform, significantly reducing the time required.
Kiyo adjusted the internal structure and tried again.
This time, the entire conversion process took less than half a second.
If he optimized his execution, he could prepare the steam burst simultaneously while activating the Body Flicker, rather than as a separate step.
That was still not enough.
Even with this improvement, Kiyo wasn't confident he could execute the move while simultaneously focusing on a battle.
He needed to shorten the process even further.
For the next several hours, he experimented tirelessly, tweaking the chakra-water ratio and adjusting the binding force of the outer membrane.
Finally, he found the optimal balance.
By refining the explosion power and increasing the vaporization threshold, he achieved instantaneous conversion upon chakra withdrawal.
The result?
A near-instantaneous steam-propelled Body Flicker.
The moment the chakra membrane was released, the steam explosion provided an immediate acceleration boost, eliminating the usual post-flicker stiffness.
Kiyo tested the technique again, watching as the pressurized water vapor propelled him forward.
This time, the movement was seamless.
He had successfully enhanced the Body Flicker technique through chakra-assisted steam propulsion.
However, as he analyzed the results, he noted one final flaw—directional control.
The current technique spread the force outward in all directions, meaning not all of it contributed to forward momentum.
To truly perfect the move, he needed to refine the energy release so that the majority of the force pushed him in his intended direction.
Another challenge to overcome.
For now, though, Kiyo was satisfied.
His development of this technique had exceeded his initial expectations, and he was eager to refine it further.
One thing was certain—this was only the beginning.
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