Hey guys, I am back and with new energy to continue
I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you again to everyone for your ideas, which have helped me come back stronger and continue the story. I also wanted to thank those who have given me Power Stones even though I haven't uploaded any chapters in a while and continue to support me. Don't forget to comment and enjoy!
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From the walls of Suna, the hot, strong wind battered Daigo's figure as he gazed at the infinite ocean of sand before him.
For months, his progress had been a straight line—immersing himself in his Earth nature while increasing his physical attributes like strength, speed, agility, and chakra control.
Not much more. Though he had improved, he felt something bothering him: the sensation that he could do more but was content with his current progress.
That was why he had climbed the wall to look and think about what that feeling was—and he believed he had found it.
He had reached chakra levels close to an elite jōnin, but he felt like he was wasting his talent. Perhaps the Kazekage's training method wasn't bad, but for him, he believed he could do much more than control the Earth element.
He had decided he needed to learn another element besides Earth, and he chose Water—it was a good combination of elements to merge.
Aiming for giant swamp forms and stronger jutsu, though there was a big problem with that: how the hell was he going to train his Water element in a desert?
Feeling he had no answer, he headed to the Kazekage's tower, arriving in record time and knocking on the door.
"Come in," came the Kazekage's voice from the other side.
Daigo—already accustomed to this—simply entered, sat in his favorite chair, and observed how his Sensei seemed busy with a mountain of paperwork.
"What do you need, Daigo? I'm a little busy," the Kazekage asked from his papers without looking up at Daigo.
"Sensei, I've been thinking and I have a new idea that will help me increase my strength along with my chakra control even more," Daigo said, looking at the Kazekage—who listened and simply nodded for him to continue.
"And what is that idea?"
"I want to learn to use the Water element. I think combined with my Earth element it would make a good combination and help me control my Crystal element even better," Daigo explained, catching the Kazekage's attention.
"Water element... I've seen that those with Earth often use it to create techniques similar to swamp terrain. But where did you get this idea? I thought you were fine training your Earth as I told you," the Kazekage said, now fixing his gaze on Daigo—who didn't flinch.
"Sensei, you and I both know the monsters outside these walls, and you know that with only the Earth element we won't win this war. I'd like to be able to use my Crystal element freely, but I'm not ready yet. I'm missing a step, and I believe this is it," Daigo said.
At this, silence enveloped the office, with Daigo waiting for his Sensei response.
"Daigo, the Water element isn't very close to us in this village. Few can use it, and they've had to train day after day to learn it. Are you sure you want to spend your time on that instead of continuing to improve your Earth element?" the Kazekage asked.
At the Kazekage's question, Daigo nodded with all possible confidence.
"I'm not looking for the easy path, Sensei," he replied with a confidence that surprised the Kazekage.
"I'm looking for ways that help me. If the Earth element isn't enough to be the strongest, I'll learn all the elements to create the best, strongest, and most resistant crystal in the shinobi world."
The Kazekage fell silent, scrutinizing the young man's face. He looked for traces of arrogance, but found only silent determination. After an almost imperceptible sigh, the Kazekage took the official seal and stamped it with a firm blow on a scroll he pulled from his desk.
"You will travel to the western coast. There is a joint training camp for the few talented Water element users."
At this, Daigo nodded and thanked his sensei before going to prepare what was necessary for the trip. He would be accompanied by a group of ANBU.
The journey wasn't new—he had already grown accustomed to traveling with people who preferred silence over talking.
And ANBU were the same as a Sasori or a Shizuka, so he enjoyed the trip. It was the first time he was going to the coast of the Land of Wind's territory.
That was one of the secondary goals he had had since arriving in this world: explore 100% of the shinobi world and see if there were more lands than what currently existed.
As the days passed and kilometers of dunes were left behind, the landscape began to change. The golden sand remained, though damp; the air—which in Suna was a dry, hot blast—was now calm, and the smell of sea salt was easy to detect even before seeing the ocean.
Arriving at the coastal camp, he imagined there would be some built houses where he would stay—though that wasn't the case.
Instead, there were only camping tents placed a little close to the shore, facing the sea that seemed to have no limit. Daigo let out his first smile since leaving Suna.
Though he didn't passionately love the ocean, in his previous life he always liked finding a good view and watching how the waves and everything moved around him.
Arriving with the ANBU, they simply nodded. The only person he knew was in front of him—an old man—before disappearing as if the wind had made them vanish.
Now Daigo and the old man were alone. The old man just observed him and Daigo didn't seem anything special in him—just a fossil who surely had a few more years left before death took him.
The old man observed Daigo for a few seconds before turning and starting to walk toward the camping tents, with Daigo following him.
They didn't take long to reach near the tents when the old man spoke for the first time since Daigo had been with him.
"I won't be your Sensei. The one over there is your instructor," the old man growled before retreating to his tent without looking back, leaving Daigo alone with the sound of the waves and observing the figure of his new Sensei.
