Except for a few basic ninjutsu that require very few hand seals, other ninjutsu with a learning difficulty of C-rank or above require a considerable number of hand seals. Even a simple C-rank jutsu like the Great Fireball Technique needs six hand seals.
Even with great proficiency, it takes about a second to activate this jutsu. In the midst of a fierce battle, would an enemy give you the opportunity to unleash it?
Even if you get the chance, in the eyes of a true master, even a moment's hesitation is enough to become a fatal flaw.
And this is under the assumption of fast hand seal speed. If you're like Chen Yue with slow hand seal speed, six seals would take six seconds. As Uchiha Hinoki mercilessly pointed out, that's enough time to be killed multiple times.
Because of this drawback of hand seals, ninja battles, especially close-range confrontations, primarily rely on taijutsu duels.
Even if you want to unleash ninjutsu, you need a teammate to hold the enemy back, or you have to use various methods to buy yourself enough time to prepare.
Otherwise, only those who have mastered their ninjutsu to the point where they can simplify the hand seals into one, capable of releasing a jutsu with a single clap, can engage in direct combat with ease.
Of course, this applies to ninjutsu with hand seals. If it's a seal-less ninjutsu or a special jutsu that can be used for a long time after a single seal, there's no such concern.
"So, the future of ninjutsu truly lies in seal-less ninjutsu!"
Chen Yue thought of the two famous seal-less ninjutsu in the Naruto world—Rasengan and Chidori.
"By now, the Rasengan should have been invented by Minato Namikaze. As for Chidori, Kakashi Hatake should be about his age now, so it's unlikely to have been created yet."
"I do know the basic principles. I'll try it later. If the principles from my past life work, with my chakra control talent, I should be able to master these two jutsu."
After Uchiha Hinoki pointed out the shortcomings of his hand seal speed, Chen Yue silently resolved in his heart to intensify his hand seal practice, while also paying attention to seal-less ninjutsu.
——————
"Alright, kid, don't be too disheartened. It was your old grandpa who was a bit too eager. At your age, being able to learn a jutsu as difficult as the Great Fireball Technique is already quite impressive. And you even learned it on your own. It's normal to have shortcomings. You can gradually improve them later. Your grandpa believes you can do much better in the future."
Seeing the young boy standing there with his head down, silent, Uchiha Hinoki felt a pang of guilt. He seemed to have gone too far.
Chen Yue's talent was exceptional, which was definitely a good thing. However, he was worried that excessive praise for his talent might lead to complacency, so he pointed out his shortcomings, hoping to suppress the boy a bit.
But seeing the boy's 'downcast' expression after his criticism, he suddenly realized that he had gone overboard.
The boy had accomplished something remarkable and was happy to seek approval from his elders. If what he received wasn't praise but criticism, how much of a blow would it be to the boy?
Even if he wanted to avoid the possibility of the boy becoming complacent due to his exceptional talent, he shouldn't have struck a blow to the boy's psyche at this time.
Uchiha Hinoki quickly realized this and hurriedly began to console the young boy with his head down.
"Ah~"
Hearing the old man's words, Chen Yue was a little confused. He hadn't reacted for a moment. He wasn't disheartened, was he?
However, he quickly realized from the old man's words that his grandpa had misunderstood his contemplation about seal-less ninjutsu, thinking that he was disheartened by the earlier 'criticism'.
"Yeah, Grandpa, I'll definitely do better next time."
He didn't bother to explain, simply agreeing with the old man.
Explaining it would be too troublesome, and Chen Yue himself didn't like 'punishment-style education'. It was a good thing that the old man would be able to change his approach in the future.
"Grandpa, let's continue training. I'll definitely hold out for a longer time this time."
Having rested, Chen Yue was ready to continue his morning sparring session that had not yet ended.
"No, training is over for today."
Uchiha Hinoki looked at the young boy's resolute gaze, confirming that he wasn't affected by what had just happened, and refused Chen Yue's request to continue training.
"Why? It's not the end of training time yet?"
Chen Yue was puzzled. It wasn't noon (11:00), not 'school dismissal' time yet.
"Because you've completed all the training for this phase, child."
"The twenty-four basic forms of the Konohagakure Taijutsu, basic kunai and shuriken usage, basic swordsmanship, and basic ninjutsu. You even exceeded expectations by learning the Great Fireball Technique, which you shouldn't have learned at this stage."
The old man smiled and explained to Chen Yue, "A ninja should have the basic qualities, and you've already mastered them. What's needed next is constant and consistent practice. This is a long process, not something that yields results in a short time. It's not part of our training for this phase."
………………
PS: It's so hot! It's already forty degrees!