Shane Mountain's words, together with Minato's, only made Nawaki even more confused.
Rasengan?
And what was that about adding elemental nature to it?
He hadn't even figured out the difference between shape transformation and nature transformation yet and these two were already discussing advanced chakra theories as if they were chatting over lunch! Come on, have a little mercy on the slow learners!
Minato, with a look that said I knew it, turned to Shane. "Shane, you've already mastered the advanced forms of the Rasengan, haven't you? That five-pointed leaf in your hand that's the result of your wind nature transformation, isn't it?"
Shane didn't bother hiding anything. He nodded confidently. "Yeah. I've completed all the advanced Rasengan training. I've mastered both the Giant Rasengan and all five chakra natures. Even that Lightning Release technique I'd been studying I've fully grasped it now."
"What? Even that?" Minato's eyes widened. "But you've been focusing on sealing techniques all this time! You shouldn't even have had time to train those!"
Shane just smiled without explaining further.
After all, ever since he'd made contact with the other version of himself the one from the lab coat world and gained that divine-level gene, all elemental transformations had come to him naturally. No meditation, no months of training. He simply understood, as if the knowledge had always been there.
Seeing Shane's relaxed expression, Minato couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. Without realizing it, he'd already fallen far behind.
"I won't let you leave me in the dust," he swore silently, determination flashing in his eyes.
Then, Nawaki who'd been listening in silence finally exploded. "Wait, wait, wait! What even is a Rasengan?"
"Don't ask. It's not something you're ready for," Shane said, raising a hand to stop him. "What you need to focus on right now is controlling that massive chakra inside you."
"Controlling chakra? I think I've got that part down!" Nawaki puffed out his chest and, to prove his point, ran straight up a nearby tree. He even jumped around a few times, showing off like a monkey in training.
After making two laps, he came back with a smug grin. "See, Master? I've got this! Teach me something cooler!"
"What am I supposed to teach you…" Shane muttered, rubbing his temple. "Do you at least know your chakra nature?"
"Of course! I've got three Water, Earth, and Wind!"
"Hmm, not bad." Shane nodded approvingly. "In that case, let's start with wind nature transformation."
He picked up a small leaf from the ground and handed it to him. "Your task is to use your chakra to slice this leaf clean in half."
"Cut it in half? Easy!" Nawaki gathered chakra into his palm and, in one burst of effort, shattered the leaf into confetti.
A dull thud followed as Shane's fist lightly bonked his head.
"Ow! Why'd you hit me?" Nawaki protested, clutching the growing lump. "You could crush rocks with those hands! What if you killed me?"
"My control is perfect. You're still alive, aren't you?" Shane said dryly. "You're supposed to cut the leaf with wind chakra, not pulverize it with brute force."
Despite his clumsy start, Nawaki wasn't completely hopeless. He did have a decent grasp of chakra fundamentals.
So, after a few more explanations, he sat cross-legged, pressing his palms together, trying his best to concentrate. His whole body tensed up as if he were wrestling invisible enemies.
"Don't tense up so much," Shane sighed. "Relax your body, focus your mind."
Gradually, Nawaki began to find his rhythm. His expression softened, his chakra stabilized, and he finally entered a meditative state.
Seeing this, Shane smiled faintly and turned back to his own work. Time passed quietly as the sun sank below the horizon, and shadows stretched long across the camp.
When Shane's stomach growled, he decided to call it a day. "Alright, let's head back. Time to eat."
On the way, Nawaki practically bounced beside them, holding up a leaf with a small cut on the edge. "Look! I did it! I actually did it!"
"Not bad," Shane said with a grin. "Pretty smart after all."
Nawaki beamed, but before he could brag, Shane added casually, "So why didn't you study properly with Lady Mito, huh? If you'd been this focused earlier, you wouldn't still be stuck at genin level."
The light in Nawaki's eyes immediately dimmed. He drooped his head. "Because Grandma Mito's too strict! She keeps comparing me to Grandpa Hashirama. How can I compete with the First Hokage?"
"What?" Shane blinked, genuinely stunned. "She compares you to him? No wonder you've got trauma. That's a mountain of pressure to live under."
A sympathetic look crossed Shane's face. Poor kid his mental endurance might actually rival Jiraiya's.
Meanwhile, Minato quietly tucked away his own leaf cleanly sliced in half.
When they returned to camp, everyone was still busy. In fact, it looked even more hectic than that morning.
From one of the tents, Tsunade emerged, wiping sweat from her brow. She stretched her arms, exhaustion written all over her face.
Seeing them, she called out, "You three, over here. I have a few things to tell you."
They hurried over. Shane noticed the sweat-darkened strands of her blonde hair and quickly handed her a handkerchief. "Lady Tsunade, maybe you should rest a little first."
Tsunade shook her head, taking the cloth but barely slowing down. "There's no time for rest. Listen carefully. Do not wander too far from camp. Eat and drink only what I give you personally. Don't touch anything else especially you, Nawaki! I told Shane this yesterday, but since you just arrived, make sure you check with him or Minato before doing anything. Understand?"
After her stern warning, she slipped the damp handkerchief into her pocket and disappeared back into the medical tent.
Nawaki sighed helplessly once she was gone. "She still treats me like a kid…"
He actually understood the situation pretty well. He wasn't dumb enough to eat random food or drink anything suspicious, not when even Tsunade was struggling to deal with the poison spreading in the area.
"Don't take it personally," Shane said with a smirk. "She's just being cautious. Anyway, you'll bunk with us tonight. The tent's a little cramped, so you might have to share space with Minato or Jiro."
"I've got my own sleeping bag!" Nawaki said proudly.
"Even better."
But when he stepped inside the tent, he froze. "What the why are there so many moldy fruits and vegetables in here? Ew, gross!"
He reached out to toss them, but Shane quickly slapped his hand away. "Don't touch those! They're my treasures."
He drew a line in the dirt. "No one crosses this line. Got it?"
Nawaki blinked. "You're being so mysterious again… what are you even doing with that stuff?"
Jiro yawned, flopping onto his mat. "Forget it. Let him have his weird hobby. I'm going to sleep. Too much roasted meat today I'm dead tired."
Everyone fell silent.
Shane could only sigh. "This team… truly one of a kind."
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