Whether it was the Void-State or his lightning-based recovery technique, the results exceeded every expectation Tōma originally had.
The Void-State no longer delivered the same shocking breakthroughs as the first time, yet its benefits continued to accumulate quietly. His sensory field sharpened. His understanding of chakra patterns deepened. Nothing dramatic changed—no sudden "level ups"—but the foundation beneath his Wind Release and Lightning Release manipulation grew more solid by the day.
Because of his limited chakra reserves, Tōma still hadn't practiced most of his wind- or lightning-style ninjutsu. They were all C-rank techniques, each consuming a painful chunk of his daily chakra. In peaceful times, wasting chakra on flashy moves was foolish. But he could feel the difference. Once his chakra pool increased enough, those techniques would hit far harder than before.
And then there was lightning massage.That technique's impact was undeniable.
Each time he exited the Void-State, he circulated lightning chakra across strained muscles. The tingling was addictive, almost euphoric. More importantly, he could sense real, physical improvements—subtle, but absolutely there.
His recovery rate skyrocketed.His overall stamina increased.Even his chakra reserves were growing faster.
He'd estimated he would reach the average genin chakra level sometime during his third year. Now, it looked like he would hit that milestone much sooner.
Still, lightning massage wasn't a miracle cure. His body had clear limits. When the tingling shifted toward pain, he stopped immediately. Pushing further would only cause injuries.
The leftover chakra usually wasn't enough for a full C-rank jutsu, but it was enough to practice shape manipulation a bit more—especially now that the Void-State had sharpened his control so much.
At this pace, he could probably start training Wind Release: Gale Cutter and Wind Release: Palm Tempest next semester.
He'd even had the idea of combining Void-State with lightning massage…but he simply lacked the technique. Any attempt to move chakra intentionally while in the Void-State snapped him right out of it.
Someday, though.Someday, the two techniques might merge into something terrifyingly efficient.
For now, he focused on reversing the order—using lightning massage before entering the Void-State. Once he achieved that, the rest would follow.
When Might Guy dropped by again, he nearly choked on his own breath.Tōma's physical progression was far faster than Guy's original projections.
Guy had personally designed Tōma's training plan based on careful observation. Yet Tōma was surpassing those numbers so quickly that Guy wondered if he'd miscalculated.
Tōma didn't hide anything.He explained the lightning massage, the Void-State, and how they affected his growth.
Guy stared at him, speechless.
It didn't matter that Guy lacked talent in ninjutsu—he'd seen enough prodigies to know how rare this was. Shape transformation was notoriously difficult. Most shinobi never grasped it at all, relying completely on hand-seal guidance to execute jutsu.
But this boy…This boy could freely manipulate elemental chakra at will.
Guy's eyes began to shine.Tears streamed down his cheeks.He raised a trembling thumbs-up.
"To possess such talent… such dedication… and still work so hard physically… truly… truly youthful!"
Tōma's expression deadpanned.He had seen this scene in the original story—seeing it happen in real life was… deeply surreal.
Once Guy recovered from his emotional outburst, he updated Tōma's training plan accordingly. But afterward, the jonin grew strangely bashful.
Tōma sighed inwardly. Guy was many things—but subtle wasn't one of them.
"…Is there something else, Guy-san?"
Guy scratched his cheek.
"That lightning massage technique of yours… can you use it on Lee as well?"
Tōma blinked.Then nodded.
He already liked Lee, and Guy had helped him immensely. His remaining chakra each day wasn't much, but he could spare a small portion.
He explained his conditions—he would prioritize his own training first, and only whatever chakra remained would go toward helping Lee. Guy accepted immediately.
But the real surprise came when Tōma actually attempted it.
Lee thanked him sincerely, braced himself, and sat down.
"Tōma, I understand the risks," Lee said solemnly. "If it hurts, I will stop immediately!"
"That's exactly what you should do," Tōma replied. "Lightning chakra is volatile. The moment you feel any sharp pain, you stop. Otherwise it'll harm you instead of helping."
Tōma began the massage.
Barely a few seconds passed.
Lee flinched—hard.
"STOP!"
Tōma halted instantly.
…That was fast.Too fast.
The treatment hadn't even reached the deeper layers. At most, it had barely skimmed the outer muscles. That level of discomfort shouldn't have happened.
Tōma frowned, staring at Lee's strained expression.
This isn't normal. Lee's physical resilience is excellent. So what exactly is causing this reaction…?
Something wasn't adding up.
And Tōma suddenly felt he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.