5 -5- Testing
While the Uchiha family enjoyed their time together, the Hokage's office was just as bustling.
At least in terms of the number of people.
A delicate fox-shaped mask lay quietly on Sarutobi Haruzen's desk.
"Hokage-sama, the sealing team has double-checked," reported Kakashi beneath his Anbu mask. "This is just an ordinary mask, no issues whatsoever. Before coming here, I also consulted the toymaker who crafted this mask. He said it was made by a child named Uchiha Giyu for his family, a total of five pieces, all fox-shaped, and they were ordered three days ago."
Sarutobi took a drag from his cigarette, picked up the mask, and waved it towards the three advisors sitting on the couch.
"My speculation holds. Naruto's sudden power surge was an accident. Uchiha's encounter with Naruto and the fox pattern on this mask should merely be coincidences."
His cryptic gaze roamed over the three individuals, ultimately settling on the elderly bandaged man who sat with closed eyes, lost in thought.
"Furthermore, even if Fugaku wanted to approach or control the Jinchuriki, he wouldn't send a child with no chakra. Using genjutsu through Shisui would be more convenient, wouldn't it? You're overly suspicious when it comes to the Uchiha. Blaming everything on them is too dark. Doubting our comrades in the village to such an extent is too sinister."
"Danzo, maybe you should spend more time coming out from underground and soaking up the sun."
The implication was clear: don't assume everyone is as devious and dark as you.
Upon hearing this, Kakashi's eye twitched slightly beneath his mask.
"Haruzen, I'm not as leisurely as you think, nor do I have time to bask in the sun."
"Remember, sensei always said: when it comes to that clan, it's better to be cautious."
Danzo's cane tapped lightly on the floor, emitting a dull sound. "Every time there's an issue with the Jinchuriki or the Nine-Tails, someone from the Uchiha clan is nearby. I refuse to believe this can be explained away as mere coincidence. Don't forget what happened five years ago. We still haven't found out the reason, but the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes is evidence!"
"You seem to be getting the sequence of events mixed up," Sarutobi sighed. "According to the shinobi report responsible for Naruto, he first attacked the three academy students with stones, and Fugaku's son appeared later. Naruto's power surge and the tree incident happened because he saw Hisashi's daughter being injured in front of him. He erupted in power to protect his comrades in the village, not because he was angered by the mask..."
"Speaking of Hisashi's daughter," Danzo interrupted, "it's because there were Hyuga clan shinobi nearby that the Anbu in charge of surveillance was actually quite far away. They only saw a rough outline, didn't they?"
"...You're twisting the truth and seizing the opportunity," Haruzen snapped impatiently, realizing Danzo's true intention behind exaggerating the matter.
"What do you want from me today?"
The subsequent conversation was lengthy, but here are the key points:
Danzo: Jinchuriki, Root, cultivation, safe.
Haruzen: No, darkness, outbreak, Minato, entrusted.
Danzo: Haruzen, you will regret this.
Haruzen: Danzo, I am the Hokage.
With that, Danzo stormed out.
The remaining two Hokage advisors remained seated on the couch, staring keenly at the Third Hokage.
"While his thoughts may be dark, he makes some sense. Haruzen, you need to come up with a strategy. At least find a way to know what the Uchiha clan is up to, what they want. Relying solely on Anbu's surveillance telescopes is not enough."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura reached a consensus. They also felt it necessary to guard against Uchiha's actions regarding the Jinchuriki.
In the past five years, the Uchiha and the security forces' reputation had worsened, and the conflict between Konoha and this clan was escalating.
Haruzen sighed.
"Since you both insist, Kakashi."
"Yes?"
"Starting tomorrow, you, with the Sharingan, will monitor and protect Naruto. As for the responsibility of the Anbu captain directly under the Hokage, I'll leave it to Shisui for now."
Haruzen looked at the two advisors. "In addition, let Fugaku's eldest son, that child named Uchiha Itachi, participate in next month's Chunin Exams. With his strength, passing the exam is absolutely no problem. Afterwards, we'll find reasons to have him join the Anbu. This way, both Shisui and Itachi, the two Uchiha geniuses, can experience firsthand what the Will of Fire truly means, and it'll be convenient for us to assess them. Is that acceptable?"
