[Konoha2] Chapter 110: Fire Release That Couldn’t Kill, The Storm Finally Forms!

Whoosh!

Nakamura shot forward like an arrow.

“So fast!”

Kazushi and the other two gasped. In just the blink of an eye, it felt like Nakamura had already appeared right in front of Hajime .

His blade swept out, steel flashing in the dim light, creating a storm of gleaming arcs that dazzled their eyes.

The three boys froze, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

Too fast!

If it had been them, they wouldn’t even have had time to react before being cut down.

But Hajime didn’t even draw his sword. With precise footwork, his figure flickered and slipped past every strike, avoiding Nakamura’s relentless swings.

“Too slow. Far too slow!”

“How do you even call yourself a shinobi?”

His cold voice cut like ice.

Too slow?!

The three boys were dumbstruck.

Suddenly, Hajime drew his blade—azure light bursting forth. With a single clash, clang!, Nakamura’s fierce momentum was broken and he was forced back, feet gouging deep furrows into the ground.

The next instant, Hajime’s figure blurred, vanishing and reappearing before Nakamura could regain his footing. His blade flashed like lightning.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sharp ring of metal echoed in rapid succession, Nakamura now swallowed in a cage of shining strikes.

Shhhk, shhhk, shhhk!

The ground around them split apart with deep cuts as if carved by invisible blades.

The three watching boys’ eyes widened. “Too fast!”

Even faster than Nakamura had been a moment ago.

And Nakamura himself felt the same—far too fast!

How is he this fast?

One sword wasn’t enough. He instantly drew a kunai with his left hand, fighting with both sword and blade, barely fending off Hajime’s onslaught.

Suddenly—Hajime’s figure split into three.

Dance of the Crescent Moon!

Nakamura’s eyelids twitched wildly. He knew that technique—but he didn’t have time to prepare a clone to defend.

Whoosh!

He flung his kunai, hitting one image dead on.

Clang!

He managed to block another with his sword.

But the last Hajime’s blade came down against his neck.

Every hair on Nakamura’s body stood on end. He swallowed hard, giving a bitter laugh. “Hajime, your speed is insane… and you can even make shadow clones with one-handed seals.”

Hajime shook his head. “No—it’s you who are too slow.”

“The most basic essence of kenjutsu is speed, precision, and ruthlessness. Only on that foundation do ninjutsu or kenjutsu techniques have true power.”

“One step faster, and your enemy dies. One step slower—and you die. On the battlefield, it’s that simple.”

“As for one-handed seals—if you can’t learn it, it doesn’t matter. If your blade is fast enough, you don’t need seals.”

Nakamura could only smile wryly.

Easier said than done. Everyone knew the principle—but the gap remained. Why?

Nakamura believed it was talent.

And Hajime knew talent was decisive. But with the right direction, and enough effort, one could still improve greatly.

Cell activation could increase speed.

Lightning Release could stimulate cells and enhance speed.

Even Wind Release could be used to boost swiftness.

Earth Release’s Light–Heavy Rock Technique could alter speed as well.

As for himself, Hajime had both cell activation and the Sharingan’s aid.

Wind Release, for now, he only used for bursts of power and body flickers, not yet fully integrated into sustained combat speed.

As for one-handed seals, that came from grueling training—learning to split his focus, draw circles with one hand and squares with the other, until it became instinct.

Sheathing his blade, Hajime beckoned the four forward.

“Today I’ll teach you the technique of cell activation. It greatly enhances physical ability—speed, strength, reaction time.”

“However, this involves mastery of Yang Release. Whether you succeed or not will depend on your own efforts.”

All four immediately brightened with excitement.

They didn’t fully understand what “cell activation” meant, but improving speed, power, and reflexes was irresistible.

In unison, they bowed. “Thank you, sir. We will give it our all!”

At that moment, even Nakamura looked no different than the three younger boys, their eagerness written on their faces.

Hajime gave a slight nod, then began teaching.

Cell activation was something he had developed from Hashirama’s cells, and later refined through exchanges with Tsunade, who had her own clan’s chakra control techniques.

Not to mention Hashirama himself—but even Tobirama, when revived in the Fourth War, could simply press his palm lightly and crack a wall, terrifying in sheer might.

And Hashirama, the first time he was reanimated, casually blocked Hiruzen Sarutobi’s Fire Release with his bare hands.

So much for “fragile” ninja.

Was Fire Release really so weak it couldn’t kill anyone?

Hajime didn’t believe that.

So, an hour later, after finishing the day’s lessons and having dinner at home, he began researching Fire Release.

He needed to develop Fire Release’s nature transformation, which meant delving into the power of the Four-Tails’ chakra.

The Four-Tails’ bloodline power was Lava Release, born from the fusion of Fire Release and Earth Release nature changes.

Now, Hajime was only missing Fire Release and Lightning Release to complete mastery of all seven chakra natures.

But lacking the natural affinity made training these changes more difficult.

Yet his situation was different. With the Four-Tails sealed inside him, his body was already being influenced by its chakra.

Just like how transplanting Hashirama’s cells granted both Earth and Water affinity.

