**The Art of the Wind Serpent**
Hikari stared at the winding crimson line on her palm.
**Undulating motion.**
A snake uses its head and tail as anchor points, contracting and expanding its body like an accordion's folds.
Even this serpentine movement had been perfectly replicated through **shape transformation** in ninjutsu.
The **Wind Serpent**—a construct of condensed **Wind Release chakra**—left bizarre, lacerating wounds just by slithering across her skin.
The most impressive part? The razor-sharp chakra was controlled with surgical precision.
The cuts were superficial. Though the wounds looked gruesome, they'd heal completely by the next day without a trace of scarring.
*Agility. Density. Mastery.*
Watching the serpent still coiling effortlessly in the air, showing no signs of dispersion, Hikari finally grasped the depth behind **shape transformation**.
Her arrogance as a **transmigrator**—someone who'd thought herself ahead of this world's knowledge—evaporated instantly.
*This isn't a manga. This is reality.*
And reality's intricacies far surpassed anything the comics had ever depicted.
Her **Byakugan** burned as it traced the microscopic scales on the serpent's tail. Each flick sent countless blade-like currents grinding against one another, producing an eerie, metallic hiss.
*"Wind Release: Serpent's Traverse—fast, lethal, and ideal for ambushes."*
Kazami Koshī formed a hand seal, and the wind serpent vanished into thin air.
But to Hikari's Byakugan, the chakra remained—camouflaged like a viper in tall grass.
Any unsuspecting shinobi without a doujutsu would be dead before they sensed the strike.
*"Incredible,"* Hikari admitted, genuinely awed.
The **ANBU** she'd faced in **Kirigakure** had nothing like this.
Their jutsu timing was precise, but the techniques themselves felt rigid—like pre-programmed skills in a video game.
When it came to elemental ninjutsu, illusionists and taijutsu specialists couldn't compare to a true **ninjutsu-type shinobi** like Kazami.
This single wind serpent was a flawless fusion of **nature and shape transformation**, embodying both the speed of wind and the stealth of a snake.
Compared to the later **"mecha-ninja"** battles of the original story, it was these intricate, clever techniques that truly showcased the brilliance of the shinobi world.
---
*"For weaponized shapes—water cannons, blades—pair them with high-pressure Water Release. For bestial forms—fish, dragons—focus on fluidity."*
Kazami's voice grew somber. *"Had you used aquatic beasts in our fight, I wouldn't have closed the gap so easily. Don't… waste your talent."*
Hikari noted the shift in his tone but didn't pry. Everyone had their demons. As long as she could learn from him, the rest was irrelevant.
*"I had my chakra tested the other day."*
*"Wind and Water, I assume?"*
His tone suggested he already knew.
*"All five."*
The room froze.
The wind serpent flickered, its chakra wavering.
*"So you aim to be broad, like the **Third Hokage**?"*
No more talk of specializing in Water Release.
With all five natures at birth, limiting herself to one would be a crime.
*"I want both breadth *and* depth. And I'm not abandoning taijutsu either."*
Kazami stared at her, dumbfounded.
*"Do you have any idea how long it took me to master Wind Release to this level? No one can specialize *and* diversify!"*
*"I can."*
With a smirk, she formed the **Shadow Clone** hand seal.
***BOOM!***
Smoke erupted as two clones appeared—one grinning at Kazami, the other already molding water into a serpentine shape.
*"T-This is… the Shadow Clone Jutsu?!"*
Realization struck him.
*Using clones to accelerate training by sharing knowledge and sensations.*
It was genius.
With five clones, each mastering a different chakra nature, true versatility was possible.
But that wasn't all.
Ninjutsu development was dangerous—every failed experiment risked injury or death.
Shadow clones eliminated that risk entirely.
They were the ultimate training accelerator.
*"But your chakra reserves—"*
*"—are already handled."*
With the **Eight Gates** unlocked, her chakra was virtually limitless. And once she perfected **Reverse Eight Gates** and absorbed a **Tailed Beast**, her vitality would be inexhaustible.
The **Shadow Clone Jutsu** and **Eight Gates**—the two pillars of her plan—were now hers.
All that remained was execution.
*"I'll trade you the Shadow Clone method for Wind Release's nature transformation training. Deal?"*
*"You revealed the clone trick upfront. Aren't you afraid I'll back out?"* Kazami's emerald eyes darkened.
*"Your shape transformation lessons were invaluable."*
She meant it.
Despite their history, he'd advised her to hone Water Release—a suggestion born of goodwill, even if misguided.
The clone method *was* broken, but not everyone could use it. **Naruto** brute-forced the exhaustion with his monstrous stamina and willpower.
Hikari, with her **body control**, could suppress fatigue and even disable pain receptors if needed.
But Kazami?
With his frail physique and weary demeanor, he'd collapse after a handful of clones.
The dream of infinite training speed would remain just that—a dream.
---
Kazami studied her, sensing her sincerity.
More than that, he *wanted* to see what a true all-rounder could achieve.
But her drive baffled him.
*"Your resolve is unshakable. Why?"*
Hikari paused.
Even she wasn't entirely sure why she chased strength so relentlessly.
She could've lived comfortably in some quiet town with her **jonin-level** power. Yet she'd chosen **Konoha**—a nest of danger.
It wasn't until she'd mastered the Eight Gates that she understood.
That overwhelming *safety*—the kind only absolute power could bring.
*"I survived a catastrophe once,"* she said softly, gazing out the window. *"My mind… never settled after. Growing stronger is the only thing that makes me feel safe."*
Kazami followed her gaze.
Konoha seemed peaceful. But tragedy could strike anyone, anytime.
*For peace of mind, huh?*
A reason he couldn't argue with.
With a final hand seal, the hidden wind serpent dissolved into the air, its hissing fade echoing like a farewell.
---
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