The two elderly men nodded.
Now that their purpose had been achieved, they got up to take their leave.
Kakashi was about to leave with them but was stopped by Sarutobi Haruzen.
"Wait a moment," Sarutobi said, then instructed, "Spread the word: from now on, no civilian or shinobi associated with Root is allowed to contact Naruto. Including the few academy students who attacked Naruto today—they are all expelled. Let Root deal with the rest."
"Yes," Kakashi replied without surprise.
If no one had instructed them, would those children dare to attack Naruto knowing he's a "fox demon"?
It was obvious that Root deliberately incited these students to assault and provoke Naruto, hoping to trigger the Nine-Tails' power to erupt due to resentment.
If those students were directly killed by Naruto, it would be even better.
Because once such an incident occurred, Danzo could prove to the elders and the village's jonin that the Third's plan to train Naruto was wrong, and Danzo could then naturally seize control of the Jinchuriki.
[Absolutely, this cannot be allowed to happen!]
"And, have the person on duty tonight take this mask back."
Sarutobi pushed the mask towards Kakashi with his cigarette. "I heard that Naruto placed this mask next to his pillow before going to sleep. For him, this is a rare gift.
"But this incident also proves that even the Uchiha children are capable of reaching out to strangers. I heard that Fugaku's youngest son doesn't want to become a shinobi, perhaps due to that inherent kindness, so he doesn't want to hurt others. It reminds me of that child, Obito. There must be many similarities between the two of them."
[No, not at all, Sandaime-sama.]
Kakashi hesitated, recalling the words of the ninken from earlier this afternoon.
[That kid is super dangerous.]
"Kakashi?"
Seeing no response, Sarutobi apologized with a hint of remorse. "Sorry for reminding you of your painful memories,"
He didn't miss the opportunity to probe Kakashi's mental state, but the result was somewhat unexpected.
"If there's nothing else, Hokage-sama."
Kakashi decided to hide his thoughts about Uchiha Giyu for now. "I'll go back on duty."
"Very well, go ahead."
Sarutobi turned away. "From the looks of it, you seem a bit absent-minded. Maybe it's better to read fewer of Jiraiya's books."
Kakashi's Body Flicker Technique failed, and he ended up sliding onto the roof of the Hokage Tower.
The next morning.
The moment Giyu opened his eyes, he heard the mysterious prompt again.
[Spent 8 hours in close proximity with Uchiha Sasuke. Flame Breathing analysis +0.04%, Thunder Breathing analysis +0.04%.]
He sat up with some confusion, observing Sasuke, who was squeezed in the same blanket.
The latter was sleeping soundly, even scratching his belly while snoring, like a content pig.
If he remembered correctly, before fainting yesterday, Giyu heard that spending "close proximity" time with Itachi for one hour increased the Flame Breathing analysis by 0.02%.
Later, with just a simple ninjutsu from his father, Fugaku, the analysis increased by 0.04%.
And he spent a total of 8 hours sleeping in close proximity with Sasuke, which resulted in Flame and Thunder Breathing analysis each increasing by 0.04%, equivalent to an increase of 0.01% per hour.
So, the question was:
Why did Sasuke have a higher Thunder Breathing analysis than his father, Itachi?
And how close is considered "close proximity"?
[You have spoken again.]
Giyu's eyebrows furrowed, and he entered the state of the Transparent World, scanning his surroundings, but found no living creatures. Upon careful thought, the voice seemed to directly appear in his mind.
Seconds passed, but Giyu heard no further sound.
At least his doubts were answered.
To obtain breathing technique analysis, certain conditions must be met.
1. Be around people with high intimacy.
Intimacy refers to the quality of relationships. Naturally, family and friends are closer.
In this world, Sasuke, Itachi, parents, and maybe even Shisui are included...
2. Must maintain a distance of less than two meters from these people.
Meaning, at least be in the same room with them.