Daigo walked toward the shore, feeling how his sandals sank slightly into the damp sand. The man waiting for him was imposing. He had colossal musculature, a bare torso, and a scar crossing his left eye that gave him an air of absolute brutality. His presence was like a rock in the middle of the sea surrounded by strong waves—unmovable, arrogant, and strangely magnetic.
"So you're the one the Kazekage told me about—the one who decided to learn to control water?" the man's voice boomed like a crash of waves. He turned slowly, revealing a bold smile. "My name is Todo. And before you waste my time with your ideas or what you want to be, I have a fundamental question for you to see if you're worthy of being my student, Daigo."
Todo leaped from the water's surface and landed in front of Daigo on the sand, causing a small tremor that sent a bit of sand flying. He crossed his arms, standing before Daigo without showing any respect.
"What kind of woman is your type?" he asked with terrifying seriousness. "Answer with your soul! A man who doesn't have clear tastes can't have an honest chakra flow! If your answer is boring or fake, our Sensei-student relationship ends right here!"
At this, Daigo fell silent, trying to remember why this scene felt familiar from somewhere—though he couldn't find the answer. He thought about his new Sensei question.
"I like women with an unbreakable will," Daigo replied, regaining his composure and looking directly into the colossus's eyes. "Those who would go to hell with you if necessary. Though if we're talking about physique, I prefer them tall and with a good butt," Daigo said, hand on his chin, thinking about the type of woman he liked—an image of a certain kunoichi appearing making him a little blush on the cheek.
Todo remained silent for three seconds that felt eternal. Suddenly, he burst into joyful tears, pounding his chest hard while letting out a laugh that scared away the nearby seagulls.
"AN MAGNIFICENT ANSWER!!" Todo roared. "You're not boring after all! We can be the best Sensei and student! As your first lesson, the best thing your Sensei can teach you is that water is unlimited in the things it can be—unlike the other elements."
The training began immediately. Todo didn't hesitate—he grabbed him and then threw him with a force that sent him flying straight into the infinite ocean, with his new Sensei behind him starting to swim before the waves that seemed angry at both their presence.
"Step one: Perception of the Current," Todo said, walking on the water around him as if it were solid ground. "I don't want you to walk on water yet. I want you to feel the pressure of every wave. Water is chaotic, so it will tense your muscles with every pressure hit—it will exhaust you in minutes. You must synchronize your heartbeat with the ebb and flow of the tides. Feel the viscosity!" Todo explained, walking above the water while observing Daigo doing as he was told.
For hours, Daigo swam in the water as the waves battered his body, threatening to drag him even farther into the infinite sea. Todo stayed near him in case Daigo needed help, and from time to time he gave him a hit on the back or shoulders to destabilize his balance just when a big wave arrived—making Daigo's quick reflexes use 100% of his capacity so the wave wouldn't drag him.
"You're not bad physically, Daigo. That's the only reason you've lasted so long without getting tired. But instead of fighting against the currents of the waves, try flowing with them so they don't hinder your swim. Remember, the best way to control water is to know how to flow with it."
As the sun began to lower, tinting the horizon a bloody orange, Daigo started to notice physical and mental exhaustion—not knowing how much time had passed swimming against the waves.
And his Sensei only watched him—sometimes giving him advice , sometimes hitting him. The only reason he knew he had been in the water for a long time was his fingers that looked like hot dogs, along with his tired body, tense muscles, and the red sky about to darken.
Thinking that soon he wouldn't be able to keep swimming with just physical strength, he thought about using chakra to strengthen his body—and if he remembered correctly, his Sensei had never forbidden using chakra.
So without waiting, he concentrated on his chakra, reinforcing his body with an almost invisible layer of pink color chakra—though it seemed Todo noticed it when he heard his next words.
"That's a good way to stay on your feet. Though I didn't forbid chakra, I didn't want you to use it at first because I wanted to see your physical capabilities—and I can say that for your age, they're fascinating. Now, with the chakra layer, increase your adaptation to the waves."
At the end of the day, Daigo was exhausted, his lungs burning from all the time he had been swimming, his muscles quite tense—even cramps had appeared.
However, when he left the water, he looked at the ocean that seemed to have returned to normal after he exited—and a challenging smile appeared on his face. One day he would control this water and use it to increase his strength.
"Today you've stopped being a piece of earth and have begun to enter the area of water," Todo said, giving him a slap on the back that knocked the little air out of his lungs.
"It's progress. Tomorrow we'll do the same, and the day after tomorrow too—until you're ready for the next step. Now let's enjoy a good dinner, my favorite student! A man with our tastes needs energy to conquer those lady's!"
Daigo nodded with a tired smile while following his new sensei—though to his surprise, a blurry image appeared beside his Sensei: a boy with pink hair walking next to him.
Daigo—thinking it was just an illusion—only shook his head and prepared his stomach for the food that was coming. He wouldn't waste a single grain of rice.
End of chapter