Right hand clenched into a fist at his waist, left hand with pinky and ring finger bent, remaining three slightly raised and erect—this was the Īśāna Seal.
In the past, this was the hand seal Hii Kōri used to activate his Domain Expansion. Now, having lost his previous jujutsu, this hand seal's meaning transformed into a hint.
An hint to lift chakra refinement restrictions.
To fully experience every detail of chakra flowing through his body meridians and tenketsu, Hii Kōri had initially refined only the minimum—barely enough for a single cycle.
How it should circulate in the left hand, how long it should stay in the lungs, how to stimulate the feet, how to spread chakra through back tenketsu, how much vision could be strengthened...
Since learning chakra refinement, he'd tirelessly repeat these tests.
Test, adjust, increase chakra output. Test, optimize, adjust, increase again... Up to his current upper limit. Then he began to adjust the chakra refinement volume regularly.
Partly to adapt to different chakra levels' physical states, partly to deliberately retain spiritual and physical energy for various experiments.
No results yet—but experimentation never yields conclusions quickly.
Right now, though, fighting was more important.
Chakra—full liberation.
"Got to step it up, geniuses!"
His words are tinged with almost frenzied delight. Simultaneously, a figure tore through the flames—body reflected fiery red—invading everyone's senses as fiercely as piercing sound.
"Come on! Show me more, more interesting techniques!"
Faster than the thrown Rasa and Pakura, Hii Kōri kicked deeply into the training ground, propelling himself forward.
Chakra released from his fists blazed like blue flames, trailing two striking streaks through the air. Singed clothing corners scattered embers, then died in the wind pressure of his charge.
BANG!!!
A heavy footstep—audible to all. Hii Kōri twisted, stepping forward. Toes, ankles, knees, hips, waist, shoulders, elbows, wrists—the speed of his charge transmitted upward through each joint, translated with each rotation offset, then injected into his limb's end.
Into that palm, four fingers clenched, extending outward.
"Like hell we'll let you!"
The alliance, moments ago combine techniques, shattered instantly. Pakura—with Rasa behind her as a leverage point—quickly twisted, grabbing his collar. She spun him forward, kicked off, sending Rasa toward Hii Kōri while retreating to create distance.
Six hand seals completed in an instant. Fireball Technique's flames erupted again on the training ground!
"Tch!"
Rasa, face even sourer, didn't sit idle.
Forming hand seals, his figure disappeared with a poof, replaced by a battered wooden log—instantly blasted to splinters by Hii Kōri's palm thrust.
Substitution Technique—one of the Three Basics.
"Heh. Interesting indeed~"
Seeing this, Hii Kōri raised an eyebrow with interest. A soft laugh, and his shadow swallowed by Fireball Technique's explosion.
"!"
This entire sequence unfolded in seconds. Most students couldn't follow—just gasped at the impressive ninjutsu display.
Karura, obviously more perceptive than others, grew tense. Seeing Hii Kōri take a direct Fireball hit, she clutched her sleeve.
Misawa's expression also gradually serioused. This had clearly exceeded first-year norms.
Normally, Rasa and Pakura's one-on-one spars reaching this intensity would warrant intervention.
But...
That kid's chakra... even among genin, it's outstanding...
Though not a sensor-type, unable to locate other ninja from distance or finely perceive chakra flow, at this close range, Misawa could feel Hii Kōri's chakra had obviously surged multiple times.
Considering Hii Kōri's previous performance, Misawa decided to observe further.
Sure enough, explosion smoke and flames barely rose before being shredded by several slashes.
Then Hii Kōri emerged, surrounded by light green flowing light.
Pakura, who'd assumed him eliminated and engaged Rasa in a fight, tilted her head examining him.
Not bedraggled—completely unscathed.
"Ah—enough already!"
Pakura's shoulders slumped, expression tinged with self-abandonment.
Even sparring with Rasa, they'd traded wins and losses. Today, forced to join forces, they'd achieved nothing.
Two Fireballs Techniques—she'd thought decisive. Instead, she exhausted chakra while her opponent suffered nothing beyond singed clothes.
Pakura could accept defeat. But being utterly crushed by a peer—she, with some genius pride—naturally felt defeated.
"Men who cling are annoying!"
Her final dozen shuriken flew toward Hii Kōri with her complaint.
"Nonsense. Combat's about whoever's left standing after beating and kicking, right?"
The light green streamer moved like living things, intercepting all shuriken. Only then did Pakura realize they were small barriers.
Out of options, further struggle pointless, Pakura collapsed exhausted, signaling surrender.
"What is that? Your kekkei genkai?"
But she was curious about those barriers Hii Kōri manipulated. They'd apparently protected him from Fireball Technique.
And those earlier "impossible" movements—likely achieved through them too.
"Just barrier techniques. Adjusted into this easily manipulated form—like building blocks."
The light green fluorescent barriers assembled into a staff under Hii Kōri's operations, landing in his hand.
"Convenient, but almost weightless. Feels strange."