The analysis is calculated once every hour if the other party doesn't use ninjutsu.
If ninjutsu is used, it's settled on the spot, just like when Uchiha Fugaku blew out two fire lotuses yesterday.
However, the specific breathing technique to be resolved depends on the chakra nature the other person possesses.
To Giyu, the word "nature" should refer to things like Fire Release, Water Release, corresponding to Breathing Styles like Flame Breathing, Water Breathing.
According to what he heard yesterday, as long as he completely resolves Flame Breathing and cultivates it to the Constant level, he can revive the Flame Hashira.
Total Concentration Breathing - Constant is a level in practicing Breathing Styles.
////In future chapters, Constant will mean Total Concentration Breathing - Constant, for convenience////
When using Total Concentration Breathing, swordsmen are essentially using intense breathing to forcefully improve their physical qualities, causing their bodies to operate under overload, so they cannot use it for extended periods, otherwise, it will leave serious side effects, such as lung cell necrosis, and so on.
But after swordsmen complete the training to reach "Constant," they can use Breathing Styles burden-free for twenty-four hours a day and can also subtly change their physique by using Breathing Styles to manipulate the power of nature.
It can be said that reaching the Constant level is the threshold for becoming a Hashira.
And Giyu has reached Constant level in Water Breathing for half a year now.
What surprised him was that the natural power in this world is even more abundant than on his old world, which has led to the strengthening speed of Water Breathing Constant on this body being much faster than on his old world.
Helping the blond kid yesterday was the first time he had acted since coming to this world.
Although that strike wasn't at full strength, its power was no weaker than when he first became a Hashira.
And he used the Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust, not using a Nichirin, but an ordinary stone...
This gave Giyu considerable confidence in this body.
Although switching to Flame Breathing might be more difficult, Breathing Styles are interconnected after all.
With his current physique, even if there are problems, they won't be too big. Reaching Constant is only a matter of time.
As long as he can first revive Rengoku, his beloved teammate, Giyu will overcome any difficulties.
(In the fanbook, Giyu's impression towards Rengoku is: I like him, Talks to me a lot.)
[What about the others?]
Giyu tentatively asked in his mind, [How would I revive Tokitou Muichirou?]
Dying at fourteen like that, it's too pitiful.
And the one who killed Muichirou was his ancestor, Kokushibo.
Giyu wants to revive Muichirou, but he seems not to have heard of any ninjutsu in the Shinobi world related to Mist Release or something similar.
[Reaching Constant level in both Water Breathing and Wind Breathing will revive Tokitou Muichirou.]
Giyu blinked.
So, this strange voice selectively responded to his question.
Muichirou's Mist Breathing utilizes vague mist and high-speed movement for guerrilla warfare, originating from Wind Breathing, but it also has elements borrowed from Water Breathing, seemingly perfectly corresponding with Wind Release and Water Release.
But does this mean he needs to find someone proficient in Wind Release and become friends with them to proceed with the analysis?
Making friends is undoubtedly the most difficult thing for Giyu.
Two years after killing Kibutsuji Muzan, Giyu struggled to find work due to his inability to communicate with people, relying on his savings to survive.
During this time, his only social activity was writing letters to Tanjiro and their master...
However, Giyu, as Uchiha Giyu, could overcome this level of difficulty!
As long as he knew what others liked to eat and carried food to feed them, he could make others like him.
This was the philosophy Tanjiro taught him.
(Shinazugawa Sanemi: ×@#&!)
[What about the Insect Pillar, Kochou Shinobu?]
Giyu changed the question.
[Water Breathing needs to reach the Constant level, and entry-level Moon Breathing is required.]
Giyu was puzzled for a moment.
Moon Breathing, isn't that the Breathing Style of Upper Moon One?
But the problem is, he has never heard his family mention anything related to "Moon Release" or "Moon Attribute."
And, does Moon Breathing have anything to do with the Insect Pillar's Insect Breathing?
After pondering for a while without receiving a response, he stopped worrying about it.
[Can Sabito be revived?]
