“What’s this?”
Chen Yue watched his great-grandfather, who was unharmed by the flames, as if he hadn't used Shunshin no Jutsu to leave, nor had he used any other defensive jutsu. Instead, he directly used his body to withstand Chen Yue's “Great Fireball Jutsu.”
Chen Yue didn't have any expectations for his “Great Fireball Jutsu” in the first place. He only wanted to show his ninja talent to the old man.
However, he had imagined countless possibilities for the old man's response. Maybe he would use Shunshin no Jutsu to dodge, or use another attack to break the fireball. But standing still and directly taking it head-on was just too exaggerated!
“Such rich chakra.”
As the flames completely disappeared, he finally noticed something. On the old man's body, a thin layer of blue light shimmered, clearly visible to the naked eye.
It was chakra, so rich that it was visible to the naked eye. He didn't need to activate his Sharingan to confirm it.
But, what kind of jutsu was it?
“This is Chakra Cloth Defense, an advanced application of chakra. It involves spreading chakra throughout your body, providing excellent defense against single-attribute attack-type jutsu.”
As if seeing Chen Yue's surprise and confusion, Uchiha Huo He began to explain, while also retracting the chakra surrounding his body.
“Chakra Cloth Defense?”
Chen Yue couldn't help but think of the chakra cloak of jinchūriki when he heard this. However, compared to the massive chakra of jinchūriki, the old man's "Chakra Cloth" was incredibly thin.
But through the Chakra Cloth, he could somewhat understand what the layer of chakra light around his great-grandfather's body was, and how it was achieved.
Refining a large amount of chakra and filling your entire body with it, to the point where it forms a “Chakra Cloth” surrounding your body.
However, the chakra amount of ordinary ninja naturally couldn't compare to jinchūriki. Even the ninjas of the Uchiha clan were no exception. Therefore, the final “Chakra Cloth” was just a thin layer of light.
Moreover, from the old man's words, it was clear that aside from the necessary chakra amount as a foundation, it required extremely precise chakra control to avoid unnecessary chakra waste.
That was why the old man said this was an advanced application of chakra.
“So, ordinary ninjas can also master this “Chakra Cloth” technique?”
Chen Yue's initial shock and frustration at his Great Fireball being directly tanked by the old man disappeared. Instead, he began to look forward to the day he mastered “Chakra Cloth.” Aside from its defensive capabilities, it looked incredibly cool!
Of course, the term “ordinary ninja” was relative to jinchūriki. For a truly ordinary ninja to master the "Chakra Cloth" ability was obviously unrealistic.
The massive amount of chakra required and the fine chakra control skills were not something an ordinary ninja could possess.
But he wasn't an ordinary ninja. He would definitely be able to master this technique in the future.
Just as Chen Yue was contemplating how to master "Chakra Cloth", a hand rested on his head.
“Good, child!”
The old man came in front of Chen Yue, rubbing his little head with a smile and said, “In our Uchiha clan, learning Fire Release jutsu means you are already a ninja who can stand on your own two feet.”
“Really?” Chen Yue's eyes lit up.
He had been “beaten up” by the old man every day, so although he could feel his strength improving, he didn't have a clear idea of his specific level.
Now the old man said he could be considered a ninja who could stand on his own two feet. Did that mean his strength had reached the level of a normal Genin, and not just an ordinary civilian Genin?
With this strength, once he went to the Ninja Academy, wouldn't he be able to dominate the school?!
“Of course it’s true, but…”
Seeing the young boy's excited expression, the old man changed his tone and said, “That’s for ordinary clan members. As the future successor of our lineage, you need to set higher goals for yourself.”
“Furthermore, your Great Fireball Jutsu just now, although it was a success, both your hand seal speed and the flame's temperature are still far from enough. Moreover, you wasted too much chakra. Such a jutsu is still far from being truly practical.”
“Especially your hand seal speed. Child, if you were on a real battlefield, your slow speed would have been enough for your opponent to kill you several times over.”
After praising him, the old man immediately pointed out the shortcomings of Chen Yue's Fire Release without hesitation.
“Oh~”
Chen Yue's excited expression dimmed, and his excited heart calmed down.
Indeed, just like the basic taijutsu and basic swordsmanship he had learned these days, although he had learned them, there was a huge difference between learning and being able to use them in combat effectively.
Especially the hand seal speed that the old man emphasized. Since he started learning jutsu, Chen Yue finally understood why taijutsu was the main combat method for most ninjas.
Aside from the higher talent requirements for learning jutsu, and the difficulty in obtaining corresponding jutsu scrolls mentioned earlier, another key factor was that jutsu release was too slow.