"Oh." Naruto scratched his head, clearly not understanding.
"Hmph. If this idiot could really learn that ninjutsu to Xia Li's level, then it would actually suit him," Sasuke said with a faint smirk.
"Huh? Why?" Naruto looked at Sasuke, not even realizing he was the one being called an idiot.
"With your abnormal physique, you should have mastered much stronger taijutsu techniques. It's just a pity you never trained properly. But if you can train Gale Palm to that level, then even if your taijutsu itself isn't refined, every strike combined with your natural physical strength would be extremely hard for any opponent to withstand," Sasuke explained calmly, hands in his pockets.
"Hmm…" Naruto began imagining how he would use Xia Li's version of Gale Palm. The image of himself cutting through enemies in battle made him grin unconsciously.
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered when he saw Naruto's expression.
"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot?!" Naruto finally reacted, glaring at Sasuke. "Who are you calling an idiot?!"
"Hmph. You only just realized? What part of you isn't foolish?" Sasuke replied coolly, staring straight at him.
"Alright, alright. Sasuke's right. This technique really does suit you," Xia Li said.
"But even so, it's still not as cool as Chidori," Naruto muttered, still dissatisfied. After all, in terms of visual impact, Lightning Cutter was undeniably impressive.
"The most important thing is that it suits you. And in my opinion, Gale Palm can go far beyond this. Naruto, have you heard of the Hidden Cloud Village?" Xia Li asked.
"Hidden Cloud Village? Is it like the same kind of village as Konoha?" Naruto scratched his head again.
"That's right. They have a secret technique called Lightning Release Chakra Mode. It's like being wrapped in a suit of lightning armor—looks incredibly cool and is extremely powerful," Xia Li said. "So you could develop in that direction. If we research along those lines, maybe we can create a Wind Release Chakra Mode."
"Cool? Powerful?" Naruto's eyes lit up, though without seeing Lightning Release Chakra Mode firsthand, he couldn't quite imagine it.
"Something like this." Xia Li thought for a moment, and suddenly arcs of lightning burst and crackled around her body, sparks leaping through the air.
Wrapped in lightning, Xia Li looked mysterious and overwhelmingly powerful.
"Whoa!" Naruto gasped, his eyes shining.
"I've decided! I'm going to learn Wind Release Chakra Mode!" he shouted excitedly.
Xia Li withdrew her chakra, satisfied that she had successfully sparked Naruto's enthusiasm. If Naruto ever managed to develop it in the future, she could always study it quietly herself. For now, though, it was still too early for him to handle Gale Palm at its highest level.
Wind Release Chakra Mode? Or maybe call it Wind King's Armor… and pair it with my Wind King's Barrier.
Kakashi clicked his tongue as he looked at Xia Li. That level of Lightning Release control—whether in form or essence—was already top-tier. Learning Spirit Slash should not be difficult for her.
"Then you should learn from Kakashi," Xia Li said with a smile.
Kakashi paused. "Hey, weren't you the one who brought this up? Why am I the one teaching?"
"Fine!" Naruto glared fiercely at Kakashi. Kakashi sighed and finally agreed. At the very least, he could teach a basic version.
Xia Li nearly laughed. Before teaching Naruto anything advanced, Kakashi would probably question his own sanity. Explaining theory to Naruto was pure torture.
As for teaching Rasengan… Xia Li had never even considered making Naruto master it in just a few days. Even with Shadow Clones, it wouldn't be enough. Rasengan had to be taught step by step.
Sure enough, Xia Li soon saw the look of despair on Kakashi's face. She couldn't help but marvel at how Naruto's "talent" could drive the famous Kakashi to this state.
After a while, Kakashi dragged his exhausted self over to Sasuke and Xia Li. He wasn't physically tired—it was mental exhaustion that was killing him.
"Xia Li, do you really think Naruto can master that Wind Release technique you mentioned? If he could even reach the level you just demonstrated, that would already be impressive," Kakashi said after teaching Naruto for so long. "I'm… a little disappointed. His talent for ninjutsu doesn't seem very strong."
"Mm, the chances aren't high. But this is Naruto. He might exceed your expectations. And even if he doesn't succeed, it will still improve his chakra control," Xia Li replied.
If she were in Naruto's position, she would first simplify Gale Palm back to its basic form and then gradually refine it. With Naruto's massive chakra reserves, it was entirely feasible.
"Let's hope so," Kakashi sighed. Then he said, "Xia Li, Sasuke, I'll now explain the secrets of Chidori."
Finally.
Sasuke, who had been waiting eagerly, felt excitement surge through him. He could sense the power of this technique just by watching. If he mastered it, perhaps he could close the gap between himself and that person.
Xia Li also focused her attention. Although she had independently developed Lightning Cutter, her understanding might differ slightly from Kakashi's. Listening could still be valuable.
Kakashi looked at Sasuke and Xia Li. This technique was more difficult than the previous one—but surely it wouldn't be as painful as teaching Naruto…
That was what he thought. The result, however, left him speechless.
Kakashi stared silently at the familiar technique forming in Xia Li's hand.
Sasuke looked at the Lightning Cutter in her palm and fell silent. He hadn't grasped anything yet—but Xia Li…
"Don't look so surprised. I've been studying in this direction for a while. Your explanation just helped me fully understand the final layer, so I was able to complete it," Xia Li explained.