Sabito, his senior brother who trained with him, and was the only one who died in the selection exam during his year.
His talent was very high, and Giyu always thought that if he had survived, he would have become a Water Hashira earlier than himself.
In that case, there would be fewer team members who died in the final battle.
[Revivable individuals only include the "Hashira" who sacrificed themselves in battles against demons before and after the Great Battle.]
Only Hashira, huh.
Giyu was not disappointed and continued to inquire.
[What about Shinazugawa Sanemi...]
Giyu had been in this world for five years now, and Shinazugawa should be close to death.
[Not included. He died after you were reincarnated.]
What a pity...
////Shinazugawa Sanemi is an important supporting character in the original author's previous book, so the author don't want to include him this time.////
[What about the Insect Pillar's sister, the Flower Piller?]
[She has been reincarnated and is living happily.]
Giyu was stunned; that was good news.
In this way, after asking about the conditions for each Hashira's resurrection, Giyu's mood became better and better.
[To revive Rengoku Kyojuro, Flame Breathing needs to reach the Constant level.]
[To revive Kochou Shinobu, Water Breathing needs to reach the Constant level, and entry-level Moon Breathing is required.]
[To revive Tokitou Muichirou, Water Breathing and Wind Breathing need to reach the Constant level.]
[To revive Kanroji Mitsuri, Flame Breathing needs to reach the Constant level, and entry-level Sun Breathing is required.]
[To revive Iguro Obanai, Water Breathing and Lightning Breathing need to reach the Constant level.]
[To revive Himejima Gyomei, Stone Breathing needs to reach the Constant level.]
Shinazugawa Sanemi, Kochou Kanae, and Uzui Tengen are not included in the resurrection options.
Uzui Tengen hasn't activated his Demon Slayer Mark yet; he probably lives happily with his three wives...
Giyu kept these conditions in mind.
Among them, reviving Rengoku was undoubtedly the easiest, because he could obtain the analysis of Flame Breathing from his father, Itachi, and Sasuke.
Finally, Uchiha Giyu finally found something he could call a goal in the Shinobi world.
After finishing, Giyu pushed Sasuke, who was sleeping soundly, aside and got up himself.
Today, he would follow Itachi and Sasuke to the training ground. As long as he stayed within two meters, he should be able to further understand the working principle of the so-called analysis. By the way, he wanted to find out if there was anything like Moon Release...
It's not that he has any special feelings for Kochou Shinobu; it's just that reviving someone who is willing to talk to him first, like Kochou Shinobu and Rengoku Kyojuro, should make things easier for both parties to get along.
After all, it seems like Tokitou Muichirou and Iguro Obanai don't particularly like him, especially the latter, who always bullies him together with Shinazugawa, making Giyu very sad.
After going downstairs, Giyu noticed his father, Fugaku, sitting in the courtyard talking to Itachi, who nodded from time to time, as if accepting some task; his mother was in her own room.
As usual, Giyu ignored them, washed up, and started cooking. He first remade the leftovers from last night and then prepared some snacks for today.
Half an hour later, Sasuke, rubbing his eyes, came in late. The family ate breakfast silently and uninterestingly at the table in the Japanese-style room, with the typical Uchiha dining style.
It wasn't until Giyu suddenly asked, "What is Chakra Nature?" that the family was stunned.
Mikoto covered her mouth excitedly, her eyes filled with incredulity.
[Oh my goodness, Giyu actually initiated a conversation with someone!]
She was almost in tears.
Although he didn't specify who he was asking, he finally asked a question unrelated to chores!
This is the kind of question a child his age should ask.
[My Giyu has finally grown up!]
"Sasuke, do you remember what I told you before? Why don't you tell Giyu about it?"
Itachi wanted Sasuke to show off his recent learning achievements, afraid that Fugaku would think Giyu had better talent, causing Sasuke to feel hurt again.
Sasuke, who was stuffing his mouth with fried fish belly, immediately sat up straight, intending to perform well in front of his father.
