novelhk Chapter 38 Water Ghost Network
Chapter 38 Water Ghost Network
The next morning.
Waste treatment plant.
There is a sewage river nearby.
The river water had an eerie dark green color, with oil slicks and unidentifiable garbage floating on it.
This is the training ground today.
"tread water."
Yuanzao pointed to the stinking river.
"It's different from climbing a wall. A wall is inanimate, but water is alive."
"The wall is not only hard, but also fixed. You just need to attach it."
"Water is soft and fluid. What you need is not adsorption, but repulsion."
Genzo picked up a stone and threw it into the water.
thump.
Ripples spread.
"You need to release your chakra and form a membrane on the soles of your feet. This membrane should repel the water surface and generate buoyancy."
"The most difficult part is that the water surface is moving. If someone throws stones or uses ninjutsu nearby, the frequency of the water's ripples will change."
"Your chakra output must be adjusted in real time according to the fluctuations of the water surface."
"A little too much and it will sink, a little too little and it will also sink."
Genzo looked at Sousuke.
"Go ahead. If you fall in, you'll have to drink stinky water."
Sosuke stood by the river.
In the past, he would have been apprehensive about such precise chakra control.
But now, after undergoing marrow cleansing, his sensitivity to chakra has increased several times over.
He took a deep breath.
One foot extends out and gently touches the water's surface.
soft.
It feels like stepping on jelly.
The chakra beneath my feet trembled slightly, counteracting the tension of the water's surface.
It did not sink.
With a firm resolve, Sosuke stepped forward with his other foot.
He stopped.
Although his body swayed slightly with the current, he stood steadily on the river.
"Oh?"
Yuanzao was somewhat surprised.
When an ordinary genin practices treading water, they have to swallow several mouthfuls of water and practice for two or three days before they can stand steadily.
This kid succeeded on his first try?
Don't get cocky.
Genzo sneered.
He suddenly raised his iron crutch and violently stirred the river water in front of him.
Whoosh!
A huge wave surged toward Sosuke.
The water surface instantly lost its calmness, becoming like a bed sheet being vigorously shaken.
Sosuke's balance was instantly shattered.
He subconsciously increased his chakra output, trying to stabilize himself.
However, due to excessive force, the water beneath their feet was blasted apart by chakra.
puff.
Sosuke's body was half submerged in the water.
The foul-smelling sewage instantly soaked through his pants.
"This is real combat."
Yuanzao retrieved the iron crutch.
"The enemy won't give you calm waters. Water-style ninjutsu and explosive tags will turn the water into a meat grinder."
"What you need to do is not fight the waves."
"It's about riding the waves."
"Go with the flow, but keep your center of gravity."
Sousuke climbed back to the shore.
Shake off the dirty water.
He did not lose heart.
That moment of loss of balance gave him a glimmer of inspiration.
Chakra should not be used as a brick to force its way through, but rather as a spring that expands and contracts with the ebb and flow of the waves.
Second attempt.
Sosuke stood on the water again.
Yuanzao stirred up the river water again.
This time, Sosuke didn't try to tough it out.
His knees were slightly bent, and the chakra in his feet adjusted rapidly with the rising and falling frequency of the waves.
Like a surfer.
Although he was swaying, he did not fall.
"Good comprehension."
Genzo nodded.
"Now that we're on the ground, let's try laying cables in the water."
"This was also my favorite tactic before—the water ghost net."
Yuanzao pointed to the underwater area.
"The steel wire will reflect light in the air and make a cutting sound."
"But in the murky water..."
"It is invisible."
Zongsuke's eyes lit up.
He shot the shuriken attached to the steel wire into the water.
puff.
The moment it entered the water, the shuriken felt like it had hit a wall.
The water resistance instantly swallowed up the kinetic energy. The shuriken only submerged half a meter before drifting helplessly in the water, spinning with the current, and the steel wire became a tangled mess.
"Have you found the problem?"
Genzo took a sip of wine.
"Water isn't air. A shuriken of that weight would be ruined in water. Before you can even set up your net, you'll be entangled yourself."
"Then how do we set up the net?" Sosuke frowned. "If the lines don't sink down or can't be secured, it'll just be a tangled mess."
"Change to this one."
Genzo pulled a heavy cloth bag from his ninja tool pouch and tossed it to Sousuke.
Sosuke opened the bag. Inside were a dozen or so dark gray metal balls.
It's only the size of an egg, but extremely heavy. The surface is smooth, and there's a sturdy iron ring on top.
"This is a lead weight."
"This is a little gadget that came from Kirigakure. It was originally used by fishermen to weigh down their nets, but later the ninjas used it as an anchor point for underwater traps."
"It's cheap, easy to use, and readily available everywhere. I won't feel bad if I lose it."
"How do I use it?" Sosuke asked.
