Chapter 63: Owl's Advice
After returning from Captain Owl's office, Ishiro felt quite troubled. Owl had suggested Ishiro learn a high-level B-rank swordsmanship technique, something that left Ishiro quite surprised.
Owl had explained clearly: Since Ishiro had recently broken through mentally, his strength would rapidly increase. As a consequence, the opponents he'd face would naturally become stronger, since the village always assigned Anbu missions according to their capabilities.
What Ishiro urgently needed wasn't to boost his offensive ninjutsu further. At the level of Jonin battles, a mix of C-rank and occasional B-rank ninjutsu would suffice. Ishiro already had several C-rank jutsu, along with a few powerful techniques, such as the B-rank Water Release: Breaking Stream (a close-range technique he'd never properly trained because it didn't match his usual style), his personally-developed Water Pressure Line Technique, which had nearly B-rank potency, and the illusion-based Binding Technique.
Thus, Owl reasoned that Ishiro currently didn't need to urgently acquire new offensive ninjutsu. Rather than learning new B-rank ninjutsu, his time would be better spent further developing his Water Pressure Line Technique to fully achieve true B-rank power.
Since offensive ninjutsu wasn't his top priority, Owl suggested Ishiro focus instead on physical combat. Eventually, Ishiro would have to lead his own team. By that time, he couldn't afford to have an obvious weakness waiting to be exploited. Shiden, for instance, was originally a taijutsu specialist. Previously, she had only learned a handful of low-level ninjutsu. Recognizing ranged attacks as her weakness, she had used her previous S-rank mission reward to learn an A-rank Wind Release technique, effectively eliminating that shortcoming.
Shiden's approach had been an extreme solution—by learning one powerful A-rank ninjutsu, she essentially wouldn't have to bother learning any more ninjutsu unless she became a Kage-level shinobi.
Owl advised Ishiro similarly: invest some time mastering a high-level swordsmanship style now, so he wouldn't need to worry about this weakness for a long period afterward.
Owl's analysis made perfect sense. Like Shiden's ninjutsu training, Ishiro's swordsmanship wouldn't need to be deadly; instead, it should help create openings to safely use his ninjutsu in battle. Thus, rather than offensive sword techniques, Ishiro only needed a sword style focused primarily on defense.
What excited Ishiro further was Owl's additional incentive: If he decided to learn swordsmanship, he wouldn't need to post any requests or hire any tutors, as his three teammates were already capable sword users and could help him train.
The only thing bothering Ishiro was the realization that, if he devoted himself to swordsmanship, he'd inevitably spend less time developing new ninjutsu. His physical talent was average at best, and his initial experience with sword training had been frustratingly slow. This marked a significant departure from his original self-image as a long-range, ninjutsu-focused shinobi.
Influenced by martial arts stories from his previous life, Ishiro had always believed that mastering one single skill to its peak could make him formidable. His focus had been primarily on speed, believing that if he could cast ninjutsu fast enough, he'd never lose.
But Owl had raised two troubling points: First, against a stronger opponent, wouldn't Ishiro's lack of close-combat ability leave him vulnerable, essentially making him a sitting duck? Second, if he ever became a team leader, how could he protect teammates effectively without sufficient close-combat strength?
After considering these points, Ishiro realized Owl's logic was sound. Could he really trust his own limited experiences over the advice of an experienced elite Jonin?
Though reluctant, Ishiro eventually accepted Owl's recommendation. His first step would be to visit the exchange office and see what suitable sword techniques were available.
Normally, Ishiro wasn't permitted to browse B-rank jutsu details freely—he usually had to pay a contribution fee. But now, armed with his special request from completing the S-rank mission, he could view all B-rank techniques for free.
Such an opportunity couldn't be wasted. Ishiro made up his mind: today he'd browse every single B-rank technique listed. He wasn't leaving until he'd reviewed them all.
The exchange office staff were accustomed to shinobi browsing through every available B-rank jutsu when given the chance. Collecting intelligence had become second nature—after all, even if you couldn't use a jutsu yourself, it was useful to understand potential enemy techniques.