Hearing that, Sasuke felt slightly better. After all, Xia Li's previous Lightning Release techniques had already shown rapid progress, and they had seemed somewhat similar to Chidori.
Even so, her talent far exceeded what he had imagined.
Sasuke sighed. It was Xia Li, after all. He was used to her excellence by now.
Kakashi rolled his eyes. He didn't believe it. Just because she had studied it before? That might help, but not this much, not this fast.
Was this kind of talent really visible to the naked eye? It was almost unbelievable.
"Sasuke, you can practice here. Don't envy Xia Li's learning speed, and don't get discouraged. She learned quickly because her foundation is extremely solid. You're essentially skipping levels. Learning it—let alone mastering it—won't be easy."
Kakashi was worried Sasuke might lose confidence.
"I know, Kakashi. He's Xia Li, after all," Sasuke replied. He was envious—but he had grown accustomed to it.
Kakashi paused and glanced at Xia Li again. To earn genuine admiration from a prideful Uchiha… Xia Li must have displayed extraordinary brilliance before.
Truly, outstanding people remain outstanding wherever they go.
Chapter 123: The Nine-Tails' Mockery
Xia Li reflected on the secrets of Lightning Cutter that Kakashi had shared. Honestly, there wasn't much difference from her own discovery, though there were subtle distinctions.
Incorporating Kakashi's version into her technique increased its power by roughly ten to twenty percent.
With this deeper understanding, she believed that even without the Sharingan, someone could eventually develop a version that didn't require its assistance. The reason it hadn't been done was simply because there was no need.
With her insect-like sensory perception, Xia Li certainly didn't need an alternative version.
"Xia Li, you taught Naruto to train like that, didn't you?" Kakashi asked, watching the dozen Narutos and their shadow clones practicing Wind Release techniques. "Can his body really handle it?"
Sasuke perked up. If it worked, he wouldn't mind learning it from Naruto himself.
"I've tested it before. At this level, Naruto can handle it. Of course, only Naruto can," Xia Li sighed.
Kakashi immediately understood—it was because of the Nine-Tails. He nodded.
No wonder Xia Li believed in Naruto's potential. This was a method based purely on quantity. It could even be considered a kind of talent.
For Kakashi, using Shadow Clones in battle was fine, but for training? At most he could manage one. Any more and the mental backlash would be unbearable. Recovery afterward was another issue entirely.
Only Naruto's physique and regenerative ability made this possible.
"By the way, Kakashi, I want to talk about Sakura."
"Hm?" Kakashi frowned. "Did something happen?"
Xia Li explained what had occurred earlier.
"Isn't it too early to make Sakura choose now?" Kakashi asked. He agreed she was suited for genjutsu, but he worried Xia Li might be pushing her too hard.
"Too early? Not really. The ninja world is about to fall into chaos," Xia Li sighed. "They don't have much time to grow peacefully."
"Chaos?" Kakashi asked in surprise.
"Have you heard of Mount Myoboku?" Xia Li asked.
"Of course—the Three Great Sage Regions…" Kakashi seemed to understand.
"Yes. It's a prophecy from that Sage. Time is running out. My teacher Jiraiya has been traveling because of it."
"I'll think about it," Kakashi said solemnly. "And I'll keep this prophecy secret."
"Mm." Xia Li nodded, then suddenly smiled. "That means I'm technically the younger brother of the Fourth Hokage—your teacher."
"Haha, Naruto seems to be having trouble. I'll go check on him!" Kakashi quickly fled.
As if he would call someone younger than himself 'uncle,' especially in front of his own students.
Xia Li found it amusing and headed deeper into the forest to continue her own training.
She had told Kakashi partly because she trusted him—and partly to motivate him to work harder and spend less time reading certain adult novels.
She then turned her focus to improving Rasenshuriken. Though it looked complete and sounded identical to the original, she could sense it was still only a semi-finished product.
So Naruto's first Rasenshuriken had been incomplete too? That seemed to be the only explanation.
Without the original story as reference, progress would slow—but at least the prototype existed.
She looked forward to seeing the true power of a perfected Rasenshuriken. Would it be throwable without Sage Mode?
…
Much later, when Xia Li returned, she found Naruto and Sasuke asleep on the ground, exhausted from training. Sakura was tending to them—gentler with Sasuke, rougher with Naruto, though the result was the same.
"Done with water-walking practice?" Xia Li asked in surprise.
"Of course. Standing still on water isn't a problem for me anymore," Sakura said proudly.
"Very good," Xia Li said sincerely, impressed by her rapid improvement.
"Xia Li… can I practice both paths for now before deciding?" Sakura asked nervously.
"You can. But splitting your focus will slow your progress," Xia Li replied.
"That's okay. I'll make my decision soon."
"Then go to Kakashi. He can teach you some basic genjutsu. Once you decide, he'll help you find a suitable mentor."
"Thank you, Xia Li."
Xia Li looked at the two boys sleeping on the ground, covered in dust. Naruto's expression was tense even in sleep—but with the Nine-Tails inside him, there was little to worry about.
She walked over and placed her hand on Naruto's stomach.
In the next instant, she arrived once again in that familiar place.
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