CHAPTER 9

As one could already understand, Yuske had high hopes to be an earth element jutsu user. For someone with a basic understanding of physics, earth elemental jutsu is a treasure trove of imagination-rich techniques.

While choosing techniques to learn, he wanted to go by the criteria of simplicity and safety. Let's start with the second one. This world is rich in imagination with strange and dangerous jutsu that give very fast progress and strength, but at the same time promises the user nothing but a bad end.

Edo Tensei is a prime example. This technique allowed Kabuto to speak on equal terms with Madara, but ultimately caused his own demise at the hands of the summoned Itachi.

As for simplicity, Yuske is a proponent of converting 'control' techniques into something variable that can serve as both offense and defense. He has already decided that he wants a technique with exactly the highest degree of versatility.

Some techniques are purely offensive in nature, such as Fireball Technique, while others are known for their defense, such as Earth Wall. Yuske, on the other hand, considered the most practical techniques to be those that, in the manner of a spider's web, enveloped the entire battlefield, thereby being able to both attack the enemy and protect himself if necessary. A great example of this style was the First Hokage, who first created trees with Great Forest Technique and then used them for both attack and defense.

Then again, the earth elemental jutsu can be used as an example of creating a simple object out of earth: long shaped soil in the form of a serpent, hardening it and eventually producing a highly agile technique that is very difficult to dodge and yet quite difficult to defend against. The opponent against whom such a technique is used has no choice but to use his offensive ninjutsu, and in doing so, hope that it is strong enough to destroy the 'serpent'.

Another example would be Deidara's style. With only one technique he was able to reach kage level shinobi, using it variably enough to fly, attack, and in some cases even defend himself.

Ninjas themselves, if you follow the game terminology, are characters made up of a mage plus assassin combination, and it is for this reason that you cannot fight against them using tactics that are used purely against mages or dexterous classes.

It's all about the speed of combat between shinobi. If you focus on slow large-scale attacks, the ninja will be able to dodge them using his speed, especially when it comes to forest terrain - using branches as a method of evading direct ranged attacks, making the chakra spent on the technique another headache.

In Yuske's perspective, from the bits of information he had gathered about the black substance, it was the element of earth that suited him best.

If we make a classification according to the elements he desires and their possible applications with black substance, the following picture emerges:

1. Earth

2. Water

3. Wind

4. Lightning

5. Fire

* The fire is my doom. If my affinity is fire and nothing but fire, then I can head straight to Hokage Mountain to 'accidentally' fall headfirst from there. - So much of the boy's time had been wasted trying to come up with some combat style using the element of fire that would allow him to fight on equal footing with shinobi like Madara or Kaguya in general.

Futility. It's the answer to the question, "Has there been any result to so much pondering?". Even the method of fire generation is almost monotonous and unpractical - exhaling a jet of flames from the mouth.

Yuske didn't know if it was possible to form fire from other parts of the body, but the shown in the anime often indicated that there were no alternatives, which again was doubtful, but the element was indeed limited in its arsenal of uses.

While the other elements allowed at least some interaction with the black substance or had variant ninjutsu in their arsenal, the fire style was too useless and predictable in his opinion.