Becoming the Tsuchikage in the Naruto World

Chapter 13: Unique Substitution Jutsu

After the exhausting experience at the No. 9 training ground, Ishiro was quite tired. Fortunately, there were no particular issues at the Barrier Division, and upon returning home, Ishiro went straight to bed, deciding to leave all matters for the next day.

The next morning, Ishiro woke up fully refreshed. Instead of doing his morning training right away, he first practiced his chakra control and then began practicing Substitution Jutsu with a water bucket.

Following the planned steps, Ishiro transformed his chakra into Earth chakra and filled the water in the bucket with it. He could clearly feel that the solidifying properties of Earth chakra had started to take effect. With the feedback he received, Ishiro proceeded to cast the Substitution Jutsu.

Instantly, Ishiro appeared next to the water bucket, and the bucket was now empty. The water inside had transformed into Ishiro's likeness, appearing where Ishiro had originally been.

However, the substitution was different from the Transformation Jutsu. Unlike the Transformation Jutsu, the Substitution Jutsu didn't allow for complex movements. It only managed to create a few frightened expressions, which Ishiro had planned beforehand. The more panic the substitute showed, the more it could confuse the opponent.

The Ishiro now standing by the bucket threw a small stone that he had prepared earlier. The stone hit the substitute's abdomen accurately, and unlike the usual Substitution Jutsu, where the substitute turns into a wooden log when struck, Ishiro's substitute began to collapse from the abdomen. The collapse spread outward and eventually turned into water.

Seeing this, Ishiro pondered for a moment. This seemed to be a new variation of Substitution Jutsu that combined Earth chakra with water as a substitute. With that, Ishiro decided to give this new technique a name. How about Water Substitution? Would it get confused with Water Clone? Well, it was his own naming, so it shouldn't matter too much. Yes, Water Substitution it was.

After successfully performing it once, Ishiro didn't try again, as his chakra reserves were only enough for one more attempt, and he would need it for the day's training.

After quickly washing up, Ishiro hurried to the cafeteria, realizing he was almost late due to the time he spent practicing chakra.

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Water Substitution was just a small detour in his training, and with the help of the magical effects at the No. 9 training ground, it didn't take much of Ishiro's time. His routine life resumed as usual: daily practice of the Three Techniques, with an emphasis on the Wood Substitution and Water Substitution—both essential techniques for survival. Alongside his usual mundane physical training and taijutsu practice, he also spent time working in the Barrier Division, reading books to pass time.

Ishiro thought that this routine life would continue until his chakra reserves grew enough for him to perform C-rank ninjutsu.

But two months later, something unexpected happened. Captain Bunji came to find him again. First, he tested Ishiro's knowledge and inquired about his chakra growth. After confirming that both had reached the required standards, Bunji transferred Ishiro's task of managing the library to someone else and brought him to the training room.

The Barrier Division's training room was different from the usual ones. There were no wooden posts, dummies, or targets for taijutsu practice. Instead, it was filled with various materials for creating seals and scrolls. This was where Ishiro would practice making scrolls. Although he hadn't worked with these materials before, he had studied them extensively in books. Seeing them in person piqued his curiosity, but he remained composed, waiting for Bunji's instructions.

The training room was not crowded—there were only four people. Two were practicing on their own, while the other two were teaching and learning. Bunji led Ishiro to the pair who were teaching and learning, pointing to the middle-aged ninja who was demonstrating how to make scrolls.

"This is my senior, Meisha, one of the best scroll-making experts in our village. He has been in the Barrier Division for many years, and most of us have learned how to make scrolls under his guidance. You'll be learning from him starting today."

Ishiro quickly greeted the middle-aged ninja, "Hello, Meisha-senpai." He had seen Meisha before, as he was one of the people who had asked him to copy books earlier.

At that moment, Meisha finished his demonstration and nodded to Bunji, saying, "Leave it to me."

After receiving confirmation, Bunji didn't linger and left.

Once Bunji left, Meisha looked at Ishiro and said, "Ishiro, huh? I didn't expect you to get through the theory phase so quickly. Just as Bunji said, you're a very motivated kid." Pausing, he added, "I saw your handwriting when you were copying the books. Your chakra control seems excellent. Here, take this knife and cut along this line."

