Konoha, to ensure its Shinobi always had quiet and comfortable training environments, had built specialized training grounds in various districts across the village.
The Sunagakure's delegation residence was located on the outskirts, south towards the main gate and west adjacent to the Forest of Death.
The nearest training ground was Training Ground 32, separated from the Forest of Death by only a single fence.
However...
Though just a fence away, due to the immense size of the area, hardly anyone trained this deep inside. The outer sections were sufficient for normal practice. Who would willingly come so close to such a dangerous place?
Yet at this moment, two figures were engaged in combat there.
The combatants were a young man and a young woman.
The young man had reddish-brown short hair, regular features, a somewhat handsome face, wore black Shinobi attire, and a Sunagakure's forehead protector.
The young woman had short silver-white hair, a beautiful face, a tall stature, wore a Shinobi bodysuit with a grey vest over it, and also sported a Sunagakure's forehead protector.
They were Senki Ryuji and Gin.
To quickly adapt to their new bodies and restore their former combat strength, they came to this nearest training ground daily for practice.
Usually, they trained separately.
But Gin had prior experience and rich familiarity, so her retraining progressed rapidly.
As for Ryuji, it went without saying.
The thousands of Ninjutsu in his mind had long been thoroughly researched. Combined with Ninjutsu learning talent on par with Kakashi's, mastering Ninjutsu below A-Rank was essentially a matter of reviewing the usage method once.
It was less 'learning' and more 'reviewing'.
As for A-Rank and above forbidden techniques...
Over the past six months, Ryuji had accumulated quite a bit of unused EXP from his daily check-ins. Now was the perfect time to use it.
While EXP couldn't directly teach him a technique, if he could achieve initial mastery, even a clumsy, unusable level, he could use EXP to level it up.
Although limited by not having a vast amount of EXP, he couldn't max out every S-Rank technique in his mind, but mastering one or two was enough for now.
A week had passed. He had mastered over a thousand techniques and successfully maxed out two S-Rank techniques. Now lacking neither conventional Ninjutsu nor finishing moves, he began practical sparring.
Mastering a thousand techniques didn't guarantee using them all effectively in combat.
Only through frequent practice, familiarizing oneself with each technique's function and nature, could one deploy the right technique at the right moment.
Only then could one be considered a true 'Professor of Ninjutsu'.
Gin also needed practical sparring to recover her former prowess, hence this scene.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Gin's movements were agile, without the slightest hesitation. Each punch and kick was simple, efficient, yet perfectly embodied the beauty of biomechanics.
Through precise Chakra Manipulation, a seemingly simple punch could cause devastating damage, making one wary of getting close.
Yet Ryuji not only got close but exchanged blow for blow with her.
Ryuji, of course, did not possess Tsunade's monstrous strength.
His new body's Chakra Control was strong but not perfect.
To compare: his previous body was like Naruto's poor level. His new body was like Sasuke's… talented but not the optimal type.
The Chakra Control talent required for monstrous strength was more like Sakura's level.
Through later training, reaching that level wasn't impossible, but for Ryuji, the cost-benefit ratio was too low.
Instead of spending that much time training monstrous strength, he could just make a strength-enhancing gauntlet.
Yet even without matching physical power, he fought Gin evenly in close quarters, never at a disadvantage.
No, he even held the upper hand.
No matter how much force one has, if it doesn't connect, it's useless.
Force is mutual. The stronger the force used, the greater the inertia, the longer the interval between attacks. Forcibly halting a blow would only injure oneself.
While some Taijutsu Masters created techniques leveraging inertia to increase attack range or power, they couldn't fully bridge the gap with normal attacks.
Against ordinary opponents, it might suffice.
But facing Ryuji, whose Taijutsu skills were maxed out, this gap ensured she couldn't hit him.
Ryuji never clashed directly with Gin. Each time she attacked, he either dodged or deflected, redirecting the force and countering from the side.
Using principles of redirection, neutralization, and release to their extreme, he made Gin's monstrous strength feel like punching marshmallows, frustrating her immensely.
Ryuji lightly grabbed Gin's incoming wrist, pulling it towards himself along the force of her punch, simultaneously shifting his body aside.
Gin, carried by the combined force and pull, stumbled past Ryuji, her full-power punch slamming into the ground.
Boom!
The fist's power cracked the earth.
But it didn't affect Ryuji in the slightest.
In fact, if not for needing to familiarize himself with his new body and skills through varied combat experience, he could have ended the fight right then, having entered Gin's blind spot.
"Gin, I'm using Ninjutsu now."
After the warning, Ryuji's hands rapidly formed seals.
[Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!]
Intense flames spewed from his mouth. Supported by vast chakra, this C-Rank Fire Release Ninjutsu exhibited tremendous power.
The slender line of fire rapidly expanded upon release, instantly engulfing an area about ten meters in diameter ahead.
Moreover, the Great Flame Technique differed from the Great Fireball.
The Great Fireball shot a fireball for ranged attack, severing connection after launch.
The Great Flame Technique required the user to continuously supply Chakra, allowing adjustment of power by increasing or decreasing output, and shifting the attack direction through user control.
If it had any disadvantage compared to the Great Fireball, it was shorter range and higher Chakra Consumption.
After all, one was sustained output at the mouth, the other a one-and-done deal.
It was like the difference between a free-to-play game and a buy-to-play game. Free-to-play costs nothing to start, but subsequent purchases add up. Buy-to-play requires an upfront payment but then can be played indefinitely.
But this weakness was offset by the user's immense Chakra Reserves.
Short range?
Just increase Chakra Output to expand the technique's area.
High Chakra Consumption?
Ryuji now has plenty of Chakra; consumption isn't an issue.
Facing such a wide-area technique, Gin could only counter with ninjutsu.
[Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!]
As she finished her seals, Gin pressed both hands to the ground. A thick earthen wall erupted upwards.
The flames crashed against the wall, forced to flow around both sides.
Though blocking the flames, the terrifying heat that instantly drenched her in sweat still filled Gin with shock.
'It's just a C-Rank technique, yet this powerful? If I had used Earth Spear to harden my body and charged through to attack Master...'
'My body would probably crack halfway through!'
Originally intending to spare her Master's pride by not choosing the optimal counter, Gin had inadvertently preserved her chance of victory.
But...
"You got careless."
The voice came from beneath her feet.
Following it, a right hand shot from the ground, grabbing her ankle.
[Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!]
Feeling the pulling force, Gin's lips curled into a smile. "The careless one is you, Master."
Saying this, she forcefully yanked her foot upwards, pulling the figure hidden underground out instead.
Poof!
The pulled-out figure dissolved into smoke. A kunai came to rest against her neck from behind.
Gin's body stiffened slightly, then she let out a long sigh, forcing a smile onto her face.
"I lose."
"Boring."
Ryuji put away the kunai, walking back with a disinterested expression. "You, and Aka too, always hold back during fights."
"I didn't hold back this time," Gin said, following him. "Master won purely because you're too strong."
"Save it."
Ryuji scoffed, not buying it at all.
While his improvement was rapid and he had surpassed his previous exoskeleton-enhanced self, and even if Gin hadn't fully recovered her former strength, he definitely wasn't strong enough to defeat Gin so easily.