Chapter 29: Teacher, Aren't You Mortified?

I was wrong.

I knew this guy had a powerful creative ability, but I never imagined his control was equally monstrous. He could perform incorrect hand seals without suffering any backlash, and he was even capable of haphazardly experimenting with them. Had I known, I definitely would have used my Sharingan to watch him!

Kakashi took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic emotions in his heart.

"In terms of practicality, Barrier Ninjutsu combined with ninja tools would be better."

"That’s only if you have chakra-infused ninja tools. Otherwise, the effect is quite lackluster. For me, it's better to integrate it directly into my techniques; for an average ninja, it’s better to just slash away."

Chiba understood the logic, but chakra-infused tools weren't something you could buy just by having money. If he had access to chakra blades, he would definitely be saving up to buy one.

Kakashi thought about it and couldn't refute him.

It was true.

Those items were quite hard to find. If they were easy to come by, he certainly would have reforged his father’s White Fang short blade.

"Hmm, integration is indeed a bit difficult."

Chiba frowned.

A Chakra Scalpel required only a few seals, but Barrier Ninjutsu required several. If he wanted to fuse the two, it seemed he would need to insert auxiliary hand seals between them.

The resulting sequence would be overly complex, and with so many seals... the difficulty of testing it was high.

Furthermore, even if he managed to perfect it, it had no practical use in combat. A technique requiring twenty or thirty hand seals—unless everyone was Kakashi or Zabuza, capable of watching an opponent slowly finish their seals—would be useless. If an opponent tried to use a technique requiring forty-plus seals against him, Chiba would have already flattened them with a Rasengan.

Wasn't that thing much more efficient than such a technique?

It still needed optimization.

Chiba shook his head and picked up his book again. For now, the effects of absorption barriers still needed development. Ninjutsu development was certainly not a smooth path. Fortunately, he wasn't in a hurry; absorbing chakra wasn't very useful at the moment, and such techniques were only needed when encountering powerful enemies.

However, absorption barriers and sealing techniques might produce some synergy.

After reading for a while, he glanced sideways at Kakashi and Kazusa, who was in the tree, and couldn't help but ask, "Kakashi-sensei, I’ve had a question I’ve been wanting to ask."

"Hmm?"

Kakashi, who was holding his book, looked quite studious, playing with his ninja tools while glancing toward Kakashi and Chiba, looking rather curious.

Chiba shifted his posture.

"I remember the first time we met on the street, you were reading a book just like me. Back then, you looked quite embarrassed and put the book away immediately."

"..."

Kakashi looked down at his book and then at him, sensing a vague, ominous premonition.

Chiba lowered his voice, "Look at you now, with two girls nearby, and you're completely calm and composed. How did you train yourself to be this thick-skinned?"

"Chiba, what kind of book is sensei reading?" Tenten curiously interjected.

She leaned forward, trying to see the title.

Kakashi said nonchalantly, "Do you know Master Jiraiya?"

"Hmm? Of course, the legendary Sannin." Tenten nodded.

"This is a work by Master Jiraiya."

"Can I take a look?" Tenten's eyes lit up.

A work by a legendary Sannin? It must be a masterpiece!

Kakashi fell silent. He couldn't answer Chiba's question, and he understood the subtext of the boy's words. With a "snap," he closed the book. "Rest is over. It’s time to move out. The sooner we get to Kyoto, the sooner we can meet the person who hired us."

"Ugh!" Tenten looked disgusted.

What "sooner to Kyoto"? It was obvious he just didn't want to show her. That was a clumsy change of subject.

Chiba smiled without saying a word. It wasn't that he wanted to undermine him, but Kakashi had become increasingly brazen since they first met. From his initial "shyness" to his current open display...

Had he forgotten there were two girls nearby? Especially the one in the tree—her vantage point likely gave her a clear view of the book's contents.

Kakashi didn't respond. Even with only three listeners, two were young girls. If they found out what kind of book *Icha Icha Paradise* was later on, it might damage his image.

Tenten was smart. Kakashi wasn't a stingy person; if it were a normal book, why wouldn't he let her see it? Obviously, there was something wrong with it.

She secretly observed from behind and learned the title.

*Icha Icha Paradise!*

When they reached Kyoto, they arrived at the meeting point for the mission. Sakuraba was a prominent noble, and initially, only Kakashi went in to explain the situation.

At this point, Tenten couldn't hold back anymore.

"Chiba, do you know what kind of book Kakashi-sensei is reading?"

"Hmm?" Chiba glanced sideways.

Although Kakashi was still reading as he pleased, he was now deliberately shielding it, making it impossible for even Chiba to "accidentally" see the contents. Was Tenten's eyesight that good?

"*Icha Icha Paradise*, have you heard of it?" She looked at Chiba and Tsukikage Kazusa.

Kazusa remained silent, but her earlobes turned slightly red.

Chiba smiled, "I don't know either, but since it's a work by a Sannin, it must be a very impressive book."

"I have a feeling it's suspicious!" Tenten pinched her chin, looking Chiba up and down.

She knew Chiba. This guy didn't do things without a reason; that question must have had an intention.

"Suspicious or not, it doesn't matter; I really don't know." Chiba smiled.

Tenten curled her lips and didn't dwell on it. She wasn't stupid. Chiba definitely knew the truth, but he didn't want to say it, so she wouldn't press him. Getting to the bottom of things sometimes made everyone uncomfortable.

Therefore, she immediately changed the subject, "By the way, Chiba, do you think I should put some effort into learning ninjutsu?"

"Hmm? Why are you suddenly thinking about this? You should prefer ninja tools and taijutsu, right?" Chiba was a bit puzzled.

Tenten sighed, "That's true, but our team is lacking a ninja who excels in ninjutsu. There are some limitations in many situations."

Chiba was stunned after hearing this, then let out a soft sigh. She was still that same Tenten. Even though her team had changed, she was always thinking about her teammates and the team, rather than herself.

That wasn't necessarily wrong. Chiba thought for a long time before saying, "Relying solely on ninja tools does have significant limitations, but a person's energy is finite. You need to plan carefully before making a decision."

"Well, I was mainly thinking that with your abilities, if I could learn some ninjutsu, our team could have more variety in combat." Tenten explained her thoughts. "For example, *Earth Prison Dome*. You can't perform earth nature transformation, so you can't execute the complete technique. But what if I were to handle the nature transformation part?"

It was clear she had been thinking about this all afternoon; her thoughts were incredibly clear now.

Chiba nodded. Tenten's point was valid; if someone in the team could master ninjutsu, the team's overall tactical capabilities would definitely be richer.

However...

"If you're learning ninjutsu just to coordinate with me, there's no need at all. I can do many things. Even if barrier ninjutsu can't be effectively integrated into our current system, there are other ways to coordinate."

As he spoke, he pulled out eight talismans.

Tenten and Kazusa looked over. Kazusa didn't recognize them, but Tenten did.

"Sealing Barrier Formation?"

"Sealing techniques and barrier techniques have a lot of room for development. I feel that perhaps my inability to learn nature transformation or genjutsu is the Sage of Six Paths' way of hoping I will develop these overlooked fields."