NOVEL WEB Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Pushing Limits!
Chapter 29: Pushing Limits!
The morning air carried a crispness that spoke of changing seasons, though the war remained as constant as ever. Team 15 gathered at Training Ground 10 with a mixture of anticipation and nervous energy. Two days of rest had done wonders for their physical recovery, but the memories of their near-death experience remained fresh in their minds.
Shibi stood waiting for them in the centre of the clearing, his posture conveying the same calm authority they'd come to associate with their sensei. His insects moved restlessly within his clothing, creating a subtle buzzing that seemed to reflect their collective mood.
Making Kōzaru wonder how strong he would be right now if he had picked the Aburame clan instead of the Inuzuka, and what skills or jutsu he would have had access to.
"Assessment complete," Shibi announced without preamble as they formed up before him. "Your performance during the convoy mission revealed both capabilities and deficiencies. Today we address the latter."
Kōzaru shifted slightly, Yuki and Riku standing close to his sides. The bruises on Yuki's neck had faded, but the memory of helplessness remained vivid for all three of them.
"Kōzaru," Shibi continued, his attention focusing on the Inuzuka. "Your individual combat skills show promise, but you underutilize your greatest advantage—numerical superiority. Three combatants should overwhelm single opponents through coordinated assault."
"I... I tried to coordinate with them during the fight," Kōzaru said, his voice carrying a note of uncertainty.
"You fought alongside them. Coordination requires specific techniques designed for multi-combatant tactics." Shibi's insects stirred, creating patterns in the air that somehow conveyed tactical concepts. "Man Beast Clone Technique combined with Body Flicker and your All-Fours Jutsu. Three become six, speed becomes overwhelming, single opponents cannot track multiple high-speed attackers simultaneously."
The tactical possibilities began forming in Kōzaru's mind. Instead of fighting beside his partners, he could create a pack that moved with supernatural coordination and speed, causing his eyes to open wide, annoying at himself for not having realized this already.
"Tatsuma," Shibi's attention shifted to the young man who had nearly drowned in a water prison. "The fact you can already use the Shadow Clone Jutsu represents your primary advantage—your chakra reserves also exceed normal genin parameters. You create single clones for distraction. You should create multiple clones for overwhelming force."
"But the feedback pain..." Tatsuma began, remembering the agony of having clones destroyed.
"Is training stimulus. Combat against multiple versions of yourself will accelerate skill development exponentially. Pain builds tolerance. Technique repetition builds muscle memory. Your clones can train while you train, doubling improvement rate." Shibi said, getting a nod of agreement from Tatsuma.
Tatsuma had already applied his shadow clone training during some of his free time, seeing that he had gotten a boost to his EXP for using them.
The logic was undeniable, even if the prospect of constant feedback pain made Tatsuma flinch a little.
"Aotaka," Shibi concluded, his focus settling on their young swordsman. "Your kenjutsu foundation is solid but incomplete. Sword forms without chakra control produce adequate results. Sword forms with precise chakra control through body, feet, and blade produce devastating results."
Aotaka unconsciously touched his sword hilt, thinking of how easily the Stone chunin had overwhelmed his defences. "Chakra control..."
"Lightning enhancement, cutting power augmentation, defensive capability expansion. Your chakra nature provides multiple options for integration with sword techniques. Master these combinations and few opponents will match your close-combat effectiveness."
With their individual training objectives established, Shibi gestured toward different areas of the training ground. "Three hours. Maximum effort. Pain is temporary, improvement is permanent."
Kōzaru moved to his designated area with Yuki and Riku, his mind already working through the tactical combinations Shibi had outlined. The Man Beast Clone Technique was something he'd practiced in theory, but combining it with Body Flicker and All-Fours simultaneously was far more complex.
"Alright, guys," he said, looking at his partners with determination. "Let's figure this out together."
He started with the basics, activating his All-Fours Jutsu to feel the familiar surge of enhanced speed and agility flow through his system. Yuki and Riku automatically adjusted their positioning, their pack instincts responding to his heightened state.
[CHAKRA: 137/137 → 107/137]
"Now for the hard part," he muttered, beginning the hand signs for Man Beast Clone Technique.
The jutsu activated with more difficulty than expected, his chakra fighting to maintain both the All-Fours enhancement and the complex transformation simultaneously. When the smoke cleared, Yuki and Riku had taken on human forms that roughly approximated his appearance, but the drain was immediate and substantial.