Or how Nagato, with the Rinnegan, directly gained all six affinities and easily mastered six nature transformations.

Unknowingly, night had fallen deep.

His shadow clones dispelled one by one, their accumulated memories flowing back into him.

After washing up, Hajime quietly absorbed the day’s training insights from his clones.

The results of his monstrous strength training were pretty good.

After all, he already had the foundation of cell activation.

The night passed quietly, and the next morning Hajime continued as usual.

One clone went to train Nawaki, six wood clones went into Training, while his true body returned to Root to keep drilling Nakamura and the other three.

He had to finish shaping these four before leaving Root.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

The Forest of Death.

“You idiot, I told you not to rush in so recklessly—don’t you ever watch where you’re going?”

Knocking on Nawaki’s head, Hajime administered the antidote.

The foolish boy had actually gotten himself bitten by a poisonous snake—a rookie mistake.

He wasn’t lacking in talent. He learned fast, was sharp, but his biggest flaw was a thick skull and a hot temper, charging ahead without thinking. It gave Hajime constant headaches.

With a personality like that, without a protagonist’s halo, how could he ever survive long on the battlefield?

Nawaki only scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin under Hajime’s scolding.

After detoxifying him, Hajime stood. “Before the academy term begins, I’ll give you a test. If you fail, there’ll be no more S-rank ninjutsu.”

Nawaki’s face crumpled in despair—but in the next instant he clenched his fists with renewed vigor. “Don’t worry, Brother Hajime! I’ll definitely pass your test!”

Hajime snorted coldly. “Don’t speak too soon. My standards are very strict.”

***

Root training ground.

“Eruption isn’t the same as a chakra burst.”

“Ever seen a balloon leaking air? If not, buy a few balloons when you go back.”

“Wind Release compresses air. Think of the airflow you generate when you use Wind Release.”

“Now, change it—it doesn’t come from your mouth, but from your soles, from your palms.”

“Idiot, I told you to be precise.”

“Fast, fierce, accurate. If you’re not accurate, how do you expect to hit the target?”

“When you go back, practice swinging until your blade always lands on the same spot.”

“Fool, don’t cling to the most basic definition of genjutsu. That’s only the foundation—you’re supposed to specialize in illusions!”

Hajime’s reprimands echoed nonstop, one after another.

Not just Tsukikage Kazushi and the other two—even Nakamura, a veteran Root operative older than Hajime himself, was scolded like a child.

But none of the four resented it.

In fact, over these days, they could clearly feel themselves improving.

The three younger ones especially—their growth was obvious.

Even Nakamura felt his strength stir for the first time in years.

But the one scolding them was only Hajime’s clone.

His true body, at that moment, was by a small riverside nearby. He formed seals, spat out a fireballboom!—it exploded against the water’s surface.

He had succeeded in mastering Fire Release nature transformation.

This was the result of several days of effort.

But for now, the fire techniques he produced weren’t particularly powerful.

“The Four-Tails’ chakra hasn’t influenced me deeply enough yet. I can’t fully grasp Fire Release transformation.”

Hajime shook his head.

Then, thinking a moment, he directly stirred the Four-Tails’ chakra. Cloaked in the beast’s chakra, four tails unfurled behind him.

Hajime wove seals again.

Fire Release – Flame Bullet!

This time it was different—the fireball was denser, hotter, glowing bright orange-red.

Satisfied, Hajime nodded. I can slowly strengthen my Fire Release under the Four-Tails’ influence… and from there, excavate Lava Release.

For now, he still couldn’t wield Lava Release directly through the Four-Tails’ power. That was step one.

Step two would be developing it himself—so that even without the beast, he could use it.

That second step might seem redundant, but to Hajime, fully transforming into a tailed beast wasn’t the best path. The ideal was using it like a battery pack.

So mastering Lava Release himself was essential.

And that demanded refined Fire Release transformation.

“Fire Release can wait… maybe someday I’ll even pull a Fire Release specialist card.”

With a faint look of expectation, he shifted his thoughts back to Wind Release.

Sky Step, his wind-based body flicker, was already well-polished. It was time for the next stage.

And the next stage was—

“Wind Release Chakra Mode…”

Hajime’s eyes gleamed.

This had been his vision since the day he developed Sky Step.

Sky Step used compressed jets of air under his feet, sometimes with his palms.

But Wind Release Chakra Mode meant his whole body could command airflow.

To reach that point, the ideal was to open all the body’s tenketsu to expel chakra.

But for now, only the Hyūga clan could do that. For others, it was nearly impossible.

Still, there was another path—

Something akin to the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, or the tailed beast cloak, or even Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

But it required an immense chakra supply.

And chakra… Hajime had plenty.

He already had a bijū-level reserve, and now he had the Four-Tails as a literal power bank.

With Sky Step matured, it was time to try.

Clap!

He pressed his palms together, just as he was about to erupt chakra—when a rush of clone memories fed back into him, making him pause.

“Huh?”

Finally, success!

A smile broke across his face.

The Blade Storm had been completed.

(End of Chapter)