Chapter 179 – So That's How It Is
At the center of the camp, Taichi stood still, looking slightly annoyed. He slapped his forehead, stomped his foot, and after a brief moment of self-reflection, his chakra perception spread out instantly.
In a flash, the entire camp appeared within his mind. Except for areas concealed by barriers, everything else was clear. It didn't take long for him to lock onto a familiar chakra signature—Minato's.
At the same moment Taichi detected Minato in a small forest at the southeast corner of the camp, Minato also turned his gaze in the direction of Taichi's sensing.
What sharp perception…
Taichi quickly withdrew his chakra perception and bowed slightly in apology to his surroundings.
There were many capable shinobi in Konoha. Even within this frontline camp alone, at least five had noticed his probing. That was why he apologized—casually scanning others was considered impolite.
Meanwhile, in the small forest, Minato, who had been training his team, suddenly looked toward the camp. His reaction immediately caught Kakashi and the others' attention.
"Minato-sensei, did something happen?" Rin asked, noticing his unusual behavior first.
"Haha, nothing… Taichi might be coming over soon," Minato said uncertainly. That chakra signature just now—he was fairly sure it was Taichi.
Kakashi and Obito exchanged confused looks. They followed Minato's gaze but saw nothing at all, and couldn't help but feel impressed by his abilities.
Sure enough, just a few minutes later, Taichi appeared in the forest—and judging by his expression, he had come in a hurry.
"Taichi, it really is you!"
Taichi blinked in surprise, looking at Obito, but seeing his "just as expected" expression, he quickly understood—Minato must have told them earlier.
Smiling, he greeted everyone. After a brief exchange, he turned to Minato and got straight to the point.
"Senior, Jiraiya-sensei asked me to come learn the Flying Thunder God technique."
As he spoke, he handed over Jiraiya's authorization.
"Oh? So your reward from the village has come through?" Minato clearly knew about it. "You chose Flying Thunder God? Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
"What? What's Flying Thunder God? That name sounds so cool!" Obito suddenly piped up like an excited child.
"Idiot, that's Minato-sensei's signature technique—the one where he teleports instantly in battle. It's a very rare space-time ninjutsu," Kakashi said bluntly, scolding him while still explaining.
"Space-time ninjutsu?" Obito looked completely lost. For someone who consistently ranked last in theory exams, this was far too advanced.
Taichi chuckled softly at their antics and didn't bother engaging further. "I've decided. Jiraiya-sensei already told me how difficult it is, but I still want to try."
Minato nodded knowingly, a faint, meaningful smile appearing on his face. "I see… then I won't try to persuade you."
Seeing that smile, Taichi immediately knew—Minato had guessed Jiraiya's intentions. As expected of master and disciple—thinking exactly alike.
"Minato-sensei, can we learn that Flying Thunder God too?" Obito asked directly, unable to figure things out from their cryptic exchange.
Kakashi and Rin were also curious. After all, the technique was incredibly powerful—they had long been tempted.
But Minato shook his head. "No. It's a technique recorded in the Sealing Scroll. To learn it, you must earn sufficient merit and receive the Hokage's approval. And even then… it has extremely strict requirements. Not everyone can master it."
The three fell silent, disappointed but understanding.
"Alright, you all keep training here. I'll take Taichi somewhere else. Don't slack off."
"Got it…" Obito replied weakly, as if his soul had left his body.
Seeing his reaction, Taichi couldn't resist teasing him. "Obito, if you don't train properly, I'll call Yōhei over."
Obito shuddered instantly, recalling Yōhei's terrifying grin. "Quick, Kakashi! Let's spar!"
On the other side of the forest, Minato and Taichi stopped.
"Taichi, how much do you know about Flying Thunder God?"
"Not much. Just that it's a space-time technique developed by the Second Hokage, inspired by the Summoning Jutsu."
"That's right," Minato nodded. "Originally, it was based on the summoning technique. But to apply it in combat, it has gone through many refinements."
He took out a scroll and handed it over. "These are my notes and insights from learning it. Keep them—you can study them later."
Taichi accepted it without hesitation. He knew the value of this knowledge rivaled an S-rank technique. But given his relationship with Minato, unnecessary politeness would only create distance.
A simple "thank you" was enough.
Minato then began explaining the principles in detail.
"Flying Thunder God is essentially a technique that allows you to sense your own chakra at a distance… and then 'summon' yourself to it."
"Normal summoning uses a contract and blood pact to establish a connection. For Flying Thunder God, the first step is creating a connection with your destination."
"This requires a medium—typically chakra itself, since it's something we are most familiar with."
"But chakra dissipates quickly once it leaves the body. So the first major difficulty is sealing chakra in a way that allows it to persist. That's the Flying Thunder God formula."
"Once you have the medium, the next step is sensing it—not in the usual way, but locating it in space."
"That is the hardest part. Most shinobi, even sensory types, lack the ability to perceive their markers in spatial terms. Without that, they can't break the constraints of space to teleport."
Minato's explanation was clear and methodical. Even though it was Taichi's first exposure, he quickly grasped the fundamentals.
Only when it came to the concept of "spatial talent" did things become vague.
"Senior… what exactly is spatial talent? What does it feel like when you sense your Flying Thunder God markers?"
Minato scratched his head and looked up at the sky, searching for the right words.
