"You see, the chakra is still rotating in a single direction. Although the Rasengan looks like a small tornado when it's formed, it doesn't have the pulling force that a real tornado would have," Shikamaru said as he dispersed the chakra from his palm, looking a bit regretful as he spoke to Asuma.
The Ghost Brothers had already been dealt with, and on the way to the Land of Waves, Shikamaru took the initiative to start discussing the Rasengan with Asuma.
Human interactions are the same in any world. If Asuma was initially just Shikamaru's superior, someone who guided the younger ninja in training through orders, now that Shikamaru had taken the initiative to study the jutsu he created with Asuma, their relationship naturally grew closer.
The usefulness of ninjutsu is self-evident to ninjas. Sharing a new technique is something that no ninja would do lightly unless it was with someone extremely close—ninja secrets are valuable, and you can't be too careful.
Shikamaru's intent was clear: he wanted to get closer to Asuma. Even though Shikamaru had his family's secret techniques, it was still very beneficial to connect with a Jonin. Moreover, Asuma was the son of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and had been a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas who protected the Land of Fire's daimyo. His connections and strength were significant.
In most cases, Jonin would select promising Chunin or Genin to mentor, like Jiraiya did with Minato Namikaze, or Kakashi with Sasuke Uchiha, or Guy with Lee. But Shikamaru, even as a Genin, had created his own jutsu and took the initiative to discuss it with his Jonin mentor, making this a special case. However, in terms of ability and potential, Shikamaru was certainly qualified to earn Asuma's respect and attention, so Asuma did not reject him and listened carefully.
At this moment, Shikamaru and Asuma's relationship could truly be called master and pupil.
"You want to add a pulling force to this base technique?" Asuma extinguished his cigarette and asked Shikamaru, "How do you plan to do that?"
"I plan to focus on the direction of chakra rotation," Shikamaru explained calmly, his words conveying his unwavering confidence. While there was an explanation in the original story, he had worked through the process alone when he was still a Genin. Achieving an A-rank jutsu like the Rasengan by himself was something only Shikamaru truly understood the difficulty of, especially after numerous failures and practice. His understanding of chakra and the Rasengan surpassed even Naruto's in the original story.
"Currently, the chakra in my Rasengan is rotating only in a leftward direction due to the human body's constitution. But reversing the direction is not impossible; it's just much harder compared to the original way," Shikamaru said, lowering his head in thought. He spread his right palm again, gathering chakra, but instead of focusing it, he made it rotate to the left. Asuma watched closely and saw a faint blue chakra in Shikamaru's palm, steadily rotating in a circular band.
"But to maintain the leftward rotation while also adding the more difficult rightward rotation, with my current chakra control, I can't manage that just yet," Shikamaru continued. He began to gather chakra again, and the rotating chakra circle in his palm wavered, almost dissipating. But after a moment, it stabilized, and another chakra circle began to form, the two rotating alternately. The faint blue light reflected in Shikamaru's eyes. He sighed slightly and said, "This is all I can do at the moment. If I had to control multiple chakras and compress them at the same time, I wouldn't be able to manage."
"I saw the Fourth Hokage use the Rasengan years ago, and its power was enough to kill an enemy," Asuma pondered for a moment, then asked thoughtfully, "Your method could increase the power, but it would also raise the demands on chakra control."
"Maybe..." Shikamaru replied nonchalantly. "But this way, it not only helps me improve my chakra control, but also increases the Rasengan's offensive power. It's a win-win situation, isn't it?" Considering future enemies, like Gaara, who wears the Sand Armor, the Rasengan wouldn't be as effective as Chidori against the Sand Armor's defense. If this method works, the tearing force that would erupt in an instant could break through Gaara's defense and cause significant damage.
Naruto and Jiraiya, with their enormous chakra reserves, could simply increase the size of the Rasengan to form the "Big Ball Rasengan," while Shikamaru, lacking such reserves, had to rely on technique to enhance its power.
As for the name "Rasengan," it was mainly due to the Fourth Hokage's fame and the fact that he invented the technique. Even if Shikamaru came up with a more impressive name, it wouldn't change its legacy. Instead, improving the technique and surpassing the Fourth Hokage in some way was easier.
