"Shigure, what was that just now…?"
Mei Terumī's eyes widened in shock, disbelief written all over her face.
Shigure didn't respond. Instead, he silently clenched his fist and slammed it down onto the ground.
The instant his knuckles met the earth, his entire right arm flared with golden light—brilliant and blinding. Streams of light burst from his arm in chaotic directions; not only from his fist but also from the sides and back of his forearm.
The scattered bursts of light generated a tremendous backward thrust, creating an instantaneous surge of acceleration that unleashed force far beyond the Monstrous Strength Fist.
Crack! Boom!
With one blow, the ground split apart. The earth beneath Shigure and the others fractured and crumbled like fragile glass, golden light streaming out through the fissures.
A deafening roar followed—and half the island simply collapsed.
As the dust settled, Shigure stood tall amidst the destruction, shielding his face from the debris.
He couldn't help but grin. "Whoa! That move is insane! Too damn cool!"
The power exceeded his expectations. It was exactly what he'd hoped for.
It seems there's still plenty of potential to develop with Light Release, he mused.
Of course, the chakra cost was immense—but really, what powerful jutsu didn't drain chakra like a waterfall? That wasn't the issue. The only thing that mattered was whether the output justified the cost.
Still, Shigure couldn't help but wonder—aside from Light Release, were there even stronger forms of ninjutsu?
From his memories, there was one art that stood above all others, an ability so profound that it bordered on divine.
'Great Sage, Yin Release governs imagination and creation, while Yang Release governs vitality and life force, right?'
[Great Sage: Correct. Yin Release is responsible for form and illusion; Yang Release for substance and enhancement.]
'Then theoretically… could I craft a new ability using only Yin and Yang Release?'
[Great Sage: Affirmative. However, without combining other nature transformations, it will require extremely precise control over both Yin and Yang chakra to achieve the desired result.]
So… extremely high control, huh?
Shigure thought for a moment. 'What about the technique I've been imagining—the Hundred-Armed Guanyin? Could that be realized using Yin and Yang Release alone?'
[Great Sage: Analyzing… Calculation complete.]
[Feasibility: 90%.]
[However, even if all conditions are met, projected development time exceeds three months.]
Shigure's face fell. For him, "three months" might as well mean never. He didn't have that kind of time to wait.
Still… even if it took that long, the fact that it was possible excited him. If this ability could truly be created, then in theory—there would be no limit to what he could achieve.
That was the real prize.
"It's fine," he muttered to himself, smiling faintly. "As long as it can be done, time doesn't matter."
With Light Release covering his previous shortcomings, he was finally starting to balance his build.
But as he reviewed his current status mentally, another issue popped up—his passive skill slots were running low.
His offensive capabilities were solid now, but next he needed to address the Gluttony problem—and he still hadn't even identified what his third active skill was supposed to be. Fixing Gluttony had become his top priority.
Meanwhile, he also needed to enhance his control over chakra nature transformations.
For now, Water Release could wait, but the other four elemental transformations were crucial. And on top of that, he had to refine both Yin and Yang Release—six attributes total.
Then there was Sage Mode and Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse), both of which occupied active skill slots.
Eight techniques. Seven slots.
A grim expression crossed Shigure's face. "Yeah… that's definitely not enough."
Mei Terumī watched him curiously. Shigure kept alternating between grinning to himself, frowning deeply, and staring into space.
He looked utterly deranged.
"Shigure! Are you okay?" Mei called out.
Shigure blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "I'm fine. Just thinking through some problems. Don't interrupt."
Then he lowered his head again, lost in silent calculation.
[Great Sage: Suggestion to Host — Begin cultivating the fundamental nature transformations independently. With your current power level, the rate of progress will be exceptional.]
If that were the case, then the basic four nature transformations wouldn't even need to occupy his passive skill slots.
Passive Skill 1: Sage Mode
Passive Skill 2: Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse)
Passive Skill 3: Light Release
Passive Skill 4: Light Release
The two Light Release slots were necessary for maintaining the no-chakra-consumption state. Without it, the chakra drain was simply unbearable.
Passive Skill 5: Yin Release
Passive Skill 6: Yang Release
That left exactly one free slot—perfect for switching between other nature transformations.
If Shigure trained in Fire Release, he could temporarily assign the slot to Fire Release.
If he focused on Lightning Release, he could swap it out again.
"Hmm. This setup's pretty good," Shigure muttered, nodding in satisfaction.
He squatted on the ground, scribbling diagrams and calculations into the dirt, completely lost in thought.
Mei Terumī stood nearby, watching him with twitching eyebrows. The young man had been mumbling to himself for minutes—grinning, frowning, then furiously drawing circles in the sand like a lunatic. Finally, she'd had enough.
"Hey, kid! Get over here!"
Shigure looked up, startled, only to meet Mei's furious glare.
"What's wrong now?" he asked blankly.
Her hands were on her hips, her voice sharp enough to cut steel.
"I don't care what kind of new ninjutsu you're experimenting with, but next time—don't fire it off randomly! Your last attack almost destroyed the ship carrying our Mist-nin!"
Shigure blinked, genuinely surprised. "That coincidental? Good thing it didn't hit. Otherwise, those poor shinobi would've died for no reason."
But then her words sank in, and he frowned.
"A ship full of Hidden Mist shinobi? What are they doing out here?"
Mei's expression softened slightly as she sighed.
"Kumogakure's been provoking us. They've occupied an island belonging to the Land of Water and are building a temporary port there."
"…Kumogakure's provoking us?" Shigure muttered, his brows furrowing.
"That's odd. The Land of Lightning and the Land of Water don't even have any current disputes."
Mei crossed her arms, her voice low and serious.
"Don't overthink it. They probably caught wind of the Six-Tails' return to Kirigakure—along with the end of the Bloody Mist era. They're testing us."
"Testing?"
"They want to see if we'll dare to retaliate," Mei explained.
"If we back down, Kumogakure won't press further. But if we respond aggressively, even this small island won't matter to them."
"What matters," she said, her eyes narrowing, "is making us understand that Kumogakure still considers itself the strongest village after Konoha's decline."
Shigure understood immediately.
"A show of force, then. Just like during the Warring States era—flex your power and see who blinks first."
Mei nodded.
"This island is both a test… and a warning."
"I'll go take a look," Shigure said without hesitation.
But Mei instantly shook her head. "No. You can't."
"Why not?"
"Because deploying a Jinchūriki turns a border conflict into a declaration of war!" she snapped.
Shigure froze, then slowly exhaled. She was right. The moment a Jinchūriki entered the battlefield, the entire situation escalated to the level of a great shinobi war.
"I see. Then send Haku, Chōjūrō, and Zabuza instead," Shigure said calmly.
Mei gave a small smile. "That's exactly what I was planning."
As the two spoke, Shigure's expression suddenly changed. His pupils narrowed to slits, and his head turned toward the horizon.
"…Found it."
Far away, in the skies above Konoha, a carrier pigeon suddenly burst into smoke.
The fading chakra trail reformed into a puff of mist—rushing straight toward a lone figure standing on a cliff.
The man was clad in a black cloak adorned with red clouds.
And upon his back, the wind stirred the mark of the Akatsuki.
...
TN:
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