When Ren Uchiha woke up again, his headache had improved significantly. His thoughts were clearing, allowing him to gain a precise understanding of his current physical state.
To put it bluntly: except for his face, every square inch of his body was covered in sealing formulas.
Four Symbols Seal, Eight Trigrams Seal, Evil Sealing Method, Four Limbs Heavy Seal, Finger Carving Seal, Four Black Snakes Binding... plus a slew of other seals he didn't even recognize.
Using the Nine-Tails' chakra to unleash the Sage Art: Glorious Greatsword—Eight Million Gods' Coercion had allowed him to briefly break through into a new realm, but that single strike had drained every drop of his power. It had even siphoned away a portion of the "Undying Body" power that locked his soul to his physical form.
As a result, his body was currently like a sieve, leaking life force constantly. These seals were a desperate measure to lock his vitality inside.
However, Ren had a feeling that these seals were a bit like "panic-doctoring." His actual status wasn't nearly as dire as it looked. He immediately opened his status panel, and his expression turned strange as the text scrolled by:
[Ding!]
[You courageously clashed with the Tailed Beast Kurama, who intended to kill you. You have obtained a random skill from the opponent: Talent: Tailed Beast Physique (S-)]
[Talent: Tailed Beast Physique (S-): Grants rapid chakra recovery, enhanced physical constitution, wound healing, increased chakra capacity, and the ability to transfer chakra.]
[Talent: Tailed Beast Physique (S-), Fire Style: Chakra Mode (A), Forbidden Jutsu: Body Revival (S), and Undying Body (S-) have automatically merged into a new skill: Tailed Beast Cloak (Pseudo).]
[Talent: Tailed Beast Cloak (Pseudo) (S, Entry Level): You can use large amounts of any type of chakra to form a Tailed Beast Cloak. This significantly boosts damage resistance and self-healing. Cloaks formed with different types of chakra will possess different unique properties.]
[Now, as long as you have enough chakra, you are a genuine Tailed Beast Jinchūriki!]
[Your 'Heartsteel' stacks have increased.]
Ren could feel the Tailed Beast Physique generating a mysterious power within him. While it couldn't be used directly for combat yet, it was filling the "leaks" in his body with something he desperately needed: Vitality.
The rate at which his life force leaked from the "Undying Body" crack compared to the rate his new physique generated it was roughly 1:1.2. Now that the leaks were plugged by seals, his vitality was actually steadily recovering, even without Hashirama cells.
The sensation was warm and cozy, like being bathed in winter sunlight. The stiff joints caused by Curse Mark mutations, the hidden injuries from fierce battles, and the soreness from overusing his eyes were all being repaired as if he were soaking in a hot spring.
As for his physical strength... Ren couldn't help but squeeze his hardened pectorals and increasingly perfect abdominal muscles. He felt like he could finally channel Madara and say to that "Truck-kun" that sent him to this world at 150 km/h:
"Among all those I've fought, in terms of Taijutsu, no one surpasses you! I, Ren, declare you the strongest!"
Yeah, this time, he probably wouldn't get "isekai'd" by a truck. He let out a faint, satisfied smile. After all, what real man would refuse the chance to face a full-speed truck with his bare chest?
Suddenly, a face appeared inches from his own. A tall, wild-looking man with long white hair, a forehead protector with the kanji for "Oil," and red markings running from his eyes to his jaw, squinted at Ren's smile.
"Yo!" the man greeted in a boisterous, melodic voice. "Young man! Are you dreaming of the 'soft gems' and 'warm scents' of the Land of Hot Water? That smile of yours has the unmistakable flair of a fellow man of culture!"
"Agh?!" Ren jerked his head back in shock, instinctively shoving the face away.
Isn't this Jiraiya?
"Alright, Jiraiya-sensei, stop teasing Ren."
Another familiar, gentle voice came from the side. Ren turned to see Minato Namikaze lying in the neighboring bed. His abdomen and forehead were wrapped in bandages, and he was currently peeling an apple with a small knife. True to his reputation as the fastest man in the shinobi world, he peeled the entire thing in a single, perfect ribbon within the blink of an eye.
Seeing Ren staring, Minato smiled warmly and tossed him the apple.
"The higher-ups originally intended for me to lead a team to the Land of Hot Water for a very dangerous mission," Minato explained, his tone turning serious. "But in my current state, Lady Tsunade says I need at least three months of rest. So..."
Minato looked at Ren with gravity. "In all likelihood, Ren, you will be chosen for a very dangerous task instead. Since I won't be there this time, you must be careful!"
Minato winced as he reached into the bedside cabinet, pulling out a specialized Flying Raijin kunai and handing it solemnly to Ren.
"Take this. if you encounter something you can't handle, you must signal me! From Konoha to the mission destination, I only need thirty minutes. I've already sent out shadow clones to leave marking points along the way."
Minato looked at the seal marks peeking out from under Ren's hospital gown. After learning from Tsunade about the price Ren had paid to save him and Kushina—and the fact that his friend had so little time left—both he and Kushina had been silent for a long time.
If he had been just ten seconds faster with the Great Spiral Ring, Ren wouldn't have had to use that life-burning technique.
"This time," Minato promised, "I won't be late again!"
Ren paused, then smiled as he took the kunai. "I believe you!"
Jiraiya shook his head with a grin, looking at his own disciple and Orochimaru's student. "Hey, hey, hey. Plotting a 'village-betraying' unauthorized rescue mission right in front of this Sage... is that really okay?"
Minato scratched his head with a sheepish laugh. "Jiraiya-sensei wouldn't actually report us, right?"
Jiraiya's smile faded, and he turned to Ren with a serious expression. "Ren Uchiha, I know it's uncomfortable to hear about missions the second you wake up. But based on the intelligence I've gathered for this one, I need to warn you—"
"Your enemies won't just be from the Hidden Cloud."
"You need to watch out for two women in particular."
"The first is Chiyo of the Sand!"
"The second is the Hidden Mist's newest genius shinobi—Mei Terumī!"
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