Chapter 207: Konoha Dragon God! The Power of Centrifugal Force!
"Centrifugal force?"
Hearing the words of the approaching old man, Uchiha Ci couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Centrifugal force—of course, he knew what it was.
It's a virtual force, an embodiment of inertia that causes rotating objects to move away from their center of rotation.
The core principle distinguishing the Expanding Rasengan from a regular Rasengan lies in the ability to unleash the chakra's violent energy, breaking free of this centrifugal force, leading to its expansion, loss of control, and eventual explosion.
But...
This force could be applied to taijutsu too?
Such a fantastical claim instantly shattered the already fragile scientific worldview of Uchiha Ci into pieces.
Then again, he thought, he should have long gotten used to this world of shinobi—a world where seemingly scientific principles are twisted by forces of will, filled with bizarre and mythical characters running rampant.
---
At this moment, the small old man—dressed in a yellow vest and wearing sunglasses even in this pitch-dark night like the Aburame clan—peered over and looked at Uchiha Ci with an expression that seemed to say, "Are you blind?"
"What's the matter? You still don't get it?"
"You're too dense. Just too dense!"
"How could the village allow a greenhorn like you to serve as one of the main elite forces for this mission?"
"Huh?" Uchiha Ci looked up in surprise upon hearing this.
His role as one of the elite forces for this operation should have been classified information. The Third Hokage hadn't disclosed it before their departure.
Looking at the old man's outfit, Uchiha Ci thought for a moment and then suddenly remembered:
The old man before him was none other than the "strongest taijutsu user in Konoha" at this time—a master who wielded the ultimate technique, Konoha Dragon God, and whose taijutsu prowess, during the Fourth Great Ninja War in the future, would overshadow even Guy and Lee in their normal states.
His real name? Chen Baojun. That's right, a distinctly Chinese-style name, even somewhat similar to a certain "pinecone spitting lightning whip" successor's name.
Chen-sensei raised his thick eyebrows, curling his lips, and asked:
"Why are you looking at me like that? You think everyone here is blind?"
Uchiha Ci hurriedly shook his head, but as his eyes lingered on the old man's sunglasses, he couldn't help but wonder:
Master, it's hard not to suspect you're blind, wearing sunglasses at this hour...
Bonk!
Just as he was thinking this, the old man smacked him on the head with a swift knuckle strike.
"Your squad's position in the crane formation is that of the 'general,' protected by archers and foot soldiers. You can advance or retreat at will.
"With a deputy commander from the Root Division serving as your protector and another kid treating you with utmost respect, it's a peculiar squad indeed. Sarutobi Shinnosuke must've seen right through your core, which is why he arranged things this way. Yet you, the so-called 'general,' remain clueless."
"You're... that 'Asura' who defeated that old geezer Ebizō during the Rain Country battle last time, aren't you?"
Chen-sensei shot a disdainful glance at Uchiha Ci, shook his head, and sat cross-legged on a flat stone by the campfire. Picking up a branch from the ground, he roughly sketched out the crane formation and the four elite squad deployments in the dirt, explaining:
"However, Sarutobi Shinnosuke still fell short in his tactics. True warfare relies on a blend of illusion and reality. If I can discern the core of this formation, the enemy naturally can too.
"Your proper placement should have been in the 'cavalry' position."
---
Uchiha Ci scratched his head, utterly baffled by the explanation. He could only look up at the old man with a face full of admiration.
I don't understand a word you're saying, but it sounds awesome!
No wonder they call you Kung Fu Chinese!
Chen-sensei looked at Uchiha Ci's clueless yet reverent expression and twitched his lips. It dawned on him that he was effectively winking at a blind man.
"Uh... Chen-sensei," Uchiha Ci snapped back to his senses and sought clarification on his earlier question. "How exactly do you apply centrifugal force to taijutsu?"
He looked expectantly at the old man.
In this world, once ninja taijutsu reaches a certain level, it becomes increasingly abstract.
If techniques like Lee's drunken fist were still somewhat understandable, the subsequent skills—like Lee's Hidden Lotus, Might Guy's Night Guy, Might Duy's Evening Elephant, or even the Sand Hidden Second Generation's Seven-Heavens Breathing Method—completely surpassed his comprehension.
Fighting the Sand Hidden King Ebizō earlier, Uchiha Ci had tried to mimic some flashy moves, but his Uchiha-style combat turned out too much like a mundane boxing match.
It just didn't feel ninja-like!
The allure of such peculiar taijutsu intrigued him deeply. Moreover, the thought of his Uchiha clan possessing such powerful and elegant taijutsu made him itch with anticipation to learn.
The first step: solving how to double-jump, triple-jump, or even fly through the air.
"Centrifugal force? Well, it's simple," Chen-sensei said. He tossed aside the branch, wiped away the dirt formation diagram with his foot, and, after pondering briefly, continued:
"Shinobi taijutsu also incorporates chakra. When combined with centrifugal force, it allows practitioners to reach an 'inner self' state where they can unleash their imagination freely."
"A taijutsu practitioner's consciousness is like a mirror—empty yet all-encompassing. It accepts everything yet retains nothing. It is desireless but ever-ready, guiding the conscious mind through unconscious actions.
"Practically speaking, it requires constant 'tempering,' freeing oneself mentally to the greatest extent, embracing freedom. Freedom of centrifugal force makes taijutsu truly free."
Chen-sensei's expression grew solemn as he added:
"This is centrifugal force. Do you understand?"
---
Uchiha Ci's eyes widened as he stared at the old man, shocked.
So, you're talking about "centrifugal force" as in the force of leaving the "heart"?
How am I supposed to learn that at a flea market?!
Blinking, Uchiha Ci admitted candidly, "Chen-sensei, I don't get it."
Chen-sensei furrowed his brows, casting a "this child is hopeless" look at Uchiha Ci. After a moment, he sighed and said:
"Too dense. No helping it. I'll just have to show you through example."
---
With that, Chen-sensei stood up, walked to a nearby beech tree, and swept his leg, unleashing a fierce gust of wind. The campfire scattered, and leaves fluttered down from the tree.
Standing under the tree with his hands behind his back, Chen-sensei turned and asked, "You know the Leaf Whirlwind, don't you?"
Uchiha Ci nodded enthusiastically.
Chen-sensei continued, demonstrating a slow, deliberate spinning kick, followed by a second and third mid-air spin kick, each strike causing the tree to quiver violently.
Finally, with an intense gaze, he proclaimed, "This is Konoha Dragon God!"
Spinning faster and faster, his body became a blur, creating a tornado that morphed into the shape of a roaring dragon. The air itself seemed to tear apart, and Uchiha Ci felt as if a grand door to the pinnacle of taijutsu had opened before him.
For the first time, he truly understood: This is centrifugal force.