Danzo Shimura's actions this time had eliminated a hidden danger for Sagawa and his friends. For that, Li Anshi had to thank him.
The first stage of training in the Little Li Flying Dagger was mainly about throwing techniques.
A technique of this level wasn't exactly a "secret art."
Exchanging the first stage of the training for the safety of his three students was a trade Li Anshi didn't feel he had lost.
But one thing was one thing.
As he had said, what was his, he could give. But it could not be snatched.
Danzo's actions had crossed a line.
Considering that he had, in a way, saved the lives of the three boys, Li Anshi's decision not to actively seek him out for assassination was already a concession.
But if Danzo Shimura entered within a hundred meters of him, he would not be soft.
Picking up the unfinished carving from the table, the flying dagger in Li Anshi's hand once again danced across the wood.
Unlike usual, this time as he carved, he could clearly feel that his dagger had a certain elegance it lacked before.
A flicker of joy appeared in his heart.
Ever since he had come to understand his "ninja way," he had been practicing it.
The so-called "freedom" was not about doing whatever one wanted.
Rather, it was about not doing what one did not want to do.
This time, with the matter of Danzo Shimura, Li Anshi had taken a great step forward in practicing his "ninja way."
The concrete manifestation of this was a slight change in his chakra.
In the ninja world, the gap between a Jonin and a non-Jonin was vast.
The so-called "Jonin" was not just a title; it was a symbol of strength.
Every Jonin was a powerhouse who had, at the very least, completed the nature transformation of their chakra.
Once a nature transformation was added, the power of a ninjutsu would be greatly enhanced.
Furthermore, it could be imbued with various characteristics.
The sharpness of wind, the solidity of earth, the swiftness of lightning, the explosiveness of fire, the vastness of water…
A Jonin could easily kill a Chunin.
It would take more than a handful of Chunin to even be a match for a single Jonin.
And the gap between a "Kage" and a Jonin was even greater than that between a Jonin and a Chunin.
An ordinary Jonin had almost no chance of fighting back against a Kage-level powerhouse.
Only an "Elite Jonin" could contend with a Kage for a time.
And the difference between a Kage-level powerhouse and a Jonin was the "ninja way."
To find one's "ninja way" and practice it, to achieve a unity of knowledge and action, a transformation of the spirit—the quality of the chakra one refined was a notch above that of a Jonin.
The chakra of a Kage-level powerhouse, combined with nature transformation, had a power comparable to that of a Tailed Beast.
For Li Anshi, his "ninja way" was the "spirit" of the Little Li Flying Dagger.
At this moment, the "spirit" contained within the dagger he used to carve was no longer Li Xunhuan's "sentiment." For the sake of his "sentiment," Li Xunhuan could give up everything.
Li Anshi's "spirit" was "freedom."
When he carved with a dagger imbued with "sentiment," he could make his figures of people or animals appear angry, happy, sad, or joyful.
But a carving made with a dagger imbued with the spirit of "freedom" had a sense of soaring elegance, making one feel broad-minded and unrestrained.
Of course, for now, the difference between the spirit of "sentiment" and the spirit of "freedom" within him was like that between the clouds and the mud.
The spirit of "sentiment" came from Li Xunhuan, who had walked the path of "sentiment" to its extreme.
Otherwise, Li Anshi's dagger would not have been able to kill a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki and make the entire ninja world tremble.
His spirit of "freedom," however, was his own "ninja way."
Currently, he had only taken the first step on this path.
But this single step had already allowed him to enter the ranks of the "Kage," even without using Li Xunhuan's insights.
And with the characteristics of the Little Li Flying Dagger, among the Kage-level, besides a select few, no one could survive his attack.
In some respects, he had now completely broken away from Li Xunhuan's influence and embarked on his own path.
As he continued to practice his "ninja way" with a unity of knowledge and action, one day, his spirit of "freedom" would surely surpass the spirit of "sentiment," allowing him to ascend to an even higher realm.
"Hoo…"
He blew out a breath, and wood chips flew. A small, winged bird appeared in his palm.
Although it was just a carving, anyone who saw it for the first time would not think it was fake. It was as if a real little bird was beating its wings, about to fly towards the boundless sky in pursuit of its own freedom and dreams.
"Not bad, not bad…"
A smile appeared on Li Anshi's face.
Although the artistic conception of this little bird couldn't compare to the ones he had carved before, it was his own "artistic conception."
"Wow, Anshi, I haven't seen you in a while. Your carving skills have improved so much."
At that moment, a familiar voice sounded beside him.
Then, a small hand carefully took the carved bird from him, marveling at it.
It was Tsunade!
Li Anshi smiled.
This was just Tsunade's shallowness showing.
In terms of technique, his carving of this bird was not much different from the others.
What gave her this feeling was the external manifestation of the two "spirits," and the difference in his mastery of "sentiment" and "freedom."
Sentiment was introverted, while freedom was unrestrained.
The objects carved with these two different spirits naturally had different expressions.
"Tsunade, you're a complete amateur."
Because the two of them were quite familiar, Li Anshi didn't give her any face.
"Tsunade, if you don't understand, don't just say things. It's embarrassing if it gets out."
"My carving skills have improved, but to say by how much is uncertain."
"The reason you think so is just because this type of carving is more suitable for you."
What child doesn't want freedom?
But only when they grow up do they realize that their younger days were the most free.
"If you don't believe me, you can compare this carving with the one I made before."
"If it's you, you should be able to feel the difference."
"Is that so?"
Tsunade looked at him doubtfully, then placed the wooden bird on the shelf next to the carving of her grandfather.
"Huh?"
With this comparison, she quickly felt it.
The wooden bird on the left, although it looked like it wanted to fly to the sky, seemed to be just fluttering on the ground next to her grandfather's carving.