"It's simple. Tie your wire to the weight."
"Run on the water. Throw one here, throw one there."
"Using gravity, the lead weight sinks instantly to the bottom of the river and embeds itself in the silt; this is the most stable anchor point."
Sosuke immediately began to put it into practice.
He ran on the water.
There is no longer a throwing motion; instead, it is like sowing seeds.
Run to the left, let go, "thump," the first lead sinks to the bottom, and the steel wire is quickly pulled into the deep water.
He moved swiftly to the right, the steel cable stretched into a taut straight line underwater, cutting through the water.
"Thump," the second lead weight sank to the bottom.
He drew a huge triangle on the surface of the river.
The water remained calm; that was the best disguise.
The steel wire blends perfectly into the water, suspended half a meter below the surface—a blind spot and the area where the human lower leg moves.
At this moment, several pieces of rotten wood floated by with the current and entered the triangular area.
"Close the net!"
Sosuke stood on the water and suddenly pulled upwards with both hands.
It's not about pulling horizontally left and right; that's about going against the water resistance.
He is lifting it upwards.
Using the principle of leverage, with the heavy lead weight stuck deep in the silt at the bottom of the river as the fulcrum, the taut steel wire instantly springs up from underwater!
The resistance of the water becomes an aid at this moment, pressing down on the steel wire and allowing it to accumulate greater elasticity.
Click.
The floating rotten wood was instantly cut in two from bottom to top.
If it were a person's ankle... then the Achilles tendon would be gone in an instant.
"That's right."
Genzo nodded in satisfaction.
"This is 'Water Ghost Network'."
"Water resistance is greater, so the reeling action needs to be 0.5 seconds earlier than on land. Also, you can have someone make more of these sinkers later; they're your consumables, pieces in your strategy."
That day, Sosuke practiced on the stinking river until evening.
Until he could skillfully use this standard weight to set up a sturdy "water ghost net" in a few seconds.
After mastering the "Water Ghost Network," Sosuke decided to go out for a nice meal.
Sosuke returned to the warehouse, changed into clean civilian clothes, and tucked 100,000 taels of cash into his pocket.
He walked into Konoha's most famous restaurant street.
The air was filled with the aroma of oil being roasted over charcoal.
【Q Grilled Meat】
This is the preferred place for Konoha ninja to have a meal together.
The store was bustling with noise.
Fireworks.
"Welcome! How many are in your party?"
The waiter greeted us warmly.
"One."
Sosuke held up one finger.
"I need a quiet corner."
"Okay! Please go up to the second floor!"
Sosuke was led to a window seat on the second floor.
The view here is excellent; you can see the street below and other diners in the main hall.
He sat down and took the menu.
There's no need to look at the price at all.
"Two plates of premium beef tongue, please."
"Two plates of Frost-Swept Beef, please."
"Diaphragm, thickly sliced, one plate."
"And another pot of warm sake, I'll have Daiginjo."
The waiter paused for a moment while taking notes.
How could one person eat so much? And it's all the most expensive meat in the restaurant.
"Sir, this portion is a bit much..."
"I can finish it." Sosuke waved his hand. "Serve the food."
Soon, the charcoal stove was brought out.
The bright red binchotan charcoal emits no smoke, only pure heat radiation.
Next comes the meat.
The marbling of the Wagyu beef was as exquisite as marble. When placed on the grill, it instantly produced a wonderful sizzling sound.
The melted grease dripped onto the charcoal fire, creating a cloud of white smoke and a rich, smoky aroma.
Sosuke picked up a piece of medium-rare beef, dipped it in sweet soy sauce, and put it in his mouth.
Tender. Juicy. Delicious.
Sosuke ate slowly and drank his wine, his gaze casually sweeping across the restaurant.
Just then, footsteps came from the stairwell.
It's very light and rhythmic.
Like two sheathed swords, approaching each other.
The air on the second floor seemed to quiet down for a moment.
Two people came up.
One big and one small.
The larger one has long, silver-white hair and carries a chakra dagger wrapped in white cloth on his back.
He was wearing a ninja vest, and on his left arm was a half-length Hokage sleeve with a red flame pattern.
Hatake Sakumo.
The White Fang of Konoha, who single-handedly broke through the defenses of Sunagakure during the Second Shinobi World War, leaving Sunagakure with a psychological trauma that lasted for decades.
At this moment, he was at the peak of his reputation, and even the names of the Three Legendary Sannin paled in comparison to him.
He is the guardian deity of Konoha, a towering mountain that countless ninjas look up to.
In other ninja villages, there is even an unwritten rule: "If you encounter Konoha's White Fang during a mission, abandoning the mission and running away is not considered a failure."
This kind of treatment was later enjoyed only by "Yellow Flash" Minato Namikaze.
Both are top-tier ninjas with the ability to kill instantly and dominate the battlefield.