"It's like… being in a vast ocean, and seeing a faint, flickering light in the distance. It's unstable… elusive… but undeniably there."
Taichi stared blankly.
What kind of explanation is that…?
Minato noticed his confusion and tried to clarify, but it was like describing an itch inside the body—you know it's there, but you can't quite reach or explain it.
At that moment, Taichi finally understood why so many people failed to learn this technique.
"Spatial talent" really was talent.
You either had it… or you didn't.
So he skipped that part entirely and focused on learning the Flying Thunder God formula.
This wasn't the simplified version Minato engraved onto his kunai—the "Sword of Shinobi Love." That was merely the refined end product after countless iterations.
The true formula was incredibly complex.
Even with Taichi's Level 11 sealing proficiency, he encountered numerous unfamiliar symbols—spatial runes—which formed the core of the technique.
They trained until evening.
During this session, Minato realized just how solid Taichi's foundation in sealing techniques was—far beyond his own expectations.
Anything Minato explained once, Taichi could immediately grasp. The only parts that required deeper explanation were the spatial runes.
"Minato-senpai, thank you for your guidance today. Without you, I wouldn't have learned such a complex formula so quickly."
Taichi spoke sincerely.
Minato smiled and patted his shoulder. "No need to be so formal. If there's anything you don't understand, come ask me. Don't try to figure it out alone—especially the spatial sensing part."
"And if you really can't learn it… don't force yourself. Just go back to Jiraiya-sensei and choose another technique."
Taichi almost laughed.
Not even hiding it anymore—just openly suggesting a workaround.
As expected of that teacher-student duo… and honestly, he liked it.
"Don't worry, I know my limits."
"Good. I've taught you everything I can. The rest depends on your own effort."
Minato waved casually—and vanished in an instant.
Taichi's eyelid twitched.
Showing off, huh?
But… it really was convenient.
Once I learn it, I'll definitely show off too.
With Minato gone, Taichi was left alone in the forest.
He glanced at his system panel.
[Flying Thunder God Lv0 (99/100)]
Whether it was his solid foundation… or Minato's excellent teaching…
After absorbing all the theory, Taichi's progress had already reached the brink of breakthrough.
It was as if the progress had completely stalled at that point. No matter how much Minato explained, and regardless of whether Taichi understood or not, his mastery simply refused to move forward.
Only then did Taichi truly realize something—sayings like "diligence is rewarded by heaven" or "once you comprehend it, you master it forever" all had a prerequisite. If your body simply didn't have the necessary foundation, then no matter how well you understood something, you still wouldn't be able to do it.
Just like humans can fully understand the principles of flight, yet will never be able to soar like birds—because they don't have wings. No matter how clear the theory is, without the right conditions, it's meaningless.
But Taichi was different.
With skill points, he could turn the impossible into possible. If he lacked spatial talent, then he would simply create it.
As one skill point was consumed, the panel changed instantly.
[Flying Thunder God Lv1 (1/100)]
First, the technique itself rose directly to Level 1. Then, the experience value began to surge upward rapidly, climbing all the way until it stopped at Lv4 (231/600).
This was only possible because of Taichi's deep foundation—he had reached such proficiency the moment he learned it.
A flood of memories and insights poured into his mind. At the same time, a strange sensation spread throughout his body. It felt as if every single cell had been refined, as though another layer of reality had been unveiled before his eyes.
Now, when Taichi observed the world again, he finally understood what Minato had meant with his vague, almost mystical explanation.
It wasn't that Minato had explained poorly—this kind of perception simply couldn't be described clearly.
It was like how humans naturally live on land, and fish naturally exist in water. That inherent, unquestioned sense of belonging to an environment isn't something easily put into words by those who have always lived within it.
Only someone like Taichi—who previously couldn't perceive space at all, and then suddenly could—could truly grasp the difference.
It was like someone who had lived their entire life on land suddenly gaining the ability to live underwater. Only through such stark contrast could the distinction be understood.
He casually released a small cluster of chakra. Though it dissipated quickly, Taichi could clearly sense it.
But now, unlike before, he didn't just perceive it in the physical world. Within that deeper, spatial layer of awareness, he could also sense the chakra as it flowed through space, continuously emitting its presence.
This was spatial perception.
As expected, it was a talent-dependent ability. Without the aptitude, no matter how hard one tried, it would remain unreachable. But with it… it was as obvious as something placed right before your eyes—no learning required.
Next, Taichi began working on creating his own unique Flying Thunder God formula.
In theory, as long as one could sense their own chakra, the technique could be used even without a marking formula. But the existence of the formula had its purpose.
The intricate symbols within it—especially those related to space—did more than just preserve chakra over time. They amplified its presence, allowing the user to locate their marks quickly and accurately even in the chaos of battle.
Forming hand seals, Taichi converted his chakra into earth nature. With his exceptional control and shape manipulation, a simple desk and chair formed instantly before him.
Taking out paper and pen, he began sketching the most basic Flying Thunder God formula. Then, based on his own understanding and needs, he continuously refined and compressed it.
Draft after draft was discarded.
Finally, after going through an entire stack of rough sketches, the finished product emerged.
Unlike Minato's elegant inscription—"Sword of Enduring Love"—Taichi's Flying Thunder God formula bore a far more domineering declaration:
"Where I stand, none can oppose me.