[CHAKRA: 107/137 → 47/137]
"Okay, that's... a lot of chakra," Kōzaru panted, feeling the strain of maintaining both techniques. "But we're not done yet."
The real challenge came when he attempted to add Body Flicker to the combination. The first attempt ended in disaster—he managed to activate the speed boost but lost control immediately, crashing into a tree with bone-jarring force while his clone-transformed partners tumbled in different directions.
[CHAKRA: 47/137 → 27/137]
"Ow," he groaned, picking himself up as Yuki and Riku returned to their normal forms, looking dizzy and disoriented and feeling the effects of using a large amount of chakra, knowing he would have to rest for a while before his chakra replenished.
This is going to be harder than I thought...
The second attempt went slightly better, but coordinating three high-speed movements proved nearly impossible. He managed to maintain the techniques for a few seconds before his chakra control faltered and sent all three of them sprawling again. Both Yuki and Riku bursting into smoke as they transformed back into their dog forms, picking themselves up slowly as they panted from the effort.
"I know you guys, lets rest and get some water for a little while."
By the fourth attempt, sweat was pouring down his face and his chakra reserves were running dangerously low. But something began to click—a rhythm between his movements and those of his partners that felt almost instinctive.
"One more time," he said, though his voice was hoarse with exhaustion. "I think I'm starting to understand it."
This time, when he activated the combination, something magical happened. For exactly twelve seconds, three figures moved through the training area with perfectly coordinated speed, their attacks flowing together like water. An imaginary opponent would have faced simultaneous strikes from three directions at supernatural velocity.
Then his chakra gave out completely, and all three collapsed in an exhausted heap.
[CHAKRA: 7/137]
"That... that felt incredible," Kōzaru gasped, staring up at the sky as Yuki and Riku panted beside him. "For those few seconds, we weren't fighting together—we were fighting as one." He said, feeling the exhaustion flow over his body like a wave of pain.
"So this is what happens when you use too much chakra..."
Tatsuma's training area echoed with the sounds of constant combat as he threw himself into Shibi's brutal training regimen. Creating multiple shadow clones was the easy part—maintaining them while engaging in serious combat was where the real challenge lay.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he called out, creating four copies of himself.
[CHAKRA: 184/184 → 84/184]
The clones faced off against each other and the original, their boxing training providing a foundation for the chaotic melee that followed. But within moments, the first clone took a solid hit to the jaw and dispelled, sending feedback shooting through Tatsuma's skull.
The distraction cost him immediately as another clone landed a body shot that knocked the wind out of him. Pain doubled as another clone dispelled from a lucky hit, the feedback creating a cascade effect that left him confused.
"This is insane," he muttered, creating two more clones to replace the lost ones.
[CHAKRA: 84/184 → 44/184]
But as the training continued, something began to change. The feedback pain remained constant, but his tolerance grew with each exchange. More importantly, he began to notice improvements in his technique happening in real-time.
When one clone discovered a more effective way to slip a punch, all versions of himself immediately incorporated the improvement. When another found a better angle for a combination, the knowledge spread instantaneously through the shared connection.
An hour into the training, despite the constant pain and exhaustion, Tatsuma was moving with noticeably improved speed and precision. His footwork had tightened, his punches carried more power, and his defensive reactions had quickened significantly as he continued to spar with his own shadow clones.
"It's working," he realized with amazement, even as another clone dispelled and sent fresh information through his system. "I'm learning at almost three times the normal rate."
By the end of the second hour, he was operating on pure determination and stubbornness. His chakra reserves were nearly depleted, his body ached from countless impacts, and the feedback pain was a constant background throb. But his improvement was undeniable.
[CHAKRA: 12/184]
When he finally allowed his last clone to dispel naturally, Tatsuma collapsed to his knees, chest heaving with exhaustion.
"Shibi-sensei was right," he panted. "This is brutal, but it works." He said, wondering if he had been able to improve any of his skills.
Meanwhile...
Aotaka's training began with the basics—sword forms performed with meticulous attention to chakra flow. But integrating lightning chakra into his kenjutsu proved far more complex than he had anticipated.
Standing in a ready position with his katana held in a classic guard, he began channelling lightning chakra through his body. The energy felt wild and unpredictable, wanting to discharge in random directions rather than flow in controlled patterns.
His first attempt to enhance a basic cutting motion resulted in the lightning chakra sparking uselessly around his blade without actually improving the technique's effectiveness, proving it was much harder than using his chakra flow technique.
