Kimoto Dōichi's cold tone startled Shumu and Tada.
Yoru glanced at them and shook his head slightly.
"Sensei, don't scare them."
Standing atop the water, Dōichi looked at Yoru with a faint smile.
"Well? Aren't you going to try?"
He wanted to see whether Yoru had truly grasped it.
Shumu and Tada turned their eyes toward him as well.
They already knew Yoru was stronger than them.
They were curious—could he actually master it?
Yoru paused.
The truth was, the moment Dōichi had finished explaining the principle, he had fully understood it.
He had even calculated the precise chakra output required.
What he didn't know was whether his body could execute it perfectly.
And he was curious himself.
"Try," Dōichi urged.
Yoru nodded.
He stepped to the water's edge and circulated the chakra within his body.
In an instant, chakra surged through his meridians.
His gaze sharpened.
He stepped forward.
Splash—
The previously calm surface caved inward under his foot.
For a split second, it looked as if he would fall in.
Then—
The depression rebounded.
The water lifted him.
His second foot followed.
And just like that—
He stood firmly on the lake's surface.
Without sinking.
"Wait—what?! Yoru, you practiced before, right?!"
Shumu's jaw dropped.
First try?
That had to be impossible.
Tada's eyes shimmered with undisguised awe.
Even Dōichi froze.
"Y-you… learned it?"
Yoru himself was surprised.
He knew his physical ability had improved.
His chakra reserves had grown immensely.
But succeeding on the first attempt—
That was beyond expectation.
At that moment, he truly understood how terrifying the system's "Exceptional Learning Ability" was.
Even Sasuke—a prodigy—had spent an entire day mastering tree-climbing, a technique similar in principle.
And he had ended that day bruised and exhausted.
Yoru quickly regained his composure.
"I'm not sure how… but it just worked."
The three of them twitched at the corners of their mouths.
If circumstances were different, they might have beaten him senseless.
Unfortunately for them—
He was telling the truth.
The instant Dōichi explained the mechanics, Yoru's mind had dissected every variable.
Chakra flow.
Weight distribution.
Surface tension.
All parameters were processed instantly.
All that remained was outputting the exact calculated amount.
And his chakra control—
Was terrifyingly precise.
Dōichi slowly collected himself.
Though shocked, he forced his expression calm.
Geniuses are beyond understanding…
If Kakashi had heard that thought, he would have corrected him.
This wasn't genius.
This was monstrous.
Even Kakashi, who began training at six with clan teachings, had taken an entire day to master water walking.
Yoru had only just begun real training.
Before today, he barely knew more than the Three Basic Techniques.
This level of talent defied logic.
No matter how gifted—
No one mastered such delicate chakra control in one attempt.
Dōichi asked quietly,
"You truly never learned this before?"
Yoru shook his head.
"I only learned the Three Basic Techniques at the Academy. That's all."
Dōichi exhaled slowly.
"Then the Academy years… may have delayed your growth."
He meant it sincerely.
He truly believed the Academy had held Yoru back.
"But if you never showed your talent, how could anyone discover it?"
Shumu and Tada nodded in agreement.
"Yeah! You were way too low-profile at school."
"If you'd shown this kind of ability, even Sasuke wouldn't have been your match!"
Yoru waved dismissively.
"I didn't want the trouble. Didn't you see how many people Sasuke has to deal with every day?"
Dōichi narrowed his eyes.
"That's why you hid your talent?"
Yoru nodded.
"Why create unnecessary problems? I had to stay at the Academy for six years."
Of course, that wasn't the real reason.
In truth, his former aptitude had been average.
There had been nothing to show.
But even if he had been gifted back then—
He would have chosen the same path.
Not out of fear of the Third Hokage or Danzō—
But because he disliked trouble.
And that part was genuine.
He spoke so calmly, so sincerely—
That Dōichi believed him.
As a former interrogator of the ANBU, Dōichi prided himself on reading lies.
Yoru wasn't lying.
Knowing this, Dōichi finally lowered his guard.
He truly began to see Yoru as his student.
"Alright," Dōichi said, steadying himself.
"Since you've learned it, go try standing where the water's flowing."
He wanted to see Yoru's limit.
Shumu and Tada watched eagerly.
They hadn't succeeded—
But if Yoru became stronger, they'd at least have someone reliable during missions.
Yoru nodded and walked slowly toward the flowing section.
The instant he approached the moving current—
His brain flooded with calculations.
Dynamic force.
Surface displacement.
Variable chakra compensation.
All computed in real time.
His body responded instantly.
Adjusting output.
Matching fluctuations.
On the shore, the three stared.
Yoru stepped onto the moving water—
And stood firmly.
Without wavering.
Dōichi's eyes widened.
Shumu swallowed.
"T-this… he's a monster, isn't he?"
Tada didn't fully understand the mechanics—
But she felt the absurdity.
"Sensei… standing on flowing water is harder than still water, right?"
Dōichi's lips twitched.
"Of course it is."
"Flowing water requires dynamic chakra adjustment."
"It's at least ten times harder."
"When I trained, it took me ten days just to manage it."
He stared at Yoru.
This wasn't talent.
This was abnormal.
If Yoru could master something this complex instantly—
Then learning C-rank techniques would be trivial.
Water walking required extreme chakra precision.
In some ways, it was harder than mastering many C-rank ninjutsu.
Dōichi felt a strange realization settle in his chest.
It wouldn't be long before—
He had nothing left to teach him.
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