117 Chapter 117

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Bang!

The table in front of Chiyo suffers again.

"It's that Aragami Kyomu again!" Chiyo roars loudly. "Won't he die from using that forbidden jutsu? Why won't he die!"

To this day, Chiyo still treats Kyomu's 'Purple Blade Firefly' as a forbidden jutsu.

In fact, her guess isn't wrong, but this forbidden jutsu is not like others. Kyomu's technique indeed cannot be used casually, but only two factors determine whether he can use it or not.

One is the effect of the passive skill for the month, and the other is whether Kyomu's own strength, without any passive skill enhancements, meets the requirements.

As for paying a portion of his life as a price for using the forbidden jutsu?

Kyomu disagrees with this point. He's just concerned whether the next month's passive skill will suit his wishes.

Otherwise, fluctuations in strength, not only leaving the enemy puzzled, it would also feel torturous to himself as well.

After all, it's hard to accept being on cloud nine one month and swimming in the lake the next month because of the passive skill.

Bang!

Chiyo smashes the overturned table with her foot, "Continue the interception and siege. I refuse to believe that Kyomu can use the forbidden jutsu a fourth time after using it three times!"

"But Elder Chiyo, the psychological pressure on the members of the several ninja squads previously surrounding Kyomu and his team is tremendous. They..."

"Shame, this is the shame of the Sand ninja!" Chiyo's anger intensifies, and two more crow's feet appear at the corners of her eyes, "Scared into having a shadow? I think they're not fit to be ninja!"

Fuming, Chiyo looks behind at a chair but decides against sitting down again, and her momentum quickly dissipates.

"Sigh...!"

With a heavy sigh, Chiyo wearily waves her hand, "Seal off the news about Kyomu using the forbidden jutsu again and causing heavy damage to the siege troops. Replace the mentally unstable ninja with others and send them to the front line, and refresh the siege team."

"Yes, Elder Chiyo."

As the communications ninja leaves, Chiyo and her brother Ebizo exchange glances, "Brother, do you think Kyomu will..."

"Based on previous intelligence, Kyomu did not make a move during our previous sieges, which should already explain a lot."

Chiyo calms down after thinking it through, "According to this intelligence, Kyomu's body is already at its limit. Otherwise, he would have had many opportunities to inflict heavy damage on us earlier."

"That makes sense." Ebizo nods, "Sister, consider this. Konoha is not only facing us. The remaining three parties are also sharpening their knives.

If there were no price to pay, they could completely deploy Kyomu to the main battlefield, where he alone could match a Jinchūriki.

Together with Orochimaru, Tsunade, and others, our front line's progress would definitely not be this smooth, and we might even suffer a major setback."

Chiyo feels reassured by Ebizo's judgment.

"This is excellent news." But then her expression hardens, "No matter what, no matter the cost, we must keep Kyomu and his team within our borders!"

Chiyo has planned well.

"Among the team led by Kyomu, aside from a few squad leaders, the rest are the new generation of Konoha, even the outstanding Hatake Kakashi joined them at some point."

When mentioning "Hatake", Chiyo's tone becomes heavy, indicating her deep hatred for Hatake Sakumo.

"As long as we can keep them, Konoha's new generation will face a severe lose. The future Konoha will have at least a decade of weakness, even if we fail this time..."

"That's the idea." Chiyo clenches her fist and swings it, "If not this time, then next time. Konoha won't be able to withstand it."

Ebizo takes a deep breath, "Sister, I'm still a bit worried, though. What if Kyomu can use the forbidden jutsu a fourth time, we..."

"I'm confident I can block it." Chiyo interrupts Ebizo, "Based on intelligence gathered from all sides, the purple blade's flame is extremely hot, but the Chikamatsu Collection can withstand it."

"Sister, the most troublesome part is the spread of the high temperature, not the impact of the blade," Ebizo reminds her, lifting his charred stick-like right hand.