"Yeah, Nii-san said that there are five basic attributes of Chakra, which are water, fire, lightning, earth, and wind. Every shinobi naturally possesses at least one of them."
Sasuke glanced at Itachi.
When he saw the latter smiling and nodding at him, his tone became more confident.
"For example, we Uchiha naturally have a high affinity for the fire attribute, so when we use Fire Release and convert the refined unattributed Chakra into Fire Chakra, we waste less than other shinobi, and the efficiency is higher, and the power of ninjutsu is also greater."
"But Nii-san also said that besides the innate attributes, shinobi can also research and develop the properties of other attributes through postnatal cultivation, but it just takes more time. To become a Jonin, you must master two to three or more attributes of Chakra nature transformation."
"That's roughly correct."
Uchiha Fugaku nodded in satisfaction, then said what he had been holding back all night, "Well done, my son."
In fact, this sentence includes all three of his sons, but he couldn't say it out loud last night because Giyu made him angry.
But today, he said it.
Fugaku enjoyed his breakfast very much.
These three sons, including Sasuke, are stronger than he was at their age.
He believed that as long as things go smoothly, the Uchiha clan will not longer need Shisui's who's standing is suspicious and possess a truly indigenous power.
But of all the praises, Sasuke was the happiest.
His cheeks were as red as if they were about to catch fire, and if you didn't know, you'd think he was about to conjure up a Great Fireball.
Later, Uchiha Mikoto asked her own question.
"But Giyu, why are you curious about this?"
[Could it be that Sasuke told him something again last night?]
"Mm, I wanted to know if there are Chakra attributes related to the moon, in addition to these five basic ones."
Sasuke was a little confused when asked, shaking his head.
"Moon? Do you mean the Yin attribute?"
Fugaku took a sip of soup and calmly said, "In addition to the five basic attributes, there are also Yin and Yang, two rarely mentioned Chakra attributes. Among shinobi, few can understand the nature transformation of Yin attribute Chakra, and most only dabble in it, applying it superficially in sealing jutsu and genjutsu."
"In Konoha, only the Nara, Yamanaka, Kurama clans, and a few genjutsu users are seriously studying the nature transformation of Yin attribute Chakra. Mastering the nature transformation of Yin attribute Chakra requires extremely high comprehension and imagination, as well as a lot of time. The only people who can quickly master the Yin attribute Chakra are us Uchiha. We don't even need to deliberately enhance this power, let alone release genjutsu through hand seals."
He switched to his Sharingan and subtly rotated it in his eye sockets.
The family put down their chopsticks and stared motionlessly at his eyes.
"Giyu, as long as your Sharingan keeps evolving, the Yin attribute Chakra, also known as the dojutsu of our clan, will also become stronger, and the effects of genjutsu you use will become stronger and stronger, even to the extent of modifying reality and reversing life and death. You said yesterday that you didn't want to be 'disliked' by people, but as long as your genjutsu is strong enough, you can achieve that."
[So, do you finally understand how powerful the Uchiha's power is now?]
Fugaku stared at Giyu's face, as if he wanted to see a longing or proud expression for the clan.
[The Sharingan is the eye that reflects the soul, and its power will also focus on the desires in the heart of the holder.]
[If Giyu can become a genjutsu shinobi stronger than Shisui, perhaps we can gradually control the higher levels of Konoha without knowing it.]
But he was disappointed.
Giyu looked at those blood-red eyes in silence, but suddenly realized.
The dark energy in the minds of the clan suddenly had an explanation. It turns out that this is the unique Yin attribute Chakra of the Uchiha clan.
But why does he always have a bad feeling about it?
It's as if something strange has mixed into this Chakra...
But the biggest gain for Giyu this morning was knowing about the Yin and Yang attributes, which ordinary Academy graduates would understand, corresponding exactly to Moon Breathing and Sun Breathing.
In this way, whether reviving Rengoku Kyojuro or Kochou Shinobu, as long as he "starts" with his family to gather analysis, it will be enough.
For Giyu, this is undoubtedly good news, as it means he doesn't have to interact with more people for the time being.
