Previously, Akira had all but mastered the "Nin" portion of his Ninja Body Technique training, leaving only the "Body" aspect standing between him and true mastery. With the foundational knowledge he'd absorbed from the seasoned veteran Chen Baolong, he knew the rest was only a matter of practice and time.
Once Akira fully internalized Chen Baolong's teachings, perfecting the "Body" would no longer be an obstacle. After that, all that remained was the final, deceptively simple step: synchronizing his Lightning Release with his Body Technique. Though on the surface the coordination seemed straightforward, it was, in fact, the linchpin that would determine how far he could push his technique.
The essence of Ninja Body Technique lay in refining chakra circulation within the body, unleashing strength from the inside out. Lightning Release, however, altered that flow, stimulating the body and pushing power from the outside in. The real art — and the true power — emerged only when the two were in perfect harmony, creating a loop of internal and external force that allowed a shinobi to maximize the effectiveness of even a limited chakra pool.
If Akira had skipped the "Body" part entirely and attempted to rely solely on Lightning Release to brute-force his way to strength, the result would have been pitifully inefficient. His chakra reserves, vast as they were, would evaporate in the blink of an eye during sustained combat. This was why Akira had poured his heart into mastering his Body Technique. It wasn't a matter of desire; it was survival and evolution.
After returning home, Akira allowed himself only a brief rest before the itch to train overtook him again. He dove into practice, this time infused with a confidence and sharpness he hadn't known before. With Chen Baolong's techniques firmly embedded in his muscle memory, his progress skyrocketed. It was as if the missing puzzle piece had finally locked into place.
While his outward appearance remained unchanged, the difference was unmistakable. The efficiency of his chakra usage had soared. Where once a single unit of chakra yielded a return of barely 0.3 in raw physical output, now that same unit produced over 0.7 — more than double the power. His Body Technique, once stuck at the level of an Elite Genin, leapt forward into Chunin territory almost overnight. The leap left Akira marveling at Chen Baolong's brilliance. It wasn't that he lacked talent — far from it. It was that the methods he'd followed before, particularly those under Might Guy's rigid, brute-force training style, had been ill-suited for someone like him.
Akira grinned at the revelation. Guy's method was perfect for him, a warrior with an unyielding heart and iron will, but Akira was cut from a different cloth. A strategist, a thinker. Smart people needed smart methods.
Now came the real test. Akira activated his Lightning Release and merged it with his newly refined Body Technique. Immediately, the results were startling. The Lightning Release supercharged his muscles and nervous system, turning every movement into a blur of speed and power. His small, youthful frame, once a physical limitation, had become his greatest asset. Lightning Release amplified his natural agility, propelling him to speeds that would make even seasoned Jonin pause.
His strength was solidly on par with a standard Jonin, but his speed? It was already skimming the edge of the elite. With his body stimulated by Lightning Release and his reflexes sharpened beyond belief, the battlefield had become his playground.
The true genius of Akira's plan was the focus on reaction speed. After all, what use was raw speed if the brain couldn't process incoming information fast enough to react? By flooding his nervous system with chakra, he reduced this gap, pairing lightning-fast reflexes with his Sharingan's unparalleled dynamic vision. Speed, reaction, and vision: the holy trinity of his perfected Ninja Body Technique.
Attack strength wasn't his priority. In Akira's mind, precision would always trump brute force. A shinobi didn't need overwhelming power if they could strike vital points with surgical accuracy. With speed and perception on his side, even the simplest weapon could become a deadly extension of his will.
In a matter of days, Akira had done what many would consider impossible: he had created his first original technique. Now all that was left was naming it. Though the Hidden Cloud Village already had the famed Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Akira's approach was different. It was personal, unique, and worthy of its own identity.
He thought back to the movies he'd seen growing up, to the hero cloaked in lightning who could outrun time itself — the Flash. The name "Speed Force" felt perfect. It carried both ambition and evolution. He wasn't at the Flash's level yet, but one day, the technique would grow with him, just as he would grow with it.
With Speed Force perfected, Akira believed his Body Technique had finally reached Jonin-level standards, especially when the technique was fully active. But experience taught him to stay cautious. Unlike Fire Release or Genjutsu, the two domains the Uchiha clan had long since mastered, Body Technique was unfamiliar territory for him. He needed proof. He needed an opponent.
And there was only one person who came to mind: Might Guy.
Kai — no, Might Guy — was the perfect choice. Though at this point in time, Guy had only recently ascended to Chunin rank, Akira knew the man's potential was bottomless. Moreover, due to Akira's indirect influence, Guy had trained under Chen Baolong too, gaining knowledge and power beyond his peers. In all likelihood, Guy's Body Technique had already edged close to Jonin-level.
Akira didn't waste any time. Luckily, Guy hadn't yet departed on his next mission. Akira sought him out, laying bare his intentions with the kind of fiery honesty that Guy himself would approve of. He wanted a duel — a test to measure the true might of his Speed Force.
Guy, always eager to test his strength, readily accepted. He too had been yearning for a spar, especially after mastering the elusive Konoha Dragon God technique.
The two stood across from each other, tension thick in the air but tempered by mutual respect. Neither unleashed their full strength at the start. Instead, they circled, probing, feinting, each seeking to gauge the other.
Akira, curious about the contrast between his normal state and his Speed Force state, opened with a technique that surprised even Guy — the Leaf Great Whirlwind. His leg lashed out with a sharpness and precision that forced Guy to block, his brows lifting in astonishment.
"When did you learn that, Akira?" Guy asked, his voice tinged with both surprise and excitement.
But the moment passed quickly as Guy countered with the very same move — Leaf Great Whirlwind.
Their strikes clashed in midair, neither side yielding an inch. Akira could feel the raw power behind Guy's technique, but to his own surprise, he held his ground. Years of rigorous body conditioning, combined with Chen Baolong's techniques and his own vast chakra reserves, allowed him to match Guy's strength despite the age gap and specialization.
Guy, too, was taken aback. He'd heard the rumors, of course — the Uchiha prodigy, Konoha's brightest genius — but experiencing it firsthand was another matter entirely. The boy six years his junior was holding his own.
Blow after blow followed, each more intense than the last. Leaf Whirlwind, Leaf Gale — the battle unfolded in a flurry of familiar techniques. In raw strength, Guy still held a slight edge, but Akira's nimbleness and flexibility evened the scales. Yet as the exchange wore on, Akira began to feel the difference in experience. Guy's years of living and breathing Body Technique showed in his control, adaptability, and unrelenting pace.
Akira came to a conclusion: in his normal state, his Body Technique level hovered between Elite Chunin and low Jonin, but he still fell short of Guy, whose growth had been accelerated through Baolong's training and the Konoha Dragon God.
That settled, Akira straightened, dusted himself off, and fixed his gaze on Guy, his Sharingan flickering to life.
"It seems I can't defeat you like this, Guy. But now, let me show you the power of my new technique — Speed Force. Open the Eight Gates, or you'll never keep up."
A surge of chakra flooded his system. Electric light began to dance across his limbs, wrapping around his small frame like living threads of lightning.
The true fight was about to begin.