"I'm aware of that." Chiyo brings up a past event, "Remember the Land of Whirlpools? We were fortunate to get a share of the spoils back then, some sealing techniques we obtained could be useful."

Ebizo immediately understands, "The Fire Sealing Seal?"

"Yes, the Fire Sealing Seal." Chiyo nods, "No matter how high the temperature, it's still a flame, and this sealing technique happens to counter most of the flames visible in this world."

"But sister, Kyomu's purple blade isn't entirely composed of chakra, but a mixture of Scorch Release chakra and high-speed friction air, upgraded after mixing.

I'm worried that even if the Fire Sealing Seal works, it might only be half-effective, and the rest... is still very troublesome."

Chiyo is aware of this but doesn't have a better countermeasure.

"As long as it can limit part of it, the rest of the temperature can be completely countered with Water Release techniques," Chiyo is confident, "This will definitely work. There's no perfect and invincible technique in the ninja world, only those who haven't found a way to counter it."

Chiyo's words completely convince Ebizo, "Sister, let's do as you say. I support you."

As their conversation ends, the siblings share a smile, then go their separate ways to attend to their respective tasks.

---

At Kyomu's side.

He has sheathed his sword, re-entering the 'charging' state, with Kakashi and Obito, among others, returning to regroup.

"Caught any sheep?" Kyomu asks with a smile.

"It's boring, totally meaningless," Obito complains, "The Sand ninja have no backbone, just know how to run. And with their familiarity with the terrain here, they disappear as fast as they run."

Kakashi's focus, however, is entirely different from Obito's.

Bang.

He steps forward and unexpectedly punches Kyomu, "You've kept this hidden deep. How did you come up with this technique, and how did you execute it?"

With Kakashi leading, everyone turns their focused gaze on Kyomu, harboring the same question.

"Is it a forbidden jutsu?" Kakashi frowns and asks again, "I heard rumors of your achievements back in the village, which included a brief description of this kind of technique.

I thought it was an exaggeration, that your strength couldn't have increased so much in such a short time.

So... are you disregarding your own life?!"

It's clear that Kakashi is anxious, concerned about the irreversible damage Kyomu might suffer from repeatedly using a forbidden jutsu.

But Kyomu had already prepared an excuse that would surely bluff Kakashi.

"This is not a forbidden jutsu."

"Then what is it?"

"It's a technique for concealing blades."

"Concealing blades?" Kakashi is momentarily puzzled, "The literal kind?"

"Of course not." Kyomu shakes his head, offering Kakashi and the others an explanation, "Mental strength is a difficult force to describe. It's being consumed all the time and also being generated all the time.

But where does the consumed part go?

Can we accumulate it and use it all at once when it's really needed without harming ourselves?

Based on this idea, I started developing the concealing blade technique, hence this move that seems like a forbidden jutsu, yet follows a traceable pattern and doesn't harm the user."

Kakashi falls silent, as do all others who heard Kyomu's explanation.

The logic is sound, but how to accumulate and where to store such mental strength becomes the question.

Yet, Kyomu was only responsible for proposing the idea, prompting those present to start brainstorming.

Obito, who first grasps the concept, offers a more systematic response.

Having perused the Uchiha clan's archives, it was time for Obito's accumulated knowledge to shine.

"Mental strength, to put it more complexly, is a manifestation of experience, knowledge, will, and the soul. It strengthens as you practice a certain skill, deepen a specific ability, or as you age.

That's why it's difficult for mental strength to increase.

With these restrictions, except for those with extraordinary talent, one's strength won't peak before the age of thirty.

This is the main reason why, even within the same ninja rank, there can be such a vast difference in combat power.

After all, the stronger the mental strength, the more powerful the force it unleashes when combined with chakra."

Obito speaks softly, and no one dares make a sound, afraid they'll miss his words.

His explanation aligns with the theoretical knowledge most ninja spend their lives never acquiring.