////He's just like me frfr////
However, from now on, he'll have to become more clingy, literally clingy, like Sasuke. But then he won't be able to stay alone at home for too long...
[How should I plan my time? That's the question...]
Seeing Giyu's lack of reaction, Fugaku's mouth turned downward slightly.
He instructed Itachi, "Speaking of Chakra attributes... go buy a test paper to measure Sasuke's potential. As my son, he should have more than one fire attribute."
"Yes."
Itachi agreed.
Although Sasuke still has a long way to go in studying chakra nature transformation, knowing his attributes in advance will allow Itachi to collect some ninjutsu that suits Sasuke's compatibility during missions, paving the way for him.
Of course, if Giyu is willing to learn Chakra refinement, he can also be tested...
But how can he make him willing to learn?
Yesterday, Giyu made a wish to "not be disliked" by them...
But he really can't figure out who "they" are.
After eating, Fugaku and Mikoto went to work, while Giyu prepared the remaining snacks well, holding two 40-centimeter-high food boxes waiting at the door. Shinobi have big appetites, especially during training.
"Giyu, we're going to train, not go camping..."
Sasuke said so, wanting to show his ability to endure hardship in front of his younger brother.
But to be honest, he didn't want to have plain rice balls as lunch.
He walked to Giyu's side, intending to help him carry one of the boxes.
But as soon as Sasuke lifted the food box, his face suddenly turned pale, then gradually became red.
In the end, it was Giyu who took the box back and relieved him from the embarrassing situation.
"This one is soup, very heavy, let me do it."
Giyu easily lifted the food box as if it had no weight at all, making Sasuke feel anxious.
[Why does Giyu have such great strength even though he has never practiced? Is he really a more talented genius than me?]
A faint sense of dissatisfaction surged in Sasuke's heart.
Itachi silently watched this scene, remembering the task his father gave him after waking up in the morning.
["Find a way to see Giyu's physical fitness and see how strong it is."]
Although he knew that if he did as instructed, his father would be more determined to make Giyu a shinobi, he had to do it.
"Sasuke, did you bring the shuriken and kunai for taijutsu practice?"
Itachi asked softly.
"I did."
Sasuke touched the bulging pouch tied to his leg, "And Giyu's portion too."
After all, he had decided to train with Giyu.
"I'm just going with you guys."
Giyu is going to improve his analysis-rate with them; he still doesn't really feel like becoming a shinobi himself.
Even if he wants to pursue strength, the transformation of his body through breathing techniques is far from reaching its limit.
He he told Sasuke that he only needs to breathe every day to get stronger, and the progress is extremely fast, then he'll probably explode with anger, .
"It's okay to do what you want, Giyu."
Seeing Sasuke about to say something more, Itachi shook his head lightly.
For children with ideas, coercion is useless; you have to start from guiding their thoughts.
But he still planned to show Giyu the power of ninjutsu first, as he might be particularly interested in flashy ninjutsu effects. Many shinobi start to seriously study just for similar reasons, just for being "cool" or "good looking"...
"Oh right. To exercise our bodies, how about we run there today?"
Itachi didn't forget his father's arrangement; this way, he could see Giyu's endurance level and roughly estimate his overall physical fitness.
"But if we do that, we'll have no energy left for training."
Sasuke was somewhat unwilling. The practice field they often visit is several kilometers away from the Uchiha clan territory, and there are several kilometers of detours.
As for the training ground behind the lake in the clan's territory, there are always some young clan members trying to prove themselves by challenging Itachi, so they choose to practice in the village's practice field.
"If you are willing to run there, I can carry you back home this afternoon."
"I'll do it!"
Sasuke demonstrated a level of clinginess that made Giyu envious.
If he could also do this, everyone could be revived faster.
"Giyu?"
Itachi smiled and turned his head, "I can help you carry the food box."
"No need."
Giyu refused, "I can keep up."
He planned to stay within two meters of Itachi all day today.
To see if he can brush up on analysis-rate of the Breath of the Moon from Itachi, who possesses the Sharingan with three tomoe(meaning stage 3).
