B CONTINUED TO GUIDE him in focusing on specific objects and imagining their presence by sending his chakra toward them. Not with effort but with gentle intention. In just thirty minutes, Arthur learned to visualize their images clearly in his mind without any internal techniques.
The process was beyond simple and easy for him. Much like when he first learned how to harness in chakra. Only, instead of that watery flame, this one felt more like a small spark mixing in that flame.
It was fragile, but real.
"It lieth in connection," B further explained. "'Tis was what our late grandfathers taught."
Arthur more than understood: to strengthen the connection, he had to let go of expectations. Yet there was an issue. It also meant he had to trust the process. Arthur never trusted anything except the one he served.
When he was reminded of Christ, the connection faltered.
B was visibly confused. It looked like Arthur was a natural at first.
"Fear not," he said. "Each attempt teacheth us both something."
Arthur was not the least bit frustrated. Rather, he had personally severed the connection on purpose. All he needed was to understand the basics, and now that he did, there was no use in having B here to spout philosophical nonsense.
"Again," B urged, eager to see Arthur succeed. "Let thy mind and body relax."
Arthur knew he had to show a little more progress if he wanted to get B off his back now. So he adjusted his breathing again and patiently tried again.
Sometimes he would purposefully let his body involuntarily twitch, disrupting the flow. Other times, his mind would wander, and the connection would weaken. Each time, B kept encouraging him.
"Thrice," he said, surprised. "Thy body reacteth more fiercely than I expected. 'Tis as if it resisteth the process."
When Arthur finally had enough of the encouragement, he created a warm radiation of chakra from his hand. It was an imperceptible connection, unlike ninjutsu, making B bounce in happiness.
"Thou hast done it, brother!"
"Yay, brother. 'Tis as if I've touched something greater… even if but a little."
"That is the beginning. Remember, ninshū is patience and understanding. Thy body may differ, but with time, thou shalt learn to command it. When thou doest so, thy bonds shall grow stronger."
Interesting choice of words, but useless for a man like Arthur.
✟
Later that evening, B left the training ground and trod through the congregation. The air was cool, and his mind was at ease from the session with Arthur.
When he found his brother, A, seated upon a large rock near a stream, he approached him.
"Didst thou finish thy mission with the Cloud Dancer?" A asked.
"Aye, and we also practiced ninshū after."
A raised an eyebrow. "The Cloud Dancer needeth not learn from thee. He is skilled already, is he not?"
"I believeth the same. Save for this: he asketh me first, brother."
"Oh… And how did it fare?"
"'Twas… strange indeed. I beheld his striving, yet there was somewhat odd. When I cast mine eyes upon him whilst he endeavoured, I felt as though I beheld a different soul. It was as if… I saw a child I couldst not quite read."
"What meanest thou? Couldst thou not divine his thoughts?"
B sighed, rubbing his temple. "Verily. His nature is… quite strange. Usually, I can perceive a person's spirit. But with John, 'tis as if his mind be sealed tight. His visage is cold, almost heedless of all that doth surround him. As if he standeth apart from himself. I could not discern what he truly felt or thought. 'Tis like gazing upon one who doth conceal much beneath a mask."
Now A's expression grew thoughtful. "Peradventure he is wary. Some do conceal their feelings well. Or perchance his body and mind are so delicate that it is hard to read him unless he wilieth it so."
"That is what doth confound me. 'Tis not solely wariness. 'Tis as if some other power doth govern him—something that keepeth him apart. I have seen silent folk afore, but this… 'tis like unto a wall. I do wonder if his plight maketh him different in manners I have yet to comprehend."
A looked at the flowing waters, then back to B.
"Maybe he holdeth back more than he knoweth himself," he said. "Or perhaps he hath been wounded deeply, and thus he hath learned to shut himself away. Such coldness becometh a shield, brother…"
"Perhaps. Yet I do worry. If he cannot open his heart truly, how may he learn to connect? How can he wield ninshū if he is already so guarded?"
A placed a hand upon B's shoulder. "Thou art doing thy best. Such understanding taketh time. Be patient. When he is ready and findeth cause, he shall open himself."
B looked at the water, then back to A. "I pray so. For I glimpsed potential within him that could be mighty."
"Now then," A finished. "We hath a journey to venture in regarding our brethren afar off."
"Indeed! I shall make haste that we may depart quickly."
✟
Some time later.
Arthur stepped outside the congregation into the open air. The sky was clear with no clouds in sight.
With A and B gone from the congregation and his chores done, today was the perfect day to practice more ninshū.
