Dan took a deep breath, then dove into the water. The waterfall roared above him, and the cold water surrounded him from every side. He descended quickly, passing the steps one by one. Ten meters, twenty, fifty, a hundred.
Three weeks had passed since he applied the Vitality Seal to his entire body, and the changes were, to say the least, amazing. His body became much stronger, more resilient, and more vital. Every cell was saturated with power, constantly nourished by blood full of energy.
Today, he decided to test his new limits. He continued descending. One hundred and twenty meters, one hundred and forty, one hundred and sixty. The pressure increased with every meter, but he endured it more easily than he expected. One hundred and seventy meters. Exactly 200 meters. He stopped here.
He stood on the twentieth step, at a depth of two hundred meters below the surface. He felt the immense pressure surrounding him, pressing on his body from every side. But it wasn't painful; rather, it was bearable. He tried to go down further, to reach 210 meters, but he felt his body protest. The pressure became too much, and his lungs began to burn intensely. He returned to 200 meters.
These were his current limits. 200 meters was a significant improvement over the one hundred and seventy meters that were his limit before applying the seal. But more important than that was the time.
Dan began to calculate in his mind. How long could he hold his breath at this depth? One minute, two, five, ten. He continued, standing still, enduring the pressure, holding his breath. Fifteen minutes, twenty, twenty-five. When he reached thirty minutes, he felt his lungs were about to burst. He kicked the ground and ascended quickly toward the surface.
He emerged from the water gasping heavily, greedily filling his lungs with air. Half an hour. A full half hour at a depth of 200 meters. It was an amazing achievement. Before the seal, he could stay for only twenty minutes at a much shallower depth. This improvement surprised him and increased his joy with this gain.
This meant much greater effectiveness for his training. Half an hour was a long period. He would be able to train at full strength for thirty continuous minutes under immense pressure without needing to ascend for air. This would build his body faster and refine his strength more efficiently.
Dan floated on the water's surface, lying back and thinking about his current strength. He felt that his level was approaching the Kage level, compared to what he remembered from the anime. The Kage were the leaders of the ninja villages, among the strongest warriors in the Naruto world, with massive chakra reserves and powerful, destructive techniques. Dan didn't believe he had reached that complete level yet, but in some aspects, he felt qualified and close.
His body had become as solid as steel thanks to years of training and was currently being nourished by the Vitality Seal. His physical strength was immense, his speed high, and his endurance exceptional. His chakra control was superhuman, perhaps better than most ninjas he saw in the anime.
But he knew what he was missing: a comprehensive fighting style. Yes, he had developed a strong fighting style using chakra daggers. It was fast, lethal, and effective in close combat. And he had "The Web," the sensing technique that helped him detect enemies and surprise attacks within a two-hundred-meter radius.
But he still lacked two important things: long-range combat methods. In close combat, he was dangerous, but what if he faced an enemy fighting from a distance? An enemy throwing techniques from hundreds of meters away? Therefore, what Dan needed now were overpowering combat methods—techniques he could use to end a battle quickly and defeat powerful enemies. He needed to fill these gaps.
He had an idea of how to develop a fighting style that suited him perfectly and exploited his strengths: Threads.
He would use his superhuman chakra control to create a fighting style based on pure chakra threads. Very thin threads, almost invisible to the naked eye. But they would be very sharp, sharper than any sword, and solid enough to cut through metal. He would manipulate these threads, directing them from a distance, making them move with lightning speed. It would become a lethal, fast, and silent attack method.
Most importantly, it wouldn't consume a large amount of chakra. The threads were very thin, so the amount of chakra required to create them would be small compared to other techniques. Efficiency—this was always Dan's way. All his methods were of his own invention and were considered somewhat strange compared to the methods of this world.
Dan imagined how it would be when he mastered this technique. He would become a balanced, comprehensive fighter, dangerous in all situations. His strong physical power and steel-like body would make him withstand blows and resist damage. His daggers would harvest enemies in close combat with amazing sharpness and speed. His threads would cut enemies from a long distance without them even seeing them coming. And his "Web" would watch for surprise attacks, warning him of any approaching danger.
Strong defense, lethal close attack, hidden long-range attack, and comprehensive sensing. It was a complete fighting style. Dan admired his current development plan. Everything was going according to his plan. Every piece of the puzzle fit with the others.
Dan cleared his mind and stopped thinking about the future. Now was the time to focus on the present—on training. He dove into the water again, descending quickly until he reached 200 meters. The light here was very dim. Sunlight barely reaches this depth; only darkness, pressure, and silence exist as everything else fades in such an environment.
But Dan didn't need light. He could sense his surroundings using "The Web." He stood on the step and began his training. He formed two chakra daggers in his hands and started a series of stabs and cuts. The movements were slow, as the water resisted every move, but he moved with increasing speed, building explosive power in his muscles. A hundred stabs, two hundred, five hundred.
Then he moved to punches and kicks. His body moved in the water like a dancer; every strike, despite its difficulty, was calculated, and he used the pressure to correct his posture. The immense pressure helped build his strength, refined his muscles, and made every cell evolve and consume more of the vital chakra spreading through his blood.
He continued for a full half hour, training at full strength without stopping. When his lungs finally began to burn, he ascended to the surface again. He emerged from the water, his body shining under the sun. He felt exhausted, but it was a good exhaustion—the exhaustion of growth and improvement. His body was adapting, becoming stronger with time. The Vitality Seal worked continuously, nourishing his cells, repairing damage, and building strength.
In the following days, Dan began working on developing the thread technique. The first attempt failed. The threads that formed either lacked sharpness, solidity, or flexibility, and his goal was to combine all three properties, which required prolonged training. He tried again with better control. He failed again. But he did not give up. He continued, attempt after attempt, day after day.
Slowly, he began to improve. The threads became more stable, more solid, and sharper. He hadn't mastered the technique yet, but he was on the right track. After finishing his underwater training, Dan sat at the edge of the hole, enjoying the stars and satisfied with his progress.
His body was stronger than ever, thanks to the Vitality Seal and constant training. His skills were improving, and his techniques were evolving. His goals were clear: master the thread technique, continue underwater training until he reached the bottom, and improve the Vitality Seal in the future.
And eventually, reach immortality.
"Step by step," he whispered to himself. He looked into the dark depths of the hole. Tomorrow, he would continue. Every day, another step toward his goal. No matter how long it takes