"You seem a little different today."
Qingshui looked Pakura over again.
He wasn't some old pervert who just came to the training ground to ogle pretty girls.
Because he wasn't old.
And Pakura had indeed changed; for example, in Qingshui's perception, Pakura's Chakra reserves seemed to have increased quite a bit.
Her Chakra signature was also slightly different from before, appearing hotter and more agile.
"That's right!"
Pakura puffed out her small, already developing chest with a proud expression.
She also felt that Qingshui was a bit different today, but she couldn't pinpoint anything.
"Awakened Scorch Release?"
"Exactly! Let's make today's training a spar! I want to see how far I am from you now."
Pakura said excitedly, looking ready for action.
"Let's go somewhere else, so we don't make too much noise."
Qingshui looked around the training ground and spoke.
Many Sand Village ninja had already gathered there for their morning training.
When they weren't on missions, most ninja, even on their days off, would still take some time in the morning to train and stay in shape.
"Where should we go then?"
"Let's go to the new training ground next to the Emerald of Wind. It's actually already built, just not open yet. It won't be officially used until Teacher Chiyo and I finish setting up the barriers there. It's meant to host big events like the Chunin Exams later on. The space is big enough for us to go all out."
Qingshui waved to Pakura and headed towards the new training ground.
In the two-plus years since the war ended, the Sand Village had been developing rapidly while also undertaking extensive construction.
Many of the village's training and defensive facilities were built during the time of the First and Second Kazekage. They had undergone repairs over the years and were still adequate.
But now the village had ample funds, and most of the surplus was being invested in the village's infrastructure.
"Here we are, this is the place."
Qingshui formed a hand sign and opened the still incomplete barrier, leading Pakura inside.
"Looks pretty good."
Pakura stomped on the sealed and reinforced ground, then clenched her fists.
"Then I'm going to make my move."
Qingshui didn't answer; he simply slid a scroll from his sleeve, summoned Big Ivan, and motioned for Pakura to attack first.
"*Scorch Release: Superheated Murder!*"
Pakura didn't stand on ceremony with Qingshui, launching an orange-red fireball with a raised hand.
Qingshui didn't enter Big Ivan. He merely twitched a finger, controlling Big Ivan to raise its right arm and erect a bright blue Chakra shield in front of it.
"*Puppetry: Mechanism Shield Seal.*"
However, the Chakra shield didn't collide with the Scorch Release fireball.
This was Scorch Release, not Fire Release. It not only possessed super high damage that surpassed Fire Release, capable of causing almost instant death, but also had the powerful flexibility granted by Wind Release.
The head-sized fireball quickly deviated ninety degrees, striking towards Qingshui from another direction.
Accompanying it were dozens of Scorch Release fireballs flying from Pakura, falling like shooting stars.
"*Scorch Release: Superheated Consecutive Murder!*"
Qingshui controlled Big Ivan with Chakra Threads in his right hand, while his left hand formed a sword finger.
"*Separation Release: Separation Drizzle Fall!*"
Dense beams of plasma quickly emerged with Qingshui's movements, precisely colliding with the Scorch Release fireballs in mid-air.
Now, Qingshui had converted the main effects of Separation Breathing's moves into Separation Release Ninjutsu.
Of course, using a sword would further increase its power, but there was no need for that now.
Orange-red flames exploded everywhere, but Pakura wasn't discouraged when her move was easily countered; she continued her attack.
"*Scorch Release: Steam Vortex Murder!*"
More fireballs flew from Pakura, rotating above her head and condensing into an enormous fireball that instantly shot towards Qingshui again.
If it were just that, Qingshui would easily dodge.
But before it even got close to Qingshui, the fireball exploded, transforming into a massive vortex that enveloped everything around it.
"This move has some power," Qingshui commented, finally beginning to form two hand signs with one hand.
The temperature within the barrier rose again.
"Separation Release: Separation Cyclone!"
A Separation Release vortex, even larger than Pakura's Scorch Release, surged from Qingshui's palm and collided with the former.
Both Kekkei Genkai, similarly characterized by high temperatures, exploded at that moment.
Pakura quickly retreated, avoiding the sweeping heatwave.
Qingshui, on the other hand, remained effortlessly still, relying on Big Ivan's Mechanism Shield Seal to block the aftermath of the explosion.
Without a second thought, Pakura moved to retreat in another direction.
The next instant, plasma rays, like raindrops, rained down from above, blasting craters in the spot where she had just been standing.
Big Ivan also opened its shoulder mechanisms at that moment, firing small, self-made missiles from Qingshui, then propelled itself with plasma from its legs, maneuvering with Chakra Threads, and flew towards Pakura.
Qingshui controlled Big Ivan with one hand, while occasionally unleashing Ninjutsu with the other, completely suppressing Pakura.
Before Pakura awakened Scorch Release, her strength was only that of a decent Jonin. After awakening Scorch Release, Qingshui judged her to have the strength of an elite Jonin.
Though Pakura was being thoroughly suppressed by Qingshui, it was because Qingshui's strength far exceeded hers. If the Third Kazekage were here, perhaps Qingshui would need to go all out, and it would likely be the Third Kazekage who was suppressed.
Don't forget, Pakura is only fifteen years old. Given female physical development, her Chakra reserves should see another significant increase in the next two to three years.
Moreover, she had only just awakened Scorch Release, and the development of related Ninjutsu was still incomplete. Her combat style also needed corresponding changes. The next few years would still be her golden period of growth.
According to Qingshui's assessment, Pakura should be able to establish a basic combat system centered around Scorch Release within a year. At that time, her strength should be no less than Rasa's during his time in the Land of Rain, and after adulthood, her strength should be comparable to the current Rasa, barely reaching the threshold of a Kage.
This was a relatively conservative estimate. If Pakura encountered any fortuitous events during this time, such as learning a powerful Ninjutsu highly compatible with her, her strength would be even greater.
"Huff, huff…"
Hours later, Pakura was drenched in sweat, sitting cross-legged on the training ground, hands propped on the ground, panting continuously.
"I feel like you haven't used much Chakra at all."
"Well… there was some consumption."
Qingshui sat down opposite Pakura and said.
There was indeed consumption, but not much, and it had already fully recovered.
It was a blessing in disguise, though; Grandma was much better now. She had regained consciousness and could take her medicine, but she still couldn't walk. The old lady was nearly eighty, and he wondered if this serious illness would have any lasting effects.
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