Shigure mulled over the concept for the Blastsword: Shibuki.
His first design idea—summoning explosive tags directly onto the opponent's wounds through Chakra—was… impractical.
"Hmm. Not feasible," he muttered, frowning. "Then let's try a different approach."
'If the blade itself could absorb explosive energy and release it upon impact—using the force of stored explosions to amplify each strike—the weapon's power would increase dramatically.'
[Great Sage: Calculation complete. Feasibility — 73%.]
Shigure smiled faintly.
"As expected. A small shift in thinking yields much better results."
[Great Sage: Recommendation — the host should master more Ninjutsu. The broader the host's mastery, the faster and more effective the development of new Ninjutsu.]
"Learn more Ninjutsu, huh?"
He paused, considering it.
"I already know quite a lot…"
But then again, what he knew likely represented only a fraction of all the Ninjutsu across the shinobi world.
"With my current position in the Hidden Mist, it shouldn't be hard to access new techniques," Shigure thought.
Originally, he had planned to focus on perfecting his Wood Release Sage Mode before developing new Sage Arts or original techniques.
But now, it seemed there was one crucial step he couldn't skip—study.
If he could master every Ninjutsu known to the Hidden Mist Village, his foundation would deepen immensely. The new techniques he developed afterward would likely surpass all expectations.
"It seems it's time to hit the books," Shigure said with a grin.
He stood up, stored the three Ninja Swords back into their seals, and vanished from the island in a flash of movement—his Body Flicker Technique leaving nothing but the whisper of wind.
The dense forest he had created with Wood Release remained behind, swaying quietly in the ocean breeze.
Back in the Hidden Mist Village, Shigure wasted no time. He immediately had Ao locate Mei Terumī for him.
Mei raised an eyebrow as soon as he entered her office.
"You're back already?"
"Yeah," Shigure replied with a serious expression. "I want to learn more Ninjutsu."
Mei blinked. "More Ninjutsu? You've already mastered quite a few. What brought this on?"
"If you want to learn, then go ahead," she continued with a sigh. "You've earned that right. But honestly, haven't you mastered enough already?"
Shigure simply nodded.
"Alright," Mei relented with a small smile.
"In that case, Ao will take you to the archives. You can study from the Ninjutsu scrolls directly. For techniques not recorded on scrolls, you can seek out the respective instructors—they'll teach you."
"Just mention my name," she added. "They won't refuse."
Then her tone shifted slightly, more instructive.
"But remember, Shigure—learning too many techniques doesn't necessarily make you stronger. And if the Ninjutsu doesn't match your Chakra nature, you won't be able to use it effectively."
Shigure nodded again. "I know. Don't worry."
"Oh, right," Mei said suddenly, setting aside the documents she'd been reading.
"Speaking of Chakra natures—how many do you have?"
Shigure glanced at her, then turned to Ao, who stood silently nearby. "All of them."
The words hung in the air.
"All… of them?" Mei repeated in disbelief.
Although she'd suspected as much before, hearing it directly from his mouth still left her momentarily stunned.
A shinobi who possessed every Chakra nature… no wonder his talent bordered on the divine.
This boy wasn't just a prodigy.
He was a monster.
"…Understood," Mei said at last, regaining her composure. "Ao, take him to the archives."
Ao gave Shigure a long, measuring look—equal parts respect and astonishment—before nodding silently.
"Let's go," he said.
And just like that, the young genius of the Mist began his next pursuit—one that would shake the very foundations of Ninjutsu itself.
Ninjas who can use all five Chakra natures are exceedingly rare across the entire Shinobi World.
After leaving Mei Terumī's office, Ao couldn't help but feel curious. Shigure was already known as a prodigy — a ninja capable of wielding every elemental nature — so why was he still so obsessed with learning new techniques?
"Shigure, why do you want to learn more Ninjutsu?" Ao finally asked. "You're most proficient in Water Release, aren't you?"
Most shinobi specialized in a single nature transformation, dedicating their lives to refining that one path. There was little point in scattering one's focus across so many techniques.
Shigure simply smiled. "Yes, my specialty is Water Release. That's exactly why I want to learn more — to develop even stronger Ninjutsu of my own."
Ao blinked. "Learning Ninjutsu just to create stronger ones?"
Was that even possible?
Could mastering other elemental releases really help someone evolve their Water Release techniques?
Perhaps this was simply the logic of a genius. Ao couldn't fathom it. He refused to believe that learning Fire Release or Lightning Release would somehow improve Water Release.
Still, it didn't matter. Shigure was now the Mist's Jinchūriki — and he didn't seem to have any plans to defect. If anything, he looked like someone determined to become the next Mizukage.
In that case, the stronger he became, the better. Let him learn all the Ninjutsu he wanted.
When they arrived at the Hidden Mist's Ninjutsu Archive, Ao was reminded of Konoha's sealed scroll repository. The Mist's archive was similarly secluded — though unlike the Leaf, they didn't possess many forbidden techniques.
The scrolls here were stored simply on wooden shelves. As Shigure entered, he found himself surrounded by towering racks filled with countless scrolls.
"There must be thousands," he murmured in awe.
Could the shinobi world really have so many techniques?
But as he began examining them, he realized that many were duplicates — the same Ninjutsu with different seals or minor stylistic variations.
For example, a basic Fireball Technique had seventy-two recorded variations — each with slightly altered hand signs and subtle differences in output.
To Shigure, those were redundant. But if he wanted to refine the Great Sage's Ninjutsu — to strengthen the very techniques he'd inherited — then he had no choice but to master them all.
And so, he dove in completely.
For three days straight, Shigure secluded himself inside the archive.
Word of his actions spread quickly.
"Lord Shigure hasn't left the scroll room for three days," one shinobi whispered.
"I heard he's been memorizing every Ninjutsu in there!" another replied.
"Memorizing? Without even practicing them? That's impossible."
"I don't know… but Lord Ao said something terrifying — Lord Shigure's a ninja with all five chakra natures."
"All five?"
That revelation stunned them.
An ordinary shinobi who mastered even a single nature to a high degree could become a Chūnin. Most Jōnin only ever developed a second.
But to possess all five? That was monstrous. And to top it off, Shigure was a Jinchūriki — a living weapon.
"If he masters Ninjutsu across all elements," someone whispered, "could he become another 'Professor of Ninjutsu'… like the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Their conversation ended abruptly when the heavy wooden doors creaked open.
Shigure stepped out. His expression was calm, though fatigue flickered in his eyes.
In just three days, he had absorbed the knowledge of every Ninjutsu the Hidden Mist possessed — barring the few clan-exclusive ones.
The two Mist-nin immediately knelt. "Lord Shigure!"
"Get me something to eat," Shigure said casually, stretching his arms.
Three days without rest — and yet, his hunger was the only thing he acknowledged.
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)