Ishiro was pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of B-rank Earth Release ninjutsu available in Iwagakure. However, the offerings for other chakra attributes were disappointingly limited. Still, the exchange office provided him with an extra scroll detailing some B-rank jutsu observed from other villages—though these consisted mainly of vague descriptions and incomplete sets of hand signs.
Ishiro was especially eager to see the Yin Release category, recalling his sudden breakthrough after viewing their descriptions last time. Yet he was quickly disappointed to discover that Iwagakure didn't even have a single complete B-rank Yin Release jutsu.
The village catalog did list several incomplete Yin Release jutsu, fragments extracted from enemy shinobi's memories by the intelligence division. But these were mere theories and utterly impossible to practice. Although Ishiro hadn't intended to master Yin Release immediately, the glaring deficiency still disheartened him.
There were some B-rank Genjutsu, but most were supplementary, and the few offensive ones were impractical in real combat. Clearly, he'd made the right decision not to fully pursue this path earlier.
Due to his extraordinary mental strength, Ishiro could already use a C-rank illusion at a near-B-rank level. He'd briefly considered focusing entirely on Genjutsu or Yin Release, but seeing Iwa's obvious shortcomings in these areas, he realized he'd made the wiser choice.
Next came Taijutsu and swordsmanship.
Surprisingly, the village had several B-rank Earth-based Taijutsu techniques, such as Hardening (boosting one's defense) or creating rock fists for combat, maximizing Earth Release's defensive strengths.
The sword techniques available weren't many, but there was one clearly emphasizing defense. Owl had obviously recommended Ishiro study swordsmanship specifically for this style. However, seeing its cost—almost 5,000 contribution points—left Ishiro twitching in dismay. He'd accumulated about 10,000 points from two S-rank missions, and now just half of that would disappear for one technique.
He sighed, deciding to further polish the C-rank sword technique he already knew. Better to lay a solid foundation first, he consoled himself.
Upon returning to Team 18, Shiden was unsurprised by Ishiro's new decision. Instead, she handed him a manual on basic sword practice.
"If you use your old method of training your C-rank sword skills to learn a B-rank sword style, you'll never succeed," Shiden explained patiently. "You'll need to first follow this manual and build up your basics for at least a year."
Ishiro's eyes widened in disbelief. Previously, even when hindered by low chakra reserves, he'd still learned ninjutsu fundamentals within half a year. Now, swordsmanship alone required a year just for foundational practice?
Since his reincarnation, apart from physical training, Ishiro hadn't encountered such demanding training. Spending a full year solely on foundational sword training would leave him no time for anything else!
Guessing Ishiro's concerns, Shiden continued calmly, "This sword-training manual isn't just about learning sword moves; it also includes significant physical conditioning. So, you can reduce some of your usual physical exercises while practicing."
Hearing this, Ishiro finally relaxed somewhat. He valued physical conditioning highly—after all, better physique meant greater chakra capacity. If basic sword practice could simultaneously enhance physical strength, he didn't mind investing more time.
Skimming through the manual carefully, Ishiro noticed its detailed explanations. Swordsmanship wasn't just another form of Taijutsu; it required specific physical attributes to execute techniques effectively. Sword moves required superior coordination and strength across various muscle groups, including arms, shoulders, and especially the waist, all of which had to endure the pressure of wielding a sword effectively.
This foundational training, Ishiro realized, specifically targeted those muscle groups involved in swordplay, improving coordination and strength. No wonder Shiden claimed it could double as physical training. Still, Ishiro would need supplementary physical exercises to balance his overall physique.
Currently, however, he lacked the luxury of time. Team 18 had completed their S-rank mission, but the original border patrol task remained unfinished. They had two days to rest before heading out again. So, rather than diving immediately into sword training, Ishiro needed to prepare equipment for future practice.
Lastly, he'd promised Shironeko to let Dango stay at his home within the natural energy barrier. Although he'd never owned pets in his previous life, Ishiro had a rough idea of what a cat (even a ninja one) would enjoy—building a cozy nook, with platforms and ladders for climbing.
Satisfied with his plans, Ishiro headed home, eager to make arrangements for his new feline roommate.
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