Ishiro now realized that the reason Meisha had asked him to copy books was for this very purpose. It seemed that ninjas always had ways of obtaining information that weren't obvious. He couldn't underestimate these seniors—they could gather intelligence with the simplest of actions.

Returning his focus, Ishiro took the small knife and noticed something strange—it was a special metallic knife that could conduct chakra. His first thought was, If I sell this knife for materials, how many days could it cover? He realized he was becoming obsessed with money, which made him chuckle inwardly.

Shaking off his unproductive thoughts, Ishiro grasped the handle of the knife and began channeling chakra into it.

Although this was his first time using chakra metal, Ishiro smoothly transferred chakra into the knife. Holding the small knife, he lightly cut along the line on the paper, and the paper was cleanly split in two.

Meisha watched Ishiro's smooth operation with growing amazement. He took the paper and inspected the cut carefully. The cut was incredibly clean, with no visible wavering. It was exceptional—normally, even with a ruler, it would be hard to avoid slight bumps.

This was one of the advantages of Ishiro's powerful spirit. His control over his body was exceptional, which had been demonstrated during his physical training. This ability wasn't unique to him; many families with strong Yin chakra, like the Uchiha, had similar abilities, allowing them to perform precise techniques like kunai throwing. Even the Hyuga, known for their Byakugan, developed their Gentle Fist Taijutsu.

Meisha, although familiar with Ishiro's background, didn't expect his control to be so refined. Not only was his physical control impressive, but his chakra control was also remarkable. Not everyone could handle chakra metal right away. It was clear that the young ninja who had been learning beside Meisha had his jaw drop in astonishment.

A ninja with excellent chakra control could excel in many fields. Aside from illusion techniques, there were medical ninjutsu, sealing techniques, and delicate tasks like making scrolls and seals.

"Very good, Ishiro. Your chakra control is excellent. With that, you can skip the beginner training and move on to the next step. Since your theoretical knowledge is solid, let's start with making blank scrolls." Meisha led Ishiro to a large table nearby and began demonstrating the process for creating blank scrolls.

"Scrolls come in different sizes. In theory, each type of scroll should have a unique size, but that would be cumbersome to make, so we generally have a few standardized sizes."

"However, these sizes aren't fixed. The size of the scroll depends on the ninja who will use it. If they are more skilled, the scroll can be made smaller for convenience."

"Of course, if the scroll's purpose is different, the size will change accordingly. Some less commonly used scrolls are custom-made."

"We're going to make the most common type today—a scroll used to seal everyday items like kunai or rations."

Ishiro listened intently as Meisha explained and demonstrated. The steps weren't difficult, and the use of chakra was minimal. Most of the process was something that any ninja could do, though not with the same precision as Meisha.

Ishiro followed Meisha's instructions and, after several attempts and corrections, successfully made a blank scroll.

Meisha took Ishiro's scroll, carefully inspected it, and then said, "There are still some details that can be improved, but this scroll is already a finished product. It's ready for the next stage, where it can be inscribed with seals."

He paused before adding, "However, your handling of the chakra in some areas wasn't as precise as it should be, so this scroll will have a limited number of uses. Here, feel this scroll and see where it differs from yours."

Ishiro took the blank scroll Meisha handed him, measuring the dimensions and using chakra to feel the key areas. After some thought, he pointed out, "Meisha-senpai, it seems the connection between the paper and the wooden handle is tighter in this scroll. But I'm not sure why."

Meisha was once again impressed by Ishiro's insight. "Incredible. If it weren't for your age, I wouldn't believe you were a beginner," he said. He then took the scroll back and began explaining the details to Ishiro, pointing out the intricacies of the connection between the paper and the handle.

As the two discussed, time passed unnoticed. The other ninjas in the room exchanged looks, surprised that Ishiro, a newcomer, was already learning techniques that they hadn't mastered yet. It was an unusual sight.

Time flew by, and as one of the young ninjas reminded them, Ishiro and Meisha realized that it was already late—past working hours.

Ishiro, excited, felt like he had learned a great deal today. This was the first time an elder had patiently passed on ninja knowledge to him. Though it wasn't combat-related, the knowledge he gained would certainly prove valuable in the future.