Shigure had sensed it the moment he woke up.
This new nature transformation technique...
As long as the Great Sage completed the analysis, the technique would be directly mastered by him—just like before.
Naturally, it didn't alter the chakra already within his body. It only manifested when chakra was actively consumed and transformed through the use of a nature transformation technique.
Only then would this new power reveal itself.
Shutting his eyes, Shigure began to carefully attune himself to the unfamiliar energy.
He recalled the process in his mind...
Simultaneously activating Boiling Release and Ice Release!
Two distinct chakra natures surged through his body—and then clashed violently.
This wasn't what Shigure had envisioned. He had expected a smooth, harmonious blending of chakra, forming a new jutsu with elegant ease.
But instead, the two opposing forces collided with a brutal intensity, fusing in a turbulent and chaotic fashion.
If his body hadn't already undergone major enhancements, this internal clash alone might have seriously injured him—possibly even crippled him.
And yet, from that storm, something new was born.
A fresh surge of power began coursing through his body.
Chakra properties shifted rapidly, mutating and evolving.
Finally—
Shigure opened his eyes. Extending his right hand, he activated the newly-formed nature transformation.
A white substance slowly began to gather above his palm.
As his chakra continued to pour into it, the white mass expanded—gradually spreading until it filled half the room.
Shigure stared at it, dazed.
It looked like a gas… but didn't feel like one.
"What is this…?"
[Great Sage: New Nature Transformation Detected]
Shigure gave a wry smile and muttered, "Guess I'll have to figure it out myself."
He raised his hand and touched the white substance. It felt soft—more than just vapor.
But the moment he applied a little pressure, it dispersed instantly into mist, cloaking his hand.
Even in its gaseous form, the substance oddly retained its overall shape.
Shigure blinked in confusion.
"A… cloud?"
"Did I just create a cloud?"
He slid his hand deeper into the fog.
It didn't sting. It wasn't hot or freezing. Just… cool. Refreshing, even.
[Great Sage: Confirmation complete. New technique name: Cloud Release]
"When did you confirm that?"
Still, the name Cloud Release fits pretty well.
But… is this even an offensive jutsu?
Why doesn't it feel powerful at all?
[Congratulations, host, on acquiring a new technique: Cloud Release]
[Cloud Release: A special cloud-like gas formed through the fusion of two kekkei genkai—Boiling Release and Ice Release. It can freely alter its temperature and possesses some properties of both. Further effects must be explored by the user.]
That's the whole introduction?
So it inherits parts of both Boiling and Ice Release…
Does that mean the acidic properties of Boiling Release are retained?
Just as Shigure pondered this, the cloud in front of him suddenly darkened.
Though it hadn't turned pitch-black, it had definitely grown heavier, shifting from a soft, cotton-like shape to something more fog-like.
Then, as it brushed against the fruit basket Shikamaru and the others had left behind—it melted.
The fruit basket dissolved in an instant.
Shigure immediately halted the technique.
The cloud dispersed slowly.
"…Highly corrosive!"
It was no weaker than his Boiling Release: Heat Breath Blade.
Now he was intrigued. It was time to properly study this new ninjutsu!
Of course, experimenting indoors was out of the question. He needed a more open space.
Just as he stepped outside, he hadn't gone far when Gekkō Hayate suddenly appeared and blocked his path.
"Training again?"
Shigure nodded. "Yeah. Something wrong?"
Hayate shrugged. "Go ahead—but next time, don't overdo it like last time. And remember to pick him up at night. Uncle Masao was worried sick!"
"…Got it," Shigure replied with a nod.
He was well aware of his previous mistake and didn't plan to repeat it.
Still, to test this new jutsu properly, he needed to head beyond Konoha's outer limits.
The rocky forest was too exposed, so he found another secluded forest.
There, he activated Cloud Release again.
Thick white clouds rolled out, drifting toward the treetops under his control. They remained suspended, not rising further.
At first, they didn't appear dangerous.
But as Shigure focused, the acidity of the clouds intensified. Instantly, the trees beneath began to corrode—collapsing into mushy heaps.
Impressive power.
And since it's a cloud…
Could it produce acid rain?
"Great Sage, begin analysis and calculation!"
[Analysis in progress...]
[Analysis complete. Acid rain is a feasible variant of Cloud Release.]
[Calculation starting…]
[Calculation complete. Congratulations, host, you have acquired: Cloud Release – Acid Rain.]
That was fast. Exactly the speed Shigure liked.
With a few hand seals, rain began to fall from the cloud overhead—acid rain.
The results were just as devastating as he'd imagined.
A towering tree was completely eaten away in seconds.
Terrifying.
"Clouds… If I can shape clouds, doesn't that mean I can control all types of weather?"
[Initiating parallel analysis…]
[Rain cloud analysis: complete]
[Snow cloud analysis: complete]
[Thundercloud analysis: complete]
…It took less than three seconds to compute all the forms he had envisioned.
Rain clouds granted him control over normal rain and acid rain.
Snow clouds could produce snowfall and hail.
Thunderclouds… well, as expected, could generate lightning.
But this was real lightning—drawn from natural atmospheric changes—not the typical Lightning Release created by converting chakra.
That distinction mattered.
This was nature-based elemental force, not chakra-converted imitation.
Among the three, rain and snow clouds seemed less destructive, but Shigure realized they had strong support potential—especially when combined with Ice Release or used to suppress enemy mobility.
Still, one issue remained.
In one-on-one combat, these techniques might not shine.
But in large-scale warfare?
Cloud Release was devastating.
Weather manipulation.
Not just hail, acid rain, or lightning—even blizzards and heavy rainfall—all could be controlled.
An entire squad of enemy shinobi could be wiped out by a well-placed storm.
And then—Shigure had a thought that truly excited him.
"If it's a cloud… what happens if I increase its density?"
"Could I make a cloud solid enough to support weight?"
...
[email protected]/LordMerlin.