"Chakra control..." Asuma muttered. With a click, he opened his lighter and lit another cigarette. After a pause, he said to Shikamaru, "I have a good friend in the medical field. After this mission, I'll introduce you to him so he can teach you some chakra control techniques. After all, when it comes to chakra control, few can compare to medical ninjas, who specialize in it."
This was a form of emotional investment. Now that they had established a master-pupil relationship, it made sense for Asuma to focus more on Shikamaru's training. Shikamaru's father, Nara Shikaku, was rising quickly in power, but at this time, his influence wasn't as strong as Asuma's.
After several days of travel, Team 10 finally entered the territory of the Land of Waves. Shikamaru sat on a small boat, looking out at the unfinished bridge and the land that seemed faint through the thick mist. He felt a bit relieved. His biggest worry was that Zabuza might take advantage of their position on the boat to launch an attack. Choji and Ino couldn't walk on water, and like the ordinary person Tazuna, they would have to rely on the boat. If the boat were destroyed, they'd be defenseless and need protection.
However, judging by the situation, Zabuza seemed to have decided that it would be more effective to ambush them on land, where he could use his silent assassination techniques to their fullest. This would allow him and Haku to hide and observe, while on the water, even a master of silent assassination like Zabuza couldn't make a sound, rendering his techniques much less effective.
The Land of Waves was beautiful, with thick mist rising from the sea. Water plants dotted the landscape, giving it a mystical, fairy-tale quality. Team 10 was in awe as they took in the view. If not for the political situation, the Land of Waves would likely have become a popular tourist destination and a bustling trade route. With the right policies, it could become a prosperous maritime hub, especially with the changing strategies of the Land of Water, which would likely foster trade with the Land of Fire.
Once they reached the land, both Shikamaru and Asuma felt a bit more at ease. Fighting against mist ninjas who were adept with water jutsu on the sea was not favorable, but neither of them let their guard down. According to Tazuna, the path ahead was the only route to the outside world. If their enemies were going to ambush them, this would be the place.
The mist on this narrow path was much thinner than on the sea and no longer obstructed their vision. However, the dense forest on both sides made it an ideal spot for an ambush.
At that moment, a middle-aged man, his face wrapped in white bandages and wearing a headband with the symbol of the Hidden Mist Village, stood on a branch of a massive tree. He held the tree with one hand, squinting his eyes as he observed Shikamaru and the rest of Team 10 moving cautiously along the path.
"Zabuza-sama, is that the Jonin?" This man, of course, was Zabuza. He was watching Shikamaru and the others closely. Beside him, Haku asked softly.
Although Haku's words were vague, Zabuza understood. As a ninja who excelled in silent assassination techniques, Zabuza was cautious and careful by nature.
In wars, Jonin often led small military units, but due to limited communication, they only received target objectives and general requirements. The specifics were left up to the Jonin to handle based on the situation, adapting strategies and tactics accordingly.
Zabuza had already prepared two strategies: the first was to launch an attack if the enemy seemed weak, with Haku assisting by picking the right moment to strike and eliminate the opposition. The second strategy was to test the enemy's strength first. If the enemy had formidable strength, Zabuza would test the waters with a probing attack, while Haku hid nearby to observe and analyze the enemy's weaknesses. After gathering enough information, Zabuza would retreat and prepare for a more decisive strike.
Zabuza had suspected that the group of Leaf ninjas might be composed of young, inexperienced ninjas, and now seeing Asuma and Shikamaru confirmed it.
"Looks like the Jonin is here to guide the rookies. No wonder the Ghost Brothers failed," Zabuza sneered coldly. "Did you see that ornament on his waist?" He continued, "That's the symbol of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, the elite who protect the Daimyo. A Jonin at his age, and he was once a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas? Only Asuma Sarutobi from Konoha could have that distinction."
"Shall we use the second plan, Zabuza-sama?" Haku said, slowly putting on his Anbu mask. His voice was muffled, but the intent was clear. The situation had changed.
Zabuza nodded slowly. He looked at Tazuna and Team 10 as they moved closer. He grabbed his sword, the Executioner's Blade, and prepared to throw it with great force.