He started by summoning his chakra inwardly. Next, he converted it into a more enlightened property to help connect to the things around him. When that was finished, he had the urge to use it as a weapon for attacking.
But the moment he did, he felt the rush of cold and a swirl of smoke. A surge of ice and smoke burst outward from his hand, forming a misty cloud. That wasn't at all what he was trying to do. For that was ninjutsu from his two Kekkei Genkai.
The mistake was clear. Ninjutsu relied on his inner chakra—energy he controlled within himself. Ninshū wasn't like that. It was about tapping into the surrounding chakra, the energy that connected everything. It was less about force and more about bond, hence why he was having trouble.
So Arthur closed his eyes and cleared his mind. This time, the effort was different. He attempted to draw his consciousness into the ambient energy and let it fill him. But that attempt failed again. For a moment, he almost felt like he was on the brink of entering Sage Mode.
The practice felt too similar to harnessing natural energy, and he wasn't entirely sure how to separate the two for offensive purposes.
Still, he kept trying.
After a moment, there was massive change. It was as if the very environment wanted him to connect. The energy felt gentle, like inviting him to join in on the microscopic properties that made them all function.
Arthur therefore raised a palm toward the sky. He concentrated on the light shining down, trying to sense the energy. He stood there for half an hour. During that time, he wasn't doing much. He was simply trying to align himself with the energy.
He thought of the Rainmaker technique, but it was clear there were no clouds. No rain. Yet, he knew he didn't need falling water to perform what he needed. The sunlight's rays were enough!
Gradually, the light in this area began to grow stronger. Yet it wasn't coming from the sun; Arthur had deliberately created it. Then he felt it. The warmth from the sun's new rays and the energy radiating from the sky and the earth beneath him. It was as if the light was flowing through everything.
The size of his sensing range had expanded beyond what he thought possible, and the amount of chakra needed was minimal. It was an efficient way to sense his surroundings, one that didn't require complex hand signs or aggressive jutsu.
Sun Maker technique is what he deemed this technique.
When he finally relaxed and released his focus, he knew he had made a breakthrough. This feeling—this connection—was different. It was effortless, yet powerful, and he knew why it was so easy for him to learn. That was because this technique was a support technique. And his character's trait of learning support techniques made things easier.
Without even a smile, Arthur finally released the technique entirely. Ninshū was indeed a practice worth exploring further. It might not be suited for combat, but in support and reconnaissance, it was unmatched.
The rest of the day, he dedicated himself to practicing ninshū alone.
Time passed quickly; by the time he was done. The night had fallen, so he returned to the congregation. He climbed upstairs to his inn, sat on the bed, and pulled out the Legacy of Kaguya.
'I was not always as evil as people perceived me to be. When I was assigned my mission to be sacrificed, I was confused. No, I was scared. We came to the earth for a purpose, and that purpose was to plant the tree to harvest its Chakra Fruit so my clan could flourish. But as I watched mankind, I saw something I didn't expect: they had something called love. Our clan never knew what that truly was. It shook me to my core. Then I understood that I was being used as a pawn. I didn't want to be just a tool for destruction. My feelings warped into a desire to survive. The only way I could was to seize the Chakra Fruit for myself. In my struggle to escape the death I was destined for, I betrayed my own partner. I left him wounded and near death, driven by the hope that I could claim the fruit and secure my own path. Only now did I come to terms with the fact that my actions were born out of fear, a desperate need to carve out my own destiny. I was ruthless and spiteful, yes, but beneath that, there was a part of me that still longed for what men call 'hope.' Should I be blamed for wanting to separate myself from the cruel expectations of my clan?' - Kaguya's Legacy, page 8.
Arthur paused to consider this passage.
He had never known that Kaguya was never alone when she came to earth. If he were to guess, this supposed partner of hers must have been from her clan. He was having difficulty piecing things together because all this information was from the Boruto franchise, the series he had never watched nor read.
While yes, he knew much about Naruto before arriving in this virtual world, the explanations he was given in the beginning were only for those first two parts. The third part was ostracized.
To understand the content from this book, he decided to read a little more. Perhaps we could figure something out.
'My feelings have changed since coming to this world. Now, I find myself at a crossroads because my clan will surely come to the earth. When they do, they'll come for my head, no doubt. But I'll resist them no matter the cost.'
Arthur paused again. He was hoping to have read something about this supposed partner of hers, yet she hadn't written anything.
He was beginning to question this devil's insane tactics and her dual-sided beliefs. But that didn't mean he was willing to cease his research. So he began skimming the pages until he could find something related to this partner of Kaguya's.