No one interrupts, and Obito continues.

"More precisely, mental strength is Yin Release chakra, which inevitably forms when mental strength reaches a certain threshold.

Some can harness it, while others cannot. But just because you can't use it, or haven't met the requirements to form Yin Release chakra, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Yin Release chakra fundamentally represents 'creation,' be it in terms of power, life, or even the world itself."

Pointing to his eyes, unafraid of revealing his secrets, "The Sharingan is a product of Yin Release, a bloodline limit. At its pinnacle, it can possess the power of 'creation.'

I might have digressed, but the point is clear: the means to utilize mental strength are severely limited, mostly used to enhance ninjutsu power. More tangible applications are unique to my Uchiha clan and the Nara clan's Shadow Imitation Technique.

There are few others, and even if there are, they're rare.

The scarcity is mainly because many do not know how to better utilize mental strength.

However, Kyomu's approach has opened a new door for us. When it's scarce, I indeed don't know how to use it, but once accumulated, even if clumsily utilized, it can be overwhelming."

After finishing, Obito pauses for a couple of seconds, his serious expression replaced by a goofy smile.

"Kyomu, am I right?"

"Eh?" Now it's Kyomu's turn to be puzzled, unprepared for such a detailed theory, "Right, right, you're absolutely right!"

I was just making it up, and you turn it into a theory?

Looking around, Kyomu sees everyone lost in thought.

Worried, Kyomu thinks he might have led them astray with his fabrications.

But how to argue?

Obito's points sound plausible, and the Uchiha clan does indeed thrive on mental strength and Yin Release chakra, manifesting through the Sharingan.

In this aspect, the Uchihas are experts, and Obito, having read nearly all of the clan's archives, speaks almost directly to the essence of mental strength.

What to do?

Kyomu is internally frantic but keeps a composed exterior, exuding the demeanor of a wise man.

"But how can we accumulate or save the mental strength that's unconsciously consumed daily, to unleash it all at once when needed without affecting ourselves?"

Kakashi looks intently at Kyomu, earnestly seeking an answer to this crucial question.

Biting the bullet, Kyomu blends theories from his previous life with the ninja knowledge of this life, slowly merging them together.

"Priority is on charging, that is, reducing combat frequency when not in battle to minimize the daily consumption of mental strength.

Next, there must be a place to store this mental strength." Kyomu taps his Yoei, "For example, Yoei can store the mental strength I save up. When I truly need to act, my first attack will be powerful enough to unleash tens, twenty, or even hundreds of times my usual strength!"

"Does it have to be a weapon or medium like Yoei?" Kakashi murmurs, unable to resist touching the hilt of his sword, Yukihime.

Obito, however, lights up with understanding, "Kyomu, I get it now, my storage place is our clan's Sharingan!"

There you go understanding again…

Kyomu is exasperated, glancing at Kakashi, who continues to fondle Yukihime, feeling the kid has been led even further astray.

Switching from researching Chidori to my fabricated 'concealing blade technique'?

Looking around, everyone present falls into contemplation, with Kyomu noticing some already eyeing their Dragon Scale Armor.

Without a divine weapon like Yoei, could our Dragon Scale Armor count as an entry-level option?

The brainstorming slowly begins, leaving Kyomu bewildered and unsure.

Hey, I was just making a fake PowerPoint, don't take it so seriously!

"Ahem." Kyomu coughs lightly, "Let's consider this issue later, after the war has calmed down. For now, advancing is crucial.

And, I'll need everyone's help. Until we reach the Hidden Sand Village, I'd prefer not to act."

"Charging, right? We get it!" Obito assures, thumping his chest, "Leave the rest to us, you just need to focus on delivering that one strike to destroy the Hidden Sand Village!"

For once, Obito becomes the leader of the team, while Kakashi spends the journey deep in thought, seemingly on the brink of an epiphany.

Quite absurd.

(End Of Chapter)