[CHAKRA: 138/138 → 118/138]
"Control," he muttered, remembering Shibi's emphasis on precision. "It's not about raw power—it's about directed application."
The second attempt went better. He managed to channel the lightning chakra more smoothly, and when his blade cut through a practice target, it left scorch marks along the edges of the cut. But the chakra flow felt clumsy and inefficient.
[CHAKRA: 118/138 → 98/138]
The real breakthrough came when he stopped thinking of the lightning chakra as a separate technique and began treating it as an extension of his chakra flow. Instead of trying to force the energy into the blade, he let it flow naturally through his body and out through the weapon.
His footwork began incorporating chakra enhancement as well, allowing him to move with small bursts of speed that complemented his sword techniques. A simple advancing cut became a fast assault that covered twice the normal distance in almost half the time.
But the real test came when he attempted to use lightning chakra defensively. By precisely controlling the electrical field around his blade, he discovered he could deflect incoming attacks with far less physical force, letting the chakra do most of the work.
An hour into training, sweat poured down his face as he worked through increasingly complex combinations. Each sword form required perfect chakra control—too little and the enhancement was useless, too much and the energy discharged wastefully.
By the second hour, his movements had achieved a flowing quality that felt almost supernatural. Lightning chakra sparked along his blade in controlled patterns, his footwork carried him across the training area with electric speed, and his cuts left glowing trails in the air. Showing that he was now able to fully use his chakra flow and lightning style mixed together without difficultly like before.
[CHAKRA: 35/140]
When he finally stopped to rest, Aotaka stared at his sword with new appreciation. The weapon that had felt inadequate against the Stone chunin now hummed with deadly potential.
"The chakra doesn't make the sword stronger," he realized. "It makes everything stronger—the cut, the speed, the defence. It's all connected."
As the three-hour training period concluded, Team 15 gathered back in the centre of the clearing, each bearing the marks of intensive practice. Sweat, exhaustion, and the occasional minor injury told the story of serious effort applied to difficult techniques.
Shibi observed them with eyes that missed nothing, his insects providing additional sensory data about their chakra fluctuations and physical condition.
"Demonstrate," he said simply.
Kōzaru went first, though his chakra was still low. He managed to activate his combination technique for just a few seconds, but those seconds showed remarkable improvement. The coordination between himself and his transformed partners was noticeably smoother, their movements more synchronized.
"Improvement confirmed," Shibi noted. "Technique requires more practice for extended duration, but tactical effectiveness has increased significantly."
Tatsuma created two clones—all his chakra reserves could manage—and engaged them in a brief sparring match. The difference in his technique was immediately apparent. His movements were faster, more precise, and his tactical awareness had sharpened considerably.
"Combat proficiency has increased measurably," Shibi observed as the clones dispelled. "Pain tolerance and technique integration both show substantial progress."
Aotaka drew his sword and performed a brief demonstration of lightning-enhanced forms. Though his chakra was running low, the crackle of electrical energy around his blade and the increased speed of his movements spoke to real improvement.
"Chakra integration successful," Shibi concluded, giving a nod of approval.
All three felt a surge of satisfaction at their sensei's assessment. The training had been brutal, but the results spoke for themselves.
"Good work, all three of you. Meet here again for more training tomorrow." Shibi said, not wasting any time before he vanished, leaving the three of them alone.
"Man I'm beat!" Tatsuma said as he dropped to the ground, feeling the effects of his intensive training.
"Me too, I can't feel my arms and legs..." Kōzaru said, feeling his muscles cramp from having used his jutsu over and over again, forcing his body to move in ways it wouldn't normally be able to.
"I feel stronger already, if we keep training like this, who knows how quickly we could advance." Aotaka said, also sitting down on the ground as he rested his sword between his legs.
Kōzaru looked at both of his ninja hounds, seeing that they were both lying down on the ground as they panted, also exhausted from the effort they had put in to the training today too.
"Well, we should rest tonight. Looks like we have another tough day tomorrow." Kōzaru then said, getting a nod from the others.
"Alright boys, see you tomorrow. Lets work hard and grow stronger." Tatsuma said, getting a fist bump from the others.
"See you both tomorrow." Aotaka also said, nodding with a smile.
With that the three of them picked themselves up and made their way home to the village, feeling sore yet proud of the tough training they had endured today. Knowing it was only going to get harder from here.