The summer in the ninja world wasn't as unbearably hot as it had been in someone's previous life, probably due to the high vegetation coverage. The air felt unusually refreshing. As long as one wasn't exposed directly to the sun, even with a ninja's physical condition, the heat wasn't too hard to bear.
Beneath the wide shade of a towering tree, Mizuki and Sakura sat comfortably on the ground, having lunch and resting. After finishing their morning practical combat training, this noon break was now a rare time for student-teacher Q&A.
"Teacher Mizuki," Sakura asked, "why is your [Chakra Scalpel] so much more powerful than mine?" Over the past few days of sparring, the concentrated training had gradually helped Sakura adapt to high-intensity battles, which she rarely experienced before. At her current level, more rigorous training might actually harm her still-developing body.
However, given Sakura's chakra control, logically speaking, when using the [Chakra Scalpel], there shouldn't be such a big difference between them. Yet practically, their offensive power belonged to completely different levels. Besides differences in physical strength, there must be more profound underlying reasons.
"It's great you noticed that," Mizuki said, quite satisfied with Sakura's recent progress. "This reason is actually quite complex, but overall, it should relate to chakra nature."
"Chakra nature? Do you mean the five basic chakra natures?"
"Yes, though strictly speaking, chakra can be divided into seven types." Mizuki corrected. "You've already seen all five advanced elemental techniques, right? Haven't you noticed? There are many ninjutsu clearly not classifiable under those elements."
"Now that you mention it, that's true." Sakura thought for a moment. "Ino's squad has three members, and their clan secret techniques seem completely unrelated to the advanced elemental techniques. Then what exactly are they?"
"Oh, that one—the Ino–Shika–Cho trio is also well-known in our village. Although their family ninjutsu differ greatly, generally speaking, they can be categorized into two types—Yin and Yang attributes."
"Yin and Yang attributes?" Sakura looked puzzled, having never heard of these two chakra types before.
"Yes. Remember the legend about the Sage of Six Paths? Didn't he divide the world into Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements?"
"The Sage of Six Paths? Isn't that just a myth? Are you saying those ancient legends were real?" Everyone grew up hearing these familiar stories from the ninja world. If someone suddenly claimed all of it might actually be true, the shock would definitely be huge.
Mizuki chuckled lightly. "Sakura, any story, legend, or myth is imagined by people and passed down through generations. Even the wildest myths must have some connection to reality. Strip away the illusions, uncover the hidden truths—you might gain unexpected insights."
"Truths? Does that mean Teacher Mizuki discovered something?"
"Not really 'truths' either," Mizuki replied, as some things were still premature for Sakura to know. "It's just that certain facts aren't really secrets—they simply haven't spread widely. Take Yin and Yang chakra for example. Usually, clans that possess such knowledge regard it as part of their ancestral secret techniques, so outsiders tend to know very little about it."
Sakura had some guesses after hearing all that: "So, does that mean Scalpel is also part of the Yin-Yang Release?"
"Mm, you're right. Most Medical Ninjutsu belong to the Yang Attribute, like the Secret Techniques of Shikamaru Nara's and Ino Yamanaka's families, which are of the Yin Attribute. Choji Akimichi's Expansion Technique also belongs to the Yang Attribute." Teacher Mizuki explained calmly. Truthfully, he understood these were just basic applications of Yin and Yang chakra attributes, vastly different from the true Yin-Yang Release passed down by the Sage of Six Paths and later refined by the descendants of Indra and Ashura.
"Oh, I see," Sakura quickly noticed the pattern. "Does this mean the Yin Attribute corresponds to spirit while Yang represents body?"
"You got it pretty much right," Mizuki nodded in approval. "Yin and Yang are like two inseparable sides of one coin. Chakra comes from both the body and the spirit, so it naturally embodies the principles of Yin and Yang. Except for a few individuals who have a natural inclination toward one side, most people possess both Yin and Yang attributes. My Scalpel is more powerful than yours because certain reasons caused an imbalance in my Yin-Yang balance, with Yang overpowering Yin, significantly increasing the power of my Medical Ninjutsu." Even now, the corrupted Cursed Seal still had a deep effect on Mizuki. He felt mixed emotions about this gift from Orochimaru—although it kept him under the shadow of bodily collapse, it also granted him a chance to peek into higher-level powers.
"Oh, I see." Mizuki's explanation was simple and straightforward, easy enough for Sakura to understand based on her intelligence. "Then can I, like you, change my Yin-Yang balance too?"
Upon hearing Sakura's words, Mizuki hurriedly stopped her: "Better not. Maintaining bodily balance is extremely important. Considering your still-developing body, rash changes might cause permanent negative effects."
It'd be reckless to sacrifice your other potential just for stronger medical skills. If possible, Mizuki himself would prefer to rebalance his own attributes as soon as possible.
Hearing Mizuki's words, Sakura looked quite disappointed.
Seeing her reaction, Mizuki said, "Medical Ninjutsu will be an essential part of your future strength, but honestly speaking, I can only teach you up to this point. Later, you should find better medical ninja to systematically study further, since this area isn't exactly my specialty either."
"I understand, Teacher Mizuki."
"From now on, your focus will shift to genjutsu, sealing techniques, and barriers, along with some practical jutsu I'll teach you. First of all, this one..."
As he spoke, Mizuki extended both hands forward, gathering chakra until a faint light screen formed before each palm.
[Chakra Shield] Actually, this technique was inspired by Suna's Chiyo and her use of seal arrays on prosthetic limbs — mine replaces those mechanical parts with pure chakra.
"The stronger your Chakra Control, the more powerful this shield becomes. Especially with your Water and Earth Chakra Attributes, you'd be better suited to this technique than me, who only has a Fire Attribute."
This ninjutsu that immediately increases one's strength is perfectly suited for learning right before the Chunin Exams.
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