Tejima Shinichi watched Uchiha Sasuke's anxious expression, walked to the edge of the Training Ground, and leaned against a tree.
"I can't demonstrate Lightning Release directly, but I can tell you the path… mastering the nature transformation of Lightning Chakra is the first step to activating the body."
Uchiha Sasuke listened with rapt attention.
"The key is to alter the intrinsic quality of your Chakra. You must sense and emulate lightning's speed and penetration, granting your Chakra the lightning nature transformation… Start with the smallest unit!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Sasuke closed his eyes, replaying every detail of Lightning Release he had ever seen, striving to guide his Chakra toward that nature shift.
Time trickled past.
Only the wind stirred across the Training Ground.
Suddenly, a tiny, unstable blue spark leapt from the tip of Sasuke's right index finger —then popped and vanished, leaving a minute burn and a sharp sting.
"Tch…"
Sasuke hissed, frowning at the wisp of smoke rising from his fingertip.
Tejima Shinichi straightened up.
He was genuinely surprised.
It had only been moments.
With nothing but theory and self-exploration, Uchiha Sasuke had actually infused his Chakra with lightning nature in such a short time!
Even for an instant, it proved his talent.
"Didn't expect," Tejima Shinichi said in open admiration, "you'd find the threshold so fast!"
Uchiha Sasuke looked up, meeting his gaze, slightly stunned.
He had never heard Tejima Shinichi praise him in that tone.
After countless rivalries and setbacks, the simple acknowledgment felt alien —and electric.
A spark of "I can do this!" flared again inside him.
But Sasuke quickly crushed the feeling and pressed on.
"Then what? What next?"
Tejima Shinichi's expression cooled.
"Still far off! This only proves you have the potential to wield Lightning Release."
"Next comes control —stabilize that sliver of lightning Chakra, guide it through your body for initial activation. Remember: stability and control are harder than producing it."
As he spoke, Tejima Shinichi stepped forward; soft green light glowed in his palm as he gently covered Sasuke's scorched fingertip.
Cool relief replaced the sting, the tiny burn healing and vanishing in seconds.
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes snapped wide.
"You… that's Mystical Palm Technique?! You even know Medical Ninjutsu?!"
He'd thought Tejima Shinichi was merely monstrous in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu —yet the guy also wielded advanced medical arts!
'Damn it… the gap's that huge?!'
Sasuke's heart crumbled; the earlier thrill evaporated.
Tejima Shinichi withdrew his hand; the green light faded.
Seeing Sasuke's undisguised shock, he explained,
"My father's a Medical Chunin at Konoha Hospital. I grew up around it."
"Besides, Medical Ninjutsu isn't complicated —just refined Chakra control. For me, as long as I have hands, it's doable!"
The statement left Sasuke speechless; he opened his mouth but found nothing to say.
"Continue. If you're hurt, I'll heal you. Until you truly master Lightning nature and apply it to your body, this cycle will repeat many times."
"But don't worry —my Medical Ninjutsu guarantees your training."
"Remember the instant you succeeded, even if it was fleeting. Grasp that feeling, repeat it, refine it, control it. Your Chakra must be sharp enough to stimulate yet gentle enough not to injure yourself."
Sasuke stared at his now-flawless fingertip, then at Tejima Shinichi's calm face, and clenched his fist.
"I understand."
He closed his eyes once more, sinking back into sensing and shaping Lightning Chakra.
On the field, faint flashes sparked and vanished, punctuated by occasional grunts and soothing green glows.
Until—
Uchiha Sasuke looked down at his hands, a flash of insight in his eyes!
"I think… I get it!"
He slowly channeled Chakra to his soles; thin blue sparks danced steadily around his feet.
Unlike before, the current held—stable and continuous.
With a sudden step, his body shot forward several meters, speed visibly boosted.
He stopped, feeling the burst he'd just experienced.
"About… twenty percent faster than usual."
Sasuke murmured, exhilarated.
Tejima Shinichi stood watching the lingering dust trail, eyes narrowing slightly.
'As expected, Uchiha Sasuke's talent… without tricks like Shadow Clones, he translated theory into practice so quickly. Astonishing.'
Of course, Tejima Shinichi's Mystical Palm Technique was the real MVP —otherwise such efficiency would be impossible!
Sasuke jogged back, excitement still coloring his face.
"What now? How do I extend the stimulation to my whole body? How do I maintain it longer?"
He fired questions, eager to dive deeper.
Tejima Shinichi regarded him and slowly shook his head.
"Can't rush it."
Sasuke froze, pressing, "Why not?"
"I said this is a shortcut to rapid power, but shortcuts have prerequisites." His voice stayed calm. "Your body can only handle this level of stimulation right now."
He pointed at Sasuke's legs.
"Deeper, longer stimulation demands stronger physical vitality. Simply put—"
Tejima Shinichi's gaze locked on him, tone blunt:
"Your Taijutsu sucks."
Sasuke's expression solidified.
Tejima Shinichi didn't pause, continuing the critique,
"I bet whenever you train, you think your Taijutsu is 'good enough,' quit early, call it a day… So your foundation is barely better than Naruto's wild swings —no real gap between you and your peers."
Sasuke pressed his lips tight, fists clenching unconsciously.
He wanted to retort, but the memory of Tejima Shinichi instantly subduing Kankuro and Temari —moves too fast to see, strength they couldn't resist —flashed through his mind.
He found no ground for rebuttal.
Tejima Shinichi watched Sasuke's reaction.
"Lightning stimulation is an external force that forcibly unlocks potential. If your body isn't tough enough, stronger stimulation only means greater self-harm. Right now, forcing full-body Lightning activation would tear muscles and fry nerves."
He paused, delivering the verdict:
"Before you deepen Lightning stimulation, you must patch the Taijutsu shortcoming and boost physical vitality… otherwise this shortcut is a dead end."