The next day.
Morning.
When the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window and touched his face, Qingming opened his eyes.
A hint of confusion crossed his gaze, but it quickly faded as he regained full consciousness.
He got out of bed, washed up, and made his way to the mess hall of the outpost. After eating something to fill his stomach, he went looking for Uchiha Tetsu.
Uchiha Tetsu, who was in the middle of assigning tasks, was surprised when he saw Qingming approach. "Captain, what brings you here?" he asked.
He was careful to refer to Qingming as "Captain" instead of his name in front of others, as he usually did, because Qingming had long since stopped being involved in the mundane tasks of the outpost. It was rare for him to suddenly show up, which is why Tetsu was surprised.
Qingming waved his hand nonchalantly. "Just doing my rounds, continue with what you're doing."
Tetsu didn't say much after that, promptly continuing to assign tasks to the other ninjas.
Once the others had all taken their tasks and left, Uchiha Tetsu came over to Qingming and asked, "Qingming, is there anything you need me to do?"
Clearly, he knew Qingming wouldn't just show up for no reason. In the past, Qingming would have never wasted a single minute, so this sudden visit was highly unusual.
Indeed, Qingming wasn't here just to wander. The recent movements of the Mist Village had piqued his interest, and he wanted to investigate it personally. Without getting a first-hand look, he wouldn't feel at ease.
He intended to join Tetsu on his mission to the sea, hoping to encounter some Mist ninjas. Once they did, Qingming was confident that, with his abilities, he could easily handle them. His 'Genjutsu: Sharingan' at level 7 (0/0) was powerful enough that, after a little effort, he could read their memories.
While they might not know anything classified, even their public information would provide him with useful insights into the Mist Village's intentions.
Without hesitation, Qingming said, "I'm coming with you on the mission today."
"What?" Uchiha Tetsu couldn't believe his ears.
After Qingming explained his plan, Tetsu realized that he wasn't joking. He quickly agreed. With Qingming on the team, their safety would be significantly increased. There was no reason to refuse.
After all, Qingming was the true commander of the outpost, and no one could stop him from going wherever he wished.
Soon after, Qingming and Tetsu, accompanied by a dozen or so Konoha ninjas, set off on a small sailboat.
These small boats could only operate in nearshore waters. They weren't suited for deep-sea travel, as strong winds and waves would easily capsize them.
However, their mission didn't require them to go far into the sea. They simply needed to patrol the surrounding waters and ensure that the Mist ninjas didn't approach.
Thus, the risk of storms was minimal.
Even if the boat capsized, they could return to shore without much trouble. As for the ability to swim, most of the lower-ranked ninjas who had survived the past two years of war had acquired at least some basic skills. Newly graduated genin wouldn't be sent to the front lines either.
The boat's primary purpose was to save chakra, but no one was particularly concerned about it.
Time passed, and Qingming stood at the bow of the boat, gazing out at the endless sea. After a while, he shook his head and turned his attention elsewhere.
"Captain?"
Tetsu, who had been observing him, spoke up, seemingly wanting to say something. Qingming waved his hand, "You've got this, call me if anything happens. I'm going to train."
With that, he moved to the stern, crossed his hands to form the 'ren' seal, and used the "Shadow Clone Technique." A puff of chakra smoke filled the air, and nine figures appeared.
He gave one of the clones a command to stay on the boat while he took the other eight clones with him.
Since his strength had increased, he no longer had as many concerns when it came to taking action. In the past, if there were so many people around, he would have simply used the "Healing Technique" to enhance his body but never created Shadow Clones to train.
But now, with his power, he could leave one clone behind as a contact point and take the rest with him. No one dared question his actions.
This was the convenience that came with strength.
However, using Shadow Clones as communication tools was still a bit inconvenient. The only way the clone could inform him was by dispersing the jutsu and transmitting its memories back to him.
If they were close, it was no problem—he could reach them quickly. But if they were far apart, by the time he arrived, the situation might have already changed.
To solve this issue, one option was to leave two clones behind—one for communication and one for backup. But that would waste chakra, and as Qingming knew, he couldn't afford such wastage, especially with so many skills to master.
He could manage with one clone for this mission since the patrol range wasn't vast, and he could respond quickly after receiving the clone's memory.
But what about next time?
If they had to go farther, he might have to follow the team, wasting time that could have been spent improving his skills. It would hinder his progress.
As he thought about this, an idea he had entertained earlier resurfaced in his mind: "Maybe it's time to learn the 'Telepathy Technique' from the Nara clan."
He had been intrigued by the Nara clan's technique when they had used it to communicate with him in the past, but he hadn't pursued it due to a lack of urgency. Now, with a clear need, it was something worth considering.
The 'Telepathy Technique,' as a secret art of the Nara clan, could allow communication over distances of several dozen or even hundreds of kilometers. The effect was undeniably powerful.
While Qingming didn't expect to immediately achieve such a range, even a few kilometers would be enough to communicate with his clones. Given his current mental strength and his prior experience with the Nara clan's technique, developing his own version wouldn't be difficult.
Of course, the process might differ from the Nara clan's method, but as long as it worked, he was fine with it.
However, just having a decision didn't mean he would act on it right away.
For now, his primary focus was to improve his "Wind Release: Wind Blade" to its maximum level, followed by leveling up "Wind Release: Rasengan." Only once that was done could he consider researching flight ninjutsu alongside the telepathy technique.
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